The Couch Potato Chronicles

What's the going rate for a World Series title these days?

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Apparently, it costs over $200M to buy a World Series title. Don't believe me? Just ask the Yankees. (As a Red Sox fan, nothing is more painful than watching the Yankees win a World Series -- nothing. Except for castration, but other than that -- the Yankees winning it all is the worst thing that can happen.)

Here are a couple of links to blogs I wrote about the evil empire ~~buying~~ winning the title.

I wrote this over at Confessions of a Sox Addict -- it's just a short blog about how much I hope the Yankees' ~~bandwagon jumpers~~ fans* are happy that they finally won.

This article was written at You Gab Sports for my weekly featured article. (Be sure to tune in on Thursdays if you want to read me exclusively at the Gab -- and you can check out the rest of the week too, all the articles are excellent.) This one is a little more adult-oriented and probably not suited for younger readers (in other words, I say the F-word a lot).

If you want a Yankee fan's perspective of the World Series, take a few minutes and go over to Daddy Sports. I'm sure my boy Rad will have plenty to say about the Yankees winning.

That's it for me folks (at least for now). I'm going to crawl back over to my couch and get back to being a slacker. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

*Okay, not all Yankees fans are bandwagon jumpers. There is a small percentage (maybe 2%) of them who have been with the Yankees in good times and bad -- but you have to admit, most Yankees fans are bandwagon jumpers.

A thought provoking essay

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:05:00 +0000

I have signed up to participate in a reading group that will spend the next 4 1/2 months delving into the 1000+ pages of David Foster Wallace's literary masterpiece Infinite Jest, and to prepare for the project I decided to read a few of Wallace's other (much shorter) works to get a feel for his writing style so I'm not completely lost.

I took on this project for two reasons; (a) I love to read, so I figured this would be right up my alley, and (b) I've heard of Infinite Jest, but I've never had the time to sit down and read it (after all, it is 1000+ pages long -- that's a lot of commitment for one book).

Anyway, in reading some of Wallace's other works, I came across an essay that was written 5 years ago (that's 2004 for those of you too lazy to do the math) for the August edition of Gourmet Magazine titled Consider the Lobster, and it deals with the heavily debated topic of the ethical/unethical treatment of lobsters when they are prepared for human consumption (for the non-foodies -- this means the boiling them alive part).

Now, I must say that I'm not a huge fan of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, though I do appreciate some of the efforts of the anti-PETA group People Eating Tasty Animals). But, I have to admit that Wallace makes me think about how lobsters are treated in his article. And, he isn't taking one side or the other of the debate, he is merely posing the thought that "what if" we are treating lobsters too brutally when we cook them, and he provides some scientific evidence to show that maybe, just maybe we are in fact causing the lobsters unjust pain and suffering by cooking them alive.

I have friends who either are or used to be in the food industry, and I have an online friend who is a chef (and a blogger -- you can read his work here, here, and here), and I know people who are vegetarians or vegans -- so I know people on both sides of the argument. And, I'm not taking sides, but I must say that this article did something that no one from PETA, or any other animal rights movement, has ever been able to do -- it made me think.

Am I going to stop eating lobster? Probably not, but it will definitely make me think about what I'm eating, and it will make me more aware to possibly do more research on the subject to gain a better perspective on just how much pain my dinner went through to make it to my plate.

I invite you to read the article. It is quite thought provoking, and it definitely gives the reader a new perspective on the world of gourmet cooking. It may not convince you to give up lobster completely, but it will definitely make you think twice before you sit down at the table and say "pass the butter".

And for those who read Consider the Lobster and enjoy it (or at least gain something to think about from it), you can find two more of Wallace's works here and here.

Whatever happened to free speech?

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Freedom of expression -- the very fabric that holds the tapestry of America together and separates us from the oppressed countries throughout the world.

Remember it? It used to exist in America. That is, before the "PC" crowd took over (and no, I'm not talking about that dorky guy in the Mac commercials). But seriously, I remember a time when anyone was allowed to step up to the proverbial mic and say anything they wanted, and everyone was able to accept it, and agree or disagree with it as they pleased. But not now. Now, we have to cater to everyone's needs -- because God forbid someone gets offended by something that is said.

Of course, I am not talking about blatant racism, or sexism, or any other "ism" that one can think of -- those things don't belong in society, because as we all know, the freedom of speech doesn't exactly cover "everything" -- but it has come to the point in today's society where it doesn't cover anything anymore.

Case in point. According to Yahoo! Sports writer Charles Robinson, the Washington Redskins organization has prohibited fans from bringing signs into the stadium during games because of some recent backlash from a few fans protesting the team's ownership with "Snyder sucks", etc. banners in response to the team's poor play.

Now, while I must admit that there are some cases where it's good to have a rule against certain types of signs (like the ones that have gay or racial slurs on them) -- the outright ban of all signs because a few fans posted their disagreement with team ownership on a piece of 39-cent poster board is just plain stupid.

(I distinctly remember one example showing a sign that read "To my brother in Afghanistan, I LOVE YOU" in a garbage can. The mere thought of forcing a paying customer to throw that sign away boils my blood, because there is nothing wrong with telling your loved ones who are overseas that you care for them and miss them. For personal reasons, it probably pisses me off more than most people, but that's another story for another day.)

