Music to My Ears

The sounds of waves crashing along the beach is music to my ears.  And in two short days I will be listening to the most beautiful symphony ever composed while enjoying a cocktail (or ten) on the beaches of the Big Island.  Okay, now I am just bragging and that is not fair to you, my dear readers.  So I apologize.  But hey, since we are on the subject of music, let us talk a little more about it.  That is right, since I am in such a good mood, I have decided to present to you another edition of "Funny Things from the Chief's Past You Might Not Have Known".

Most of you who have gotten to know me recently probably only see the current image of the Chief:  sports fan, college golfer, frat guy, fun-loving partier, the work-hard-play-hard type of guy.  Nothing wrong with that.  And though we have hinted at it in the past, it is time you know something else.  Have you ever watched an episode of Glee?  I have, all of them.  And, for the most part, I have enjoyed them all.  Confused?  It is okay; it is only natural.  But it is time you that Glee is essentially the reincarnation of my high school experience.  That is right, I was a member of a nationally-ranked high school show choir and I loved it . . . jazz hands and all.  I am just going to go ahead and give you a moment to let that sink in  . . .

. . .

To be honest, most of you would be shocked with home competitive things get with show choir (remember, it's a competition and the Chief's in it).  And it was a great way to meet to incredibly attractive girls.  I mean, without it, I would not have joined the college glee club and met my Better Half.  And it certainly did not prevent me from lettering in three sports at the same time.  In fact, it was encouraged.  But my love for music extends well beyond show tunes and cheesy arrangements of current pop hits (though I still have a soft spot in my heart for them)  In fact, during high school I went through a pretty big Nine Inch Nails phase.  I did not dress the part, but I certainly loved everything Trent Reznor produced (which, most recently, includes the score to The Social Network . . . wild, right?)  And to this day, Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots remain two of my all-time favorite bands.  Jar of Flies is one of the few albums I can listen to start-to-finish without wanting to skip a track, and you have not lived until you have seen STP play an all-acoustic set with a giant lava lamp as the back drop.  And that is why I also wanted to draw your attention to this: KROQ's Locals Only Playlist.  If you could all take the time to scroll down to the voting section and type in "Motor Gun Hotel - Pay the Price" in the "Other" box, it would be greatly appreciated.  You see, MGH is a fantastic local band I have gotten to know over the past few years.  It is comprised of a talented guitarist, a phenomenal bassist, and an awesome female drummer.  That is it.  Three members that, together, knock out song after song that sound eerily like a cross between Chains and STP.  I encourage you to check out some of their performances on YouTube.   It is certainly not the "untz, untz, untz" music many of your prefer (myself included these days), but it certainly is worth a listen as you get ready to cut loose this weekend.

So, please go and vote for Motor Gun Hotel so we can get them more airtime down here in Southern California.  And then, once you have voted, come on back and enjoy the entertaining links we have lined up for you.  Or, if you are a strictly untz-untz person, just go ahead and start reading the links now:

• We should all strive to live the like great Ron Swanson.
• A must-read for HIV deniers, teleporters, Randy Quaid, train-wreck enthusiasts and fans of quality reportage.  So really, a win for all.
• Ladies, if your man wrote you a poem for Valentine's Day, I hope he is more of a wordsmith than C.J. Leslie.
• What? Potential corruption in the BCS? Get right out of town . . .
• With baseball right around the corner, let us make sure we are not getting ripped off at the stadiums.
• Whenever ever I start working some place new, I always like to make sure I criticize my new boss right out of the gates.  You know, to make a good first impression.
• A heart-warming story about a giant insurance company acting like . . . well . . . a giant insurance company. 
• Ability to receive pictures on cell phone and being under eighteen considered a plus. 
• Is this what the Spice Girls meant by "girl power"?
• Normally, when you read a team shot seven-percent from three-point range, it is not followed with "on one hundred and three attempts."
• You did not think China restricted its age falsification program to Summer Olympic events, did you? [*shaking head*]

Jimmer Fredette.  [Editor's Note: every now and then I randomly yell out "JIMMER!"  It's fun and always freaks out the people around you.  Try it, you'll feel great afterward, I promise.]  Well, Jimmer-mania has carried over into this NCAA season, and his play has been deserving of the praise.  So we get this week's video portion of the Link Dump started with Jimmer . . . JIMMER!:

• Would someone please teach me, teach me how to Jimmer?
• Jimmer Fredette breaks ankles with his crossover.
• Three-and-a-half minutes of Blake Griffin dunking?  Yes please.
• Yeah, I like to shoot a little stick.  [Editor's Note: that's what she said . . . wait, what?]
• Apparently the trick shot craze has spread to quaterbacks and douches soccer goalies.
• If you are not watching Tosh.0 on Comedy Central, shame. on. you.
• The current vote stands at Fake: 2, Real: 0.  You be the judge.
• Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy now has two memorable press conferences.  You all remember the first.  And here is the second.  
• If you do not know who Keenan Cahill is, you should.
• Even though we will be dark next, I can guarantee JKL will bring you another quality "Unnecessary Censorship", just like he has this week.

