Can some one please tell me when we stopped wishing people a happy Thanksgiving and started wishing them a happy turkey day? I mean, I know I just did that, but I am trying to make a point here. Have our lives become so distraught that we really do not have anything to be thankful for and, thus, must rejoice only in the fact that we get to eat a lot of turkey? As you may recall from the early, pre-awesome banner pic days of GameTime, TBD© (read: 2006), there are a lot of things to be thankful for around the GameTime household.
Well, as I mentally prepare myself for the tomorrows food-a-thon (somehow, I got put in charge of bringing vegetables and dip to snack on . . . thus, implying that some one might actually eat vegetables on Thanksgiving), and as I look back on the year that was, I realize I have a lot to be thankful for. For example, both my Sister and Sister-in-Law recently announced that they are expecting (they, didn't clarify exactly what they were expecting, but they seemed to know exactly when they were expecting it . . . when are women going to learn that they need to be more specific?). My Sister is expecting whatever it is she is expecting sometime around May 12, 2009, which, in turn, resulted in the following conversation with my Brother-in-Law:
Me: So, May 12th, eh? [Every now and then I reach out to my non-existent Canadian roots.]
BIL: Yeah, pretty exciting.
Me: Well, what are you going to do when the Sharks are playing in the Stanley Cup finals?
BIL: I figure I really only have to be there for the actual delivery, so I'm not too concerned about it.
Me: Good point.
BIL: Plus, unless the NHL decides to give the Sharks a bye all the way to the Western Conference finals, I won't have to worry about them playing past the 2nd round.
Me: At least your team gets to play in the 2nd round.
Obviously, my Sister was not very pleased with this conversation, even if we were joking. But that is just how our minds work. You give us a date and we can come up with a reason why some sports-related event might get in the way; I am not proud of this, it is just how our minds work. It is a curse.
I am also thankful for all the support all of you, my avid readers, continue to give. Since we only have a three-day work week, there will not be a Link Dump this week. But that does not mean that those of you who are not traveling today do not need a little entertainment to help get you through your (un)productive Wednesday (that's a whole lot of negatives . . . I'm not sure I even understand what I just said). And believe-you-me, entertainment is what I have for you. It may only be one video, but I believe I may have stumbled upon something that is the video equivalent to pure gold. My Better Half was having a rough day yesterday, so I showed her a sneak preview. After watching, she asked me two questions: (1) were all athletes of the 1980s homosexuals? and (b) how did I become such a die-hard sports fan if I had to deal with things like this? I, naturally, responded: (1) Dude, it was THE 80s! (speaking of the 80s, haven't you always wondered what the end of The Shawshank Redemption would be like set to an 80s-style montage?) and (b) we did not have YouTube back then.
So, without further adieu, I present to you five minutes and fifty-seven seconds of uninterrupted sexual innuendo brought you by the artist-formerly-known-as the Los Angeles Rams.
Good luck getting this one out of your head for the rest of the day!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Talk to you next week.
Showing posts with label Brother-in-Law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brother-in-Law. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Don't Go There
Here at GameTime, TBD©, "our" readers are better than yours, and "we" know it.
As such, it did not come as any surprise when several of my avid readers inquired about the lull in Los Angeles Kings-related posts. Many noted that I had stayed relatively quiet while the Kings slid from the middle of the pack to last in the league. Several questioned why I never expressed concern over the Kings failure to move some of the bigger names on their roster at the trade deadline. Some even went so far as to (not so subtly) question my dedication to the franchise. That, my dear readers, is where I draw the line; no one EVER questions my dedication and loyalty to the Los Angeles Kings.
For starters, I never stopped following the Kings on this site. Sure, most of posts moved away from the Kings and more towards the UCLA Bruins and attractive women, but that does not mean I did not care about what was going on. [Speaking of attractive women, it turns out that Sports Illustrated's website has a section called "On Campus", which has an ongoing series of articles entitled "Cheerleader of the Week". For starters, I am a little disappointed that none of you out there gave me a little heads up on this, but I will let that slide. As it turns out, the series featured UCLA-fan favorite, and MOP of my NCAA Bracket breakdown, Brianna. Now, my expectations might have been a little high, but, as it turns out, Brianna is about as deep as a kiddy pool. Seriously, she wins the lottery and the first thing she buys is a blackberry? She grew up in Sunnyvale, I'm guessing daddy can get her one. Her best physical feature is her hair? Now she's just being modest; I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that when she goes for a guy, her hair is not what he notices first. Oh well, at least she's still easy on the eyes . . . but I digress.]
