Happy 2011

Hope everyone's 2010 was as spectacular as mine.  I wish you all a festive evening and a Happy New Year!

Funny To Me

While watching television this afternoon while my wife and daughter nap, I suddenly found something chuckle-worthy and thought I would throw it up on here for anyone who might stumble along to this site.  I am viewing a History Channel program called "The Last Stand of the 300" about the famous battle of Thermopylae made famous a few years ago by the Gerard Butler-starring, Zach Snyder-directed film from the Frank Miller graphic novel.  What makes my situation so funny is my flip channel is old episodes of Tom and Jerry.
I go from an educational documentary on a famous battle where 300 Spartans faced off with Xerxes to an animated classic show about a violent stand-off between cat and mouse.  I found it funny.  I don't know about you.

A Vegas-Style Christmas

I won't exactly be spending Christmas in Las Vegas, but I will be spending the next four days there.  I, along with three of my friends, leave for Vegas today and I am getting really antsy about the trip.  Ever since last night I haven't been able to sleep and all I am thinking about is our plane leaving for Sin City.  It is going to be great.  Hopefully I will have some fun stories from our trip to share.

Top Five Christmas Movies

A person’s favorite Christmas movies is an unavoidable talking point at holiday parties every year.  Like the weather, local sports teams, “what is new with you,” people who hardly know one another at public social gatherings hit these hot topics because they have only so much they can talk about.  When the theme of the party is Christmas, your most liked holiday movies naturally get thrown into the rotation of compulsory questions.
Each year my answers were always the same, but this past summer I watched a Christmas classic that now is in my top five favorites.  After going to Grapevine’s Palace Arts Theatre to view Frank Capra’s 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life last night, I felt it necessary to throw up my favorite Christmas movies of all time.  One reason for the trip to Grapevine last night was because It’s a Wonderful Life is my most beloved of Christmas movies.  The superb acting, laugh-out-loud comedy, and heart-tugging drama make this a must watch, whether for Christmas or otherwise.  It is just a great film in general.  It is amazing that when initially released it was a financial failure.  However, thanks to numerous broadcasts at Christmas in the 1970s and 80s it has grown in popularity to become a staple of holiday viewing, right alongside A Christmas Story, which also makes the list.
Coming in second on my favorite holiday-themed films list is the Chevy Chase masterpiece National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  My favorite of the Lampoon Vacation movies is certainly the funniest of all Christmas movies, but Wonderful Life has it beat out as the emotional swings you go through in the James Stewart film is so much more poignant.
My next pick might be a controversial one for the elder generation as it is too new to be considered a classic, but it certainly will reach that status after another 15 years or so.  The film I speak of is Elf, the 2003 comedy starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, and Ed Asner.  Although the film is chock-full of the slapstick antics of Ferrell, at its core is a sentimental story where family, no matter how nutty they may be, comes first.  Elf has given the general public new quotes to exclaim during the holiday season, such as screaming out “I know that guy!” when someone mentions Santa Claus or calling a person a cotton headed ninny muggings as a insult, and it also reminds us that Christmas spirit is magical and contagious.
The fourth best Christmas movie is what was mentioned before that sees a 24-hour marathon on Christmas Day.  It is 1983’s A Christmas Story.  The memorable moments are too many to count, but some highlights include a kid sticking his tongue to a frozen pole, the Chinese carolers, female leg lampshade, secret society decoder ring, the Queen Mother of Dirty Words, and, of course, the Red Ryder BB gun.  Plus, my brother has always looked like Ralphie, so I felt a personal connection to the movie.
We come to the newest member of my Top 5 Christmas Movies list.  After a single viewing this past summer, the original 1947-version of Miracle on 34th Street, starring Maureen O’Hara, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn, has catapulted itself into the top echelon of Christmas movies for me.  Like It’s a Wonderful Life, this movie isn’t just a great Christmas movie, but a fine film by itself that can be viewed at any time during the year without the need of the holiday as reason enough.  However, unlike It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street was a financial and critical success, winning three Academy Awards for supporting actor and writing and being nominated for Best Picture, but ultimately losing.  This season, I suggest picking one of these top five Christmas movies and sharing them with your family.  Start a tradition of watching a Christmas movie with your kids every year and choose a new film each season.

Super Bowl Loser Curse Is Real

With the Dallas Cowboys set to play a struggling and injury-laden Indianapolis Colts team this weekend, I was curious about the myth of a Super Bowl Hangover, also called a curse, for the losing team of the previous NFL season’s Championship Game. It is a no-brainer that the Colts have problems and are looking for any way possible to get back in the playoffs this year while currently having the same record as the 6-5 Jacksonville Jaguars. Yet, is there really a curse to blame for this. History seems to back that theory up.
As of the end of the 2009 season with 43 Super Bowl losers declared, there have been 14 teams to lose the Big Game and not make the playoffs the next year. However, of the 14 losing teams, nine of those have come in the past 16 years since the salary cap was introduced in 1994. Those teams include 1994 Buffalo Bills (who were coming off their fourth Super Bowl loss in a row), 1999 Atlanta Falcons, 2001 New York Jets, 2002 St. Louis Rams, 2003 Oakland Raiders, 2004 Carolina Panthers, 2005 Philadelphia Eagles, 2007 Chicago Bears, and 2008 New England Patriots. Only the 2008 Patriots team was able to post a winning record the next season at 11-5, and that was even after quarterback Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in the first quarter of the first game.
Among the seven teams to lose the Super Bowl one year and manage to make the playoffs the next, none of those teams made it past the divisional round of the post-season.
It seems that should you want to make a bet on whether the loser of the Super Bowl makes an appearance in the playoffs the following year you have a little better than 50-50 on that happening. Find a sucker to take the bet and give yourself some odds. It wouldn’t be hard to do. Say something like, “Come on! This team made the Super Bowl. As long as they bring back the core group then it should be easy for them to make the playoffs.” Take some odds and count the money as it rolls in at the end of the regular season when that team fails to clinch a spot in the tournament.

It's A Boy!

Title says it all.  Joanna and I found out last week we are going to have a son.  We aren't 100 percent sure about what the name will be just yet, but we are leaning toward Jackson for the first name.
Joanna said finding out the sex of the child has made her pregnancy much more real and she feels that calling the child "he" instead of "it" has been a great help also personalizing her pregnancy.  I'm just happy to have a boy.  I have always wanted a son ever since I was a little kid myself.  Of course, I can't imagine that I would love Emery any more even if she were a boy.

Happy Thanksgiving

This really shouldn't be posted until tomorrow, but I will be busy putting up our Christmas decorations and cleaning the house for the in-laws visit on Saturday.  So here it is now.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Christmas Came Early For Cook Household

My amazing mother took Joanna and me shopping last night for a new television and we got a 46-inch Samsung LCD that looks glorious in our living room. After making sure I had all the hookups right and wires in the correct spot we popped in a test movie to check out the quality. Of course it was a Bond movie and so the first thing to be tested on our new TV was Quantum of Solace.
While I am not one of those that wants my family’s focus to be set around a television set, this certainly is a great thing to have in the house and I can’t wait to get some movie watching going on it.
Another thank you goes out to my mom for the gift and letting us take it home early.

Garrett Top Gets First Win

The Jason Garrett experiment went very well for the Dallas Cowboys after his first week of head coaching.  While I don't necessarily think a dress code and being on time for meetings as Valley Ranch is the sole reason for the team's success, it certainly gives them more structure and discipline that was in existence under Wade Phillips.  I am just glad to see the Cowboys get back to winning and hopefully this sparks something in them that keeps going for the rest of the season.  Like I told Danny on Sunday, it is like a new eight-game season has begun and right now the Cowboys are 1-0.

Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips Fired

YES!!!!!

Bond Series Back On Track

Anyone who knows me is aware of my affinity for film. And those who know that probably know my favorite series is the James Bond movies. It is a guilty pleasure of mine and the 22 films released through the Broccoli/Saltzman group are ones I can watch again and again. So I recently received some great news regarding the 007 series as it has recently been in limbo due to financial concerns for MGM.
Following a Manhattan federal bankruptcy court judge’s ruling yesterday, MGM 30 days to seek final approval of its reorganization plan. The former movie making giant has been the financier and distributor of the film series, despite EON Productions owning the rights.
The courtroom hearing scene comes a day after MGM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to a report from unofficial James Bond website mi6.co.uk, the company’s prepackaged plan proposes to eliminate $5 billion in debt by converting a loan through JPMorgan into the new stock in the reorganized company. Spyglass Entertainment chiefs will be overseeing MGM with a holding of less than 1% of the new company once it crawls out of its bankruptcy woes.
The good news for me in all of this is that the 23rd James Bond film is slated to open in November of 2012, with additional adventures for the English spy to continue every two years after that. I did not become a fan of the series until my senior year in high school, so I was not on the regular schedule of two years in between films like it was in the late 60s, 70s and early 80s.
Mi6.co.uk said, “Two potential suitors for Bond 23 financing and distribution are Paramount and Sony. Sony distributed the last two James Bond outings under the agreement reached when the company was part of the consortium that took over MGM in 2005. Sony have made it public that they would love to be involved again, but it looks like a bidding war between rival distributors will be taking place before Bond 23 is officially green-lit.”
Along with the Bond franchise, MGM’s assets include a half interest in “The Hobbit” films, its name and logo, the United Artists operations, and a library with more than 4,000 titles.
2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the EON Productions series of James Bond films.

