As the air gets warmer, the leaves return to the trees, and people start to feel that itch again, it can only mean one thing. Hockey Playoffs. That's right! After the arduous thirteen month pre-season has wound down to a thunderous halt, the real hockey season starts. Somehow almost every team seems to make the playoffs, which manages to put somewhat of a damper on the Blues consecutive playoff streak. Sure 25 straight is nice, but does it really mean anything? Shouldn't we have won at least one Stanley Cup during that streak? It is all a great mystery. Now we get three more months of playoff hockey, and somehow the next season has already started. This is getting out of hand.
Two important issues:
1. Hockey should not be played during the summer. They are pushing it in March, and one of the top teams in the country should not be from Tampa Bay.
2. No one cares about the current labor agreement. If there is no hockey next season, then the four guys from South Boston that still care about the NHL will probably shoot themselves, leaving the NHL with exactly zero fans.
Sure I like the Blues, and the Blues-Blackhawks rivalry is one of the best in sports period. Every game, no matter how each team is doing in the standings, is a good one, but I can't go to a game because the tickets cost too much. The only two hockey games I have been to in my life, someone paid for me.
God I hope I won my office pool because otherwise I will have nothing to be happy about right now. I have no basketball team in Saint Louis to root for. Barring some kind of deranged miracle, the Blues will get thrown out of the playoffs even before they start. The Cardinals rotation is already giving me nightmares. Matt Morris has been battling injuries and lost confidence. The fact that Woody Williams has played much better than his ability the last two and a half years has got to catch up with him soon. Plus he's getting old. Chris Carpenter hasn't pitched in two years. Jason Marquis has been nothing better than inconsistent in the majors thus far. And Jeff Suppan is just a slightly better Brett Tomko. Their both given contracts because they can pitch a lot of innings, but without a huge amount of run support, they would never finish a season with a winning record.
Of course the Cardinals' lineup can produce the necessary run support, but with a brand new bench with little big league experience, we cannot expect the same kind of attack we had last year. Yes I love anyone in a Cardinal uniform (unless we managed to get Barry Bonds or Kenny Lofton, God I hate those two guys), but sometimes we have to be realistic. I really hate saying bad things about Woody Williams, but I can't help but to be pessimistic. Gravity happens.
The Cubs have Prior, Wood, Maddux. The Astros have Oswalt, Clemens, Pettitte. They have three aces apiece. We have an ace, an overachiever, an overrated innings eater, a rehab experiment, and an unproven and inconsistent prospect. Things will not end well. But I always like rooting for the underdog (except for G. Tech in the final because they ruined my bracket by beating Kansas and Oklahoma St.), and it will be fun to root for the underdog Cardinals as they kick both of those teams out of the playoff picture. It's a beautiful world that way.
A Movie and Movies
As a member of this esteemed group, I try to shun as many duties as possible. I do not know if it is right to say that it is your duty as a member to see a movie, but I can strongly recommend that a fellow member of this Group Cool (TM) sees a particular movie. At this time, that movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
I have now seen this movie, in its entirety twice. I would like to see it again. It is easy to blurt out things like, "It's not a typical Jim Carrey movie." But at this point in his career, I do not quite know what is typical for him. If you liked Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Human Nature, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, or simply the idea of a Charlie Kaufman penned movie, then you will most likely enjoy this movie and its mind trips and its naked humor and its poetic love story.
I am not a movie critic, although I aspire to play one on T.V. It is hard for me really be a movie critic. As a movie fan, I find myself getting lost in a movie, and I often forget to worry about the details. I feel slightly fake when I begin to rant on about the acting, writing, lighting, and other artistic qualities about a movie. I judge movies in simple tones. If a comedy makes me spit milk through my nose, then I like it. If I inexplicably get sand in my eye in the middle of a theater while watching a compelling drama, then I like it. If I am enthralled and interested by a suspense thriller until the end, then I like it. If I want to know how it ends because I feel like the characters have become a part of my soul, then I like it. If the summer blockbuster keeps me entertained and amazed, then I like it. If I'm a little freaked out for the next couple of days after a horror movie, then I like it.
Above all those, however, few movies tread. If a movie really makes me think, then I love it. And I mean think. Some movies make me rethink some of my preconceived notions about everything. Some movies make me think about the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Some movies trick me into feeling real emotions about the characters on screen. When I leave the theater shaking my head saying, "wow" or, "oh wow," those movies are my favorites. Those movies I love. Did I love this movie. I think so. It touched me. I feel silly saying that, but I think that it may be true. I wanted to know so much more about them and their story. It made me think about love and what chemistry is and what kinds of decisions I should or could make. Should you see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? I think so. Is it your duty? I don't know. Sometimes duty seems like a dirty word to me.
I have now seen this movie, in its entirety twice. I would like to see it again. It is easy to blurt out things like, "It's not a typical Jim Carrey movie." But at this point in his career, I do not quite know what is typical for him. If you liked Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Human Nature, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, or simply the idea of a Charlie Kaufman penned movie, then you will most likely enjoy this movie and its mind trips and its naked humor and its poetic love story.
