Transformers

I felt like watching some Transformers, so I thought I'd share so everyone could enjoy. Here's the entire first episode of the original animated series:

Jumping off a building... for charity.

Hugh Jackman deserves some props for this, even if I suspect Wolverine is going to suck. (Hat tip: Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner)

Public Service Announcement

In case some of you are interested, Amazon currently has Prom Night on sale for $3.99. I know Ump's been looking for a good deal on this one.

B.C.

Arrr.

So we're negotiating with pirates now? I understand it in this situation to a degree, but I don't like the idea of that being the standard. Even kids watching Pirates of the Caribbean know what you do with pirates when you capture them: you hang them.

UPDATE: Or you send the SEALs after them. That's more like it. (Hat tip: Mark Steyn at The Corner)

"PUNCHED IN THE FACE AND PUT TO SLEEP!!!"

RECAP

I'm sorry but somebody has to say it. I know there are many Sparty fans on this site and we have heard all about the success of this years MSU team. Here is how it went down in our house. I left for ice cream at approx 9:10pm when I returned at 9:20 I could hardly believe the score (24-7). What I can't believe is the fact that they just got beat in every way. What were they thinking trying to RUN with Carolina. I understand, you take it when you can get it. Maybe you get a easy basket here or there. They should have been walking the ball up the court. They Had to of known if they were going to win, this game has got to be in the 50's or low 60's. Right? Play MSU's pace not CAROLINA's. Rome's Take is exactly how I feel and I was also thinking MSU had a shot going in.


Michigan St. coach Tom Izzo had said if his Spartans play well and North Carolina plays well, State would lose. Well, Carolina was “unconscious”, the Spartans didn’t even bother “to get off the bus” and that was a straight up “mug-job”!

The Tar Heels went into Michigan State’s house, the most hostile environment imaginable, “speed bagged” them, chased that with a vicious “curb stomp” and it all lasted about five minutes. Tom Izzo said his guys looked like the proverbial “deer in the headlights”. Punched in the face and put to sleep is more like it! I had picked Michigan St. to win the game yesterday and Carolina made me look really, really bad. And Michigan St. even worse!

And while I have never seen a national champion team look more impressive or dominant than North Carolina last night, I have to say it is pretty tough to play the game with “both hands around your throat”. Could Michigan St. have come out any tighter? Could they have gripped any harder? Carolina had been there before and it showed. They were poised and didn’t force a thing. The Spartans completely unraveled and forced everything.

Look, everyone knew Michigan State’s best shot wasn’t going to be enough to beat Carolina’s best shot. But the Spartans never even threw a punch! Carolina came out, “cold-cocked” them and they never recovered. Michigan St. had a great season, and a great run in the tourney’. But not showing up or playing anywhere near to your capability in the biggest game of your life had to be disappointing. They were totally outclassed and frankly didn’t belong on the same floor with Carolina last night. That was a “boat race” and nowhere near as close as the 89-72 final score indicated.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE...

Look, I am a fan of the Big Ten and I am bigger fan of Tom Izzo. Therefore I was hoping State would win. I want to believe that the Big Ten is the best conference in every sport. The thing is, MSU didn't have any business being in that game. They did what they do and it got them there. You have to respect that and admire it. Izzo's streak of Final Four's with every class of kids is awesome and the ultimate recruiting tool. Do I feel they are one of the top 5 programs in the country...Yes. The biggest blessing in disguise is Kentucky fired their man, and hired their man before State was done. I'm not saying he leaves, but I bet "He Listens". You also know he's great coach by the lack of NBA talent. I mean who's the best, Richardson maybe. You give him more recruiting leverage with Kentucky and his coaching abilities and look out.

Reguardless, they had a great year by almost any standard and congrats to them.

P.S. They better hope they get back to a title game soon to get rid of the stink coming out of East lansing after this. Smells worse than Caro.

Late

Canada Dry

Tigers Manager Jim Leyland after finding out alcohol was going to be banned at the Rogers Center Tuesday night:

"That has no bearing on me," Leyland said. "I don't drink beer, particularly not during the game."

Arkham Asylum Gameplay

Spartan Spirit

I know I'm biased, but I thought this was really cool:


Way to go, Detroit News.

UPDATE: Okay, the Freep ain't bad either:

BREAKING NEWS

I meant to post this before the Final Four, so it might not be as funny now. Sorry, super busy with class, teaching, baseball season,...and oh yeah, my school won't let me create posts on blogs. Buttholes.