Just a friendly reminder that we will be on vacation all next week.  Look for new and exciting things to start popping up on GameTime, TBD© come March.  In the meantime, have a great week everyone!

Don't Be Jealous

[Editor's Note:  We were piecing together a solid introduction on responsible blogging, but a funny thing happened on the way to print . . . actual work.  What's that about?  So, we have had to scrap that introduction in the short term and move on with a quicker, more efficient opening.  But responsible blogging is a subject I take very seriously and is something I will definitely touch upon in the near future.  In the meantime, you have settle for another topic near and dear to my heart . . .]

I think it is safe to say that we all love vacations.  There are few things in this world better than spending an extended period of time without the worries and stresses of our everyday lives.  And, of course, who does not love the pre-vacation countdown?  And how about the direct correlation between days left until vacation and work productivity?  Well, today marks single digits remaining until the Chief and the Better Half head off on a much needed vacation.  That is right, they are official t-minus nine days and counting.  We do not want to make you jealous of where they are going [Editor's Note: *cough* *cough* Hawaii *cough* *cough* . . . boy, I hope I'm able to kick this cold before vacation . . .], so we will just leave it at that.  And, of course, a vacation for the Chief means a vacation for the rest of the GameTime, TBD© office because we are equal opportunity vacationers.  Sounds good, right?  But rest assured, dear readers, no matter where the Chief is, he is always trying to find ways to improve things around here to make it even better for you.  In fact, he is already holding "staff" meetings to cover what he hopes we will be able to accomplish on behalf of our little slice of the world wide web pie while the office is dark.  And I imagine he will be traveling with his prized journal, the holder of his creative genius, so that he can finally crank out the first original pieces of GameTime, TBD© content this year.  Believe you me, nothing gets the Chief's creative juices flowing like sipping cocktails and catching some rays on the white-sand beaches of the Big Island some tropical destination that shall remain nameless.

But let us not get too far ahead of ourselves.  Nine days means we still have two Fridays and, thus, two Link Dumps to get through.  After all, as our work productivity slowly works it way towards zero, we need something to keep us entertained.  And, more importantly, you, our dear readers, still have a Friday afternoon to get through without going postal on your boss and/or co-workers.  That is why we are here.

So, while we prepare for the next staff meeting, and while the Chief finalizes what restaurants he and the Better Half are going to be enjoying, here are some things you might have missed from this past week:

• What is wrong with this sentence:  "Marisa Miller is a fairly attractive young lady."?
• Speaking of Marisa, it is good to know she prefers the four-point stance when playing football.
• A brief follow-up to last week's M-F-K:  Mike Fisher's wife now cheers for the Nashville Predators.
• So, this guy is pretty much the anti-Lenny Dykstra of entrepreneurial professional athletes then?
• A classy move by a hockey player saves a dumb* fan ten dollars. [Editor's Note:  *everyone knows setting your beer on the dasher boards is just asking for trouble. EVERYBODY!]
• An estimated 111 million people watched the Super Bowl. That means an estimated 111 million people saw A-Rod get fed popcorn like the little [censored] he is.  His response? To be a little [censored].
• Ballsy move by Mike McCarthy before the Super Bowl even kicked off.
• Well, that is a huge weight of my chest.  Baseball Prospectus has finally figured out what baseball game Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron went to.
• A perfect record we should all applaud.
• For the record, this is not an NCAA violation.  Common sense would have told you that, but that is one thing the NCAA seems to be lacking.
• Who knew saying something like "Well, you guys don't go out and play [racial slur deleted] basketball." would get you canned?  Everyone but this guy.
• One day, Disney will write a movie "based" on a true story.  Of course, in that movie the double-amputee pitcher does not get cut from his high school baseball team.
• Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys . . . soccer players make way more.

If you are not following us on Twitter [Editor's Note: Shame. On. You.], then you missed the news that the Chief rocked the Surf City Half Marathon last weekend, setting a new personal best of 1:57:20.  Well, he ran with a camera and for this week's video portion of the Link Dump we proudly present one hour and fifty-seven minutes of running . . . just kidding.  Though, from what we hear, it would be a pretty entertaining video.  As the Chief put it: "I found this runner who was looked in on my target pace and ran about five yards behind the whole race.  The runner also happened to be an attractive female, so that was nice.  I was a category five creeper for the entire run."  Good work, Chief!  To celebrate, funny videos:

• You need a YouTube account, the language will get you fired, and females who do not read this site regularly are likely to be offended . . . must be a winner.
• If this does not get excited for the next Lions’ season (if there is one) then I do not know what will.  No, seriously.
• Thank you, Captain Obvious.  
• You got served.  Oh, it is on.
• Is this the worst miss in the history of . . . well . . . ever?
• There is only one way to follow up a miss like that . . .
• Poor form, a little rough on the landing; may have to settle for the bronze.
• The saga of Harry Baals.
• Hey Jennifer, call me.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Fun (?) in the Sun

