Nice Weather

According to weather.com, here's the current weather in my neck of the woods:


Thank God for AC.

LeeCorso.com

I just thought you all should know Lee Corso now has a website. It really needs a sound clip section, but I guess no one is perfect. Sorry ladies, I don't think Herbstreit has his own site yet.

Fake TSB Ad

I think this will be right up Ump's alley:

Need stamps?

Find yourself in need of stamps? Well, these new stamps from the USPS might fit the bill. They feature Mickey Mantle, Roy Campanella, Mel Ott, and Tigers' legend Hammerin' Hank Greenberg. Yes, you'll have to get a Giant, Dodger, and even a Yankee (all three of the New York variety) to be able to put Hank on your bills and letters, but it's surely worthwhile. Some of Greenberg's stats in case you don't have them at hand: 2 MVP's, on 5 All-Star teams, .313 batting average, 1,276 RBIs, 58 HRs in one season, and served in the Army Air Force in World War II. He was actually drafted in 1940 and then honorably discharged on December 5, 1941. Greenberg re-enlisted after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor 2 days later. He was in the militay until the summer of '45 when he returned to baseball and helped the Tigers win the AL pennant with a grand slam home run in the final game of the season. Pretty impressive stuff. So get yourself some stamps.

Effected

Want to see in-game footage from Mass Effect? Sure you do. Check out Bioware's download site here. Go for HD, it's worth it. Trust me.

Crispy

Maybe this is what's it's like to be treated like Darth Vader:


But I'm pretty sure Jerry Jones isn't a cyborg killing machine, so maybe I took the quote the wrong way.

Misquoted

Some guys just can't catch a break. Take T.O. for instance. He's claiming he was misquoted in his own autobiography. In case you're thinking that sounds a bit odd, well, you're right. The defintion of autobiography from the American Heritage Dictionary: The biography of a person written by that person. So, yeah, Owens misquoted himself. Except that the book wasn't a true autobiography since his agent's brother, Jason Rosenhaus, who may be less slimy then Drew, was the co-author. Apparently he was the source of the misquote, which referred to Owen's Super Bowl return from injury as "heroic." Yeah, he's a real hero. But don't worry, everything is great for Owen's now that he's in Dallas, where owner Jerry Jones knows what it's like "to be treated like Darth Vader." What? I don't even know what that means.

Mental Stretching

I'm not up on string theory or its philosophical implications, but this is kind fun anyway.

Imagining the tenth dimension.

Demon Duck of Doom

Australian paleontologists claim they have found fossilized remains of a "killer kangaroo" and a "demon duck of doom." The story has more details about the fossils, but I can't say I care all that much. I just wanted to write "demon duck of doom." Sounds like a good fantasy football team name.

Re: Zumaya

You know, when I first read that post, I was curious who Matt was that Adam was talking about. Then today I actually noticed, after reading Adam's comment, that it was Aaron who blogged a post. Wow, when did Aaron enter the world?

P.S. Thank you American League for winning the All-Star game. Now when the Tigers go to the Series, the will have home field advantage.

"We don't want you."

According to this article by Len Pasquarelli, Randy Moss was really hoping to be traded to the Falcons, or maybe the Ravens, before the Vikings traded him to Oakland. Atlanta was his first choice, but apparently they gave him a Barrigar-esque "you suck" in response. Here's how the article puts it:

"I wanted to play with Atlanta just for the fact of Michael Vick's elusiveness," Moss said. "And I wanted to play with a guy such as [Ravens star middle linebacker] Ray Lewis, because he's on defense and I'm on offense. So I did have dreams and high hopes of being traded to the Atlanta Falcons, but the president and owner . . . told me specifically that [they] did not want me in Atlanta, there's nothing that I can do to get [to] Atlanta, and then wished me the best of luck. [Blank] did not think that Randy Moss would be a good fit in Atlanta."

Ouch. Must have been hard for a guy like Moss to hear the word no. Nice to see that being an immature jerk is still frowned upon by some teams.

Batwings

This is pretty cool. Apparently the UK military is considering using a backpack wing apparatus for the insertion of special forces troops. They would allow troops to jump out of a plane and glide 120 miles to the destination. You know, kind of like Batman in Batman Begins, except going a lot further. Not quite as cool as a cape, but pretty close. The wings would be almost impossible to detect on radar. I'm fairly sure I had a GI Joe that had similar gear, but maybe I'm wrong. I predict a big-budget action movie using these things in the near future.

Re: Just Stupid

I think this was the funniest thing I've read in a long time: "Even when I go to the gym I'm being accused of playing ball like him (Jordan)," Heckard said." What? How does that stadium chant go again..."Bull----, bull----, bull----, ..."

Stop the bleeding!

Brendan Shanahan is leaving the Red Wings and going to New York to play for the Rangers. I know Detroit isn't a great place to live, but this is getting ridiculous. In the space of a week Detroit has lost all of its active major sports heroes. Ouch. If the Tigers didn't have the best record in baseball Detroit fans would be in a deep depression. I think that news pretty much ruined my afternoon.

Detroit's Mt. Rushmore

Terry Foster of the Detroit News has an article today asking: "Who belongs on Detroit's sports Mt. Rushmore?" Listing the requirements as being a current active player on a Detroit team, being popular, having a Hall of Fame caliber career or at least playing on all-star teams, and possibly longevity. His list: Chauncey Billups, Nicklas Lidstrom, Pudge Rodriguez, and Brendan Shanahan. I'd say that's a pretty good list based on those qualifications. Foster's all-time list is Gordie Howe, Al Kaline, boxer Joe Louis, and Isiah Thomas.