I don't know if any of you have heard this already. You may have been out of town a few days or maybe your power went out for a night. Not everyone gets the newspaper anymore and so just in case you haven't found out, I'll just let you know: The Final Four is going to be held at Ford Field this year! But wait, that's not all. Michigan State University, you know, the team Ervin "Magic" Johnson played for? You may have seen his face in the crowd once or twice during some of the tournament games. Well, MSU not only has a chance to play in their home state in Detroit, but they've advanced to the Final Four! Incredible, right? This will be like them...THIS JUST IN:

MSU will be playing for the National Championship! But guess who it will be against? North Carolina! Again, I don't know if you remember this or not, but MSU and UNC played each other earlier this year. Ironic, right? Well wait till you hear this: They played AT FORD FIELD!?!? OH MY GOSH! That is freakin' unreal. What are the odds? I did some huge research and found another incredible fact about the game: This is the 30th Anniversary of the 1979 National Championship between Indiana State and...wait for it...Ervin "Magic" Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans. I can't believe there haven't been articles in the newspapers about this. Do you remember the game? Probably not. There were these two guys in the game that kinda made basketball popular at the time. Larry Bird from Indiana State and Magic Johnson from MSU. I heard there were a lot of people watching that game on TV.

So, if you didn't hear about this yet, I'm excited to be the first person to tell you. The championship game will be tomorrow night. If you didn't realize, that game will be like a home game for MSU, well, because MSU is from Michigan and the game is in Michigan. It's only 45 minutes away from campus.


Okay, back to a serious note: Was CBS and EVERY OTHER sports news anchor trying to ram that information down our throats for the last two weeks? How old did those stories get? How many times did they slam Magic's face on TV? How many 10 year olds were like, "Daddy, why do they keep showing that fat guy in the stands?" How badly did CBS want UNC in the Championship? How badly did they want a earlier season blowout to be a championship rematch, on the same court? I swear, every day, on every channel, on every radio show, in every newspaper was a story about MSU competing with the chance to play at Ford Field. If it wasn't already for the economy, that didn't help make me want to be from Michigan.

Talk about slow news days. Over and over and over and over, all you heard around here, even from Sam Merill and Mark Toragrosa, was MSU with the chance to play in front of their "home" crowd at Ford Field. People! You have journalism degrees! Use them! We are from Michigan. We already freakin' know about it. Also, if you are working in the sports department, no matter what career, you are more than likely communicating to sports fans. Who, more than likely, figured out last year during the Elite 8 at Ford Field that MSU would have an opportunity to play for the 2009 Final Four at Ford Field. They also probably knew about the December game at Ford Field between UNC-MSU and have connected the dots that they may see each other, again, at Ford Field, for the Championship. "Preaching to the choir." I don't care if you are an MSU fan. Even good news can get old. It's not like they were a 10 seed.

Congrats to MSU. I think MSU fan took a sigh of relief that Calipari took the UK job, because you know Izzo could get any job he wanted. And if Calipari turned it down, you know they'd flash big money at Izzo.

Mmmm... donuts...

I could go for some of these.

"We'll see you Monday night."

That was one of the best games I've ever seen. The emphatic Summers slam over the UConn defender was just awesome. And the unexpected scoring contribution from the "Dancing Bear"? That was great. I went from covering my eyes to running around the room cheering. Go Green!

Lose Yourself

Brain Drain

Of all the stories I've seen about how bad things are in Michigan, I think this one on how 49% of Michigan college graduates are leaving the state is the most striking. Why? Because it matches up exactly with my experience in the Quad Cities. My neighbors are from Michigan. I worked with a guy who went to Western Michigan who was from the Grand Rapids area. Someone stopped and talked to me in the Wal-mart parking lot because I had an MSU sticker on my pickup. The poll with the story speak volumes as well. Only a little over 13% the respondents even want to stay in Michigan. Yikes. Will the last one out please turn off the lights?

I Agree

Apparently the Spartans are likable. My favorite criterion from Pat Forde's Likability Index:

If your coach once lobbied to become the school's football coach -- somewhat seriously, according to his athletic director -- add four points.

That's why we love Izzo.

To Chicago

So, I hope no one was pinning their hopes for the Lions on acquiring Jay Cutler, because the Bears have that covered. Does that make them the favorite in the NFC North?

Pass

I think it's a sign that the NFL Draft is pretty screwed up when no one really wants the #1 pick. It's a bigger sign when there's actually discussion of passing on the pick until later in the draft. Maybe it's time to talk about changing rookie salaries?

Urban Cuisine

I know things are bad in Detroit, but I didn't think the inhabitants would be turning to raccoons for sustenance. Yuck.

Dream Team

There is much debate in the Tribune sports blog about, all conference selections, and All-Thumb Team, etc. The topic always becomes, who's the best Thumb Basketball player ever?

Let me start with the area, I can't speak of things prior to my being but I'll give it a shot.

1. BRAD REDFORD (Frankenmuth) Kid was lights out, pretty good stats for a freshman on a good Xavier team that made it to the sweet 16.

2. JORDAN BITZER (USA) Loved the killer attitude, Talent with the mental edge. I heard him say "Man's Game" many of times. (His brother doesnt have near the talent but was the best in the thumb that I seen this year by far.)

3. JOSH ASSLIN (Caro) I really didn't see him play all that much, He was big, Went to Michigan. A Big Ten school and played a desent amount.

4. MATT LEPAGE (Lakers) Loved to hate him. But when the quarter, half, or game was coming to an end, everyone in the building new he was going to take the shot and he nailed it more often than not.

