Ok, I've had a hard enough time getting into this college basketball season. I was watching Sportscenter the other day, and in between steroid news that nobody cares about and watching pencilneck John Clayton trying to discuss the NFL, I saw a segment with Digger Phelps. By all accounts, he's a brilliant studio guy. He knows more than I'll ever know about basketball, but one thing he fails to realize is how stupid he looks wearing a tie that is the same color as the highlighter in his hand. A couple of things here:
1) If he didn't blatantly show the highlighter to the camera when he talks, I could maybe live with this. But he is clearly making a point to show that he is holding a highlighter that matches his tie. Gay.
2) Who carries a highlighter around all the time?
Anyway, Sportscenter sucks enough as it is. We don't need fashion miscues such as this to drag it down even more. Come on Digger, I know you're not really this lame!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Monday, November 26, 2007
HOLY CRAP!!!
That's the only thing I can think to say right now. I still cannot believe that the Missouri Tigers are #1 in the nation. I am in awe and disbelief all at the same time. I think that they have achieved the perfect storm this year with Daniel, the Rucker/Coffman tandem, Maclin and a very servicable defense. Crazy thing is that they are getting the majority of the starters back next year too. Unbelievable.
Two things still concern me... First, they are Mizzou. I think the reason that I am in disbelief is because they are, after all, Mizzouri. I have a hard time getting too excited because the rug can be pulled out from under us pretty quick by the ol' Sooners. But, I also have to admit that I'm having a really hard time not getting excited too.
My second concern is still our goal-line/short-yardage offense. It still makes me pretty nervous that I'm more comfortable from the 10 than the 1. They've shown a lot more promise recently, even lining Daniel up under center once... Amazing! They'll need to convert these opportunities more often than not to beat Oklahoma.
I can't ever remember being this excited about a team that I didn't play on (or even one that I did for that matter). We'll have to see how far we can go, but regardless of what happens, I'm pretty pleased to be in the national hunt going into the final week. Even if they do decide to pee down their collective leg, it would have been a hell of a ride this year with some promise for the next.
Two things still concern me... First, they are Mizzou. I think the reason that I am in disbelief is because they are, after all, Mizzouri. I have a hard time getting too excited because the rug can be pulled out from under us pretty quick by the ol' Sooners. But, I also have to admit that I'm having a really hard time not getting excited too.
My second concern is still our goal-line/short-yardage offense. It still makes me pretty nervous that I'm more comfortable from the 10 than the 1. They've shown a lot more promise recently, even lining Daniel up under center once... Amazing! They'll need to convert these opportunities more often than not to beat Oklahoma.
I can't ever remember being this excited about a team that I didn't play on (or even one that I did for that matter). We'll have to see how far we can go, but regardless of what happens, I'm pretty pleased to be in the national hunt going into the final week. Even if they do decide to pee down their collective leg, it would have been a hell of a ride this year with some promise for the next.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
R.I.P. - Big Shaky
It pains me to no end to do this, but I think it's time to put him to rest. I hate the fact that our cohort Big Shaky cannot find time in his ever so busy schedule to blog with us anymore. The blog was blocked on at his job because, obviously, this is an extremist site. Now, apparently he does not have the ability to update us from home. Shame, shame, shame...
I will miss the political rants and liberal bashing that became the norm over the past year. Shaky personified the conservative far-right and would have made Uncle Ted very proud. Rest in peace my fine feathered friend... God speed and remember - True North is the only way!
Now that the sap is behind us... What the hell is the problem??? You can't find 10 minutes out of your day to post your controversial thoughts on our precious (and ever so popular) blog??? What a turd. I guess you're too busy reading the recent stories on MoveOn.org or watching the Democratic debates to see which one of your favorites will get the presidential nod. Yeah, I said it... You don't scare me. One block at work and you give up on us! What, do the parental controls at home not allow our extremist site either? No excuses... I'm very disappointed in you.
OK Brent, now it's up to you and me to keep this train on the tracks...
In Nuge WE trust!
I will miss the political rants and liberal bashing that became the norm over the past year. Shaky personified the conservative far-right and would have made Uncle Ted very proud. Rest in peace my fine feathered friend... God speed and remember - True North is the only way!
Now that the sap is behind us... What the hell is the problem??? You can't find 10 minutes out of your day to post your controversial thoughts on our precious (and ever so popular) blog??? What a turd. I guess you're too busy reading the recent stories on MoveOn.org or watching the Democratic debates to see which one of your favorites will get the presidential nod. Yeah, I said it... You don't scare me. One block at work and you give up on us! What, do the parental controls at home not allow our extremist site either? No excuses... I'm very disappointed in you.
OK Brent, now it's up to you and me to keep this train on the tracks...
In Nuge WE trust!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Strikes Suck
In case you've been living under a rock, you know that the Writer's Guild of America is on strike at this very moment. If you don't know what this means, basically all writers in Hollywood are refusing to write any more scripts until they can agree on a new deal with the TV/Movie studios. Basically what's going on is that they are arguing over residual income from DVD sales and online streaming shows, which has been booming in recent years. There is a lot of question as to how the pie should be split up. I don't know all the details, but I assume most or all of this income is currently ending up in the pockets of the networks/studios.
