Off and Running

Happy New Year everyone! The folks here at GameTime, TBD© hope you all had happy, healthy, and safe 2009 holiday season. We certainly did.

About this time of year, all the magazines are telling you how to make 2010 the best year ever. Their first piece of advise is usually to cut down on the New Year's Resolutions, make them more reasonable. Well, the just would not be the Chief's style. No, no. At current count, there are five resolutions, and most of them are the usual resolutions (loss weight, make my Better Half as happy as possible, blah, blah, blah). But on of my resolutions was brought front and center during the first week of 2010. Who could ask for more?

The resolution I am talking about now is this: I would like to see GameTime, TBD© play some role in making the (sports) blog-o-sphere a more responsible arena for the sharing of information to the masses. There is no denying that sports blogs are here to stay and that they have reached the level of mainstream media. Many have the ability to break news or bring stories to more people faster than most normal channels of media. That is why many of the creators of the more popular blogs have been offered positions with more established media outlets (ESPN, SI, etc.). But there is one thing the sports blogs tend to do that established media outlets do not: post news and information with little to no fact checking.

Case in point: if you watched the Fiesta Bowl on Monday night, these ten seconds flashed across your television screen during halftime. Almost instantaneously, the blog-o-sphere was put to action, posting links to the video, creating animated GIFs, and generally having fun at the expense of a girl who seemed to be playing a pretty uninspired cowbell (really, explore the studio space this time). I saw the moment during the telecast and thought nothing of it. I saw the ten-second clip on most of the blogs I visit regularly and thought something just did not seem right; and I was right (she's never even been to Mt. Vesuvius). For the better part of six hours, many posts, hundreds (if not thousands) of emails (I got 5 myself within the first hour from some friends), and probably millions of comments were made about "Sad Cowbell Girl". And believe you me, most of the things people said were not nice.

Yes, I know around these parts we have fun at other people's expense quit frequently; I am not claiming to be some angel. But most of those videos we post are people doing stupid things (and yes, we have more for you today . . . 2010 starts with a bang). I am not trying to say that we should stop people from putting that ten-second clip on YouTube or what not. I am just saying that many of the sports blogs out there need to realize they are part of the mainstream media now. Some people turn to them more than ESPN or CBSSports or SI these days. And yes, I dream of a day when GameTime, TBD© plays a role similar to that (maybe I should consider putting a little more time into it then . . . hey, wait a sec, that's right there at #3 on my resolution list, go figure). So it is time that we all accept a little more responsibility for our actions. Thankfully the Boise St.'s cowbell player is blind, so she will only ever know what people tell her. She will never see those things that have been written about her. But her family will, and so will her friends, and I, for one, do not want to be a part of making anyone feel sad, hurt, or angry (unless they bring it upon themselves by letting someone video tape them doing something stupid and not destroying the evidence immediately thereafter . . . then you totally get what you deserve).

I am sure 2010 is going to be a great year of sports and the bloggers of the world will play a large in that. So I am calling on all of us to make sure we take whatever extra steps necessary to ensure that we are contributing to the greatness, not taking away from it (Fox is going to do plenty of that on its own, they don't need our help). With that, here is my first contribution to 2010:

• I do not know when this picture of Marisa Miller and Brooklyn Decker was taken . . . and more importantly, I do not care. You. Are. Welcome (assuming hot attractive female blonds are your thing).
  
• The title says it all: "10 Fictional Sporting Events We'd Pay Good Money to Attend". [Bonus: includes video.]
• The NBA would like to remind you that guns do not kill people, gambling debts that lead to people brandishing firearms kill people.
  
• Let me see, that makes four career touchdowns and four career arrests. Matt Millan's brilliance astounds me.
• Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio will interview next week for the head coaching position in Jacksonville. Wait a sec . . .
  
• Apparently whales are beaching themselves in Kansas City these days. I did not even realize Kansas City had beaches.
  
• Too bad for you, I submitted my resume yesterday morning. Rest assured, Sara Tetzler, your job is safe.
• Looks like Tennessee will not be fielding very many competitive teams next year.
• If you take only one thing from this article, let it be that the Baseball Writers Association of American has a Secretary Treasurer. And they wonder why everyone else thinks they are full of themselves.
• Countless (read: 5) fans will be devastated by this news.
• Why God, why?
• Tough break for those of you who took Houston (Lee) High +134. They almost had it.

I think my favorite quote in that last story is the one where the Yates' coach talks about not wanting to be a bad coach. I totally understand where he is coming from . . . not. That guy totally deserves to get punched in the face (I hear Jim Leavitt is available to help me out). Speaking of getting punched in the face:

• It is "The Best Fails of 2009" (long, but totally worth it).
• And we have an early candidate for "The Best Fails of 2010".
• Amazing goal . . . no amazing goal . . . no, amazing goal.
• DJ Steve Porter (whose first and second appearances on GameTime, TBD© were two of your favorites last year) is back with more goodness.

Well, there you have it. We are officially off and running in 2010. Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Holidays To All . . .

. . . and to all a good night. I know that is not the exact quote, but we try to keep things politically correct here at GameTime, TBD© and we like to think we have attracted a diverse readership. That would mean not everyone coming across our little corner of the World Wide Web celebrates Christmas and we are fine with that.