5. CRAIG EMMERT (Cass City) Had a hard time with the 5 spot. Very difficult for me to pick Emmert over a Gainforth, Cramer, Brandon Bitzer, McPhail, Ignash, Ulfig, etc.) The difference for me was that he was a STARTER FOR 4 YEARS and was a major contributor all 4 years. Nice College career for a D3 or NAIA school.

Obviously. there are some good names in the past, but it was hard for me to rank just going off of a name. Schinner, Hartel, Haire, Commett, Ignash, Brain somebody from Bad Axe. Seth from lakers (Black Guy when Ulfig played)

Here is my Cass City top 5 in no particular order (to hard to do)
1. Emmert
2. Paul Ulfig
3. Hartel
4. Haire?
5. Commett?

I'm sure I am missing alot of good ones. Glaza comes to mind. Summersett maybe would crack the top 10 if you looked at the senior year only.

Be interested in your Top Basketball Players.

Here we go.

Broke

Ever wonder how so many athletes who make huge salaries end up with barely two nickels to rub together? Well, according to this SI story, basically, they're idiots. Those guys would be much better off if they had stayed awake through 100-level finance courses.

Disrespected?

After reading Ump's comment, I did some number crunching. From 1999-2009, the following teams have made it to the Final Four the amount of times listed:

Michigan State: 5
North Carolina: 4
Duke: 3
UConn: 3
Kansas: 3
UCLA: 3
Florida: 3
Maryland: 2
Ohio State: 2
Villanova: 1
Memphis: 1
Georgetown: 1
George Mason: 1
LSU: 1
Illinois: 1
Louisville: 1
Georgia Tech: 1
Oklahoma State: 1
Syracuse: 1
Marquette: 1
Texas: 1
Indiana: 1
Oklahoma: 1
Arizona: 1
Wisconsin: 1

Notice who's at the top of the list? Now, I listen to PTI today and the conversation is how completely unbelievable it is that MSU smashed Louisville and how they have no chance against UConn. People seem to be talking about MSU like they're Villanova, Marquette, GT, so some team like that, not one of the elite programs in the nation. UConn is a great team and the safe bet is that they'll win the game. But show a little respect.

BOOM!

I think I'll watch this episode of Mythbusters. (hat tip: Jonah Goldberg @ The Corner)

Final Four baby!

Bring on UConn!

Magic vs. Bird

On PTI yesterday they pointed out it was the 30th anniversary of the 1979 NCAA Championship game played between MSU and Indiana State, the highest-rated basketball game ever. One quarter of the televisions in the US were tuned to this game.

Restore the Roar

Looks like the Detroit Lions may have a new logo for the upcoming season.

?

Hall of Fame?

Curt Schilling called it quits today, announcing his retirement on his blog. The debate, judging from Sportscenter and PTI is whether or not he will make the Hall of Fame. Now I know the Hall is pretty difficult to get into given the voting rules, but it seems to me if Schilling isn't a Hall of Famer then Cooperstown just isn't worth paying attention to.

Seriously

Has Wilbon lost his mind on this whole mid-major thing? He's coming unhinged.

Orange?

When did Syracuse change their mascot to the "Orange"? That seems kind of lame. Not even something like the Fightin' Orange, the Mighty Orange, the Tangy Orange, or the Orange Terror. Just Orange. It also looks pretty silly written on the front of a white jersey.

Watch Live

I think the ability to watch all of the NCAA Tournament games live online is possibly the greatest sports innovation on the internet. Being able to watch MSU as they're pounding on Robert Morris (the team, not the one guy) without having to pay for DirecTV is awesome.

LED Art... with sheep.

These guys may have too much time on their hands:



Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at The Corner

Presidential Bracket

Well, I have to admit, I dislike the president a little less since he picked MSU to make it to the Elite 8. I know some are going to give him grief about doing this, what with the financial crisis and socialist takeover of America, but I kind of like (the brackets, not the socialist stuff). Of course if Bush had published his brackets he would have been ripped apart in the media...

Mass Effect 2 Teaser

Going Down

The other day when I was talking to my dad we both wondered what happened to Alabama tackle Andre Smith. He had been projected as the potential first pick in the draft, but had since disappeared from draft boards. Well, I just found the answer. Smith left the combine and planned to make up for it at his Pro Day. There he only managed to do 19 reps of 225 lbs.

.
..
...

Wow. That's amazing. In my prime as a below-average small-school varsity lineman I could have done 19 reps of 225. I believe that workout numbers are overrated, but this is ridiculous. You expect a #1 pick offensive lineman to be the Incredible Hulk, not Dazzler.

Just to be clear, for the less comically-inclined, this is Dazzler:

What Not To Do

On Saturday Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and and QB Jay Cutler were supposed to meet and sort out their differences. Apparently that didn't go so well, because Cutler is asking to be traded. This is amazing. I know there's a lot of people out there taking the coach's side on this one, but I think I'm with Cutler. One thing you absolutely don't do as a new NFL head coach is look to trade your Pro Bowl quarterback before you've even unpacked your bags. A solid starting QB is the most valuable commodity in the NFL. To put yourself in a position to have to trade one away is either incandescently stupid or insanely arrogant.

