If you do not think the next three weeks are the greatest three weeks of the year, please raise your hand. Anyone? Anyone? That is what I thought. March Madness has descended upon us once again, and that means it is time for me to fill out a countless number of brackets. Within the next 24 to 48 hours, I will inevitably join more NCAA pools than 99.9% of you (seriously, I'm like a virgin on prom night...I can't say no).
For me, like many addicts, March Madness begins with all of the various conference tournaments. The reason for this is twofold. First, it gives me a chance to see tournament-bound teams from the mid-major conferences play. How am I to guess who this year's "Cinderella" will be if I have not seen fifteen of the teams play? (My Better Half thinks it's just another excuse for me to sit on the couch for a week, force her to watch sports, and be useless. Mix in the fact that I was really sick last week and I was doubly useless to her...good times.) Second, it gives me the opportunity to warm up for "The Big Dance."
My family and I always attend the first and second rounds of the tournament. We select a location, enter the lottery, and hope we get eight to twelve tickets. This year we are headed to Sacramento. It is the first time I will get to watch UCLA play in the tourney. I am really excited. But believe you me, sitting through four games in a single day is a drain, both physically and mentally. It is not something you can just throw yourself into without proper preparation. That is why some of my family members (myself included) always attend the Pac-10 Tournament. It gives us the chance to acclimatize ourselves to what it takes to sit through four games in one day. (One thing that helps me get through the day is figuring out which school has the best [read: hottest] cheerleaders. I'm always surprised that, year-in and year-out, the Pac-10's "best" cheerleaders come from Oregon, hands down. With Arizona State, UCLA, and that other school from southern California in the conference, you'd think Oregon couldn't do it, but they do. My Mom tried to convince me that "that other school" had the best squad this year, but she was wrong for three reasons: (1) I'm a UCLA fan, I'll never pick a squad from that other school as the best in anything; (b) I can't pick a squad that has cheerleaders who don't know when to cheer; and (iii) did I mention they're from that other school?...but I digress.)
My favorite NCAA pool that I will participate in is the one I am the commissioner of; it is a pool involving my extended family. That is one of the great things about the NCAA tournament, it gives me a opportunity to spend three weeks communicating with the people closest to me (and nothing says "I love you" better than some good, old fashioned trash talking that comes straight from the heart...seriously, if didn't know my Dad actually cared, I'd already be crying and the tournament hasn't even started yet; he's almost too good). It is also great because it gives my Better Half the chance to beat me at something (wait a sec, that's not great). She dusted me last year; it was not even close. Even worse, she picked teams based on the people she knew who went to that school. It is not fair that one of her best friends from high school goes to UCLA and her sister goes to George Mason for grad school. I think this is why women tend to do better in NCAA pools than men (see, e.g., my Mom winning last year's family pool). I think men tend to over think the brackets while women are more concerned about who they know at the schools and how cute the players are (taking a page out of the ladies' playbook, I used the old "how cute are the school's cheerleaders" approach in one of my brackets this year...Oregon got to the Elite 8).
Most importantly, however, I am hoping this year's tournament will finally get the bad taste of last year's tournament out of my mouth (seriously, I feel bad my Better Half has had to kiss me all this time). I mean, sure UCLA made it to the finals, but they got blown out by Florida. And, as a result, we have had to endure this past year of everyone talking about how great Joakim Noah is. I hate Joakim Noah. Has there ever been a more overrated (or uglier) basketball player in the history of college basketball? We all know how Dick Vitale feels, and it is probably the only thing we agree on. Sure he played well for two or three games in last year's tournament, but this year he is only the fourth leading scorer on his team and most of his points have come when there are six minutes left in a game and his team has already secured a victory. I only saw one game this season where he had an impact on a tight game. Most of the time he just acts like a freak or throws a temper tantrum like a five-year-old. I hope UCLA is able to make it to the Final Four so that a rematch of last year's championship game is possible. Lorenzo Mata will break Noah in half and Alfred Aboya will have a chance to relive the greatest moment of last year's game. And this year, I guarantee that UCLA will mop the floor with them; nobody gets the best of Ben Howland twice.
Time to dust off your dancing shoes and grab your partner, "The Big Dance" tips off in 66 hours.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
You Can't Stop Him, You Can Only Hope to Contain Him
I am not a big fan of the lottery (not the draft lottery system that various sports use, silly...the actual state lottery). I have never even played the lottery (unless you count five scratchers on my eighteenth birthday). But when a jackpot reaches $370 million, you have to get in on that action.
A co-worker of mine, Minalicious, approached me to see if I was interested in going in on some tickets with her, 50/50 style. So now I have two tickets with ten number combinations on them, Minalicious has two of her own, and I am caught up in jackpot-mania. Everywhere I go, all I hear is people talking about how winning $370 million is a life-changing amount of money. I disagree. Winning $370 million is not winning life-changing money, it is winning stupid money. A life changing amount of money would be an amount that allows you to pay off your debts, replace the old clunker known as "your car," and put a down payment on a nice house, if not allowing you to buy it out right. That is a life changing amount of money; it generally makes your life better and easier at the same time. All this can be done with anything from $500,000 to $1 million. Winning $370 million is stupid money because, assuming you save some of it, your great-great-grandchildren still will not have to worry about money during their lifetime.
Now, the $370 million posted jackpot is a little deceptive. For starters, the states finance the jackpots by selling bonds. So, if you take the lump sum payout (which you should ALWAYS do...it's a time/value of money thing, present vs. future value...not very complicated but not worth talking about here), you will only receive the initial proceeds of the bond sale, which will net you 45% -55% of the total jackpot, or $166.5 million to $203.5 million in this instance. Now, most states do not tax lottery winnings (California included), so you only have to worry about the 25% federal tax. So, if you win the $370 million jackpot, you will receive a lump sum payment between $124.9 million and $152.6 millions. Even if you were forced to split the pot with one other person (as I would), you would receive between $62 million and $76 million, also known as stupid money. [Update: Two people did win, a schmuck in southern New Jersey and a hick from the backwoods of Georgia. Minalicious and I? We won $2, which me promised will go towards tickets the next time the jackpot hits $250 million.]
So, having caught myself a case of jackpot-fever (which, unfortunately, can't be cured with more cowbell), I can not help but think of what I would do with about $69 million (just split the difference). First, I would set aside about $40 million into a trust. If that trust was to earn, conservatively, a 6% return every year, that would be $2.4 million of income every year for the rest of my life, and I would still have $29 million left to blow as fast as I can. I would pay off my loans, pay off My Better Half's loans, buy her a new car while I am at it, buy a house, give my parents a kickback for their years of endless support (not that they need it), buy my sister and brother-in-law a house, buy my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law a house, buy My Better Half's family new houses, and pay off some of my friends loans (we had a side deal). I could do all this and still have $20 million to blow, and not have even touched the $40 million trust. That, my friends, is why this jackpot is not life-changing money, it is stupid money. It allows someone to plan for the indefinite future.
Well, I am very thankful that not everyone on this planet is waiting to win the lottery before they plan for the future. In fact, the general managers of my two favorite teams are doing just that. First, Matt Millan finally appears to be reaching his stride as the general manager of the Detroit Lions. Having befuddled many Lions fans with his drafting skills, Millan is now showing that he might actually have a brain after all. With the trade for George Foster, an offensive tackle and 2003 first round draft pick of the Broncos (who tend to know what they're doing when it comes to offensive linemen) and the likely drafting of left tackle Joe Thomas with the second-overall pick in this years draft, Millan is shoring up the offensive line (which yielded 63 sacks last year, most in the league) for years to come. The Lions have also started to fill holes on the defensive side of the ball. With a core group of young and talented players, the 2007-2008 Lions just might be the surprise team of the season (but, of course, as a reader of GameTime, TBD©, you won't be surprised at all).
A co-worker of mine, Minalicious, approached me to see if I was interested in going in on some tickets with her, 50/50 style. So now I have two tickets with ten number combinations on them, Minalicious has two of her own, and I am caught up in jackpot-mania. Everywhere I go, all I hear is people talking about how winning $370 million is a life-changing amount of money. I disagree. Winning $370 million is not winning life-changing money, it is winning stupid money. A life changing amount of money would be an amount that allows you to pay off your debts, replace the old clunker known as "your car," and put a down payment on a nice house, if not allowing you to buy it out right. That is a life changing amount of money; it generally makes your life better and easier at the same time. All this can be done with anything from $500,000 to $1 million. Winning $370 million is stupid money because, assuming you save some of it, your great-great-grandchildren still will not have to worry about money during their lifetime.
Now, the $370 million posted jackpot is a little deceptive. For starters, the states finance the jackpots by selling bonds. So, if you take the lump sum payout (which you should ALWAYS do...it's a time/value of money thing, present vs. future value...not very complicated but not worth talking about here), you will only receive the initial proceeds of the bond sale, which will net you 45% -55% of the total jackpot, or $166.5 million to $203.5 million in this instance. Now, most states do not tax lottery winnings (California included), so you only have to worry about the 25% federal tax. So, if you win the $370 million jackpot, you will receive a lump sum payment between $124.9 million and $152.6 millions. Even if you were forced to split the pot with one other person (as I would), you would receive between $62 million and $76 million, also known as stupid money. [Update: Two people did win, a schmuck in southern New Jersey and a hick from the backwoods of Georgia. Minalicious and I? We won $2, which me promised will go towards tickets the next time the jackpot hits $250 million.]
So, having caught myself a case of jackpot-fever (which, unfortunately, can't be cured with more cowbell), I can not help but think of what I would do with about $69 million (just split the difference). First, I would set aside about $40 million into a trust. If that trust was to earn, conservatively, a 6% return every year, that would be $2.4 million of income every year for the rest of my life, and I would still have $29 million left to blow as fast as I can. I would pay off my loans, pay off My Better Half's loans, buy her a new car while I am at it, buy a house, give my parents a kickback for their years of endless support (not that they need it), buy my sister and brother-in-law a house, buy my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law a house, buy My Better Half's family new houses, and pay off some of my friends loans (we had a side deal). I could do all this and still have $20 million to blow, and not have even touched the $40 million trust. That, my friends, is why this jackpot is not life-changing money, it is stupid money. It allows someone to plan for the indefinite future.
Well, I am very thankful that not everyone on this planet is waiting to win the lottery before they plan for the future. In fact, the general managers of my two favorite teams are doing just that. First, Matt Millan finally appears to be reaching his stride as the general manager of the Detroit Lions. Having befuddled many Lions fans with his drafting skills, Millan is now showing that he might actually have a brain after all. With the trade for George Foster, an offensive tackle and 2003 first round draft pick of the Broncos (who tend to know what they're doing when it comes to offensive linemen) and the likely drafting of left tackle Joe Thomas with the second-overall pick in this years draft, Millan is shoring up the offensive line (which yielded 63 sacks last year, most in the league) for years to come. The Lions have also started to fill holes on the defensive side of the ball. With a core group of young and talented players, the 2007-2008 Lions just might be the surprise team of the season (but, of course, as a reader of GameTime, TBD©, you won't be surprised at all).
