Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Another One
I've went and created a third blog, Monkie Quote. It's basically just a spot to store quotes in a format that can be searched through easily. I've already added all the post marked "quotes" from both here and Monkie's Progress. If anyone wants to be invited as a member let me know and I'll get the invitation sent out.
PR Nightmare
There's been a lot of people unhappy with the Big Ten Network. Apparently, Tom Izzo is one of them. Izzo had this to say yesterday:
Of course, the network claims Izzo is just frustrated, and, what do you know, they are too. Well, I'm glad they're feeling my pain, but empathy doesn't but MSU on my television. It's a disaster for them that the Big Ten's highest profile coach says the network isn't working. If they don't get things fixed soon, people are just going to walk away, and that definitely isn't good for the conference.
I think it has been a PR nightmare. And, I think it has hurt all of us.
Of course, the network claims Izzo is just frustrated, and, what do you know, they are too. Well, I'm glad they're feeling my pain, but empathy doesn't but MSU on my television. It's a disaster for them that the Big Ten's highest profile coach says the network isn't working. If they don't get things fixed soon, people are just going to walk away, and that definitely isn't good for the conference.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Great idea, Teach
Here is another wonderful idea by my Stats teacher. This is an email that was sent to him that he sent to everyone in class:
Dear all,
If you are teaching a class which is likely to have math majors who are NOT graduating this semester, please read on.
The email below describes an interesting housing opportunity for student clubs. Students (through a club, say the Math Club) with similar interests can apply to basically room together in a town house on campus. This would allow some of our on-campus math majors to share close proximity, a kitchen, and their own meeting space -- great conditions for doing mathematics.
I would appreciate if you could announce this to your class. Students can email me to express interest. But we have to hurry. The deadline is February 22.
Thanks!
Tony
Sign me up Tony! I dream about the possibility of living with some nerd doing mathematics together at our own little meeting space.
Dear all,
If you are teaching a class which is likely to have math majors who are NOT graduating this semester, please read on.
The email below describes an interesting housing opportunity for student clubs. Students (through a club, say the Math Club) with similar interests can apply to basically room together in a town house on campus. This would allow some of our on-campus math majors to share close proximity, a kitchen, and their own meeting space -- great conditions for doing mathematics.
I would appreciate if you could announce this to your class. Students can email me to express interest. But we have to hurry. The deadline is February 22.
Thanks!
Tony
Sign me up Tony! I dream about the possibility of living with some nerd doing mathematics together at our own little meeting space.
How about never...jerk
That title is taken from one of Jim Rome's popular resets of salesmen who come to his house (or call his office) and knock on his door trying to sell a product.
Rome: "Thanks a lot man, but I'm just not interested."
Salesman: "...I'll tell you what. I'll come back next week. Which day is best for you, Tuesday or Wednesday?"
Rome: "Um...how about NEVER, jerk. I don't want it. Get out."
Which leads me to share with you a moment in the life of a college student taking Math 304 Probability and Statistics from SVSU. Here is a little background. The professor is easily 70 years old. I don't know if he's 75, but Joe Pa could run circles around this goof. He certainly knows math, but doesn't know how to teach it. He just knows it. He can do it, but not show us how to. Basically he fits the model to a T of what I've been told about the math department at SVSU before taking any classes there. "The instructors are geniuses, but don't have a clue of how to teach it. They just expect you to get it." He's constantly being corrected by other classmates and always loses his place. I really don't find him boring because I kinda like the thought of probability scenarios. But, he makes it a ton more difficult in his teaching strategy.
Oh, he also has absolutely no clue of time managment. Class is supposed to be finished at 12:50 and at 12:51 he's still rolling like he's got 2 more hours of material to cover. You remember how it is. At 12:45, everyone pretty much starts making that "class is over" noise. The sound of books closing, bags unzipping, putting notebooks away, putting coats on, etc. Just to give the instructor the hint in case they're in the zone and didn't notice the time. Well, this cat just keeps going. In fact, numerous times someone has had to say, "can we just save this until next class?" Then Tyler, the instructor, responds, "well, if you have to go, go ahead. But, if you don't have anywhere to go, just stay for another 5-10 minutes and we'll be done."
We've also had 2 classes canceled due to the weather. And Wednesday is our last class before spring break (next week) and we still haven't had a test in the class.
The following is an unoffical transcript (but pretty accurate) of what took place as class was starting today:
Tyler: I want to check something. Did everybody get what I sent out?
Classmates: I didn't. No. Nope. I didn't either...etc.
Tyler: Well, I wanted to send out a poll to find out what would work best to make up those 2 classes we had canceled; a Friday evening, a Saturday, or a Sunday.
Nathan: (Thinking about what Jim Rome would say and also how Anti-Guza this teacher was) Um, how about never.
I'll leave you hangin' with that picture. I have more about this instructor and I'll tie it in with another timewaster that was showed to me by Mandy Ross.
Rome: "Thanks a lot man, but I'm just not interested."
Salesman: "...I'll tell you what. I'll come back next week. Which day is best for you, Tuesday or Wednesday?"
Rome: "Um...how about NEVER, jerk. I don't want it. Get out."
Which leads me to share with you a moment in the life of a college student taking Math 304 Probability and Statistics from SVSU. Here is a little background. The professor is easily 70 years old. I don't know if he's 75, but Joe Pa could run circles around this goof. He certainly knows math, but doesn't know how to teach it. He just knows it. He can do it, but not show us how to. Basically he fits the model to a T of what I've been told about the math department at SVSU before taking any classes there. "The instructors are geniuses, but don't have a clue of how to teach it. They just expect you to get it." He's constantly being corrected by other classmates and always loses his place. I really don't find him boring because I kinda like the thought of probability scenarios. But, he makes it a ton more difficult in his teaching strategy.
Oh, he also has absolutely no clue of time managment. Class is supposed to be finished at 12:50 and at 12:51 he's still rolling like he's got 2 more hours of material to cover. You remember how it is. At 12:45, everyone pretty much starts making that "class is over" noise. The sound of books closing, bags unzipping, putting notebooks away, putting coats on, etc. Just to give the instructor the hint in case they're in the zone and didn't notice the time. Well, this cat just keeps going. In fact, numerous times someone has had to say, "can we just save this until next class?" Then Tyler, the instructor, responds, "well, if you have to go, go ahead. But, if you don't have anywhere to go, just stay for another 5-10 minutes and we'll be done."
We've also had 2 classes canceled due to the weather. And Wednesday is our last class before spring break (next week) and we still haven't had a test in the class.
The following is an unoffical transcript (but pretty accurate) of what took place as class was starting today:
Tyler: I want to check something. Did everybody get what I sent out?
Classmates: I didn't. No. Nope. I didn't either...etc.
Tyler: Well, I wanted to send out a poll to find out what would work best to make up those 2 classes we had canceled; a Friday evening, a Saturday, or a Sunday.
Nathan: (Thinking about what Jim Rome would say and also how Anti-Guza this teacher was) Um, how about never.
I'll leave you hangin' with that picture. I have more about this instructor and I'll tie it in with another timewaster that was showed to me by Mandy Ross.
Another Timewaster
Add this site to the list of website timewasters. It's mostly a football website for the history of high school football in Michigan. I've known of this site for about 4 years but found some new links to make it even more addicting. I have no idea who has the time to put in all the NFL schedules for every team since 1945...but God bless them! This is the original link for all the high school football you'll need to know for Michigan. I don't recommend you spend much time looking at the Lions record books.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Washout
There's another interesting article by O'Hara at the Detroit News site that's mainly about the Lions looking to trade Shaun Rogers. What caught my eye though was blurb about former Lions 1st-round pick WR Mike Williams. According to the article Williams may be on his way out with his 3rd team, the Titans, and may be up to 280 lbs. Watching sports you see plenty of examples of guys who waste amazing talent by making bad decisions, being selfish, etc. But I don't think I've ever seen a professional athlete waste so much potential by simply being lazy. I understand that Williams might not love football, but how could you potentially be able to do something so well and just throw it away?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
What?
Rex Grossman has signed a one-year contract with the Bears. Sure, this doesn't seem like terribly notable news, except for one thing: last fall, there were few athletes criticized as much as Grossman around these parts. It was far worse than what Kitna had to deal with. Now, he'll be back competing for the starting job with Kyle Orton and whoever else the Bears bring in. I can't imagine Chicago fans are thrilled with this news.
"I'd blame me, too."
There's an interesting interview of Matt Millen by Mike O'Hara over at the Detroit News website. The best quote is in the title of this post, but many other topics are covered as well. Check it out.
Also, a blog-related side note: February 2008 is now the month with the most posts since the blog started. The previous record was 50, this post will make 53 this month.