March Madness

I just sent out another round of email invites for the Tourney Pick 'Em. If you don't see one, you can just click here.

Cowboy Vs. Bull

No, I'm not writing about a rodeo, though a good bull riding video would be entertaining. Apparently the Utah State Aggies' Big Blue bull and New Mexico State's Pistol Pete got into a bit of a scuffle at the WAC semifinal on Friday night. It started when Big Blue ripped the mustache off Pistol Pete. Some photographers say a man in the crowd offered the bull $100 to do this. Now, I'm no expert, but that sounds like a major breach of the rules of mascot etiquette and protocol. You can start a fight for honor, but for $100? That's weak.

Jon Stewart - Know your Role!!!

I would say that approx. 1 year ago I began watching "Mad Money" with Jim Cramer. As a man who is not overly enthusiastic about watching financial shows, Mad Money was different. Yes to I invest in the market, of course. Do I watch Jim Cramer and do exactly as he says and invest in what he recommends - No. But the show brings Entertainment to financial stuff.

As a guy who is not a fan of the Daily Show - Also an Entertainment show, I basically watched some of the show once, and it happened to be during the presidential campaign. As he basically expressed his man love for the current president, I never watched again, and then I scene him on the Tonight show or the Late show and he again professed his love.

If you haven't caught the episode view it here. There are also plenty of other commentary videos on like this.

Here's my thought:

MEMO TO JON STEWART.

1. Last time I checked, your show was on Comedy Central, it's a comedy show - your not Chris Hanson from Dateline doing an investigation.

2. Blaming Cramer and CNBC (a Democrat and a Obama supported during the campaign) for our countries financial meltdown, is LIKE BLAMING THE WEATHER MAN FOR GLOBAL WARMING.

3. Cramer makes "MAD MONEY" an entertaining show, something nobody else has done. You of all people Jon should be able to see the comedy and entertainment in the show. People don't tune in to the daily show for daily news. They watch it for ENTERTAINMENT.

4. Maybe your bent because your punching bag "Bush" is no longer in office so that takes all your monologue away. Maybe Cramer picked on OBAMA for his Spending errr. I mean Stimulus Package and that offended your MAN LOVE.

5. Maybe you lost a bunch of money like everyone else has or Maybe you were dumb enough to watch someone on TV and say I'm going to do that. Lets change it from "In Cramer We Trust" to " In Billy May's We Trust"

6. Find something else to bring ratings to your miserable show.



Late.

Watchmen Babies

For Andy:

Tourney Pick 'Em

I just created the Cass City Monkie group for the '09 Yahoo! Tournament Pick 'Em. You can join by following this link. Feel free to invite new people.

Special Relationship

Obviously I'm not a fan of the current president, but even I am surprised at how he comes off as a punk after reading this story about the gifts he and British PM Gordon Brown exchanged when Brown visited this week. I've just gotta know, what were the DVDs? I'm hoping they didn't include something like, say, The Patriot.

UPDATE: Wow, this gets better (or worse): Brown is blind in one eye. So I think Obama is probably just a jerk.

One trillion dollars...

...looks like this. (Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at The Corner)

Bigger Fish

After clinching the Big Ten title last night with little celebration, Spartan coach Tom Izzo had this to say:

"I'm in the mood for frying bigger fish than the one I just fried."

That's what I like to hear. Bring on the big fish.

The Ins and Outs of Baseball

I was at the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA) Conference in January at the Soaring Eagle in Mt. Pleasant. The University of Baylor coaching staff put on the conference. Before one of the coaches made his first presentation to the attendees, he started off with this: (Keep in mind, this was completely memorized and he didn't miss a beat. In fact, I felt bad he didn't get any reaction. He deserved a freakin' standing ovation. But, I think everyone was just in amazement. I had never heard anything like it before. So, I did some searching and think I found it.):

You have two sides, one out in the field, one in.

Each man that's on the side that's in goes out and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.

There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out.

When three men are out, those that are in and still out are left out and don't score. Then the side that's been out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get the side coming in out.

When both sides have been in and out nine times, that is the end of the game. Unless, of course, both sides have the same number of not outs, not counting left outs. In that case, they continue to go in and out until after an equal number of ins and outs one side has more.

Quote of the Day

Shaq explains his business: “I’m the only player who looks at each and every center and says to myself, ‘That’s barbecued chicken down there.”’

"Gym Guy"

"Gym Guy." I think most of us know him. Jim Rome gave his classic take on Wednesday. I counted at least 7 characteristics of "gym guy" in his take and I can honestly relate with every single one of them while using the Rec. Center at EMU and their weightroom.

“Gym guy”! We all know and hate “gym guy”. You know this “cat”. He’s the guy who rocks the weightlifting gloves…that he re-velcroes before every big set. Unless he’s truly a purist and then just goes with chalk. The same guy, who grabs a complete stranger and says, “yo, bro, can I get a quick spot” only to freak out if you try to spot him or assist him in any way screaming, “I got it. Don’t help me!”