Then there is Dean Lombardi, general manager of the Los Angeles Kings. When DL was hired last summer, he announced that he had a plan to rebuild the Kings. The plan, he said, was to build around young superstars and he predicted it would take three to fours years to be Stanley Cup contenders. Well, DL is implementing that plan and, to be honest, you can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him.
Between my Where Do We Go From Here? post on February 20th and the NHL trading deadline on February 27th (that's right, in only one week's time), DL made four deals. The Kings lost veteran defenseman and captain Mattias Norstrom, Brent Sopel, a prospect who never panned out, a little-used forward, and three late round draft picks. The Kings, in turn, received Jamie Heward, an experienced former first round pick, a defensemen with an expiring contract, the rights to a prospect, and six draft picks. (I've always wanted to know which feels worse to a players self-esteem: being traded for (1) an unproven prospect, (b) late round draft picks, or (iii) a player-to-be-named later? Seriously, your team was so willing to get rid of you that they didn't even need to figure out who they wanted back at the present time. That can't feel good...but I digress) In all, DL has acquired two former first-round draft picks, three prospects, and eight draft picks. As it stands right now, the Kings have twenty draft picks between the 2007 and 2008 NHL drafts.
When you combine the moves DL has made over the past month with the nucleus of talented youngsters the Kings have on their roster right now, as well as those players on their AHL roster who will make the team next year, the Kings are extremely young and extremely talented. If these players are able to progress faster than expected, the Kings may be contenders next year or shortly thereafter. As an added bonus, because they will be so young, the Kings will be contenders year-in and year-out for the indefinite future.
Now, if only I could win myself some of that stupid money; I might have front row seats to enjoy the ride.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Dick to Donovan: "My New Cell Phone's Awesome, Baby!"
The sport's machine known as ESPN is hard at work keeping a story from becoming a story...and they are succeeding. I am sure a memo went out in Bristol yesterday telling all major television and radio personalities to not talk about it. I am sure someone was on the phone with all of ESPN's radio affiliates to ensure they did not talk about it. The result? Most people do not even know what story I am alluding to right now.
What should be front page sports news cannot be found anywhere on ESPN.com, not the homepage and not the college basketball frontpage. Colin Cowherd, host of ESPN Radio's nationally broadcast show "The Herd," is a man who loves hot-button issues; he sometimes spends an entire show on just one of them. Yet, this morning, he danced around college basketball topics and eventually discussed how ridiculous it was that Syracuse fans stormed the court last night after beating Georgetown (although it was truly ridiculous, I'm pretty sure it didn't require 15 minutes of discussion on one of the most, if not the most, popular sports radio shows around the nation). Hosts Steve Mason and John Ireland of "The Big Show," 710ESPN Radio's afternoon drivetime sports talk show in Los Angeles, have a segment of their show entitled "The Big Show Interruption" where they supposedly debate the biggest sports topics of the day. While they felt the need to talk about the Clippers and whether they will make the playoffs, they did not even come close to discussing college basketball and what should have been one of the biggest topics in sports yesterday.
What ESPN did not count on, however, was GameTime, TBD© getting its hands on the story.
Love him or hate him (in the interest of full and fair disclosure, I lean towards the latter), Dick Vitale is one of ESPN's most loved and respected college basketball analysts, baby. Although he might not know anything about college basketball west of the Mississippi or north of the Mason-Dixon Line (hell, I'm not even sure he knows anything about basketball outside of the state of North Carolina), Vitale is one of ESPN's go-to-guys for major happenings around college basketball. This is why his opinion is well respected and many people want to hear what he has to say.
Vitale is slated to provide the color commentary for ESPN tonight when the University of Florida visits the University of Tennessee, a big game with the tournament right around the corner. That being so, yesterday morning News Sentinel's Sports Page, a sports radio show based in Tennessee, wanted to get Vitale's thoughts on the game. What they got, however, were Vitale's personal thoughts on Florida and its talent, as well as the contents of a "confidential" conversion Vitale had with Florida coach Billy Donovan. When hosts Mike Griffith and John Adams cut to Vitale live, Vitale did not know he was on. Instead, Vitale was in the middle of a conversation with a friend he was having breakfast with. Although Griffith and Adams were finally able to get Vitale's attention, the statements had been broadcast and Vitale was none the wiser. Griffith and Adams even tried to broach the issue with Vitale to give him the opportunity to explain and clarify his comments. That explanation, however, did not come until five minutes after Vitale had concluded the interview and had been contacted by someone at Florida. At that point, Vitale called Sports Page back, told Griffith and Adams how unprofessional they had been, and explained that his comments were merely in jest to a friend. (You can, and should, listen to Part I of the interview here, and Part II here).
Should Vitale's recanting really be the end of the story? I certainly do not think so. Obviously, ESPN has a great deal of interest in ensuring this, for lack of a better word, incident does not gain widespread media attention. A crucial part of ESPN's information comes from the personal relationships its analysts create with insiders of the various sports it covers. These "sources" expect their information to be held in confidence. So, it is a big deal that one of ESPN's most well known and highly regarded analysts would (a) be sharing this information with a friend at restaurant, as opposed to in his office or home, and (b) that he would even put himself in the situation where it could be broadcast over the airwaves. Things like this can affect ESPN's ability to get the information it needs
What about Vitale's credibility the next time he is calling a game or providing an interview? How are we to believe what he is actually saying? As the Sports Page interview shows, Vitale does not always give an opinion he believes to be true. Every interviewer will want to know how Vitale really feels. I, for one, thought the interview was great because it shows just how political people are, willing to say one thing when they believe something else just for the sake of their professional well being. Best of all, Vitale was not even willing to own up to it. I can understand denying the conversation he had with Donovan (more below), but Vitale could have at least just admitted he believes Horford is more talented than Noah. I feel like the 2008 Presidential Election is here already.
And what about the impact this could have on the Florida locker room? How hard has Billy Donovan worked to create a close bond and trust with his players, a familial atmosphere? Florida is a contender for the NCAA National Championship. It is late in the season and they have just lost two of their last three games. With the tournament right around the corner, a tear in the fabric of a team could have big consequences.
There is a legitimate story here that needs to be followed up on. Instead, ESPN is doing everything in its power to ensure this story does not get any bigger than it is. More appalling, however, is the double standard at work here; we all know that if this had happened to anyone outside of the ESPN family, you would be sick of hearing about it by now.
Hey Dickie V, I think it's time to call the fire chief, 'cause you're on fire, baby!
What should be front page sports news cannot be found anywhere on ESPN.com, not the homepage and not the college basketball frontpage. Colin Cowherd, host of ESPN Radio's nationally broadcast show "The Herd," is a man who loves hot-button issues; he sometimes spends an entire show on just one of them. Yet, this morning, he danced around college basketball topics and eventually discussed how ridiculous it was that Syracuse fans stormed the court last night after beating Georgetown (although it was truly ridiculous, I'm pretty sure it didn't require 15 minutes of discussion on one of the most, if not the most, popular sports radio shows around the nation). Hosts Steve Mason and John Ireland of "The Big Show," 710ESPN Radio's afternoon drivetime sports talk show in Los Angeles, have a segment of their show entitled "The Big Show Interruption" where they supposedly debate the biggest sports topics of the day. While they felt the need to talk about the Clippers and whether they will make the playoffs, they did not even come close to discussing college basketball and what should have been one of the biggest topics in sports yesterday.
What ESPN did not count on, however, was GameTime, TBD© getting its hands on the story.
Love him or hate him (in the interest of full and fair disclosure, I lean towards the latter), Dick Vitale is one of ESPN's most loved and respected college basketball analysts, baby. Although he might not know anything about college basketball west of the Mississippi or north of the Mason-Dixon Line (hell, I'm not even sure he knows anything about basketball outside of the state of North Carolina), Vitale is one of ESPN's go-to-guys for major happenings around college basketball. This is why his opinion is well respected and many people want to hear what he has to say.
Vitale is slated to provide the color commentary for ESPN tonight when the University of Florida visits the University of Tennessee, a big game with the tournament right around the corner. That being so, yesterday morning News Sentinel's Sports Page, a sports radio show based in Tennessee, wanted to get Vitale's thoughts on the game. What they got, however, were Vitale's personal thoughts on Florida and its talent, as well as the contents of a "confidential" conversion Vitale had with Florida coach Billy Donovan. When hosts Mike Griffith and John Adams cut to Vitale live, Vitale did not know he was on. Instead, Vitale was in the middle of a conversation with a friend he was having breakfast with. Although Griffith and Adams were finally able to get Vitale's attention, the statements had been broadcast and Vitale was none the wiser. Griffith and Adams even tried to broach the issue with Vitale to give him the opportunity to explain and clarify his comments. That explanation, however, did not come until five minutes after Vitale had concluded the interview and had been contacted by someone at Florida. At that point, Vitale called Sports Page back, told Griffith and Adams how unprofessional they had been, and explained that his comments were merely in jest to a friend. (You can, and should, listen to Part I of the interview here, and Part II here).
Should Vitale's recanting really be the end of the story? I certainly do not think so. Obviously, ESPN has a great deal of interest in ensuring this, for lack of a better word, incident does not gain widespread media attention. A crucial part of ESPN's information comes from the personal relationships its analysts create with insiders of the various sports it covers. These "sources" expect their information to be held in confidence. So, it is a big deal that one of ESPN's most well known and highly regarded analysts would (a) be sharing this information with a friend at restaurant, as opposed to in his office or home, and (b) that he would even put himself in the situation where it could be broadcast over the airwaves. Things like this can affect ESPN's ability to get the information it needs
What about Vitale's credibility the next time he is calling a game or providing an interview? How are we to believe what he is actually saying? As the Sports Page interview shows, Vitale does not always give an opinion he believes to be true. Every interviewer will want to know how Vitale really feels. I, for one, thought the interview was great because it shows just how political people are, willing to say one thing when they believe something else just for the sake of their professional well being. Best of all, Vitale was not even willing to own up to it. I can understand denying the conversation he had with Donovan (more below), but Vitale could have at least just admitted he believes Horford is more talented than Noah. I feel like the 2008 Presidential Election is here already.
And what about the impact this could have on the Florida locker room? How hard has Billy Donovan worked to create a close bond and trust with his players, a familial atmosphere? Florida is a contender for the NCAA National Championship. It is late in the season and they have just lost two of their last three games. With the tournament right around the corner, a tear in the fabric of a team could have big consequences.