I am not a movie critic, although I aspire to play one on T.V. It is hard for me really be a movie critic. As a movie fan, I find myself getting lost in a movie, and I often forget to worry about the details. I feel slightly fake when I begin to rant on about the acting, writing, lighting, and other artistic qualities about a movie. I judge movies in simple tones. If a comedy makes me spit milk through my nose, then I like it. If I inexplicably get sand in my eye in the middle of a theater while watching a compelling drama, then I like it. If I am enthralled and interested by a suspense thriller until the end, then I like it. If I want to know how it ends because I feel like the characters have become a part of my soul, then I like it. If the summer blockbuster keeps me entertained and amazed, then I like it. If I'm a little freaked out for the next couple of days after a horror movie, then I like it.
Above all those, however, few movies tread. If a movie really makes me think, then I love it. And I mean think. Some movies make me rethink some of my preconceived notions about everything. Some movies make me think about the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Some movies trick me into feeling real emotions about the characters on screen. When I leave the theater shaking my head saying, "wow" or, "oh wow," those movies are my favorites. Those movies I love. Did I love this movie. I think so. It touched me. I feel silly saying that, but I think that it may be true. I wanted to know so much more about them and their story. It made me think about love and what chemistry is and what kinds of decisions I should or could make. Should you see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? I think so. Is it your duty? I don't know. Sometimes duty seems like a dirty word to me.
Good Times
Well, this is what it's all about. All the excitement, all the fun. The NCAA tournament. In light of all that is going wrong in sports these days, it is easy to say, "Hey, here's something pure." Yes, the NCAA men's basketball tournament is special. Besides the Super Bowl, it is probably the sports event that brings more Americans together. Even people who don't follow sports are interested. It takes over an entire network for three weeks. It even pre-empts soap operas. This is BIG!
Unfortunately it is not as pure as we would like. Like any other sport there is controversy. Cheaters are everywhere, but we can't look away. Every year there is another men's basketball program in trouble: St. Bonaventure, Georgia, Missouri. Even past favorites have their tournament records tarnished retroactively. Those Fab Five teams at Michigan, don't mean as much after Chris Webber admitted to taking money from boosters back in high school. One of the biggest stories leading up to the tournament was the release of one of Jim Harrick, Jr.'s final exams. Sports can be so much fun.
This is not the only black mark on the tournament. The purity of college basketball, only gets really exciting when there is something more. Sure Cinderella stories are great. Yes, almost every game is a nail biter, but what keeps me on the edge of my seat every weekend, is my office pool. The beauty of filling out an entire bracket before hand, is that every game suddenly has the potential for becoming a deal breaker. If the right teams win, I could make $100 from $5. That's pretty good money. Not to mention the possibility of winning one of the on-line bracket challenges. (Although, usually after the first night I'm out of the running on those.)
What it all comes down to, is that sports in America are never pure. They are never as true as they seem. Someone is always looking to make an extra buck, and that means that someone is going to do the wrong thing. It certainly makes things exciting, though. If Chris Webber had never gotten all that money, we never would have seen that ill fated timeout call when they were out of timeouts. Aww, the memories.
Unfortunately it is not as pure as we would like. Like any other sport there is controversy. Cheaters are everywhere, but we can't look away. Every year there is another men's basketball program in trouble: St. Bonaventure, Georgia, Missouri. Even past favorites have their tournament records tarnished retroactively. Those Fab Five teams at Michigan, don't mean as much after Chris Webber admitted to taking money from boosters back in high school. One of the biggest stories leading up to the tournament was the release of one of Jim Harrick, Jr.'s final exams. Sports can be so much fun.
This is not the only black mark on the tournament. The purity of college basketball, only gets really exciting when there is something more. Sure Cinderella stories are great. Yes, almost every game is a nail biter, but what keeps me on the edge of my seat every weekend, is my office pool. The beauty of filling out an entire bracket before hand, is that every game suddenly has the potential for becoming a deal breaker. If the right teams win, I could make $100 from $5. That's pretty good money. Not to mention the possibility of winning one of the on-line bracket challenges. (Although, usually after the first night I'm out of the running on those.)
What it all comes down to, is that sports in America are never pure. They are never as true as they seem. Someone is always looking to make an extra buck, and that means that someone is going to do the wrong thing. It certainly makes things exciting, though. If Chris Webber had never gotten all that money, we never would have seen that ill fated timeout call when they were out of timeouts. Aww, the memories.
Steroids and Hockey
We're always looking for trouble when these two subject come up. Sports is a unique arena. The current steroid controversy in baseball has overshadowed many other noteworthy stories this spring. This should come as no surprise, though. Baseball players for years have been trying to get ahead of the competition by cheating.
Since baseball became a professional sport, people have used corked bats, cut balls, sharpened spikes, barred minorities from playing, and used performance enhancing drugs to get ahead. This latest surge of controversy is nothing if not late. This should have come up years ago.
Furthermore, the players, at this point, have no right to criticize the current rules implemented for steroid testing. Yes, they are pointless. No suspensions until the third positive test, and no serious penalties until the fifth positive test is a joke. The players dug their own grave. It was the Major League Baseball Players Association that pushed for the inadequate penalties in the first place. If the players had wanted more stringent testing procedures and penalties, they should have relayed that to their union representative.
Oh, yeah, and Barry, quit trying to deny it.