I found this article particularly interesting because I have my own "Mt. Rushmore" in my apartment. When I moved and needed some color in my apartment I thought about buying a bunch of 8x10s of Detroit sports heroes. I still think this would be a cool thing to do, but I went with McFarlane figures instead because I thought they made a better display. So my qualifications went like this 1) Had to be available in plastic form from McFarlane, 2) Had to be a sports hero in the state of Michigan, 3) I had to have some affinity for them. The current roster looks like this, from left to right across the shelf:

1. Barry Sanders: No explanation needed here. Barry's the best running back to ever play in the NFL and the most electrifying player who's ever played, forget what they say about Vick.


2. Brett Hull: Even though he wasn't there for back-to-back Stanley Cups like Yzerman or Shanahan, he's still one of the guys I think of when I think of great Wings. Plus, he still won the Cup with the Wings.


3. Steve Yzerman: What can I say about the Captain that hasn't been said. This pose is how I'll always remember him.


4. Brendan Shanahan: He was the key addition that allowed the Wings to win back-to-back Cups, and has been a great player ever since. Probably the most recognizable Wing now that Yzerman has retired.


5. Ben Wallace: This one has come into question a bit in the past week. Still, Wallace has been the face of the Pistons and their return to glory. And who didn't love the 'fro? The one I have is in the white uniform.


That's it for now. Maybe someday soon there will be new faces that qualify or some old ones will be available. Magic Johnson is coming out soon and he might qualify on the strength of his career as a Spartan. Who am I missing? Who would you have?

Super Manning Bros.

There's an article up over at Yahoo about the brothers Manning and their work at the Manning Passing Academy, and in the New Orleans area in general. There hasn't been quite as much negative publicity for NFL players this offseason as there has been in the last few, but it's still refreshing to read about players giving back instead of acting like privileged punks.

Are you man enough?

According to Yahoo, our fantasy draft is 57 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes from now. Are you ready? Obviously you're not. So here's some help from FoxSports. By the way, don't expect fantasy help from ESPN unless you hand over your wallet. Jerks. Anyway, the real question is: "Are you man enough to face the Battletoads?" The defending champ says you're not. Out.

Just Stupid

I think this may be the dumbest legal action I've ever heard of. A guy is suing Michael Jordan and Phil Knight for $832 million because... wait for it... Jordan looks like him and he's tired of being mistaken for Michael. I'll admit it: I'm just not up to the task of ridiculing this guy. I couldn't possibly right anything harsh enough to do his stupidity justice. If a judge doesn't throw this suit out as fast as is possible, then the judge ought to be hanged. The lawyer too, but that's just on principle. If this guy has any friends, they really need to beat him up.

Web Page

Adam, do you still have that webpage at www.geocities.com/stack_guy32 or something like that? Is it still updated? Or, has this blogging site replaced that website?

Norks Nukes

North Korean missiles fall into the ocean faster than we can shoot them down. Watch for the press to report this as a failure of our missile defense.

(And yes, their leader is as nuts as his hair is poofy.)

Penguin Dance?

Kornheiser doing the penguin dance:



You know, I think I might even be able to do that one. Not that I would. Ever.

Bye-Bye Ben

I guess Ben Wallace just couldn't stand to stay in Detroit without Steve Yzerman as captain of the Red Wings, so he's headed to Chicago. This is pretty disappointing since Wallace is the signature member of this Pistons squad. Joe Dumars promised to make him the highest paid player on the team and kept his word with the offer that was made. But the Bulls offered more, a four-year deal starting at $14 million. The Pistons weren't going to offer more than $12 million. At first glance, this seems like a terrible thing for the Pistons. But is it? As the article by Chris McCosky linked above says, how good is Ben Wallace now?

"Wallace has some good years left, there's no question about that. But he might not have any great years left. His days of grabbing 1,000-plus rebounds in a season are probably over. While he can still dominate a game on the defensive end, he hasn't shown the ability to do so consistently, night after night like he once did.

He was essentially not a factor in the last two playoff rounds this season. He never looked older than he did against the Heat. Dumars had to throw that into the equation.

Wallace's stubbornness and petulance got the better of him on occasion this season. His refusal to enter a game in Orlando in April is only one example. He had several blow-ups in practice, as well, and hasn't gotten along real well with any of his last three coaches."

Dumars has made a lot of good moves in his time with the Pistons, with few stinkers (Darko). Hopefully the Pistons can come out of this as a better team.

UPDATE: Wow, that was fast. The Pistons have reached an agreement with center Nazr Mohammed. Yes, he's not the player that Wallace is, but he comes $9 million cheaper. Practically a bargain.

Happy Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July everyone.

Yzerman Retires

Steve Yzerman announced today that he is retiring from the NHL.
Yzerman, who is 41, has played 22 years, all with the Red Wings, and has been their captain for 19 of those years, making him the longest-serving captain in NHL history. Not surprising then that Yzerman will be remembered for his leadership. The Wings will miss him sorely. The moment he was handed the Stanley Cup in '97 after sweeping the Flyers and skated around the Joe is one of my top 5 sports memories, probably number three. The Wings just won't be the same next year. Whoever is chosen to be captain next year, there will never be another "Captain". Thanks Steve.

UPDATE: ESPN has a list of the top 10 Yzerman moments here.