The one thing I do know is that nobody wins with a strike, and certainly not the viewers at home. I was pretty upset by this strike, because shows I really like, such as The Office, are being shut down since they don't have any new scripts to work from. But the last straw came on Wednesday when I read that the next season of 24 was in jeopardy. FOX released a statement that they would not air a partial season. They have only recently began filming, so unless this strike is resolved pronto, there is not going to be any Jack Bauer this year. This really pisses me off.
How greedy can these guys be? You know who's really getting dicked over? Us. The viewer. We pay the price, so these guys can sort out a few bucks here and there. I'm like most working stiffs, I work an 8-5 so I can pay some bills and feed my family. I don't do it because I love doing it. I do it because I HAVE to do it. I can't quit working because I'm not happy about my deal. Well I can, but it would probably take 6 months to find another job. Hollywood pisses me off.
Have we not learned about anything with strikes? Alienating the public can be a very bad thing. Just ask Bud Selig and Gary Bettman. Baseball has taken a beating in the ratings ever since the strike cancelled the '94 World Series. It's made a bit of a comeback, but it's definitely nowhere near the big deal it used to be. The LCS is on TBS for Christ's sake. And the NHL? Granted, this was different, a lockout, but it was the same for viewers. No hockey. They have completely fallen off the face of the planet. They weren't exactly thriving before, but at least they were on ESPN. Now they're on the network formerly knows as "OLN".
Anyway, this strike blows. Losing 24 blows. Hollywood blows. But at least this will give me more time with Call of Duty 4. That game kicks ass.
The one thing I do know is that nobody wins with a strike, and certainly not the viewers at home. I was pretty upset by this strike, because shows I really like, such as The Office, are being shut down since they don't have any new scripts to work from. But the last straw came on Wednesday when I read that the next season of 24 was in jeopardy. FOX released a statement that they would not air a partial season. They have only recently began filming, so unless this strike is resolved pronto, there is not going to be any Jack Bauer this year. This really pisses me off.
How greedy can these guys be? You know who's really getting dicked over? Us. The viewer. We pay the price, so these guys can sort out a few bucks here and there. I'm like most working stiffs, I work an 8-5 so I can pay some bills and feed my family. I don't do it because I love doing it. I do it because I HAVE to do it. I can't quit working because I'm not happy about my deal. Well I can, but it would probably take 6 months to find another job. Hollywood pisses me off.
Have we not learned about anything with strikes? Alienating the public can be a very bad thing. Just ask Bud Selig and Gary Bettman. Baseball has taken a beating in the ratings ever since the strike cancelled the '94 World Series. It's made a bit of a comeback, but it's definitely nowhere near the big deal it used to be. The LCS is on TBS for Christ's sake. And the NHL? Granted, this was different, a lockout, but it was the same for viewers. No hockey. They have completely fallen off the face of the planet. They weren't exactly thriving before, but at least they were on ESPN. Now they're on the network formerly knows as "OLN".
Anyway, this strike blows. Losing 24 blows. Hollywood blows. But at least this will give me more time with Call of Duty 4. That game kicks ass.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Should we pull the plug???
The Big Shaky is currently on blog-land life support. Apparently, he did all of his blogging at work and this site is now blocked by his corporate machine. Bummer. We may need to discuss pulling the plug because I know that he would not want to be a blog vegitable...
Oh, and I am pissed that KU whooped A&M today. Why can't we catch a break with these guys? It would be nice if the other team showed up one of these days when Rock Chalk comes to town. Oh well, I don't know why I am surprised. The one time MU has a BCS-type season, they get overshadowed by another north team that barely fielded a team for the past however-many years. Figures...
Oh, and I am pissed that KU whooped A&M today. Why can't we catch a break with these guys? It would be nice if the other team showed up one of these days when Rock Chalk comes to town. Oh well, I don't know why I am surprised. The one time MU has a BCS-type season, they get overshadowed by another north team that barely fielded a team for the past however-many years. Figures...
Monday, October 22, 2007
I'm Starting to Get Worried
I love college football. More than the NFL, NBA, NCAA hoops and every other sport combined. I'm not sure why I feel this way, but it's probably because my formative sports years (6th grade-beginning of my sophomore HS year) were spent just outside Columbia, MO. Sure, there was Chiefs, Cardinals and Royals coverage, but the biggest deal in town was the Missouri Tigers. At the time, I was more of a basketball fan, mainly because watching Jeff Handy try to throw it to receivers stumbling all over Omni-turf just wasn't much fun.
Let's fast forward to 2007. This is supposed to be our year. This is the year that we finally take the next step forward and capture the Big 12 north. This is our best chance for a BCS bid ever. It might be the last time in my lifetime that this happens. Sure you might laugh, but consider the fact that the last time Missouri won a conference title in football, Nixon was President and we were just landing guys on the moon for the first time. It was a LONG time ago.