It’s the same guy who when you’re in the middle of a couple of sets, asks if it’s cool if he works in, when he knows it not, and sweats up your machine. And if you tell him no, you’ve got a couple sets left, he’ll just set up shop five feet away and just stare at you until you’re done, muttering under his breath about how bad your form is. And the second you’re done, he stomps over and adjusts the weight as quickly as possible making sure you know how much stronger he is than you! “Gym guy” grunts like he’s passing a kidney stone and loudly drops dumbells on the floor after his dumbell press so everyone knows he’s “the guy” using 120 pounders.

Gym guy also loads his 60 megabyte iPod with Godsmack and Megadeath. And has different playlists for different workouts. The “pecs” playlist. And “delt” playlist. And trust me, they all rock…hard! And “gym guy” isn’t there to work out. He’s there to work! This is a job to him. In fact, he doesn’t even call it working out. To him, it’s training. Oh, and “gym guy” also double-fists his beverage…a gallon sized jug of water, chased by a bottle of “Carbo-Force” energy drink that he sips between sets. And that’s just to get him through the workout! When he’s done he sprints to the nutrition bar and loads up on “muscle milk” and a “whey protein shake” with a shot of “creatine”, because you don’t make your muscles wait for protein. “Gym guy”. Freak!

Dog Show

A few weeks back, the Westminster Dog Show was held. Don't think Jim Rome didn't have a few words to say about it:

What’s better than a great comeback story in sports? Who doesn’t love a once great, icon, turning back the clock one last time, for one final run at glory?! Who didn’t get with Jack Nicklaus during his charge at Augusta in ‘86 when he won the Masters at 46?! Or Jimmy Connors who brawled his way to the U.S. Open semi-finals in ‘91 when he was 39?! Legendary comebacks by iconic figures!

And here’s another one to add to the list. Stump, a 10 year old Sussex Spaniel, coming out of retirement to win the “Best in Show” award at the Westminster Dog Show. How a dog retires from being a “dog”, I have no idea… but who will ever forget Stump having to shut in down in his prime back in ‘04 because of mysterious illness. I know I won’t! Nor, will the other “freaks” parading their “surrogate children” around in a circle all day long.

Jim Brown and Barry Sanders couldn’t believe Stump walked away when he did! Then, the haters piled on…they said there was no way a ten year old could come out of a retirement and win this event. That there was way too much dog rust to knock off! That Stump would be this generation’s Willie Mays stumbling around in center field for the Mets or Johnny Unitas getting “hammered in the pocket” with the Chargers….whatever!

Never doubt the heart of a champion. Just as Sugar Ray Leonard shocked the world back in ‘87 by coming out of retirement to beat Marvin Hagler, so did Stump! “Go time, baby!” And no one knows it better than Stump the dog. Not only did he win, but he
“punked” the Scottish Deerhound, “Tiger Woods.” Obviously, that dog doesn’t have the closing gear of his human namesake!

I wonder if anyone else named their dogs Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson…if they just start whimpering when the “Eldrick” pooch shows up? Stump the dog. “Man!”

Heating Up

If you're like me, the Lions were so depressing that it's been hard to get into the NFL offseason, especially with the draft still a month away. But that should change now as free agents are being signed left and right. The big news is the Kansas City Chiefs have acquired Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel from the Patriots for a 2nd round pick, number 34 overall. I can only conclude someone in the KC organization had comprimising photos of the owner of the Patriots, because that's a steal. Number 34 overall to get a solid NFL quarterback? That's a no-brainer.

The Lions have also started to move, signing former Seattle RB Maurice Morris and former Cardinals/49ers WR Bryant Johnson. There's also news that Jon Kitna has been sent to the Cowboys for a late-round pick.

Enter Sandman

Horse bleep

I don't have time tonight (getting pretty late) but I have a reffing story to share...and it involves a little "horse bleep." So stay tuned. I wanted to wet your appetite now so I can finish it later. (I've been waaaaaay behind on my blogging. Finally got a chance to play catch-up.) Unfortunately, my employer will not let me do anything with the blog except post comments to other posts. Dern internet police.

Who?

Okay, I'd like my turn at giving my A-Rod steroid take. I've had some time to think about this. It's my own. I'm not piggy-backing off of Jim Rome. These are my original thoughts:

I don't have the time to read or watch every 4 minute interview with MLB players giving there thoughts on A-Rod. But, what I have read or seen bothers me. The most common/popular phrase I hear EVERY player use is: "...it's unfortunate for the guys doing it right."

Who? Who's doing it right? Tell me. Give me one name. Just one time I want Jeter or whomever is giving their opinion to say: "...it's unfortunate that, cough, many players, cough, including MYSELF, are doing it right." How come NO ONE ever says they are one of the guys doing it "right." It's always "the guys that are doing it right." How is it that professional athletes are all about themselves and their ego, yet when faced with an excellent opportunity to once again brag about themselves, they fail to come clean and make a bold statement of "I am doing it right and it pisses me off!" I thought these guys were men. I thought everyone was only for themselves. No such thing as team. Now, no one is willing to put their money where their mouth is and claim they are "doing it right."

