The Corporate Headquarters of the San Antonio Gunslingers

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Some things I Like

1. How Krazee Eyez Killah was in a State Farm commercial that ran every break during March Madness.

2. Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat

3. Pulitzer Prize Winning Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili.

4. The Internet Is Terrible

5. Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which I'd heard about from that Backstreet Boys video a while back, but never actually seen. Incredible.

6. Blanche de Chambly (and Don de Dieu, if you want to get drunk fast). All about the ale on lees.

7. Mad Men. Watch this television show. It's great. I can't stress this enough.

8. The fact that a team in the Philippine Basketball Association was excited to have signed former UGA basketball player Steven Thomas. Look: he's all over their website! Also: you can spend an hour looking at info on the PBA on wikipedia. The PBA is freaking awesome. I thought I was going to become a die hard Beverage Master fan, but I don't want to be a frontrunner. Come on Phone Pals!

9. That Saturday is the NFL draft. I know it's terrible. I know I'm a massive nerd for loving it. I actually even did a live blog of it 3 years ago (whoa... stone age in blogtime). I can't help it. I love college football and I like pro football. I even think Mel Kiper is great; he's one of the few people on ESPN that actually provides insight - he's definitely an expert in his field, especially compared the the litany of ESPN's former players/moronic sportswriters yelling conventional wisdom. Sure, I wish it would go faster. And Berman is atrocious (though this year I might watch a bit more of the NFL network). Still, I like it. I can't help it. Now, please let Dorsey fall to the Falcons so we're not stuck with Matt Ryan and an albatross contract.

10. The best thing that has ever been on the internet: Fun Town Autos.

11. Finally, a happy 10 year anniversary to Je Suis France, a fine rock-n-roll band. The average life span of an Athens band is like 3 weeks, and the average level of awesomeness on a scale of AIDS to Fun Town Autos is "scrotal contusion", it's just incredible that they've lasted so long and continue to provide the cruisejams and crotchbashes at such a high level. Congrats, dudes. Also, Darkness - something is coming your way. Keep your eyes open.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Unseen Power of the Picket Fence

So, I suppose I owe an explanation as to why the posts have gotten so sporadic.

Last May, the Lady and I had a daughter. She's a lot more mobile now, and more interesting than when she just sat and slept and pooped and ate. Not that I don't find great interest and satisfaction in blogging, but, well, it just doesn't compare to having a kid around to play with and teach things and all. If ever I have to choose between blogging and spending a minute with the Countess, well, that's no choice at all.

Now, you might be thinking, "But LD, you watch a ton of movies, and in a post or two you'll tell us that you've watched 127 episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent since January. You can't tell us that blogging and hanging out with your kid is an 'either/or' quandary. You can post if you make the effort." And you would be right, or at least partly right. It's true, I do have free time outside of work, and the little one goes to bed relatively early, leaving me with a good amount of time in the evening during which I could be blogging. Truth is that the Lady, for the last couple of years, is a freelance writer. And considering that having the Countess rambling around affected her daily routine quite a bit more than mine, she really had a good reason to use the computer once the little one went to bed. If the choice is between the Lady using the computer and getting paid for it, and me blogging and not getting paid for it, there's no choice at all.

I'm not shutting down the blog. And I am going to try to post more frequently. I might be able to do just that too (we have 2 computers now). So don't give up just yet.

And one last note: yes, that picture with the mustache below is me. And it was real. The beard lasted about 2 1/2 months. It was getting too hot and I was getting odd looks from people at my real job. It had to go. I should've kept the 'stache longer though.

Flick the Button

Big backlog, so I'll try to be brief.

1. Grandma's Boy: Got some moments, but just felt like it could've been a little funnier. Overall the cast was funny and all of them deserve more and better roles. But there are too many stretches without laughs, or just non sequiturs pretending to be gags. Note: I agree completely with the IMDB featured comment, "This film would have sucked had Sandler been in it." You're Fired.

2. Across the Universe: Enjoyable and occasionally brilliant. Not every number works, but a few of them are fantastic. Taymor is a visionary who doesn't need to prove it on the silver screen, but I also got the feeling like she could make a revelation of a film. It's like I want to praise the heights this film hits, but I also think it could've been a classic. Great art direction. Pretty decent acting from the leads, though the supporting acting is so-so. I liked it, but I also really like the Beatles. Steak Knives.

3. No End In Sight: Important for someone who hasn't been paying attention to the Iraq war for the last 5 years, but little new information. Strong editing and interviewing skills, but not all that groundbreaking. Seemed like a decent Frontline special. You're Fired.

4. The Brave One: Clean and well made, but ultimately empty. Probably a bit too straight-forward. Terrence Howard was pretty good though. You're Fired.

5. Gone Baby Gone: Surprisingly, this was really good. In fact, I think I might've liked it better than (the natural comparison) Mystic River. Casey Affleck is fantastic. The rest of the cast, especially the bit players, was outstanding - maybe the best ensemble for a movie I've seen all year. Amy Ryan got all the attention, but it's really Casey Affleck that stole the show. The kind of movie that made me want to read the book - and that's a high compliment. Not afraid to say it, Cadillac.