Is Daniel Snyder so insecure about himself that he can't take a little heat from the fans for putting an inferior product on the field? After all, he is the one who spent millions upon millions of dollars on this team -- only to see it nose-dive right in front of his eyes.

And, isn't he the owner who hired a special consultant for his head coach -- a guy who just last month was at a retirement center calling out bingo numbers? And now, he is calling the offense for the Washington Redskins? Talk about a winning bingo card, this guy goes from spending his quality time with the 85+ crowd on Saturday nights to calling plays for an NFL franchise on Sundays (albeit, one that's in shambles).

So, not only has Snyder overpaid players and drafted poorly, but he has alienated his fan base and basically told his head coach -- Hey buddy, we don't think you're good enough to lead this team -- but we're not going to fire you. Instead, we're going to steal every shred of dignity you have by replacing you with a bingo caller. But, you still get to have the position of "head coach" -- you just can't have any control over the offense. And the defense? Don't even think about it, we have a defensive coordinator for that.

With a team in this much disarray, it's a wonder that fans haven't done anything worse than carry in a few "Snyder sucks" signs. I'm still surprised that we haven't seen a full-fledged revolt -- but I'm afraid if that happens that Snyder will ban all fans from attending the games, which would in turn lead to blackouts on television, and no one would ever see the Redskins play another game.

But, based on the way their season has gone so far, that might not be such a bad thing.

Tuomo Ruutu suspended 3 games by NHL

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:44:00 +0000

The Hurricanes will be without the services of winger Tuomo Ruutu for the next 3 games after he was suspended by the league for his hit on Darcy Tucker last night.

Early in the 2nd period in the Hurricanes/Avalanche game in Denver, Ruutu planted the Avs winger from behind into the boards after Tucker had dumped the puck off to a teammate in the Avs offensive zone.

Ruutu was given a 5-minute boarding penalty and a game misconduct for his hit, which left Tucker barely able to move on the ice. Tucker was carried off the ice on a stretcher and (obviously) did not return to the ice.

Hurricanes' coach Paul Maurice said of the incident:

"We’re disappointed that we’re going to lose an important player for three games ... The league has a process, they have to go through it. We respect their decision. ... And, nobody ever likes to see a player get injured. We hope the best for Darcy Tucker and hope he has a speedy recovery."

When Maurice was asked if he believed the hit warranted a suspension, he said:

"That’s an excellent question. ... I think the league makes its decision and we all abide by it, regardless of our opinion. ... There were things not present in the hit that I’m glad weren’t: he didn’t leave his feet, it wasn’t an elbow, Darcy wasn’t four feet off the boards where it could have been a real catastrophic event. He was right on the boards. ... It was a very, very hard hit that had an unfortunate result. But I expect Tuomo to finish that check."

I have to say that based on the video I've seen of the hit, it was brutal, but I don't think it warranted a 3 game suspension. Yes, he hit him from behind when he no longer had the puck, but it wasn't a "dirty" play and there was no intent to injure -- but the Canes will have to deal with the loss for the next three games.

Brandon Sutter has been called up from Albany to take Ruutu's spot, and winger Erik Cole was put on injured reserve (Cole is expected back on November 1 after suffering a fracture in his leg 3 weeks ago against the Bruins).

Amazing soccer goal

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:17:00 +0000

Check out the video below to see Ryan Rosenbaum, a freshman soccer player from SMU hit a 95 yard shot (yes, that's right -- 95 yards) and score the eventual game-winning goal against Tulsa on Wednesday Night.

According to the article on Yahoo! Sports, it was Rosenbaum's first ever shot on goal in collegiate soccer -- not to shabby for a first time experience. (Especially when all he was trying to do was clear the ball out of the defensive zone.)

An essay worth reading

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Please take some time and read this article*. I will warn you now that it is a little long and has a very disturbing subject (murder/suicide), but it is well written and has some serious food for thought. It is an essay written by Susan Klebold, mother of Columbine High School shooter Dylan Klebold, for O, The Oprah Magazine just over 10 years after the shootings at Columbine took place. (It's hard to believe it was that long ago.)

It is a story of deep suffering and pain -- the only feelings that a mother who has lost her child can possibly feel. It is a definite wake up call (at least for me, anyway) and proof that "bad parenting" isn't always the reason for violence in schools.

More importantly, tt also raises awareness for suicide prevention. Suicide is something that affects millions of people each and every day. If you happen to know someone that you believe to be suicidal, please do the right thing -- tell someone before it's too late.

*A special thanks goes to fragnoli for posting a link to this story over at You Gab Sports.

The real reason the Red Sox lost

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:39:00 +0000

While there may be a lot of people who will criticize Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon for blowing the ALDS against the Angels -- he is not the reason the team lost the series.

Yes, he is responsible for the team losing Game 3 by allowing 2 runs in the 8th and 3 runs in the 9th (with 2 outs), but he should not be the scapegoat for the team losing to the Angels in 3 straight games.

