Friday, July 29, 2011

Run Away, Run Away

We here at GameTime, TBD© acknowledge that this is us today:

On the bright side, Kate Upton was out there doing what she does best (read: looking hot in a bikini) earlier this week:

So, there that is.
Anyways, long story short, The Chief is headed off to San Francisco this afternoon for his fourth half marathon in the past year. [Editor's Note: *applause, applause, applause . . . trumpets, trumpets, trumpets . . . fanfare, fanfare, fanfare*  Thank you; you're all too kind.]  Unfortunately, that means we are short on time this week and will not be able to provide you with your weekly dose of entertainment, commonly known as the Link Dump (hence the boring picture of the moderately attractive female above).  But in our effort to never leave you completely empty-handed on a Friday (see, e.g., said picture above), here is a six-second video that provides the shock-and-awe response we like around here (shock, as in "Oh my!", and awe, as in "Awwwwwwwww-[censored], did that really just happen?").  I have watched this video at least twenty times this week and it still cracks me up.
As always, we appreciate your continued support and understanding on days like this.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Gone, But Not Forgotten

[Editor's Note: yup, the bathroom scene still gets me every time.]
Summer vacation was fun while it lasted, but it feels good to be back up and running at the GameTime, TBD© offices.  After an extended break like we took, you almost forget how much fun it is to review stories and videos with an eye towards the Link Dump for Friday.  So here we are, ready to go again. [Editor's Note: that's what she said!]
I am not going to lie, I did not have a good time watching the U.S. Women's National Team lose to Japan last Sunday.  It certainly did not help in my recovery from the wedding My Better Half and I had attended the night before (I think she was still drunk during the match).  Watching that game, it was hard to believe that we were only a week removed from one of the greatest moments in soccer (of any gender) history.  [Editor's Note: still gives me chills . . .]  But while the Women's World Cup may be gone, the women of the World Cup are certainly not forgotten.  Every where you look this week, someone from the USWNT is there.  So, we figured, why not cash in on some of the hype as well?  And, well, from there, it was fairly obvious (to us at least) how best to "cash in" on said hype . . .
That is right, dear readers, it is time for the next installment of GameTime, TBD©'s favorite game, Marry-[Censored]-Kill, the USWNT Edition.  Outside of Abby Wambach and her forehead, the two other players to receive a significant amount of attention over the past three weeks were goaltender Hope Solo and striker Alex Morgan, and it was not just because of their play on the field.  [Editor's Note: that depends on what "field" you're referring to, no? BIYOMBO!]  To the surprise of many onlookers, it turned out Hope and Alex are pretty easy on the eyes (I mean just look how excited a Washington State fan got for Alex, a Berkeley alum . . . that's saying something).  So, with two of our three contestants ready for a showdown, who should join them?  I am sure there are many people out there who find Abby attractive, but short hair is not really my thing which would make the choice too obvious.  We like out competition to be stiff.  [Editor's Note: yeah we did.]  So, without a doubt, we have to go with perennial USWNT hottie Heather Mitts, who missed the 2003 and 2007 WWCs due to injury.  With that being settled, we would like to know which of these soccer ladies you would marry, [censored], and kill: (1) Heather Mitts; (b) Alex Morgan; and (iii) Hope Solo.
Let me begin by saying it was difficult to find comparative pictures of all the ladies.  Alex Morgan has been a sports blog-favorite for several years, so her Facebook photos have been splashed all over the internet.  And Heather Mitts has posed for the Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Issue with her husband, quaterback A.J. Feeley.  Hope, on the other, burst on to the hotness scene during the World Cup, so the options were somewhat limited for her.  That is why, in fairness to all, we went with photos from a team photo shoot.  That being said, the photos do not really do any of these ladies justice, so do yourself a favor and run a search in Google images (you know, "research" the topic).  When asked to weigh in, The Chief threw us a wild card.  We "type-cast" Mitts for The Chief, and what does he do?  He goes out there and says "It's a sad day when an attractive blond has to bite the bullet."  Apparently, there is something about Hope's new brunette look that The Chief "can't explain, but [he finds] her shockingly attractive."  Plus, friend-of-the-program Ballgame is absolutely in love with Alex and her pink sports bra, so the Chief could not possibly take her from him.  But, sleep with her once?  Eskimo Brothers it is.
It is never easy, is it?  For some of you, it might take a while to "research" the topic and mull over your options.  Others of you will probably just fire from the hip.  So, it is best that move on to the links for those of you who have already decided:
  • The eighth and final season of Entourage premieres (premiered?) this week.  So, to help you get ready, here is a look back at the hottest girls from seasons one through seven.
  • I must say, it is not very often that someone can upstage Kate Upton in a photo shoot.
  • If you are in Boston and have seen the Stanley Cup, please notify Nathan Horton's wife.  She would like to have her day with the Cup. 
  • Let us all hope that the second time is the charm for the LAPD.
  • Seattle only lost by a touchdown?  Wow, looks like Pete Carroll has that team headed in . . . What is that you say? Wrong football? Oh.
  • If you are interested in carrying Tiger's woods and balls, he is hiring.
  • Hey Lute, ever heard of a little thing I like to call karma?
  • There is nothing like a good, judicial verbal lashing that makes me proud to be an attorney.
  • You stay classy, parents of twelve-year-old softball players.
  • Speaking of softball, remember that one time Meatloaf was a softball coach?
Well, it appears that many of you enjoyed the video-heavy Link Dump we went with last week.  So, we figured, why not do it again?  After all, there are quite a few videos out there that we did not get a chance to post during our summer vacation.  So, here is another extra-large dose of videos for your viewing pleasure:
  • A time-lapse video that is almost too beautiful to be real.  But it is.
  • It was only a matter of time before Jim and Alec's rivalry affected innocent bystanders.
  • I feel like Steve Nash and I would have a lot of fun together if we were friends.  Steve, consider this an open invitation.
  • Chad Reed is rested and recovered after . . . oops . . . might need some more rest and recovery.
  • A little rough on the landing, might have to settle for the bronze . . .
  • . . . which means this guy might be out of medal contention altogether.
  • The answer is no, you are not smarter than a fifth grader.
  • It is nice to see J.T. feign humility for at least two second.
  • Something tells me Susan Hendricks does not need dolls to mimic that.
Have a great weekend everyone!