Keep Your Heads Held High Metroplexians

As disappointing and gut-wrenching as it was to watch the Texas Rangers lose Game 5 of the World Series last night, it was still a fantastic season that had many firsts for the ball club.  Although the ultimate goal every season is to win a championship in whatever sport, I consider this year's Texas Ranger's season a success and can't wait for the developments with Cliff Lee's free agency and the other moves the Rangers will have to make in the offseason to keep this organization together.

Joe Buck's 'The Jerk' Reference

Watching the San Francisco Giants wallop on the Texas Rangers last night in Game 1 of the World Series, Joe Buck made me laugh hysterically as he referenced Steve Martin's 1979 film "The Jerk." It was during a long at-bat by one of the Giants players who kept fouling the ball back to the camera behind home plate.  After two or three of these balls came near the equipment set up to film the action, Buck uttered, "He hates these cameras." This could easily be taken as nothing more than a statement made off the cuff and Buck was not thinking of Martin's first starring film role as an idiotic white man raised by a black family, but it was just too similar to the famous line, "He hates these cans," to not be an out-and-out reference.  I already liked Buck before as an announcer, but now I love him.  Greatness!

I Love Midlothian

Just finished playing three-man baseball with two kids from the neighborhood in my back yard.  I saw them playing in the next door neighbor's front yard when I got home from work and got the baseball bug.  I asked if they would like to add a third and when they said they were cool with it I told them to ask their parents and make sure it was okay.  We got the good to go and were using ghost runners and patio furniture bases.
First of all, in a larger community you wouldn't see kids playing outside, let alone being welcome to an adult tagging along.  Secondly, it would be frowned upon by the jaded parents of big city families who would think my longing for a kid-like afternoon of America's pasttime was some sort of pedophile ploy.
Every day that passes I find some new reason to love Midlothian more and more.

Looking Back On 'A Legend Is Born'

What with tonight being the start of a new season for both the NFL and fantasy football geeks like myself, I decided to look back on a 10-man, 23-player-per-team league I took part in last year.

While drafting is probably the most fun part of a fantasy football league for most participants, it is only one aspect of managing a team for an entire season. A championship-caliber owner doesn’t just have to draft well, but he (or she) must make smart trades, know who to sit and start each week, and decide when it is the right time to drop or add a player. With such deep rosters in the league I am in, called “A Legend is Born,” the draft is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly because you must decide who the top 200 skill position players, 20 kickers and 20 defenses are going to be that year, as well as knowing the average draft position of said players and likely spot where they will be chosen at in this particular draft.

Drafts can go great for a team and result in a bench full of star-studded talent, but smart moves and luck must be in one’s corner to have a successful year as well. Take a look at my initial roster from 2009 and it is clear I was one of the teams who did not have a successful draft day. However, Brett Favre came out of retirement soon after our draft and I picked up the future hall-of-famer off the waiver wire for a glorious 453.08 points in the season. He outscored my second drafted quarterback Jake Delhomme by 302.48 points. Favre single-handedly saved my season and helped secure a third place finish for me. So what I am trying to say is that drafting is not everything in this game, but it certainly is something, and it is something we are going to break down and dissect to the smallest detail like a Cowboys preseason loss.

The following are the 10 teams who participated last year, the place they finished (with the difference between ninth and tenth place not available) and the players they selected with the total points scored in 2009. I have listed the players in order of their selection, so the first player on the team is the guy who was selected in round one, second guy is from round two, and so on and so forth. I also listed the teams in order of their draft pick, so Biscuits selected first in the draft and American Autopickers chose tenth.

Following the list, I will break down some trends that I noticed with certain teams.

Biscuits: 4th place

Adrian Peterson – 333.9

Clinton Portis – 77.1

Steve Slaton – 164.4

Jason Witten – 222

Antonio Gates – 255.7

LenDale White – 36.6

Vincent Jackson – 265.8

Jerricho Cotchery – 183.67

Kevin Walter – 128.7

David Garrard – 344.18

Baltimore Defense – 239

Joe Flacco – 340.62

NY Jets Defense – 281

David Akers – 166

Ryan Longwell – 155

Sammy Morris – 78.9

Ricky Williams – 259.5

Mark Bradley – 79.74

Visanthe Shiancoe – 178.6

Earl Bennett – 157.91

Shaun Hill – 84.22

Joe Nedney – 104

Buffalo Defense – 202

Total – 4,338.54

The Hardliners:

Michael Turner – 171.6

Brandon Jacobs – 153.9

Steve Smith (Car) – 219.4

Terrell Owens – 191.3

Thomas Jones – 270

Braylon Edwards – 140

Chad Ochocinco – 238.9

Carson Palmer – 327.06

Bernard Berrian – 141.67

Dustin Keller – 109.9

Kyle Orton – 369.18

Marc Bulger – 122.96

Jason Campbell – 348.82

Seattle Defense – 126

Fred Jackson – 323.08

Arizona Defense – 212

Nate Burleson – 181.68

Justin Fargas – 95.4

Tony Scheffler – 87.6

Matt Prater – 148

Keenan Burton – 50.3

Washington Defense - 153

Olindo Mare – 119

Total – 4,300.75

Convicts: 1st place

Maurice Jones-Drew – 350.57

Chris Johnson – 452.9

Reggie Wayne – 307.4

Philip Rivers – 430.66

T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 196.1

Dallas Clark – 286.7

Santana Moss – 187.47

DeSean Jackson – 319.8

Lance Moore – 41.3

Eli Manning – 376.84

Minnesota Defense – 212

Devin Hester – 177.46

New England Defense – 202

Chester Taylor – 128.7

Mason Crosby – 145

Tim Hightower – 211.6

Vernon Davis – 261.5

Hakeem Nicks – 169.87

Laurence Maroney – 167.2

Neil Rackers – 101

Fred Taylor – 55.6

Chase Coffman – 0

Juaquin Iglesias – 0

Total – 4,781.67

Slumdog Millionaire: 2nd place

Matt Forte – 226

Frank Gore – 306.6

Marion Barber – 182.3

Brandon Marshall – 294.9

Eddie Royal – 162.36

Anthony Gonzalez – 0

Matt Schaub – 500.5

Knowshon Moreno – 190

Percy Harvin – 300.57

Matt Hasselbeck – 281.56

Derrick Mason – 228

LeSean McCoy – 158.5

Daunte Culpepper – In UFL (no score available)

Ray Rice – 343.1

Jamal Lewis – Not in league (no score available)

Kevin Curtis – Not in league (no score available)

Chris Henry – Died during season (no score available)

Garrett Hartley – 38

Robbie Gould – 131

Jacksonville Defense – 63

Houston Defense – 169

Brandon Pettigrew – 76.6

Matthew Stafford – 213.98

Total – 3,865.97 (missing four scores)

Shockers: 7th place

Drew Brees – 496.92

Calvin Johnson – 211.7

Roddy White – 287.5

Wes Welker – 345.91

Tony Gonzalez – 205.7

Derrick Ward – 93.9

Matt Ryan – 299.04

Willie Parker – 55.3

Rashard Mendenhall – 221.43

Jeremy Shockey – 125.9

Chad Pennington – 32.72

Miami Defense – 145

Deion Branch – 99.9

Tampa Bay Defense – 137

Nick Folk – 105

Earnest Graham – 34.03

Heath Miller – 193.9

Josh Brown – 107.94

Atlanta Defense – 171

Correll Buckhalter – 139.46

Kerry Collins – 114

Oakland Defense – 108

Jamaal Charles – 330.37

Total – 4,061.62

Catfish Stunter: 5th place

Larry Fitzgerald – 297.2

Randy Moss – 314.4

Anquan Boldin – 222.6

Aaron Rodgers – 494.96

Darren McFadden – 81.2

Darren Sproles – 304.88

Jay Cutler – 373.94

Leon Washington – 88.93

Greg Olsen – 169.2

Pittsburgh Defense – 199

Jerious Norwood – 69.4

Donald Brown – 75.4

Ahmad Bradshaw – 167.17

Ted Ginn Jr. – 209.46

Green Bay Defense – 252

Jeremy Maclin – 171.78

Mark Sanchez – 204.36

Josh Morgan – 153.27

Johnnie Lee Higgins – 57.2

Kevin Faulk – 130.27

Lawrence Tynes – 144

Shayne Graham – 111

Sage Rosenfels – 0

Total – 4,291.62

Hundred Dollar Baby:

Andre Johnson – 354.9

Kurt Warner – 372.62

Dwayne Bowe – 132.9

Tony Romo – 449.32

Reggie Bush – 172.16

Larry Johnson – 82.1

Felix Jones – 161.59

Chris Cooley – 74.2

Matt Cassel – 260.36

Laveranues Coles – 126.33

Dallas Defense – 227

Steve Breaston – 163.47

Michael Crabtree – 120.5

Cedric Benson – 211.2

Le’Ron McClain – 66.25

Brady Quinn – 136.16

Indianapolis Defense – 176

Steve Smith (NYG) – 280

Matt Bryant – 38

Isaac Bruce – 46.6

Davone Bess – 175.82

Adam Vinatieri – 39

Darrius Heyward-Bey – 39

Total – 3,905.48

Chinese Cats: 8th place

DeAngelo Williams – 223.9

Steven Jackson – 265.8

Pierre Thomas – 198.77

Kevin Smith – 189.2

Antonio Bryant – 126

Donovan McNabb – 351.72

Hines Ward – 264.7

Donnie Avery – 136.17

Torry Holt – 124.2

John Carlson – 150.4

Tennessee Defense – 150

Trent Edwards – 99.36

San Diego Defense – 183

Kris Brown – 113

John Kasay – 116

Shonn Greene – 63

Chris Chambers – 154

Miles Austin – 321.26

Nate Washington – 141.4

Kevin Boss – 130.3

Rian Lindell – 132

Tyler Thigpen – 5.62

Cleveland Defense – 137

Total – 3,776.8

Moby D: 3rd place

Brian Westbrook – 82.5

LaDainian Tomlinson – 176.4

Greg Jennings – 222.3

Ryan Grant – 243

Joseph Addai – 248.78

Roy Williams – 140.6

Santonio Holmes – 245.8

Lee Evans – 147.2

Kellen Winslow – 202.1

Ben Roethlisberger – 426.82

Philadelphia Defense – 241

Jake Delhomme – 150.6

Carolina Defense – 222

Rob Bironas – 155

Jason Elam – Retired (no score available)

Willis McGahee – 166.9

Muhsin Muhammad – Retired (no score available)

T.J. Duckett – Released after season (no score available)

Brian Robiskie – 17.6

Brent Celek – 230.1

Pat White – 7.1

Jeff Reed – 143

Cincinnati Defense – 206

Total – 3,674.8 (missing three scores)

America’s Autopickers: 6th place

Tom Brady – 476.82

Peyton Manning – 500.2

Marques Colston – 238.4

Ronnie Brown – 145.48

Marshawn Lynch – 100.9

Jonathan Stewart – 232.33

Beanie Wells – 146.6

Owen Daniels – 124.9

Zach Miller (Oak) – 170.55

NY Giants Defense – 122

Chicago Defense – 137

Donald Driver – 221.4

Domenik Hixon – 179.83

Stephen Gostkowski – 152

Nate Kaeding – 167

Julius Jones – 151.5

Michael Jenkins – 119.5

Mark Clayton – 98.3

Anthony Fasano – 72.9

Sidney Rice – 285.2

JaMarcus Russell – 60.88

Phil Dawson – 82.9

San Francisco Defense – 273

Total – 4,259.59

The lowest total scored by drafted players was my own team, Moby D, at 3,674.8 points. However, I am lacking three players’ scores, so if you discount that then the lowest team with a full roster of scores would be Chinese Cats, who finished eighth with 3,776.8 points. Surely my three unknown scores would have equated to more than 102 points so that I didn’t finish with the worst draft. Right?

The highest scoring drafted team was first place Convicts at 4,781.67. A solid draft and keeping 14 of those original 23 players helped Convicts secure the championship in 2009, especially when those 14 players included Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Reggie Wayne, DeSean Jackson, and Dallas Clark, and the average seasonal score of the Fabulous 14 was 268.84 points. It didn’t even hurt that his final two picks of the draft combined for a total of 0 points.

Something that has no pattern whatsoever but is fun to know, the two teams to keep the most players from their draft throughout the entire season were Shockers and The Hardliners with 16 of its original players, finishing seventh and either ninth or last.

Second place Slumdog Millionaire kept the least amount of its original drafted team, ending the season with only seven of his original players. You might think the pattern of keeping more of your original drafted players leads to a losing record, but Convicts kept his Fabulous 14 and won the league, so there goes that theory.

But Matt, what do all of these players and their point totals look like in context of the actual draft that took place a year ago? Well reader, I’m glad you asked, because below is the draft order round by round with all the teams, the players who were taken and their points. I will do a brief summary of the round giving my take of who got the most valuable pick and who got fleeced.

Keep in mind that just because you selected the player with the most points in a specific round doesn’t necessarily mean you had the best pick. This doesn’t take into account the players who were selected too early for where they could have gone had you waited a round or two (or three in some cases).

Round 1

Biscuits – Adrian Peterson – 333.9

The Hardliners – Michael Turner – 171.6

Convicts – Maurice Jones-Drew – 350.57

Slumdog Millionaire – Matt Forte – 226

Shockers – Drew Brees – 496.92

Catfish Stunter – Larry Fitzgerald – 297.2

Hundred Dollar Baby – Andre Johnson – 354.9

Chinese Cats – DeAngelo Williams – 223.9

Moby D – Brian Westbrook – 82.5

America’s Autopickers – Tom Brady – 476.82

Most Valuable Pick: Quarterbacks are certainly valuable in this league and taking Drew Brees with the fifth pick of the draft might not have been a bad idea for Shockers considering the point totals among some of the other players in round one.

Biggest Sucker: Without question that would be me. I took a chance on the main back in Philadelphia ignoring the signs of wear-and-tear on the man and I paid dearly for it.

Round 2

America’s Autopickers – Peyton Manning – 500.2

Moby D – LaDainian Tomlinson – 176.4

Chinese Cats – Steven Jackson – 265.8

Hundred Dollar Baby – Kurt Warner – 372.62

Catfish Stunter – Randy Moss – 314.4

Shockers – Calvin Johnson – 211.7

Slumdog Millionaire – Frank Gore – 306.6

Convicts – Chris Johnson – 452.9

The Hardliners – Brandon Jacobs – 153.9

Biscuits – Clinton Portis – 77.1

Most Valuable Pick: I know I just said in the previous round that quarterbacks were valuable in this league and taking Drew Brees was not a poor decision, but taking back-to-back quarterbacks like America’s Autopickers did I do not condone. He could have had his elite tier-one QB in Brady (or Manning since he had back-to-back selections and it wouldn’t have mattered) and then gone for one of the premier wide receivers or running backs that was still available at the time. But Manning certainly was the most valuable pick here.

Biggest Sucker: Biscuits may have had the no-brainer selection with the first pick of Adrian Peterson, but when it came time for him to actually choose for himself he did not produce. Portis, like my Westbrook selection in the previous round, was a gamble on an aging running back (sad when 28 years old is considered on the decline) and it didn’t pay off.

Round 3

Biscuits – Steve Slaton – 164.4

The Hardliners – Steve Smith (Car) – 219.4

Convicts – Reggie Wayne – 307.4

Slumdog Millionaire – Marion Barber – 182.3

Shockers – Roddy White – 287.5

Catfish Stunter – Anquan Boldin – 222.6

Hundred Dollar Baby – Dwayne Bowe – 132.9

Chinese Cats – Pierre Thomas – 198.77

Moby D – Greg Jennings – 222.3

America’s Autopickers – Marques Colston – 238.4

Most Valuable Pick: Convicts landed a great wide receiver who week-in and week-out gave him valuable points.

Biggest Sucker: Biscuits followed up his flop of a second-round pick with another bust. At this point, Biscuits had three running backs, two of which wouldn’t hit 175 for the season.

Round 4

America’s Autopickers – Ronnie Brown – 145.48

Moby D – Ryan Grant – 243

Chinese Cats – Kevin Smith – 189.2

Hundred Dollar Baby – Tony Romo – 449.32

Catfish Stunter – Aaron Rodgers – 494.96

Shockers – Wes Welker – 345.91

Slumdog Millionaire – Brandon Marshall – 294.9

Convicts – Philip Rivers – 430.66

The Hardliners – Terrell Owens – 191.3

Biscuits – Jason Witten – 222

Most Valuable Pick: With the top two quarterbacks and Tom Brady (bouncing back from surgery had many questioning his productivity that year) off the board, it was time for a rush on the next tier of QBs. Catfish Stunter landed the top thrower in round four.

Biggest Sucker: Since injury is something no one can predict, America’s Autopickers selection of Ronnie Brown wasn’t necessarily a “sucker pick,” but he certainly had the worst value in the round.

Round 5

Biscuits – Antonio Gates – 255.7

The Hardliners – Thomas Jones – 270

Convicts – T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 196.1

Slumdog Millionaire – Eddie Royal – 162.36

Shockers – Tony Gonzalez – 205.7

Catfish Stunter – Darren McFadden – 81.2

Hundred Dollar Baby – Reggie Bush – 172.16

Chinese Cats – Antonio Bryant – 126

Moby D – Joseph Addai – 248.78

America’s Autopickers – Marshawn Lynch – 100.9

Most Valuable Pick: The Hardliners made a good selection with Thomas Jones.

Biggest Sucker: Catfish Stunter cannot say the same about Darren McFadden.