Batman: The Case Mod

ExtremeTech has just announced the first winner of their 3rd annual case mod competition. As you can see in the pic, it's a Batman-themed mod. The creator says it took 17 months to build and the whole contraption, stand and case, weigh 100 lbs. Wow. I'm always amazed at what these guys can do. That is one seriously cool mod. If you like Batman, otherwise I guess you'd think it's a waste of time and money. If you like this, check out some of the other case mods on that portion of the site, like the R2-D2 or the TIE Fighter, which was last year's winner.

Right to Jihad

Mark Steyn's article from the Chicago Sun-Times does a great job summing up the problems I've had with the Supreme Court's latest decision. It also does a good job giving you the main idea behind the Geneva Conventions. Very good reading. (Hat tip: The Corner)

Push On

With everything else going on this week I managed to mostly miss that Northwestern coach Randy Walker died Thursday night at the age of 52. Northwestern has always had the odds stacked against them in Big Ten athletic competition, but Walker had shaped the Wildcats into a respectable team. He took NU to 3 bowl games and had beaten every team in the conference at least once. More on Walker from Ivan Maisel here.

Maisel also has an interesting article up that assigns one player from college football history to each number 1-100 (yes, someone wore 100 one season). Check it out and then get ready to argue. Maybe someday when I'm feeling really motivated, I'll make an all-time 1-99 Spartan team.

More Spider-man 3

Thought I'd follow up my previous Spider-man post with a picture from the trailer:


Enjoy.

Thought for the Day

"...for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved."
-2 Peter 2:19 (New American Standard Bible)

Hamdan

I don't follow legal proceedings much generally, and I haven't been following the Hamdan case in particular. But when I read about the decision, I was pissed. Mark Levin at National Review says many of the things I was thinking, he just does it a lot better.

Spider-Man 3 Trailer

Not into Superman, but still want to see some movie superhero action? Check out the new trailer for Spider-man 3 here in HD. You could check it out at a normal resolution too, if you're uncool. It looks pretty sweet. My only concerns so far, which are fairly small because I trust director Sam Raimi (he's a Spartan after all): 1. I see the Green Goblin, Sandman, and Venom in the trailer. Isn't 3 villains pushing it? 2. Here's how the black costume ought to look:


But what it looks like in the trailer is just a black version of the movie suit. I'm sure there's a good story explanation for this, but it's still disappointing to me since the classic black Spider-man/Venom costume is one of my favorite superhero costumes ever. I'm still really looking forward to the movie though, nitpicks aside. The sequel was better than the first, hopefully the third will outshine the second.

Re: 128

Amen brotha! The NCAA is weak and they are going to fold under the pressure of "let's add more teams because there might be more George Mason's out there." Don't play the George Mason card. Every year it's going to be a different mid-major bubble team that will go on a run. And each year it will be more than just one team because of parity and lack of fundamentals (but we're a dang good 3-pt shooting team.)

I don't see them doubling any time soon. They will expand for sure, most predictably by having 4 play-in games instead of just the one. You know that's the easiest way they'll expand to keep people "happy." Just like the easiest way the NBA could make more money from the playoffs was to expand the first round series to 7 games instead of 5. What took Stern so long to figure that one out?

It is supposed to be an honor to make it to the Big Dance. The standards are pretty cut and dry for the Tourney: 20 wins or win the conference tournament or show that you can beat some of the ranked teams. If you can't qualify through one of those options, what makes anyone think you deserve to be in the Tourney? If you didn't prove your worth by wins, the conference tournament, or competing with the big boys, why would we think you'd prove something in the Big Dance?

Don't water down what is already perfect. The tournament is about finding a champion. Not who can extend their season a little longer but still come up short. No bubble team or mid-major will ever win the whole tournament, so why prolong the inevitable? Sure, more exposure for the school = more money. But so does having a quality team that actually wins. I could go on and on but I guess I'll just stop now.

No one is pissed at Miles Brand for not letting Michigan in the tournament. We're pissed at Tommy Amaker for having an underachieving team down the stretch.

128

Apparently, some college basketball coaches want to double the size of the NCAA tourney. Now, I've said that expanding the tourney was a bad idea already, so you can guess what I think about doubling it. Some of their reasoning:

1. There are lots of good teams that don't make it in the field.
2. The current size has been in place for a while now.
3. Postseason bids help coaches keep their jobs.

Wow, those are great arguments, aren't they? First, the time argument is silly. By that logic sometime in the future every team should get a chance to be in the field just because they exist. The other two come down to one thing: winning. You want to keep your job? Win the game. You want to be in the tournament? Win the game. Don't change the rules because it's too hard. Boo hoo.

Will there be donkeys?

Futurama is returning to television. Comedy Central has ordered 13 new episodes. The voice talent from previous epidsodes will return. The new episodes will air sometime in 2008. This is great news. Futurama, even in reruns, is one of the funniest shows on television, superior to even the Simpsons. And we'll get more Bender. And Zoidberg. Hooray!

Big (11) Ten TV Announcements

The Big Ten Conference announced new media agreements this week, which included a new contract with ABC/ESPN and an agreement with Fox Cable Networks to create the Big Ten Channel. Both will begin in August 2007. There are lots of little tidbits in the press release, but I'll point out the big one: "All regional afternoon football games aired on ABC will be aired by ESPN/ESPN2 in outer-markets, making these games nationally available." Between that and the up to 41 total games that could be on the networks, that's a lot of Big Ten football. It's also very good news for a Spartan in Minneapolis, I might be able to watch most of State's football season. Now the question remains: Will I want to?

Go read...

...Day by Day right now, you cheeky wee monkeys. Today's is really funny. That is all.