There is a legitimate story here that needs to be followed up on. Instead, ESPN is doing everything in its power to ensure this story does not get any bigger than it is. More appalling, however, is the double standard at work here; we all know that if this had happened to anyone outside of the ESPN family, you would be sick of hearing about it by now.
Hey Dickie V, I think it's time to call the fire chief, 'cause you're on fire, baby!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Where Do We Go From Here?
Back when I first decided to start this blog, I weighed the various pros and cons of following a professional sports team for an entire season. I knew that the season would eventually end and that I would have to find interesting topics for my readers to follow during the offseason. Sure, the NHL draft will need to be discussed, as will many free agent transactions, but will this bring my readers back? I knew my creative juices would have to bring their "A" game from mid-April to early October. What I did not expect, however, was that the Los Angeles Kings would be suffering through their worst season in nearly a decade. Does this mean I need to go to the bullpen in the middle of the fourth when I was hoping my starter could get me through six?
Do not get me wrong, I have a fairly deep bullpen with plenty of decent middle relievers. First out of the gate (and unintentionally related to this on going analogy), most players have reported to their respective spring training locations and, thus, baseball season is right around the corner. Now, do not get me wrong, baseball is a great topic and I am sure I will spend many posts during the NHL offseason talking about it. The Dodgers had a great offseason of their own. They may have over spent on a few of their additions, but many experts believe they are now a legitimate contender this season. But let's face the facts: when the Kings play their last game of this season, there will still be 157 games left in the Dodgers season. Yeah, it is definitely too early to call this reliever out of the pen.
Maybe it would be beneficial to test out one of the younger arms, see if they have what it takes to go the distance. I do not know how many of my readers enjoy The Hills, MTV's Laguna Beach spin-off, but there is something odd about this show (BAP's Guilty Confession #1: I watch The Hills; as scripted as the scenes are, and considering the characters are about as deep as a kiddy pool, I watch the show every week...well, you can't deny that the ladies are easy on the eyes). What is odd you ask? Try this on for size: MTV is lying to you. It is claimed that leading lady LC and her roommate Heidi (don't even get me started on Heidi) live in the Hillside Villas apartment complex. Simple research reveals that the actual Hillside Villas, which are not too far from my humble abode, are no where near as nice as the apartment in which LC and Heidi live. No upstanding Laguna Beach parent would pay for their child to live there. Where, then, do they live you ask? Park La Brea, an upscale apartment complex not too far from all of their favorite hangouts and eateries. Quite frankly, I do not want a liar on my pitching staff; it is not good for team chemistry. I will send it back the minors until it is ready for the big time.
[While I'm on the subject, what is with the sad state of television shows for teenagers and young adults now-a-days? Seriously. When I was in my formative teenage years I had TNBC (the ever clever acronym for Teen NBC...wow) to provide me with shows I could learn from. TNBC featured such classics as Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, California Dreams, and Hang Time. How could you not get behind a show like Hang Time? It was a show about a high school basketball team, which played on a court that looked more like a square than a rectangle, and was coached by both Reggie Theus and Dick Butkus. The shows may have been cheesy, but they had an important message for us to take with us. Because of shows like those on TNBC, I can definitively state that I am not the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby girl...but I digress.]
Maybe I should call on one of my more experienced relievers, always reliable. I could set my DVR to record all of the 90210 reruns on Soap (The Soap Opera Network), watch them, and relive all of the classic moments with my readers. It is weird, however, to see your collegiate alma mater dressed up as California University, home of the mighty Condors. And answer me this: when you were in college, did your student senate elections have twelve "political parties" running a president/vice-president ticket? Who would you vote for? The Greeks? The Latinos? The African-Americans? The Independents? The Progressives? These were actual "parties" running for elections. Of course, by this time, Kelly Kapowski had gained at least twenty pounds (no truth to the rumor that thirteen of those extra pounds were in her bra alone), changed her name to Valerie Malone, and became rather "easy." It is tough to watch an attractive young woman spiral out of control like that (Britney Spears' representatives could not be reached for comment). But, you do not want to tire out an older reliever too early; the reliable arm is more important to a late season push.
I guess I should talk to my starter, see if he has got anything left in the tank. Although the Kings have not been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs as of yet, I am a realist. The Kings were morally and mentally eliminated when they lost seven straight games going into the All Star break in late January. Normally, a team in the Kings position would be a heavy seller before the trade deadline, closing up shop and making preparations for the grand re-opening next season. That has not been the case. Sure they traded Craig Conroy and Sean Avery, but they signed Derek Armstrong (who many assumed already had his bags packed) to a two-year contract extension. Armstrong is probably having the most underrated season of all Kings players. He has already set a career high in assists and is on pace to set a career high in goals and points as well. He also has a plus/minus ratio of plus sixteen; an impressive stat in-and-of-itself, it is more impressive when you consider that the Kings have been outscored by forty-one goals this season.
More importantly, the Kings have gone 4-3-4 since the All Star break. They have earned points in eight of the last eleven games. That stretch includes a tough five game road trip to the southeast where they went 2-1-2. They followed that with a home-and-home split with Division-leading Anaheim, losing and in winning in a shootout. All this corresponds to the arrival of a 40-year-old goalie who has added some stability to the crease. The Kings acquired Sean Burke from Tampa Bay through waivers right before the All Star break. He is the fifth starting goalie the Kings have used this season, a new club record. Since his arrival, Burke has started ten games, posting a 4-3-2 record with a 2.22 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. The Kings are now only two points away from pulling themselves out of the conference cellar and four points from jumping up to twelfth in the conference.
A jump to twelfth would put the Kings one spot behind the surging St. Louis Blues, a team they will not be able to catch. I can not stress it enough, but Andy Murray should be a candidate for Coach of the Year. Since AM's arrival in St. Louis thirty-three games ago, the Blues have gone 19-9-5. After starting the season 7-17-4, AM has led the Blues back to .500. If you projected his impact out over a full eighty-two game schedule, the Blues would finish 47-22-13, good for 107 points, probably the forth of fifth seed in the playoffs, and a fifty point improvement from last season. As it stands now, with twenty-one games left in their schedule, the Blues are only nine points out of a playoff spot. The eighth seed is well within reach. It would be a turn around the likes of which has not been seen since 2000-2001 when the Los Angeles Kings surged in to the playoffs with a late season push. Is it a coincidence that that team was also coached by AM? I think not.
Hmm, I guess my starter has a few innings left after all.
Do not get me wrong, I have a fairly deep bullpen with plenty of decent middle relievers. First out of the gate (and unintentionally related to this on going analogy), most players have reported to their respective spring training locations and, thus, baseball season is right around the corner. Now, do not get me wrong, baseball is a great topic and I am sure I will spend many posts during the NHL offseason talking about it. The Dodgers had a great offseason of their own. They may have over spent on a few of their additions, but many experts believe they are now a legitimate contender this season. But let's face the facts: when the Kings play their last game of this season, there will still be 157 games left in the Dodgers season. Yeah, it is definitely too early to call this reliever out of the pen.
Maybe it would be beneficial to test out one of the younger arms, see if they have what it takes to go the distance. I do not know how many of my readers enjoy The Hills, MTV's Laguna Beach spin-off, but there is something odd about this show (BAP's Guilty Confession #1: I watch The Hills; as scripted as the scenes are, and considering the characters are about as deep as a kiddy pool, I watch the show every week...well, you can't deny that the ladies are easy on the eyes). What is odd you ask? Try this on for size: MTV is lying to you. It is claimed that leading lady LC and her roommate Heidi (don't even get me started on Heidi) live in the Hillside Villas apartment complex. Simple research reveals that the actual Hillside Villas, which are not too far from my humble abode, are no where near as nice as the apartment in which LC and Heidi live. No upstanding Laguna Beach parent would pay for their child to live there. Where, then, do they live you ask? Park La Brea, an upscale apartment complex not too far from all of their favorite hangouts and eateries. Quite frankly, I do not want a liar on my pitching staff; it is not good for team chemistry. I will send it back the minors until it is ready for the big time.
[While I'm on the subject, what is with the sad state of television shows for teenagers and young adults now-a-days? Seriously. When I was in my formative teenage years I had TNBC (the ever clever acronym for Teen NBC...wow) to provide me with shows I could learn from. TNBC featured such classics as Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, California Dreams, and Hang Time. How could you not get behind a show like Hang Time? It was a show about a high school basketball team, which played on a court that looked more like a square than a rectangle, and was coached by both Reggie Theus and Dick Butkus. The shows may have been cheesy, but they had an important message for us to take with us. Because of shows like those on TNBC, I can definitively state that I am not the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby girl...but I digress.]
Maybe I should call on one of my more experienced relievers, always reliable. I could set my DVR to record all of the 90210 reruns on Soap (The Soap Opera Network), watch them, and relive all of the classic moments with my readers. It is weird, however, to see your collegiate alma mater dressed up as California University, home of the mighty Condors. And answer me this: when you were in college, did your student senate elections have twelve "political parties" running a president/vice-president ticket? Who would you vote for? The Greeks? The Latinos? The African-Americans? The Independents? The Progressives? These were actual "parties" running for elections. Of course, by this time, Kelly Kapowski had gained at least twenty pounds (no truth to the rumor that thirteen of those extra pounds were in her bra alone), changed her name to Valerie Malone, and became rather "easy." It is tough to watch an attractive young woman spiral out of control like that (Britney Spears' representatives could not be reached for comment). But, you do not want to tire out an older reliever too early; the reliable arm is more important to a late season push.
I guess I should talk to my starter, see if he has got anything left in the tank. Although the Kings have not been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs as of yet, I am a realist. The Kings were morally and mentally eliminated when they lost seven straight games going into the All Star break in late January. Normally, a team in the Kings position would be a heavy seller before the trade deadline, closing up shop and making preparations for the grand re-opening next season. That has not been the case. Sure they traded Craig Conroy and Sean Avery, but they signed Derek Armstrong (who many assumed already had his bags packed) to a two-year contract extension. Armstrong is probably having the most underrated season of all Kings players. He has already set a career high in assists and is on pace to set a career high in goals and points as well. He also has a plus/minus ratio of plus sixteen; an impressive stat in-and-of-itself, it is more impressive when you consider that the Kings have been outscored by forty-one goals this season.
More importantly, the Kings have gone 4-3-4 since the All Star break. They have earned points in eight of the last eleven games. That stretch includes a tough five game road trip to the southeast where they went 2-1-2. They followed that with a home-and-home split with Division-leading Anaheim, losing and in winning in a shootout. All this corresponds to the arrival of a 40-year-old goalie who has added some stability to the crease. The Kings acquired Sean Burke from Tampa Bay through waivers right before the All Star break. He is the fifth starting goalie the Kings have used this season, a new club record. Since his arrival, Burke has started ten games, posting a 4-3-2 record with a 2.22 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. The Kings are now only two points away from pulling themselves out of the conference cellar and four points from jumping up to twelfth in the conference.