Now my second topic is the recent cheap shot taken by a NHL player. Todd Bertuzzi did a dumb thing. Hockey and baseball players for a long time have been playing the game of trying to be players and referees. This will not work. Yes, Steve Moore did give a Markus Naslund a cheap shot earlier in the season, but that should have never lead to him getting a broken neck.
The NHL needs to put a stop to these kind of shenanigans. Hockey is considered, by many, to not be one of the four big sports that it tries to be. Yes fighting is a part of the game that seems to get fans the most excited, but there has to be a better way. International Hockey does not allow fighting, and it manages to keep us intrigued every four years. Situations will happen like in the last Olympics when a cheap shot was given merely because they knew that there were no enforcers to clean up the mess.
In an 84 game season, things can be remedied without the use of an enforcer. Players can be thrown out of games, fined, and suspended. Too many times, hockey games become brawls and not games. These people are fine athletes. They should be able to play a game without having to worry about ending up with a concussion and a broken neck because someone holds a grudge.
Since baseball became a professional sport, people have used corked bats, cut balls, sharpened spikes, barred minorities from playing, and used performance enhancing drugs to get ahead. This latest surge of controversy is nothing if not late. This should have come up years ago.
Furthermore, the players, at this point, have no right to criticize the current rules implemented for steroid testing. Yes, they are pointless. No suspensions until the third positive test, and no serious penalties until the fifth positive test is a joke. The players dug their own grave. It was the Major League Baseball Players Association that pushed for the inadequate penalties in the first place. If the players had wanted more stringent testing procedures and penalties, they should have relayed that to their union representative.
Oh, yeah, and Barry, quit trying to deny it.
Now my second topic is the recent cheap shot taken by a NHL player. Todd Bertuzzi did a dumb thing. Hockey and baseball players for a long time have been playing the game of trying to be players and referees. This will not work. Yes, Steve Moore did give a Markus Naslund a cheap shot earlier in the season, but that should have never lead to him getting a broken neck.
The NHL needs to put a stop to these kind of shenanigans. Hockey is considered, by many, to not be one of the four big sports that it tries to be. Yes fighting is a part of the game that seems to get fans the most excited, but there has to be a better way. International Hockey does not allow fighting, and it manages to keep us intrigued every four years. Situations will happen like in the last Olympics when a cheap shot was given merely because they knew that there were no enforcers to clean up the mess.
In an 84 game season, things can be remedied without the use of an enforcer. Players can be thrown out of games, fined, and suspended. Too many times, hockey games become brawls and not games. These people are fine athletes. They should be able to play a game without having to worry about ending up with a concussion and a broken neck because someone holds a grudge.
I'm Getting Antsy
This baseball off-season has been nothing but exciting. Big things have been happening everywhere. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has captured the imagination of the nation. The Cubs are being pinned as the team to beat in the National League. Pudge went from first to worst. Montreal continues to wither into obscurity. Everything is coming to a head.
Unfortunately the situation in St. Louis has continued to become more murky. We bolstered our struggling bullpen, but Jason Isringhausen continues to look fragile at best. We still do not have answers to questions like, "Who's batting lead off, and who's playing left field?" And I am getting more and more uncomfortable with the idea of Kerry Robinson or So Taguchi being the answer to both of those questions. Believe me I will be rooting for the two of them, as I will be rooting for successful homecomings for Ray Lankford and John Mabry, but reality has to take control at some point over wishful thinking.
The Cardinal Nation did breathe a refreshing sigh of relief when the Pujols deal went through, but then more things came to the surface. Failed negotiations for Matt Morris' contract extension, and Woody Williams' shoulder stiffness reminded us of the shaky status of our starting rotation. Jeff Suppan brings us nothing more than Brett Tomko had last year, and Jason Marquis and Chris Carpenter, although already slotted in the rotation, are huge question marks. We still have Danny Haren and a hopefully rejuvenated Alan Benes to fill in, but who knows how that will go.
People keep bringing up Jason Simontacchi as a possible fill in starter too, but last season proved that he was much better in a relief role. If I calculated things correctly, he had a 3.60 ERA in relief appearances last year versus a 6.64 ERA as a starter. Diagnosis: Keep him in the bullpen.
I am also a little miffed about how they tore apart the bench. Miguel Cairo had proven to be a clutch pinch hitter and a versatile fielder. Eduardo Perez was turning into a real threat at the plate, and although Eli Marrero was streaky at best from the plate, anyone that can play catcher and center field dependably deserves a second look.
My only hope for the next year is that we can stay competitive in the Central Division. Winning against Chicago and Houston was hard enough last year. Now they both have improved their rotations, which were their strongest parts last year anyway. I also hope that we can keep Edgar Renteria. Pujols is important, but Renteria has shown that he is the leader of this team, and he has the ring to prove that he can win.
Every now and then, I still have to remind myself that we still need to play 162 games. The Yankees have not won the World Series yet. The Red Sox have not lost again, yet. The Cubs and Astros have not swept us in a four game series yet. The Cardinals organization has not used the money tied up in the new stadium as an excuse to sell off the team, yet. Somehow, though, I'm already losing my hair just thinking about it.