So, I ask again: Who are you referring to? Who is "doing it right?" Are you? Here's your chance, for the record, to clear your name.

Punked

Memo to Idiot: You are messing with Lance Armstrong. Freaking Lance Armstrong. The guy is a professional athlete. He's won the Tour de France 94 times. He only has one ball. He didn't even bother to take his eyes off the road as he slammed you into the snow with a forearm shiver...WHILE RIDING HIS 10 SPEED! How did you plan this to turn out for yourself? The guy kicked cancer's tail. You didn't think he could handle you?

Shut Up

Rorschach

Profit

Apparently taking over films of some of its properties, like Iron Man, did pretty well for Marvel. Next up? Iron Man 2 and Thor in 2010. And the Spider-Man musical. Wait, what?

A Few Good Laughs

With me being the "MC" of the Cass City Missionary Church's long time tradition "music night" or "talent night" these may or may not be in between the acts. I thought I would share none the less. For example, "Jesus take the wheel" or something like that. Perhaps this "coffee" ad catches your eye. Or try this if you like sports. Or this if you like butter. Or if you want to throw down a few brews, watch this first. If your married you might like this one. Or maybe some free credit. There are many more. Enjoy.

Bailout

You know, it's not exactly heartening to read that we basically could have avoided all of this bailout nonsense if we'd just kept Congress out of it. I suspect this is going to look even better in a few years.

Abnormally Unselfish

This is likely the best sports article you'll read all year. A few lines:

Battier has routinely ­guarded the league’s most dangerous offensive players — LeBron James, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce — and has usually managed to render them, if not entirely ineffectual, then a lot less effectual than they normally are. He has done it so quietly that no one really notices what exactly he is up to.

Hat tip: Jim Manzi at The Corner.

Top this....

Through the Fire and the Flames...IN MARIO PAINT!!!!

No, seriously.

I didn't believe it either. The video is a little out of sync from the audio (not uncommon on these videos.

Through the Fire and the Flames

And now for something completely different:

Star Trek in Detroit

I would definitely go to this if I still lived in Michigan.

Deja Vu

Brett Favre says he's retiring... again. I already gave my thoughts on Favre last year when he retired, so I'm not going to cover that again. My only thought now? Good.

54-42

I can't really add much to what Wojo wrote here.

Really...funny

Wherever We Go

Happy Waitangi Day!

When I was younger our calendar at home always had Waitangi Day, a holiday in New Zealand, marked on it from the manufacturer. I always thought it was funny because, well, Waitangi is a funny word.

Also, if you're interested, it looks like New Zealand is recruiting.

Seriously?

Delaware State? I guess Michigan wants to make sure they don't have a repeat of last season.

BING!

Sorry, this is a day late and a dollar short. I watched it last weekend, still some great one-liners:

"It is still only once a year, isn't it?"

"Well what if there is no tomorrow!?! There's wasn't today."

"I'd say chances of departure are...80%...75-80."

G.I. Joe

I'd like to think this will be good:



I don't, but I'd like to.

As A Rule

This was my favorite Super Bowl commercial:



I am definitely getting a koala to punch.

Arkham Asylum

My interest is piqued.

Featuring Sit-Ups

Terrell Owens is going to have his own reality TV show on VH1. I'm sure the NFL is thrilled with the idea.

The Fan

So, after reading this article by Wojo, I assume WDFN is dead?

Wrong

A new ESPN Sportsnation poll on who the Lions should draft with the #1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft shows Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford leading with 37% of the vote. Those 37% are morons.

UPDATE: Apparently Kiper has released his first mock draft and predicts that Lions will take Stafford #1 and USC linebacker Rey Maualuga at #20. I don't know if Mel endorses this pick or not. If the Lions take offensive tackle Smith #1 and Maualuga at #20 I might actually pay attention to them this season, otherwise I think they may be dead to me.

Happy Anniversary!!!

It was recorded in the "Down Memory Lane" section of your Cass City Chronicle that the Red Hawks defeated Deckerville 10 YEARS AGO. As you all know that night will live on forever in our hearts. Just thought I would celebrate this moment with everyone.

"THANKS"

Smells Like Teen Spirit

The International

I saw a TV spot for The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, while I was watching PTI. It looks as though the plot revolves around an evil bank killing people who threaten its business. Now, I know any film requires a suspension of disbelief, but could you choose a worse time to release this movie? Is anyone scared of banks right now? They look to barely be able to run their core business, let alone assassinations on the side. Needless to say, I'll skip it.

Cardinals Win

You know, as much as I hate to write it, if the Cardinals can go to the Super Bowl, then there has to be some hope for the Lions. It's actually been longer since the Cardinals won a championship than it's been for the Lions. Of course the Lions don't have Kurt Warner, one of the best to play the game (at least statistically speaking).

I don't know if anyone else saw it, but one Cardinals fan had an awesome sign inspired by former coach Dennis Green: "We are who we though we were."