Also, a blog-related side note: February 2008 is now the month with the most posts since the blog started. The previous record was 50, this post will make 53 this month.
Resigned
Kelvin Sampson is done at IU after accepting a $750,000 buyout of his contract. A couple of thoughts here:
1. Didn't Sampson have language in his contract specifically forbidding him from doing what he did? If I broke major rules at work at I'd be fired right away. Why does Sampson get to walk away with $750,000?
2. From the article: "Some players threatened to sit out the game as a protest." Okay, I get this if your coach was fired for poor performance and you disagree. Heck, I've been there myself (sort of). But if he's fired for cheating, what are you protesting?
3. Let's say Sampson coached all season and IU won the tournament. Wouldn't they be in danger of losing that championship?
1. Didn't Sampson have language in his contract specifically forbidding him from doing what he did? If I broke major rules at work at I'd be fired right away. Why does Sampson get to walk away with $750,000?
2. From the article: "Some players threatened to sit out the game as a protest." Okay, I get this if your coach was fired for poor performance and you disagree. Heck, I've been there myself (sort of). But if he's fired for cheating, what are you protesting?
3. Let's say Sampson coached all season and IU won the tournament. Wouldn't they be in danger of losing that championship?
Tournament Pick'em
There's a new Tournament Pick'em Group at Yahoo! Sports. The group ID number is 4311 and the password is, of course, monkie. Haven't got the invitation emails out yet, but you don't have to wait.
UPDATE: Clicking this link should do most of the work for you.
UPDATE: Clicking this link should do most of the work for you.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Surprise!
According to the Detroit News, the fears of boys and girls basketball being negatively impacted by the scheduling change has come to pass. Who would have thought? Are you saying people don't want to go to a HS basketball game EVERY night of the week? Can't imagine.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Jiffy What?
I believe we all agree that a critical part of any business specializing in rapid oil changes is having oil available. Apparently we would be wrong.
On two successive visits to a nearby Jiffylube, I have been informed that they had no 5W-30. The first time it was supposedly due to a late truck. This was forgivable, as we had just had a heavy snow, though a prudent manager would have perhaps thought "Hey, its Michigan, in the winter. There might be snow. I should have extra oil on hand." One showing initiative may have went across the road to Walmart and bought some, or tried to buy a barrel off a dealer at the automall, which is, to my knowledge, the largest collection of car dealerships in the state. Regardless, a one time fluke is inconvenient, but within reason.
Imagine my surprise when, upon returning a full week later, I was turned away again. No offer of compensation, just a mumbled excuse from a rather dejected attendant that I didn't really follow (I presume he had turned away many people and was not terribly pleased with his job). I informed the him that I would not be returning, ever. I would write a letter of complaint, but if the company can't figure out, on their own, that someone needs to be fired, then I don't see why I should help them.
So business 101: if you sell a product, have product to sell.
On two successive visits to a nearby Jiffylube, I have been informed that they had no 5W-30. The first time it was supposedly due to a late truck. This was forgivable, as we had just had a heavy snow, though a prudent manager would have perhaps thought "Hey, its Michigan, in the winter. There might be snow. I should have extra oil on hand." One showing initiative may have went across the road to Walmart and bought some, or tried to buy a barrel off a dealer at the automall, which is, to my knowledge, the largest collection of car dealerships in the state. Regardless, a one time fluke is inconvenient, but within reason.
Imagine my surprise when, upon returning a full week later, I was turned away again. No offer of compensation, just a mumbled excuse from a rather dejected attendant that I didn't really follow (I presume he had turned away many people and was not terribly pleased with his job). I informed the him that I would not be returning, ever. I would write a letter of complaint, but if the company can't figure out, on their own, that someone needs to be fired, then I don't see why I should help them.
So business 101: if you sell a product, have product to sell.
Crunch
Some pictures from an email I received from a co-worker entitled "Never drop your tractor bucket while in road gear..."
Notice the tractor is not green.
Notice the tractor is not green.
Never Go Back
Here's a bit of a speech by Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama, at UCLA, from Jim Geraghty of The Campaign Spot at NRO:Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.
That's a little scary. Require? Demand? Never allow? Excuse me, but I like my darn comfort zone, and no presidential candidate has any business telling me what I should do with it. The older I get, the more politics for me boils down to this: "Leave me alone." There's a word, which I don't use lightly, for what Mrs. Obama is describing: fascism. If you're confused, check out this book.
"Semi-Pro"
Will Ferrell's new movie "Semi-Pro" is hitting theaters nation-wide this weekend. For those of you living outside of Michigan and the thumb, the news is getting old, real fast. Apparently the movie is about a minor league basketball team in Flint, called the Flint Tropics. So, parts of the movie were of course filmed in Flint. You wouldn't believe the local news coverage on this movie. You would have thought the entire movie was filmed all over Flint. People talk about this like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. We've even sent local news coverage teams to Hollywood for the film premier. Like it's a part of our life being shot on screen. You are Flint. Flint sucks. The movie will probably also suck. The news on this is very annoying, and I don't even live in Flint. Hey Flint, you do realize Will and the rest of the cast (Woody Harrelson) don't really give a rats tail about you, right? You are just another cesspool film location where all the groupies come out to get some action. Just because you see one or two streets of Flint in the movie doesn't mean it captures anything about what Flint is or is about. You and Will are not boys because he is now a part of Flint. We're talking about Flint. Not Miami. Flint. You're not going to sit at a local restaurant and be like, "Hey, Will Ferrell sat in this same booth in the movie 'Semi-Pro.'" Get a life. The ëxtras" that were used in the movie are practically glossing themselves as movie stars." Unbelievable.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Sold Out
On Friday night I had to referee a freshman boys basketball game at Marlette. Up until Wednesday of that week, I thought I had to ref the Freshmen and JV games. I really wanted to go to the Frankenmuth basketball game against Birch Run. I didn't think it would be possible after doing two basketball games. But, since it was just one game and it started at 5:00, I had plenty of time.
I decided to take my parents to the F'muth game to see Redford play. They had heard about him and I knew it would be a good game, if not 'muth's first loss of the year. We got to the gym at 7:30 and it was sold out. Couldn't even get in. Thanks for coming. Muth ended up losing by 14 and Redford only had 21, including the state record for 3's in a season.
I decided to take my parents to the F'muth game to see Redford play. They had heard about him and I knew it would be a good game, if not 'muth's first loss of the year. We got to the gym at 7:30 and it was sold out. Couldn't even get in. Thanks for coming. Muth ended up losing by 14 and Redford only had 21, including the state record for 3's in a season.
?
Does anyone watch SportsCenter anymore? I certainly don't. I can't even get through the intro after PTI is over. It's so sensational and hyperbolic I just can't stomach it. For example, yesterday the anchor mentioned Kobe's "transcendant" abilities in one of the teasers. Really? Transcendant? I don't think that word means what he thinks it means. Was it always this bad? Was I just insulated because I usually watched the morning version? Has ESPN become MTV for the sports crowd?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
I Want One
I'm not usually much for tools. I appreciate them, but since I haven't really had the need to do any woodworking in quite some time I don't find myself wanting any very badly. However, I just saw the CompuCarve Woodworking Machine from Craftsman advertised on TV and I definitely want one. It's basically a small CNC mill that can be used on wood and some plastics. It looks like it would allow you to make some fairly intricate designs that would be far beyond most of our capabilites with hand tools. It definitely doesn't look like the Haas lathe of woodworking equipment.*
*This joke requires explanation. Quite a while ago at work we bought a new machine, a Haas lathe. For various reasons the machine didn't perform as expected until months of tweaking and addition of some extra parts. In this time, being called the "Haas lathe of ____" became a common and particularly stinging insult.
*This joke requires explanation. Quite a while ago at work we bought a new machine, a Haas lathe. For various reasons the machine didn't perform as expected until months of tweaking and addition of some extra parts. In this time, being called the "Haas lathe of ____" became a common and particularly stinging insult.
Baaaah.... thud.
I received the first disc of the first season of Monty Python's Flying Circus this week and saw this sketch. It was too hilarious not to share. Of course, if you've never raised sheep you might disagree.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
"You want me on that mound. You need me on that mound."
According to Jonah Goldberg at the Corner, this text of Roger Clemens's testimony was going around earlier in the week:
Clemens: You want answers?
Congressman: I think I'm entitled to them.
Clemens: You want answers?
Congressman: I want the truth!
Clemens: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has baseballs. And those balls have to be hit by men with bats. Who's gonna do it? You? You,Congressman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for steroids and you curse HGH. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that HGH, while illegal, probably sells tickets. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, sells tickets...You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that mound. You need me on that mound. We use words like fastall, slider, splitfinger...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent playing a sport. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and falls asleep to the Sportscenter clips I provide,! then questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a bat and dig in. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!