6. Shoot 'Em Up: As a comedy, it could use more laughs. As a thriller, it could use less ridiculousness. Or just more of everything. I think it's just shy of being a parody, but it also has some hilarious moments, primarily skydive fighting. If this were more ridiculous, I'd probably watch it again, but it isn't, so I won't. You're Fired.

7. 3:10 to Yuma (2007): I like westerns. I like Bale and Crowe (and Ben Foster too). I like Elmore Leonard. But there was something a little too slick about this for me to really love it, though I did like it OK. I think I'd have liked it more had it been grittier. Or maybe it just doesn't compare to the great Westerns too favorably. Maybe I'm being too critical. Probably, because I did like it. Steak Knives.

8. Michael Clayton: One of my favorites of the last year. White collar Bourne Identity - and I really appreciate the way Tony Gilroy thinks and writes. Excellent acting, fine direction, great pacing. Cadillac.

9. Sunshine (2007): Alternated between beautiful visuals and epileptic chopping. Alternated between psychological drama projected onto an eternal and universal canvas and goofy ripoff of Event Horizon (which at least knew it was ridiculous). A movie needs to figure out what it wants to be. This didn't. I did kind of like the final scene though. You're Fired.

10. American Gangster: Tried too hard to be good. Watching some movies, you can just envision the pitch that got it started. With this, it was "a new Scarface, big, badass". OK, that's fine if they want to make that, but it didn't turn out to be great. It feels about an hour too long. Denzel Washington is kind of a ham. An indulgent film. You're Fired.

11. The Lives of Others: A solid moral drama. Finely acted and directed. The pacing of the film matches plodding bureaucracy, and that works. As far as Communist-era East German-set films go, I preferred Good Bye Lenin!, but this was pretty good too. Steak Knives.

12. Layer Cake: My mistake here was in reading the book first. The book is richer, twistier, makes more sense (and less - it's written in cockney), and has a better ending. I'm not really in a position to tell you how good the movie is on its own, because I can't think about the movie without comparing it to the book. You might like the movie a lot (and there are some scenes that are great). For me, you're fired - read the book.

13. No Country For Old Men: Again, I read the book first, but here it's a little different. The book and the film are pretty much identical. Almost word for word. And I appreciate that. The film matches the book in power, vivid imagery, and how indelible it is. It's a classic film that stands up next to a classic novel. The Coen Brothers have done better, and so has Cormac McCarthy, but nobody else could've done this novel better. Cadillac.

14. Into the Wild: Again, I read the book first. Here, the book/film issue worked somewhere between the previous two. What was good was the scenery and cinematography - works much better on film than in Krakauer's news-reporting, little describing style. What was missing was (and I shouldn't be surprised because it's Sean Penn) the humor. I really got the sense in the book that McCandless was an interesting, positive, sort of infectious character once he hit the road. That only shined through in too-brief moments in the film (talking to an apple, "I'm fuckin' hungry!"). Maybe that's Hirsch's fault, but I sense that it's Penn's fingerprints that made the character just too morose. Also - for a movie that relied on bit players he meets on the way, it seemed like the supporting cast was terribly underused (especially Galifianakis). You're Fired.

15. Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End: Oh Lord. Three scenes that were cool (multiple Sparrows, battle in the whirlpool, umm... make that two). 150 scenes that sucked or were terribly annoying. This movie felt interminable. Get to the point. Everything that made me hate the second one was back. Everything that made the first one good was completely absent (except that one scene with the multiple Sparrows). Seemed like a massive waste of filmstock and resources. Jeez. This sucked. You're Fired.

16. Fracture: I figured out all the twists way early on. We never found out why Gosling spoke with a southern accent, though, and that was the most interesting mystery. Throw-away movie that I'd have forgotten completely if I hadn't watched it yesterday. You're Fired.

17. Mad Men - Season One: An exceptional television program which I highly recommend to everyone I know. Seriously, this is one of the best-written TV shows I've ever watched and the acting, style, etc. all works great. NOTE: AMC IS RESHOWING THE FIRST SEASON STARTING TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. WATCH THIS! I THINK IT'S ON "ON-DEMAND" TOO. WATCH IT!

I'm pretty sure I've forgotten a bunch of movies, but if I can't remember them, they sucked.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Somethin' Fo tha Honeys

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A brief interlude on the Hawks

I find the Atlanta Hawks mystifying. I want to root for them, because I have a real sense of "buy low, cash in big" with this team, but then I think they are already underperforming greatly. There is talent on this team, but they aren't performing well. I found myself nodding in agreement when the 790 AM morning hosts were bitching that the top-to-bottom roster for the Houston Rockets, who might never lose again, isn't as good as the roster for the Hawks. Well, the Rockets certainly have more depth, but I think there's some merit to the argument. The Rockets are a significantly better coached team than the Hawks.

Regardless, the Hawks are primed for a berth in the playoffs. They sit in the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference right now, and they have what on paper is the easiest schedule remaining of the teams in the hunt for 6th-8th. There is reason for some optimism that the Hawks may make the playoffs. The AJC this morning broke down the chances of the Hawks making a run to the playoffs. The problem: 4 of the AJC's reasons why the Hawks will make the playoffs aren't very strong. There is really only reason why the Hawks will make the playoffs: other Eastern Conference teams are more awful than the Hawks. That's it. Let me break down the other reasons:

1. The schedule: Of the Hawks' 19 remaining games, 11 are against teams with a worse record, including three against the 18-win Knicks.