Teaching Rocks

Yep, another "snow day." Well, I guess you call today a "Cold Day." Either way, I'm not working...and still getting paid! I'm starting the think about getting a second job, but during the day. I already have a second job officiating at night, so now I need something to do for all those "snow days."

I hate to rub it in, but I have to. Check this out: Since the week of Thanksgiving (Monday, Nov. 24), we've only had one completely full work week and that was last week (week of Monday, Jan 5th). That's a span of 8 weeks, including Christmas vacation. So let's recap. Only one full five day work week since the week of Nov. 24. Oh, and we don't have school next Friday either. So, let's just go ahead and call it one full work week in the past 9 after next Friday. And I guess while I'm at it, I'll go ahead and tell you we have a full week off Feb. 16-20 for "Winter Break."

The really surprising thing is that, in the past 8 weeks, not only have we had a lot of time off, many of those weeks were less than 4 full work days.

Mandy, on the other hand..."not so much." Oops, I forgot, that phrase has been banned.

Muse - Hysteria

More Jim Rome Show "bumper" music. I'm not a "live" fan, but I couldn't get the original music video. That sounds much better. Personally, I only listen to the song for it's first 40-second value. Hence the reason it's only "bumper" music.

Welcome to the Jungle

The New Guy

Seems that the Lions have a new coach. I'm indifferent. Good luck.

Dungy Done

Tony Dungy has decided to retire after 13 years as an NFL head coach, the last seven with the Indianapolis Colts. Dungy also took teams to the playoffs to the playoffs ten consecutive season, an NFL record.

Dungy plans to spend time with his family and work with various ministry outreach programs that he's involved with. He'll be missed as an NFL coach, but I'm sure he'll be doing more valuable work in Tampa.

I've heard the sports commentators already asking if Dungy will come back. I feel very confident in predicting he won't. As much as he loves football, the things he can do in ministry are far more important. He won't be lured back. Which is a shame for the NFL, because they lost the services greatest man they had today. I think it will be quite a while before we see another coach like Tony Dungy.

Sea Kittens

Okay, first I thought the real-life superheroes were unbalanced. Then the guy who got the "0-16" tattoo seemed pretty unhinged. But the insanity never ends: PETA wants to rename "fish" as "sea kittens".

No, seriously.

I think I have to stop there, because it doesn't feel right making fun of people so far removed from reality.

Morons. (Hmm, actually, it feels fine.) (Hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at The Corner)

Another Thought

Okay, I don't really care too much about who wins this game (though I'm leaning towards Florida), but could Fox's color commentator like Oklahoma a little more? I expect to hear him yell "Boomer Sooner!" any minute now.

One thought...

...before the national championship game kicks off. Commentators keep saying a lot about how many points Oklahoma has scored, especially in the latter part of the season. That's impressive, no doubt. But doesn't Oklahoma have a reputation of mercilessly running up the score on lesser teams? Scoring 61 pts against Oklahoma State says something good about your team. Scoring 57 pts against Chattanooga just says you're a jerk.

Don't take a QB.

I agree with everything Bob Wojnowski writes here. That is unless one of the draft experts he's thinking of is Mel Kiper Jr., whose hair I would not describe as poofy. I don't think there's a word in the English language that adequately describes Kiper's hair.

Tattooed

Okay, I just said those guys playing superhero were crazy. But they're looking pretty sane compared to this dude, who had "0-16" tattooed on his chest. Now, I'd be supportive of doing this to the players, but you're pretty nuts if you're a fan and decide to have this done. Nuts.

Real-Life Superheroes

There's some odd things on the internet, sites for all sorts of hobbies and interests. Some people juggle geese. But real-life superheroes? That's truly strange. I mean, sure, I see the appeal. Having your own symbol would be cool. Scaring criminals would be fun. But it's a lot of effort, and unlike Batman, most of us aren't independently wealthy. The cops probably aren't big fans. And, though I haven't actually confirmed this, I'm 100% sure I'm not bulletproof, so getting shot would be a real drawback. I think I'll leave it to the professionals.

Year in Review

Go read Dave Barry's Year in Review.

A sports related excerpt:
"In football, beloved Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre retires and embarks on a series of emotional farewell events, several of which are still going on when he signs to play for the New York Jets."

Fantasy Football Wrap-Up

Here's the top 10 performers in our league in the main positions:

Quarterback
Drew Brees, 421.35 pts
Philip Rivers, 386.85 pts
Aaron Rodgers, 386.60 pts
Jay Cutler, 372.30 pts
Kurt Warner, 366.90 pts
Peyton Manning, 348.20 pts
Donovan McNabb, 328.50 pts
Matt Cassel, 323.75 pts
Chad Pennington, 292.85 pts
Tony Romo, 290.50 pts

Runningback
DeAngelo Williams, 290.30 pts
Michael Turner, 273.20 pts
Matt Forte, 254.10 pts
Thomas Jones, 247.10 pts
Adrian Peterson, 244.70 pts
Maurice Jones-Drew, 242.30 pts
LaDainian Tomlinson, 236.00 pts
Steve Slaton, 231.90 pts
Brian Westbrook, 226.60 pts
Clinton Portis, 224.10 pts

Wide Receiver
Larry Fitzgerald, 234.30 pts
Andre Johnson, 228.50 pts
Calvin Johnson, 218.60 pts
Greg Jennings, 201.20 pts
Roddy White, 196.20 pts
Steve Smith, 195.70 pts
Anquan Boldin, 188.30 pts
Antonio Bryant, 183.60 pts
Terrell Owens, 180.30 pts
Eddie Royal, 179.10 pts

FF Top Scorers '08

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, the '06 data here, and the '07 data here.