Brown Out

Larry Brown isn't going to have to wait for wanderlust to set in, he can go looking for a new job right now. Said team chairman James Dolan: "Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don't." That's deep. Brown will be replaced by... you guessed it, Isiah Thomas. Somehow I doubt this move will magically change the roster of losers Thomas has assembled. Good luck anyhow.

Stolen Monkeys

There has been a rash of monkey thefts in England, which you can read a little about here and here. I first heard about the monkey-napping on the Late Late Show, you can watch the monologue here (June 20th). I was going to write more, but you should really just watch the clip.

World Cup Coverage

I've noticed a severe lack of interest in the FIFA World Cup around here. Click here for exciting coverage, 100% not made-up to mock how mind-numbingly boring that wonderful excuse for rioting and hooliginery is.

Hey Vegas, what are the odds that...

...three Detroit professional sports teams will finish their regular season all in the same 2005-2006 season with the best record overall? Oh, and, just for fun, what are the odds the Tigers will advance further in the post season?

Not bowing down to "Coach P"

Well, I guess Pat Riley can still coach...errrrr....win an NBA championship with the best players.

Proper flag procedures

I was never sure on what all the rules were for flying a flag. Never really thought about flying one because of it. Now I won't fly one because I live in an apartment, ergo I have no place for a flagpole. http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html

Daily Aside

I've noticed that at work lately every day there seems to be a side joke that runs the whole day. Last Friday, it was the email about Pi. Today, it was Monty Python's The Lumberjack Song, which you can view here. Our quality engineer played this ringtone on a phone and I've had it stuck in my head ever since. Now you can too.

DS Lite

Since I made such a big deal about the New Super Mario Bros. I thought I should mention the new Nintendo DS Lite, which was released yesterday. Basically it's a smaller DS with a brighter screen. You can read a more in-depth review here. It even has pictures, which prove, among other things, that the DS Lite is smaller than a brick.

Bad News

What's about the worst news you could imagine if you were the management of the Pittsburgh Steelers? How about Ben Roethlisberger getting injured in a motorcycle crash in which he was not wearing a helmet? Yeah, that would about do it. Roethlisberger is in serious but stable condition. This is why teams absolutely hate athletes on motorcycles. I would be really surprised if another big-name QB gets to sign a contract that doesn't have a no-motorcycle clause in it.

Adam - Weekend Plans

Adam, what are your weekend plans? Obviously there is the wedding. I will not be at the wedding. I'm umpiring in Midland and should be home around 2 pm. However, Monday is Mandy's birthday (her first one with me, so there is added pressure to leave a lasting impression which means I have to "hit one out of the ballpark" so she remembers the birthday). I am taking her to see "Wicked" at the Masonic Temple Theater in D-town. The show is at 8pm. I don't think I'll be seeing you at all on Saturday. Also, if you do happen to see Mandy, do not mention anything about the theater or any weekend plans.

Sunday I am planning a Beach Party at the cottage. Everyone is invited to show up after 2 pm. The water was very comfortable on Memorial Day. So, do you think you can make it to the cottage on Sunday?

U.S. Basketball Sucks

Or so says David Stern. Well, maybe not in so many words. The short version: American kids learn flash and not substance when playing basketball growing up, foreigners learn fundamentals. Talent isn't enough to keep you going in a league like the NBA, so foreigners are slowly becoming a larger part of the NBA, up to about 20% of players now. Less Americans=less interest from fans. So you can see whey Stern is a little upset. But can anything be done?

Pi

The first 10,000 digits of Pi:

3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 3421170679 8214808651 3282306647 0938446095 5058223172 5359408128 4811174502 8410270193 8521105559 6446229489 5493038196 4428810975 6659334461 2847564823 3786783165 2712019091 4564856692 3460348610 4543266482 1339360726 0249141273 7245870066 0631558817 4881520920 9628292540 9171536436 7892590360 0113305305 4882046652 1384146951 9415116094 3305727036 5759591953 0921861173 8193261179 3105118548 0744623799 6274956735 1885752724 8912279381 8301194912 9833673362 4406566430 8602139494 6395224737 1907021798 6094370277 0539217176 2931767523 8467481846 7669405132 0005681271 4526356082 7785771342 7577896091 7363717872 1468440901 2249534301 4654958537 1050792279 6892589235 4201995611 2129021960 8640344181 5981362977 4771309960 5187072113 4999999837 2978049951 0597317328 1609631859 5024459455 3469083026 4252230825 3344685035 2619311881 7101000313 7838752886 5875332083 8142061717 7669147303 5982534904 2875546873 1159562863 8823537875 9375195778 1857780532 1712268066 1300192787 6611195909 2164201989 3809525720 1065485863 2788659361 5338182796 8230301952 0353018529 6899577362 2599413891 2497217752 8347913151 5574857242 4541506959 5082953311 6861727855 8890750983 8175463746 4939319255 0604009277 0167113900 9848824012 8583616035 6370766010 4710181942 9555961989 4676783744 9448255379 7747268471 0404753464 6208046684 2590694912 9331367702 8989152104 7521620569 6602405803 8150193511 2533824300 3558764024 7496473263 9141992726 0426992279 6782354781 6360093417 2164121992 4586315030 2861829745 5570674983 8505494588 5869269956 9092721079 7509302955 3211653449 8720275596 0236480665 4991198818 3479775356 6369807426 5425278625 5181841757 4672890977 7727938000 8164706001 6145249192 1732172147 7235014144 1973568548 1613611573 5255213347 5741849468 4385233239 0739414333 4547762416 8625189835 6948556209 9219222184 2725502542 5688767179 0494601653 4668049886 2723279178 6085784383 8279679766 8145410095 3883786360 9506800642 2512520511 7392984896 0841284886 2694560424 1965285022 2106611863 0674427862 2039194945 0471237137 8696095636 4371917287 4677646575 7396241389 0865832645 9958133904 7802759009 9465764078 9512694683 9835259570 9825822620 5224894077 2671947826 8482601476 9909026401 3639443745 5305068203 4962524517 4939965143 1429809190 6592509372 2169646151 5709858387 4105978859 5977297549 8930161753 9284681382 6868386894 2774155991 8559252459 5395943104 9972524680 8459872736 4469584865 3836736222 6260991246 0805124388 4390451244 1365497627 8079771569 1435997700 1296160894 4169486855 5848406353 4220722258 2848864815 8456028506 0168427394 5226746767 8895252138 5225499546 6672782398 6456596116 3548862305 7745649803 5593634568 1743241125 1507606947 9451096596 0940252288 7971089314 5669136867 2287489405 6010150330 8617928680 9208747609 1782493858 9009714909 6759852613 6554978189 3129784821 6829989487 2265880485 7564014270 4775551323 7964145152 3746234364 5428584447 9526586782 1051141354 7357395231 1342716610 2135969536 2314429524 8493718711 0145765403 5902799344 0374200731 0578539062 1983874478 0847848968 3321445713 8687519435 0643021845 3191048481 0053706146 8067491927 8191197939 9520614196 6342875444 0643745123 7181921799 9839101591 9561814675 1426912397 4894090718 6494231961 5679452080 9514655022 5231603881 9301420937 6213785595 6638937787 0830390697 9207734672 2182562599 6615014215 0306803844 7734549202 6054146659 2520149744 2850732518 6660021324 3408819071 0486331734 6496514539 0579626856 1005508106 6587969981 6357473638 4052571459 1028970641 4011097120 6280439039 7595156771 5770042033 7869936007 2305587631 7635942187 3125147120 5329281918 2618612586 7321579198 4148488291 6447060957 5270695722 0917567116 7229109816 9091528017 3506712748 5832228718 3520935396 5725121083 5791513698 8209144421 0067510334 6711031412 6711136990 8658516398 3150197016 5151168517 1437657618 3515565088 4909989859 9823873455 2833163550 7647918535 8932261854 8963213293 3089857064 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"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Have you ever wanted to be a superhero? Well Marvel Ultimate Alliance is giving you the chance. You can audition online or through the mail for the voice parts of Bruce Banner or Jean Grey. Various prizes and a trip to L.A. to record their dialogue. Not something I'd do, but I bet a lot of fans will be interested. Great marketing, if nothing else. (Hat Tip: Joystiq)

Who doesn't love robots?

This has to be one of the coolest toys I've ever seen. Even cooler than the dune buggy. Both are part of the Stikfas line of snap-together action figure kits, made by a company in Singapore. You can check out the online catalog, it includes everything from baseball players to ninjas. They are a little short on monkeys though.

In Praise of Video Games

If you're sick of all the flack video games get from attention-seeking politicians and the media, check out this editorial from the Wall Street Journal. It covers ground from Dr. Spock to the Sims, Plato to Wolverine. A quote: "Thanks to The Sims, Mr. Reynolds says, his daughter now knows how to budget and how to read an income statement." If you like the writer, he has a book out called South Park Conservatives.

Failure?

The Pistons' season ended last night in a loss to Miami. Now Detroit's failure is complete. At the beginning of the playoffs it looked like two Detroit teams might win championships, now both are finished. I blame the red uniforms. There's a poll on the Detroit News website: After 2 years in the finals, was this season a failure? 87.19% say yes. They're right.

Down... Set...

Fantasy Football registration is now open at Yahoo. I've already created a league, ID #13827. You should know the password, but if you don't, email me. I know it's early, but it wouldn't hurt to sign up now. Also, the draft is set for Sept. 4 at 7:30 pm. I need to know ASAP if this will be a bad time for anyone and what time would be better. If there's something you didn't like about the league last year let me know while it can still be changed. If you don't say anything now, no whining later. If anyone else has any other ideas get them out so we can discuss. A little work early will make things much better later.

"The team is grossly out of shape."

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports has a very interesting article up about Mike Martz and the Detroit Lions. It shares some good news: Martz is really beating up on this team, calling almost everyone out. This is EXACTLY what this team needs to hear. Check it out.

The Rocket IS Back

Roger Clemens has decided to return to baseball and pitch for the Houston Astros. Read more about it here.

The End of the Line

I think the Pistons are going to reach the end of their playoff run tonight. If you're wondering how the best team in the league got to this point, here's a quote from Bob Wojnowski:

They got here by taking the easy way out, by blaming the coach, by thinking they were better than they were, or assuming the opponent wasn't as good. To be fair, tonight will mark the Pistons' 82nd playoff game in four years, a full extra season of toil. They look worn down, mentally and physically, which was always the risk.

Read the rest here.

The Return of the Rocket?

ESPN is reporting that Roger Clemens has agreed to return to the Houston Astros. The Astros are denying the report, calling the situation "status quo." The Rocket returning is certainly interesting, but what's taking so long? I guess when you're 40+ and a great pitcher you can just sit back and wait for a sweetheart deal.

Can You Believe It?