Well, we are t-minus two days from the Chief embarking on his third half marathon in a little over seven months.  He will be running the Surf City Half Marathon on Sunday down in sunny Huntington Beach, California.  And while he is not necessarily an "elite" runner, the Chief's competitive streak has been well documented on GameTime, TBD©.  So, as you can imagine, he is taking these final two days (a little too) seriously.  For example, a buddy of his who is an avid racer, including an Iron Man, once told him the key to race-day hydration is extra hydration two days prior to the race (that would be today).  So, upon entering the GameTime, TBD© office this morning, the Chief announced he would be peeing clear by noon.  [Editor's Note:  TMI? Probably.  Would you expect anything less from us?  Absolutely not.]  He informed me that today's Link Dump was completely up to me because he was going to "be drinking straight outta the Pure water machine all day."  That is putting a lot of power in my hands.  But, with great power comes great responsibility.  So here we go.

Over the past two Link Dumps, we have featured two of our favorite things as the introduction:  (1) hockey, and (b) hot chicks.  Since then, we have seen hockey viewing and our readership both increase.  Coincidence?  We think not.  And this got me thinking: "How do we build on this momentum?"  By combining the two!  Ain't that right, Boom?  

So it is with great pleasure I present to you, Marry-[Censored]-Kill:  Hockey WAG Edition.  I briefly consider M-F-K: Kings Ice Crew Edition, but realized I did not want to alienate our non-Los Angeles readership.  I must admit, it was both fun and educational preparing this introduction.  For starters, being a WAG (a common acronym for "wives and girlfriends") is much different than being a Puck Bunny; nothing good comes from calling someone a puck bunny.  And, as it turns out, there are a lot of hockey players pulling in top-notch tail.  Of course, some of the top-notch tail is more well known than others, so we focused on those women with more notoriety.  Then we narrowed down the contestants to current WAGs only, no ex-WAGs allowed (sorry Kournikova, you're out).  And after lengthy deliberations (read: Google image searches), we found our three.  So readers of GameTime, TBD©, we ask you, who would you marry, [censored], and kill:  (1) Melanie Collins (ESPN's Pageviews 2.0 and girlfriend of Phoenix forward Scottie Upshall); (b) Willa Ford (singer/model and wife of Detroit forward Mike Modano); or (iii) Carrie Underwood (singer and wife of Ottawa forward Mike Fisher)?  Have fun.

While you debate the merits of these hockey WAGs, we are going to go check on the Chief to make sure his hydration is going well.  And just in case we are not back by the time you finish (hey-oh!), here are some things you might have missed from the past week:

• Askmen.com tells the world something readers of GameTime, TBD© already know:  Blake Lively is hot.
• It turns out the New York Islanders' marketing team is about as good as the hockey team.
• Hope the snow storm did not make you late to last night's Boston Bruins-Dallas Stars game.
• If your office Super Bowl squares do not turn out well (like mine), invite everyone to play a little Super Bowl Bingo.
• "You can make it with some loser you found on the Internet anytime … the Super Bowl is only once a year."  That about sums it up.
• When a quarterback in your league takes illegal funds, you drag your feet.  But when a school dares to use attractive women during national signing day, you take immediate action.  That is the SEC for you.
• Three stars for football skills, five stars for illegal procedure.
• "America, we have laws. Laws against killing, laws against stealing. And it is just accepted that as a member of American society, you will live by these laws. In [Allen], Texas, there is another society which has it's own laws. Football is a way of life."
• Everyone should feel bad for Cal Ripken, Jr. now.  [Editor's Note: here's the card.]
• Sometimes people from the South make it too easy.
• It is still real to me, damn it.

This is your "Hydration Watch 2011" update:  although the Chief still insisted on having his morning coffee, he has managed to consume eight cups of water this morning.  However, we have yet to receive confirmation that his "pee clear before noon" mission has been a success.  We will keep you updated throughout the day as this story progresses.  In the meantime, here are some videos for you to enjoy:

• Your "Sad, But True" fact of the day: we all know someone who does this dance a little too well.
• Who wants to see Bill Simmons have a fangasm over Blake Griffin?  Of course you do.
• I will go ahead and say The Weather Channel is the perfect place for Jim Cantore to be working.
• Speaking of weathermen, let us remember that they are paid to predict the weather, not count.
• What were you saying about injuries?
• In case you "happened" to miss that Croatia vs. Slovakia mens' doubles tennis match this past week, here is the highlight.
• One and done.  [Update: apparently it's one and done for 4-6 weeks...]
• Not the best time to lose an edge there, ref.
• And, of course, no Link Dump is complete without JKL's latest installment of TWIUC.

Have a great weekend everyone!