Draft Aid

Need some help preparing for the upcoming fantasy football draft? ESPN has made it's live draft results available, for free (GASP!), so you can see what other people are thinking. So, if you believe a large group of people is smarter than individuals, this is the way to go.

"Don't drive angry."

You know, my dog Max has been hit by a car or two, but I never thought about teaching him to drive one. Mostly because it would be INSANE. You see, dogs don't have thumbs, which are pretty crucial to steering a vehicle. But that didn't discourage this woman from letting her dog take a turn behind the wheel. Predictable results followed. Coolness points to the person who names the movie the quote in the title is from. (Hat tip: The Corner)

I want one...

...courtesy of the Castle Argghhh!!!

A hammer...

...is like the back of a Trivial Pursuit card: full of answers. You should really read Get Fuzzy today.

Bachelor Chow 1: Famous Dave's Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Starting a little series on what I've learned of cooking while living one my own.

Up first is something I threw together for the first time last night.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
1/2 to 3/4 cup rice (I used regular brown, I suppose instant would work also, more on that later)
mixed veggies (I used mexican blend, whatever you want can work)
Famous Dave's BBQ Sauce (Texas pit, is adventurous try the devil spit variety)
1-2 sliced cheddar, Monterey, or Colby

Using regular rice, first measure the rice (amount depends on how hungry you are and how much else you are adding, around 1/2 cup is a good place to start though). Dump that in the pan. Measure out twice that volume in water. Add that and turn on the heat (med-hi). Add mixed veggies (optional) (don't bother to thaw, they'll be in hot water for awhile).
Now cook your chicken by your preferred method. I use 3 minutes in the microwave, cut it up, then ~2 more to cook a good sized breast. Your mileage may vary. When this is done, cut the chicken up into small pieces, then dump in the pan.
Now add a healthy shot of BBQ to the pan.
Mix it up, then stir occasional to prevent burn on.
When there isn't much free water, tear the cheese up and add it in. Watch it here so the cheese doesn't burn on. Once the free water is gone, pull it off heat and let it cool enough to eat.

If you use instant rice there won't be as much time to let stuff marinate together, so you should probably heat the other stuff ahead of time and mix it together at once.

This has the bonus advantage of minimal nutrient loss from the veggies, as you aren't discarding the water they were cooked in, with its leeched vitamins. Also, you can tell your mom that you've been eating your vegetables. With the strong BBQ sauce you won't even have to taste them.

The Protector

I previously recommended Ong-Bak as a great martial arts film. Well, Tony Jaa is back in a new film, The Protector, coming September 8th. You can see the trailer here in HD. It looks to be every bit as breathtaking and brutal as Ong-Bak. I think it needs to be said again: Tony Jaa is the man.

Scoring Options Revisited

I heard some questions about our point per reception scoring, so I'm reposting this to refresh everyone's minds on the scoring system.

I've put together a sample game from a week to illustrate the effects of different scoring options. Here it is:


The stat lines are:
Bulger- 225 yds, 1 TD, 7 rush yds
Holmes- 75 rush yds, 4 rec for 47 yds, 1 TD
Martin- 134 rush yds, 2 TD
Boldin- 4 rec for 48 yds
Smith- 6 rec for 60 yds
Jacson- 10 rec for 135 yds, 1 TD
Gates- 7 rec for 49 yds, 1 TD
Akers- 33yd FG, 2 XP
Peppers- 3 solo, 2 ast, 1 sack, 1 PD
Thomas- 9 solo, 9 ast
Brooking- 8 solo, 1 INT for 27 yds, 1 PD
Rossum- 109 return yds, 4 solo
Barber- 9 solo, 7 ast, 1 FF
Winfield- 3 solo

Green- 224 yds, 3 TD
James- 69 rush yds, 1 TD, 1 rec for 23 yds
Johnson- 130 rush yds, 1 TD, 1 lost fumble
Mason- 4 rec for 65 yds
Coles- 7 rec for 53 yds
Bennett- 13 rec for 160, 2 TD
Gonzalez- 7 rec for 76 yds
Kaeding- 33, 42yd FG, 1 XP
Freeney- 2 solo, 1 ast, 2 sack
Brooks- 10 solo, 4 ast, 1 PD
Morgan- 7 solo, 2 ast
Reed- 3 solo, 1 ast
McGee- 94 return yds, 2 solo, 1 ast, 1 FR
Darius- 6 solo, 5 ast, 1 PD

Let me know what you think.

Corey Schlesinger...