Yes, the Hawks have an easy schedule remaining, playing so many bad teams. The flaw in that argument? The Hawks still aren't very good against those teams. Against the 11 teams with worse records than the Hawks that the Hawks have yet to play, the Hawks are barely above .500 (9-7). Take out the 3 wins against the worst team in the league, Miami (which wins were by a margin of only 9 points combined!), and they're below .500. The Hawks have already lost twice to the Bucks and Nets (more on them in a second), and they've been blown out once by the Bulls. The three games against the Knicks should cause optimism, but if you saw last week's Knicks game, the Hawks struggled mightily and only had a lead of more than one basket for the last 11 seconds in the 4th quarter. Checking any game remaining on the schedule as a "sure win" is not a good idea.

2. The opponents: The Hawks play Washington, New Jersey, Chicago (2), Philadelphia (2) and Indiana — all teams within four games in the standings

Having your closest competitors for a playoff spot is definitely an advantage for a team, but only if you actually win those games. The Hawks haven't shown that they are likely to do so. They are just 6-6 against those 5 teams so far this year. The other thing: the Hawks have to travel on the road against all five of those teams (Chicago and Philly both also come to Philips Arena). The Hawks already lost on the road at New Jersey, Chicago and Indiana. The Pacers loss was by 22 points! The AJC mentions in their section on why the Hawks won't make the playoffs that the Hawks are just 7-25 on the road this year. 5 of their remaining 9 road games are against these key teams. That's bad news.

3. The point guard: Mike Bibby is averaging 12.6 points, 6.4 assists and 31.1 minutes in 14 games since trade to the Hawks.

Those numbers might seem pretty good compared to the point guards he supplanted. But here's what the AJC isn't telling you: Bibby's numbers are down from when he was on the Kings. Just this year, Bibby's points per game, rebounds, and steals are down. His assists are slightly up, but everything else is down. His FG shooting and FT shooting is worse too. And that's just comparing Bibby on the Hawks to the 2007-08 Bibby on the Kings. If you look at his numbers from previous years, he's going to average career lows in points, steals and rebounds. And the clincher is this: that's not even the worst news about Bibby. That would be his defense. Since the trade for Bibby, the Hawks have averaged giving up 110 points per game. That's more than 10 points more than their season average. Opposing PGs have had a field day on Bibby, including Baron Davis going for 35 points twice and Chris Paul posting a 23/18 day. Yeah, those guys are all-stars, but Raymond Felton put up 23/10 for the Bobcats (another team with a worse record than the Hawks that the Hawks just lost to). Bibby's D is really hurting the Hawks (or, who knows, maybe it was all AJ, Lue, and Shelden doing the defending). Regardless, unless the Hawks figure out how to defend better with Bibby, or increase his offensive output dramatically, Bibby's presence won't help the Hawks make the playoffs - it'll hurt it.

4. The All-Star: Joe Johnson is starting to score more. He is averaging 29.6 points over the last five games, including 39 against Miami.

Joe Johnson does seem to be playing better, and it's mainly because of his 3-point shooting. He's hit better than his season average in FG% and 3-PT % in 9 of the 13 games since the Bibby trade. That's definitely a positive. And it could be a sign that Bibby's presence is getting Joe open for better shots. The increased scoring average, though isn't all good news. In those 5 games where Joe is nearly averaging 30 points a game, the Hawks are 1-4, and all 4 losses were blowouts (by 11, 15, 15 and 17 in games that really weren't even that close). I can't find/put together the numbers, but I'd be willing to bet that Joe's points per 100 Hawks possessions in those 5 games isn't all that improved over his numbers for the rest of the season. The Hawks are giving up more points, so they're getting more possessions. Joe's increased scoring could be just a product of shootout games - and worse, shootout games that aren't really all that close. When the Warriors or Magic are up 25 points in the late third quarter, the benches are getting emptied for the opposing teams and they aren't working quite as hard on D as they might be in a 1 possession game. And finally, Joe Johnson's scoring is up over the last 5 games, but Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Josh Childress all are seeing their scoring drop precipitously over that same stretch. Joe's scoring, but it's to the detriment of, not in addition to, the other scoring options. I don't think the increased scoring numbers will automatically lead to a Hawks playoff berth.

My honest opinion: I think the Hawks do have a great chance of making the playoffs. But it won't be because of the reasons the AJC is giving. It'll be only because the Hawks are equally or slightly less terrible than the Nets, Bulls and Pacers (but those three teams have tougher remaining schedules). And those teams are also really terrible.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Something I learned from ESPN today...

Peter Gammons likes the way Evan Longoria holds his bat.

No. I'm not dead.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Hot Thrashers Rumors!

So, while drinking in L'Oncle Antoine, a pub located in a 1700's building in Vieux Quebec, a Quebecois hockey fan assured me that within the next couple of weeks, Marian Hossa will be a Montreal Canadien.

Makes sense to me. Hawks make a trade to add a relatively pricey player, time for the Thrashers to trim some payroll. Two teams that care about winning in this city is just too much, right?

Also: Philips Arena is one of the most successful concert venues in the world. But the Thrashers have the 8th most cap space in the NHL. The Hawks are 28th out of 30th in salary.