Round 6

America’s Autopickers – Jonathan Stewart – 232.33

Moby D – Roy Williams – 140.6

Chinese Cats – Donovan McNabb – 351.72

Hundred Dollar Baby – Larry Johnson – 82.1

Catfish Stunter – Darren Sproles – 304.88

Shockers – Derrick Ward – 93.9

Slumdog Millionaire – Anthony Gonzalez – 0

Convicts – Dallas Clark – 286.7

The Hardliners – Braylon Edwards – 140

Biscuits – LenDale White – 36.6

Most Valuable Pick: Although Donovan McNabb scored the most points in this particular round, it is probably Catfish Stunter who gets the nod for best pick in Darren Sproles. Although, he maybe could have had him a round later and gotten even better value out of him, but who knows at this point.

Biggest Sucker: The zero points for Anthony Gonzalez was definitely the worst thing in this round, but because he should have been a solid pick in round six I will instead give Hundred Dollar Baby and Biscuits the tie because they should have known what they were getting into with Larry “My Best is Behind Me” Johnson and LenDale “I Get to Build a New Me” White.

Round 7

Biscuits – Vincent Jackson – 265.8

The Hardliners – Chad Ochocinco – 238.9

Convicts – Santana Moss – 187.47

Slumdog Millionaire – Matt Schaub – 500.5

Shockers – Matt Ryan – 299.04

Catfish Stunter – Jay Cutler – 373.94

Hundred Dollar Baby – Felix Jones – 161.59

Chinese Cats – Hines Ward – 264.7

Moby D – Santonio Holmes – 245.8

America’s Autopickers – Beanie Wells – 146.6

Most Valuable Pick: Amazing value out of Matt Schaub at this point in the draft. Bravo Slumdog Millionaire.

Biggest Sucker: Here is the first group of picks that didn’t have a season-ending injury to completely skew the numbers. So America’s Autopickers loses out with Beanie Wells.

Round 8

America’s Autopickers – Owen Daniels – 124.9

Moby D – Lee Evans – 147.2

Chinese Cats – Donnie Avery – 136.17

Hundred Dollar Baby – Chris Cooley – 74.2

Catfish Stunter – Leon Washington – 88.93

Shockers – Willie Parker – 55.3

Slumdog Millionaire – Knowshon Moreno – 190

Convicts – DeSean Jackson – 319.8

The Hardliners – Carson Palmer – 327.06

Biscuits – Jerricho Cotchery – 183.67

Most Valuable Pick: The only two shining picks in this round were DeSean Jackson (a steal) and Carson Palmer (about normal for a quarterback of his caliber). So the applause goes to Convicts.

Biggest Sucker: Shockers and Hundred Dollar Baby both missed in this round.

Round 9

Biscuits – Kevin Walter – 128.7

The Hardliners – Bernard Berrian – 141.67

Convicts – Lance Moore – 41.3

Slumdog Millionaire – Percy Harvin – 300.57

Shockers – Rashard Mendenhall – 221.43

Catfish Stunter – Greg Olsen – 169.2

Hundred Dollar Baby – Matt Cassel – 260.36

Chinese Cats – Torry Holt – 124.2

Moby D – Kellen Winslow – 202.1

America’s Autopickers – Zach Miller (Oak) – 170.55

Most Valuable Pick: Thanks to Brett Favre’s return, Slumdog Millionaire hit the jackpot. Without Favre this round would have sadly gone to Hundred Dollar Baby for Matt Cassel. Certainly a down round.

Biggest Sucker: With so many touchdowns thrown to multiple receivers, it is amazing Convicts didn’t get at least a little love with the New Orleans pass catcher.

Round 10

America’s Autpickers – NY Giants Defense – 122

Moby D – Ben Roethlisberger – 426.82

Chinese Cats – John Carlson – 150.4

Hundred Dollar Baby – Laveranues Coles – 126.33

Catfish Stunter – Pittsburgh Defense – 199

Shockers – Jeremy Shockey – 125.9

Slumdog Millionaire – Matt Hasselbeck – 281.56

Convicts – Eli Manning – 376.84

The Hardliners – Dustin Keller – 109.9

Biscuits – David Garrard – 344.18

Most Valuable Pick: There is no question that quarterbacks are valuable in this league when a spare like David Garrard can throw up 344 points and be a viable option each week. But I finally hit pay dirt with Ben “The Accused Rapist” Roethlisberger. Thanks for waiting until this year to get caught buddy.

Biggest Sucker: The Hardliners technically is the pick for this round, but what do you really expect from Dustin Keller. I could argue America’s Autopickers gets the award for taking the first defense off the board and it couldn’t crack 125 (the league average was 185).

Round 11

Biscuits – Baltimore Defense – 239

The Hardliners – Kyle Orton – 369.18

Convicts – Minnesota Defense – 212

Slumdog Millionaire – Derrick Mason – 228

Shockers – Chad Pennington – 32.72

Catfish Stunter – Jerious Norwood – 69.4

Hundred Dollar Baby – Dallas Defense – 227

Chinese Cats – Tennessee Defense – 150

Moby D – Philadelphia Defense – 241

America’s Autopickers – Chicago Defense – 137

Most Valuable Pick: Surprise, it’s another quarterback. The Hardliners gets props for selecting a QB in round 11 that got the same point total as one taken five round earlier.

Biggest Sucker: Shockers and Catfish Stunter get a pass here because America’s Autopickers follows up his crappy defensive selection with another crappy defensive selection.

Round 12

America’s Autopickers – Donald Driver – 221.4

Moby D – Jake Delhomme – 150.6

Chinese Cats – Trent Edwards – 99.36

Hundred Dollar Baby – Steve Breaston – 163.47

Catfish Stunter – Donald Brown – 75.4

Shockers – Miami Defense – 145

Slumdog Millionaire – LeSean McCoy – 158.5

Convicts – Devin Hester – 177.46

The Hardliners – Marc Bulger – 122.96

Biscuits – Joe Flacco – 340.62

Most Valuable Pick: America’s Autopickers redeems himself with the Donald Driver pick, but it is Biscuits that scores best with the Joe Flacco pickup.

Biggest Sucker: I’m giving this one to Chinese Cats for the Trent Edwards selection, because although Donald Brown scored fewer points, he was given much less of an opportunity to shine.

Round 13

Biscuits – NY Jets Defense – 281

The Hardliners – Jason Campbell – 348.82

Convicts – New England Defense – 202

Slumdog Millionaire – Daunte Culpepper – N/A

Shockers – Deion Branch – 99.9

Catfish Stunter – Ahmad Bradshaw – 167.17

Hundred Dollar Baby – Michael Crabtree – 120.5

Chinese Cats – San Diego Defense – 183

Moby D – Carolina Defense – 222

America’s Autopickers – Domenik Hixon – 179.83

Most Valuable Pick: Another solid QB performance found in the thirteenth round. Great selection from The Hardliners.

Biggest Sucker: Without knowing Culpepper’s final numbers, I am going to give this one to Shockers. However, I think Hundred Dollar Baby might deserve it more. That might be surprising considering Deion Branch scored less points than Crabtree and the 49er receiver’s points came in only the second half of the season due to a holdout, but Hundred Dollar Baby gets the honorable mention nod because he let Crabtree sit on his bench all season long and then traded him only days prior to him actually playing. While that is an in-season move that shouldn’t reflect the draft selecting awards, I have to mention it for wasting the roster spot.

Round 14

America’s Autopickers – Stephen Gostkowski – 152

Moby D – Rob Bironas – 155

Chinese Cats – Kris Brown – 113

Hundred Dollar Baby – Cedric Benson – 211.2

Catfish Stunter – Ted Ginn Jr. – 209.46

Shockers – Tampa Bay Defense – 137

Slumdog Millionaire – Ray Rice – 343.1

Convicts – Chester Taylor – 128.7

The Hardliners – Seattle Defense – 126

Biscuits – David Akers – 166

Most Valuable Pick: For picking up the guy in round 14 who this year is going somewhere between third and fifth overall, this one is most certainly a Slumdog Millionaire vote.

Biggest Sucker: There really isn’t a clear cut loser here. It is mostly defense and kicker selections. Hundred Dollar Baby and Catfish Stunter avoid being in this group with their solid selections.

Round 15

Biscuits – Ryan Longwell – 155

The Hardliners – Fred Jackson – 323.08

Convicts – Mason Crosby – 145

Slumdog Millionaire – Jamal Lewis – N/A

Shockers – Nick Folk – 105

Catfish Stunter – Green Bay Defense – 252

Hundred Dollar Baby – Le’Ron McClain – 66.25

Chinese Cats – John Kasay – 116

Moby D – Jason Elam – N/A

America’s Autopickers – Nate Kaeding – 167

Most Valuable Pick: Way to go Hardliners for picking a running back in the fifteenth round that could have the same value as one in the first or second round.

Biggest Sucker: With no score for Jamal Lewis or Jason Elam, I have to give this one to Hundred Dollar Baby.