The following chart illustrates the ineptitude of the Red Sox' offensive attack against the Angels. I have illustrated each player individually, and added the team totals at the bottom of the chart to show the complete suckitude of the Sox hitters over the course of their three defeats at the hands of Anaheim's pitching staff.

PLAYER	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Ellsbury	12	2	3	0	1	0	0	0	2	.250	.250	.417	.667
Pedroia	12	1	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	.167	.231	.250	.481
Martinez	11	0	2	0	0	0	2	1	2	.182	.250	.182	.432
Youkilis	12	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	.083	.083	.167	.250
Ortiz	12	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	.083	.083	.083	.167
Bay	8	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	3	.125	.364	.125	.489
Lowell	10	1	2	0	0	0	1	1	0	.200	.273	.200	.473
Drew	9	1	2	0	0	1	2	1	1	.222	.300	.556	.856
Gonzalez	6	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.167	.286	.167	.453
TOTAL	92	6	15	2	1	1	7	8	15	.170	.230	.240	.470

To anyone wondering why the team has 6 total runs and 7 total RBI -- I only compiled the stats of the starting 9 players, and Joey Gathright scored as a pinch runner in Game 3.

As you can see -- Papelbon isn't the reason the Sox lost. The fact that their bats turned into toothpicks before Game 1 is the reason. Again, I'm not saying Papelbon is completely innocent -- but he shouldn't get the Buckner treatment from fans for blowing Game 3.

None of the Red Sox' 3-4-5 hitters showed up, and while Bay was able to draw a team-high 3 walks from the 6th spot in the order -- he didn't do much of anything else (other than strike out looking when the team needed a hit).

The only positive (if it can be called that) is that every starter got at least one hit. But, the hits they did get weren't enough to manufacture any runs, and that will not win baseball games in the American League (as we have clearly seen).

The stat that jumps out at me the most is that the Sox only hit 1 home run. How does that happen? With all the sluggers this team has, they can only hit 1 stinking home run?

Some things just don't make much sense. But, that's what you have to love about baseball.

Baseball season is over (at least for me)

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:59:00 +0000

2009 was a great year. The Red Sox won 95 games during the regular season (including an 8 game winning streak over the Yankees in the first half of the year) and made the postseason. That's really all a fan can ask for, right?

I know there are a lot of Red Sox fans who say that the only successful season is one that ends in a World Series title, but I am not one of those fans. Yes, I wanted the Red Sox to win the World Series, but just because they didn't doesn't mean that they were unsuccessful during the course of a 162 game season.

Things could be worse. The Red Sox could have been one of the 22 teams that didn't make the postseason, or one of the 14 teams that finished with a losing record, or one of the 6 teams that finished dead last in their division, or the team that lost 100+ games. So yeah, while things definitely could have been better, they also could have been much worse.

The Red Sox have a lot of seasoned veterans and talented young players on the roster and will be back in the hunt in 2010. There are a few players that will be evaluated going into the winter (Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, Jason Bay) and there could always be the blockbuster trades during the winter meetings that re-load the roster for a 2010 title run.

On a side note, I do believe the Red Sox will dangle Jonathan Papelbon during the winter meetings. Not because of the melt-down he had against the Angels, but because they have a closer-in-waiting in Daniel Bard, and they can get a lot in return for Papelbon if they play their cards right. I also believe this will be the off-season in which they finally trade Clay Buchholz, because his stock can't get any higher than it is right now.

I don't know what the future holds for the Red Sox, but I do know that I will be there like I always am, anxiously waiting to find out. And I believe that I will like what I see.

Angels sweep Red Sox, advance to ALCS

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon looks on in disgust as the Angels celebrate their ALDS victory at Fenway Park in Boston. The Angels won the game 7-6 to complete a 3-game sweep of the Sox.

* * *

It ended almost as quickly as it began. Actually, I don't even think I got used to the fact that the postseason had started. It happened that fast. The Angels made quick work of the Red Sox, sweeping them in three straight games to advance to their first ALCS since they won the World Series in 2002.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox are officially done for the 2009 season, but if I must say so myself they were finished before this series even began. The Angels out-hit, out-pitched, and out-played the Red Sox for 3 games, and have earned a trip to the ALCS to face either the Yankees or the Twins starting Friday night.

As a Sox fan I am disappointed, but at the same time I must admit that the better team did win this series. The Red Sox just ran out of gas at the wrong time, and couldn't recover from the 0-2 deficit that they were put in after a brutal pair of games in Anaheim.

There is plenty of blame to go around, but I am not going to point fingers. I am going to do what a respectable fan would do -- I tip my hat to the Angels, and I wish them luck as they advance in the playoffs. And, as long as the Yankees lose at some point in the postseason, I don't care what happens from here on out. (But, just for the hell of it -- I think I'm going to jump on the Rockies bandwagon for the rest of the playoffs.)

But, looking on the bright side -- spring training is only 4 months away.

Sox bats fall silent again, down 2-0 in ALDS

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

The Angels out-pitched, out-hit, and out-played the Red Sox last night to go up 2-0 in the ALDS. The Red Sox made Jered Weaver look like Bob Gibson, as they struggled all night to get on base (again) and could only muster one run.

One freaking run.