Congressman: Did you order the HGH?
Clemens: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.
Congressman: Did you order the HGH?
Clemens: You're gddamn right I did!!
5 Pints
That's how much blood Richard Zednik lost after a freak accident where a teammate's skate cut his carotid artery. This happened back on the 11th, he's now been discharged from Buffalo General Hospital where he received life-saving surgery. You've probably seen the video by now, but I'm not going to post it because I had to turn away from the TV when they showed it on PTI the other day. The crowd's reaction in the photo in this article tells you all you need to know. I think most of the time we forget just how dangerous sports, especially hockey, can be. This was quite a reminder.
Friday, February 15, 2008
"...I thought that was closer."
Figured I might as well post this, since I mentioned it earlier:
If nothing else, the moment with the shadow of Indy putting on his fedora is perfect. I've found watching this trailer a couple of times has sparked a dormant interest in Indiana Jones gear: fedora, jacket, whip, etc. If you're interested in any of this stuff the place to go is, appropriately enough, IndyGear (which proves yet again that if you're even a little interested in something, there's a community of intense fans to be found on the internet). U.S. Wings also sells jackets here.
If nothing else, the moment with the shadow of Indy putting on his fedora is perfect. I've found watching this trailer a couple of times has sparked a dormant interest in Indiana Jones gear: fedora, jacket, whip, etc. If you're interested in any of this stuff the place to go is, appropriately enough, IndyGear (which proves yet again that if you're even a little interested in something, there's a community of intense fans to be found on the internet). U.S. Wings also sells jackets here.
Want to be a Detroit Tiger?
Yesterday I was listening to WDFN 1130 The Fan during Stoney and Wojo and they were talking to a Tigers guy, not sure who, but he said the Tigers were holding "open tryouts." So, I did some research on the Tigers website and here is what I found:
Tigers to hold open tryouts
02/12/2008 10:46 AM ET
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
DETROIT -- The Tigers will hold an open tryout camp at their Spring Training complex in Lakeland, Fla., on Tuesday, March 4.
The tryout at Joker Marchant Stadium is open to players age 18 and older, with no pre-registration and participation fee necessary. Interested athletes must simply provide their own glove and workout equipment; wooden bats, helmets and baseballs will be provided by the Tigers.
Time to put up or shut up.
I've always wondered about tryouts for professional teams, a la "Invincible" but never understood how it was done. Especially for cold weather baseball teams like Detroit. Why would they wait until May to hold tryouts once the season has begun? I didn't realize they would do it during spring training. I guess that makes more sense.
Tigers to hold open tryouts
02/12/2008 10:46 AM ET
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
DETROIT -- The Tigers will hold an open tryout camp at their Spring Training complex in Lakeland, Fla., on Tuesday, March 4.
The tryout at Joker Marchant Stadium is open to players age 18 and older, with no pre-registration and participation fee necessary. Interested athletes must simply provide their own glove and workout equipment; wooden bats, helmets and baseballs will be provided by the Tigers.
Time to put up or shut up.
I've always wondered about tryouts for professional teams, a la "Invincible" but never understood how it was done. Especially for cold weather baseball teams like Detroit. Why would they wait until May to hold tryouts once the season has begun? I didn't realize they would do it during spring training. I guess that makes more sense.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Indiana Jones...
...and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull now has a trailer available at Yahoo. Despite the fact that I'm a big Indiana Jones fan, I haven't been all that excited about this movie. This trailer helps. I'm not sold yet, but I think I'll be checking it out. If nothing else, it gives me a great excuse to pick up a fedora.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Did you hear that meatbag? I'LL BE BACK!
I posted over a year ago that there would be a third Knights of the Old Republic game. Today we get more confirmation where the game is listed in an Electronic Arts investor report under Bioware ongoing projects. That's right, it's going to be developed by the original developer. Now, if you haven't played the games this isn't going to matter at all, but if you're a gamer it's potentially, well, just about the best news ever. This immediately jumps to the top of my most anticipated games of 20XX. (Hat tip: Joystiq)UPDATE: Apparently, this isn't accurate. The information presented was referencing PAST projects by Bioware, so they may not actually be working on KOTOR 3. Boo!
Redford Update
Brad Redford played again tonight (Tuesday), and oh yeah, Frankenmuth was there too. You may have thought it was just a shoot around between Essexville-Garber and Redford judging by the score of 100-58. Brad scored 53, school record, and also broke the record for most 3-pointers made in a single season, 116. Man, get some shooting lessons.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Welcome to Cass City
Has anyone else seen the shiny new Cass City homepage? I guess I can't say how new it is since I don't actually go to the CC homepage often, but it looks new. Is it just me, or does "Come for a Day - Stay for a Lifetime!" sound kind of sinister?
Football Quotes
There's some great quotes in this article about Bill Belichick by Geoffrey Norman at NRO, so I thought I'd share:
More in the article.
"The alumni are with you, win or tie."
-Duffy Daugherty
"We didn’t tackle well today, but we made up for it by not blocking."
-John McKay
More in the article.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
What is cool?
I'm surfing automaker websites tonight checking out some information (I'm at the earliest stages of thinking about considering maybe looking at a new vehicle) and I'm struck by the differences I've seen so far. I could quickly and easily customize a car and get info about options and prices on the Nissan site. It was pretty fast and simple. The Pontiac website? It took a lot more work, but they've got a TON of media, not to mention a music player playing catchy alternative rock. No, seriously, I looked up one of the bands on Amazon. Pontiac wants you to think they're cool. I don't know if they are or not, but the attitude is certainly different.
Uniform
Well, after I commented about uniforms on Haag's earlier post I kept thinking about the idea, so here's the uniform I'd design for CC baseball, if there were no limits:
I can think of one major improvement to this design: replace the Strong Hawk with a Strong Hawk holding a baseball bat. That would be sweet.
I can think of one major improvement to this design: replace the Strong Hawk with a Strong Hawk holding a baseball bat. That would be sweet.
He Missed?
Frankenmuth's Brad Redford has finally missed a free throw. The Senior stud, who will be playing for Xavier next year, recently broke an MHSAA record for consecutive free throws made in a season. In Friday nights game against Vassar, he connected on 10 for 10 from the charity stripe giving him 102 straight free throws made. He is #1 in the MHSAA record books and SECOND in the national record!!! Redford is a freak on the basketball court. He has started for 'muth since his freshman year.
I've had the privilege of seeing Redford play over the years. I watched him his freshman season in the district finals against Cass City. At the time, he was just a pretty good player for a freshman. There were two twins on the team that kinda overshadowed him. Then I watched him his junior season beat up everyone in the disticts, including Cass City again. In one particular game his junior season, he put up 48 points in a losing effort to North Branch. With his domination of the Tri-Valley conference, there have been rumors the last few years that Redford would transfer to a bigger school to get more attention from larger colleges. The kid is probably not even 6 foot tall.
Anyway, I had not had a chance to see Redford play this year. Just highlight after highlight on the local TV sports stations. Oh, I forgot to mention that Redford toasted Vassar with 50 points on Friday night. I think that was his career best. He had a game a few weeks ago where he scored 27...in the FIRST FREAKIN' QUARTER! (6 3-pointers in the first quarter.) He only finished the game with 44 points. North Branch and Muth were supposed to play last Friday. Since my cousin coaches the North Branch team, Mandy and I were going to go watch the game. However, because of the weather, the game was postponed until tonight. So, Mandy and I went tonight instead. Side note: Frankenmuth was entering tonights game 16-0.
We got to the game with about 3 or 4 minutes left in the first quarter, Muth having the early edge. As the quarter went on, Redford was being his usual self...draining 3-pointers with hands in his face...well beyond the 3-point arc. Well, Redford was driving to the paint and got fouled. Two shots coming up. These were his first two attempts for the game. 102 stright. Dribble...dribble...release...BRICK. Yup, he missed his first shot of the night. It seemed like an eternity before the whole crowd and NB student section realized that he actually missed. I was sitting in the 3rd row, right across from the free throw line. In my opinion, as soon as he stepped to the free throw line, something didn't look right. The magic wasn't in the air.
After the miss, the Muth coach called a timeout before he could shoot his second attempt. Again, it took the crowd a few seconds to realize what just took place and why the coach would take a timeout. Eventually everyone realized and stood up to give him the standing ovation he deserved.
102. Gone. Done. But that's not all. In the 4th quarter, he missed again.
The final score was 90-65. I'm not sure how many points he finished with, but since he is averaging 35/game, I'm guessing he got around 30. In just his 3rd game of the season, he set the school record for most points scored in Frankenmuth history. In that 3rd game, he passed the #2 and #1. The #2 guy on the list...his coach.