Philips is a moneymaker. The Hawks and Thrashers can draw fans and revenues. Time to spend real money on the teams, Spirit.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Flick the Button

1. The Namesake. Alright. I never noticed Kal Penn as having an oddly big nose in House or Harold and Kumar, so was it a prosthetic in this? In the few Mira Nair movies I've seen, music seems to dominate certain scenes (almost to a distraction), and this is no different. Plot-wise, this movie might've made a better saga miniseries, but TV networks don't really do that anymore, except for Lonesome Dove tales. Neither forgettable, nor memorable. You're Fired.

2. The Simpsons Movie. I guess I was hoping for more. In mymind, I had this theory that the last few years of the Simpsons on TV were so-so because they were saving the best jokes for the movie. I don't think my theory was correct, though there were some funny moments. The movie seemed like less of a "take the show to the next level" but more of a "let's remind everyone about how great the show is, as a whole". There's lots of references to golden age (early-mid 90s) episodes, which is nicely nostalgic, but maybe I was just hoping for something more. Maybe I need to see it again too. Fired/Steak Knives.

3. The Kingdom. I was suprised, but I actually liked this, despite many reasons not to. Normally I dislike jerky camera action, and the dialogue is pretty much stock action movie. But for the most part, this is really just a crime procedure movie, and it's pretty good at doing that. Not so much political, not so much bad ass action movie (until the end, where it does get a silly). In a weird way, this was kind of the movie I wanted A Mighty Heart to be (albeit with more guns and bombs). Steak Knives.

4. The Heartbreak Kid (2007). A couple of "geez, that's sick" moments, but no heart, and little actual comedy beyond the gross-out. And it's quite forgettable. Shame. I kind of like Michelle Monaghan. I'm not ready to say that There's Something About Mary was a complete outlier for the Farrelly Bros., as there are moments in some of their other movies. This, however, blew. You're Fired.

5. Stardust. I kind of wanted to like this, and it was OK for the most part. But a lot of the movie felt forced. Were I 13 and a girl, I'd probably like this a lot more. Instead, it looks like a SciFi network movie with more famous actors and peppier dialogue. In the fantasy genre, I appreciate the efforts of creating a new and fantastic world. In this movie, the new world felt kind of, well, like it'd been done before. You're Fired.

6. La Vie en Rose. Acting school. Cotillard is really really great in this. She reminds me of my great aunts, in mannerisms and how her Edith Piaf is really funny. The movie itself was engaging and interesting, even if I had no idea who Edith Piaf was, and I really wasn't much of a fan of her music. Beyond the acting, this felt like a real movie, not a TV movie with a bigger budget. Sharp steak knives.

7. Eastern Promises. Right after finishing the movie, I wasn't sure about how much I liked it. Probably because the Cronenberg movies I've seen seem just a little too slick. But this one stayed with me, and I think it's Mortensen's acting that's the reason for it. Like Watts's character, I wanted to believe he was good but capable of real evil, even when there was little evidence from his actions. The viewer and Watts' character were in the same boat. Kind of powerful. Downside: Cassel's performance was pretty hackish. Steak Knives.

8. Jesus Camp. I can't say I was all that shocked by the political angles here. And in a way, this is just a movie about weirdish kids coming from weird parents. But it also had a lot of moments of "really!!??" or "dude!!!". The Lady liked this a lot lot lot more than I did, but I didn't think it was bad. Probably a very effective movie to a lot of audiences. Steak Knives.

9. Suburban Girl. Stunning that this even made a DVD release, and not just an "ABC Family Original". There's no conflict for 2/3ds of the movie. The acting is bad or boring (and you have Alec Baldwin!). The editing bits are insulting to the audience (especially the last frame, which is the worst way to end a movie I've ever seen, really). Really bad. In fact, so bad, the only thing I found slightly redeeming was the lines from the Philawarepragueicago guy. Also, the title and marketing is F'd up. (A) She's not really a "suburban" girl. She lives in a massive apartment owned by her Aunt who was a member of the literati. (B) This movie isn't really based on the book it says it's based on, per The Lady. Don't get tricked. You're Fired.

10. The Brothers Solomon. Like Let's Go To Prison, this felt like an early draft of something that could've been very good. It's got funny moments, but it just feels rushed and like it could've had more funny moments. I think Will Arnett was miscast (and I'm a huge Will Arnett fan). He's creepy-nice in this, when he should either be nice-nice or actually creepy, or maybe they left it open for too long because they weren't sure whether they were going to have him end up creepy or nice. I liked Will Forte a lot in this though. The movie was way way way better than the other dick and fart comedies in this post, but not quite very good. And I probably grade tougher because I think with a couple of revisions, this could've been great. You're Fired.

11. Hairspray (2007). Not as fun as the original, and this one definitely felt in some ways like "famous people playing dress up". But it was also nice, in that I think one could watch it with your parents and not feel too worse for the wear. The music was alright, but I didn't think there were any showstoppers either. Basically, this is an OK movie. Or maybe I just think that because we rented it at the same time as the 2 worst movies on this list. Then there's this: with a young daughter and a wife who liked this a bit more than I did (and who very much liked the original), I fear my future will include seeing this several more times. And I'm not exactly fired up about that. Therefore my Steak Knives are downgraded to You're Fired.