    Friday, July 15, 2011

    Oh, Hello There

    Howdy strangers.  Did you miss us?  It sure seems like it has been a while.  What? What is that you say? It has been TWO MONTHS?!?!?!  Yikes.  My bad.

    First and foremost, allow me to apologize for the unexplained shutdown of GameTime, TBD© for the past two months.  Not to make excuses (cue the excuses), but a lot has gone done around the offices over the past two months.  There is a possible announcement looming on the horizon that will likely have a dramatic impact on our little corner of the world wide web, and, while things remain in limbo, I did not want to hold out on you, my avid readers, any longer.  When you mix holding out for a final decision to be made with actual work and the various holidays, you get two months of silence around these parts.  But we are back up and running at full speed for the indefinite future, and I will obviously, as I always do, keep you all in the loop if and when any developments actually occur.
    Yes, I know that does not necessarily make up for two months of radio silence, not even a sympathy post featuring a picture of an attractive female celebrity, but I do hope you will find it in your hearts to forgive me.
    Before we get to the goods [Editor's Note: that's what she said!], I wanted to briefly update you on a couple of topics:
    • The Boston Red Sox kick-off the "second half" of their season tonight with a 55-35 record and holding a game-and-a-half lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East.  After starting the season 2-10, Boston remembered they were supposed to win a lot of games this season and started doing just that.  And that has been great for my little "science experiment".  At the start of play today (read: pre-bet), my co-scientist and I were up $329.77 on the season.  But things did not always look so pretty.  We reached a season low $-123.43 on April 15th after a 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.  From there, we did not reach positive figures until a 15-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on May 20th.  After bouncing back and forth between positive and negative territory for the next few games, we have remained in the green since an 8-6 win over the Oakland A's on June 3rd.  Since then, it has been a steady climb to current season-high of $329.77.  You may be asking how I know all of this.  Well, I can be a little anal retentive, so I have a complex spreadsheet tracking everything.  Shocking, I know.
    • I am a fan of smart television; that is why most of the shows I grow to love get canceled before they should.  Since the main networks prefer to pander to the lowest common denominator, shows like Sports Night, Life, Veronica Mars, Studio 60, Friday Night Lights, and Freaks and Geeks do not survive (the average-American viewer is too dumb to understand them . . . yeah, I went there).  Which brings me to the Women's World Cup (totally saw that one coming, right?).  Perhaps the smartest thing ESPN has ever done (more on this below) was to bring Ian Darke in as their main soccer play-by-play man.  Why is that you ask?  Well, not only is Mr. Darke a genius with his calls (see, e.g., (1) "Oh, it's INCREDIBLE!"; (B) "It is an AB-solute FIRECRACKER . . ."; (iii) "CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?"; and (d) and the always simple, "It's a GOAL!"), but he is actually a genius.  He displays his intelligence through his word choice and dry sense of humor, or "Darkeisms".  If you actually listen to the things he says throughout the course of the game (like when the ball is just being passed around the midfield), I guarantee you will laugh at least a half-dozen times, probably more.  For example, only a few short minutes before Abby Wambach scored possibly the most dramatic goal in U.S. Soccer history (sorry Landycakes) against Brazil, with the ball out of play and U.S defender Ali Krieger desperately trying to retrieve it, Darke dropped this classic "Darkeism": "The ball went out of play there, and a retinue of intellectuals decided they'd hand it around among themselves before throwing it back." Legen . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . dary.
    • I am going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2 tonight . . . yeah, you read that correctly.

    Anyways, I apologize again for the delay in getting things back up and running.  So, without further adieu, I present to you our first Link Dump in two months to help get you through your Friday:
    I am taking a calculated risk with this week's Link Dump return: less articles, more videos.  What do you think?  I figured it is the end of a long summer week, you are tired, and likely do not want to waste time reading things.  So why not go heavy with videos?  You will thank me later:
    • With an assist from the bikini-clad smokeshows in the pool.
    • Dear Dude, Can you please stop singing?  There is an attractive woman working the pole behind you.  Kthxbye.
    • Things Dwyane Wade loses to: (1) the Dallas Mavericks; (b) basketball nets; (iii) six-year-old basketball players even when he tries to abuse his height advantage.
    • We are not Giants fans here at GameTime, TBD©, but know a good number of our readers are.  So, to them, here is a reminder that The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants premiered this week on Showtime.
    • Ever wonder what happens when you let Real Madrid practice at UCLA?
    • Could this video have been the breakthrough in NFL labor negotiations?
    • What is a talk show host to do if he accidentally books two comedians for the same night?  Follow Conan's lead.
    • Wedding entrance fail? Wedding entrance fail.
    • First Justin Bieber and now Rebecca Black?  How else would you expect him to respond?
    It feels good to be back.  Have a great weekend everyone!