You can check out the link of the MHSAA basketball record books if you like. It appears nothing has been updated for the 2007-2008 season. But, you can be amazed at how many records Drew Neitzel is involved in.
In my opinion, Redford is the best I've ever seen at the high school level. Incredible. His range is the half-court line. He has Reggie Miller's shooting ability off the screen and "Rip" Hamilton's endurance to run, run, run, and run some more until his opponent quits. Brad plays usually the entire game unless they are winning by 20 in the 4th quarter. If you give him 1 cm of space, you are finished. He's so quick on the dibble, if he gets any room, you are toast and might as well get back on offense. I thought Jordan Bitzer was the best, but even though Bitzer and Redford play two different styles, I have to edge in favor of Redford. I predict Muth to cruise thought the Districts, but will struggle in the Regionals. I expect them to finish undefeated, as they have beat all their remaining opponents by +15 points the previous time they played. Muth has absolutely no height and no large size. Everything they have is speed. If they run into team with some size or height (which you would think at the class B level), they will be in trouble. But, when you have the best player on the court, it doesn't matter. He can shoot lights out. I believe they lost in the regionals last year by one point...a close miss by Redford at the buzzer. Oh, Redford is also a "Mr. Basketball" candidate.
Well, I better stop man-loving on Redford before "Mike and Mike" play Chad Pennington and Brady Quinn music. (Probably only Adam will get that.)
Oh, I almost forgot the best part. After the game, Redford was signing autographs for at least 10 minutes and doing side interviews. He's worth the $5 admission price.
I've had the privilege of seeing Redford play over the years. I watched him his freshman season in the district finals against Cass City. At the time, he was just a pretty good player for a freshman. There were two twins on the team that kinda overshadowed him. Then I watched him his junior season beat up everyone in the disticts, including Cass City again. In one particular game his junior season, he put up 48 points in a losing effort to North Branch. With his domination of the Tri-Valley conference, there have been rumors the last few years that Redford would transfer to a bigger school to get more attention from larger colleges. The kid is probably not even 6 foot tall.
Anyway, I had not had a chance to see Redford play this year. Just highlight after highlight on the local TV sports stations. Oh, I forgot to mention that Redford toasted Vassar with 50 points on Friday night. I think that was his career best. He had a game a few weeks ago where he scored 27...in the FIRST FREAKIN' QUARTER! (6 3-pointers in the first quarter.) He only finished the game with 44 points. North Branch and Muth were supposed to play last Friday. Since my cousin coaches the North Branch team, Mandy and I were going to go watch the game. However, because of the weather, the game was postponed until tonight. So, Mandy and I went tonight instead. Side note: Frankenmuth was entering tonights game 16-0.
We got to the game with about 3 or 4 minutes left in the first quarter, Muth having the early edge. As the quarter went on, Redford was being his usual self...draining 3-pointers with hands in his face...well beyond the 3-point arc. Well, Redford was driving to the paint and got fouled. Two shots coming up. These were his first two attempts for the game. 102 stright. Dribble...dribble...release...BRICK. Yup, he missed his first shot of the night. It seemed like an eternity before the whole crowd and NB student section realized that he actually missed. I was sitting in the 3rd row, right across from the free throw line. In my opinion, as soon as he stepped to the free throw line, something didn't look right. The magic wasn't in the air.
After the miss, the Muth coach called a timeout before he could shoot his second attempt. Again, it took the crowd a few seconds to realize what just took place and why the coach would take a timeout. Eventually everyone realized and stood up to give him the standing ovation he deserved.
102. Gone. Done. But that's not all. In the 4th quarter, he missed again.
The final score was 90-65. I'm not sure how many points he finished with, but since he is averaging 35/game, I'm guessing he got around 30. In just his 3rd game of the season, he set the school record for most points scored in Frankenmuth history. In that 3rd game, he passed the #2 and #1. The #2 guy on the list...his coach.
You can check out the link of the MHSAA basketball record books if you like. It appears nothing has been updated for the 2007-2008 season. But, you can be amazed at how many records Drew Neitzel is involved in.
In my opinion, Redford is the best I've ever seen at the high school level. Incredible. His range is the half-court line. He has Reggie Miller's shooting ability off the screen and "Rip" Hamilton's endurance to run, run, run, and run some more until his opponent quits. Brad plays usually the entire game unless they are winning by 20 in the 4th quarter. If you give him 1 cm of space, you are finished. He's so quick on the dibble, if he gets any room, you are toast and might as well get back on offense. I thought Jordan Bitzer was the best, but even though Bitzer and Redford play two different styles, I have to edge in favor of Redford. I predict Muth to cruise thought the Districts, but will struggle in the Regionals. I expect them to finish undefeated, as they have beat all their remaining opponents by +15 points the previous time they played. Muth has absolutely no height and no large size. Everything they have is speed. If they run into team with some size or height (which you would think at the class B level), they will be in trouble. But, when you have the best player on the court, it doesn't matter. He can shoot lights out. I believe they lost in the regionals last year by one point...a close miss by Redford at the buzzer. Oh, Redford is also a "Mr. Basketball" candidate.
Well, I better stop man-loving on Redford before "Mike and Mike" play Chad Pennington and Brady Quinn music. (Probably only Adam will get that.)
Oh, I almost forgot the best part. After the game, Redford was signing autographs for at least 10 minutes and doing side interviews. He's worth the $5 admission price.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Rocky Balboa
I just watched Rocky Balboa, which I found surprisingly good. It's a little slow and self-referential through a good chunk of the movie, but you can't help but get into it once he steps into the ring. Anyway, did you know that a real boxer was the inspiration for Rocky? Apparently Chuck Wepner, who had lost fights against George Foreman and Sonny Liston, unexpectedly went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali in a 1975 fight. Stallone saw the fight and was inspired to write the original Rocky. Interesting.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Things I'll Do....
The evil overlord list.
4. Shooting is not too good for my enemies.
12. One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.
196. I will hire an expert marksman to stand by the entrance to my fortress. His job will be to shoot anyone who rides up to challenge me.
201. All giant serpents acting as guardians in underground lakes will be fitted with sports goggles to prevent eye injuries.
222. I reserve the right to execute any henchmen who appear to be a little too intelligent, powerful, or devious. How-ever if I do so, I will not at some subsequent point shout "Why am I surrounded by these incompetent fools?!"
224. I will build machines which simply fail when over-loaded, rather than wiping out all nearby henchmen in an explosion or setting off a chain reaction. I will do this by using devices known as "surge protectors".
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
And in other news...
...Cass City has another new Varsity baseball coach. Let's recap the last 12 years:
19??-1996: Doug Hall
1997: Toby Wegener
1998: Mark Errer
1999: Chad Daniels (how could anyone forget)
2000: Some guy. Can't even remember his name.
2001-2006: Ryan Prichett
2007: Bill Hartsell
2008: Nathan Haag (what?)
As you can see, the key to NOT building a program is hiring a new varsity coach 6 straight years. Nothing like being the 8th different Varsity baseball coach in the last 13 years. Any extra motivation to do better than Daniels? Nah. None at all.
Job was accepted and approved on Monday, January 28. Contract was signed on Tuesday, January 29, 2008.
Play ball!
P.S. Adam, can you be my scorebook keeper in the dugout?
19??-1996: Doug Hall
1997: Toby Wegener
1998: Mark Errer
1999: Chad Daniels (how could anyone forget)
2000: Some guy. Can't even remember his name.
2001-2006: Ryan Prichett
2007: Bill Hartsell
2008: Nathan Haag (what?)
As you can see, the key to NOT building a program is hiring a new varsity coach 6 straight years. Nothing like being the 8th different Varsity baseball coach in the last 13 years. Any extra motivation to do better than Daniels? Nah. None at all.
Job was accepted and approved on Monday, January 28. Contract was signed on Tuesday, January 29, 2008.
Play ball!
P.S. Adam, can you be my scorebook keeper in the dugout?
Monday, February 04, 2008
Super Ruminations
Some thoughts on the game a day later, and after watching PTI:
-I'm really enjoying seeing Belichick get crushed for leaving early, at least by Wilbon if no one else. Sportsmanship matters and the Patriots have played with a deficit of it all year. How many records do they hold now because they ran up the score? This is one of the biggest reasons for my not being able to root for them, even though I'd also like to see an undefeated team in my lifetime. It just needs to be someone else.
-I've agreed with Wilbon all season that the way to beat the Patriots was to play tough and punch them in the mouth. Too many teams played not to lose and got killed because of it. The Giants weren't intimidated and it showed.