12. Planet Terror. I'd forgotten I saw this already, and I saw it just a few weeks ago. Can't say I was all that excited while watching this. And perhaps if I'd seen 28 Weeks Later after this, I'd have been more fired up about the helicopter cutting heads off and stuff. Jeff Fahey was a plus, and I liked that joke about Fergie being a "no brainer". Otherwise, it's just meh. Though I think I did like this more than Death Proof and the incessant prattling on. You're Fired.

13. Good Luck Chuck. Wow did this suck. 100 minutes I'll never get back. I can't think of a single good joke in this. Yes, there's gratuitous nudity, but (and I can't believe I'm saying this), even that wasn't entertaining. Atrocious. Possibly the worst movie to get a wide release last year. IMDB says if you liked this you'll probably like The Heartbreak Kid. They're right, but they're also calling you a moron. You're So Fired Dane Cook You Might Never Work Again.

14. Once. Simple, sweet and good. Nice tunes, nice people, and a nice story. Been a while since I saw a movie that made me so happy/sad at the same time. That said, it almost felt Dogme, so it might not be accessible to many audiences. I liked it quite a bit, and I'd like musicals more if they were like this. Steak Knives.

15. Smokin' Aces. Yep, I saw this 8 days ago and completely forgot I'd seen it. This movie tricks you into being interested by having all the exposition come at you at 100 miles an hour in direct monologues, and then the end tells you what you just saw similarly. So you think you're "interested," but really you just have to pay attention just to know what's going on. All the acting is ridiculous, and lots of the plotlines are just moronic. Was there a sizable audience who was just begging for Common and Alicia Keys to get together on screen? Something tells me this movie "sounds" like a good movie more than it actually was a good movie. I'm sure over-RedBull-ed teenage boys think this is the shit though. You're Fired.

16. Juno. Yes, I actually saw a movie in a theatre (first one since Knocked Up, I think). Precocious Juno is a bit too peppy, but it's not too too too clever (only too too clever, I guess). Anyway, I suppose I liked this a good bit, though too many of the funniest parts were in commercials. Luckily the sweetest parts were left in. I know I sound gay for writing that. But it is a sweet movie. And that doesn't need to be a bad thing. More Bateman in movies (except not Smokin' Aces), please. I don't see how this can win an Oscar for Best Picture, but I did like it better than I suppose the recent comparables, Knocked Up and Little Miss Sunshine (and the last 2 Wes Anderson movies I've seen). Sharp Steak Knives (and the Lady, I believe, would've given it a Cadillac).

I know I'm missing some, but they are probably forgettable anyway... Man did I see some shitters in this group. I need to see some good movies, pronto.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Lebowski Rankings - FINAL 2007

As always, these are objective rankings based solely on wins and losses, with strength of schedule and head-to-head competition the only tiebreakers. This list does not depict who is the "best" team, only which teams have done the "best" at winning every game on their schedule. Number in parentheses is strength of schedule according to Colley Ratings. There were a ton of head to head ties, so I'll explain those one by one below the fold (* indicates a head to head win, # indicates a complicated circle of teams, @ indicates a split of 2 games, and more info is below). This is the whole list.