It's Memorial Day and the Tigers are still the best team in baseball, at least record-wise. They have the best winning percentage at .700; the next best is .653 by the White Sox. Sit back and enjoy. (Photo from AP)

Hall of Heroes

Hall of Heroes lists many servicemen whose heroic efforts are worthy of special note. Might be worth while stopping by on Memorial Day.

Poor Hugo

Hugo Chavez, the "president" of Venezuela, is unhappy about the upcoming video game Mercenaries 2: World In Flames. Or at least his supporters are unhappy. The game is set in a war-torn Venezuela. So, obviously, it must be a plot to prepare the American people to overthrow Chavez. Of course! It's brilliant. A whole generation of soldiers ready to fight Chavez, errr, if they can afford the PS3's $600 price tag. Not that I'd be against overthrowing the crazy commie. Here's all you need to know: "But Cuba doesn’t have a dictatorship – it’s a revolutionary democracy." Or maybe this: "The grand destroyer of the world, and the greatest threat ... is represented by U.S. imperialism." Or maybe one more: "Everyday I become more convinced... that it is necessary to transcend capitalism. But capitalism can’t be transcended from with capitalism itself, but through socialism, true socialism, with equality and justice. But I’m also convinced that it is possible to do it under democracy, but not in the type of democracy being imposed from Washington." (All from WikiQuote) Those crazy dictators. Makes me want to play Mercs 2.

$250...

...or less. That's how much Nintendo's new console will cost. That's more or less what Nintendo fans expected, but it's good news anyway, especially when compared to the hefty price tag of the PS3.

In other Nintendo-related news, Gamedaily.com has a fun article up about the history of Mario. It's really quite amazing how many hit games have been spawned from the franchise.

Up, up, down, down...

This is one of the funniest comics I've ever seen. Look closely at the position of the hands if you don't get it at first. If you still don't get it, well, you haven't played near enough Contra. Or you could just read up on the object of the comic here.

Ghost Rider

I have to say that I've never been a big fan of Ghost Rider. But, if nothing else, you have to admit that he looks really cool. And never more cool than in these trailers. I'm a little apprehensive about Nicolas Cage, but on the other hand, he did take his stage name from a Marvel comic book character. Hopefully this will be as cool as it looks.

Joey on the Lions

Joey Harrington didn't complain while he was Lion, even under the strain of tremendous pressure and derision. Well, now that he's gone to Miami he's free to share his real feelings about the team. Check it out here.

They Didn't Blow It

Well, I'm surprised. The Pistons didn't blow it in game 7 tonight. They played some defense and sent LeBron home. Good riddance. Can you imagine how commentators are going to be slobbering over him next year? Ugh. Now that the ship is righted, it's time to finish this thing off. Go to work, Pistons.

Note to Gatorade

Playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" behind footage advertising the World Cup? Simply unacceptable.

Great Expectations

John Clayton has an article up on ESPN.com about 1st round WR picks and their failures. Here's a stat: "Eleven of the 16 first-round receivers taken between 2000 and 2003 haven't or won't get second contracts from the teams that drafted them." Interesting reading.

More Mass Effect

You can check out some new screens at Game Banshee.

Power Rankings

ESPN.com has their Power Rankings up, and guess who's #1? Well, it's the White Sox. But the Tigers, who have the best record in the league right now, are #2. And they were close to being 1, and could even be considered 1A. Did you know that "the Tigers' pitching staff leads the majors in ERA (3.13) and shutouts (7)." This is simply amazing. Hopefully the Tigers can keep it going and help wash away the bad taste of the Pistons suicidal end to their season.

Minnesota, here we come

Tickets have been ordered for the 2006 Baseball Trip. I've got 6 tickets coming, so if Matt bails out, hopefully Adam has a "friend" or a "co-worker" who can be our 6th ticket. Tickets are $25/person ($21+$3 service charge+$0.50 delivery fee = $25). Peace out.

Wallpaper 5-16-06

More New Super Mario Bros. goodness:

New Super Mario Bros.

I just saw a commercial for the New Super Mario Bros. I want it. It's old school Mario action. And you can play as a giant Mario and destroy everything in your path. Everything you never knew you always wanted in a Mario game. Sigh. My poor wallet.

Around the NFL

Some news from around the NFL:

-The Dolphins have signed Marcus Vick. Mark my words, the Fish will regret this move before the end. Marcus hasn't changed, but he's suckered some people in. Of course if Nick Saban takes a fall, I can't say it will hurt my feelings much.

-The Lions have re-signed Jeff Backus, their best lineman. Took them long enough to make the right move.

-Doug Flutie has decided to retire. If you can't go out on top, I can't think of a better way to leave than that drop-kick.

-Joey Porter has plans to be an idiot. To the president. Because apparently winning the Super Bowl and going to the White House for a celebration earns you the right to have a one-on-one complaint session. Running your mouth to reporters is one thing, to the president is something else entirely. I hope his ego is actually this big and some Secret Service agents take him down. Moron.

Flying Monkeys

You have to love a comic that features flying monkeys emerging from certain orifices. Check out today's Dilbert.

Re: Mass Effect

I kinda like this character myself. By the way, spend that money Adam. You need to spoil yourself, because you can't forget to look out for #1. Someday, I don't know, perhaps there might be someone who thinks you should spend your "toy" money elsewhere.

Mac vs. PC

I'm not a big fan of Macs, or Apple in general. I'm also not usually a fan of ads where one company directly attacks another. So you can guess that I'm really not a fan of the latest Mac commercials. This comic from Ctrl+Alt+Del pretty well sums up what I've been thinking.