A jump to twelfth would put the Kings one spot behind the surging St. Louis Blues, a team they will not be able to catch. I can not stress it enough, but Andy Murray should be a candidate for Coach of the Year. Since AM's arrival in St. Louis thirty-three games ago, the Blues have gone 19-9-5. After starting the season 7-17-4, AM has led the Blues back to .500. If you projected his impact out over a full eighty-two game schedule, the Blues would finish 47-22-13, good for 107 points, probably the forth of fifth seed in the playoffs, and a fifty point improvement from last season. As it stands now, with twenty-one games left in their schedule, the Blues are only nine points out of a playoff spot. The eighth seed is well within reach. It would be a turn around the likes of which has not been seen since 2000-2001 when the Los Angeles Kings surged in to the playoffs with a late season push. Is it a coincidence that that team was also coached by AM? I think not.
Hmm, I guess my starter has a few innings left after all.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A Break from the Norm
I know two posts in one week sets a dangerous precedent, but I am willing to take that chance. But this is a different type of post than others found on GameTime, TBD©. You will not find any wisecracks about celebrity antics, references to teen dramas from the early 90's, or diatribes about the state of my favorite sport franchises. This is just a brief glimpse into the softer side of BAP.
I spent a couple paragraphs in my last post taking jabs at several professional athletes who I believe could stand to act more, for lack of a better word, professional. However, this morning I got a chance to read this article about Chicago Bear's Pro Bowl cornerback Nathan Vasher and his relationship with his mother. Please take the time to read it. It is definitely the type of piece that you would expect to see Jimmy Roberts presenting during NBC's coverage of the Olympics or Sunday morning at Augusta National; but it is a story that can make you believe that the loose cannon professional athlete is the exception, not the norm.
It also reminded me of a blog I published during my amateur days on Myspace, before I opened GameTime, TBD© for business. It was a blog about spending time with my Dad at a Los Angeles Dodgers' game; something small that meant a lot. Because my Dad probably only knows about Myspace from the news, he has never seen the blog; but he is also an avid reader of GameTime, TBD©. I decided to take this opportunity to repost that blog here so he could actually read it.
I am ready for my close up, Mr. Roberts.
I spent a couple paragraphs in my last post taking jabs at several professional athletes who I believe could stand to act more, for lack of a better word, professional. However, this morning I got a chance to read this article about Chicago Bear's Pro Bowl cornerback Nathan Vasher and his relationship with his mother. Please take the time to read it. It is definitely the type of piece that you would expect to see Jimmy Roberts presenting during NBC's coverage of the Olympics or Sunday morning at Augusta National; but it is a story that can make you believe that the loose cannon professional athlete is the exception, not the norm.
It also reminded me of a blog I published during my amateur days on Myspace, before I opened GameTime, TBD© for business. It was a blog about spending time with my Dad at a Los Angeles Dodgers' game; something small that meant a lot. Because my Dad probably only knows about Myspace from the news, he has never seen the blog; but he is also an avid reader of GameTime, TBD©. I decided to take this opportunity to repost that blog here so he could actually read it.
Thursday, August 31, 2006 - Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks
On Monday night I went to the Dodger game with my dad...just [Dad] and I. It was the first time I had the opportunity to hang out with just my dad since I don't know when. Sure, I've had time with just my dad recently, but we were always doing some type of work or chore. This was different. It was great.
I got to thinking about how baseball games used to be. When I was younger going to the game was a big family outing. I tried to keep score but would inevitably get bored by the third inning. Mom was busy trying to limit the amount of sugar I consumed so that I would be able to sleep that night. My dad and I would talk fundamentals of baseball because I was playing baseball and we would generally leave early so I wasn't up too late.
Monday night, it was Louisiana Hot Sausage and beer, multiple beers. We talked politics, my upcoming job, baseball in general, Kings hockey, my new car, and the general tidbits of how life was going. We laughed, we cheered, and we enjoyed every moment of it.I used to get upset with how hard my dad worked and how much he traveled. But as I look back, I am more thankful then ever. Because my dad worked so hard and traveled so much, he has been able to provide for his family in ways we would have never imagined. And, more importantly, I realize now that he worked so hard because he loves his family so much. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't travel to places we travel, see the sporting events we get to see, and be so close of family as we are.
My dad is getting ready to leave his current job, a job he has worked at for 10 years, and for which he has probably aged about 20. He's not ready for full retirement yet, but he's ready for a few months off before deciding what to do next. I may not know what my dad is planning to do next, but I do know this, there will be more opportunities for my dad and I to hang out, just the two of
us. It's going to be great, and I'm looking forward to it.
I am ready for my close up, Mr. Roberts.
Monday, January 29, 2007
The State of the Union (Undressed)
The following is an exact transcript of BAP's State of the Union (Undressed), as aired on....well, as it would have appeared if aired on anything:
Family, friends, avid readers, fellow bloggers, pop-culture gurus, random visitors, and internet users of the world:
Your love of my illustrious genius brings us together at a defining hour -- when stupidity is common and some good old-fashioned tough love is needed. We enter the year 2007 with many celebrity meltdowns underway, and others that are sure to begin. In all of this, much is asked of BAP. I must have the will to face deteriorating sports franchises and outrageous cultural icons -- and the wisdom to make my adoring fans laugh about them while learning along the way. (Pause for applause.)
Some on this site are new to GameTime, TBD© -- and I congratulate you for seeing the light. (Pause for applause.) BAP has changed, but not my responsibilities. I am guided by my own convictions -- and to these I must stay somewhat devoted. Yet I'm not held to any real standard, and called to serve only my purposes: To extend my readers' knowledge of worthless pop culture information; to spend my parent's money unwisely; to solve the meaning of life, not leave it for future generations to discover; to guard GameTime, TBD© readers against all evil general managers; and to keep faith that they will continue to provide me with material to keep those readers entertained. (Pause for applause.)
It's not the first time I've come here with a team in turmoil and celebrity private parts in open air. Like none before me, I can make sense out of the senseless, and achieve big things for the GameTime, TBD© readers. My readers don't much care which point of view I present -- as long as I'm willing to be funny when there is work to be done. (Pause for applause.) My job is to make life better for my avid readers, and to help them to build a future of knowledge and happiness -- and this is the business before us tonight.
First, we must find Terrell Owens a brain. (Pause for applause.) We can do so without affecting any other person on this planet. (Pause for applause.) Apparently, Mr. Owens believes that Bill "the Big Tuna" Parcells held the Cowboys' offense back this season. However, when the Big Tuna took over the team three seasons ago, the Cowboys' offense was fifth worse in the league. This past season the Cowboys' offense ranked fourth best in league. I would say that Mr. Owens' league-leading eighteen dropped passes did not contribute to the success of the offense. In the coming weeks, I will search the country for a suitable brain for Terrell Owens. (Pause for applause.) I ask you to make the same commitment. Together, we can find a brain that will provide Terrell Owens with common sense, and we can make the NFL a better league. (Pause for applause.)
Next, there is the matter of crime and punishment. It has become apparent that professional athletes have entered the realm of TV land -- a land where one's mistakes are forgiven with few, if any, consequences. (Pause for Laughter). In the past nine months, the same amount of time it takes a woman to carry a pregnancy to term, nine Cincinnati Bengals have been arrested a total of thirteen times. However, only one of these players was suspended by the NFL, and it was only for two games. Then there is Terry "Tank" Johnson, who plays for the Super Bowl bound Chicago Bears. Johnson gets to play in the Super Bowl after he was arrested for unlawful possession of six unregistered firearms and after he attend a party with a friend who was subsequently shot to death. It was Johnson's third arrest in the last eighteen months and the police have been called to his home more than thirty times during that period of time. Yet Johnson, who is without 550 rounds of ammunition seized from his home, gets to travel and play in the Super Bowl. It is like Donna Martin getting to graduate after she got hammered at the prom. (Pause for laughter.) All this is happening, however, while a twenty-year-old boy serves the third year of a mandatory ten year sentence after being arrested under an archaic Georgia law. Genarlow Wilson should be in the middle of his junior year at an Ivy League college playing Division I football. Though I do not condone the actions of Mr. Wilson, the potential of a stand out football player and honor roll student should not be wasted away in a state prison while others are allowed to live their everyday life without appreciating the true consequences of their actions. The time has come to end this practice. So let us work together to demand more from professional athletes and league officials, force people to live with the consequences of their actions, and not let someone get a free pass just because they make someone else a lot of money. (Pause for applause.)
Spreading opportunity and hope to my avid readers requires public figures that can serve as roll models to provide my readers with the knowledge and character they need in life. (Pause for applause.) Two such people come to mind: Eldrick "Tiger" Woods and Roger Federer. These two individuals have dominated their respective sports over the past half decade like no one else; Tiger just won his seventh straight PGA Tour event and Federer his tenth career tennis Grand Slam title without even dropping a set. Yet they have also done so with grace, humility, and a respect for the past legends of their sport that paved the way for their successes. Sportswriters must stop trying to determine which one of these two close friends are better; you cannot compare dominance in golf to dominance in tennis. We must sit back, relax, and simply enjoy what these two men are doing. It's truly a once in lifetime opportunity. (Pause for applause.)
A future of hope and opportunity also requires that my avid readers have great and influential music for their listening enjoyment. (Pause for applause.) When it comes to great music, certain artists have an obligation to change the face of music for future generations of musicians, they must run with the devil, and they might as well jump. And Van Halen will meet those responsibilities. Van Halen will rock you live once again, reuniting with most-likely-bankrupt-front man David Lee Roth for a 40 date amphitheatre tour. (Pause for standing ovation.) We must strive to ensure that every show is sold out; without Van Halen there would have been no 80's hair band. (Pause for awkward silence.)
It's in my vital interest that the Detroit Lions diversify their drafting approach -- the way forward is not through another wide receiver. The Lions' front office must start changing the way they do business, which can be done by drafting smarter, signing better free agents, and giving their players time to adapt to Mike Martz's "Fun N' Gun" offense. (Pause for applause.) The Lions should press on with Jon Kitna as their start for now, and expand the talent around him on both sides of the ball. (Pause for applause.) They must begin to invest in a new offensive line to protect Kitna -- (pause for applause) -- by drafting, for starters, offensive tackle Joe Thomas from the University of Wisconsin with the number two overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.