Unfortunately the situation in St. Louis has continued to become more murky. We bolstered our struggling bullpen, but Jason Isringhausen continues to look fragile at best. We still do not have answers to questions like, "Who's batting lead off, and who's playing left field?" And I am getting more and more uncomfortable with the idea of Kerry Robinson or So Taguchi being the answer to both of those questions. Believe me I will be rooting for the two of them, as I will be rooting for successful homecomings for Ray Lankford and John Mabry, but reality has to take control at some point over wishful thinking.
The Cardinal Nation did breathe a refreshing sigh of relief when the Pujols deal went through, but then more things came to the surface. Failed negotiations for Matt Morris' contract extension, and Woody Williams' shoulder stiffness reminded us of the shaky status of our starting rotation. Jeff Suppan brings us nothing more than Brett Tomko had last year, and Jason Marquis and Chris Carpenter, although already slotted in the rotation, are huge question marks. We still have Danny Haren and a hopefully rejuvenated Alan Benes to fill in, but who knows how that will go.
People keep bringing up Jason Simontacchi as a possible fill in starter too, but last season proved that he was much better in a relief role. If I calculated things correctly, he had a 3.60 ERA in relief appearances last year versus a 6.64 ERA as a starter. Diagnosis: Keep him in the bullpen.
I am also a little miffed about how they tore apart the bench. Miguel Cairo had proven to be a clutch pinch hitter and a versatile fielder. Eduardo Perez was turning into a real threat at the plate, and although Eli Marrero was streaky at best from the plate, anyone that can play catcher and center field dependably deserves a second look.
My only hope for the next year is that we can stay competitive in the Central Division. Winning against Chicago and Houston was hard enough last year. Now they both have improved their rotations, which were their strongest parts last year anyway. I also hope that we can keep Edgar Renteria. Pujols is important, but Renteria has shown that he is the leader of this team, and he has the ring to prove that he can win.
Every now and then, I still have to remind myself that we still need to play 162 games. The Yankees have not won the World Series yet. The Red Sox have not lost again, yet. The Cubs and Astros have not swept us in a four game series yet. The Cardinals organization has not used the money tied up in the new stadium as an excuse to sell off the team, yet. Somehow, though, I'm already losing my hair just thinking about it.
Has Anyone Else Noticed?
I think J.C. Chasez is losing his hair. He was on Jay Leno last night and his hair line looked like it was losing the war with his forehead.
...but I Digress
The fanaticism surrounding the Super Bowl Halftime Show is quite exciting. People are talking as if something is going to happen. People are worried about the fact that their children were exposed to a split second of nude breast on a 19" T.V. screen. Other people are worried that the government is going to censor our free speech. It is all quite interesting.
What has been very interesting to me is the fact that reporters and editors have mentioned more than just the halftime show as part of the indecency surrounding the Super Bowl, but also the lewd commercials. I'll tackle this first.
First and foremost anytime we get to see a dog biting a man in the crotch, it's going to be funny. Add to that the fact that it was a mangy dog, he was biting a preppie guy, and he got the hero the beer, and you just happen to have genius in the form of a paid advertisement. Second, horses pulling carriages do poop. I have driven a horse drawn carriage many times, and they do get gas. The whole thing with the candle and the explosion was a little unrealistic, but still funny. Verdict: dog biting crotch and horse farting in woman's face equals hilarity that far over powers anyone's call for decency.
I love defending advertisements. It makes me feel kind of dirty.
Now some people have been arguing that a breast is nothing to get all crazy about. "Look at the Europeans," they say. "They have nudity everywhere, and they don't care." First, when in our history have we ever thought that doing what the Europeans do is cool. It's a sad day when France becomes more socially acceptable than the U.S. Think about it! Second, in the context of the performance as a whole, the breast was not simply representing a breast, it was representing a culmination of a crotch-grabbing-lewd-dancing-American-flag-ripping-sexually-charged half time show. So in that context, it represented a piece of flesh that was supposed to get us aroused.
It also was supposed to get us talking, and look what happened. Entertainers have their tricks. My mom, amazingly enough, probably put it best when she said, halfway through the show, "You'd think the only people watching this were 20 year old men." Unfortunately everyone was watching. Then anyone else who did not see it got to see it later on the web or on the news.
What our culture defines as indecency has evolved rapidly over the past 50 years. From Elvis shaking his hips and the Rolling Stones changing the words to "Let's Spend the Night Together" to Britney and Madonna kissing upstaging Christina and Madonna kissing, our world has changed. It will be interesting whether this is just the beginning of what is to come, or if this marks a turning point in what people find to be offensive. It will be intriguing to see what my children (whenever I get around to having some) will have access to. It could be a scary place by then.
What has been very interesting to me is the fact that reporters and editors have mentioned more than just the halftime show as part of the indecency surrounding the Super Bowl, but also the lewd commercials. I'll tackle this first.
First and foremost anytime we get to see a dog biting a man in the crotch, it's going to be funny. Add to that the fact that it was a mangy dog, he was biting a preppie guy, and he got the hero the beer, and you just happen to have genius in the form of a paid advertisement. Second, horses pulling carriages do poop. I have driven a horse drawn carriage many times, and they do get gas. The whole thing with the candle and the explosion was a little unrealistic, but still funny. Verdict: dog biting crotch and horse farting in woman's face equals hilarity that far over powers anyone's call for decency.