If work did not get in the way (ha, that's almost funny), I made it to every game for which we had tickets. I even made it to a couple of extra games thanks to my Brother-in-Law and his hook-up (read: job). You might have also noticed that, in the right-hand column, I tracked the Kings record for the entire season (though, admittedly, half way through the season I changed it from "Pacific Division Standings" to "Draft Watch: The Hunt for the Number 1 Pick"). This is not the first time in my life I have tracked the Kings record. You might remember way back in 2001 (February 21, 2001 to be exact), the Kings traded Rob Blake and a nobody to the Colorado Avalanche for Adam Deadmarsh, Aaron Miller, a draft pick and the ever-famous "future considerations". Well, at that time I declared the Kings were better off without Blake and would make the playoffs (they were in 10th at the time). So, I took one of the dry-erase boards in my dorm room (I was a sophomore in college at that time), wrote "Kings Record Post Blake" and tracked it through the end of the regular season. Well, the Kings went 13-2-5-2 (wins-losses-ties-overtime losses) over the last twenty-two games of the season, earning the seventh in 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs. True fans do not just remember the amazing serious win over the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, they remember what the Kings did to get there.
Still want to question my loyalty and dedication to this organization? Well then, let us talk about this season. This was one of those seasons when nothing went right. I should have seen this coming a mile away, all the signs were there . . . well, actually just one sign. As you may recall, the Kings opened the season in London, England for two games against the Anaheim Ducks and the first game was delayed about a half-an-hour because, well, because they could not get the lights to come back on after the national anthems were sung. Then after a brief stint in first place, the downward spiral began. Sure, there were some high points: Anze Kopitar proved he is a legitimate superstar, Patrick O'Sullivan showed signs of being the great player he has been touted as for so long, Jonathan Bernier showed flashes of brilliance in his limited action, Brian Boyle showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with up the middle, and Dan Cloutier's contract expired. There was even the surprise of Erik Ersberg, who was called up after Jason LaBarbera's season ended due to injury and posted respectable numbers (6-5-3, 2.48 GAA, .927 save percentage). I even got to attend the Kings-Sabres game that the Kings won 8-2 and at one point had seven goals to the Sabres' eight shots.
But, in general, this season did not go well. It is not like the Kings were predicted to be a division winner, or even make the playoffs. They were, however, expected to compete for a playoff spot and it was not out of the realm of possibilities that they would make it in as an eighth seed. Instead, the were competing for last in the league and the number one overall pick. Now, most experts have stated for sometime that Steven Stamkos, the expected number one pick, is the only NHL-ready difference maker in this years draft. Well, the Kings could not even lose right this season. The Kings were out of it by early January and proceeded to go a decent run from the end of January to late February. In the end, they finished tied for last with the Tampa Bay Lightening and lost out on the number one overall pick. Yet there I was, to the bitter end. In the stands, or in front of the television, I was cheering on my Kings.
Still want to question my loyalty and dedication? I did not think so; just do not go there. Now, if you will excuse me, I will be scouring the Internet between now and June 21st trying to figure out who the Kings are going to take with the number TWO overall pick . . . and if know Dean Lombardi, it will be someone with second-round talent . . . ugh, I will save that for another day.
As such, it did not come as any surprise when several of my avid readers inquired about the lull in Los Angeles Kings-related posts. Many noted that I had stayed relatively quiet while the Kings slid from the middle of the pack to last in the league. Several questioned why I never expressed concern over the Kings failure to move some of the bigger names on their roster at the trade deadline. Some even went so far as to (not so subtly) question my dedication to the franchise. That, my dear readers, is where I draw the line; no one EVER questions my dedication and loyalty to the Los Angeles Kings.
For starters, I never stopped following the Kings on this site. Sure, most of posts moved away from the Kings and more towards the UCLA Bruins and attractive women, but that does not mean I did not care about what was going on. [Speaking of attractive women, it turns out that Sports Illustrated's website has a section called "On Campus", which has an ongoing series of articles entitled "Cheerleader of the Week". For starters, I am a little disappointed that none of you out there gave me a little heads up on this, but I will let that slide. As it turns out, the series featured UCLA-fan favorite, and MOP of my NCAA Bracket breakdown, Brianna. Now, my expectations might have been a little high, but, as it turns out, Brianna is about as deep as a kiddy pool. Seriously, she wins the lottery and the first thing she buys is a blackberry? She grew up in Sunnyvale, I'm guessing daddy can get her one. Her best physical feature is her hair? Now she's just being modest; I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that when she goes for a guy, her hair is not what he notices first. Oh well, at least she's still easy on the eyes . . . but I digress.]