In the fifth month since I started GameTime, TBD©, I wish I could report to you that things are going well for the Los Angeles Kings. They are not. And so it remains the duty of this man to use every tool possible to keep my readers positive about this team. The Kings will not make the playoffs this season. Though they will not be the worst team in the league, they will have a good shot a getting the number one overall pick in this years draft. Because general manager Dean Lombardi is likely to trade several older veteran players with heavier contracts to contenders, the remainder of the year will serve as an opportunity for many of our young prospects to gain valuable NHL level playing experience. (Pause for applause.) Plus, the trades Mr. Lombardi makes will free up salary cap room so that he can pursue marquee free agents in the off season. Mark my words, the 2007-2008 Los Angeles Kings will be bigger, faster, stronger, smarter, and better than Kings teams of the past decade; the 2007-2008 Los Angeles Kings will be Stanley Cup contenders. (Pause for standing ovation.)
Barbaro was a young colt bred and raised in West Grove, Pennsylvania, when he won the 2006 Kentucky Derby by a staggering six-and-a-half lengths, the largest margin of victory since Triple Crown winner Assault in 1946. In May 2006, he was a heavy favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. Shortly after the start of the race, Barbaro fractured three bones in his right hind leg. For a horse, this is a life threatening injury. He was rushed to New Bolton Veterinary Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where he underwent emergency surgery to rebuild the broken leg. In the wake of his Preakness injury, Barbaro became the object of care and affection from the public in a way few animals, if any, have before him. He received thousands of get well cards and the New Bolton Center received a large anonymous donation, of $1.2 million to be exact, and established the "Barbaro Fund," to aid the treatment and care of large animals. Unfortunately, after 254 days of battling various horse-related issues stemming from the injury, Barbaro's pain became to great to live with and he was euthanized at the request of his owners. For his exceptional courage, and like no other animal before him, Barbaro has earned the respect and appreciation of GameTime, TBD©. (Pause for awkward applause as audience realizes BAP is praising a horse.)
In such courage and compassion, my dear readers, we see the spirit and character of GameTime, TBD© -- and these qualities are not in short supply. This is a decent and honorable weblog -- and somewhat random too. We've been through a lot together in five months. We've met the real world in a head-on collision, explored the inner workings of a culture obsessed with celebrities and fame, and we know that more fun lies ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence -- because the state of my union is strong, my cause is right, and today that cause goes on. (Applause.)
See you next post. Thank you for your support. God bless you, and God bless GameTime, TBD©! (Standing ovation.)
Family, friends, avid readers, fellow bloggers, pop-culture gurus, random visitors, and internet users of the world:
Your love of my illustrious genius brings us together at a defining hour -- when stupidity is common and some good old-fashioned tough love is needed. We enter the year 2007 with many celebrity meltdowns underway, and others that are sure to begin. In all of this, much is asked of BAP. I must have the will to face deteriorating sports franchises and outrageous cultural icons -- and the wisdom to make my adoring fans laugh about them while learning along the way. (Pause for applause.)
Some on this site are new to GameTime, TBD© -- and I congratulate you for seeing the light. (Pause for applause.) BAP has changed, but not my responsibilities. I am guided by my own convictions -- and to these I must stay somewhat devoted. Yet I'm not held to any real standard, and called to serve only my purposes: To extend my readers' knowledge of worthless pop culture information; to spend my parent's money unwisely; to solve the meaning of life, not leave it for future generations to discover; to guard GameTime, TBD© readers against all evil general managers; and to keep faith that they will continue to provide me with material to keep those readers entertained. (Pause for applause.)
It's not the first time I've come here with a team in turmoil and celebrity private parts in open air. Like none before me, I can make sense out of the senseless, and achieve big things for the GameTime, TBD© readers. My readers don't much care which point of view I present -- as long as I'm willing to be funny when there is work to be done. (Pause for applause.) My job is to make life better for my avid readers, and to help them to build a future of knowledge and happiness -- and this is the business before us tonight.
First, we must find Terrell Owens a brain. (Pause for applause.) We can do so without affecting any other person on this planet. (Pause for applause.) Apparently, Mr. Owens believes that Bill "the Big Tuna" Parcells held the Cowboys' offense back this season. However, when the Big Tuna took over the team three seasons ago, the Cowboys' offense was fifth worse in the league. This past season the Cowboys' offense ranked fourth best in league. I would say that Mr. Owens' league-leading eighteen dropped passes did not contribute to the success of the offense. In the coming weeks, I will search the country for a suitable brain for Terrell Owens. (Pause for applause.) I ask you to make the same commitment. Together, we can find a brain that will provide Terrell Owens with common sense, and we can make the NFL a better league. (Pause for applause.)
Next, there is the matter of crime and punishment. It has become apparent that professional athletes have entered the realm of TV land -- a land where one's mistakes are forgiven with few, if any, consequences. (Pause for Laughter). In the past nine months, the same amount of time it takes a woman to carry a pregnancy to term, nine Cincinnati Bengals have been arrested a total of thirteen times. However, only one of these players was suspended by the NFL, and it was only for two games. Then there is Terry "Tank" Johnson, who plays for the Super Bowl bound Chicago Bears. Johnson gets to play in the Super Bowl after he was arrested for unlawful possession of six unregistered firearms and after he attend a party with a friend who was subsequently shot to death. It was Johnson's third arrest in the last eighteen months and the police have been called to his home more than thirty times during that period of time. Yet Johnson, who is without 550 rounds of ammunition seized from his home, gets to travel and play in the Super Bowl. It is like Donna Martin getting to graduate after she got hammered at the prom. (Pause for laughter.) All this is happening, however, while a twenty-year-old boy serves the third year of a mandatory ten year sentence after being arrested under an archaic Georgia law. Genarlow Wilson should be in the middle of his junior year at an Ivy League college playing Division I football. Though I do not condone the actions of Mr. Wilson, the potential of a stand out football player and honor roll student should not be wasted away in a state prison while others are allowed to live their everyday life without appreciating the true consequences of their actions. The time has come to end this practice. So let us work together to demand more from professional athletes and league officials, force people to live with the consequences of their actions, and not let someone get a free pass just because they make someone else a lot of money. (Pause for applause.)
Spreading opportunity and hope to my avid readers requires public figures that can serve as roll models to provide my readers with the knowledge and character they need in life. (Pause for applause.) Two such people come to mind: Eldrick "Tiger" Woods and Roger Federer. These two individuals have dominated their respective sports over the past half decade like no one else; Tiger just won his seventh straight PGA Tour event and Federer his tenth career tennis Grand Slam title without even dropping a set. Yet they have also done so with grace, humility, and a respect for the past legends of their sport that paved the way for their successes. Sportswriters must stop trying to determine which one of these two close friends are better; you cannot compare dominance in golf to dominance in tennis. We must sit back, relax, and simply enjoy what these two men are doing. It's truly a once in lifetime opportunity. (Pause for applause.)
A future of hope and opportunity also requires that my avid readers have great and influential music for their listening enjoyment. (Pause for applause.) When it comes to great music, certain artists have an obligation to change the face of music for future generations of musicians, they must run with the devil, and they might as well jump. And Van Halen will meet those responsibilities. Van Halen will rock you live once again, reuniting with most-likely-bankrupt-front man David Lee Roth for a 40 date amphitheatre tour. (Pause for standing ovation.) We must strive to ensure that every show is sold out; without Van Halen there would have been no 80's hair band. (Pause for awkward silence.)
It's in my vital interest that the Detroit Lions diversify their drafting approach -- the way forward is not through another wide receiver. The Lions' front office must start changing the way they do business, which can be done by drafting smarter, signing better free agents, and giving their players time to adapt to Mike Martz's "Fun N' Gun" offense. (Pause for applause.) The Lions should press on with Jon Kitna as their start for now, and expand the talent around him on both sides of the ball. (Pause for applause.) They must begin to invest in a new offensive line to protect Kitna -- (pause for applause) -- by drafting, for starters, offensive tackle Joe Thomas from the University of Wisconsin with the number two overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.
In the fifth month since I started GameTime, TBD©, I wish I could report to you that things are going well for the Los Angeles Kings. They are not. And so it remains the duty of this man to use every tool possible to keep my readers positive about this team. The Kings will not make the playoffs this season. Though they will not be the worst team in the league, they will have a good shot a getting the number one overall pick in this years draft. Because general manager Dean Lombardi is likely to trade several older veteran players with heavier contracts to contenders, the remainder of the year will serve as an opportunity for many of our young prospects to gain valuable NHL level playing experience. (Pause for applause.) Plus, the trades Mr. Lombardi makes will free up salary cap room so that he can pursue marquee free agents in the off season. Mark my words, the 2007-2008 Los Angeles Kings will be bigger, faster, stronger, smarter, and better than Kings teams of the past decade; the 2007-2008 Los Angeles Kings will be Stanley Cup contenders. (Pause for standing ovation.)
Barbaro was a young colt bred and raised in West Grove, Pennsylvania, when he won the 2006 Kentucky Derby by a staggering six-and-a-half lengths, the largest margin of victory since Triple Crown winner Assault in 1946. In May 2006, he was a heavy favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. Shortly after the start of the race, Barbaro fractured three bones in his right hind leg. For a horse, this is a life threatening injury. He was rushed to New Bolton Veterinary Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where he underwent emergency surgery to rebuild the broken leg. In the wake of his Preakness injury, Barbaro became the object of care and affection from the public in a way few animals, if any, have before him. He received thousands of get well cards and the New Bolton Center received a large anonymous donation, of $1.2 million to be exact, and established the "Barbaro Fund," to aid the treatment and care of large animals. Unfortunately, after 254 days of battling various horse-related issues stemming from the injury, Barbaro's pain became to great to live with and he was euthanized at the request of his owners. For his exceptional courage, and like no other animal before him, Barbaro has earned the respect and appreciation of GameTime, TBD©. (Pause for awkward applause as audience realizes BAP is praising a horse.)
In such courage and compassion, my dear readers, we see the spirit and character of GameTime, TBD© -- and these qualities are not in short supply. This is a decent and honorable weblog -- and somewhat random too. We've been through a lot together in five months. We've met the real world in a head-on collision, explored the inner workings of a culture obsessed with celebrities and fame, and we know that more fun lies ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence -- because the state of my union is strong, my cause is right, and today that cause goes on. (Applause.)
See you next post. Thank you for your support. God bless you, and God bless GameTime, TBD©! (Standing ovation.)
Monday, January 15, 2007
Frankly, Chris Foster, I don't give a damn.