Round 16

America’s Autopickers – Julius Jones – 151.5

Moby D – Willis McGahee – 166.9

Chinese Cats – Shonn Greene – 63

Hundred Dollar Baby – Brady Quinn – 136.16

Catfish Stunter – Jeremy Maclin – 171.78

Shockers – Earnest Graham – 34.03

Slumdog Millionaire – Kevin Curtis – N/A

Convicts – Tim Hightower – 211.6

The Hardliners – Arizona Defense – 212

Biscuits – Sammy Morris – 78.9

Most Valuable Pick: Convicts and The Hardliners win this round with their selections that netted more than 200 points each while everyone else was ranging from 30-170.

Biggest Sucker: Shockers and Chinese Cats both whiffed on their running backs in round 16.

Round 17

Biscuits – Ricky Williams – 259.5

The Hardliners – Nate Burleson – 181.68

Convicts – Vernon Davis – 261.5

Slumdog Millionaire – Chris Henry – N/A

Shockers – Heath Miller – 193.9

Catfish Stunter – Mark Sanchez – 204.36

Hundred Dollar Baby – Indianapolis Defense – 176

Chinese Cats – Chris Chambers – 154

Moby D – Muhsin Muhammad – N/A

America’s Autopickers – Michael Jenkins – 119.5

Most Valuable Pick: Biscuits and Convicts tied with their selections. Both got great value in this round.

Biggest Sucker: Since a player dying is not foreseeable, Slumdog Millionaire gets immunity. America’s Autopickers might get the vote for Michael Jenkins, but even without knowing his final score, I think I might deserve it for Muhsin Muhammad.

Round 18

America’s Autopickers – Mark Clayton – 98.3

Moby D – T.J. Duckett – N/A

Chinese Cats – Miles Austin – 321.26

Hundred Dollar Baby – Steve Smith (NYG) – 280

Catfish Stunter – Josh Morgan – 153.27

Shockers – Josh Brown – 107.94

Slumdog Millionaire – Garrett Hartley – 38

Convicts – Hakeem Nicks – 169.87

The Hardliners – Justin Fargas – 95.4

Biscuits – Mark Bradley – 79.74

Most Valuable Pick: Chinese Cats should be thanking Roy Williams for his injury. Otherwise he and every other Cowboy fan out there would not know the true greatness that is Miles Austin.

Biggest Sucker: Even for a kicker 38 points is terrible. Slumdog Millionaire wins (loses?) this round.

Round 19

Biscuits – Visanthe Shiancoe – 178.6

The Hardliners – Tony Scheffler – 87.6

Convicts – Laurence Maroney – 167.2

Slumdog Millionaire – Robbie Gould – 131

Shockers – Atlanta Defense – 171

Catfish Stunter – Johnnie Lee Higgins – 57.2

Hundred Dollar Baby – Matt Bryant – 38

Chinese Cats – Nate Washington – 141.4

Moby D – Brian Robiskie – 17.6

America’s Autopickers – Anthony Fasano – 72.9

Most Valuable Pick: Another benefactor of Favre’s un-retirement, Biscuits hit it big with a nineteenth round tight end.

Biggest Sucker: Without a doubt I am the culprit with a 17.6 point selection, but another 30-something total from a kicker gets Hundred Dollar Baby put in a corner (Wait, wrong movie reference).

Round 20

America’s Autopickers – Sidney Rice – 285.2

Moby D – Brent Celek – 230.1

Chinese Cats – Kevin Boss – 130.3

Hundred Dollar Baby – Isaac Bruce – 46.6

Catfish Stunter – Kevin Faulk – 130.27

Shockers – Correll Buckhalter – 139.46

Slumdog Millionaire – Jacksonville Defense – 63

Convicts – Neil Rackers – 101

The Hardliners – Matt Prater – 148

Biscuits – Earl Bennett – 157.91

Most Valuable Pick: For the second round in a row, a Favre clinger-oner has great value late in the draft. Way to autopick America’s Autopickers.

Biggest Sucker: Two poor selections in a row for Hundred Dollar Baby. Maybe you should have just pulled the plug and ended your misery (Aha! I knew I would come around to the right movie).

Round 21

Biscuits – Shaun Hill – 84.22

The Hardliners – Keenan Burton – 50.3

Convicts – Fred Taylor – 55.6

Slumdog Millionaire – Houston Defense – 169

Shockers – Kerry Collins – 114

Catfish Stunter – Lawrence Tynes – 144

Hundred Dollar Baby – Davone Bess – 175.82

Chinese Cats – Rian Lindell – 132

Moby D – Pat White – 7.1

America’s Autopickers – JaMarcus Russell – 60.88

Most Valuable Pick: Hundred Dollar Baby redeems himself with this round’s selection. Way to turn it around.

Biggest Sucker: A whopping 7.1 points is going to get me to the winner’s circle on this one. I happily dropped Pat White once Favre said he was a go.

Round 22

America’s Autopickers – Phil Dawson – 82.9

Moby D – Jeff Reed – 143

Chinese Cats – Tyler Thigpen – 5.62

Hundred Dollar Baby – Adam Vinatieri – 39

Catfish Stunter – Shayne Graham – 111

Shockers – Oakland Defense – 108

Slumdog Millionaire – Brandon Pettigrew – 76.6

Convicts – Chase Coffman – 0

The Hardliners – Washington Defense – 153

Biscuits – Joe Nedney – 104

Most Valuable Pick: Nothing really jumps out as the two best picks were a kicker and defense, but I guess The Hardliners and I deserve the wins.

Biggest Sucker: It is quite amazing that Convicts manhandled this league when he completely missed on his last two selections.

Round 23

Biscuits – Buffalo Defense – 202

The Hardliners – Olindo Mare – 119

Convicts – Juaquin Iglesias – 0

Slumdog Millionaire – Matthew Stafford – 213.98

Shockers – Jamaal Charles – 330.37

Catfish Stunter – Sage Rosenfels – 0

Hundred Dollar Baby – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 39

Chinese Cats – Cleveland Defense – 137

Moby D – Cincinnati Defense – 206

America’s Autopickers – San Francisco Defense – 273

Most Valuable Pick: Pick of the entire draft, Shockers hits a grand slam with Jamaal Charles in round 23.

Biggest Sucker: See same category in round 22. Catfish Stunter gets additional love for laying an egg.

A Rekindled Pastime (Veteran's Park: August 30)

Monday after work I met up with some friends and played a round of Frisbee golf at Veteran’s Park. The occasion was special because Danny has decided to pick up the game. Since we might be playing the “sport” a little more, I’ve come to the conclusion I should keep track of my playing and record any progress. I do so with poker and softball, so why not this also.

After doing some research online and finding a website with statistics on every possible course in the country available, I printed off a scorecard and will be keeping track of my scores on a hole-by-hole basis. I will then transfer those numbers to this blog so I can always go back and see my progress on different courses.

The scorecard I printed says every hole is a par 3 from the blue tee box, but that is simply ridiculous. There is no way you can say that hole 4 and holes 1 and 12 are all the same when the distances range from 167 feet to 541 and 557 feet each. So I tweaked with the official score of 54 and have decided a total of 59 at Veteran’s Park is more accurate. It is still challenging, but birdies are now actually possible.

By my scoring, holes 1, 3, and 7 are par 4 and hole 12 is a par 5. This adds three to the front nine and two to the back nine. With the thick woods and long distances on certain holes that remained par 3, it is still a challenging course for beginners and pros.

My score yesterday ended up being 69, resulting in a +10 for the course. Not good at all, but if that is the worst I ever shoot out there as of keeping track from here on out then I will be okay with that. I birdied hole 15. I shot six pars on holes 1-2, 4, and 11-12, and 16. My 11 bogies came on holes 3, 5-10, 13-14, and 17-18.

My official score looked like the following:

Hole 1 (4) – 4

Hole 2 (3) – 3

Hole 3 (4) – 5

Hole 4 (3) – 3

Hole 5 (3) – 4

Hole 6 (3) – 4

Hole 7 (4) – 5

Hole 8 (3) – 4

Hole 9 (3) – 4

Out (30) – 36

Hole 10 (3) – 4

Hole 11 (3) – 3

Hole 12 (5) – 5

Hole 13 (3) – 4

Hole 14 (3) – 4

Hole 15 (3) – 2

Hole 16 (3) – 3

Hole 17 (3) – 4

Hole 18 (3) – 4

In (29) – 33

Total (59) – 69 (+10)

Big News Delayed

I teased some big news earlier this month and then forgot to follow up. Everyone who cares already knows, but Joanna is pregnant. Yah!!! That is all. Move along.