-Yeah, the Giants have 6 losses, but they're still the champion. It's pretty impressive that they won 11-straight games on the road. The "best" team doesn't always win in a playoff, people just tend to ignore this most of the time because we've decided it's the most "fair" way to determine a champion. Unless you're playing Madden, teams don't have a numerical rating. Everyone had the same shot at the Super Bowl; the Giants pulled it off. Hats off to them.
-Has anyone come in to the NFL with higher expectations than Eli Manning? I'd take Peyton over Eli any day, but I don't think Eli sucks. He's showed improvement that would get all sorts of compliments if he had a different last name. During the game-winning drive last night he displayed all the qualities that the QB on the sideline gets praised for constantly. Peyton has had consistently tougher opposition and has played better over his career, but the best teams don't always win. Eli made the best of his chance and now he's an NFL MVP. By the way, how great is it to watch two Super Bowl MVP brothers celebrating after the game? That's a great image.
-The commercials were underwhelming. Bridgestone "Screaming", Budweiser "Horse Training", and FedEx "Carrier Pigeons" were pretty good, but the rest didn't do much for me. Okay, I guess Corolla "Soundproof" wasn't bad either. The Prince Caspian trailer was good, but Iron Man just rocked.
-I'm really enjoying seeing Belichick get crushed for leaving early, at least by Wilbon if no one else. Sportsmanship matters and the Patriots have played with a deficit of it all year. How many records do they hold now because they ran up the score? This is one of the biggest reasons for my not being able to root for them, even though I'd also like to see an undefeated team in my lifetime. It just needs to be someone else.
-I've agreed with Wilbon all season that the way to beat the Patriots was to play tough and punch them in the mouth. Too many teams played not to lose and got killed because of it. The Giants weren't intimidated and it showed.
-Yeah, the Giants have 6 losses, but they're still the champion. It's pretty impressive that they won 11-straight games on the road. The "best" team doesn't always win in a playoff, people just tend to ignore this most of the time because we've decided it's the most "fair" way to determine a champion. Unless you're playing Madden, teams don't have a numerical rating. Everyone had the same shot at the Super Bowl; the Giants pulled it off. Hats off to them.
-Has anyone come in to the NFL with higher expectations than Eli Manning? I'd take Peyton over Eli any day, but I don't think Eli sucks. He's showed improvement that would get all sorts of compliments if he had a different last name. During the game-winning drive last night he displayed all the qualities that the QB on the sideline gets praised for constantly. Peyton has had consistently tougher opposition and has played better over his career, but the best teams don't always win. Eli made the best of his chance and now he's an NFL MVP. By the way, how great is it to watch two Super Bowl MVP brothers celebrating after the game? That's a great image.
-The commercials were underwhelming. Bridgestone "Screaming", Budweiser "Horse Training", and FedEx "Carrier Pigeons" were pretty good, but the rest didn't do much for me. Okay, I guess Corolla "Soundproof" wasn't bad either. The Prince Caspian trailer was good, but Iron Man just rocked.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Liveblogging the Super Bowl (2nd Half)
Would it be crazy to say Wes Welker is more important to the Patriots than Randy Moss?
Terminator vs. Fox Sports robot? That was cool.
You can review the number of players on the field? I thought that fell under unreviewable plays.
That commercial for Wall-E actually got me kind of interested in the film. I'm sure he's not as cool as Johnny 5 though.
I love play-action early down by the goal line.
What's a zombie doing on the Giants sideline?
14-10 Patriots? Game over man, game over.
Plaxiiiiicoooo!!!!
Okay, I was wrong earlier. Is it ironic that the Giants just played the role of David? Welcome to history Patriots, you're a footnote.
Classy move by Belichick to leave before the game is over. That's downright Moss-like.
I'm no NFL expert, but I'm going to guess brothers have never won consecutive Super Bowls.
Congratulations to the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.
Terminator vs. Fox Sports robot? That was cool.
You can review the number of players on the field? I thought that fell under unreviewable plays.
That commercial for Wall-E actually got me kind of interested in the film. I'm sure he's not as cool as Johnny 5 though.
I love play-action early down by the goal line.
What's a zombie doing on the Giants sideline?
14-10 Patriots? Game over man, game over.
Plaxiiiiicoooo!!!!
Okay, I was wrong earlier. Is it ironic that the Giants just played the role of David? Welcome to history Patriots, you're a footnote.
Classy move by Belichick to leave before the game is over. That's downright Moss-like.
I'm no NFL expert, but I'm going to guess brothers have never won consecutive Super Bowls.
Congratulations to the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.
Liveblogging the Super Bowl (1st Half)
Yeah, I pretty much skipped the 1st quarter. I was in an epic battle with a troll (courtesy of Oblivion).
Gisele Bundchen? See, that's why I don't like Tom Brady.
The Giants are really picking up the blitz well.
Interception. That's exactly the kind of play that always goes the Patriots way. The ball ALWAYS bounces their way.
That Iron Man trailer was awesome.
The robot is shiny today.
I wonder if the NFL told Belichick that he couldn't wear the hoody today?
You don't see Brady get sacked twice in a row very often.
Moss looks like he's going to cry. By the way, did you know that if you swap the first letters of Randy Moss's first and last name you get "Mandy Ross"?
So, can the Giants add some offense to their excellent defensive performance and actually win this thing? I'm thinking they're going to get close, then have a bad bounce and the Patriots walk away the winners.
That was a pretty decent show by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Gisele Bundchen? See, that's why I don't like Tom Brady.
The Giants are really picking up the blitz well.
Interception. That's exactly the kind of play that always goes the Patriots way. The ball ALWAYS bounces their way.
That Iron Man trailer was awesome.
The robot is shiny today.
I wonder if the NFL told Belichick that he couldn't wear the hoody today?
You don't see Brady get sacked twice in a row very often.
Moss looks like he's going to cry. By the way, did you know that if you swap the first letters of Randy Moss's first and last name you get "Mandy Ross"?
So, can the Giants add some offense to their excellent defensive performance and actually win this thing? I'm thinking they're going to get close, then have a bad bounce and the Patriots walk away the winners.
That was a pretty decent show by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Welcome to the World of Tomorrow
I'm not sure what to think of this product:
That's a cheeseburger in a can. Who came up with such craziness? Zee Germans. I didn't even know they had cheesebugers in Germany, I assumed there was only sausage. And sauerkraut. I wonder if it's any good at all? Because if they can make a good cheeseburger in a can, we're definitely living in the future.(Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at the Corner, Gizmodo, Spulch)
That's a cheeseburger in a can. Who came up with such craziness? Zee Germans. I didn't even know they had cheesebugers in Germany, I assumed there was only sausage. And sauerkraut. I wonder if it's any good at all? Because if they can make a good cheeseburger in a can, we're definitely living in the future.(Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at the Corner, Gizmodo, Spulch)
The Story That Won't Go Away
The Boston Herald is reporting that the Patriots filmed the Rams' last walthrough before the Super Bowl in 2002. The Patriots deny that this happened and the NFL seems uninterested in verifying the story, if there's anything to verify at all. This stuff is never going to go away, especially in the Patriots win tonight. The sports media will try to forget it as their heaping praise on the Patriots, but the team has such a polarizing effect that these rumors will persist. Add that to a 24-hour news cycle and you've got a zombie story that will never quite go down.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Groundhog Day!
Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.
Well, brace yourself for another six weeks of winter. Or not. It depends on which groundhog you think has the best prognostication skills. Punxsutawney Phil predicts more winter. Gen. Beauregard Lee predicts that spring will come soon. Woody of the Howell Nature Center also predicts that spring is on the way, and also predicted the Patriots would win the Super Bowl. No word on Punxsutawney Phil and Gen. Beauregard Lee's picks for the big game.
This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
"Congress To Raise Alpacas To Aid Struggling Economy"
I don't usually read The Onion, but that headline was just too good to pass up. Funny stuff. (Hat tip: John J. Miller at The Corner)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
UM was going...
...to have their graduation at EMU? That's just silly, no matter what the reasons. It might be okay if the UM campus was literally radioactive, otherwise it's just nonsense. Nonsense on stilts. With little rockets attached to the stilts.* Anyway, good job to President Coleman for pulling the plug, even if it took input from over 4,000 students to make it happen.
*This is a Jonah Goldberg quote (more or less, I might have butchered it slightly). I've been waiting for days to use it.
*This is a Jonah Goldberg quote (more or less, I might have butchered it slightly). I've been waiting for days to use it.
Quote of the Day
Via Instapundit, hat tip to Libertas:
Awesome.
"Others have said they would personally be happy to pay higher taxes. I welcome their enthusiasm, and I am pleased to report that the IRS accepts both checks and money orders."
-George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, 1/28/2008
Awesome.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Happy Winter-een-mas!