A belated "Happy New Year" to all of my loyal readers. I am sorry that it has been a month since we last spoke. I hope the start of 2007 has been as good for you as it has for me. Not much has happened since my last post. I won my firm's Fantasy Football League and all I got was this crummy t-shirt (Okay, so the stakes are a little higher when you have an FFL in a law firm. Besides spending the cash on my new toy, I have a trophy sitting on my desk and two plaques are being engraved as I type this because I won both the Super Bowl and Total Points. A heartfelt thank you goes out to LaDainian Tomlinson, who's love and support [and 33 total TD's in a touchdown only league] helped me capture the season title; and to My Better Half who sat by my side for 17 weekends in front of the TV and computer when there were probably 1,000,000 things she would rather be doing [again, are you still wondering why I call her My Better Half?].) Outside of that, I got to spend a lot of time with my family over the holidays and the real world continues to push me around.
As always, I have taken it upon myself to establish a few New Year's Resolutions; nothing ground-breaking, just the usual attempts to make my life better for this year and beyond: (1) get back into shape (same as every year but I know 2007's going to be different. I've already been to gym 10 times...not bad considering the new year is only 15 days old); (b) get my golf game back to college form (this might be more difficult than getting back into shape...yep, my game's gotten that bad); and (iii) make My Better Half laugh at least once a day (I figure if I can make her laugh once a day it means things with us are great cause you don't laugh when you're mad...shouldn't be too hard though, she's a sucker for my lame jokes).
Whenever I prepare my New Year's Resolutions, I also take the opportunity to re-evaluate my pet peeves and see if there is a way to make them better. I figure that if I can cut down on these, my life will be generally less stressful which, in turn, means happier. I think it is funny that we spend so much time getting upset about little things; but I guess that is human nature. Take, for example, my newest pet peeve: talking on your cell phone in an elevator. I work in a building that has twenty-one floors and a separate elevator for the seven floors of the parking garage. That means between getting to work, going to lunch, and leaving I am in an elevator a minimum of six times per day. I am amazed with the number of people I encounter who absolutely must talk on the cell phone during the two minute ride to the lobby. I do not want to hear about whom you like and do not like in your office; I do not care about how drunk and crazy you got the night before; and I most certainly do not care about what the other person has to say about it, which I can hear because we are in a confined space that echos. Yet, I am only in the elevator for maybe a minute or two, should it really bother me this much?
I also have a thing about people hitting the snooze button in the morning. My Better Half is guilty of this and, according to Sis, so is my Brother-in-Law. I have never understood why people do not just set the alarm for fifteen minutes later and enjoy uninterrupted sleep. My Better Half informed me that not everyone can just jump out of bed like I do in the morning; some people need a little extra time to get the engine running. I am beginning to think that her reasoning is justified. She has promised to not do it so much and I, in turn, am starting to think that this is one pet peeve that I can learn to live with.
Another thing that drives me up the wall is when people tell me I cannot accomplish or succeed at something. Now, do not get me wrong, I know I cannot do everything, but I am a fairly determined guy and I know that if really put my mind to it there are not many things out there that I cannot accomplish. I encountered this over the holidays. Out at dinner one night with the entire family (read: My Better Half, parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc.), I casually remarked that I was considering trying to find a way to raise enough money to play in this year's World Series of Poker. To my dismay, my parents, the two people who have supported me in every endeavor throughout my entire life, told me that it was a silly idea and that there was no way I could do it. Excuse me? It was like I had just been served by my parents. Well, I have got news for them, I am serving them back and it is officially on! I am calling on the support of my loyal readers to help me raise money (that and the thousands of people at Commerce Casino whom have no idea what they're doing. Seriously, sometimes I just feel like it would be easier if they handed me the cash before the game even started. With the worldwide web at my disposal, I will find a way to raise the money without having to play online poker. I am open to sponsorships, fundraising opportunities, and straight donations. Feel free to leave comments with ideas. I am listening...but I digress).
Last, but certainly not least, I cannot stand it when professional athletes feel that a game is not important and, therefore, does not require their best effort. Take Rex Grossman for example. He admited that he was not all there during his week 17 game against Green Bay because "[he] felt like [he] was going to play about a half, and it was the last game, it was New Year's Eve. . .." I do not care if you think you are only going to play a half; your team deserves your best, at all times, even if only for a half. They do not deserve a half in which you go 2-for-13 for 33 yards and 3 interceptions. How could you honestly look your coaches and teammates in the eye? (My Lions, on the otherhand, took it to the Cowboys in the final week when they had nothing but months of golf to look forward to and the Cowboys were still fighting for a division title. It was beautiful.)
Well, the Kings did not have the best first half of a season. I told you from the beginning it was going to be tough, but I did not imagine this. Both of their goaltenders are on injured reserve, one being out for the rest of the season. The younger players are leading the team, no, are carrying the team on their backs. Anze (again, it's pronounced Ahn-Jay; get it right) Kopitar skates hard every night; he is constantly skating and plays hard in both the offensive and defensive zone. Alexander Frolov is having the type of season that all Kings fans have been waiting for, showing that he will be a superstar in the NHL. But the two can only do so much. They lack support from almost everyone else.
The new year and second half of the season, however, have started with promise. The Kings have gone 2-2-1, with an impressive win over the Detroit Red Wings. Yet when the Kings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets to start the second half of the season, the Los Angeles Times sportswriter (if you can call him that) who covers the Kings, Chris Foster, wrote an article entitled "Kings Lose a Bit Despite Winning." The quick and dirty summary: because the Kings had a poor first half of the season, they should mail it in the rest of the way to finish last and have the highest probability of securing the number one pick in next years draft lottery. Mr. Foster probably is not a big hockey fan; he probably cried himself to sleep when he was assigned to cover the Kings. Why would a team mail it in for an entire half of the season when they are only eleven points out of a playoff spot with forty-one games left to play? Especially when they would not even be guaranteed the number one pick?
It is like I said a few months ago, this Kings team plays hard. Night-in and night-out they give it their all. The breaks might not always go their way, but they are not going to give any opponent a free two points either. I think it is time for Mr. Foster to consider a career change, or he should at least get out of this city. The Kings might be a few years away from winning the Stanley Cup, and they probably will not make the playoffs this year, but they will not stop playing until all eighty-two games have come to an end. And that, my dear readers, is something to be proud of.
(Oh yeah....just in case you're wondering how my second favorite team is doing....since they hired AM about a month ago the St. Louis Blues have gone 9-3-3 in fifteen games, including two wins over the Kings. AM, your 2006-2007 NHL Coach of the Year.)
As always, I have taken it upon myself to establish a few New Year's Resolutions; nothing ground-breaking, just the usual attempts to make my life better for this year and beyond: (1) get back into shape (same as every year but I know 2007's going to be different. I've already been to gym 10 times...not bad considering the new year is only 15 days old); (b) get my golf game back to college form (this might be more difficult than getting back into shape...yep, my game's gotten that bad); and (iii) make My Better Half laugh at least once a day (I figure if I can make her laugh once a day it means things with us are great cause you don't laugh when you're mad...shouldn't be too hard though, she's a sucker for my lame jokes).
Whenever I prepare my New Year's Resolutions, I also take the opportunity to re-evaluate my pet peeves and see if there is a way to make them better. I figure that if I can cut down on these, my life will be generally less stressful which, in turn, means happier. I think it is funny that we spend so much time getting upset about little things; but I guess that is human nature. Take, for example, my newest pet peeve: talking on your cell phone in an elevator. I work in a building that has twenty-one floors and a separate elevator for the seven floors of the parking garage. That means between getting to work, going to lunch, and leaving I am in an elevator a minimum of six times per day. I am amazed with the number of people I encounter who absolutely must talk on the cell phone during the two minute ride to the lobby. I do not want to hear about whom you like and do not like in your office; I do not care about how drunk and crazy you got the night before; and I most certainly do not care about what the other person has to say about it, which I can hear because we are in a confined space that echos. Yet, I am only in the elevator for maybe a minute or two, should it really bother me this much?
I also have a thing about people hitting the snooze button in the morning. My Better Half is guilty of this and, according to Sis, so is my Brother-in-Law. I have never understood why people do not just set the alarm for fifteen minutes later and enjoy uninterrupted sleep. My Better Half informed me that not everyone can just jump out of bed like I do in the morning; some people need a little extra time to get the engine running. I am beginning to think that her reasoning is justified. She has promised to not do it so much and I, in turn, am starting to think that this is one pet peeve that I can learn to live with.
Another thing that drives me up the wall is when people tell me I cannot accomplish or succeed at something. Now, do not get me wrong, I know I cannot do everything, but I am a fairly determined guy and I know that if really put my mind to it there are not many things out there that I cannot accomplish. I encountered this over the holidays. Out at dinner one night with the entire family (read: My Better Half, parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc.), I casually remarked that I was considering trying to find a way to raise enough money to play in this year's World Series of Poker. To my dismay, my parents, the two people who have supported me in every endeavor throughout my entire life, told me that it was a silly idea and that there was no way I could do it. Excuse me? It was like I had just been served by my parents. Well, I have got news for them, I am serving them back and it is officially on! I am calling on the support of my loyal readers to help me raise money (that and the thousands of people at Commerce Casino whom have no idea what they're doing. Seriously, sometimes I just feel like it would be easier if they handed me the cash before the game even started. With the worldwide web at my disposal, I will find a way to raise the money without having to play online poker. I am open to sponsorships, fundraising opportunities, and straight donations. Feel free to leave comments with ideas. I am listening...but I digress).
Last, but certainly not least, I cannot stand it when professional athletes feel that a game is not important and, therefore, does not require their best effort. Take Rex Grossman for example. He admited that he was not all there during his week 17 game against Green Bay because "[he] felt like [he] was going to play about a half, and it was the last game, it was New Year's Eve. . .." I do not care if you think you are only going to play a half; your team deserves your best, at all times, even if only for a half. They do not deserve a half in which you go 2-for-13 for 33 yards and 3 interceptions. How could you honestly look your coaches and teammates in the eye? (My Lions, on the otherhand, took it to the Cowboys in the final week when they had nothing but months of golf to look forward to and the Cowboys were still fighting for a division title. It was beautiful.)
Well, the Kings did not have the best first half of a season. I told you from the beginning it was going to be tough, but I did not imagine this. Both of their goaltenders are on injured reserve, one being out for the rest of the season. The younger players are leading the team, no, are carrying the team on their backs. Anze (again, it's pronounced Ahn-Jay; get it right) Kopitar skates hard every night; he is constantly skating and plays hard in both the offensive and defensive zone. Alexander Frolov is having the type of season that all Kings fans have been waiting for, showing that he will be a superstar in the NHL. But the two can only do so much. They lack support from almost everyone else.