Now, I knew we would have some stiff competition this year. It's never easy, even when the conference is having a down year. But I sure as hell wouldn't have picked Kansas to be the team to beat. Seriously, Kansas?!? Aside from a few good years with Glen Mason, the KU football team has sucked balls for years. Even when they've been "good" they've been mediocre. Bill Whittemore? John Cornish? Give me a break. They've had some decent players, but never a solid team. Mangina had only won 2 Big 12 road games in his tenure at KU until this season. Now they're undefeated and are 9th in the latest BCS standings. The game at Arrowhead later this season looms large.
With the way the schedule shakes out, KU misses both OU and Texas this year, with only games at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State as challenges the rest of the way. They have Iowa State and Nebraska at home, and they're both terrible. Upsets happen, but it's totally conceivable that KU shows up on 11/24 at 11-0. With our loss at OU, we really can't afford to stumble the rest of the way. It won't be easy. Kansas State on the road will be tough. We never play well there. We also have to go to Colorado which is, again, a place where we don't normally play well.
To get to my point, I'm worried that the best Mizzou season in 40 years has a good chance of being overshadowed by the greatest KU season of all time. The thought of KU playing in the Fiesta Bowl makes me sick to my stomach. The thought of their being conference champions makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. I think it's unlikely that they run the table, but it sure seems like a reasonable possibility. And that scares the hell out of me.
In Bauer we trust
Let's fast forward to 2007. This is supposed to be our year. This is the year that we finally take the next step forward and capture the Big 12 north. This is our best chance for a BCS bid ever. It might be the last time in my lifetime that this happens. Sure you might laugh, but consider the fact that the last time Missouri won a conference title in football, Nixon was President and we were just landing guys on the moon for the first time. It was a LONG time ago.
Now, I knew we would have some stiff competition this year. It's never easy, even when the conference is having a down year. But I sure as hell wouldn't have picked Kansas to be the team to beat. Seriously, Kansas?!? Aside from a few good years with Glen Mason, the KU football team has sucked balls for years. Even when they've been "good" they've been mediocre. Bill Whittemore? John Cornish? Give me a break. They've had some decent players, but never a solid team. Mangina had only won 2 Big 12 road games in his tenure at KU until this season. Now they're undefeated and are 9th in the latest BCS standings. The game at Arrowhead later this season looms large.
With the way the schedule shakes out, KU misses both OU and Texas this year, with only games at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State as challenges the rest of the way. They have Iowa State and Nebraska at home, and they're both terrible. Upsets happen, but it's totally conceivable that KU shows up on 11/24 at 11-0. With our loss at OU, we really can't afford to stumble the rest of the way. It won't be easy. Kansas State on the road will be tough. We never play well there. We also have to go to Colorado which is, again, a place where we don't normally play well.
To get to my point, I'm worried that the best Mizzou season in 40 years has a good chance of being overshadowed by the greatest KU season of all time. The thought of KU playing in the Fiesta Bowl makes me sick to my stomach. The thought of their being conference champions makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. I think it's unlikely that they run the table, but it sure seems like a reasonable possibility. And that scares the hell out of me.
In Bauer we trust
Friday, October 19, 2007
Too Much of a Good Thing
Without a doubt, the funniest half hour on TV each week is The Office. Notice I said the funniest HALF hour. At the beginning of this season, NBC decided to supersize each of the first four episodes into one hour instead of the normal 30 minute episodes that we are accustomed to. At first, I was really excited. The more I could get of the Dunder Mifflin crew, the better. But now after seeing the first four episodes, I'm just as excited to see it go back to the 30 minute format, starting next week.
As it turned out, 60 minute episodes were a bad idea. It was a little outside the box to begin with, because there isn't a single comedy on TV that runs for an hour each week. Every now and again, you'll see "special" episodes that end up being an hour, like a season finale or something, but it's hardly the norm. Even Seinfeld, one of the all time greats, only have a few hour long episodes, much less 4 straight to start a season.
I've found each episode to be very funny in parts, but then have lots and lots of downtime, which is a big buzzkill for any comedy. Keep me laughing for 30 minutes and leave me wanting more next week. I think that's the ideal formula. It's like the episode of Seinfeld where George tried to always end on a high note. We need to get back to this idea with The Office. Next week cannot come soon enough.
As it turned out, 60 minute episodes were a bad idea. It was a little outside the box to begin with, because there isn't a single comedy on TV that runs for an hour each week. Every now and again, you'll see "special" episodes that end up being an hour, like a season finale or something, but it's hardly the norm. Even Seinfeld, one of the all time greats, only have a few hour long episodes, much less 4 straight to start a season.
I've found each episode to be very funny in parts, but then have lots and lots of downtime, which is a big buzzkill for any comedy. Keep me laughing for 30 minutes and leave me wanting more next week. I think that's the ideal formula. It's like the episode of Seinfeld where George tried to always end on a high note. We need to get back to this idea with The Office. Next week cannot come soon enough.
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