Today is the first day of Winter-een-mas. "How should I celebrate?" you might ask. Go play a video game. Tecmo would be a good choice. Or maybe the original Super Mario Bros. Mass Effect would do too (oh wait, that's only me). Even WoW would be fine. It doesn't really matter, just take a little time to enjoy a video game.
Optimism? Nope.
Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News is not optimistic about the Lions and their ability to improve next year:
I guess you could even call him pessimistic.
The Lions have no discernible strengths, no obvious plan and no sure stars, although I'll grant linebacker Ernie Sims is a riser. They have nothing they can count on, except for a nice stadium and tragically loyal fans.
I guess you could even call him pessimistic.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Where's the Remote!?!
After watching part of PTI tonight a question occurred to me: who makes you change the channel as soon as they appear on the screen? Phil Jackson and Sean Salisbury come to mind for me, and that's just from the last 30 minutes of television I've watched. Who qualifies for you?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tiki Barber
So, how is Tiki Barber handling all this with the Giants in the Super Bowl a year after he threw everyone under the bus? Do you think he'll seek to get any post-game interviews in the lockerroom after the big game? Just the idea of what he did makes me happy the Giants made it to the SB. But, I was completely pulling for Favre. Come on, who wasn't?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Heckles
Last week, Fritz asked me "what is the worst you've heard or had said/yelled at you?" Fritz is referring to heckles that are hurled at me by players, coaches, fans, animals, blind people, etc. Well, I now have an answer. Friday night I was refereeing a freshman boys basketball game at USA v Reese. USA is coached by Kevin Vermeesch (I think we all remember him) and Reese is coached by Ben Hillborg (and his dad assists him). Quick note on Ben Hillborg. I believe he graduated either with us or a year after us from Reese. But, let's go into the "way back" machine. I can't remember if it was our Junior or Senior year, but it seems like there was a Reese player who took his shirt off at the JV football game or something like that and he was a Varsity football player. I thought it was at the JV game played at CC, which would mean the Varsity would have played at Reese the following night. Well, our Junior year we played at Reese and our Senior year was at home. Anyway, that's not really the point of the story, just wondered if anyone remembered that.
So, back to the game. I may have missed a few calls or fouls. The context of the story is that this occured in the middle of the 4th quarter. Reese was getting beat by at least 15-20 points. Game is basically over. You suck. The position I was standing in during the live action was in front of the Reese bench. I may have missed a call that Ben wanted to go his way. Next thing I hear is "You haven't called anything for 3 minutes. What year did you graduate from USA?"
Seriously? "What year did I graduate from USA?" I wanted to turn around and say, "Coach, that heckle was about as lame as the plays you are calling." So to answer Fritz, that was the worst I've heard. Worst meaning any 3rd grader could have come up with a better heckle than that. I mean, come on coach. Is that really the best you've got? I can think of a million times I've heard that from idiots in the stands. You're the coach. Please tell me you've got something better. You've been hating me for a long time, that's what you came up with? That's your creativity? Well, I guess so, after seeing your play calling and how badly you teach defense. (Side note: I rip on his defense because in the 3rd quarter alone, a total of 19 fouls were called between both teams. NINETEEN!?!?! 10 on Reese and 9 on USA. In one freakin' quarter. So, 10 to 9 is like totally favoring USA. I can clearly see his argument. Nothing is going his way, right. 10 fouls to 9. Way uneven.)
Let me help you coach. Try this next time, except apply it to basketball:
What were you, a lookout at Pearl Harbor!
I forgot the Milk-Bone for your seeing-eye dog!
Can I pet your seeing eye dog after the game?
Have they stopped printing the rulebooks in Braille?
Don't donate your eyes to science, they don't want em'.
Lenscrafter called...they'll be ready in 30 min.
Do you get any better or is this it?
Be careful when you back up, so you don't fall over your dog.
Why don't you get your seeing eye dog to call it for you?
So, back to the game. I may have missed a few calls or fouls. The context of the story is that this occured in the middle of the 4th quarter. Reese was getting beat by at least 15-20 points. Game is basically over. You suck. The position I was standing in during the live action was in front of the Reese bench. I may have missed a call that Ben wanted to go his way. Next thing I hear is "You haven't called anything for 3 minutes. What year did you graduate from USA?"
Seriously? "What year did I graduate from USA?" I wanted to turn around and say, "Coach, that heckle was about as lame as the plays you are calling." So to answer Fritz, that was the worst I've heard. Worst meaning any 3rd grader could have come up with a better heckle than that. I mean, come on coach. Is that really the best you've got? I can think of a million times I've heard that from idiots in the stands. You're the coach. Please tell me you've got something better. You've been hating me for a long time, that's what you came up with? That's your creativity? Well, I guess so, after seeing your play calling and how badly you teach defense. (Side note: I rip on his defense because in the 3rd quarter alone, a total of 19 fouls were called between both teams. NINETEEN!?!?! 10 on Reese and 9 on USA. In one freakin' quarter. So, 10 to 9 is like totally favoring USA. I can clearly see his argument. Nothing is going his way, right. 10 fouls to 9. Way uneven.)
Let me help you coach. Try this next time, except apply it to basketball:
What were you, a lookout at Pearl Harbor!
I forgot the Milk-Bone for your seeing-eye dog!
Can I pet your seeing eye dog after the game?
Have they stopped printing the rulebooks in Braille?
Don't donate your eyes to science, they don't want em'.
Lenscrafter called...they'll be ready in 30 min.
Do you get any better or is this it?
Be careful when you back up, so you don't fall over your dog.
Why don't you get your seeing eye dog to call it for you?
Not "Oldies" 96
Per Adam and I's discussion about "Oldies" 96.1 shutting it down from November 1 to December 26 (probably at 12:01am, not a second later than they had to) so they could play 24 hours of Christmas music, Adam thought it was peculiar that they would go so long with Christmas music. I mean, I love Christmas music, but I can wait until after Thanksgiving, or the first snowfall. After explaining to Adam the commercials the station would play to advertise the station "returning to it's 'classic' music you've come to love" after Christmas, the commercials contained quick clips of music they would be playing. Those clips were not from the 50's or 60's. Adam then figured they must be doing a huge format change.
UPDATE: DING DING DING! Show Adam what he's won!!! Well, for correctly guesing what the company was doing...nothing. Here are just a few of the songs I've noticed are not quiet "oldies."
1. "Footloose" - Kenny Loggins - 1984
2. "Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen - 1980
3. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen - 1980
4. "Two Tickets to Paradise" - Eddie Money - 1978
I think I heard the song "Footloose" two times in the first 2 or 3 days of the new format. I knew right away, we weren't listening to oldies anymore.
Now, on all commerical station promos, you never hear the word "oldies." They use the word "Classics." I guess we will no longer reference them as "Oldies 96."
By the way, they do still play songs from the 60's. You still get the loop of Beach Boys, Beatles, etc., but also a higher mix of 70's and 80's (albeit crappy) songs. Except for Queen. They're not crappy.
UPDATE: DING DING DING! Show Adam what he's won!!! Well, for correctly guesing what the company was doing...nothing. Here are just a few of the songs I've noticed are not quiet "oldies."
1. "Footloose" - Kenny Loggins - 1984
2. "Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen - 1980
3. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen - 1980
4. "Two Tickets to Paradise" - Eddie Money - 1978
I think I heard the song "Footloose" two times in the first 2 or 3 days of the new format. I knew right away, we weren't listening to oldies anymore.
Now, on all commerical station promos, you never hear the word "oldies." They use the word "Classics." I guess we will no longer reference them as "Oldies 96."
By the way, they do still play songs from the 60's. You still get the loop of Beach Boys, Beatles, etc., but also a higher mix of 70's and 80's (albeit crappy) songs. Except for Queen. They're not crappy.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Tony Dungy...
...will return as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Dungy said he will coach at least this year, and potentially more. Of course the Colts don't have to worry about stability as they have alread named Dungy's assistant Jim Caldwell as successor whenever Dungy decides to retire.
Wow.
I was out running errands at Wal-mart this morning and happened to see this:
I was a big fan of Legos as a kid and would have went nuts if something like that was available. I mean, a giant rolling tank and a robot to fight it? It might have been more than a kid could stand.
By the way, did you know they're making Indiana Jones Lego sets now?
Madness.
I was a big fan of Legos as a kid and would have went nuts if something like that was available. I mean, a giant rolling tank and a robot to fight it? It might have been more than a kid could stand.
By the way, did you know they're making Indiana Jones Lego sets now?
Madness.
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Mile High Club
I've been checking out hypothetical airline ticket prices for a weekend flight to New York for a baseball game in August. I've tried nearly every permutation (or combination) possible of airports from the state of Michigan to New York, and all the possibilities of departures (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday) and possible return flights (Saturday, Sunday, or Monday). I've even pretended that the weekend game was in April and did all the same calculations. I even tried 1 weekend from now to see if that made much of a difference in price either.