The new year and second half of the season, however, have started with promise. The Kings have gone 2-2-1, with an impressive win over the Detroit Red Wings. Yet when the Kings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets to start the second half of the season, the Los Angeles Times sportswriter (if you can call him that) who covers the Kings, Chris Foster, wrote an article entitled "Kings Lose a Bit Despite Winning." The quick and dirty summary: because the Kings had a poor first half of the season, they should mail it in the rest of the way to finish last and have the highest probability of securing the number one pick in next years draft lottery. Mr. Foster probably is not a big hockey fan; he probably cried himself to sleep when he was assigned to cover the Kings. Why would a team mail it in for an entire half of the season when they are only eleven points out of a playoff spot with forty-one games left to play? Especially when they would not even be guaranteed the number one pick?
It is like I said a few months ago, this Kings team plays hard. Night-in and night-out they give it their all. The breaks might not always go their way, but they are not going to give any opponent a free two points either. I think it is time for Mr. Foster to consider a career change, or he should at least get out of this city. The Kings might be a few years away from winning the Stanley Cup, and they probably will not make the playoffs this year, but they will not stop playing until all eighty-two games have come to an end. And that, my dear readers, is something to be proud of.
(Oh yeah....just in case you're wondering how my second favorite team is doing....since they hired AM about a month ago the St. Louis Blues have gone 9-3-3 in fifteen games, including two wins over the Kings. AM, your 2006-2007 NHL Coach of the Year.)
Thursday, December 14, 2006
A Little Something for Everyone
It must be an early birthday present for BAP. My internet explorer "stumbled" onto the The Onion's website this morning and found four...count 'em, four...hockey related items. I do not know if you have ever heard of or read The Onion, so I will give you a heads up: this is a satiric newspaper. I love reading The Onion and four out of five dentists recommend The Onion for a happy, healthy smile.
Because I strive to make things easier for my fans, below are links to the hockey related features (Who loves you baby? That's right, BAP loves you.):
(1) Déjà vu, not just a crappy movie starring Denzel Washington;
(2) "I'm Ron Burgundy?";
(3) Casey Conway is so 80's hot; and
(4) Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, discuss.
Enjoy!
[Update: Oops...it appears I missed a fifth NHL-related feature; one that my Brother-in-Law would enjoy.]
Because I strive to make things easier for my fans, below are links to the hockey related features (Who loves you baby? That's right, BAP loves you.):
(1) Déjà vu, not just a crappy movie starring Denzel Washington;
(2) "I'm Ron Burgundy?";
(3) Casey Conway is so 80's hot; and
(4) Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, discuss.
Enjoy!
[Update: Oops...it appears I missed a fifth NHL-related feature; one that my Brother-in-Law would enjoy.]
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
The Man, The Myth, The Legend...The Return
I know what you are probably saying to yourself right now: "Wow, two blogs in two days? How did I get so lucky?" Well my friends, fortunately for you, yesterday was a good day to be the former head coach of a Los Angeles area sports team. So, as an avid reader of GameTime, TBD©, I recommend that you send a heart felt thank you to the Green Wave of Tulane University and the NHL's St. Louis Blues.
While I was driving home from work yesterday (listening 710 ESPN as I always do), I was informed of this glorious announcement out of New Orleans, Louisiana. I could not decide if it was fact or fiction; I could not help but laugh a little. Now, I am not trying to downplay any of the great accomplishments Bob Toledo had at UCLA. He led the Bruins to twenty straight victories from 1997 to 1998, two Pac-10 titles (1997 and 1998), and one Rose Bowl (1998, Washington St. was co-champion in 1997 and played in the Rose Bowl as a result of having beaten the Bruins in the season opener). You have to admire a coach who's goal is to win the NCAA championship every year. I know there are a lot of coaches who are content with just getting a bowl invite.
But here is the thing with Bobby T (I don't think anyone has probably ever called him Bobby T...but it does just kinda roll of the tongue), because he coaches to win titles, the season ends with one loss. I am sure anyone who lived in Westwood from 1996 to 2002 will tell you, once the Bruins lost their first game of the season, it was a crap shoot the rest of the way. One loss, and the season was bound to end with several uninspired losses to lesser opponents; teams that the Bruins should have demolished. Take the 2000 team as an example: the Bruins won their first three games, including wins over 3rd-ranked Alabama in week 1 and 3rd-ranked Michigan in week 3. After a week 4 loss to Oregon (when the Bruins, ironically enough, were the 3rd-ranked team in the nation), the team ended 6-6 with a loss to Wisconsin in the Sun Bowl...the SUN BOWL. So here is my point: Tulane, like the rest of New Orleans, is rebuilding; and though I have a lot of respect for Bob Toledo as a coach, I am not sure he is the best coach to rebuild an organization. He is more of a coach that can help take the team to the next level.
But enough talk about Bob Toledo. He, my dear readers, is but an appetizer to the main course of this post. I have told you from the beginning it would happen. I warned you this day would come. And thanks to one of my least favorite (yet surprisingly bright) organizations in the NHL, that day is today.
Late last night, while getting my daily dose of SportsCenter, my attention was drawn to a notice that scrolled by on the sports ticker. A quick Google search confirmed the joyous news. Andy Murray has returned to NHL!
True to my word, I am now a fan of the St. Louis Blues; except, of course, when they play the Kings (like, say, on January 18, 2007 when AM makes his triumphant return to the Staples Center...right Dad?). I must admit, it is an unexpected jump by St. Louis all the way up to my second favorite hockey team. A quick perusal of the St. Louis Blues website reveals that it might be a few years before the Blues and the Kings square off in the Western Conference finals. The Blues are currently dead last in the NHL at 7-17-4, good for 18 points. They have scored the fewest goals (65), rank dead last in powerplay efficiency (10.9%), and have the second worst home record in the entire league (4-9-2).
Take a closer look at the their roster, however, and you will see that AM has some talent to work with. The Blues have a decent mixture of good veterans and talented young guns. Unfortunately though, AM is also taking over a team with a bad run of injuries as of late. Many of the Blues' key offseason acquisitions have missed much of the season (which, I'm sad to say, is nothing new to AM...the Kings only had there star players for about 20 games a season while he was coach). However, if there is one thing AM knows how to do, it is to get the most out of the hand he is dealt. When the Kings had a healthy Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, and Ziggy Palffy, they had one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL (during the 2001-2002 season, the "LAPD" line was the highest scoring line in the league from November 15th until the end of the season). The next season, with Allison and Deadmarsh playing in a combined twenty-six games, AM and the Kings barely missed the playoffs. In his final two full seasons with the Kings, AM never had a full roster (the Kings lost a combined 1165 man games to injury over those two seasons...no, that's not a typo...over eleven hundred man games in two seasons); yet the Kings were never eliminated from playoff contention until very late in the season.
It should come as no surprise that the reason the Kings were so close every year, even when things got bad, was because of AM. He does not accept excuses. He demands accountability, in both the offensive and defensive zones, out of every player on the team. He is not afraid to bench the best player on the team for a game if he is not playing to his potential. He is not afraid to make his players write essays either. Long story short, AM does not bow down to the multi-million dollar babies that many professional athletes have become. Work hard or do not play; it is that simple when it comes to AM.
Do not believe me? Prior to their first practice with their new head coach this morning, each St. Louis Blues player received a mission statement detailing AM's belief system. The following categories were listed on the cover: setting an example, listening, paying attention to detail, being demanding, caring and finding the positive. Instead of the usual light morning skate that most players are used to on game day, AM had the Blues sweating for forty-five minutes.
Welcome back Andy! Here's hoping our next plane flight together is under different circumstances.
While I was driving home from work yesterday (listening 710 ESPN as I always do), I was informed of this glorious announcement out of New Orleans, Louisiana. I could not decide if it was fact or fiction; I could not help but laugh a little. Now, I am not trying to downplay any of the great accomplishments Bob Toledo had at UCLA. He led the Bruins to twenty straight victories from 1997 to 1998, two Pac-10 titles (1997 and 1998), and one Rose Bowl (1998, Washington St. was co-champion in 1997 and played in the Rose Bowl as a result of having beaten the Bruins in the season opener). You have to admire a coach who's goal is to win the NCAA championship every year. I know there are a lot of coaches who are content with just getting a bowl invite.
But here is the thing with Bobby T (I don't think anyone has probably ever called him Bobby T...but it does just kinda roll of the tongue), because he coaches to win titles, the season ends with one loss. I am sure anyone who lived in Westwood from 1996 to 2002 will tell you, once the Bruins lost their first game of the season, it was a crap shoot the rest of the way. One loss, and the season was bound to end with several uninspired losses to lesser opponents; teams that the Bruins should have demolished. Take the 2000 team as an example: the Bruins won their first three games, including wins over 3rd-ranked Alabama in week 1 and 3rd-ranked Michigan in week 3. After a week 4 loss to Oregon (when the Bruins, ironically enough, were the 3rd-ranked team in the nation), the team ended 6-6 with a loss to Wisconsin in the Sun Bowl...the SUN BOWL. So here is my point: Tulane, like the rest of New Orleans, is rebuilding; and though I have a lot of respect for Bob Toledo as a coach, I am not sure he is the best coach to rebuild an organization. He is more of a coach that can help take the team to the next level.
But enough talk about Bob Toledo. He, my dear readers, is but an appetizer to the main course of this post. I have told you from the beginning it would happen. I warned you this day would come. And thanks to one of my least favorite (yet surprisingly bright) organizations in the NHL, that day is today.
Late last night, while getting my daily dose of SportsCenter, my attention was drawn to a notice that scrolled by on the sports ticker. A quick Google search confirmed the joyous news. Andy Murray has returned to NHL!
True to my word, I am now a fan of the St. Louis Blues; except, of course, when they play the Kings (like, say, on January 18, 2007 when AM makes his triumphant return to the Staples Center...right Dad?). I must admit, it is an unexpected jump by St. Louis all the way up to my second favorite hockey team. A quick perusal of the St. Louis Blues website reveals that it might be a few years before the Blues and the Kings square off in the Western Conference finals. The Blues are currently dead last in the NHL at 7-17-4, good for 18 points. They have scored the fewest goals (65), rank dead last in powerplay efficiency (10.9%), and have the second worst home record in the entire league (4-9-2).
Take a closer look at the their roster, however, and you will see that AM has some talent to work with. The Blues have a decent mixture of good veterans and talented young guns. Unfortunately though, AM is also taking over a team with a bad run of injuries as of late. Many of the Blues' key offseason acquisitions have missed much of the season (which, I'm sad to say, is nothing new to AM...the Kings only had there star players for about 20 games a season while he was coach). However, if there is one thing AM knows how to do, it is to get the most out of the hand he is dealt. When the Kings had a healthy Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, and Ziggy Palffy, they had one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL (during the 2001-2002 season, the "LAPD" line was the highest scoring line in the league from November 15th until the end of the season). The next season, with Allison and Deadmarsh playing in a combined twenty-six games, AM and the Kings barely missed the playoffs. In his final two full seasons with the Kings, AM never had a full roster (the Kings lost a combined 1165 man games to injury over those two seasons...no, that's not a typo...over eleven hundred man games in two seasons); yet the Kings were never eliminated from playoff contention until very late in the season.