120. Idaho 1-11 (106)
119. Southern Methodist 1-11 (98)
118. Florida International 1-11 (69)
117. Minnesota 1-11 (37)
116. Duke 1-11 (25)
115. Northern Illinois 2-10 (120)
114. North Texas 2-10 (94)
113. Utah State 2-10 (87)
112. Alabama-Birmingham 2-10 (79)
111. Nevada-Las Vegas 2-10 (56)
110. Syracuse 2-10 (26)
109. Rice 3-9 (119)
108. Louisiana-Lafayette 3-9 (91)
107. Marshall 3-9 (72)
106. Army 3-9 (71)
105. Colorado State 3-9 (62)
104. Baylor 3-9 (52)
103. Iowa State 3-9 (31)
102. Kent State 3-9 (100)*
101. Notre Dame 3-9 (14)
100. Mississippi 3-9 (6)
99. New Mexico State 4-9 (116)
98. Washington 4-9 (3)
97. Texas-El Paso 4-8 (109)
96. Tulane 4-8 (112)*
95. Eastern Michigan 4-8 (108)
94. Akron 4-8 (93)
93. Temple 4-8 (115)*
92. San Diego State 4-8 (57)
91. North Carolina 4-8 (33)
90. Stanford 4-8 (20)
89. Toledo 5-7 (114)
88. Buffalo 5-7 (113)
87. San Jose State 5-7 (107)
86. Arkansas State 5-7 (103)
85. Western Michigan 5-7 (101)
84. Louisiana Tech 5-7 (96)
83. Middle Tennessee State 5-7 (89)
82. Wyoming 5-7 (65)
81. Miami (FL) 5-7 (53)
80. Kansas State 5-7 (48)
79. Pittsburgh 5-7 (35)
78. Washington State 5-7 (34)
77. Arizona 5-7 (17)
76. North Carolina State 5-7 (15)
75. Vanderbilt 5-7 (11)
74. Nebraska 5-7 (9)
73. Nevada 6-7 (118)
72. Miami (OH) 6-7 (110)
71. Colorado 6-7 (28)
70. Maryland 6-7 (13)
69. UCLA 6-7 (2)
68. Ohio 6-6 (123)
67. Louisiana-Monroe 6-6 (92)
66. Northwestern 6-6 (84)
65. Iowa 6-6 (86)*
64. Louisville 6-6 (38)
63. South Carolina 6-6 (4)
62. Southern Mississippi 7-6 (111)
61. Memphis 7-6 (125)*
60. Ball State 7-6 (95)
59. Indiana 7-6 (75)
58. Georgia Tech 7-6 (55)
57. Michigan State 7-6 (44)
56. Oklahoma State 7-6 (24)
55. Texas A&M 7-6 (21)
54. California 7-6 (19)
53. Alabama 7-6 (16)
52. Florida State 7-6 (22)*
51. Central Michigan 8-6 (102)
50. Western Kentucky 7-5 (126)
49. Houston 8-5 (122)
48. Bowling Green 8-5 (117)
47. Navy 8-5 (105)
46. Florida Atlantic 8-5 (90)
45. Texas Christian 8-5 (80)
44. Purdue 8-5 (76)
43. East Carolina 8-5 (74)
42. Rutgers 8-5 (61)
41. Arkansas 8-5 (42)#
40. Mississippi State 8-5 (30)#
39. Kentucky 8-5 (5)#
38. Troy 8-4 (81)
37. Fresno State 9-4 (104)
36. New Mexico 9-4 (97)#
35. Air Force 9-4 (83)#
34. Utah 9-4 (68)#
33. Florida 9-4 (1)
32. Connecticut 9-4 (67)#
31. Wisconsin 9-4 (64)#
30. Penn State 9-4 (59)#
29. Illinois 9-4 (50)#
28. Wake Forest 9-4 (49)#
27. Virginia 9-4 (58)*
26. Texas Tech 9-4 (78)*
25. Clemson 9-4 (40)#
24. Michigan 9-4 (39)#
23. South Florida 9-4 (23)#
22. Auburn 9-4 (18)#
21. Oregon 9-4 (10)
20. Oregon State 9-4 (27)*
19. Tulsa 10-4 (99)
18. Central Florida 10-4 (88)
17. Tennessee 10-4 (7)
16. Boise State 10-3 (121)
15. Cincinnati 10-3 (66)
14. Arizona State 10-3 (32)
13. Texas 10-3 (54)*
12. Oklahoma 11-3 (45)
11. Boston College 11-3 (40)@
10. Virginia Tech 11-3 (29)@
9. Brigham Young 11-2 (70)
8. Ohio State 11-2 (60)
7. Southern California 11-2 (51)
6. West Virginia 11-2 (43)
5. Georgia 11-2 (12)
4. Missouri 12-2 (46)
3. Louisiana State 12-2 (8)
2. Hawaii 12-1 (123)
1. Kansas 12-1 (77)

Explanations:

Asterisks indicate a head-to-head win by a team with an identical record, but a lower strength of schedule. The winning head-to-head team is placed immediately above the losing head-to-head team. Examples: Kent State over Iowa State, Tulane over UTEP, Temple over Akron, Iowa over Northwestern, Memphis over Southern Miss, FSU over Alabama, Virginia over Wake Forest, Texas Tech over Virginia, Oregon State over Oregon and Texas over Arizona State.

The ampersands next to Boston College and Virginia Tech refer to the fact that the two teams played twice and each won once. Because of that, I've reverted to strength of schedule.

Number signs indicate a scenario where 3 or more teams have beaten another team with an identical record, but also lost to another team with an identical record, creating a circle. When this happens, we'll revert to the strength of schedule as the tiebreaker, but wins and losses by teams outside such circles will still apply. There are 4 such examples this year and I'll explain them each.

(A) Three SEC teams finished at 8-5. Kentucky beat Arkansas but lost to Mississippi State. Arkansas beat Mississippi State but lost to Kentucky. Mississippi State beat Kentucky but lost to Arkansas. Perfect Circle, revert to strength of schedule.

(B) Three WAC teams finished at 9-4. Utah beat New Mexico but lost to Air Force. Air Force beat Utah but lost to New Mexico. New Mexico beat Air Force but lost to Utah. Perfect Circle, revert to strength of schedule.

(C) Four Big Ten teams finished at 9-4. Michigan beat Illinois and Penn State, but lost to Wisconsin. Illinois beat Wisconsin and Penn State, but lost to Michigan. Wisconsin beat Michigan, but lost to Illinois and Penn State. Penn State beat Wisconsin, but lost to Michigan and Illinois. Not exactly a perfect circle, but reverting to strength of schedule leaves us with an equitable result. The two teams that finished 2-1 in this circle placed higher than the 2 teams that finished 1-2. Among the 2-1 teams, Michigan beat Illinois head-to-head, so by SOS and head-to-head, Michigan is ranked higher. Among the 1-2 teams, Penn State beat Wisconsin head-to-head, so by SOS and head-to-head, Penn State is ranked higher.