HK-47 Quotes

I don't think I really explained how cool HK-47 is in my previous post about Mass Effect. You really need some examples of his dark humor to really appreciate him. So, here's some quotes:

HK-47: Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, master.
Revan: You don't need to call me master, you know.
HK-47: Query: Don't I? I was under the assumption that organic meatbags such as yourself enjoyed such forms of address.
Revan: "Organic meatbags?"
HK-47: Retraction: Did I say that out loud? I apologize, master. While you are a meatbag, I suppose I should not call you as such.
Revan: You just called me a meatbag again!
HK-47: Explanation: It's just that... you have all these squishy parts, master. And all that water! How the constant sloshing doesn't drive you mad, I have no idea...
Revan: Neither do I, come to think of it...
HK-47: Statement: Now do you understand the travails of my existence, master? Surely it does not compare to your existence, but still...
Revan: I survive. Somehow.
HK-47: Commentary: As do I. It is our lot in life, I suppose, master. Shall we find something to kill to cheer ourselves up?

HK-47: Can I break his neck now master? It's been a long time fantasy of mine...
Revan: Maybe later...
HK-47: Did you hear that meatbag? "I'LL BE BACK!"

[Speaking with a Jawa who refers to 'Ghosts in the desert']
HK-47: Explanation: Two per cent probability that the miniature organic is simply looking for trouble and needs to be blasted. That may be wishful thinking on my part, master.

HK-47: Definition: 'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope... Love is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticule, and together, achieving a singular purpose against statistically long odds.

Additional Voices: There's something out there... it got the other submersible already.
HK-47: Suggestion: Perhaps we could dismember the organic? It would make it easier for transport to the surface.
Additional Voices: Hey! Y-you... you can't rip me to pieces! I'll die!!
HK-47: Amendment: I did forget that. Stupid, frail, non-compartmentalized meatbags!

HK-47: Suggestion: Electrocution work well. Evisceration and Decapitation are also effective, or, um, so I've heard.

HK-47: Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, master. Observation: Notice that I did not ask if you need anyone killed. You may be curious as to why. Answer: That is because you told me to stop asking if you needed anyone killed. So I have. From now on, I will simply say, "I am ready to serve." Yes, ready to serve. In whatever way a common protocol or utility droid might serve. It seems that is my lot in life. Not to kill.

HK-47: Statement: Pain is really the only reliable means by which truth may be obtained. Or so I choose to believe.

I'm not sure that does him justice, but it's a start. You can here him in another quote here. Also, here's a Jolee Bindo quote, just for kicks:

Jolee Bindo: I guess you could say I did it all for the Wookiees.
Revan: The Wookiees?
Jolee Bindo: The Wookiees!

It's Early

It's really too early for preseason rankings to amount to anything. They're silly at this time of year. And also mandatory. Here are some from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, who happens to be my favorite writer on Yahoo. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's a fellow Spartan alum. Really.

Mass Effect

Bioware is my favorite video game developer. They made Knights of the Old Republic, which is probably my favorite game ever. I've played that game for over 100 hours easily. During the Christmas break when I first had a chance to play I only took a break to eat, sleep, and let Andy have a turn. It has three of the best Star Wars characters ever in it: Jolee Bindo, Canderous Ordo, and HK-47, who is himself possibly the best SW character ever. Most of the movie characters aren't near as cool as these guys. They also made the game Jade Empire which I'm also a big fan of. It's nearly as addictive as KOTR even though I wouldn't be as inclined to be interested. Great game. Both games were widely considered the RPGs of the year when they came out.

So where's the news? Bioware is releasing a new game, Mass Effect, on the Xbox 360. Which is bad news in a way: it's going to suck up many hours of my life and many dollars out of my pocket to buy a 360. Sigh. But I don't think I've ever been so excited about a video game. You can see a trailer and pics at IGN, where this pic is from.

Finally

Joey Harrington has finally been traded to the Miami Dolphins. The Lions will receive an undisclosed draft choice. Without recapping the entire offseason, let's just say getting rid of Harrington has been a huge mess. I'm not hugely anti-Millen like some are, but this surely wasn't a skillful trade.

In celebration...

...of Big Ben's fourth defensive POY award, a Ben Wallace wallpaper:


Enjoy.

Make Room

Ben Wallace needs another spot in his trophy case. Today, he became only the 2nd player to win NBA defensive player of the year honors 4 times (the other is Dikembe Mutombo). You can read quotes from the press conference here. Congratulations to Big Ben.

Turn your hamster...

...into a fighting machine! This is awesome:


Hat tip: The Corner.

Civil War

Let me ask you a question. How many times do comics get mentioned in the New York Times (not that I actually have much respect of that paper, but it's usually not into such things)? Well, Marvel's "Civil War" summer event has managed that feat (there's also a newer story I couldn't find a link to). It's also been mentioned on NPR and ABC News. Pretty decent press for comics. If you want to see a preview of the story, click here.

Bizarre Stat Line

Here's an interesting excerpt from Jim Caple's column on ESPN.com's Page 2:

You don't see lines like the one Seattle starter Joel Pineiro produced Monday night very often:


9 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K


A complete game without any strikeouts is pretty rare. But a complete game without any strikeouts or walks? According to Elias, the last time a pitcher pulled that off was in 1994 when Pedro Astacio did it. The last American Leaguer to do it was Bill Wegman in 1992.

Fascinating.