Week 1
Top Player: Donovan McNabb, 36.35 pts
Top Team: Ninja Bulldogs, 115.25 pts

Week 2
Top Player: Jay Cutler, 42.10 pts
Top Team: New Record?, 144.80 pts

Week 3
Top Player: Ronnie Brown, 43.35 pts
Top Team: QB Killer, 114.50 pts

Week 4
Top Player: Brett Favre, 48.45 pts*
Top Team: QB Killer, 125.90 pts

Week 5
Top Player: DeAngelo Williams, 33.00 pts
Top Team: the Nearly Adequate, 132.85 pts

Week 6
Top Player: Drew Brees, 34.70 pts
Top Team: Ninja Bulldogs, 122.90 pts

Week 7
Top Player: Steven Jackson, 36.00 pts
Top Team: Ninja Bulldogs, 110.55 pts

Week 8
Top Player: Brian Westbrook, 34.10 pts
Top Team: New Record?, 123.65 pts

Week 9
Top Player: Kurt Warner, 28.90 pts
Top Team: Holy Cow!, 117.40 pts

Week 10
Top Player: Jay Cutler, 41.25 pts
Top Team: Holy Cow!, 153.40 pts

Week 11
Top Player: Matt Cassel, 46.20 pts
Top Team: Holy Cow!, 123.60 pts

Week 12
Top Player: Matt Cassel, 44.15 pts
Top Team: The Muscle, 165.95 pts*

Week 13
Top Player: Donovan McNabb, 39.40 pts
Top Team: QB Killer, 109.95 pts

Playoffs
Week 14
Top Player: Antonio Bryant, 33.80 pts
Top Team: New Record?, 111.65 pts

Week 15
Top Player: Tarvaris Jackson, 32.45 pts
Top Team: QB Killer, 123.30 pts

Week 16
Top Player: Philip Rivers, 38.05 pts
Top Team: Holy Cow!, 127.80 pts

All-Time
Top Player: Peyton Manning, 75.20 pts ('04)
Top Team: Battletoads (Stack, '06), 232.40 pts

Bring Me To Life

I caught part of "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" on VH1 over Christmas break and thought I'd post some of them over the next month or so:

Millen on TV

You've probably heard about this by now, if not seen it:

A Playoff Thought

The college overtime rules are ridiculously superior to the NFL rules. How asinine is it that the Chargers and Colts go into OT and we don't even get to see Peyton Manning on the field? On top of that the Chargers manage three first downs on penalties. Ugh.

Just A Thought

I just read this article about the Rose Bowl. USC dominated Penn State to win their 3rd-straight Rose Bowl. Now, this is quite a feat, and there's not much to be said in the Big Ten or Penn State's defense. But the author does mention is passing what seems to me to be a pretty important note: This is the first of those three games where USC actually played the Big Ten champion. The previous two USC played Big Ten #2 because the champion was playing in the national championship game. Not to say those teams would have beat USC, but shouldn't USC tone it down a bit since they haven't been playing the best. Also, my memory is a little fuzzy, what happened the last time USC had to play for a national championship instead of just talking about how they deserved one? Didn't they lose?

Hockey at Wrigley

Happy New Year. Are you ready for some hockey?

Lions' 13

Jamie Samuelsen, blogging for the Free Press, thinks that there are at least 13 Lions worth keeping around. The list:

Calvin Johnson
Jason Hanson
Nick Harris
Kevin Smith
Gosder Cherilus
Cliff Avril
Ernie Sims
Cory Redding
Jeff Backus
Dominic Raiola
Jared DeVries
Dan Orlovsky
Dewayne White

What do you think?

Draft Order

The Lions will have the #1 and #20 picks in the 2009 NFL Draft. You can see the full draft order here, which is subject to change pending the results of the playoffs. Who would you pick?

0-16

So, the Lions managed to run the table and finish 0-16, a feat I predicted back about week 8. Now what? Well, first you fire Marinelli. Done. Next, well, who don't you fire? It seems to me that the entire front office should be axed (maybe you can keep a secretary or two around, but I'm not sure) along with the coaching staff and at least 25% of the roster. Then you get on with the business of finding new blood. Obviously, William Clay Ford Sr. doesn't know a thing about being a decent owner, so he needs to bring in someone to make ALL the decisions. Maybe this guy? Hey, the Dolphins have went from 1-15 to the playoffs, so anything is (theoretically) possible.