This here is our last official Link Dump of 2009, and that means it is the last official Link Dump of the first decade of the twenty-first century. I am sure you all have noticed the gluttony of "Top __" lists floating around the Internet over the past month or so, all relating to what the biggest deals of the last decade were. If you have come looking for our "Top __" list of the decade, we are sad to say you might be a little disappointed. For starters, the Chief has not decided if it would be too cliche to write up a list of things that happened over the past decade. He is still going back and forth on the whole idea.

We had hoped to get a final answer from him this morning, but . . . well . . . yesterday was his birthday and a long lunch with some colleagues and a dinner with more than a few glasses of wine have left the Chief moving a little slow this morning. In fact, on several occasions we have had to poke him just to make sure he is alive. Turns out he is. The Chief has vowed to live his last three hundred and sixty-five days of his twenties to the fullest, and he certainly appears to have kicked it off with a bang. Good big or go home, that is what the Chief always says, and it is amazing he has not learned to regret those words. We think, however, his mission is more driven out of the fear of actually turning thirty than just actually enjoying his last year of the twenties. So we are turning to you readers who may have already turned that corner, or those who are familiar with someone who has, for a little advice. Should we be worried? Are there any signs we should be looking for that might indicate the Chief is falling off the rails a little bit? Is there anything we can do to make the transition smoother or do we just let him run head first into his thirties like he used to do with cupboards as a child? [Editor's note: true story . . . explains a lot.] Nothing is off limits right now. We love our Chief and we want to make sure he is primed and ready to make his thirties just as great as his twenties. [Editor's note: I think we've just found our "Top __" list, The Top __ Things of the Chief's 20s . . . check back early next week when you're in the office doing anything and everything you can to NOT be working.]

So, we are off to go poke the Chief yet again and start collaborating on this list about his twenties. This can only go one of one ways: UH-MAZING. In the meantime, here are some things you might have missed from this past week:

• Marisa Miller backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show certainly gets me in the holiday spirit.
• Tiger gets support from the one guy he was hoping for . . . I think . . . probably not.
• Did you know Tiger has been on the front cover of the New York Daily News for twenty straight days? Do you know the last time that happened? 9/11. Between the pending divorce and this, I am willing to wager his streak will not end anytime soon.
• My Jimmy Schwartz is trying to motivate his Kitties the old fashioned way: telling them they suck.
• Mack Brown got a small raise recently and [*gasp*] the rest of the Texas faculty is not too happy about it.
• At this rate, I would not be surprised to see the Alabama government declare Marshall Law for a week. God bless my Alabama brethren.
• Speaking of lawyers and the law, here is your legal lesson for the day: eminent domain.
• Dear Juan, In recognition of your hard work in keeping us alive while Manny was out, we are sending you to Chicago for no one in particular. Xoxoxo, The Dodgers. P.S. Happy Holidays.
• Missouri basketball players get all punchy with a Missouri cheerleader . . . but it is not like you think.
• Screw you guys, I am going home. Ah, ah . . . screw you . . . home.
• I have heard of a lot of strange things happening during workouts, but this takes the cake.

Since it is the Holiday Season (capitalized? not capitalized? who cares), we thought it would be best to go with (almost) all holiday-themed clips. If these do not get you in the mood for a great Christmas (if that's your thing), then I do not know what will.

• Gift ideas from the Chief's man crush? Priceless.
  
• Tiger finally clears the air. [Editor's Note: STRONG language.]
• If only all Christmas shopping was this fun.
• "Second, there are, like, thirty Ray's Pizzas. They all claim to be the original. But the real one's on 11th. And if you see a sign that says 'Peep Show', that doesn't mean that they're letting you look at the new toys before Christmas."
• To this day, it remains the greatest gift idea ever. [Editor's Note: remember, username: gametimetbd@gmail.com, password: gametime]

From "all of us" here at GameTime, TBD©, we wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and safe 2009 Holiday Season.

I Swear, I Am Not Crazy

Happy Friday to you all. I hope everyone is surviving this crazy weather we are having . . . well . . . pretty much across the country. At our weekly GameTime, TBD© "staff meeting" this morning it was decided that this will be the second to last official Link Dump of 2009. Apparently, some people were not to thrilled with the idea of trying to put something together for Christmas or New Years. "But what about our Jewish readers?" I replied. Then I discovered when offices close for Christmas, that means everyone stays home. Turns out New Years also falls on Friday. I thought it best to let my "staff" sleep it off that day, rather than putting together some rambling, incoherent Link Dump. So, next week will be the last Friday of 2009 for us to provide you with your weekly does of news and entertainment (it also happens to be the day after the Chief's 29th birthday . . . hint, hint . . .).