The run came off Weaver in the 4th inning when Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a triple to deep center field. After a Dustin Pedroia groundout (to 3rd base -- ugh -- if you're going to ground out, at least ground out to first to get a run home), Ellsbury scored on a Victor Martinez single, but that's all the offense the Red Sox could generate against the Angels.

Their other opportunity came in the top of the 9th against Brian Fuentes, when Kevin Youkilis doubled and Jason Bay walked to put the tying run at the plate. But, Mike Lowell flied out to shallow center field to end the game, giving the Angels the victory.

Josh Beckett had a strong outing until the bottom of the 7th inning when the wheels fell off the wagon. After allowing a leadoff walk to Vladimir Guerrero (his only walk of the night), Howie Kendrick pinch ran for Guerrero and stole 2nd base (big surprise), and scored on Maicer Izturis' single to center field.

Izturis then stole 2nd base (again, big surprise), and Mike Napoli was hit by a pitch (that he didn't attempt to get out of the way from, but he was awarded first base anyway). Erick Aybar tripled to center to score Izturis and Napoli, and Beckett was finally taken out of the game (after it was too late -- he should have been pulled after Izturis' single, but it's too late to complain about that now).

* * *

Come on guys...

You're offense is starting resemble teams back in the dead ball era.

No baserunners equals no runs. It's really not that complicated -- get on base, and when you get men on base -- drive them in.

You will not beat anybody with 1 run, especially in the playoffs.

I'm sure the Red Sox are thinking "hey critics of our offense -- we know we have to score runs -- we're not stupid".

Well, if you know you have to do it, then dammit -- do it.

Thank God for an off day.

Game 3 is tomorrow at 12:30 in Boston.

It's do or die time now, so let's get something going.

It's not the umpire's fault (really - it's not)

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:03:00 +0000

It's not CB Bucknor's fault the Angels beat the Red Sox 5-0 last night in Game 1 of the ALDS. Even though the first base umpire made an egregious safe call (one of several incorrect calls at first base) when everyone watching the game could see the runner was out (for details, click here), that was not the cause of the 5-0 outcome. (The Angels didn't score in any of the innings where the umpire blew a call.)

The blame lies solely on the Red Sox hitters. They made John Lackey look like Cy Young on the mound by not being able to generate any offense whatsoever, and Jon Lester unfortunately made one mistake all night (the meatball that Torii Hunter hit out of the park), costing the Red Sox any chance to win the game.

Did the terrible umpiring have an affect on the game? Of course it did. But, is it the umpires' fault that the Red Sox are now down 1-0 in the series? No.

I'm not going to whine and cry and blame the umpires ... instead, I'm going to implore the Red Sox to get back on the field tonight and kick some ass.

It only takes one win in Anaheim to win this series in Fenway.

On a side note, CB Bucknor will be behind the plate tonight for Game 2. So if the Red Sox lose tonight, I might have to get out the soap box and complain about the umpiring.

But hopefully that doesn't have to happen.

Red Sox announce ALDS roster

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:30:00 +0000

The Red Sox have announced the 25 man roster for the 2009 ALDS, which starts tonight in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of the United States of North America of the Northern Hemisphere.

Starters
Jon Lester
Josh Beckett
Clay Buchholz
Daisuke Matsuzaka

Bullpen
Billy Wagner
Takashi Saito
Jonathan Papelbon
Paul Byrd
Daniel Bard
Hideki Okajima
Ramon Ramirez

Infielders
Dustin Pedroia
Kevin Youkilis
Mike Lowell
Alex Gonzalez
Casey Kotchman
Jed Lowrie
David Ortiz (DH)

Outfielders
Brian Anderson
Jason Bay
Jacoby Ellsbury
J.D. Drew
Joey Gathright

Catchers
Victor Martinez
Jason Varitek

SS Gil Velazquez is on emergency call in case a roster spot needs to be filled.

Some notable players left off the roster due to injuries include:

Tim Wakefield
Manny Delcarmen
Rocco Baldelli
Nick Green

Note: These players are ineligible for the ALCS roster, but can be added to the World Series roster if the Red Sox advance that far in the playoffs

With this roster there is no reason that the Red Sox can't win this series. Putting the series history aside (you know, the history that shows the Red Sox have won 9 out of the last 10 LDS games against the Angels), the Red Sox should be in good shape and take at least one game in Anaheim, setting the table to clinch a spot in the ALCS at Fenway in Game 3 or 4.

My official prediction: Red Sox in 4.

Only 7 hours until first pitch!

Red Sox set to take on Angels in ALDS (again)

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:10:00 +0000

It. Is. On.

The ALDS between the Red Sox and Angels kicks off tonight in Anaheim when John Lackey throws the first pitch at approximately 9:30 pm EST.

This is the 4th time the Red Sox and Angels have faced each other in the ALDS since 2004, with the Sox holding a 9-1 advantage in the win column. The Red Sox swept the Angels 3-0 in 2004 and 2007, and won the series 3-1 in 2008. Coincidentally, both times the Red Sox swept the Angels in the ALDS, they went on to win the World Series. (So come on boys, let's break out the brooms and get a sweep!)