I love defending advertisements. It makes me feel kind of dirty.
Now some people have been arguing that a breast is nothing to get all crazy about. "Look at the Europeans," they say. "They have nudity everywhere, and they don't care." First, when in our history have we ever thought that doing what the Europeans do is cool. It's a sad day when France becomes more socially acceptable than the U.S. Think about it! Second, in the context of the performance as a whole, the breast was not simply representing a breast, it was representing a culmination of a crotch-grabbing-lewd-dancing-American-flag-ripping-sexually-charged half time show. So in that context, it represented a piece of flesh that was supposed to get us aroused.
It also was supposed to get us talking, and look what happened. Entertainers have their tricks. My mom, amazingly enough, probably put it best when she said, halfway through the show, "You'd think the only people watching this were 20 year old men." Unfortunately everyone was watching. Then anyone else who did not see it got to see it later on the web or on the news.
What our culture defines as indecency has evolved rapidly over the past 50 years. From Elvis shaking his hips and the Rolling Stones changing the words to "Let's Spend the Night Together" to Britney and Madonna kissing upstaging Christina and Madonna kissing, our world has changed. It will be interesting whether this is just the beginning of what is to come, or if this marks a turning point in what people find to be offensive. It will be intriguing to see what my children (whenever I get around to having some) will have access to. It could be a scary place by then.
Super Bowl Party
That was an exciting game, but man do I hate those Patriots. I still don't quite understand how this could have happened. Yes, I was expecting the Patriots to win, but in the way they did, it became quite strange. The Patriots managed to put together a game winning drive with less than two minutes remaining after a game tying catch by Ricky Proehl. That was at the end of Super Bowl XXXVI. Now two years later they managed to do the exact same thing, helped somewhat by that bonehead kickoff out of bounds.
Some highlights and lowlights and random thoughts:
Steve Smith gave quite possibly the most vicious stiff arm I have ever seen on that wide receiver screen early in the game. It is unfortunate that he could only get 3 yards on the play.
Jake Delhomme's two long passes for touchdowns were two of the most perfectly placed long passes I have ever seen.
New England made those play action passes near the goal line look too easy. They forced the Carolina DB's to spy the backfield by establishing a solid running game early. Ricky Manning Jr. managed to look like a fool a couple of times after playing like a hero for most of the playoffs.
Houston's Reliant Stadium has some obvious turf problems. If I had the biggest game of the year in my house, I would have the best turf available. The turf caused obvious problems for both teams. It is unfortunate to say the least.
I was really pulling for Rod Smart, but "He Hate Me" managed to have a crummy game. Even he was embarrassed by that slip on his third return. At least the turf was better in the XFL!
After a typically pedestrian half time show, I'm glad that Justin Timberlake made good with his surprise appearance and tore off that piece of Janet Jackson's costume. Justin later apologized for the "wardrobe malfunction." Don't apologize Justin. You saved the show and showed up that silly streaker.
Before tonight, has the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" ever been used?
The Panthers offense in the first quarter was the worst I have ever seen.
John Fox proved tonight that he has a lot of learning to do as a coach. Greg Gumbel put it best when he said you shouldn't "chase the points" going for two that early in the fourth quarter cost his team the game.
On a more positive note, it was refreshing to see a fantastic, live performance of the National Anthem by Beyonce.
Some thoughts about the Super Bowl Commercials:
Although there were a few good ones, this was quite possibly the worst crop of Super Bowl commercials ever.
The commercial with the donkey and the one with the horse and carriage were clever, but I only found them funny because of personal experience.
That Ford GT looks mean!
Homer was funny as usual.
The best commercial was the NFL commercial with the players singing "Tomorrow."
I kind of wish that CBS had shown that MoveOn.org ad. At least then I could have gotten mad. It would have felt better than being bored during the commercial breaks.
I do not feel bad for that ref in the Budweiser commercial. He dug his own grave on that call he made as his own wedding.
One word for that new CBS show "Century City": BOMB!
Some highlights and lowlights and random thoughts:
Steve Smith gave quite possibly the most vicious stiff arm I have ever seen on that wide receiver screen early in the game. It is unfortunate that he could only get 3 yards on the play.
Jake Delhomme's two long passes for touchdowns were two of the most perfectly placed long passes I have ever seen.
New England made those play action passes near the goal line look too easy. They forced the Carolina DB's to spy the backfield by establishing a solid running game early. Ricky Manning Jr. managed to look like a fool a couple of times after playing like a hero for most of the playoffs.
Houston's Reliant Stadium has some obvious turf problems. If I had the biggest game of the year in my house, I would have the best turf available. The turf caused obvious problems for both teams. It is unfortunate to say the least.
I was really pulling for Rod Smart, but "He Hate Me" managed to have a crummy game. Even he was embarrassed by that slip on his third return. At least the turf was better in the XFL!
After a typically pedestrian half time show, I'm glad that Justin Timberlake made good with his surprise appearance and tore off that piece of Janet Jackson's costume. Justin later apologized for the "wardrobe malfunction." Don't apologize Justin. You saved the show and showed up that silly streaker.