No.
The best prices I could find were for flights out of Detroit (no matter day/time) in August. However, no price was better than $203/ticket.
So, where we driving to this year? Toronto? Philadelphia? New York?
No.
The best prices I could find were for flights out of Detroit (no matter day/time) in August. However, no price was better than $203/ticket.
So, where we driving to this year? Toronto? Philadelphia? New York?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Traffic Laws
Apparently LeBron James likes to drive fast, really fast. James acknowledged to going 101 mph on his birthday.
I was doing 101," James said Monday after practice. "That's it. I was speeding. I've just got to abide by the law. I got caught. It happens."
Lawyer Colin Jennings filed a not guilty plea for James in Medina Municipal Court. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11, when the Cavaliers play in Orlando.
So let me get this straight: James admitted to driving 101 mph but is pleading not guilty? What?!?! What is he pleading not guilty to? That he didn't lie about how fast he was going?
Here's another great quote: "I'm not going to jail or nothing like that," he said. "I wasn't drunk. I was just speeding. That's it." Right. Okay. Gotcha. Of course, not dangerous at all to anybody else on the road. And if you hit someone they'll probably be left with just scratches from your 1000 lb sled going supersonic speeds crashing into them.
Idiot.
I was doing 101," James said Monday after practice. "That's it. I was speeding. I've just got to abide by the law. I got caught. It happens."
Lawyer Colin Jennings filed a not guilty plea for James in Medina Municipal Court. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11, when the Cavaliers play in Orlando.
So let me get this straight: James admitted to driving 101 mph but is pleading not guilty? What?!?! What is he pleading not guilty to? That he didn't lie about how fast he was going?
Here's another great quote: "I'm not going to jail or nothing like that," he said. "I wasn't drunk. I was just speeding. That's it." Right. Okay. Gotcha. Of course, not dangerous at all to anybody else on the road. And if you hit someone they'll probably be left with just scratches from your 1000 lb sled going supersonic speeds crashing into them.
Idiot.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Blade vs. Dracula
I know it makes me a huge geek, but I think this is really cool:
Of course, at $349, it ought to be. Ouch.
If you think that's crazy, take a look at this:
That's a life-size Cylon folks, and it can be yours for only $7,900. Can there possibly be enough Galactica geeks (with excess cash) out there to make this worthwhile?
Of course, at $349, it ought to be. Ouch.
If you think that's crazy, take a look at this:
That's a life-size Cylon folks, and it can be yours for only $7,900. Can there possibly be enough Galactica geeks (with excess cash) out there to make this worthwhile?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Word for the Day
Actually, it's the funny word for the day: Blegs
I heard it used on the Dr. Phil show today; it means when your butt and legs are blended together. Or, also according to Urban Dictionary, a back that leads to legs.
I heard it used on the Dr. Phil show today; it means when your butt and legs are blended together. Or, also according to Urban Dictionary, a back that leads to legs.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
The Newest Niner
The 49ers have hired Mike Martz to be their new offensive coordinator. Expect to hear complaints about the San Francisco rushing game in about 9.25 months.
Monday, January 07, 2008
"Buy it now...the 'RATED' version!"
You know, there is such a big deal for advertising the "Unrated" version of a movie when it first gets released. There has to be a way or better yet, a market that would actually appreciate a RATED version of a movie. For instance, Mandy and I were watching "The Thomas Crown Affair" on TV on Saturday. I'd love to own the movie, but there is just wayyyyyy to much Rene Russo in the movie, if you catch my drift. So, I'd like someone to make a "rated" version of the movie so I could buy it. I'm not asking we get too tedious and cut out all swearing when making it "rated," but come on, is it that hard to take out the unnecessary nudity? I just think there would have to be a market for it out there. There has to be a decent size audience that doesn't want to see nudity. I'd buy it. Anyone want to go into business? Wait, we need money to start. Crap.
In other news, why is the June Jones coaching situation such a big deal? It's Hawaii. And it's not like he's going to a Pac-10 or Big 12 school. It's SMU. Quick, tell me what SMU stands for...waiting...waiting...that's what I thought. When I kept hearing about all the rumors, I thought for sure they were talking about some other school, not SMU. All that pub...for SMU? We're making a big deal out of SMU? Okay, I won't keep you in suspence any longer: Southern Methodist University.
In other news, why is the June Jones coaching situation such a big deal? It's Hawaii. And it's not like he's going to a Pac-10 or Big 12 school. It's SMU. Quick, tell me what SMU stands for...waiting...waiting...that's what I thought. When I kept hearing about all the rumors, I thought for sure they were talking about some other school, not SMU. All that pub...for SMU? We're making a big deal out of SMU? Okay, I won't keep you in suspence any longer: Southern Methodist University.
Clemens on 60 "softball questions"...I mean Minutes
Okay, someone has to bring this up. I have a take because I watched a little of it last night. I just wanted to get a thread going for now and post something later.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Interesting
Could Shia Lebouf be the hero in new Indiana Jones movies after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? It's not even a rumor yet, but... fascinating.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Question
Is Del Rio's decision to axe Byron Leftwich now completely justified since David Garrard's ability to scramble just won the Jaguars a playoff game?
The New Champion
Belated congratulations to Ump for winning the 2007 Cass City Monkie Fantasy Football Championship, and also to Kid Loe and Big Daddy for coming in second and third, respectively. It should be noted that after years of being dominated by the same two people, the league has been won by two new champions the past two years. The current championship totals look like this:
Two Titles
Barrigar (2003, 2004)
Stack (2002, 2005)
One Title
Fritz (2006)
Haag (2007)
Two Titles
Barrigar (2003, 2004)
Stack (2002, 2005)
One Title
Fritz (2006)
Haag (2007)
The coolest thing I've read all week...
...from Tony Dungy's book, Quiet Strength:
MSU football is partly responsible for Tony Dungy's career in football. How cool is that?
Although my dad always considered the University of Michigan his alma mater, those three years at Michigan State-- while my mom and dad earned their advanced degrees-- had a dramatic impact on me. We were there from 163 to 4966, and while I vividly remember looking at microscope slides with my dad, I remember being just as enthralled by Duffy Daugherty's Spartan football teams. Those Michigan State teams ultimately altered the trajectory of my life in an unexpected way.
MSU football is partly responsible for Tony Dungy's career in football. How cool is that?
FF Top Scorers '07
Here are the top scorers from the fantasy football league. This will be updated weekly. * denotes current record holder for the year. All-time is based on '04 on, which I have records for. The scoring was changed for the '05 season to include points for receptions, and then in '07 to reduce points per yard for the QB. The highest team score in '04 was The Living Legend (Bader) with 206.95 pts. The highest team score from '05-'06 was Battletoads (Stack, '06) with 232.40 pts. See the '05 data here and the '06 data here.