Michael Irvin's Hall Of Fame Status Questioned

Reading some football notes today during lunch I came across something that took me aback for a moment about former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin. It was from a blog called Sobering Thoughts, written by Paul Tuns yesterday. Tuns was talking about the Hall of Fame inductees, including Irvin's former teammate Emmitt Smith. In the post, he made the claim, “I'm not sure that Michael Irvin really is a Canton-worthy WR and way too much was made of The Triplets finally being in the Hall of Fame together.”
Since Tuns’s declaration was not prefaced with something regarding Irvin’s off-the-field issues being the reason for his Hall of Fame exclusion, I have to assume he actually means that The Playmaker didn’t rack up enough statistics to make it into Canton. I was not the biggest football fan up until about three years ago (thank you fantasy football league), so since my memory can’t help with this article I decided I would need to do some research on whether Irvin’s numbers were Hall of Fame worthy.
Michael Irvin became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2005, but he was not selected to forever be enshrined in the Hall until 2007, his third year of eligibility. His 750 career receptions, 11,904 reception yards and 47 100+ yard receiving games put him at 27th, 17th and third on the NFL’s all-time records. He amassed 65 receiving touchdowns and was elected to five Pro Bowls, earning the MVP honor in the 1992 Pro Bowl game. Irvin was also selected to the second team of the 1990s All Decade Team.
These are all great facts and figures, but what does it mean when compared to other Hall of Fame wide receivers? We’ll start with the most recent addition to the Hall, which included the all-time leading wide receiver in multiple categories.
Jerry Rice is a terrible person to compare Irvin to, only because Rice’s statistics will diminish the great things Irvin did in Dallas. However, to be fair I must compare Irvin to as many types of Hall of Famers as possible.
Prior to the announcement of who would be in the 2010 Class, it was a no-brainer that Rice would be among them as a first-year inductee, meaning he was selected in the first year of eligibility. Since his retirement, Rice has led the league in receptions (1,549; 447 ahead of second place), receiving yards (22,895; 7,961 ahead of second place), and receiving touchdowns (197; 65 ahead of second place). Along with all the accolades thrust upon him throughout the years as one of the greatest to ever play the game, Rice was selected to the first team for both the 1980s and 1990s All Decade Teams.
Now that we’ve gotten the greatest wide receiver of all time out of the way, let us move on to more common Hall of Fame players.
Another first-year inductee, who Irvin comes close to in a few categories, is Seahawks great Steve Largent. At the time of Largent’s retirement, he had recorded 819 receptions, 13,089 receiving yards, and 100 touchdowns, which were all records for a wide receiver at the time. Largent was also selected to seven Pro Bowls. As impressive as Largent’s career was, his receptions and receiving yards are so far out of reach of where Irvin sat. Largent had 69 more receptions and a little more than 1,000 yards. Had Irvin’s career not been cut short by a hard hit in Philadelphia, he might have been able to surpass those numbers.
A first-year Hall of Fame inductee whose only statistics greater than Irvin’s were touchdowns (85 to 65) was Paul Warfield, however, Irvin more than surpassed Warfield’s 427 receptions and 8,565 receiving yards. There may be other reasons Warfield was selected in his first year of eligibility that I overlooked, but from a statistical viewpoint there is nothing so outstanding that Irvin can’t be in the same category.
Two names synonymous with wide receiver greatness who share Irvin’s disappointment with not being named a first-year inductee are Art Monk and Lynn Swann. Monk’s numbers vastly outweigh Swann’s, but Swann has four Super Bowl rings to fall back on.
Monk currently sits at ninth on the all-time reception leader board with 940, 14th all time in receiving yards with 12,721, and tied at 34th all-time in receiving touchdowns with 68. The former Redskin was the first in NFL history to record a 100-reception season. He finished with five 1,000+ yard seasons, 33 100+ yard regular season games and five 100+ yard playoff games. In comparison, Irvin had six career 100+ yard receiving postseason games.
With the Steelers, Swann was selected to three Pro Bowls during a career that resulted in 336 receptions, 5,462 receiving yards and 51 touchdowns. In Swann’s defense, the Pittsburgh teams of the 1970s were a run-heavy offense that didn’t rely on the wide receiver talents as much as in today’s game.
A few other Hall of Fame pass catchers who don’t come even close to Irvin’s numbers are Fred Biletnikoff and former Cowboy Bob Hayes. Biletnikoff’s reception total sits at 589, but like Swann he was on a run-based offense. In 11 years with the Cowboys, Hayes had 371 reception and 7,414 receiving yards. His 71 receiving touchdowns do beat out Irvin though.
It is impossible to compare the greatness of one wide receiver to another from different teams, let alone different decades, but I think it’s slightly wacko to claim that Irvin doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. His numbers speak for themselves.

All Is Right Again In The World

I woke up this morning to some spectacular news that included Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan putting in the winning bid at the Texas Rangers auction sale. Everything that worried and depressed me yesterday about Mark Cuban possibly controlling my local baseball club was for naught.
This news was coupled with some other things that I will get into detail about later, but I was also pleasantly surprised to hear the Rangers had rallied in Seattle to win last night, which was news to me since I went to sleep with the Mariners leading 5-2. Everything is going swimmingly well right now.

My Uneducated, Unnecessary Thoughts On The Sale Of The Texas Rangers

I have not been keeping up with every detail of this ludicrous, three-ring circus act that has been the sale of my hometown Texas Rangers, but constantly today I’ve checked as many websites as my work computer will allow so I can know what is going on with the auction that will result in a new owner of the team.
Since Nolan Ryan has become president of the team, a swell of support has grown around the Texas Rangers that I honestly believe has helped make the players on the field better. Of course, it hasn’t hurt that since Ryan’s takeover of on-the-field decisions (and even a bit before that when General Manager Jon Daniels started making some pretty amazing trades) this team has become a true contender for post-season success. Take for example Ryan ignoring pitch counts and working the starting pitchers longer innings in order to give some relief to the bullpen. In the short-term that mantra of thinking seems to be working and it has even been copied by other teams around the league.
Since learning of Mark Cuban’s interest in putting in a bid to purchase the Rangers with Houston businessman Jim Crane, my crush on baseball has started to wane. I just don’t want to think of a world where Nolan Ryan isn’t a part of this team again, and I can only imagine how it would be for me if I had taken an interest in the former pitcher when he was still a player for the Arlington-based team, recalling his great moments like throwing his seventh no-hitter or putting a batter in a headlock during a fight on the mound.
Who is not to say Cuban wouldn’t leave Ryan as the president of the team when he takes over, but I have a feeling if the Greenberg Sports Group, which includes Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan, doesn’t win at the auction, Ryan will bow out as leader of the team.
It is also speculated Cuban would eventually move the Rangers to Dallas, where his basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks, currently reside. Being from Arlington, I love having the Ballpark in the city I grew up in. It is in a central location of the metroplex, provides easy access to and from the stadium, and it now sits right next door to Jerry Jones’s Cowboys Stadium. It has become a true sports complex.
I’m not saying Mark Cuban would be a bad owner. He would be an owner totally committed to winning a World Series who does anything it takes to accomplish that goal, which includes throwing money at top players like Cliff Lee to keep them at the Ballpark and away from the hated Yankees. But by doing such a thing, doesn’t that in essence make you a copy of the Steinbrenner-way-of-thinking and in essence turn you in to a mini-Yankee team? I don’t want that to be the Texas Rangers. This team has proven that you can build a farm system full of potentially great major league stars with solid drafting and smart trades. Sure, it took years of abysmal seasons that essentially ended in June (sometimes May) for things to start looking bright for our Texas Rangers. However, once the boat was set on the right course and the entire team, from management on down to the fan base, got on board, it didn’t take long for the seats to start filling and a competitive team to show up day in and day out.
I fear we lose this mentality if Nolan Ryan says goodbye to the Texas Rangers again. My sports knowledge is nothing when it comes to the grand schemes of baseball teams, but my gut tells me that Mark Cuban as the owner of the Texas Rangers will not be a better outcome than the Greenberg Sports Group owning the team.

Just Dropped By To Say Hi

I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I would pop in and give a few updates.
I am being given a raise at work, which was highly unexpected and even more highly appreciated. My boss is wonderful.
I'm going to Weatherford this weekend to play cards. Hopefully, I have a decent night and get some extra money to help pay for new tires my car badly needs.
My daughter's third birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, which means my thirtieth is also on the way. Joanna and I are planning to rent a bounce house for the kids to play on and order pizza for everyone to enjoy. Should be a good time.
Football is right around the corner, but the Texas Rangers have made life very interesting around the metroplex as they continue to fight for a chance at a championship, all while going through an ownership change/debacle. With football coming, that means fantasy football is also here. I am already signed up for four leagues. It will be the most I've ever been a part of. Two of my teams are a part of keeper leagues. My group of friends tried this a couple seasons ago, but it didn't stick. We'll see how these two leagues go.
That is about it. Hopefully something worth writing about happens soon that I can post more frequently. Check out my Living the Dream blog to see how Saturday night goes.

A Nostalgic Find

While on my lunch break today, I found a Web site that contained a written history of the Tournament of Champions. The Tournament of Champions, or TOC as it was better known, was designed to develop the poker skills of our group of friends and find out who the best player was. It certainly helped with our game, but I don't think we ever conceded that it determined the true "Great One."

The site can be found at http://www.associatepublisher.com/e/t/to/tournament_of_champions.htm. I have a feeling I wrote the article at one time, but I don't remember where I posted it to where it would show up at this site.

New Pixar Movie, New Rankings

Every time a new Pixar movie is released I rank the films in order of my preference. This doesn't necessarily mean that I believe my ranking is superior to anyone else's and it certainly doesn't list the movies in order of their greatness. It is simply a list of my most to least favorite of Pixar's work. While the movie that comes in at number one is not necessarily their best effort or story, it does entertain me the most and therefore gets the top spot.
And on to the list, which I have included next to each movie the IMDb ranking I have assigned to each movie.