Before tonight, has the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" ever been used?
The Panthers offense in the first quarter was the worst I have ever seen.
John Fox proved tonight that he has a lot of learning to do as a coach. Greg Gumbel put it best when he said you shouldn't "chase the points" going for two that early in the fourth quarter cost his team the game.
On a more positive note, it was refreshing to see a fantastic, live performance of the National Anthem by Beyonce.
Some thoughts about the Super Bowl Commercials:
Although there were a few good ones, this was quite possibly the worst crop of Super Bowl commercials ever.
The commercial with the donkey and the one with the horse and carriage were clever, but I only found them funny because of personal experience.
That Ford GT looks mean!
Homer was funny as usual.
The best commercial was the NFL commercial with the players singing "Tomorrow."
I kind of wish that CBS had shown that MoveOn.org ad. At least then I could have gotten mad. It would have felt better than being bored during the commercial breaks.
I do not feel bad for that ref in the Budweiser commercial. He dug his own grave on that call he made as his own wedding.
One word for that new CBS show "Century City": BOMB!
An Interesting Tidbit
I am surprised that more has not been made of the fact that Marat Safin, on his way to the Australian Open Finals this evening, has been the ultimate American killer. After beating some no name loser in the first round, he went on a killing spree starting with Todd Martin, moving on to James Blake, then #1 Andy Roddick, before beating Agassi in a thriller. When has something like that ever happened before? Am I the only one who found this to be even remotely interesting?
Some Questions to Ponder
1. How could I have been so naive about the whole Pete Rose situation?
2. Why is the Sports Guy such a great columnist? Where can I get some of his skills?
3. Who gave Meryl Streep a mandate for voicing her political opinions at the Golden Globes?
4. Can teams in first place please stop firing their coaches and learn some patience?
5. Why do I feel like I haven't seen any high profile girl on girl kisses in a while?
6. Is there really any sanctity left in the institution of marriage after the whole Britney Spears thing?
7. If Justin Timberlake is the next Michael Jackson, does that mean that eventually he is going to turn weird and black as he gets older?
8. Can the Blues get any production out of anyone besides Keith Tkachuk, Pavol Demitra, Doug Weight, and Chris Pronger?
9. When is Jimmy Kimmel going to get some legitimate guests on his show?
10. Can anyone really justify ranking Barry Larkin as a better shortstop than Ozzie Smith?
2. Why is the Sports Guy such a great columnist? Where can I get some of his skills?
3. Who gave Meryl Streep a mandate for voicing her political opinions at the Golden Globes?
4. Can teams in first place please stop firing their coaches and learn some patience?
5. Why do I feel like I haven't seen any high profile girl on girl kisses in a while?
6. Is there really any sanctity left in the institution of marriage after the whole Britney Spears thing?
7. If Justin Timberlake is the next Michael Jackson, does that mean that eventually he is going to turn weird and black as he gets older?
8. Can the Blues get any production out of anyone besides Keith Tkachuk, Pavol Demitra, Doug Weight, and Chris Pronger?
9. When is Jimmy Kimmel going to get some legitimate guests on his show?
10. Can anyone really justify ranking Barry Larkin as a better shortstop than Ozzie Smith?
By Decree
Although I am truly and abundantly excited to see our good friend Opus back in the Sunday Comics, Bill the Cat needs to be prominently involved in the future of this recent resurrection of the strip.
Oh, Albert!
As an avid Cardinals fan I am less than optimistic about the 2004 season and beyond. As much as I love Busch Stadium, I am excited about the new one they are building. I looks like it could be pretty nice. The only down side to the stadium project, and it is quite a down side, is that the owners will be able to use this as an excuse.
Fan: Why can't we sign any real free agents?
Owner: We have to spend most of our money right now on the stadium.
Fan: Why are you raising ticket prices so much?
Owner: Well the state didn't give us enough financing for the new stadium.
Fan: Why aren't we staying competitive with Houston and Cincinnati and Chicago?
Owner: We won't be able to free up enough money until the new stadium is paid for.
Fan: (muddled whimper of despair)
Owner: (maniacal laugh)
I can only hope that our new stadium doesn't end up with a crappy new name. I can just see it now: The brand new "Paul Allen is going to find a new and more exciting way to screw your and your family by raising cable prices because he paid a gagillion dollars to name it Charter Stadium Stadium." Gussie Busch would be rolling in his grave.
Well this all brings us to our newest concern facing the Cardinals, Albert Pujols' arbitration. I don't know where to start. I will save my rant on the evils of the arbitration system in baseball some other time though. I was hoping that when people though of the Cardinals they would think of the Gas House Gang, Stan The Man, the Wizard, and Albert Pujols. Things now are not looking so well on that front.
We all knew that it would cost the Cardinals a lot of money to pay Albert now that he is arbitration eligible. Mr. Pujols has seen a string of players come through the Cardinals farm system get traded away, from Placido Polanco to J.D. Drew to Eli Marrero. He has also recently seen the Cardinals seemingly let some of their role players just walk away for no good reason. It seems that he was just as surprised as I was when the Cardinals did not resign Eduardo Perez after he became our best bench player. Now Pujols is afraid that down the road the Cardinals would treat him the same way.
