Runnin' Down A Dream

Things are a bit crazy right now here at the GameTime, TBD© offices. We are going to be dark all next week on account of a vacation, and so we are frantically trying to finish up some last minute work so that we can shut things down at a reasonable hour today. But do not think for one second that a vacation next week is going to stop us from getting you a Link Dump this week. It does mean, however, that our short, pithy introduction is going to be even shorter and pithier today. And it goes like this:

It is amazing how much things can change over the course of a forty-five minute drive into work. I got up extra early this morning so I could get to the gym, get home, get showered and shaved, and be ready for work in time to watch the first half of the (now-infamous) United States versus Slovenia World Cup match. Then I would get in my car and listen to the second half on the radio while I drove (because, you know, as ESPN has told us all throughout the World Cup, this game is available on ESPN, ESPNRadio, and ESPN3.com). Well, after the first half, I was all set to write an introduction about how it is just another disappointing run for the US at the World Cup. But now, thanks to that forty-five minute drive, I get to complain about ESPN instead, which is even better.

You see, listening to the game on ESPNRadio apparently means listen to the game streaming over the internet via ESPNRadio, NOT listen to the game on your local ESPNRadio affiliate. No sir. In case you did not know, the Lakers won the NBA Championship last night, and our local ESPNRadio affiliate here in Los Angeles also happens to be the home station of Los Angeles Lakers basketball. So what was on ESPNRadio here in Los Angeles this morning? "Twenty-four hours of Lakers' championship coverage." That right there is their words, not mine. So, while most of you [Editor's Note: if you have been fastidiously avoiding all mention of the final results of the US/Slovenia game, please skip to the next paragraph] were enjoying the United States' dramatic comeback/subsequent referee hose job (when is a win a draw? well, apparently we learned that today), I was frantically surfing the radio searching for at least some score updates. Thankfully, my boy Dan Patrick came through, like he always does, with "World Cup-dates" after every commercial break. As if I was not over ESPN enough already, maybe next time they will make sure all their affiliates are on board or be a little more specific as what "listen to the game on ESPNRadio" means. (Side note: and, as if I needed one more reason to hate 710ESPN here in Los Angeles . . . I don't even think die-hard Lakers fans want 24 hours of coverage).

Welcome back to those of you who skipped ahead to avoid learning the results of the game. Even with all that venting, I am still a little fired up. So, in order to avoid possibly saying something that will get me in trouble, I am just going to dive into the stuff you came to see:

• Erin Pageviews is ready to play the field. What a . . . err . . . nevermind. [Editor's Note: SUCK IT, ESPN! . . . yup, still bitter.]
• FIFA is, perhaps, the only organization in the world that would be angry about a group of thirty hot, Dutch blonds showing up at their event.
• Speaking of hot blonds associated with the World Cup, my money is on Clancy . . . but you knew this already.
  
• "Because nothing says good old fashioned Christianity than beating a loved one to death over a remote control."
• BleacherReport, a GameTime, TBD© favorite, has really gone the extra mile this time: Comparing Tiger Woods' Mistresses to His Rivals.
• Gentlemen, listen closely: compassion and cash go a long way with women and groupies. Who knew?
• Instrument of torture? Utah executes a guy by firing squad and you want to call the vuvuzela an instrument of torture?
• "Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill."
• I smell Lifetime original movie.
• A lot has been going in the NFL . . . the what? . . . over the past few weeks. I will let Deadspin summarize it all for you.
• So let me get this straight, the whole team was suspended and then two players were suspended on top of that? Suspended from what at that point?
• "Sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded like a goddamn magic show ready to double team your girlfriend . . ."

Man, I know that last one is not really sports related, but still . . . damn. Also, anything that gives me the opportunity to throw in an Old School reference is deserving of a spot in the Link Dump. Speaking of deserving of a spot, here are some videos that fit that description quite nicely:

• Admit it, after four weeks, your Fridays are not bearable until you have had the chance to watch this.
• Speaking of great, entertaining music videos, OK Go made another one.
• Ron Artest is crazy. If you could possibly need any more proof of this, check out Ron-Ron's post-game interview from last night.
• I am going to say this is fifty percent real, fifty percent fake, and one hundred percent awesome.
• Oh Jimmy, I love when you [censored] the FCC.
• Your "Marisa Miller Link of the Week" comes courtesy of a banned Guitar Hero commercial. [Editor's Note: insert "Marisa Miller can bang my drum any day of the week" joke here . . . wait, what?]

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's A Celebration

Well, my dear readers, it is a week of celebration here around the GameTime, TBD© offices. Today, my Better Half is celebrating her [censored] birthday and tomorrow, we culminate two years of hard work on her part as she graduates from UCLA with a Masters Degree in Public Health.

Unfortunately, all of this celebrating is going to leave us with no time to get out our weekly dose of entertainment, otherwise known as the Link Dump, for you tomorrow. But we did not want to leave you empty handed like we may have done a couple weeks ago. Since this post is in honor of my Better Half and her birthday, I offered her the opportunity to pick a picture to tide people over for the next week; you know, give our lady-readers something to appreciate. I told her to pick one of her "Celebrity 5". So, here is our offering to you, in honor of my Better Half. She would like you all to take a moment and enjoy a look or two at Kristen Bell . . . wait, what? Nice!