Week 1
Top Player: Tony Romo, 46.35 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 131.75 pts
Week 2
Top Player: Carson Palmer, 53.05 pts
Top Team: Killer Parrotts, 179.65 pts*
Week 3
Top Player: Ronnie Brown and Kevin Curtis, 42.30 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 145.75 pts
Week 4
Top Player: Tony Romo, 41.35 pts
Top Team: Slumpbusters, 115.80 pts
Week 5
Top Player: Tom Brady, 31.25 pts
Top Team: Slumpbusters, 139.60 pts
Week 6
Top Player: Adrian Peterson, 48.50 pts
Top Team: CLG IGFG ILMC, 133.75 pts
Week 7
Top Player: Tom Brady, 53.70 pts*
Top Team: CLG IGFG ILMC, 138.50 pts
Week 8
Top Player: Tom Brady, 44.70 pts
Top Team: Watered down scorein, 126.60 pts
Week 9
Top Player: Adrian Peterson, 47.70 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 163.70 pts
Week 10
Top Player: Donovan McNabb, 38.25 pts
Top Team: what u eat 4 brekfst, 140.00 pts
Week 11
Top Player: Tom Brady, 49.55 pts
Top Team: New Record?, 134.05 pts
Week 12
Top Player: Drew Brees, 35.80 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 142.95 pts
Week 13
Top Player: Tony Romo, 37.25 pts
Top Team: Michael Vick's Dogs, 121.50 pts
Playoffs
Week 14
Top Player: Tom Brady, 44.35 pts
Top Team: what u eat 4 brekfst, 162.15 pts
Week 15
Top Player: Darren Sproles, 27.70 pts
Top Team: what u eat 4 brekfst, 106.70 pts
Week 16
Top Player: Kurt Warner, 36.45 pts
Top Team: CLG IGFG ILMC, 125.85 pts
All-Time
Top Player: Peyton Manning, 75.20 pts ('04)
Top Team: Battletoads (Stack, '06), 232.40 pts
Week 1
Top Player: Tony Romo, 46.35 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 131.75 pts
Week 2
Top Player: Carson Palmer, 53.05 pts
Top Team: Killer Parrotts, 179.65 pts*
Week 3
Top Player: Ronnie Brown and Kevin Curtis, 42.30 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 145.75 pts
Week 4
Top Player: Tony Romo, 41.35 pts
Top Team: Slumpbusters, 115.80 pts
Week 5
Top Player: Tom Brady, 31.25 pts
Top Team: Slumpbusters, 139.60 pts
Week 6
Top Player: Adrian Peterson, 48.50 pts
Top Team: CLG IGFG ILMC, 133.75 pts
Week 7
Top Player: Tom Brady, 53.70 pts*
Top Team: CLG IGFG ILMC, 138.50 pts
Week 8
Top Player: Tom Brady, 44.70 pts
Top Team: Watered down scorein, 126.60 pts
Week 9
Top Player: Adrian Peterson, 47.70 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 163.70 pts
Week 10
Top Player: Donovan McNabb, 38.25 pts
Top Team: what u eat 4 brekfst, 140.00 pts
Week 11
Top Player: Tom Brady, 49.55 pts
Top Team: New Record?, 134.05 pts
Week 12
Top Player: Drew Brees, 35.80 pts
Top Team: Red Raider, 142.95 pts
Week 13
Top Player: Tony Romo, 37.25 pts
Top Team: Michael Vick's Dogs, 121.50 pts
Playoffs
Week 14
Top Player: Tom Brady, 44.35 pts
Top Team: what u eat 4 brekfst, 162.15 pts
Week 15
Top Player: Darren Sproles, 27.70 pts
Top Team: what u eat 4 brekfst, 106.70 pts
Week 16
Top Player: Kurt Warner, 36.45 pts
Top Team: CLG IGFG ILMC, 125.85 pts
All-Time
Top Player: Peyton Manning, 75.20 pts ('04)
Top Team: Battletoads (Stack, '06), 232.40 pts
Friday, January 04, 2008
I don't...
...like this one bit. I need something to look forward to next season, and losing another star WR wouldn't help at all.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Red?
I don't follow Kansas in anything, but isn't it kind of weird for them to be wearing red jerseys? When I think Kansas, I think blue. Isn't it kind of like MSU showing up in silver, or UM in yel... er, maize jerseys? Something you just don't do, especially in a BCS game?
Book Review
I've been reading "The Renewed Mind" by Larry Christensen that was loaned to me by Adam and just when I thought I found my favorite chapter, I keep reading and it get's replaced. Looking forward to the other half of the book. Lots to digest and unpack.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
"I'm out -- that's it."
Mike Martz is done as offensive coordinator of the Lions. The offensive line coach has reportedly been promoted to his position. The secret to success with the Lions? Be bad at your job and you're sure to move up.
Everybody Loves...Lloyd
You know, it just hit me. I think everyone outside of Michigan must have loved Lloyd Carr. Here is what I'm getting at. As I watched the second half of the Georgia rout on Hawaii (thanks for coming), Mark Richt was going for it on 4th and 5 inside the 10 yard line winning 41-10 with his second string in the game. Oh, and it was a pass play on 4th and 5. I was furious. Game's over. What's the point? Are you that big of a jerk? I really am a Mark Richt fan. I believe he's a strong Christian and I read a good article about him a few days ago on ESPN.com and some of his coaching/motivational techniques. So, it surprised me with his play calling in the 4th quarter winning by 4 TD's. If I wouldn't have had a little biography lesson on Mark Richt, I would hate him. That's when I realized he's the complete opposite of Lloyd Carr.
When Carr had a big lead, he freakin' SHUT IT DOWN. It was up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt. Forget putting the hammer down. This was every game when Michigan was winning in the 4th quarter and a first down would nail the coffin shut. Forget putting the pedal to the metal and closing up the game. If the game was still in reach for the other team, meaning they still had a chance to win if they could get the ball back, then Lloyd did everything he could to run 1 minute off the clock and give the team a second chance. And it happened again today against Florida. I don't think they gained 1 yard of offense after Florida failed on the 4th and 6 pass play with 2:30 remaining. Michigan gets the ball back (inside the 30 yd line), runs 3 plays, burns 30 seconds of clock, forces 3 Florida timeouts, and then kicks a FG. Florida still gets the ball back only down 6 points and plenty of time. Who wouldn't love that scenario all the time? How could a fan of Michigan's opponent hate Lloyd Carr? He helps the other team! What's not to like about that?
Congrats to the UM Seniors for finally winning a bowl game. I don't think they would want to end their careers 0-8 against Ohio State and Bowl games.
Then there's this: Record vs Michigan State: 4-0
So what is the Big Ten bowl record now? 3-3 with OSU still to play? Not too shabby I guess.
When Carr had a big lead, he freakin' SHUT IT DOWN. It was up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt. Forget putting the hammer down. This was every game when Michigan was winning in the 4th quarter and a first down would nail the coffin shut. Forget putting the pedal to the metal and closing up the game. If the game was still in reach for the other team, meaning they still had a chance to win if they could get the ball back, then Lloyd did everything he could to run 1 minute off the clock and give the team a second chance. And it happened again today against Florida. I don't think they gained 1 yard of offense after Florida failed on the 4th and 6 pass play with 2:30 remaining. Michigan gets the ball back (inside the 30 yd line), runs 3 plays, burns 30 seconds of clock, forces 3 Florida timeouts, and then kicks a FG. Florida still gets the ball back only down 6 points and plenty of time. Who wouldn't love that scenario all the time? How could a fan of Michigan's opponent hate Lloyd Carr? He helps the other team! What's not to like about that?
Congrats to the UM Seniors for finally winning a bowl game. I don't think they would want to end their careers 0-8 against Ohio State and Bowl games.
Then there's this: Record vs Michigan State: 4-0
So what is the Big Ten bowl record now? 3-3 with OSU still to play? Not too shabby I guess.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Hold Up!
Hey everyone, let's just cancel the national championship game and give the trophy to USC. After all, according to all the commentators they're the ones who really deserve it. I mean, I suppose they could be slurping the Trojans a little more in this game, maybe if Lisa Salters proposed to Booty on the sideline. Come on guys, at least try and act professional.
Pontiac Game Changing Performance
Since this has been advertised constantly, I thought I'd throw out a link. You can vote for the Pontiac Game Changing Performance here. If you're a Michigan fan, you'll probably want to go vote to offset the legions that are voting for Appalachian State.
What's the Problem?
Rob Parker of the Detroit News says the Lions should get rid of QB Jon Kitna and offensive coordinator Mike Martz. I'm sure the bandwagon is filling up fast, but I've got one question: Why?
Kitna hasn't been great this season, but where are the Lions going to go? I'm a big fan of Drew Stanton, but he's barely had a chance to play because of his injury I doubt he's ready to lead an NFL team in the next year. Depending on the draft isn't going to fix anything quickly and there won't be much in the way of solid free agent QBs available. So what to do? Maybe they should try and fix the offensive line. During the game last weekend a stat flashed up that said the Lions' tackles both were in the top 5 for sacks allowed. Kitna played that game like a man who didn't trust his offensive line. Why should we think a new QB would magically fix this problem?
As for Martz, he is who we thought he was. When given a team with a poor offensive line and RBs that were often injured, he didn't run the ball. Sure, Martz's aversion to running the ball borders on ridiculous, and certainly didn't help the offense since opposing defenses knew what was coming, but everyone knew what they were getting when they hired him. Maybe replacing Martz is the right thing to do, but let's not pretend this team lost when it did because of a few bad play calls.
Kitna hasn't been great this season, but where are the Lions going to go? I'm a big fan of Drew Stanton, but he's barely had a chance to play because of his injury I doubt he's ready to lead an NFL team in the next year. Depending on the draft isn't going to fix anything quickly and there won't be much in the way of solid free agent QBs available. So what to do? Maybe they should try and fix the offensive line. During the game last weekend a stat flashed up that said the Lions' tackles both were in the top 5 for sacks allowed. Kitna played that game like a man who didn't trust his offensive line. Why should we think a new QB would magically fix this problem?
As for Martz, he is who we thought he was. When given a team with a poor offensive line and RBs that were often injured, he didn't run the ball. Sure, Martz's aversion to running the ball borders on ridiculous, and certainly didn't help the offense since opposing defenses knew what was coming, but everyone knew what they were getting when they hired him. Maybe replacing Martz is the right thing to do, but let's not pretend this team lost when it did because of a few bad play calls.
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