I honestly wish the Sox could play someone else in the first round for a change, because seeing the Angels year in and year out is getting old, regardless of what the outcome has been in the recent past. I would just to see the Sox play the other division winner (or the Wild Card team, whatever the case may be) for once just to change things up.

Of course, the last time that happened, the Sox were swept 3-0 by the White Sox in 2005, so maybe it's not such a bad idea for the Sox to play the Angels after all.

The pitching matchups for the ALDS are:

10/08  at LAA - Lester / Lackey
10/09  at LAA - Beckett / Weaver
10/11  at BOS - Buchholz / Kazmir
10/12* at BOS - Matsuzaka / Saunders
10/14* at LAA - Lester / Lackey

* = if necessary

In other LDS news, the Phillies, Dodgers, and Yankees all hold 1-0 leads over the Rockies, Cardinals, and Twins (respectively) after Game 1 victories yesterday.

The Red Sox/Angels series is the only one that hasn't started yet, but that all changes in approximately 9 1/2 hours when the two teams collide.

The time is now. Bring it on Anaheim.

LET'S GO RED SOX! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!

Bettman, the NHL, & Versus - you all suck

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:41:00 +0000

From Canes Country... (emphasis mine)

If you are a fan of the Carolina Hurricanes, you just have to love the Versus Television Network. First, they fail to include a single Hurricanes game on their regular season schedule this season (WTF?!? Seriously?). Now, thanks to their unfair (and stupid) exclusivity rights for games on Monday and Tuesday nights, Caniacs, (as well as fans of the Lightning) will be shut out when it comes to watching tonight's game against Tampa Bay.

The game will not be on FS Carolinas (dammit). It will not be on Center Ice. It won't even be shown at your favorite sports bar.

Obviously, Gary Bettman and the braintrust of the NHL did not have fans in mind (are we really surprised by this?) when they negotiated the "mother of all television deals" for themselves and their favorite third rate television network.

I have ranted about this in the past here on the blog and some folk have been kind enough to try to explain the reasoning behind the mandatory blackout, but I still don't get it. This is how you treat fans? This is how you grow the game?

Bottom line, they want to force fans to watch their scheduled broadcast of the Flyers and the Capitals. It doesn't matter if you are in Tampa or Raleigh or if you paid $160 extra for Center Ice or not, "Big Brother" says that if you are going to watch hockey in an American market, you have to watch the Flyers and the Caps.

Period.

There is no argument that the Washington, Philadelphia game will be a good one. It's just a shame that American fans do not have a choice in what they can watch. Living in the USA allows us all many freedoms, but not when it comes to the NHL and Versus.

Is it any surprise they are one of the few networks out there who can not agree on a deal with Direct TV?

The Direct TV deal really doesn't bother me that much because I have Dish Network and don't plan to switch providers, but still - Versus sucks, and it the NHL will never grow its fanbase like Bettman wants it to until he gets a decent tv deal for the league.

Hello, McFly - have you ever heard of ESPN? You know, the huge tv network that EVERYONE watches? What about them? And don't use the weak excuse that you tried to get a contract with them but they won't broadcast NHL games. If they will show the World Series of Poker and the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest, they will show NHL games.

Oh, but wait, I almost forgot - you negotiated that huge deal with NBC where they will show all the Original Six teams' games but neglect the other 24 teams in the league. Please forgive me for my mistake, and thank you for giving the league so much good publicity.

Ugh. This really sucks. I was actually looking forward to watching the game tonight. I was hoping that tonight would be the night the Canes would turn things around and get a win on the board, and I would be able to see it. But, noooooo ... Bettman and the NHL can't get a decent tv contract. Thanks Bettman - way to ruin my evening.

So Favre beat the Packers - big deal

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:21:00 +0000

The Minnesota Vikings, led by America's all-time favorite QB Brett Favre, defeated the Green Bay Packers 30-23 tonight in front of a sold out Vikings crowd at the Metrodome.

That's all well and good. It was a good football game (at least based on the score, I only watched the last 5 minutes) - but the real question is who really cares, other than the fans in Green Bay and Minnesota? It's just one Monday Night game in the first month of the season. Why is the media making treating this like it's the Super Bowl?

Why does the media make such a huge deal out of this? Just because Favre played 67 years for the Packers and went to a division rival when he was run out of town doesn't mean this game should be blown out of proportion.

Yes, I will concede that it's a cool feat that Favre is the only QB in history to beat all 32 NFL teams (of course, when you play for 50+ seasons it's bound to happen eventually) - but that doesn't justify all the coverage that this game is getting, which brings me back to my question I asked in my last post ... ESPN does realize that there are 52 other players on the sidelines, right? Because honestly, I don't think they have figured that out yet.

I get tired of watching Favre's ugly mug on my tv - and I know you're thinking "well then change the channel" - but it's not that simple. He's on every freaking channel. I can't even watch Food Network ... I flip over there hoping to learn a new recipe or two, and my brain almost explodes when I see "Brett Favre's Favorite Gameday Foods" on my screen.

(Okay, I admit it - I was exaggerating.)

But seriously - when does it stop? When will the media stop shoving Brett Favre's junk down our throats and let us resume our normal lives?

Probably never, but hey - a guy can dream can't he?