...spent some time as a fan last year. And he didn't like it. Schlesinger on going home after a game spent on the sidelines:

"It feels terrible. It feels like I didn't do anything that day, and I basically didn't. I'd rather come out of there beat up, tired, sick to my stomach, than fresh and not participating."

Could you guess the guy's a fullback? Check it out, it's a good read.

Awful analysts

A good color commentator or studio analyst can make a huge positive difference in the entertainment value of an NFL game. Bad ones are either a waste of space, or make the game worse. So what commentator got me thinking of this? Tony Siragusa. What a waste of air time. I don't know who on Fox decided Siragusa needed to get more involved in the broadcast, but they should be forced to act as a tackling dummy for Ray Lewis. Just being able to fill the time with words doesn't make you smart or insightful. Being loud isn't a substitute for actual knowledge either, but you wouldn't know it from watching Michael Irvin, probably the worst in-studio analyst ever. I don't think I can watch ESPN's pregame coverage anymore, I just can't stand that guy.

You know what's worse than those two? Local news. The local news here decided it was a good idea to break in at the end of the 1st quarter of the NFL game and show you that we had a thunderstorm this afternoon. And a tornado. I guess the people of the Twin Cities have never seen video of a tornado before. And I thought I was a hick. How can TV stations in Minneapolis be MUCH worse than the Tri-Cities? Anybody?

NFL Moves

A rare three-team deal occurred in the NFL today involving the Broncos, Falcons, and Redskins. T.J. Duckett was traded to the 'Skins from the Falcons, who received former Broncos' WR Ashley Lelie, who had been acting like your typical me-first WR all through training camp. The Broncos will send an undetermined draft pick from the 'Skins. Fantasy fallout? Duckett probably gets a slight upgrade, especially if Portis' is slow to heal. Lelie could quickly become Vick's top option at WR, if he can play to his ability and stop pouting. But then, he is a Hawaii product after all.

Drew Henson is also on the move. Off the Cowboys' roster that is. Said Parcells: "He's not going to be on our roster. That's all you need to know." Ouch. Is this the end of the line for Henson? If it is, don't feel too bad for him, he's made a ton of money being a disappointing player in 2 sports.

Finally, Willie McGinest is an idiot. He wore #55 at USC to honor Junior Seau, who he followed at the school. Now he doesn't want Seau to wear #55 with the Patriots, the team McGinest just left. Yeah, that makes sense.

What's up with Chuck?

I've referenced previously that Charles Rogers was down in the Lions' WR depth chart. But this article in the Detroit News makes it sound like the Lions have decided Rogers' fate regardless of his play in camp. Mark my words: unloading Rogers would be a big mistake. He's talented and he's a local guy. He will be successful if he goes somewhere else and the front office will, once again, look like a bunch of idiots. Beware.

College Vs. NFL

ESPN, looking to boost some interest during the long wait for football, posted a bunch of articles today of a "Which is better?" type comparing NCAA and NFL football. Surprisingly, they didn't charge you to read it, as they try to do with almost anything worthwhile on the site anymore. Anyway, various writers, commentators, and personalities sound off, and of course there's the obligatory SportsNation poll. I looked at one this morning, and some people actually voted that the NFL had a better atmosphere than college games. Have these people ever been to a college game? Oh, only Ferris and Eastern? Well, maybe that explains it. But seriously, the NFL can't touch the atmosphere of big-time college football. Tailgates. Mascots. Huge sellout crowds. Crazy fans. Fight songs. Johnny Spirit (well, only at State I guess). It's electric at Spartan Stadium before kickoff. It's enough to turn even me into a screaming idiot. I don't see how anyone could even remotely compare the atmosphere. When it comes to gameplay, I'll admit that the NFL has better players. But which is more fun to watch? I'll give you just one reason why college ball is better. The option. Need I say more? Am I wrong about all of this?

12 Planets?

Some astronomers want to add 3 planets to the solar system. The article has much more detail, but basically some astronomers believe that some Pluto-sized garbage out at the edge of the solar system should be counted as planets, and surely not just to go down in history as the guys who redefined our solar system. Just leave it alone guys. There's enough planets to remember as it is, and no one care about space junk beyond Pluto anyway.

Sportscenter

So when Sportscenter does their 1 am taping and there are two baseball games still in the 14th inning and the game is still going in the 17th inning when the 1 am Sportscenter finishes, do they then have to tape another Sportscenter so the late games are included? Are they taping at 3 a.m. eastern time? Do they wait till the game finishes, instead of assuming it will finish sometime during the next SC? I'm pretty sure it was 1:30 am in the 15th inning for the Cubs v Houston and when I watched SC this morning, the Cubs/Astros were the lead story, followed by the other 18 inning game, Rockies/Diamondbacks. Did they do another Sportscenter and do some major editing to put those games at the top of the show? Or, did they wait till who knows when it finished so they could make it the lead highlights? I should have just stayed up and watched the game and immediately clicked to SC to see what's going on. Maybe they tape another show, but it's not aired on ESPN until 5 am.