Yesterday morning, a nice young man (we'll call him Matt . . . if only because that's what his name tag said) woke up and said "I have to remember to go to my shelf-stocker job at Vons this afternoon." Meanwhile, somewhere across town, it was decided that I would stop and do the grocery shopping after work, while my Better Half spent the day cranking out a take-home (seriously?) final. Now, if you know me (which you obviously do by now), you know that I am a huge popcorn fan (borderline snob). And I am not talking about that microwaveable crap. No; I am talking about the fresh kernels that are popped over an open flame on the stove. Now, back to Matt. Matt went about his day as usual, got work, and began the tedious process of restocking shelves and helping old women reach cans of soup. Then, at about 6:53 p.m. PST, Matt took that fateful turn down the Peanuts/Popcorn aisle, where he ran into me. The conversation went something like this

The Chief: Excuse me, do you know if you have any non-microwave popcorn in the back?
Matt: Whatever we have is already out here.
The Chief: Really?
Matt: [*reaching for bottom shelf*] We have this bag of kernels right here.
The Chief: [*giving the old "really?" expression*] Is that it? You only have Safeway brand?
Matt: Sir, I can assure you the Safeway brand is a quality popcorn.
The Chief: Have you ever had it?
Matt: No.
The Chief: So then, would it be fair to say that you can neither confirm nor deny whether the Safeway brand popcorn kernels are of equal quality to Orville Redenbacher kernels?
Matt: I guess. [*giving the old "what did I do to deserve this?" expression]
The Chief: Okay, well, I know what I am about to say is going to sound like I'm telling you that two plus two equals a bushel of apples, but between you and me, the two are not even close. Write that down.
Matt: I don't have a pen.
The Chief: Well, remember that then. In the mean time, I'll take what I can and enjoy this Safeway brand popcorn to the best of my ability.
Matt: Well, have a nice night, sir. [*giving the old "I hope you get mowed down in the parking lot by that old lady I just helped who clearly shouldn't be driving" look*]

I know what you are all thinking right about now and, yes, it is true, I did direct him to Orville Redenbacher's Wikipedia page in the middle of our conversation. And, to be quite honest, I think that is where I lost Matt. I think I was about to win him over, but that was just a little too far. But at least he learned something at work yesterday, and that is something he can thank me for next time I pacing the Peanuts/Popcorn aisle looking for my Orville Redenbacher popping corn. And since I was nice enough to teach Matt something this week, here are some things to help make you more informed sports fans:

• In the spirit of the Holiday Season, we start with Marisa Miller in the December issue of Access magazine. Have I ever heard of Access magazine? Who cares.
• While the Senate is stuck debating health care reform, the House has moved on to more important things.
• Brian Kelly's former players wish him nothing but success at his new job.
• Tennessee expects me to believe these chicks are not running the spread offense for high school recruits?
• Speaking of hostesses, here is a brief history of their use at various colleges.
• Penbrook will not tolerate Steelers fans in their county . . . oops, nevermind, apparently they forgot about that whole First Amendment thing. Honest mistake.
• Your "Chad Ochocinco is the most amazing professional athlete ever" update of the week.
• Yesterday, there was some tragic news out of Seattle. Brace yourself.
• I am officially considering a career change.
  
• What could possibly go wrong?
• Tracy McGrady has yet to play in a game this NBA season. Keep that in mind when reading this headline.
• "Bonds' agent concedes slugger's playing days are over." Now, who gets to go tell Barry?
• High school volleyball player lets one get past the blockers, gets benched, sues school. Talk about your no-win situation.

Okay, level with me, should I be feeling guilty about last night? No? Good, I did not think so. I mean, I am not being crazy here. Orville Redenbacher versus Safeway brand? There really is no comparison. Good, thanks for the support. Moving on. Here are some clips for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully, you do not think they suck:

• Selection Sunday at the BCS Headquarters went about as well as anyone expected.
• "Well, a bet's a bet." Only the finest live in the South.
  
• Let me see, goalie scores a goal? Check. Goalie runs the length of the field to celebrate? Check. Teammate gets on top of him and simulates sex? Check.
• My lone mention of Tiger this week: the Tiger Woods Anthem.
• I have said it before, and I will say it again: local commercials rule.
• "Why the Internet is Great" reason number 1,763,459: videos like this.
  
• David Letterman sent out his first official tweet this week, as only David Letterman could.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Where Do We Go From Here?

Actual work (sucks) is going to keep the fine folks at GameTime, TBD© from getting a full Link Dump out to all you fine individuals today. We apologize. But the Chief had a few things he wanted to say real quick before giving you a few videos to at least make your Friday afternoon a little more bearable.

Had we been able to compile a complete Link Dump for you today, undoubtedly fifty percent of the articles would have been related to Tiger Woods and his inability to keep his drives from going down the wrong fairways. Yes, Weiss and (Body by) Mangino were fired; yes, AI is back in Philadelphia; yes, the BCS still sucks; yes, T.J. Simers proved, once again, he is the only Los Angeles Times writer with a brain; and yes, my Better Half and I did watch Marisa Miller and the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show together (your honor, we offer into evidence defense exhibit #1,420,693 as proof my Better Half is awesome: "Alessandra Ambrosio? I certainly wouldn't kick her out of bed." The defense rests). However, I am estimating that three out of every five sports articles written this week were about Tiger. As my parents always said, "Nothing good happens after midnight", and when that nothing good happens to the first billion dollar athlete, people seem to take notice. Look, I love that I can make a Tiger Woods' joke now and it brings down the house (did so 3 times last night alone), but I am not about to attack a man's personal problems on the World Wide Web. Yes, I am in the, apparent, minority that believes Tiger is right in requesting we respect his privacy.

But here is what I did want to say: it can not be easy growing up these days. I was a lucky kid in that I had to great parents that I can proudly call role models. But many kids (is that divorce rate still hovering around 50%?) are not that lucky. Instead, they turn to athletes, musicians, and celebrities. Last time I checked, there are not that many good ones out there either (though, to all you ladies age 18-and-over, I strongly recommend Rihanna [*wink*]). And now, perhaps the one man we thought was a good role model, is about to shell out another fifty-five million dollars just to convince his wife to stick around for at least five more years (Elin, take the $30 million and the 3-iron and just tell him to have a nice day). The folks at IMG had done a pretty nice job of packaging Tiger as the perfect man: the best in his sport, generous, and a great family man. And yes, we all make mistakes and no one is perfect (except my Better Half). Yet, while I am still a fan of Tiger Woods the golfer, it is sad to see what has become of him as a person in one week: someone I would not want my yet-to-be-conceived son looking up to.

Sorry to get all heavy there on you for a moment, but like I always say (and it's good to know DP feels the same way): if you need to have a pre-nuptial agreement, you probably should not be getting married in the first place. And with that, here are some video clips to help make at least part of your afternoon a little better:

• Just your average lunch break around the BCS offices.
• Tuts my barreh. [Editor's note: that's what she said!]
• Still debating whether the Slap Chop is the perfect holiday gift for that special somebody? Maybe this will help you decide.
• Looks like he zagged when he should have zigged.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Time to be Thankful

I know you might all have been confused by the Christmas decorations at your local mall, the Christmas music playing in your favorite stores, and the Christmas cups your coffee has been served in ever since Halloween came and went, but I promise you have not missed Thanksgiving. Which (with a runner on third) begs the question: is there any other holiday that gets the shaft like Thanksgiving? [Editor's Note: no, Holiday down at your local Spearmint Rhino is not an acceptable answer . . . funny, yes . . . acceptable, no.]

Here at GameTime, TBD©, we love us some Thanksgiving. For those of you who have been around since the beginning, you will recall the fifth post The Chief ever wrote was an homage to his favorite Turkey Day Traditions. No one, and I mean no one, will stop us from enjoying our Thanksgiving day. Sure, some things have changed over the past three years (really, three already? *patting myself on back*), but they have not changed how much the love we have for Thanksgiving. So, I thought it might be nice if I let you all know about the five things I am most thankful this year:

5. Dean Lombardi: the man has single-handedly returned my beloved Los Angeles Kings to greatness. Okay, maybe not single-handedly, but he has been the most important piece, far and away. Yes, I know the team has hit a bit of a bump in the road (more on this in my quarter-season report coming soon . . . and in a more timely manner than my preseason report), but I have no doubt this team will play through it, regain their early season form, and make their way into the playoffs. Thanks Dean.

4. My Family: even with the death of my Grandpa in January of this year, the GameTime, TBD© family has had a great year. I became an Uncle twice over to two happy and healthy (ten fingers and ten toes!) nephews, got to visit with family members more often than usual, got to congratulate my Brother and Sister-in-Law on one year of marriage, discovered just how great in-laws can be (even as an out-law), saw Dad go back to work a full two-and-a-half years after "retiring" (officially making it two years longer than I expected), had a great family vacation in August, have another great family vacation lined up for New Years, and made more unforgettable memories than I can even begin to list here. I am thankful for the health and happiness of all of my family and am looking forward to another great year.

3. My Better Half: (oops . . . totally forgot about that disclaimer: this list is in no particular order) after seven years, of which we have been married for fifteen months, I can officially say I love her more today than did yesterday, and the day before that, and so on. I mean, seriously, this is a woman who puts up with me . . . if that is not three miracles for Sainthood, I do not know what is. Beyond the love and support I get from my family, I am beyond lucky to have the love and support of this amazing woman. Doing you know anyone who would so willingly let her life be played out over the internet on website devoted to sports and women? I certainly do not. And for that, amongst the many other things she does, I am thankful.

2. All of You: yes, I am thankful for all of my avid readers, those of you who keep me wanting to do more with this site every day. Do not be silly, I know many of you fall into one of the categories above (especially you Dean *wink* . . . wait, my Better Half, definitely meant my Better Half . . . if only there was some way to magically make that first part disappear), but I also know several of my friends have become avid readers and, at least according to my Google Analytics, some people I do not even know who keep coming back for more. As long as you all keep coming back for more, I will keep giving you more (that's what she said . . . ba-ZING).

1. Matthew Stafford: because now he is a man, apparently . . .


I hope all of you out there have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving weekend. Enjoy your long weekend. We will talk to you next week.

Doing Anything Special This Weekend?

Any particular reason you swung by GameTime, TBD© today? Of course there is. You are looking for your weekly dose of information, entertainment, and, maybe, just maybe, a few good laughs (also known as the Link Dump). But, of course, your Friday is just the start of your weekend, so we were wondering if you had anything special planned for this weekend?

My Better Half has quite the weekend lined up. Believe you me, nothing says a good time like getting down to business and writing a few papers for school (ah, grad school, how I do not miss you). Now, I am a firm believer of making sure you take care of yourself and have a good time on the weekends, so she has assured me her weekend will also consist of a hair cut and an eyebrow waxing . . . wait, what? Men and women certainly do have different weekend priorities. Regardless, she claims this weekend is going to be legendary. But for some reason, I do not think she means it in the same sense as our good pal Barney does. She also said she has a pretty nice little Saturday; she is going to Home Depot, you know, to buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath & Beyond, she does not know. She does not know if she will have enough time.

I believe I can safely assume you are confused as to why she would be running such errands on her own (if she was actually running those errands . . . if you didn't get that, you should be ashamed of yourself . . . ASHAMED). Well, my dear readers, I shamelessly used my Better Half's weekend homework plans to lead into . . . well . . . some bragging. That is right, I am calling it an early Friday and heading to the airport so I can catch my flight to San Francisco. It has been far too long since I have had a weekend of debauchery with just the boys . . . wait, that came out wrong. The plans include Point Break Live, drinking, possibly attending the Cal/Stanford game, drinking, hitting up the O Club for some squash (no, that's not a euphemism . . . get your mind out of the gutter, we run a classy joint here), drinking, watching my Lions beat down on the Cleveland Browns (believe it or not, the Lions are favored in game; I'll give you moment to stop laughing . . . okay, seriously . . . it's not that funny . . . okay, now you're just be rude), oh, and probably some drinking. Dare I say, this weekend is going to be legen . . . wait for it . . . dary. A weekend that even Barney would be proud of . . . if you exclude suiting up and hooking up with random skanks.

Well, I have got to get some things done before I bail out early to catch my flight (that is why I actually wrote this introduction on Thursday night). For those of you who have plans for the weekend, I hope they are go as well as you hope they will. For those of you who do not, you are losers I hope you are able to relax and have an enjoyable time nonetheless. Regardless, here are some things you might have missed to help you get to those plans a little faster:

• The newest target in stupid parents' attempts to make childhood no fun anymore: dodgeball.
• Zach Greinke is having quite the week. On Tuesday, he won the American League Cy Young Award; on Saturday, he is going to marry her. Tough life.
• Who knew Googling athletes could be so fun?
• Chad Ochocinco is fast becoming my favorite non-Lion NFL player. If you bookmark his Twitter page, he will become yours too.
• If only all Tebow fans were (1) hot, and (b) wore painted-on clothes.
• Rick Neuheisel has taken a novel approach to recruiting: sleeping with the recruits mom.
• Notre Dame is going to replace Charlie Weis without the wrath of ravenous internet bloodhounds.
• As much as we like to bash USC around these parts, it is good to see Stafon Johnson was able to speak again. Surprisingly, his first words were not, "Where's the nearest Song Girl?"
• Once you read their analysis of Kirk Herbstreit, ask yourself this question: did they actually watch any of these people before ranking them?
• One of the greatest endings to a college football game, compliments of the Division II playoffs (with video highlights . . . hey BCS fools, take a hint).
• Anyone who has been to a Pac-10 basketball in the past ten years was already aware of this.
• You remember that awesome video of the New Mexico soccer player taking out her aggression on BYU? Yes, the media response was blown way out of proportion, so let us get her side of things.
• I can think of about ten thousand better ways to spend $200,000, and those are just the ways involving women.

Tick . . . tock . . . tick . . . tock. Seriously, has my clock stopped? My 4:45 p.m. flight seems like it will never get here. On the other hand, you are probably thinking your 5:00 p.m work departure time will never get here. Rest assured, my dear readers, we have a fine collection of clips for your viewing pleasure to help it get here faster:

• When you watch this video, you'll probably think the barista slipped something into your Starbucks this morning. I promise, she did not.
• Cartwheeling goalie for the . . . fail.
• "Wait 'til they see my 'O'" (face? . . . ba-ZING!).
• If she lived in Columbia, she would be shot on the spot. Here in America, she is just cute.
• Sir, I am not positive, but I think those are the wrong balls.
• It is good to celebrate your goals in style.
• If only all of John Mellencamp's commercials were this good.

Have a great weekend everyone!

General Comings and Goings

It was a pretty slow week around the GameTime, TBD© office so I thought it would be best to give you all just a general update on a few things going on around here and then get right to the good stuff. Any objections? Hearing none, away we go.

You may recall a few weeks back when I, the Chief, vowed to get some things in my life back on track. Well, I certainly have been working on some new original content, some of which is up already, some of which is yet to come. I did, however, have to talk myself off the ledge earlier this week after my (Lefty McLefterson) Better Half and I had one of our typical dinner discussions. Of course, most of you would call these heated political debates, but it was business as usual for the Democrat and Republican who found love (can you say modern-day Romeo & Juliet . . . of course, without the [Editor's Note: spoiler alert for high school freshman] part where everyone dies at the end . . . which I guess would make the whole book pretty anti-climactic . . . cancel that idea . . . but I digress). It would also come as no surprise that this week's discussion centered mainly on health care. The details are not important, but let us just say that you all almost got an ear full about where Nancy Pelosi can gently place the bill she somehow got through the House.

I also wanted you to know that the quest to get back into high school shape is going pretty well. The streak of days working out reached twenty one (I'll stay) before a couple lazy mornings and evening family events brought it to an end earlier this week. I am already more than a few pounds lighter, feeling good, and the new streak already stands at three. One thing I have noticed, however, is that after twenty one straight days, it is definitely time for a new mix on the workout iPod (yes, I have an iPod just for the gym and one for everyday life, which currently has Akon telling me why it "Don't Matter", the theme to my modern day R&J remake . . . again with the digression, what is wrong with me today?). With that being said, I turn to you, my avid readers, for suggestions on songs to download and add to the iPod. I prefer upbeat stuff and it can be of any variety. I have a fairly large collection of music already but am more than willing to spend a few bucks on iTunes for the right songs.

But do not go rushing off to your iPods and iTunes (or other non-Apple music products) too fast. There is a reason you stopped by on this lovely Friday afternoon and I have not gotten there yet. So, without further adieu, here are some things you might have missed:

• Who will be performing the Super Bowl halftime show. No, that is not the question. The question is: will Tori Praver be there in her painted-on Who t-shirt?
• Montana puts Sonoma home on market. Idaho selling Napa estate.
• "Sometimes I love Ochocinco so much it hurts."
  
• There is no captain in the National Football League.
• Bill Self likes big butts; can not lie.
• CC Sabathia can be a teammate of mine any day of the week and twice on Sunday (but only if he brings the drinks).
• Want to know what this week's NCAA Football schedule has in store for you? Here are some charts and graphs to help.
• San Diego State's athletic director uses school funds to get his mack on, increase divorce rate. You stay classy San Diego.
  
• Please Jenn, think of the children.
• Remember that running shorts cost school state title link we ran a few weeks back? Well, another odd rule has derailed a team's title hopes yet again.
• "Female ski jumpers mount final appeal" (that's what she said . . . ba-ZING!).
• I hope my Better Half is not reading this, otherwise there will not be much of a surprise come Christmas.

No Usher, I will not "Make Love in this Club" with you. What kind of man do you take me for? I will readily admit that I would kill a man to have abs like yours, but I will . . . wait a sec, are we back? I hope no one read that. Boy that would be embarrassing. Moving on, let us get to the good stuff, like Usher's stomach . . . err, I mean . . . the several clips we have compiled this week for your viewing pleasure:

• A YouTube video with 6.6 million views does not usually escape my attention for a year. If you have already seen this John Williams' tribute, do yourself a favor and watch it again anyways.
• If every game was called by Marv Albert or Gus Johnson, I would be in heaven (wait a sec, am I dead? [*runs into door*] Ouch. Nope, not dead; just in need of some ice.)
• Chimpin' ain't easy.
• I would Hochdorfer their bikes. [Editor's Note: what does that even mean?]
• You may recall last year when we linked you to "Little Jovi" of Rutgers football fame. Well, last night Mr. L.J. probably had his first . . . um . . . "man experience", compliments of Erin Andrews.
• They are both considering foregoing their last year of eligibility to go pro.
• Richmond's announcers go from zero to bitter faster than my ex-girlfriend. [Editor's Note: nothing like an "F" bomb on live television; might want to keep the speakers low.]
• Dear country, You rock. That being said, please do not think Carrie Prejean is an accurate representation of California as a whole. To recap: dumb, crazy blonds with fake tits, yes; California as a whole, no. Best regards, The Chief

Have a great weekend everyone!

Better Late Than Never

Well, we finally got settled into our new digs and they look . . . well . . . exactly like the old ones, only, there is a lot more noise because more people are around. Hmm; I miss the island of solitude our old office provided. Can someone please remind me why we did this? Oh, right, because it was "strongly recommended" by the boss. Nevermind.

If the NHL wanted to gain some fans, they should have done whatever it took to broadcast last night's Los Angeles Kings versus Pittsburgh Penguins match up. It was one of the best hockey games I have ever seen. I was there with 18,116 of my closest friends (what can I say, I'm huge on Facebook) and Dad (I can neither confirm nor deny the truth a wager was made in which I bet one of my kidneys against whether Dad would be paying for playoff hockey tickets this season . . . don't let me down boys, I'm kinda attached to Larry and Ralph). The game featured goals on both of the teams first shots of the game, solid two-way action for the first two periods, and a third period in which the Kings absolutely took it to the defending Stanley Cup champions in a 5-2 rout. The Penguins, like several other teams (including Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, and Montreal), have a large contingency of fans no matter where they play. Not since the 2000-2001 season have I heard Kings fans drown out visiting fans like they did last night. It was the way Staples Center should be for every home game (is there an echo in here?)

Last night was not the first time I was reminded of the 2000-2001 time frame this week. I am sure you all have heard by now that the twenty-fifth ranked Orangemen of Syracuse lost to the mighty Division II Dolphins of Le Moyne on Tuesday in a college basketball exhibition game. You might not have heard, however, that UCLA tried desperately to match Syracuse's feat against NAIA "powerhouse" Concordia on Wednesday but eeked out a win in the final seconds. Well, I generally do not put too much stock into exhibition games . . . except when they occur during the 2000-2001 season and, through the transitive property of victories, result in my Occidental Tigers being crowned the National Champions of Division I basketball. In early November 2000, the gritty Tigers traveled up the I-5 to face off against Division I opponent Cal State University at Northridge (the Matadors) on their home court (the Matadome . . . yup, you read that correctly). Well, Oxy squeaked out a close victory that triggered a chain of events the likes of which have never been seen. On November 21, 2000, the Matadors traveled to UCLA and defeated the then-fifteenth ranked Bruins, 78-74. On February 3, 2001, UCLA swung by Maples Pavilion and knocked off the top-ranked Cardinal of Stanford, 79-73 (ah, Steve Lavin, your coaching never ceased to amaze me), who, on December 21, 2000, had defeated the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils, 84-83. This story, of course, would not have a point unless those Blue Devils (Duke SUCKS) had not gone and beat Arizona 82-72 on April 2, 2001 to win the Division I National Championship. So, you see, Oxy beat CSUN, who beat UCLA, who beat Stanford, who beat Duke, who won the National Championship. And that, my friends, is how the Occidental Tigers became the 2000-2001 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Champions. I think we should hang a banner.

Did I lose you there? I would not be surprised. If someone had told me that story I probably would have followed it up with my traditional response: "Cool story Hansel." If you know me, you know that is not usually a good thing. Anyways, I am sure you all loved it and have totally bought into my "transitive property of victories" theory. If you have not, kindly show yourself the door. If you have, here are some other things you might find interesting:

• Up for a challenge (and some chicks)? Try your hand at this cheerleader uniform quiz.
• Speaking of uniforms, this list is supposedly the "12 Hottest Female Sports Uniforms". However, boobs and/or nudity did not make the list, thus throwing all credibility out the window.
• Speedskating just got a whole lot more popular, satirical.
• What do you get when you place a large group of professional athletes in a city for one whole week? Answer.
• Can you imagine a world in which Gus Johnson is replaced by Dick Vitale? Welcome to your new reality.
• Dear UCF, Please find enclosed a check for $3 million. Xoxo, Michael Jordan. P.S. Sorry about my son.
  
• Aw, nobody wants to play with them.
• Sing it with me: I was gonna win the Cy Young, but then I got high.

One thing I appreciate on The Dan Patrick Show is when DP takes the time give shout outs to all the new stations that have started carrying his show. I think that is a classy move. So I decided we are going to start giving shout outs to our new dedicated fans. This week's shout outs go to BF, Q, and Cow who, after being featured in last week's Link Dump, have all become loyal GameTime, TBD© readers. Welcome aboard ladies. For you, and the rest of my dedicated readers out there, here are some clips for your viewing pleasure:

• Now that is how you earn your indefinite suspension.
• Reebok attempts to sell women's shoes by marketing to men. I am listening . . .
• Bruce Lee even plays ping pong like a bad @$$.
• Oh Magic 8 Ball, do not fail me now.
• This has to be a joke, right?
• Matti Hoyla (who?) exits the ice in style.
• I can not say I am surprised he is playing in a semi-pro league after that play.
• With the Winter Olympics less than one hundred days away, this video has started making the rounds. Certainly gets me fired up.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Site News

It is moving day for the GameTime, TBD© office. We are hoping the move goes smoothly so that we can get you your weekly Link Dump as soon as possible. Check back sometime this afternoon.

Thanks,

The Management

Who's Watching You?

[Editor's Note: So, it turned out our last Link Dump was (1) hugely popular amongst my Better Half and her friends, so yay for that; and (b) our 150th post (fanfare, fanfare, fanfare . . . trumpets, trumpets, trumpets . . . fireworks . . . grand finale . . . thank you, you're all too kind). But seriously, for those of you who keep coming back week in and week out, I, The Chief, want to thank you for your support. We will keep doing this until (1) you all stop coming around, or (b) I run for political office. It could be a while.]

Finally getting that Kings preview up was like getting the proverbial "monkey off my back" in terms of new, hip, fresh material. I realized I was taking myself much too seriously. After all, it is not like I am trying to win a Pulitzer Prize or anything. So, with this post, it is important you are all in the proper frame of mind. Since it goes with the title, I strongly recommend you have the Geico commercial music playing in the background. This can be accomplished one of two ways: (1) you can let this YouTube video play continuously in the background (don't mistake it for the original please); or (b) you can download the song for free here and put it on repeat in your iTunes (it also makes for a nice song to add to your iPod when you workout at the gym . . . no, this iPost is not sponsored by Apple . . . but it could be . . . hey Apple, call me). I will give you a few moments to get everything ready . . .

. . .

Ready? Good; let us begin.

When the playoffs for any sport begin, you always here radio talk show hosts and television personalities talking about the league's "dream match-up". Take, for example, this year's Major League Baseball playoffs. Everybody knows the league was dying for a World Series in which the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the New York Yankees. This is because advertising is driven by viewership, and a Dodgers/Yankees World Series would all but guarantee huge ratings for MLB. It would have the two most storied teams facing off against each other; it would have the Torre, Mattingly, and Manny back to the Bronx storyline. Long story short, it was Bud Selig's wet dream (yeah, I went there). Unfortunately, they got Yankees/Phillies. I do not know about you, but as we head in to tonight's Game 6, I do not even think I have tuned into nine innings total of this year's Series; more to the point, most of the innings I have watched were at the gym. On Monday, I was on an elliptical machine (yes, that's 17 days in a row) right in front of a television showing the Game 5, yet there I was craning my neck to watch the Monday Night Football match-up of the Saints and Falcons. If I had not been trash talking with Q all throughout the playoffs (see, e.g., last week's Link Dump), I probably would not have even watched the six total innings of play that I have up to this point. In fact, I probably will not even know who won Game 6 until tomorrow. Anyone feel like calling me with a heads up?

Moving away from the national spotlight, the Los Angeles sports market is a whole different can of worms. Between sports, Hollywood, the beach, movie premieres, celebrity parties, etc., there is always something for the famous to do. The only way you know your team has arrived in the Los Angeles market is when the celebrities show up for your games. The Los Angeles Lakers are the obvious example. It does not matter what day of the week it is, or what time tip off is, the crowd is going to include quite the who's-who of celebrities. Whether it be Leonardo DiCaprio, Penny Marshall, Denzel Washington, Andy Garcia, Ice Cube, Anthony Kiedis, Dyan Cannon, or, most notably, Jack Nicholson, the crowd at Staples Center for Lakers' home games always has the seen and be seen feel to it. As much as it pains me to say it, the Lakers are the marque sports draw in Los Angeles.

Which brings me to my Kings. You can tell how the Kings season is going not necessarily by the number of people in attendance (the Kings have a very loyal and knowledgeable fan base . . . unlike the Coyotes who managed a paid attendance of 5,855 on Monday in their 5-3 loss to my boys in purple and black), but rather by which celebrities show up. During the Gretzky-era of the early 1990s, the Kings filled The Forum with just as many celebrities as the Lakers. Even during the reign of Murray I, there was a minor resurgence of the celebrity presence, but it really did not happen until later in the season once the Kings were playoff bound. But with the exception of those two time periods, it has generally been uncool for a celebrity to be caught at a Los Angeles Kings hockey game. After all, there are so many other places the rich and ditzy can be photographed by the paparazzi on your average Tuesday.

So here we are, fifteen games into the season, and things are looking good for my boys. They currently stand one point [Update: 3 points . . . stupid Nabokov and his shootout skills] out of first in the Pacific Division and fourth overall (because league leaders get top 3 seeds) in the Western Conference. They also have two players (Kopitar and Smyth) ranked in the top six in league scoring, only made more impressive by the fact that Anze Kopitar continues to lead the league in scoring (11 goals, 13 assists, 24 points). Additionally, Drew Doughty is showing no signs of a sophomore slump (3rd overall in defensive scoring and an increased physical presence) and rookie Davis Drewiske and second-year Wayne Simmonds are ranked in the top ten in the underrated plus/minus category (4th and 8th respectively). To say the least, it has been a team effort thus far. Hopefully they will continue to carry this effort throughout the entire season. They play the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night at home (yeah, I'll be there . . . will you?), which should be a nice test to see just how far they have come. Pittsburgh, after all, is the defending Stanley Cup champion and has yet to lose on the road this season (7-0-0).

So finally we arrive at my main question: who will be watching the Kings, not only on Thursday night versus one of the top teams in the league, but for the rest of the season? I was at the Kings/Blue Jackets game on October 25th (a 6-2 Kings win . . . did I mention they have the fourth most goals scored in the league?) and not only was the game not a sell out, but here are the celebrities I spotted in attendance: Jason Seaver (who looks suspiciously like Alan Thicke . . . and who had a television placed in front of him so he could watch Game 6 of the Angels/Yankees series . . . why even bother showing up Dr. Seaver? I'm sure Mike was off getting himself into trouble with Boner . . . hehehe); "that guy who plays the main werewolf in the Twilight series" (turns out his name is Taylor Lautner . . . if I don't know your name, you don't count as a celebrity); and the biggest celebrity in attendance, Taylor Swift. Really? An eighties' sit-com star, a teen-movie heartthrob, and an country singer? Look, I will admit Ms. Swift is certainly easy on the eyes (your Honor, the defense enters into evidence exhibits 1, 2, and 3), but she is hardly the A-list celebrity that announces a team has arrived here in Los Angeles. In fact, if I did not know better, I would think Mr. Werewolf Boy was simply trying to promote the next installment of the Twilight series and brought his girlfriend along with him, who just happened to be Taylor Swift. That would mean the only celebrity that chose to be there was that Alan Thicke lookalike, and he needed a television to watch a baseball game. This is unacceptable.

The Kings finally have the team I have been waiting for since I first started this blog (*checking date* . . . three years ago? really?) three years ago. This team has already shown they have come a long way and are a legitimate contender for not just a lower playoff seed, but rather one that may come with home ice at least for the first round. And that my friends, is why it is time for us to, once again, pack that building from wall-to-wall. This Kings team deserves to play in front of a sold-out Staples Center (for those of you scoring at home, that's 18,118 fans per game) ever time they take the ice. So I am calling on everyone, whether you are an average Joe or an A-, B-, or C-list (or Kathy Griffin and her D-list) celebrity: put down that grande half-caf skim mocha latte frappucino with an add shot and come support the Los Angeles Kings. There is plenty of room on the bandwagon, but you best be reserving your seats now (don't worry Ms. Swift [*googling Taylor Swift* . . . 19-years-old . . . phew], you can ride shotgun).