If work did not get in the way (ha, that's almost funny), I made it to every game for which we had tickets. I even made it to a couple of extra games thanks to my Brother-in-Law and his hook-up (read: job). You might have also noticed that, in the right-hand column, I tracked the Kings record for the entire season (though, admittedly, half way through the season I changed it from "Pacific Division Standings" to "Draft Watch: The Hunt for the Number 1 Pick"). This is not the first time in my life I have tracked the Kings record. You might remember way back in 2001 (February 21, 2001 to be exact), the Kings traded Rob Blake and a nobody to the Colorado Avalanche for Adam Deadmarsh, Aaron Miller, a draft pick and the ever-famous "future considerations". Well, at that time I declared the Kings were better off without Blake and would make the playoffs (they were in 10th at the time). So, I took one of the dry-erase boards in my dorm room (I was a sophomore in college at that time), wrote "Kings Record Post Blake" and tracked it through the end of the regular season. Well, the Kings went 13-2-5-2 (wins-losses-ties-overtime losses) over the last twenty-two games of the season, earning the seventh in 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs. True fans do not just remember the amazing serious win over the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, they remember what the Kings did to get there.
Still want to question my loyalty and dedication to this organization? Well then, let us talk about this season. This was one of those seasons when nothing went right. I should have seen this coming a mile away, all the signs were there . . . well, actually just one sign. As you may recall, the Kings opened the season in London, England for two games against the Anaheim Ducks and the first game was delayed about a half-an-hour because, well, because they could not get the lights to come back on after the national anthems were sung. Then after a brief stint in first place, the downward spiral began. Sure, there were some high points: Anze Kopitar proved he is a legitimate superstar, Patrick O'Sullivan showed signs of being the great player he has been touted as for so long, Jonathan Bernier showed flashes of brilliance in his limited action, Brian Boyle showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with up the middle, and Dan Cloutier's contract expired. There was even the surprise of Erik Ersberg, who was called up after Jason LaBarbera's season ended due to injury and posted respectable numbers (6-5-3, 2.48 GAA, .927 save percentage). I even got to attend the Kings-Sabres game that the Kings won 8-2 and at one point had seven goals to the Sabres' eight shots.
But, in general, this season did not go well. It is not like the Kings were predicted to be a division winner, or even make the playoffs. They were, however, expected to compete for a playoff spot and it was not out of the realm of possibilities that they would make it in as an eighth seed. Instead, the were competing for last in the league and the number one overall pick. Now, most experts have stated for sometime that Steven Stamkos, the expected number one pick, is the only NHL-ready difference maker in this years draft. Well, the Kings could not even lose right this season. The Kings were out of it by early January and proceeded to go a decent run from the end of January to late February. In the end, they finished tied for last with the Tampa Bay Lightening and lost out on the number one overall pick. Yet there I was, to the bitter end. In the stands, or in front of the television, I was cheering on my Kings.
Still want to question my loyalty and dedication? I did not think so; just do not go there. Now, if you will excuse me, I will be scouring the Internet between now and June 21st trying to figure out who the Kings are going to take with the number TWO overall pick . . . and if know Dean Lombardi, it will be someone with second-round talent . . . ugh, I will save that for another day.
Monday, October 08, 2007
That's How We Roll in the City of Angels
My computer had barely finished logging on, and my morning coffee had not even made its way into my blood stream, when the following message popped up from my good friend Agman: "so as things wound down on Sat[urday], everyone wanted to leave and I was like, 'let's stay to see if they commit a seventh turnover.' And they did . . . on the next play."
As with most dedicated Los Angeles (and Detroit) area sports fans, I have become uniquely comfortable with disappointment. Agman, as I am sure you all recognized, was referring to formerly-winless-Notre Dame's 20-6 victory over UCLA. Later that night, the Kings would blow a two-goal lead against the St. Louis Blues, losing 5-3. My weekend was not complete, however, until the Lions got blown-out by the Washington Redskins on Sunday, 34-3 (don't even get me started on the Dodgers. I'm not much of a baseball fan, but the Dodgers were supposed to be the best team in the National League this year and ended up finishing 7 games out of the Wild Card). Now, as you already know, I was in North Carolina for my Cousin's wedding so I had a great weekend. But had I been home this weekend, (1) I would have been at the UCLA game to watch the disappointment live, (b) would have rushed over to Staples Center to watch the Kings home opener, and (iii) would have forced my Brother-in-Law to tune one of his TVs to the Lions-Redskins game on Sunday morning. That sounds about as fun as getting a bad sunburn on your back and being forced to ride roller coasters the next day (this happened to me when I was about 12 years old . . . trust me when I say it was not a good time).
I should have seen this typical Los Angeles sports weekend coming from a mile away. First, I was on the East Coast, which meant college football did not start until noon on Saturday and the NFL did not start until 1:00 pm on Sunday (sometimes I forget how lucky we are on the West Coast: beautiful weather year round, an abundance of attractive women, and sports that are on when you roll out of bed on the weekends. No wonder there's an East Coast bias in sports, it's because everyone is so jealous of us left-coasters. They're so jealous that we get to watch more sports than them in a given day, so jealous that they're bitter and bias all sports rankings against us. They might as well call it East Coast Bitterness...but I digress). Second, Lindsey Lohan was released from rehab. Look, I wish Lilo all the best, but let's face the facts: I have her back in rehab by January, 2008 in my office pool and I still think I am going to lose to the receptionist who has her going back in late October, 2007. Lastly, USC lost to Stanford.
Now, do not get me wrong I was ecstatic that USC lost, especially because it was to the worst team in the Pac-10. My Brother-in-Law was following the USC game on his Blackberry while I was following the UCLA game on mine. During our breaks from tearing up the dance floor (you want a guaranteed good time at your wedding? Invite BAP and his family . . . we rock it like few families can), my Brother-in-Law and I would huddle around our table, hitting refresh as quickly as possible. When John David Booty was intercepted by Bo (that's right . . . BO) McNally with 13 seconds left, sealing Stanford's victory, my Brother-in-Law and I danced around in a circle like a high school girl who just got asked to prom by the varsity quarterback. But, as is the norm with Los Angeles sports, our joy was short-lived. A few refreshes on my blackberry later and it became apparent that Notre Dame was sealing Karl Dorrell's fate. It is hard to believe that the coach who led UCLA to ten wins two seasons ago, and a shocking 13-9 win over USC last season, is likely gone after this season. I am not a KD-hater like many Bruin fans out there, but it is hard to argue that he seemed woefully unprepared for the possibility that Ben Olson might get injured and not be able to finish the game. Perhaps he should have gotten McLeod Bethel-Thompson a few more snaps with the first-string offense during the week. Perhaps KD should pull the play sheet out of his pants and realize he has twice as many plays at his disposal. I hope KD is around for a few more seasons; I think he is a good coach who is moving this program back in the right direction. But one more embarrassing loss this season and I fear KD's job will be taking a long walk off a short pier.
Moving on to my Lions, I can not be too upset about their loss. After all, they have already matched their win total from last season. They have a bye this coming weekend which means they will be entering the seventh week of play above .500 for the first time since 2004. Mike Martz has put together enough offensive weapons that the Lions can outscore anyone they wish, but they are still having trouble protecting Jon Kitna. Greg Foster, brought in from Denver to anchor the right side of the line, can not remember the snap count by the time he leaves the huddle (he had 7 false starts heading into the Redskins game). Rod Marinelli has gotten the defense back into shape and playing relatively well. The secondary is still a concern and any decent passing offense will make a shootout of the game. But I can not be disappointed with what has transpired thus far this season. Besides, as a sports fan from the Los Angeles area, I am used to this by now.
Then there are my Kings. This is the team that gets me every time. By this point in time, you are all intimately aware of my unnatural man crush on former Kings coach Andy Murray. Since being hired by the St. Louis Blues in mid-December of last season, AM is 4-0 against his former team. I still, to this day, believe that the Kings took a major step back when they fired AM. Do not get me wrong, I think Marc Crawford is a good coach and will help to take this team to the next level, but he is no AM. I believe that AM was the scapegoat for an incompetent front office and owner. AM got his players to give their best at all times; he kept teams that were mediocre at best in playoff contention long after they should have been eliminated. If you gave AM a roster as deep as this year's team is and with as much young talent, the rebuilding process would have never been necessary. Dean Lombardi and Andy Murray, together, would be the Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick of the National Hockey League (minus the video cameras of course). And there is no way AM's team would have let a 3-1 third period lead turn into a 5-3 loss.
But am I surprised? Nope. It is just another day in the life of a sports fan here in the City of Angeles.
As with most dedicated Los Angeles (and Detroit) area sports fans, I have become uniquely comfortable with disappointment. Agman, as I am sure you all recognized, was referring to formerly-winless-Notre Dame's 20-6 victory over UCLA. Later that night, the Kings would blow a two-goal lead against the St. Louis Blues, losing 5-3. My weekend was not complete, however, until the Lions got blown-out by the Washington Redskins on Sunday, 34-3 (don't even get me started on the Dodgers. I'm not much of a baseball fan, but the Dodgers were supposed to be the best team in the National League this year and ended up finishing 7 games out of the Wild Card). Now, as you already know, I was in North Carolina for my Cousin's wedding so I had a great weekend. But had I been home this weekend, (1) I would have been at the UCLA game to watch the disappointment live, (b) would have rushed over to Staples Center to watch the Kings home opener, and (iii) would have forced my Brother-in-Law to tune one of his TVs to the Lions-Redskins game on Sunday morning. That sounds about as fun as getting a bad sunburn on your back and being forced to ride roller coasters the next day (this happened to me when I was about 12 years old . . . trust me when I say it was not a good time).
I should have seen this typical Los Angeles sports weekend coming from a mile away. First, I was on the East Coast, which meant college football did not start until noon on Saturday and the NFL did not start until 1:00 pm on Sunday (sometimes I forget how lucky we are on the West Coast: beautiful weather year round, an abundance of attractive women, and sports that are on when you roll out of bed on the weekends. No wonder there's an East Coast bias in sports, it's because everyone is so jealous of us left-coasters. They're so jealous that we get to watch more sports than them in a given day, so jealous that they're bitter and bias all sports rankings against us. They might as well call it East Coast Bitterness...but I digress). Second, Lindsey Lohan was released from rehab. Look, I wish Lilo all the best, but let's face the facts: I have her back in rehab by January, 2008 in my office pool and I still think I am going to lose to the receptionist who has her going back in late October, 2007. Lastly, USC lost to Stanford.
Now, do not get me wrong I was ecstatic that USC lost, especially because it was to the worst team in the Pac-10. My Brother-in-Law was following the USC game on his Blackberry while I was following the UCLA game on mine. During our breaks from tearing up the dance floor (you want a guaranteed good time at your wedding? Invite BAP and his family . . . we rock it like few families can), my Brother-in-Law and I would huddle around our table, hitting refresh as quickly as possible. When John David Booty was intercepted by Bo (that's right . . . BO) McNally with 13 seconds left, sealing Stanford's victory, my Brother-in-Law and I danced around in a circle like a high school girl who just got asked to prom by the varsity quarterback. But, as is the norm with Los Angeles sports, our joy was short-lived. A few refreshes on my blackberry later and it became apparent that Notre Dame was sealing Karl Dorrell's fate. It is hard to believe that the coach who led UCLA to ten wins two seasons ago, and a shocking 13-9 win over USC last season, is likely gone after this season. I am not a KD-hater like many Bruin fans out there, but it is hard to argue that he seemed woefully unprepared for the possibility that Ben Olson might get injured and not be able to finish the game. Perhaps he should have gotten McLeod Bethel-Thompson a few more snaps with the first-string offense during the week. Perhaps KD should pull the play sheet out of his pants and realize he has twice as many plays at his disposal. I hope KD is around for a few more seasons; I think he is a good coach who is moving this program back in the right direction. But one more embarrassing loss this season and I fear KD's job will be taking a long walk off a short pier.
Moving on to my Lions, I can not be too upset about their loss. After all, they have already matched their win total from last season. They have a bye this coming weekend which means they will be entering the seventh week of play above .500 for the first time since 2004. Mike Martz has put together enough offensive weapons that the Lions can outscore anyone they wish, but they are still having trouble protecting Jon Kitna. Greg Foster, brought in from Denver to anchor the right side of the line, can not remember the snap count by the time he leaves the huddle (he had 7 false starts heading into the Redskins game). Rod Marinelli has gotten the defense back into shape and playing relatively well. The secondary is still a concern and any decent passing offense will make a shootout of the game. But I can not be disappointed with what has transpired thus far this season. Besides, as a sports fan from the Los Angeles area, I am used to this by now.
Then there are my Kings. This is the team that gets me every time. By this point in time, you are all intimately aware of my unnatural man crush on former Kings coach Andy Murray. Since being hired by the St. Louis Blues in mid-December of last season, AM is 4-0 against his former team. I still, to this day, believe that the Kings took a major step back when they fired AM. Do not get me wrong, I think Marc Crawford is a good coach and will help to take this team to the next level, but he is no AM. I believe that AM was the scapegoat for an incompetent front office and owner. AM got his players to give their best at all times; he kept teams that were mediocre at best in playoff contention long after they should have been eliminated. If you gave AM a roster as deep as this year's team is and with as much young talent, the rebuilding process would have never been necessary. Dean Lombardi and Andy Murray, together, would be the Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick of the National Hockey League (minus the video cameras of course). And there is no way AM's team would have let a 3-1 third period lead turn into a 5-3 loss.
But am I surprised? Nope. It is just another day in the life of a sports fan here in the City of Angeles.
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