Ching, Ching

Ryan King asked me over the weekend, "So who are the Twins playing when you're there?" "You know, I think it's the White Sox." Sure enough. Hmmm...our tickets are $21/ea. Hmmm...this is a huge weekend series. Hmmm...this has big time wild card ramifications. Hmmm...I wonder how many people would love tickets to this game? Hmmm...I wonder how much people would be willing to pay for some tickets? Hmmm...Do we really have to take Matt? Do you see where I'm going with this? Anyone interested in turning your $21 ticket into some nice cash?

P.S. Adam, is there any posibility of adjusting the draft to a later time on Labor Day? It's set for 7:30 now, can we get it later? Even an hour?

Houshmandzadeh

You know you're a serious fantasy football player when you add "Houshmandzadeh" to your office program's dictionary. Just an observation.

Beware of Mascots

Playing quarterback in the NFL can be a dangerous job. Large, angry men are always trying to hit you real hard. Also, you can get run over by the mascot driving a golf cart, like Adrian McPherson did in last night's Saints-Titans preseason game. "He got run over by the mascot. I don't know what to do. We've got to play the Titans. The mascots and all the other stuff going on, it's crazy," said Coach Sean Payton. McPherson was bruised and missed the second half. The news wasn't all bad and bizarre for the Saints though, Reggie Bush looked good with 59 yds on 6 carries, including a 44-yd run where he reversed field and then blew by defenders. Good thing he didn't have to elude any mascots.

On Board

Where's the strangest place you've ever practiced football? In the gym? Maybe in a parking lot? How about on the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan? That's where the San Diego Chargers had their walkthrough yesterday. You can read about if from the Chargers' perspective and the sailors' perspective. This is a great thing, especially in wartime. Besides the obvious coolness of having practice on the deck of an aircraft carrier it also means a lot to the crew. The Chargers also presented the crew with a #76 jersey (the Ronald Reagan is CVN 76) signed by all the players. Said Serviceman 3rd Class Jacob Allison: "It was a lot of fun to watch the Chargers practice on the flight deck. It really helped raise the morale of the crew."

College Fantasy

I presume there's still really no interest in playing college fantasy football at CBS Sportsline? You can check out the rules here. The big difference here is that you draft positional units, i.e. Michigan State QBs rather than Drew Stanton. Thoughts?

Camp Update

Here's a Lions training camp update from ESPN's John Clayton. The short version? Camp with Marinelli is much tougher than last year, the toughest many of the players have ever been in. The guys are really behind Jon Kitna at quarterback. Check out the rest.

Where's my shotgun?

You may have heard of Dead Rising, a video game that revolves around, if you hadn't guessed from the title, killing zombies. It's pretty violent, which has lead to some controversy, including being denied a rating in Germany. But not in the UK, they've decided to give it an 18 rating. This isn't all really that interesting, what gets me is the BBFC's reasoning: "There is no clear evidence that playing games leads to copycat behaviour." (Notice it's spelled Britishly) Is this really a worry in the UK? Are there lots of zombies around that people don't want killed? And should we be worried about British zombies making it to our shores? I may need to go get a shotgun... and a chainsaw.

Third String

The Detroit Lions released their depth chart for the first preseason game yesterday. The big surprise? Receivers. Roy Williams and Corey Bradford are #1 and #2, which isn't surprising. But Chuck Rogers and Mike Williams are listed in the third group. Now I know in the NFL no one's job is safe, and these guys, especially Chuck, probably need the motivation, but I cannot believe that Glenn Martinez and Mike Furrey are better WRs than Mike and Chuck. That's simply not possible. They better get out there and prove it.

Heading for the Bottom

Half a bottle of vodka, a hatchet, 4 guns, and a bullet resistant vest. Sounds like a wild night, huh? Or maybe an average one if you're Maurice Clarett, who was arrested last night after fleeing police when they tried to pull him over after making an illegal U-turn. Clarett had to be maced to be subdued since the vest made a taser ineffective. Apparently the guns were loaded; they included three pistols and one "assault rifle". (Disclaimer: "Assault Rifle" is a media term for any big gun that looks mean.) That sound you hear? That's Clarett punting whatever future he had left away.