(D) All of the teams in the 9-4 category proved to be quite complicated. Every single team that finished 9-4 beat, lost to or both beat and lost to another 9-4 team. This created a massive circle for 5 of the teams, and affected how all of the teams were placed. Auburn beat Clemson, who in turn beat Wake Forest, who in turn beat Connecticut, who in turn beat South Florida, who in turn beat Auburn. Connected thereto... Virginia also beat Wake Forest and Connecticut (but lost to Texas Tech). And Auburn beat Florida (who also lost to Michigan, who also lost to Oregon (who also beat Fresno State but also lost to Oregon State). The decision I made was to separate the "closed circles" from one another, ignore head-to-head wins within closed circles, but then apply head-to-head wins outside those circles. The result is thus:

Oregon is placed first because they had the (second) best SOS, but Oregon State was placed ahead of them because of the head-to-head win. No 9-4 team beat Oregon State, and no 9-4 team other than Oregon State beat Oregon. Next, I follow SOS to include the 5 team circle, but I place the Big Ten teams from the 4 team circle in their appropriate slot based on SOS (since none of the Big Ten teams lost or beat any of the teams within the 5 team circle). Auburn, followed by South Florida (despite the head-to-head win), followed by Michigan because of SOS. I have not slotted Florida yet, despite their excellent SOS, because they lost to both Auburn and Michigan and didn't beat anyone with a 9-4 record (a fact they only share with Fresno State). Michigan is followed by Clemson, who is then followed by Texas Tech and Virginia before Wake Forest. Virginia didn't lose to anyone in that 5 team circle, but did beat Wake Forest (and UConn, but Wake is slotted higher based on SOS). Therefore we'll slide the Texas Tech and Virginia head-to-head wins in ahead of Wake, but behind the other teams in the circle with a higher SOS. After Wake Forest, we'll slot the three other Big Ten schools, based on their SOS ranking. Then Connecticut finishes up the 5 team circle. Here's where we slot Florida. Logically, we couldn't slot Florida any higher than this, because every team above Florida would have beaten another team at 9-4. They can't be ahead of Michigan or Auburn because they lost to both. And every other team ahead of them beat either Auburn or Michigan or beat a team that beat Auburn or Michigan (by some stretch). Florida didn't beat any of those teams. We can rank Florida ahead of Utah, Air Force, New Mexico and Fresno State because none of those teams beat Florida or any team with a link to a team that beat Florida.

Make sense?

Please just let Chris Dimino talk...

In one segment this morning on 790 the Zone, Steak, Dimino and Cellini were talking about the Johan Santana trade. In a 3 minute span, Steak Shapiro made the following errors:

Called Hanley Ramirez, "Aramis Ramirez".
Called Anibal Sanchez, "Aramis Sanchez".
Called Carlos Beltran, "Carlos Beltre".
Mentioned the Braves' starting pitchers (listed them all) without referencing Tom Glavine.
Said Mike Gonzalez is a risk because his "history of arm problems". In 4 seasons, Gonzalez has just one injury year (last year). In prior years, he pitched in 47, 51 and 54 games. He's no Mark Prior.
Also, he said Santana is "maybe the second best starter in baseball." Is there some consensus on someone who is better than Santana? Peavy, Webb, Beckett? Am I missing someone? Santana is the best pitcher in baseball. There's not much debate on that.

Steak, you've got one of the best baseball minds in radio not 5 feet from where you're sitting. Just slowly push the microphone away from you and let the professional handle this.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Great Middle Names of the NFL

Thus begins a new running series here at the Corporate Headquarters. I will offer a middle name, and a multiple choice of potential NFL players. You make the call, and the answer will be below the fold.
Our first name is:

"Eldorado"

A. Keenan McCardell
B. Terrell Owens
C. Demarcus Ware
D. Clinton Portis

The answer is...

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Cameo

For EDSBS readers:

Penn Wagers Does it Again

Do the same replay officials work with a particular crew of referees? I took issue here with Penn Wagers and his crew's interpretation of the rules that enabled Bama to squeak out a win in Oxford, and possibly cost Orgeron his job. Again, a penalty flag falls from the replay booth, thrown by this same crew, this time in the Holiday Bowl, resulting in a 50 yard penalty, a change of possession, and a total change of momentum. The "Longhorn Steve Bartman" interference/noninterference is yet another egregious miscarriage of football justice by this horrendous SEC crew.

The replay showed that there was an referee right on that sideline very near the "toucher" with an unimpeded view of the play as it happened. He didn't blow the play dead nor did he throw a flag when the Texas staffmember reached for the ball. That means the call on the field was "no interference." Therefore, video evidence had to be indisputable that he touched the ball. I looked at it for 20 minutes on super slo-mo in hi-def, and I really don't think he touched it. Herbstreit and Musberger, idiots as they may be, disputed whether it was touched during the whole review. If there was dispute, then, by very definition, it's disputable.

But okay, whatever. Give Wagers his (latest) moment in the spotlight to deliver the shocking reversal. Even still, he doesn't have to make it a 50 yard penalty (50 because the Longhorn player who eventually recovered the lateral was tackled at the ASU 43; after the microscopy from the booth, the ball was spotted at the 7). The language from Rule 9-1 is as follows:

Illegal Interference
ARTICLE 4. a. No substitute, coach, authorized attendant or any person subject to the rules, other than a player or official, may interfere in any way with the ball or a player while the ball is in play.
PENALTY—15 yards from the basic spot. The referee may enforce any penalty he considers equitable, including awarding a score.

It was obvious the Texas dude thought the play was already dead and he wasn't trying to interfere. Also, I really don't think he touched the ball. The equitable thing to do would be to declare the ball dead at that spot, which would leave the ball in ASU's possession, but it would be 4th and forever. Nevertheless, Penn Wagers thinks it's equitable to enforce a 50 yard penalty. Wow.