Everything is right in the world. The sun rose in the east this morning (I think), USC got what it deserved (and then some) from the NCAA, and my Better Half wants to spend her birthday oogling pictures of Kristen Bell (and send my fantasy radar to record levels). If some one could please figure out what I did to deserve all this awesomeness, and let me know, I would greatly appreciate it.

Seriously people, this week can not get any better. Oh wait . . . it can.

To all of our avid readers, have a great weekend!

To my Better Half, "congratulalations", happy birthday, I love you.

Running on Empty

[Editor's Note: In support of the Chief's half marathon training, we have decided all Link Dump titles will be running related, usually drawing inspiration from movies or song. Also, training seems to be going pretty well for the Big Guy. You track his progress over there to right . . . now down a little . . . to the right . . . there you go.]

So, we ended up taking an unexcused absence last week on account of Memorial Day weekend and some trouble with the "standard" maintenance my car went in for last Thursday. Long story short, it looked for a brief moment like I was going to be taking the dealer's loaner car to Palm Springs for "Sausagefest 2010", but they got it done in time. And, yes, we dropped the ball by not even getting you at least a little eye candy to make, what I am sure was, a short Friday at the office even better (As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift: these two droids).

Before we get to the goods (other than the ones we just gave you), the staff here at GameTime, TBD© would like to send out our thoughts and prayers to the Wooden family. As I am sure you all know by now, "The Wizard of Westwood" was recently admitted to the UCLA Medical Center. Most people wonder how I became such a big fan of UCLA since I did not go there and did not have an family go there until much later in life (when my sister married a Bruin and my Better Half went to grad school). Well, as a young basketball fan growing up in Southern California whose only NBA allegiance was to a team playing thousands of miles away (the Pistons), it was pretty easy to learn to love UCLA basketball and the great tradition of the program created by Wooden. I have printed his pyramid of success more than a few times and refer to it often. I can still pick up my (personally-signed) copy of A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court, read a chapter or two, and instantly feel motivated to be the best I can be. If you have not seen the documentary on Wooden's time at UCLA, The UCLA Dynasty [Editor's Note: no, we do not own shares of Amazon.com], do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and check it out. The man truly was, is, and always will be the greatest coach in the history of sports. So, Coach, we are pulling for you. Get well soon. After all, Steve Lavin will probably need some advice on how to actually coach a basketball team. Who else will he be able to call?

Well, it certainly is not our intention to bum anyone out on a Friday. So we feel it is only appropriate to find the best, most entertaining stories from the past week or so to help get you through the rest of your Friday. What is that you say? You would not mind some more attractive ladies? Well, I think we can accommodate that:

• We start with a small request: help us get some GameTime, TBD© buzz going. We would like to retire sooner rather than later.
• If England seems a little tense during its opening match against the United States next week, I think we will all know why. In related news, Abigail Clancy--fiancee to English striker Peter Crouch--is hot.
• Surprise, surprise. No one likes the new ball designed specially for the World Cup.
• Even Brazilian sex workers are trying to cash in on the World Cup craze (no, we are not talking about that . . . get your mind out of the gutter).
• Apparently we all need to be paying a little more attention to women's tennis . . .
  
• . . . and the Women's College World Series.
• So you got robbed by a couple "professional" ladies, what is the big deal? Oh, I see.
• The Florida Marlins cordially invite you to a game that already happened.
• Apparently steroids do not have as great of affect on the player's ability to go deep as we thought. And, yes, cropping that photo was totally uncalled for by Yahoo!. Allow us to correct their mistake.
• As much as I dislike the San Francisco Giants, I do love me a good, funny Tim Lincecum story.
• I actually strongly disagree with this man's suggestion. Believe it or not, they do actually hate each other that much.
• As if the sport of cycling was not enough of a joke already.
• The pussification of youth sports continues.

I actually have a lot to say on that last topic, and it is something we plan on addressing in the upcoming weeks. First, we have to get the Chief [Editor's note: *insert sheepish grin and shoulder shrug here*] to finish up the Kings year-in-review piece he has been writing, re-writing, and re-re-writing for the past few weeks. So, while we go lecture him on the art of closing [Editor's note: which I, myself, did not master until I met my Better Half], here are some videos for you all to enjoy on this fine Friday:

• Today does feel like it is going to be a great day, but probably not for the same reason as his. . . .
  
• . . . I think it has more to do with this.
• I sincerely hope you bit the bullet and proposed to your better half before this video hit "the net". If not, sucks to be you . . . or, do whatever you can to make sure she never learns of its existence . . . but let us be honest, twenty of her girlfriends have already forwarded it to her saying something like, "he's made you wait 5 years, so he better do something like this." Yes, my friend, you. are. screwed.
• "This is why women aren't in charge of sports." Yikes.
• I wonder how many drinks it took to get this guy to go all Dukes of Hazard on his way out of the airport.
• We close with the greatest (cover band) drummer ever. EVER.

Have a great weekend everyone!