Now, I wish that I could speak for the organization, but as a fan I hope they are with me on this one. Albert is different than those other guys. J.D. and Eli had their injury struggles. Everyone has waited for them to reach their full potentials, but we can only wait so long. Eduardo hopefully will get a chance to show his stuff everyday for the hapless Devil Rays. Placido was a tough one to let go, but under the circumstances we did get the best third baseman in the game in return.
Albert however is different than them. He is the real deal. Now things do happen. Players do get hurt. Players like Don Mattingly or more recently Nomar Garciaparra seem to flatten out after injuries that stifled what could have been hall of fame careers. (Note: I am not closing the book yet on Nomar, but Boston almost did this off-season.)
Regardless, the Cardinals, Albert Pujols, and the fans have all bonded. We are a family. Albert, and his agent, and the Cardinals organization need to recognize that. The organization seemed to be doing their part by offering a 5 year, $55 million contract. Albert however turned it down, stating that he would not offer the Cardinals a "hometown discount" for his services because he does not trust them from a business perspective.
Maybe they deserve not to be trusted. Maybe baseball organizations as a whole deserve that fate, but I always hoped that maybe we were a little better than the average organization. But, of course, the Cardinals do not play their games in New York, or Los Angeles, or Chicago, or some other big city. They play in St. Louis. We obviously do not have as much money as those organizations, and we apparently have less because of the new stadium.
If a contract cannot be worked out between the Cardinals and Albert Pujols, and we end up in arbitration, I only hope that sometime over the next three years, before Pujols can become a free agent, that we can work things out.
Albert, we love you here. We love what you have done on the field. We love having you in St. Louis. We love hearing about how well you take care of your son.
To the Cardinals, I hope you can work things out. I hope the new stadium is the greatest thing to happen to St. Louis since 1904. I hope we see a world series in St. Louis soon. I sincerely hope that Albert Pujols and all the Cardinals can regain your trust as an organization.
And I only hope that somebody reads this.
Fan: Why can't we sign any real free agents?
Owner: We have to spend most of our money right now on the stadium.
Fan: Why are you raising ticket prices so much?
Owner: Well the state didn't give us enough financing for the new stadium.
Fan: Why aren't we staying competitive with Houston and Cincinnati and Chicago?
Owner: We won't be able to free up enough money until the new stadium is paid for.
Fan: (muddled whimper of despair)
Owner: (maniacal laugh)
I can only hope that our new stadium doesn't end up with a crappy new name. I can just see it now: The brand new "Paul Allen is going to find a new and more exciting way to screw your and your family by raising cable prices because he paid a gagillion dollars to name it Charter Stadium Stadium." Gussie Busch would be rolling in his grave.
Well this all brings us to our newest concern facing the Cardinals, Albert Pujols' arbitration. I don't know where to start. I will save my rant on the evils of the arbitration system in baseball some other time though. I was hoping that when people though of the Cardinals they would think of the Gas House Gang, Stan The Man, the Wizard, and Albert Pujols. Things now are not looking so well on that front.
We all knew that it would cost the Cardinals a lot of money to pay Albert now that he is arbitration eligible. Mr. Pujols has seen a string of players come through the Cardinals farm system get traded away, from Placido Polanco to J.D. Drew to Eli Marrero. He has also recently seen the Cardinals seemingly let some of their role players just walk away for no good reason. It seems that he was just as surprised as I was when the Cardinals did not resign Eduardo Perez after he became our best bench player. Now Pujols is afraid that down the road the Cardinals would treat him the same way.
Now, I wish that I could speak for the organization, but as a fan I hope they are with me on this one. Albert is different than those other guys. J.D. and Eli had their injury struggles. Everyone has waited for them to reach their full potentials, but we can only wait so long. Eduardo hopefully will get a chance to show his stuff everyday for the hapless Devil Rays. Placido was a tough one to let go, but under the circumstances we did get the best third baseman in the game in return.
Albert however is different than them. He is the real deal. Now things do happen. Players do get hurt. Players like Don Mattingly or more recently Nomar Garciaparra seem to flatten out after injuries that stifled what could have been hall of fame careers. (Note: I am not closing the book yet on Nomar, but Boston almost did this off-season.)
Regardless, the Cardinals, Albert Pujols, and the fans have all bonded. We are a family. Albert, and his agent, and the Cardinals organization need to recognize that. The organization seemed to be doing their part by offering a 5 year, $55 million contract. Albert however turned it down, stating that he would not offer the Cardinals a "hometown discount" for his services because he does not trust them from a business perspective.
Maybe they deserve not to be trusted. Maybe baseball organizations as a whole deserve that fate, but I always hoped that maybe we were a little better than the average organization. But, of course, the Cardinals do not play their games in New York, or Los Angeles, or Chicago, or some other big city. They play in St. Louis. We obviously do not have as much money as those organizations, and we apparently have less because of the new stadium.
If a contract cannot be worked out between the Cardinals and Albert Pujols, and we end up in arbitration, I only hope that sometime over the next three years, before Pujols can become a free agent, that we can work things out.
Albert, we love you here. We love what you have done on the field. We love having you in St. Louis. We love hearing about how well you take care of your son.
To the Cardinals, I hope you can work things out. I hope the new stadium is the greatest thing to happen to St. Louis since 1904. I hope we see a world series in St. Louis soon. I sincerely hope that Albert Pujols and all the Cardinals can regain your trust as an organization.
And I only hope that somebody reads this.
Screamin' All Over This Town
Well, the New Year has arrived, and I do not know what to do with it. I cannot believe that this is my first post of the New Year, but things come and go too quickly.
...and now for something completely different.
The world of St. Louis sports is tumbling down in front of me.
First, the Cardinals blew their chances of making it to the post season, and now they have made no real big noise this off season. Give me Greg Maddux or give me death.
Second, after the season ending injuries to Al MacInnis and Barret Jackman, the Blues have no way of winning anything even mildly related to the Stanley Cup. Now they not only need one or two more top flight scorers to help Doug Weight on the second line, but now they need to shore up their defense too. And by the way, whatever happened to Brent Johnson, and who is Reinhard Divis? If Chris Pronger does not win the Norris trophy this year than there is no justice in the world of sports.
Third, this just in: the Mizzou men's basketball team sucks! Does Quin Snyder have another year of eligibility left? He was a point guard right? If Rickey Paulding and Arthur Johnson do not step it up NOW, Mizzou may be waiting outside the NCAA tournament. Has a team ranked in the top five during the preseason ever not made the tournament at all? This is scandalous.
Finally, Jeff Wilkins is the best kicker in the NFL right now. So maybe the farthest he can kick one is 50 yards. So what? Mr. Wilkins makes better tackles than any other kicker out there. Has any kicker made a more athletic, heads up play than the one Jeff made on that onside kick recovery during the playoff game? Unfortunately, he was the only consistent scoring threat we had this year. My apologies to Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, but they do not throw passes to themselves. Should the Rams fire Mike Martz? No, especially not after a 12-4 season! Should the Rams get rid of Mark Bulger and Kurt Warner? Yes, Martz has lost confidence in Bulger, and the other players do not like playing for Warner. Why is Bobby April still with the team? I have no idea. Could we please get James "The Hammer" Hodgins back? God, I hope so.
I have to start a whole new paragraph to talk about the defense. Our defensive line needs help putting consistent pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. Maybe we need to draft better. Our top draft picks from the last two years, Damione Lewis and Jimmy Kennedy, are underachievers at best. Our top three linebackers, although I like all of them, cannot put together 16 solid games of football between the three of them, and our secondary is in shambles. Couldn't we get Aeneas Williams to play corner and free safety? Oh yeah, by the way, who is going to replace Lovie Smith?
Well at least Daryl Doran and the St. Louis Steamers are back in town! Isn't Daryl like 50 years old now? Did anyone know that the MISL All-Star game was going to be in St. Louis? Are there any players that anyone has ever heard of in this league?
(SCREAM)
...and now for something completely different.
The world of St. Louis sports is tumbling down in front of me.
First, the Cardinals blew their chances of making it to the post season, and now they have made no real big noise this off season. Give me Greg Maddux or give me death.
Second, after the season ending injuries to Al MacInnis and Barret Jackman, the Blues have no way of winning anything even mildly related to the Stanley Cup. Now they not only need one or two more top flight scorers to help Doug Weight on the second line, but now they need to shore up their defense too. And by the way, whatever happened to Brent Johnson, and who is Reinhard Divis? If Chris Pronger does not win the Norris trophy this year than there is no justice in the world of sports.
Third, this just in: the Mizzou men's basketball team sucks! Does Quin Snyder have another year of eligibility left? He was a point guard right? If Rickey Paulding and Arthur Johnson do not step it up NOW, Mizzou may be waiting outside the NCAA tournament. Has a team ranked in the top five during the preseason ever not made the tournament at all? This is scandalous.
Finally, Jeff Wilkins is the best kicker in the NFL right now. So maybe the farthest he can kick one is 50 yards. So what? Mr. Wilkins makes better tackles than any other kicker out there. Has any kicker made a more athletic, heads up play than the one Jeff made on that onside kick recovery during the playoff game? Unfortunately, he was the only consistent scoring threat we had this year. My apologies to Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, but they do not throw passes to themselves. Should the Rams fire Mike Martz? No, especially not after a 12-4 season! Should the Rams get rid of Mark Bulger and Kurt Warner? Yes, Martz has lost confidence in Bulger, and the other players do not like playing for Warner. Why is Bobby April still with the team? I have no idea. Could we please get James "The Hammer" Hodgins back? God, I hope so.
I have to start a whole new paragraph to talk about the defense. Our defensive line needs help putting consistent pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. Maybe we need to draft better. Our top draft picks from the last two years, Damione Lewis and Jimmy Kennedy, are underachievers at best. Our top three linebackers, although I like all of them, cannot put together 16 solid games of football between the three of them, and our secondary is in shambles. Couldn't we get Aeneas Williams to play corner and free safety? Oh yeah, by the way, who is going to replace Lovie Smith?
Well at least Daryl Doran and the St. Louis Steamers are back in town! Isn't Daryl like 50 years old now? Did anyone know that the MISL All-Star game was going to be in St. Louis? Are there any players that anyone has ever heard of in this league?
(SCREAM)
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