Poor Babies

The Lions will lose two days of minicamp next week after the NFLPA and Management Council ruled in favor of a grievance filed by players that the Lions broke the rules pertaining to offseason workouts. This likely means workouts were too strenuous or meetings were too long. The players will of course be paid their daily $110 stipend. As the linked article above states, this is a great start for the worst team in the league over the last 5 seasons. They may have had a legitimate complaint, but all they've done is confirm to Lions fans that they don't want to work. It must be tough having 3+ months off a year.

This article talks about Charles Rogers and his changing role in the new offense. Supposedly he will look more like he did at MSU, streaking down the field to catch TDs. Since the only players streaking in Mooch's offense were defenders running an intercepted ball back this could be a nice change. It also mentions that some experts think the fact that top draft choice Ernie Sims had 5 concussions in his career so far could be a serious concern. No kidding. I'm sure Sims will be a lights-out player in no time.

Leinart seeing Paris?

Well, that's the rumor. Would this really be a good idea for Matt Leinart? I mean, sure, she's rich, and reasonably attractive. But if it's hot chicks you're looking for, I'm sure Matt could find hotter young starlets. Hard to beat the money, but how many millions do you need? And then there's that stupid little dog...

Baseball Buddy Trip

Here's an article on Yahoo Sports about taking a "baseball buddy trip." There's schedules and everthing. All I can say is we're way ahead of the curve on this one.

18-1

It's a good thing I haven't switched allegiances in moving to the Twin Cities or the 18-1 shellacking of the Twins by the Tigers would really hurt. This was the most runs scored by the Tigers since Aug. 8, 2001. The last time they won by 17 was April 17, 1993. ESPN has more stats here.

NFL Draft Observations

-Is there a more annoying commentator than Michael Irvin? Seriously, the guy makes all sorts of big statements, but couldn't defend an argument to save his life.

-If Leinart falls to #9, would the Lions take him? I'm not sure how I'd feel about that.

-In 10 years Leinart will be thought of as a better QB than Vince Young. Unless he goes to the Lions, in which case all bets are off.

UPDATE 1: I'm glad Matt Leinart wasn't selected by the Lions. I think he's going to be a great player, but I'm sure the Lions would've ruined him.

-I think I would have preferred Chad Greenway to Ernie Sims, but what do I know?

-If I was an owner of a team, I wouldn't want my players on ESPN speculating about who the team should pick. It just seems like a way to cause trouble later.

UPDATE 2: I didn't think the Lions needed another RB, but I'm kind of excited about Brian Calhoun. The first thing I think of when I hear his name is that he scored 5 TDs in one game for Wisconsin. Some compare him to Warrick Dunn. If Kevin Jones can can get it going this year and he has a guy like Calhoun to spell him, maybe the Lions can develop a real running game.

With the first pick...

The Texans have defied the conventional wisdome surrounding this draft and selected DE Mario Williams with the first pick. Len Pasquarelli thinks it's a stupid decision. Williams is being compared to Julius Peppers and even Lawrence Taylor, but he wasn't dominating in college. As Pasquarelli notes, "He had sacks in just 16 of his 36 appearances for the Wolfpack." In the economy of today's NFL a star DE is probably worth more than a star RB, and harder to replace, but the fact that we're talking about potential vs. amazing skills means Mario Williams might become the most harshly criticized draft pick since Darko if he can't perform.

Wii?

Apparently Nintendo officially announced the name of their next generation console yesterday. It had been going by the code name "Revolution", which sounded pretty cool. Not short, but it held the promise of Nintendo making progress at getting away from its kiddie image. But Revolution has been scrapped for, wait for it... Wii. Sounds like "we". Or maybe wee. Sigh. Nintendo never ceases to amaze with their marketing skills, or their uncanny knack for making bad choices.

Mountain Dew

I don't have anything interesting to post today, but I felt the need to mention Mountain Dew. Did you know MD was originally marketed as "zero proof moonshine." Or that the Dew sold in Canada and Australia is caffeine-free (What's the point, really!?!) More Dew facts at Wikipedia.

Draft Profiles

With the NFL Draft only a week away the buzz is starting to intensify. While that can become pretty annoying, there are some good articles out there about the soon-to-be NFL stars. Here's one from Len Pasquarelli about RB DeAngelo Williams, and another from John Clayton about TE Vernon Davis. Take note of both, you'll surely hear much more about them next season.

Wallpaper 4-22-06

The Grid from Digital Blasphemy.

"I don't have the money WITH me."

I'll admit that I'm a bit of a geek. Maybe more than a bit, especially when it comes to Star Wars. But, I usually don't go for high-end collectibles. They look cool, but it's pretty hard to justify dropping $100+ on a decoration. But these bookends from Gentle Giant might be able to change that. Solo even looks like Harrison Ford, which doesn't happen in most Han Solo collectibles. At least it doesn't come out until October, so I'll have plenty of time to set aside some cash.

Wings Win!

The Red Wings just won their opening playoff game 3-2 in double OT on Kirk Maltby's second goal. Detroit outshot Edmonton 57 to 25, but Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson kept them in the game with 54 saves. Robert Lang had the other goal for the Wings.

Can they do it?

Could the Pistons and Red Wings pull off an unprecedented feat by winning both the NBA Championship and the Stanley Cup? Both teams aren't just good, they're the top seeds in their respective playoffs, which is unprecedented in itself. Read the article for a far better set up than I can provide.

Secret Passageways

This settles it: I need to build a house. Found at the Corner.

Re: A First Place Moment

Not only did Detroit have 3 professional teams in First place yesterday until 3 pm, but when the Tigers were 5-0, Detroit had 3 professional teams not just in first place, but with the best record in their sport or tied for best record. Can a brother get a Boo-yah?