To me the right call was actually never mentioned on TV or by the refs. It looked to me that the staffmember never touched it, but a Texas player trying to save it from going out of bounds immediately after the "interference" was touching the ball at the same time his hand hit the chalk of the boundary. Should have been blown dead, ASU ball at that spot.

If Penn Wagers loves the esoteric nuances of the rules so much, how come he never pulls out that "whatever is equitable" clause?

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Seasons' Greetings!

Before the day was over, I wanted to wish everyone a glorious Festivus.

Readers, a donation has been made in your name to the Human Fund ("money... for people").

Considering that this blog is just a constant stream-of-consciousness Airing of Grievances, we shall now move on to the feats of strength.

Nobody leaves until one of the 5 regular readers pins me.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Thoughts on the UNC assault cases

You may read the background here.

My thoughts on the alleged perpetrators:

Coolio never should've cut his signature braids.

And thus ruins my dreams of a PM Dawn reunion.

Did these hip hop artists learn nothing from the deaths of Biggie and Pac? Crime doesn't pay.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Revisiting the BCS Selections

Go back and read my piece on BCS selections (scroll down or click HERE).

Now read Stewart Mandel's piece HERE.

Here is a relevant part:

Two sources not directly involved in the decision speculated that the commissioners feared such a matchup might damage the legitimacy of the Ohio State-LSU title game.

...

Asked whether the split possibility played a factor, Slive insisted, "It never came up."

My response to Mike Slive's comment: "Bullshit."

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Random Thoughts Not About Football Necessarily

Peter King style!

1. I think the pitch for the most recent Old Navy ad campaign was this: It's Christmas at Zoolander's apartment. Too bad a gas fight didn't break out.

2. Radiohead's In Rainbows is their most enjoyable album since OK Computer.

3. I still think there's a sociology thesis to be written on the role of race and the demographics of the audience in the selection of America's Next Top Model. But let that not cloud my congratulations to Poor-Man's Rihanna!

4. This weekend Shannon Sharpe told me the weather in Cleveland was "treach-you-us".

5. Speaking of terrible speaking, on the E! True Hollywood Story for "Hip Hop Wives", an editor for Jet magazine used the word "jury" multiple times when I believe she meant "jewelry". It's good to know that editing a major magazine with a wide circulation doesn't require pronunciation skills.

6. It took me two weekends, several hours, and three trips to Target to complete the job of hanging Christmas lights. It was here that I sensed the following conflicting/in perfect harmony emotions:

(a) dammit, why do these lights break so damn easily with just a single staple through the main line!

(b) great! these lights are on sale for just $2 a box!

I'm an idiot.

7. Cheers to Sam Adams for brewing a mass-produced cranberry lambic. OK, not exactly a true lambic, but it's kind of/sort of close. And at least the attempt gets some points in my book. Thumbs up for their cream stout, too.

8. If there's one thing in this world that is true, it's that it wouldn't be a Lemon party without old Dick.

9. Brett Favre is SI's Sportsman of the Year. Here are better options:

(a) Glenn McGrath. If the choice is an aging statesman, why not choose this guy (who plays in the sport with the largest worldwide audience this year)? In his final international cricket appearance, the 2007 Cricket World Cup, he was named Player of the Tournament, led the tournament in wickets (setting a record for most wickets taken in a single World Cup), topped the record for all-time wickets taken, and just so happened to lead his Australian team to their (another record) third-straight World Cup victory. He was named World Player of the Year at age 37 (quite old for the sport). If Favre is having a great autumn, McGrath was inconceivably great.

(b) Roger Federer. OK, let me just say this: It is absolutely ridiculous what Federer has done in the sport of tennis over the last few years, and this year very well might've been his best. Look at this year what he did in the major tournaments. Australian Open - defended his title, and DIDN'T LOSE A SINGLE SET IN THE ENTIRE TOURNAMENT (let me put that in perspective - the last man to do that in a Grand Slam event was Bjorn Borg in 1980). French Open - on his worst surface, he still made the final, losing in 4 sets to the best clay court player of this generation, Rafael Nadal. Wimbledon - won his 5th straight title (equaling Borg's record for the Open Era) in one of the best single game sporting events of the year, the 5-set beat-the-hell-out-of-each-other classic with Nadal. US Open - won his 4th straight title (a record for the Open Era), dropping only 2 sets the entire way (and beating world ranked 5, 4, and 3 consecutively, all in straight sets). In 2007 Federer set the all-time record (male or female) for consecutive weeks ranked #1 (he's topped the rankings since February 2004!). He's played in 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals, winning 8 of them. He won a second straight (and 4 of the last 5) Masters Series (year-end championship),. He also broke his own record for earnings in a season, becoming the world's first $10,000,000 earner. I think it's utterly ridiculous that Federer has never been named Sportsman of the Year. Nobody (yes, even Tiger Woods) is as good at his sport as Federer. I'm serious.

(c) Younis Mahmoud. Read the link.

10. I watched Hot Rod a second time, just to make sure I wasn't crazy about liking it. I think I may have even liked it more the second time (the dance punching in the woods is even funnier than I first thought, and the march/riot killed me). I pose this question to you: why isn't the band Europe held in as high regard as some of the other bands of the era? Do they not totally rule every bit as much?

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)