It should come as no surprise that the reason the Kings were so close every year, even when things got bad, was because of AM. He does not accept excuses. He demands accountability, in both the offensive and defensive zones, out of every player on the team. He is not afraid to bench the best player on the team for a game if he is not playing to his potential. He is not afraid to make his players write essays either. Long story short, AM does not bow down to the multi-million dollar babies that many professional athletes have become. Work hard or do not play; it is that simple when it comes to AM.
Do not believe me? Prior to their first practice with their new head coach this morning, each St. Louis Blues player received a mission statement detailing AM's belief system. The following categories were listed on the cover: setting an example, listening, paying attention to detail, being demanding, caring and finding the positive. Instead of the usual light morning skate that most players are used to on game day, AM had the Blues sweating for forty-five minutes.
Welcome back Andy! Here's hoping our next plane flight together is under different circumstances.
Monday, December 11, 2006
The Real World: BAP
Where does the time go? I apologize to my loyal readers whom, again, have been forced to wait nearly three weeks for a new post. There are so many topics that I have been dying to tackle, but my time has grown rather scarce as of late. I hope to produce several new posts over the next couple of weeks, especially with my whole family coming to town for the holidays. Wish me luck!
I have entered a new phase in my life, and it only took me about twenty-six years to get here. It is something I lovingly refer to as the real world. I was chastised by several of my biggest fans for not letting everyone know in my Turkey Day Traditions post that I passed the July 2006 California Bar exam (along with 51.8% of the other takers). The great state of California decided to throw caution to the wind and grant BAP a license to practice law. Having been duly sworn in on December 1st, I am a practicing attorney...good times.
All this excitement (and student loans) brings with it a new challenge: a job...we are talking salary, benefits, the whole nine yards. It is the first real job I have had. I used to think the summer internships at my Dad's work counted as real jobs; not anymore. I am starting to realize I may have been treated a little differently back then because I was related to guy in the corner office with a view (to his credit, my Dad never wanted that office...he always tried to downplay just how important he was to the company). Even worse, my life is now broken down into six minute increments; oh the joys of billable hours. Trying to balance work and life is proving to be a little more demanding than I thought it would (take Christmas for example, it's only two weeks away...TWO WEEKS...I've never felt so unprepared for Christmas before. I have a new found respect for my Sister who has always coordinated gifts for the family. How does she do it?). I have so much to learn, for my sake...and that of my readers.
Speaking of the real world, on the recommendation of one of my friends at work, I caught the first two episodes of The Real World: Denver, MTv's newest season of the show largely credited with the reality television boom (and now I hear that NBC,the lone station that has, for the most part, avoided the reality craze is going to focus its 2007-2008 line-up around reality based programming...oh, the humanity!). I am sure you know how the show works: seven strangers, picked to live in a totally pimped-out house ('cause that really happens), lives taped, blah, blah blah. I remember the third season of the show, The Real World: San Francisco. That season tackled some major issues, most notably HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. That season brought those two issues to forefront of our current cultural revolution. That season made it seem like the show actually contributed something.
Fast-forward fifteen years; what is the current season contributing you ask? Well, the first two episodes encompassed the first thirty-six hours of the housemates living together. The episodes mainly focused on only three of the seven people, a guy and two girls. In the span of thirty-six hours, the guy made out with one of the girls and slept with the other. This of course resulted in the two girls sharing a "heartfelt" and tearful conversation in which the girl who made out with guy told the other girl she felt so betrayed, and the girl who slept with the guy apologized to the other girl, felt so bad that she would do something to such a great friend, it was clearly the alcohol, would never want a guy to come between them, and then she (the one who doesn't know how to keep her pants on) told the confessional room that she felt so bad because she knew the other girl was going to be in her wedding party...HER WEDDING PARTY! And this is the "real world?" Unbelievable. (You know, when I was younger, I had to sneak around to watch MTV and my Mom would get mad at me when she caught me watching it. She used to say it was bad for my mind...and now, 10 years later, I'm a lawyer...maybe she was on to something.)
And, finally, since you are still here (hopefully), I would like to take the opportunity to welcome USC fans to the real world. No, no, I am not talking about the Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina. I am talking about the Trojans of...of...Southern Cali...ah, I cannot even finish saying it. Two, soon to be three, losses, better put the suicide hotline on red alert. The bandwagon loaded full of Raider fans ran into a little speed bump I like to the call the UCLA Bruins.
It was, by far, one of the best games I have ever seen; either live or on television. For starters, my Brother-in-Law (whom, over the past two years, has steadily climbed my list of favorite people in the world) provided me with some seats in the fifth row at about the thirty yard line (if you watched the game, and I'd be shocked if you didn't, I was about five rows up from were UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan got leveled in the fourth quarter). I have never heard the Rose Bowl rocking like it was. I was so amped that I did not even care when, with four minutes left in the game, I was stung by a bee. If you do not think this is the greatest conference/cross-town rivalry, find someone who has the game recorded and go to six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. I have never seen anything like it.
As a result of this game, I am pretty sure my Sister is going to lose the company of my Brother-in-Law for a guaranteed one night every year from here on out (remember Sis, "until death do us part"...I was there, I heard you say it...oral contracts are valid in the state of California...I should know, I'm a lawyer). In an effort to bring some good juju, my Brother-in-Law camped out the night before to get a prime tailgating spot. The last time he did so, it should come as no surprise, was the last time the Bruins beat the kiddies of Troy. I will definitely be there with him next time. When we finally met up with him at about 8 a.m., our group was entrenched in a music war with a group of SC band alumni who, every half-an-hour, played and danced...oh yes danced...to Trojan songs.
I also have to give props to the tailgate diagonally across from us who brought their own porta-potty to their tailgate...and I thought I had seen it all. Have to go to bathroom? No worries! Just hop in the porta-potty in the bed of my pick-up truck.
Hey, the real world might not be so bad after all.
I have entered a new phase in my life, and it only took me about twenty-six years to get here. It is something I lovingly refer to as the real world. I was chastised by several of my biggest fans for not letting everyone know in my Turkey Day Traditions post that I passed the July 2006 California Bar exam (along with 51.8% of the other takers). The great state of California decided to throw caution to the wind and grant BAP a license to practice law. Having been duly sworn in on December 1st, I am a practicing attorney...good times.
All this excitement (and student loans) brings with it a new challenge: a job...we are talking salary, benefits, the whole nine yards. It is the first real job I have had. I used to think the summer internships at my Dad's work counted as real jobs; not anymore. I am starting to realize I may have been treated a little differently back then because I was related to guy in the corner office with a view (to his credit, my Dad never wanted that office...he always tried to downplay just how important he was to the company). Even worse, my life is now broken down into six minute increments; oh the joys of billable hours. Trying to balance work and life is proving to be a little more demanding than I thought it would (take Christmas for example, it's only two weeks away...TWO WEEKS...I've never felt so unprepared for Christmas before. I have a new found respect for my Sister who has always coordinated gifts for the family. How does she do it?). I have so much to learn, for my sake...and that of my readers.
Speaking of the real world, on the recommendation of one of my friends at work, I caught the first two episodes of The Real World: Denver, MTv's newest season of the show largely credited with the reality television boom (and now I hear that NBC,the lone station that has, for the most part, avoided the reality craze is going to focus its 2007-2008 line-up around reality based programming...oh, the humanity!). I am sure you know how the show works: seven strangers, picked to live in a totally pimped-out house ('cause that really happens), lives taped, blah, blah blah. I remember the third season of the show, The Real World: San Francisco. That season tackled some major issues, most notably HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. That season brought those two issues to forefront of our current cultural revolution. That season made it seem like the show actually contributed something.
Fast-forward fifteen years; what is the current season contributing you ask? Well, the first two episodes encompassed the first thirty-six hours of the housemates living together. The episodes mainly focused on only three of the seven people, a guy and two girls. In the span of thirty-six hours, the guy made out with one of the girls and slept with the other. This of course resulted in the two girls sharing a "heartfelt" and tearful conversation in which the girl who made out with guy told the other girl she felt so betrayed, and the girl who slept with the guy apologized to the other girl, felt so bad that she would do something to such a great friend, it was clearly the alcohol, would never want a guy to come between them, and then she (the one who doesn't know how to keep her pants on) told the confessional room that she felt so bad because she knew the other girl was going to be in her wedding party...HER WEDDING PARTY! And this is the "real world?" Unbelievable. (You know, when I was younger, I had to sneak around to watch MTV and my Mom would get mad at me when she caught me watching it. She used to say it was bad for my mind...and now, 10 years later, I'm a lawyer...maybe she was on to something.)
And, finally, since you are still here (hopefully), I would like to take the opportunity to welcome USC fans to the real world. No, no, I am not talking about the Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina. I am talking about the Trojans of...of...Southern Cali...ah, I cannot even finish saying it. Two, soon to be three, losses, better put the suicide hotline on red alert. The bandwagon loaded full of Raider fans ran into a little speed bump I like to the call the UCLA Bruins.
It was, by far, one of the best games I have ever seen; either live or on television. For starters, my Brother-in-Law (whom, over the past two years, has steadily climbed my list of favorite people in the world) provided me with some seats in the fifth row at about the thirty yard line (if you watched the game, and I'd be shocked if you didn't, I was about five rows up from were UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan got leveled in the fourth quarter). I have never heard the Rose Bowl rocking like it was. I was so amped that I did not even care when, with four minutes left in the game, I was stung by a bee. If you do not think this is the greatest conference/cross-town rivalry, find someone who has the game recorded and go to six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. I have never seen anything like it.
As a result of this game, I am pretty sure my Sister is going to lose the company of my Brother-in-Law for a guaranteed one night every year from here on out (remember Sis, "until death do us part"...I was there, I heard you say it...oral contracts are valid in the state of California...I should know, I'm a lawyer). In an effort to bring some good juju, my Brother-in-Law camped out the night before to get a prime tailgating spot. The last time he did so, it should come as no surprise, was the last time the Bruins beat the kiddies of Troy. I will definitely be there with him next time. When we finally met up with him at about 8 a.m., our group was entrenched in a music war with a group of SC band alumni who, every half-an-hour, played and danced...oh yes danced...to Trojan songs.
I also have to give props to the tailgate diagonally across from us who brought their own porta-potty to their tailgate...and I thought I had seen it all. Have to go to bathroom? No worries! Just hop in the porta-potty in the bed of my pick-up truck.
Hey, the real world might not be so bad after all.
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