Channel Surfing - Vol. 1

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:03:00 +0000

I was thinking of ways to spice things up around here, and while doing so I realized that some of my favorite blogs are those when I am totally random. I don't know what it is about spouting out random thoughts that relaxes me, but for some reason I seem to enjoy that more than most other blogging methods.

That thought led me to come up with a creative way to put my random thoughts into a blog while keeping some sort of "format" to it (I know having a format for random thoughts seems ironic - but it makes sense to me), and it suddenly hit me that I have been missing the obvious way to accomplish what I want to do.

Since my blog is based on the fact that I am a slacker (or a couch potato, if you want to call it that), and I enjoy watching tv - I realized that it makes perfect sense to call my random thoughts "Channel Surfing". So, without further ado, I present you with the first edition of Channel Surfing - totally random thoughts that are running through my head right now.

* * *

I never thought I would say this, but I actually agree with Terrell Owens. The mediots are baiting him with questions about the lack of offensive production to cause controversy in Buffalo. My only question for the media is why ... just give T.O. a few more weeks of sucking and he will create the controversy all on his own. Haven't you guys learned this yet?

Why do ESPN's camera men have to follow the ball when it's punted at Dallas' shiny new stadium just to see if it hits the scoreboard or not? Are there really enough people watching that give a crap? Please tell me that I'm not the only one who thinks this is the dumbest thing they've done since hiring Tony Kornheiser to be a broadcaster.

I just saw a preview for Capitalism: A Love Story, and I only have one queston. Why is Michael Moore still allowed to make movies?

Troy Polamalu looks so gay in his Head and Shoulders commercial when he's doing the post game interview and starts talking about his hair, especially when he says "You asked with your eyes..." Seriously, could that be any more gay? I seriously doubt it. Don't get me wrong, the dude has really cool hair - but that isn't an excuse to be a total homo in a tv commercial for shampoo.

Speaking of the Steelers, when did Omar Epps become their head coach? Wait, that's not Omar Epps, it's Mike Tomlin? Could have fooled me.

What's the over/under on how many times Brett Favre vs. the Packers is mentioned by the talking heads on ESPN leading up to the MNF game between Minnesota and Green Bay? These guys do understand that there are 52 other players on the Vikings' sideline, right?

Yes, Tim Tebow had a concussion - big freaking deal. I can name 10 other athletes who have had one in the last 6 months. Why is Tebow's any more special than the others?

Speaking of Tebow, what's the over/under on how many hours Erin Andrews stayed in the waiting room, pacing the floor nervously? Do you think anyone caught the footage on video and leaked it online? Wait, nevermind - that's probably not a good idea.

* * *

Well, that's it for the first edition of Channel Surfing. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks. And while you're anxiously awaiting the next installment, take a look at some of the websites over in my Across the Web section. There are some great bloggers out there just waiting for you to read their material.

Sometimes I hate fantasy football

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:19:00 +0000

I lost two quarterbacks in one day. That really sucks.

Of course, it's my own damn fault. I should have picked up Kevin Kolb instead of Byron Leftwich to fill in for Matt "we're gonna score" Hasselbeck. But, oh well.

Then, Chad Pennington (my other backup) is gone for the year with another shoulder injury. And, I can't pick up Kolb now because McNabb will be back after the bye week.

Anybody have any ideas? I need a quarterback badly - preferably one that won't get injured every other week ... but I will take what I can get at this point.

I really have been a slacker...

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:19:00 +0000

I realize (thanks to a few "hey not much going on over at TCPC lately" conversations on Facebook with the Beeze) that I have been slack in writing for this blog.

Well, that's going to change, because I am going to start writing here more often. I've been lazy and apathetic towards blogging over the past few weeks (or months, whatever) and realize that I can't be that way - I just have to do it. Blogging is a hobby of mine that I enjoy, so I have to just kick back and enjoy it as much as possible.

I've been writing at You Gab Sports and The Panther Playbook, but I miss writing here, because I can just be myself here more than I can anywhere else.

I have also decided to go back to my original "sports and entertainment" theme - I just can't blog about anything else. I tried to mix it up and come up with new ideas, but I am a sports blogger - I may as well deal with it. I have re-published all of my old material for your reading pleasure if anyone cares to go back and read some of my older stuff.

So, with all that being said, I have decided that I will be resume posting regular sports commentary to this blog starting today.

I promise this time.

Whatever happened to "just get over it"?

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:08:00 +0000

Before I rant, read this article*...

He can explain that three of the touchdowns came on returns. And that a blocked punt brought a fourth.

He can offer that his team threw just one pass in the second half. One that was played with backups and with a running clock throughout.

He can even reveal that his team lost to this very opponent just a year ago.

But in a high school landscape increasingly aware of sportsmanship issues - one where quick harsh judgments are made based solely on a score - Chaminade-Madonna football coach Tim Tyrrell knows he has a tough time explaining how his Hollywood, Florida team rolled to victory over Pompano Beach last week.

83-0.

Chaminade Madonna ran the ball 24 times for 257 yards in the win.

"We did not go into the game looking to score that many points," he said, "and a lot of them came in bunches and off big plays".