1. The Incredibles - 10
2. Toy Story - 10
3. Finding Nemo - 10
4. Up - 10
5. WALL-E - 9
6. Toy Story 3 - 9
7. Ratatouille - 8
8. Monsters, Inc. - 8
9. Toy Story 2 - 8
10. A Bug's Life - 8
11. Cars - 7

"Deep Thoughts" by Sean Pamphilon

I'm watching ESPN's 30 for 30 episode about Ricky Williams right now, and while the content is interesting and it gives a great first-hand account of why the polarizing athlete is the way he is, I can't get past the director. Sean Pamphilon is behind the camera asking the questions of the interviewee and commenting throughout the program, but all I think about when he speaks is the voice of SNL's "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" skits. I keep thinking he is at some point going to finish a monologue with how he took his kid to what he said would be Disneyland, but instead was a burned down building and how although the child was sad the joke was appreciated deep down by both.

Check This Out

The two people who check this blog out not only already know what I am about to talk about, but one of them is directly involved in it, but I'm still going to bring it up. My buddy James is on a trip to the Holy Lands right now and he is writing down his experience. If you are interested then go to thejamesmiller.wordpress.com.

Lost Prediction Updates

As each week passes and we come closer to finishing the phenomenon that is Lost, I will continue to see how close I come with certain guesses at how the show will end and what will happen with episode cliffhangers. So let's see where we stand.

Jack becoming the new Jacob: Considering his conversation with Sawyer about feeling a void when he left the island the first time and choosing not to go home on the submarine with the rest of the group, it looks more likely that he is staying behind. I'm feeling more confident in this prediction.

The rest of the Oceanic 815 group and friends leave: With Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Sun, Jin, Claire, and Lapidus all being held at gunpoint at the end of "The Last Recruit" this idea doesn't look good, but they will get out of this somehow. Sawyer will probably talk them out of it if I had to guess.

Desmond hit Locke to get him with Jack: That happened just as I guessed it would. Might not have been a shocking guess to get right, but still was good of me to put two and two together. Now how does Desmond know that doing all these things is going to get the results he wants, I have no idea.

Smoke monster takes form of dead on the island: Nailed that one. Again, not earth shattering, but still nice to know I am keeping up.

New predictions:
I don't really have any. I am pretty confident Sayid did't kill Desmond and probably even let him out of the hole, but that is probably obvious. The real question is what is going on inside Sayid. I really don't know anything about that.

Got A New Job

The title says it all. I got a new job working at the corporate office of Colonial National Mortgage. It might be just temporary though, so I could be back in this position again soon. We will see.

My LOST Prediction

As the sensational series Lost is wrapping up its final story with the battle between good and evil coming to a head, I wanted to get down on paper what I believe will occur in the end. I truly don't expect this prediction to actually turn out to be correct, but it will be fun to see how close I come. This should go without saying, but the following is going to contain some spoilers. So if you haven't seen up to the episode "Happily Ever After" then don't read on.
Okay. After last night's episode of Hurley becoming a leader on the island and even lying to members of his group in order to get his way, Desmond is taking initiative in the flash-sideways world by getting members of Oceanic 815 to see memories of their lives on the island (despite never really ever being on the island in that particular timeline), and Jacob's ultimate wish to find a replacement among the candidates to watch over the island now that he is gone.
My overall guess as to what the ending is going to be is that the flash-sideways timeline will merge back with the original timeline. The fact that Desmond, Hurley and Libby have had visions of the original timeline makes me believe that is where they belong. I think Jack will become the island's protector as he has fought so hard to not believe in fate or that the island is where he belongs, but his being a man of science is coming to an end and he will ultimately be the man of faith who makes sure that the smoke monster cannot leave the island like Jacob did before. The rest of the Oceanic 815 group and friends will leave the island after stopping the smoke monster's plans.
As to why Desmond hit Locke in the flash-sideways timeline from last night, I think it was to get him in the hospital where Jack will perform surgery on him, saving his life, which will get their memories kickstarted just like Hurley's did when he kissed Libby.
I also think that smoke monster can take the form of people who die on the island such as Christian Shepherd (Jack's dad) and send people on tasks that they think are for the greater good. Take for example when John Locke went in Jacob's cabin but the ash circle had been broken and Christian was inside to tell him he needed to bring back the Oceanic Six and he would have to die to do it. I believe that was smoke monster getting Locke to do what he needed in order to then take his form later.
With that belief, I think Michael showed up last night to get Hurley to do what he did so the plane wouldn't be blown up and to get the rest of the people smoke monster needed in order to leave the island.
We will see how I do on these predictions as the final episodes play out. I will update as each week passes with how close I am coming to being accurate or way wrong (which will likely end of the latter).

A Look At The Past Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Just finishing Super Bowl XXXIX where the New England Patriots sealed the validity of their dynasty after beating out the Philadelphia Eagles, I started pondering how the halftime shows have changed since the 2004 Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction disaster. The following is a list of shows the NFL has put on in the past decade during the halftime of each Super Bowl, a brief description of the show, and how enjoyable it was.

2001:
The theme of the show was The Kings of Rock and Pop and it featured Aerosmith, 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly. First of all we need to focus on whether these really are rock and pop royalty. At the time, 'N Sync and Britney Spears were about as big as you could get, but the combination of them with Aerosmith, Mary J. Blige and Nelly is just awful.
The song selection included "Bye, Bye, Bye," "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," "It's Gonna Be Me," "Jaded," and "Walk This Way."
The idea of combining big names to create an even bigger event may work for some concerts, but that doesn't mean the producer (which in this case was MTV) should pile acts that have no business sharing the same stage. Sadly, up until Jackson's epic costume blunder this would be a pretty common theme for the Super Bowl halftime show.

2002:
U2 was the sole act to pay tribute to the 9/11 victims with "Beautiful Day," "MLK," and "Where the Streets Have No Name." It was a simple, somber and great show that included the names of those who died from the terrorist attacks on a giant backdrop. Clear Channel Entertainment produced this concert, and it was their only such event before forming into Live Nation in 2005. In 2009, Sports Illustrated's website, SI.com, ranked the show as the best in Super Bowl history.

2003:
Producers Jimmy Iovine and Joel Gallen brought together three random acts for Super Bowl XXXVII. Those performers were Shania Twain, No Doubt, and Sting. The songs included "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," "Up!," "Just a Girl," and "Message in a Bottle."
A forgettable concert that proves by trying to do too much and appease multiple music fans, it instead alienates more than it attracts.

2004:
MTV was given another chance to produce the halftime show, whose theme was Rock the Vote, and the television network was up to their old tricks by bringing together Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Nelly, and Kid Rock. Songs heard were "All for You," "Diddy" to the tune of "Mickey," Hot in Here," "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy," "Rhythm Nation," and "Rock Your Body" (which resulted in the infamous wardrobe malfunction).
Personally, not one song on the set list had me tapping my foot, let alone singing along with, during the performance. Despite the undistinctive concert, it ended up being the most talked about moment of the big game.

2005:
The greatest thing to come out of Jackson and Timberlake's "accident" was the downsizing of acts for each show. Since 2005, every year has featured only one performer or band per game (if you don't count a marching band with Prince). The same two producers have been used for each year as well. Don Mischer Productions was selected for 2005-2009 and White Cherry Entertainment shared responsibilities in 2007-2009 and worked alone in 2010.
The first year was Paul McCartney, who was considered a safe choice. McCartney's song selection was "Drive My Car," "Get Back," "Live and Let Die," and "Hey Jude."

2006:
A year after a Beatle took sport's biggest musical stage, the second most popular band to come out of the United Kingdom was selected. The Rolling Stones played "Start Me Up," "Rough Justice," and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Fallout from the wardrobe malfunction was still taking place as a five-second delay was put into use for the performance and lyrics were censored for sexually explicit lyrics, which was agreed to by the band prior to the show.

2007:
Prince shared the stage with the Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band for Super Bowl XLI. The music heard during the event included "We Will Rock You," "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby, I'm a Star," "Proud Mary," "All Along the Watchtower," "Best of You," and "Purple Rain."
The stage was in the shape of the symbol Prince is known best by outlined in lights. Audience members were also given flashlights to shine on the stage during "Purple Rain." Following the performance, music critics considered it the best show in the history of the Super Bowl.

2008:
Super Bowl XLII began what could be called the Senior Citizens Trilogy of Halftime Acts. The show selected in 2008 was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The upbeat and energetic show featured "American Girl," "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'," and "Runnin' Down a Dream." The performance kicked off the band's world tour and was later nominated for an Emmy Award.

2009:
Second in the "Old Man's Three-Year Show" was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The group put on a hokey NFL-themed show that included a referee coming on stage to throw a flag for "delay of game" as the show was running long. The Miami Horns and a gospel choir were included in the theatrics. Songs included "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out," "Born to Run," "Working on a Dream," and "Glory Days."