UPDATE: Clarett was pulled over just blocks away from the home of a witness in his burglary trial. That doesn't look good at all. Apparently he also called ESPN's Tom Friend last night and talked about his life. Go read that article, it's sheds a lot of light on this story.

One Man Mock

For those of you too lazy to look for your own fantasy football research, here's a one man mock draft from Brandon Funston of Yahoo Sports. This might give you some idea of how our draft might unfold.

Ummmm....

So, I thought I'd go into my Yahoo! account and change my password. I'm planning on doing something that requires giving out my password, so I wanted to change it before I did that. In order to do that, I had to log into my account. Now picture the typical Yahoo login box: Yahoo ID is already filled in with "bodybyhaag." All that's left is my password. So I type in my password and this is what comes up:

Yahoo! ID Card

Name: Mr Laura Laming
Yahoo! ID: bodybyhaag
Yahoo! Mail Address: bodybyhaag@yahoo.com
Password: Change Password

Member Information Edit

Gender: Male
Birthdate: On file
Industry: None, not employed
Occupation: College/Graduate Student
Yahoo! Mail Address: bodybyhaag@yahoo.com
Alternate Email 1: Nathan_Haag at hotmail . com (primary)

The blog won't let me actually show the web page as it comes on up Yahoo. When I add the link to the page, it sends you to the Yahoo login screen instead. Sorry.

Who is Mr. Laura Laming and why does it says that's my name? I've had my bodybyhaag account since at least 1998.

Extreme!!!

What happened to you X Games? You used to be cool.

Do you remember the first X Games? It was in Rhode Island. Chris Fowler and Suzy Kolber hosted the coverage. There was some really great events: skateboard vert, street luge, even rock climbing. It was pretty entertaining. Now they've pretty much botched the whole thing. They have "cool" commentators who are awful to listen to (Note: being on TV doesn't make you a professional broadcaster). They moved to LA, which is really all you need to say about that. They dumped events like rock climbing, I can only assume because they weren't EXTREME enough. Even the camerawork tries too hard to be cool. It's really too bad, because many of the events really are entertaining. Tony Hawk's skateboard run that ended in him jumping off the course into the bay was a sports moment that was really memorable for me. "Extreme" sports are never going to be taken seriously with this kind of coverage.

Batboat?

This is the coolest boat I've ever seen. It actually has wings that serve a purpose. Apparently it's a blast to drive too, even for those who aren't professionals. Very cool.

Weapon of Choice

You should read Day by Day today, it's quite funny. One of my favorites I've seen from that particular strip. If you don't get it, then watch the video below (you should probably watch it anyway):



You're welcome.

Preseason Rankings

It must be almost time for college football, because the coaches released their first poll today. The top five:

1. Ohio State (28)
2. Texas (11)
3. USC (1)
3. Notre Dame (9)
5. Oklahoma (13)

Check the rest out here. You know what my only problem with the poll is? Duke got a vote. Duke. Yeah, it was just one, but it's just wrong. The coach who did that should be beat by an angry man with a big stick.

Red Stripe - Jamaican for Beer

So, like most of you the other night, I was watching the cult classic "Cool Runnings" on TBS. There is a scene where the Jamaican bobsled team is competing in the Olympics. Then, of course, they shoot back to the scene where all the people in Jamaica are sitting at the bar watching. If you look closely at the tables in the scene, everyone is drinking "Red Stripe."

48...and counting

That's the magic number for the Tigers to clinch the A.L. Central division. 48, and any combination of Tiger wins or White Sox losses.

Funniest Thing I've Heard All Day

Donovan McNabb asked on PTI what the most hurtful criticism he heard last year was (paraphrased): "That I wasn't sexy enough." McNabb is a great, great interview. I think I'm almost to the point where I can forgive him for ruining my '03 fantasy football team.

Also, I noticed that LeBatard was actually kind of entertaining. I think embracing his hatable-ness has made him a better host.

When you think

Of someone who does crazy (and I mean deeply disturbing) the first actor to come to mind is of course....


Heath Ledger.

Yup.

Think about it, he did star in brokeback mountain. This is one twisted puppy.

The official title is the Dark Knight.

The penguin is also supposed to appear, as some international arms dealer. Could work, though given the history of comicbook movies, I would be reluctant to use two villains. Have to see how that works out.

Title is good, casting and story...remains to be seen. Chris Nolan is directing again, so I'm quite hopeful. Lets just avoid logic gaps like the microwave generator that could blow a water main and do nothing to someone standing next to it.

Story from IGN.