"We only had one real drive; the rest came on short fields."

The Lions scored on a blocked punt, and two interceptions directly set up short touchdowns. Then to open the second half, senior Demitri Beal took the kickoff back 99 yards.

The defense also forced four more turnovers on the night.

The question then becomes when is enough enough? Chaminade-Madonna tied the Broward County record for margin of victory, a mark first established in 1951.

Gary Pigott, the senior director of athletics for the Florida High School Athletics Association, said there have been rules changes to help reduce the scoring opportunities - and thus avoid games such as these.

"About four years ago we switched from an optional running clock to a mandatory running clock for the mercy rule," Pigott said.

"It used to be optional, and the team who was behind had to request the clock. Some coaches thought that signified that they had given up on their team. We wanted to take that ethical problem away as best we could."

Pompano Beach coach Greg McGirt, reached by phone this week, did not want to discuss the game.

"I don't really want to talk about it,'' he said. "You might want to talk to my athletic director."

Athletic director Vince Stevenson didn't return phone calls.

A parent of a player, however, was more than willing to share his thoughts.

Ray Foster, whose son plays for Pompano Beach, said it was embarrassing to see his son's team beat by such a wide margin.

"I am sure we take it harder than they do," Foster said. "But it is humiliating to read the box score; it just doesn't seem right."

And that may be for parents on both sides. Foster said parents of the Chaminade-Madonna team - sitting close by at a field that had just one set of stands - did not applaud their team's final scores, the last of which came in the fourth quarter.

Pompano Beach did not flex much muscle in the contest.

"It was weird. We were all sitting on the same side of the field," Foster said. "Their fans were a little embarrassed by it, too. They stopped clapping by the fourth quarter."

Tyrrell, in his second year as coach at Chaminade-Madonna, said he has to do right by his team.

"I can not tell kids who do not get a chance to play to go in and not try,'' he said. "To not get better. To not work hard."

And Tyrell points out all his starters were out of the game at halftime, following a 42-point second quarter.

"If I pull my first team too early they will not be ready for the games that are coming up on our schedule,'' Tyrrell said. "It is my job to get this team ready."

That schedule includes perennial power Miami Monsignor Pace and 2008 Class 2A state runner-up Miami Gulliver Prep.

Last season Monsignor Pace bettered Chaminade-Madonna 41-0, and four other schools also broke the 40-point barrier against the Lions.

It was something Tyrrell said his team had to learn from.

"We had a lot of tough games, but we have to learn to win or lose with class," Tyrrell said. "Whether we are up 60 or down 60 we have to work hard. We have to coach hard."

That may be easier said on the plus side of the 83-0 score.

And as Pigott points out, "What goes around comes around."

* * *

Okay, now for my point of view....

To everyone associated with the team that lost, please do me a favor and explain to me why we as a society have turned to this "let's make sure everyone is happy" horse-shit.

Your team lost. Your team lost big-time. So, why are you mad at the other team? The opposing coach can't do much more than play his 3rd string for the entire 2nd half and run the ball every down. That's pretty much it. Hell, the refs even ran the clock non-stop. It's not like they were trying to beat the living shit out of you, they just did.

So get over it, already.

Maybe if you spent as much time teaching your kids how to tackle, catch, and throw as you do bitching about an 83-0 loss, this kind of thing wouldn't happen all that often.

And in the event that it does, then get over it. After all, it's just a football game. If your kid's feelings about himself are directly tied to the results of a high school football game, then you need to step up in the parenting department instead of blaming the other team's coach for the fact that you suck as a parent.

Man I miss the good old days...

*Article courtesy of Dallas Jackson and Yahoo! Sports.

It's time for fantasy football!

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:54:00 +0000

I had two fantasy football drafts today. One of them was with a bunch of guys over at one of the coolest sports sites on the web, and the other one was with fellow blogger and football fanatic "McSpazz" from Touchdown Dance.

Here are my two rosters from my drafts today.

TEAM ONE (You Gab League - 12 team league, 12th pick overall)

STARTERS
QB - Matt Ryan
RB - Ronnie Brown, Pierre Thomas
WR - Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Chris Henry
TE - Chris Cooley
DST - Green Bay Packers
K - John Kasay

BENCH
Trent Edwards (QB)
Ray Rice (RB)
Tim Hightower (RB)
Justin Gage (WR)
Jeremy Maclin (WR)

TEAM TWO (McSpazz League - 10 team league, 5th pick overall)

STARTERS
QB - Matt Hasselbeck
RB - DeAngelo Williams, Brian Westbrook
WR - Marques Colston, Chad Ochocinco
RB/WR - Ronnie Brown
TE - Visanthe Shiancoe
DST - Green Bay Packers
K - Kris Brown

BENCH
Chad Pennington (QB)
Julius Jones (RB)
Jamal Lewis (RB)
Devin Hester (WR)
Braylon Edwards (WR)
Justin Gage (WR)
Jeremy Shockey (TE)

I think I have two good rosters, and I hope I can have some success this season.

If you are into fantasy sports, feel free to tell me what you think of my teams.

Another new blog...