2010:
The Who is the most recent group to take the Super Bowl halftime show stage, playing a medley of "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Reilly," "Who Are You," "See Me, Feel Me," and "Won't Get Fooled Again." For the first time since 2000, no crowd was allowed around the stage on the field.

So what does 2011 hold in store for the Super Bowl halftime show? Will it continue the "grandfather" acts by booking The Eagles or a similar performer or will those in charge take a chance on a fresher, more youth-friendly singer/band.
I personally have no problem with the groups who have been selected in the last six years. I am hoping the same decisions are made for many years to come.

Ranger's Opening Day Memory(s)

I'm sitting here enjoying MLB's Opening Day while watching the Rangers battle the Toronto Bluejays with my wife. Baseball's Opening Day is a special feeling in all sports fans' lives and today's experience could only be better if we were actually at the Ballpark watching. But Joanna made hotdogs and we have the windows open so a breeze comes through the living room. We've created as close a feeling to the real deal as we can.

One humorous moment from the bottom of the second inning was when Vladimir Guerrero was up to bat. Going into the break prior to Vlad's at bat Joanna was saying how she couldn't muster the appropriate sensation that a fan should have for a new player (which was somewhat understood due to Vlad being an Angel for so long). She said she just couldn't bring herself to cheer for the guy.

That was short-lived, however, because once Blue Jay pitcher Shaun Marcum pegged Vlad in the back she was screaming at how blatant it was Marcum was aiming for the Ranger's clean-up hitter. Her turnaround was quite amazing, but that is what makes sports such a beautiful and pleasurable hobby.

8th Inning Update:
Watching Neftali Feliz on the mound today, I was really expecting the same electric feeling the young pitcher from the Dominican Republic gave the audience every time he threw the ball last season, but this is not that same feeling. I'm not sure what is happening, but Feliz has only struck one guy out, he walked another, and a third batter slugged it into left field. Pitching coach Mike Maddux has even had to come talk to the power pitcher who is supposed to be our eighth inning shutdown pitcher.
Well Feliz has now been pulled out after another single that scored the winning run. I hope it was just Opening Day jitters that had Feliz so shaky. We'll see.

9th Inning Update:
Woohoo Nelson Cruz! What a game!

Post-game Update:
HELLO WIN COLUMN!!! This was a great Opening Day. They weren't getting any hits but they hung in there and stuck with it. Barring any injuries or other kind of setbacks out of the team's control, this should be a great season.

A List For Me

Since I have a readership of one here at Have Blog, Will Travel (that being myself), I am not too worried anyone will waste their time reading this post. However, should you stumble into my world and be reading this I wanted to warn you that this list is not going to be that important to anyone but me.
Turner Classic Movies announced they are holding a film festival later this month in Hollywood with many films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Casablanca being screened. While I don't plan on attending a screening, despite my total desire to see a classic or two on the big screen, I started thinking about all the older films I have seen that originally were released either before my time or when I was too young to remember and/or care. So I decided to put down on electronic paper the movies I have seen at special screenings that are important to me. The list is in no particular order.
I will be updating this list as I see fit.

Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
Casablanca
Yojimbo
A Fistful of Dollars
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Sabrina
The Breakfast Club
Alien
Some Like It Hot
It's a Wonderful Life
A Christmas Story
The Godfather
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Citizen Kane
White Christmas
Dial M for Murder (in 3D)
Planet of the Apes
The Third Man
When Harry Met Sally ...
Sunset Boulevard
Jaws
La Grande Illusion

New Fridge Looks Great

It took $1,300 and a lot of disassembling and reassembling to get it in the spot it belongs, but I have to say that our new refrigerator looks great. I have always been in a family with two fridges, one for the kitchen and another for the garage to put soft drinks and other random things in order to save space in the main fridge. That tradition now continues as my father-in-law and I picked up the new LG french door, bottom freezer refrigerator today at Sears.
On a side note, I have to say it felt great laying down $1,296 in hundreds, twenties, a ten, a five and a one dollar bill when we bought the thing. The experience was like being Henry Hill in Goodfellas when he would just pull out a wad of money whenever the situation called for it.

A Celebration Of U2's Soundtrack Pride

After viewing The Million Dollar Hotel yesterday and listening to songs from my favorite band U2 included on the film's soundtrack, I started to wonder about all the movies U2 has written music for. I don't mean songs written by the band for albums and then lended out to a film for its soundtrack, but not heard before by the public until it was featured in a movie.
I was informed yesterday that U2 was very particular in the 80s and 90s about what movies the band would lend their music out to. Apparently before being the go-to band for commercial tuneage, U2 would have to preview a movie and decide if it was worthy of their music.
Hopefully this is the most accurate list possible, but you may disagree with a technicality or two on whether the songs listed were really written for the movie or if it is even a U2 song in the first place. After consulting my buddie (and U2 expert) James, here is a list of the songs written specifically for films, the movies and how well the movies did both financially and critically.

"Heroine" and instrumental works from the UK film Captive (1986)

Garnered an abysmal 4.1 IMDb rating and that is all the information I can find about how the movie was received. There is no information about how it did at the box office. The only professional review I can find is at the New York Times by Paul Brenner. He calls it a "sleek thriller," but no official rating is given.

"Stay (Faraway, So Close)" from Germany's In Weiter Ferne, so nah! (1993, Faraway, So Close! - US title)

The band's first collaboration with Wim Wenders resulted in a 6.9 rating on IMDb and sits at 60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. Despite earning only $810,000 at the US box office, the movie was appreciated more overseas, earning the Grand Prix du Jury and receiving a nomination for the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" from Batman Forever (1995)

It is considered the beginning of the end for the Batman movie franchise in the 90s. Batman Forever, which changed directorial hands from darkly imaginative Tim Burton to over-the-top cheese Joel Schumacher, receives a 5.4 IMDb rating and 45 percent on the Tomatometer. The $100-million blockbuster fared well at the box office, earning $184 million in the US and another $152 million in international gross. Critically, the third Batman film was a mixed bag with some saying it was "great bubblegum for the eyes" and "lighter, brighter, funnier, faster-paced, and a whole lot more colorful than before" while others were not so optimistic, stating it was "suitable for boys five and under" and even unbearable.

"Goldeneye" from Goldeneye (1995)

Finally U2 is associated with a generally well-accepted movie (and I'm not just saying that because I'm a James Bond fan). The 17th release of the James Bond franchise saw a new face as 007. Although Bono and the Edge only wrote the music for the title track, leaving the singing to Tina Turner, they still get credit. Goldeneye received a 7.2 on IMDb and 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. From a financial point of view, the movie was the most profitable at the time of its release when you combined domestic and international grosses. While there were some negative reviews, critics were mostly excited to see that the British spy could survive after the Cold War came to an end.

"Mission: Impossible Theme" from Mission: Impossible (1996)

While Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton didn't write the music outright, they did update the theme song for the 1996 film starring Tom Cruise. Mission: Impossible is underrated in my opinion in that it does take its self seriously as a spy film, but it also gives the audience an explosive ending that probably doesn't belong in the real spy world. The movie sits at a 6.8 on IMDb and 56 percent on the Tomatometer. It raked in $457 million worldwide, which comes in second place in the franchise so far (with the sequel having the highest total and J.J. Abrams third entry in last). Most critics who didn't enjoy the film blasted it due to the plot not making much sense, and those who did praise it looked past the convoluted premise and told audiences to just enjoy the ride.

"The Ground Beneath Her Feet" and "Stateless" from The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)

The movie that started this research project didn't fare well with hardly anyone. It has a 5.5 on IMDb and was given a piddly 24 percent on Rotton Tomatoes Tomatometer. At the domestic box office the film didn't even reach $60,000 on an estimated $8 million budget and no information was given on the foreign box office receipts. Even the film's star and producer, Mel Gibson, ragged on the film, calling it "boring as a dog's ass." Like many mistakes in his life lately, he went back and apologized for his thoughtless act.

"The Hands That Built America" from Gangs of New York (2002)
Martin Scorsese's 19th century gangster epic is the highest rated movie on IMDb, with a 7.4 from more than 100,000 voters, that U2 has been linked to. While Goldeneye was higher rated at Rotten Tomatoes, Gangs of New York received a solid 74 percent on the Tomatometer. Financially, this film did not see the same fate as its Web site ratings. The movie made only $193 million ($77 of it in domestic gross) after spending a budget of $100 million. Overall praise was high, with some stating it fell short of the hype preceding the film. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Actor and Best Song for U2's effort, but won none of them. U2 lost to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile.

"Winter" from Brothers (2009)
The most recent soundtrack work for U2 is this entry for the Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal drama-war film. Released three months ago, the movie has had a medium reception. After only 10,000 votes, it too sits at a 7.4 rating on IMDb, but falls much shorter at Rotten Tomatoes than Gangs of New York, receiving a 59 percent on the Tomatometer. The film has grossed $38 million worldwide, three-quarters of that being in domestic receipts. Not accounting for the three powerful leading performances, critics have mostly considered Brothers a traditional melodrama. U2's contribution received a Golden Globe nomination, but lost to "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart.