Time to Tune In

Over the next three weeks, three of the "Big Four" sports leagues will play their annual All Star Game.  Yes, I know what your are thinking right now:  "Big Four?  I only count three."  Well, shame on you.  I still consider the NHL to be part of the Big Four of sports and so should you.  Sure, whenever I say I am going to a Kings game I am bound to hear jokes like "Why would you want to go to Sacramento?" or "Wait, it's hockey season?".  [Editor's Note: man, if I wanted to hear jokes that bad, I'd just hang around the GameTime, TBD© offices all day . . . oh, wait . . .]  Yes, hockey's popularity took a brutal hit as a result of the 2004-2005 Lockout and their inability to develop stars to build the league around until Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin arrived.  [Editor's Note:  which reminds me, the folks here at GameTime, TBD© would like to say happy belated-birthday to The Great One, who turned 50 this week.]  But now it is time for you all to start tuning back in.

And there is no better time to start than tonight, when the NHL kicks off its All Star weekend.  Why, you ask?  Well for starters, the league and players decided to go old school and will let the team captains pick their own squads.  We all remember what it was like back in elementary school when teams were picked of that game of basketball or soccer.  And now, tonight, we get to watch grown men twitch, fidget, and pray that they will not be the last one picked.  And then, come Sunday, you can watch what is, hands down, the best All Star Game amongst the Big Four.  NHL players actually look forward to the All Star Game; they actually appreciate the opportunity to give back to the fans.  They are not looking for excuses to get out of it, the league has not had to make the game worth home-ice advantage come Stanley Cup finals time to make it more competitive, and it is not a defenseless score-a-thon.  Sure, there will not be any fights or thunderous checks, and scoring will be a little higher than a normal game, but I would expect that from teams consisting of players like Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, the Ginger Sedin twins, Patrick Kane, Rick Nash, and, of course, my boy Anze Kopitar.  [Editor's Note:  for the record, the Kings deserved to have at least 3 All Stars this year, but thanks to that December/January slump (don't get me started), they were left with one.]

You know you need your weekend quota of sports, and I know you have no intention of watching the Pro Bowl.  So do yourself a favor and tune in to the NHL All Star Game festivities this weekend.  Who knows, you might finally see what you have been missing all along.  But since the fun does not start until 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time tonight, we know you are in need of something to help you get through the rest of the work day.  Ask and ye shall receive:

• If the Packers win the Super Bowl, the Detroit Lions will be able to say they beat the eventual champion.  I think that, in and of itself, is deserving of this picture.
• Speaking of the Lions, a woman has accused a Detroit Lions player of trying to be the first to score in the postseason in over a decade.
• Speaking of the Super Bowl, all those strippers that were hit hard by the recession might want to make their way to Dallas.
• As friend of the program Ballgame put it: "It doesn't win you trophies, but it wins me Fantasy Football leagues."
• Because two football teams in Los Angeles worked so well the last time, right?
• And you thought American football was overly strict with its dress code/touchdown celebrations . . .
• Are you confused by the offside rule in Soccer?  Here is a helpful analogy that will clear things right up get you fired.
• Talk about excessive foreplay . . .
• Kevin Love wants to be an all star so badly, he started a website to help his chances. [Editor's Note: make sure you watch the "The Numbers" video.]
• I am not going to lie, when I read the words "scandalous photos" and "girls' locker room", my mind may have gone a different direction.
• What?  People gave up fancy gym memberships for more cost-friendly gym memberships during the greatest recession since the Great Depression?  Get right out of town.
• As an avid blogger and message board nerd, I can definitely relate to some of this story.
• In non-sports related news, I think they would have been better served going with the volleyball scene.

In reviewing the introduction, the Chief raised an excellent point: "You know, the readers might not know what channel Versus is on their cable/satellite provider."  Yes, that truly is a sad commentary on the state of the NHL's television deals.  And while we tried to find a comprehensive listing of the Versus channels, the best we could come up with is TV Guide's listing application.  Yes, that truly is a sad commentary on the state of Versus's website and marketing.  And now that you are all prepared for this weekend's festivities, here are some videos to help kill those last few hours of your work week:

• "I RIDE THE RIDE!  I RIDE THE RIDE!"  Que the viral video.  [Editor's Note:  need YouTube account.  Normally we'd share ours but it is linked to email and this blog, so that's a no-go.]
• So much fail in so little time.
• As impressive as this is, I am pretty sure the tornado-like winds blowing into his face might have played a role.
• Nothing like adding a little insult to injury.
• I think the real highlight of this video is not the stiff jab, but rather the one mother's shock over the ejection.  Ah, youth basketball.
• Must be nice to have teammates like that, right?
• Even in mini golf, the rules require that you play it as it flies.
• Wheel of Fortune is really starting to spice things up.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Somedays The Intro Just Writes Itself

It is odd what we can remember and what we can not. For some reason, I can still recall where I was when I heard the news that Chris Farley, of all people, had died (for the record, I was driving home from the local mall with mom . . . it probably helps that it was the day after my seventeenth birthday as well). I was a big fan of Farley's movies and his physical style of comedy. It was the suddenness with which the news broke that has permanently left that image ingrained in my head.

Like that day in December 1997, I will always remember that I was sitting at my desk in my office on June 25, 2009 when I received the following text from My Better Half: "wow, farrah fawcett and michael jackson both in one day" (am I the only person on this planet who makes the painstaking effort to ensure that even my text message's are grammatically correct?). I had heard that Fawcett had passed away. Most people knew it was coming after a long battle with cancer. And I had heard that Jackson had been taken to the hospital, but I had assumed it was just another one of his random illnesses. I did not even notice that, apparently, several of the support staff members of my firm were visibly shaken by the news. I can not say I was ever a huge Jackson 5 or Michael Jackson fan, but as a music lover/former performer, I appreciated the music and, to this day, have a good number of their songs on my iPod. I will even go so far as to say my favorite music video of all time is one of Jackson's (and, no, it's not Thriller). And while I may not be the biggest Jackson fan (mostly because all of his other issues factor in with me), I can not deny the global impact he had; the way he brought people of different cultures, religions, and nationalities together. And he truly was the greatest performer, at least of this generation. Even with all his legal issues of the past few years, the tributes currently going on around the world are all well deserved.

And now, to the less important, but more likely to make you smile portion of our weekly Link Dump. Here are some things you might have missed:

• A draft lottery of . . .er . . . different sorts. The kind of sorts we men prefer (if you get my drift *wink*).
• The highlight of last night's NBA draft? Kevin Love's tweets of course. Questioning of your organization's decision-making process? Check. Calling the organization outright crazy? Check. Realizing that is probably not the best career move? Check. Cracking a joke at David Stern's expense? He saved the best for last.
• Jeff Jordan makes a wise decision in what I can only imagine is a no-win situation.
  
• Mike Garrett thinks highly of himself (what would you expect from a Trojan?). Thankfully, the rest of us have a brain.
• A photo gallery of the Oregon Ducks' new football jerseys. No, this is not a repeat of 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 . . .
• It was an exciting week for recreational golfers: (1) they should have probably just let him play through; and (b) nothing like a DUI in your golf cart.
• Speaking of golf, do you often find yourself getting it confused with another . . . shall we say . . . "recreational activity"?
• Your sexist comment of the week goes to . . . (*spins wheel*) . . . Lleyton Hewitt. Congratulations Lleyton, enjoy the next week on the couch instead of in bed with her.
• Just to recap: killing a man, thirty days; stealing Lance Armstrong's bike, three years.
• Hey ladies, have a couple . . . err . . . problem spots you would like taken care of? Well, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers have a fan giveaway for you.

When I think of the "King of Pop", I can not help but think of some of the amazing music videos he made. Whether it be Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, or Scream, they were are all pretty amazing. But there is still one that, in my opinion, tops them all. So we start this week's video portion of the Link Dump with my tribute to MJ:

• "You've been hit by . . . (dun, dun) . . . you've been hit by . . ."
  
• Listened to FM radio this morning on the drive into work (once DP was over), heard a little Boston, was reminded of this.
• Mash-ups of classic press-conference moments never get old, especially when they are good.
• Conan O'Brien is supposedly loosing viewership in the fly-over states. I wonder why?
• We are tweet-happy this week (caution: some strong language).
• Apparently that bat trick from last week was just the warm-up to this.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Let's Get This Party Started...

Well, it is Friday, November 2nd and that can only mean one thing: the start of the 2007-2008 UCLA Men's Basketball season. The Bruins take on perennial National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) powerhouse Azusa Pacific University, the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Although it is only an exhibition game, Pauley Pavilion is sold out for the Bruin debut of Kevin Love, the top-ranked recruit in the nation. But while I am counting down the time until tip-off, I know most you out there are counting down the time left in your week. So, here are some enjoyable stories that you might have missed that will hopefully help make that clock move a little faster:

• I used to think Major League Baseball players were stupid for using performance-enhancing drugs, but as it turns out, they're only stupid if they actually get caught.
• I am not an alcoholic, I am an athlete.
• As sad is this story is, I am pretty sure they could still field a team that could beat the Miami Dolphins.
• Don't quote me on this, but I am almost positive that this is not the first time Hillary has been caught in a six-on-one.
• Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, and Scott Norwood were last seen pooling their money so they could buy all of the tickets.
• Call me crazy, but this might actually be a good thing.
• Just in case you are having a hard time parenting your own children, the Parents Television Council is willing to do it for you.
• I guess I better start checking IDs next Halloween.

I have always enjoyed a good laugh at the expense of a cheerleader or two. So, if you are in need of a good chuckle (I don't want you to laugh too loud and get in trouble at work), I offer you these two cheerleader-themed videos for your viewing enjoyment:

• Hold on boys, I just need to fix the banner for you.
• What do you expect? She's a USC Song Girl.

Have a great weekend everyone!