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Hey guys, I just wanted to take a few minutes and introduce you to my new blog about the Carolina Panthers. If you're interested, please take a few quick seconds and take a look at the site at http://pantherplaybook.blogspot.com.

This is a project that I have been working on for some time, and I was originally worried that I wouldn't be able to launch the site before the start of the season. I was delayed because I couldn't come up with a name for it (as Beeze can account for - I've changed the name of this site three times in the last 24 hours, but the name I have now is here to stay).

So, again I would just like to ask that if you are interested in the NFL or the Panthers, take a few minutes and check it out.

Also, if you have an NFL blog of your own and would like to exchange links, just let me know either by email or in the comments section.

To the guy doing my wife...

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:49:00 +0000

I found this while stumbling around the web today and thought it was funny as hell. So, what better to do than to share it on here? The date on it said 2/21/2008, but I don't know if that's the original date of publication or not. Either way, it's worth the laugh.

To the guy doing my wife...

You know who you are. Yes, I know. No, I am not angry.

I would just like to ask a few things of you. After all, you are giving it to my wife.

Please stop leaving the seat up, I keep getting blamed and it is starting to get old.

You may be giving me a chance to go fishing more often but please stop drinking all my beer. It is fine if you have a couple while you visit (god knows I drink plenty before I find her attractive), but please leave me a few as I have to be there longer than you.

If you do drink the last one, buy more or leave money on the counter - I will pick some up.

Please replace the toilet paper when you use it all. For some reason my 5 year old son believes if it's not there he does not have to wipe. We keep it under the sink, unless you can recommend a better spot.

After doing my wife please use something disposable to wipe off with. The basket of clothes on the right is mine and the clothes are clean as my wife does not do my washing. I run out of time rushing to work, and last week my sweatshirt was crusty (thanks).

Please do not tell my children that you are their uncle. They are young, not mentally challenged.

Please stop turning the heat up. You pay nothing and MUD is putting it in my ass, my wife may like it but I think it hurts.

When she asks "do these pants make me look fat", say no. You may think giving a different answer will make her think twice about eating a gallon of ice cream a day, but all you are doing is giving her a reason to go buy more pants that she will look just as fat in.

Stop eating the baked goods. The brownies you ate were from my mom for my birthday. My wife has not cooked anything that good for years and if she does she will not share.

Try shifting your weight when you sit on my chair. The recliner that I rarely have time for (soccer games and practice, and basketball camp for the kids takes much of my time and I try to help with school work too) has a groove in it that forces me to roll to the left.

Lastly, I would like thank you for taking her to lunch on Valentines Day. She was not as hungry as usual and only ordered one meal. I may be able to use the money I saved to take the children to a movie. I hope you can help me with these items, as it may become awkward if I have to confront her. If you can do this for me I will give you a heads up on when I will be gone and for how long so that you don't feel rushed.

P.S. - I am going to take the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge on the 3rd of April for four days, I have a bottle of vodka above the fridge if you find yourself low on beer.

Thanks. (This was not written by anyone named Jack S.)

A sad day for movie lovers...

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:10:00 +0000

John Hughes, the man responsible for some of the greatest movies to come out of the 1980's (The Breakfast Club, Ferris Beuller's Day Off) has died. He was 59 years old.

It is being reported that Hughes died of a heart attack this morning in New York, where he was visiting members of his family.

It is truly a sad day, not just for his family (which it is obviously a sad day for them), but for anyone who grew up loving his teen-based movies of the 80's and 90's.

Scattergories - A Facebook Note

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:09:00 +0000

The Beeze tagged me in this note on Facebook, but I thought I would share it here.

Scattergories

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real - nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name: BRAD
A four letter word: BANE
A boy's name: BLAKE
A girl's name: BRITTANY
An occupation: BROKER
A color: BLUE
Something you wear: BOXERS
A food: BURGER
Something found in the bathroom: BATHTUB
A place: BARCELONA
A reason for being late: BROKEN ALARM CLOCK
Something you shout: BOOM!
A movie title: BAD NEWS BEARS
Something you drink: BEER
A musical group: B-52's
An animal: BEAGLE
A street name: BEALE STREET
A type of car: BMW
Something scary: BEAR
Ice cream flavor: BLACK CHERRY

Feel free to do this list with your first initial in the comments section.

It's been a while...

bwsmith25@ymail.com (bwsmith25) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:19:00 +0000

It's been almost two weeks since I've sat down and written anything on this blog. It's not that I haven't written anything anywhere else, because I have been spending time writing here and here, so it's not like I haven't been writing, I've just been doing it at other places.

I just haven't had that much to say lately. I don't know what it is, but I have found other things to do with my time than sit down and try to punch out a meaningless blog. I've found that I would rather not write anything at all than to force myself to write something that has no meaning to it - because I don't want to waste anyone's time by forcing them to read some nonsensical blabber when they could be reading something else more interesting.

Of course, I am being hypocritical right now by rambling on and on about nothing, after I stated that I didn't want to write something that had no meaning to it - yet I'm doing it anyway.

I have a few ideas floating around for some more "Awesome TV Shows" posts that I hope to get up in the next week or two - and I'm sure there will be other events that will happen that I will feel like writing about.

Until then, happy reading.