Wednesday, December 31, 2008

BC QB Dominique Davis: 15-36, 2 picks

Coach Jags
Vanderbilt 16 Boston College 14

Getting ready for the playoffs


Playing with a new toy

Putting closure on 2008


What better way to end the year and start a new one than with a snow storm?!? With a projected seven inches falling today, tonight and into tomorrow, we could not be happier. We have filled up the holiday notebook the past few days, and we are finally going to download it (well, some of it).

1. The Celtics STINK have hit a few speed bumps! Wow, suddenly they don't look so great. Losing Christmas Day to the Lakers is nothing to be alarmed about. But losing to Golden State (Golden State?!?) and then to Portland without Brandon Roy?!? Yikes, now we are talking about something. We have howled with laughter after each of the losses, as Tommy Heinsohn blames all Boston losses on...wait for it...the refs! And seriously, since Paul Pierce is the "best player in the world" (his words), shouldn't he be able to prevent such embarrassing losses?!? We're just saying.
Anyway, this just means it's a Mortal Lock that Boston will scoop up one (or more) veterans to come off the bench next spring. And Danny Ainge can always count on His Lover, Kevin McHale, to do anything and everything to help out the Celtics. We can only guess that K-Mac is ready to return Al Jefferson to Boston for the comely price of, say, Brian Scalabrine.

2. Todd McShay says No Way to Tim Tebow! Not only has he said The Golden Child is a "second day" NFL pick, he also says West Virginia's Pat White is a superior prospect. We were not so sure, until we witnessed White's final pass at West Virginia. The diminutive lefty zinged a 20-yard laser to defeat North Carolina, 31-30. Now, we B-E-L-I-E-V-E!

3. The hype surround Cal running back Jahvid Best is legit! We finally got a chance to see the sophomore and, man, was he impressive. Twenty carries for 186 yards and 2 scores against Miami?!? Wow. We'd label him the 2009 Heisman Front Runner, but, of course, unless you play for USC, you can't play on the West Coast and hope to win the award.

4. The 15 pound Christmas rib roast (15 pounds!) was fantastic! Just pull when it hits 140 and you can't go wrong!

5. And finally, the two hours spent opening presents Christmas Morning are, without a doubt, the best two hours of the whole year. As a parent, outside of good health, there is nothing better than watching your kids open Christmas Presents.



Casting blame for the Patriots missing the playoffs

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

You'll be hungry after that good old practice...



Seriously, we may never leave the home office. Not with every frigging TV show under the sun now on the Internet. Here, we, errrrrrrrr, they give you the pilot episode of Friday Night Lights.


Target, Subway & Elf

Well, it's five days after Christmas, but we just got around to watching the ELF Blu ray that we bought at the beginning of December. With The Playmaker at his grandparents' house for the day (and maybe the night -- more on that later), it has been Father-Daughter-Bonding-Day. A trip to Target was followed by getting lunch at Subway (her choice -- cheap date!) and then eating it in front of the TV while we watched ELF. Anything with Will Ferrell in it is basically a sure thing. But on its own, the movie is cute in that sappy, all-Christmas-movies-are-good kind of way. (Plus, having Edward Asner play Santa is a bonus.) Anyway, it's a keeper. One that will get tucked away in one of the Christmas boxes bound for the attic next week, destined to re-emerge in 11 months.


Back to The Playmaker...He had been talking about a sleepover at his grandparents' house for the last week. This morning, upon getting ready to leave, he announced, "I might want to come home tonight so I can watch the bowl games with Daddy."

Could a father BE any prouder?!?


Monday, December 29, 2008

Amazing...


We still don't think Andy Reid is a very good coach. (And we know he's a TERRIBLE general manager.) Still...we have to give him props for getting this team into the playoffs. And we won't be surprised in the least if the Eagles take down the Vikings on Sunday. By the way, aren't they now kind of locked into bringing back D-McNabb next fall?!? At least #5 is smart enough to realize that for that to happen, he will need to redo his contract into a more (much more!) cap friendly slip of paper.


Sunday, December 28, 2008

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Heart Attack Grill, Phoenix, AZ

Check out the great food and
the, um, tasty waitresses at this place.
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Friday, December 26, 2008

The Strange Tale of Elena Delle Donne


We've been following this kid for over a year.

OU vs. texASS: Suspicions confirmed

It has been widely assumed that high school football players who go to texASS enjoy a country club atmosphere. (Probably the reason why the Shorthorns lose so few underclassmen to the NFL.) Oklahoma players, on the other hand, work hard and become upstanding citizens. An article in today's New York Times details the recruitment of Jamarkus McFarland, the top rated high school defensive lineman. McFarland talked about how different the two schools are. About texASS, he noted the party scene: “I will never forget the excitement amongst all participants. Alcohol was all you can drink, money was not an option. Girls were acting wild by taking off their tops, and pulling down their pants. Girls were also romancing each other. Some guys loved every minute of the freakiness some girls demonstrated. I have never attended a party of this magnitude.” Meanwhile, on his visit to Oklahoma, McFarland and his mom had dinner at the home of school president David Boren.


Click here to read the article. (McFarland committed to the Sooners yesterday - Christmas Day.)

Oh, yeah...one more thing.

In Stoops We Trust...


Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas Present #1

Another year of good health and happiness.
Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas Present #2

A White Christmas!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Present #3

A legal pad. Sounds silly, to be sure. But write stuff down. Anything. To-do lists. Grocery lists. New Year's resolutions. Recipes. Keep the pad -- it will be a journal of your life. Good stuff.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas Present #4


The gift of healthy eating: www.5aday.gov

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Christmas Present #5

Ah, the innocence of youth. Given Michigan's terrible season, The Playmaker has begun to rethink his oral commitment. He is now considered only a "soft commitment" to the Wolverines. He recently wrote a letter to Bob Stoops to "thank" him for recruiting him. Needless to say, this latest development brought tears of joy to us. And it got us thinking that one can never be too prepared. As such, this shirt is now on the list.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Christmas Present #6

It's the Keurig Platinum B70 Coffee Maker and this thing is suh-weeet! Yesterday morning, we went with The Wife to drop off the kids at Coach/Captain Ray's. Five hours later (more on that tomorrow), we came home lusting after this thing. It makes a cup of coffee in less than 30 seconds. And the taste is fantastic. $200 ain't cheap -- but factor in what we spend at Dunkin' Donuts during the work week, and this will pay for itself in under three months.

A Bowl Game Bonus

As is if we needed another reason to watch any bowl game with The Playmaker, we just discovered The Hoff will be singing the National Anthem at the Las Vegas Bowl. The Hoff in Sin City?!? How frigging great is that?!?


The day after...

The driveway was done by 8 AM this morning, yet the snow continues to still fall (11 inches and counting). With basketball cancelled for today (last week, The Playmaker scored 6 of his team's 12 points in a 12-8 W; The Playmaker's Sister started and scored 2 points in her team's W.), what's on tap?!? An all day fire in the fire place, four college bowl games and about 10 solid college hoop games.

Eaglebank Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Navy -- This should actually be a very good game. Both teams are solid. At times this year, Wake looked like a top 15 team. We'll say, Wake 24 Navy 17. The Playmaker thinks Wake will win, too.

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State vs. Fresno State. Come bowl season, we always go with Fresno State's Chris Herren Pat Hill. We'll say, FSU 27 CSU 17. The Playmaker thinks CSU will win.

Magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl: Memphis vs. South Florida -- We like SF's coach, Jim Leavitt. (He's a friends of Stoops'.) And since Xavier Crawford graduated, errrrrrrrr, used up his eligibility at Memphis back in the late '80s, we'll say, South Florida 24 Memphis 20. The Playmaker agrees with us on this one.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Arizona -- Rumors are hot that Stoops' brother, Mike, is on his way from Arizona to take over at...wait for it...Iowa State! (Hmm. Ah, Mike? You may want to rethink that one.) We'll say, BYU 31 Arizona 27. The Playmaker takes BYU, as well.

Enjoy the games! And the weather!


Friday, December 19, 2008

Christmas Present #7

Any questions?!?

Snow Day, 9.0 -- Time for Bed


Tired and sore (from 3+ hours in the snow),
we are off to bed.

Snow Day, 8.0

Snow Day, 7.0 -- 3:35 Lid Update

Snow Day, 6.0

Last night's dinner: Chicken Parm.
(Roast Beef tonight to celebrate the snow storm.)

Snow Day, 5.0 -- The Measuring Stick for snow

will be the lid of The Weber.

(This was taken at 2:14 PM)

Snow Day, 4.0 -- Yikes...no one likes EB42

Snow Day, 3.0 -- 1:45 PM and the first flakes are falling

About two hours later than anticipated. Still, here we go...

Snow Day, 2.0 -- Vintage Cliff Clavin

Snow Day, 1.0

The Snow Day is the ever-wonderful gift to all school teachers. And with today's projected 12 inches of snow on the way, Our School is closed. Woo-Woo! On the agenda for today:

1. Making sure The Mrs. gets out of work early and in a timely fashion, so as to not be sitting in traffic while buckets of snow fall from the sky.

2. Getting ready for the Cleaning Lady. The irony of having to clean the house before The Cleaning Lady comes is not lost on us. Just one of those things...

3. A trip to Target to get gift cards for The Playmaker's Teacher (and the assistant), The Playmaker's Sister's Teacher (and her assistant) and The Mailman (Cliff Clavin, anyone?!?). On top of that, we will be getting a jumbo box of diapers. Not for us, silly, but for a friend at school. Seriously, what's better than a box of diapers for Christmas?!?

4. Taking the kids out to breakfast. A Snow Day tradition.

Enjoy the snow and stay safe and smart on the roads.


Thursday, December 18, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Christmas Present #9

Along with The Gathering, this is the top Christmas movie of all-time. We're taking the day off tomorrow just to watch it in peace and quiet. (And yes, we will be posting video clips.)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Christmas Present #10

Going old school, very old school on this one, with Statis Pro Baseball. This was the greatest game growing up. From 1979-1983, we did nothing other than play this game. Then, three years later as a freshman in college, someone on the floor (we still miss the Basement Cru) bought it one afternoon. It's possible, we missed a whole next week of classes playing the game. You can buy the now deceased game on ebay, as well as current card sets from people who produce them to keep the fun alive.

Tuesday Links -- and TONS of 'em!

We LOVE lists! Here's a list of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business!

















Sunday, December 14, 2008

Christmas Present #12

You knew this was coming. The Playmaker already added it to his Christmas list.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

That's what we're talkin' about

Christmas Present #13

In honor of Sam Bradford's pending Heisman Trophy award tonight (yes, we've changed our pick, as well as our prediction), we will go with The Boz's Oklahoma football card. And yes, we wore our hair that way for a while back in college. Our Guy Brent called The Boz, "The Rainbow Warrior." Could there be a better stocking stuffer?!?

Saturday Morning Odds & Ends

Yes, it has been a while. Lots of Christmas gift ideas, sure, but not a lot of the normal posts. Been weakened by a sinus infection (and obligatory cough) that refuses to go away. The Playmaker and Mrs. have been on injured reserve as well. It's been tons of fun. The three of us sit around and see who can cough the most, the loudest, the fastest, etc. You just can't beat that quality family fun. (Knock on wood, thankfully The Playmaker's Sister has been spared in all of this!) k
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Moving right along...
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1. B-ball has started. This figures to be a long season in terms of wins and losses for The Playmaker's Team. Somehow, in a first/second grade league, we ended up with all first graders! (Payback, perhaps, for kicking the sheeeeeeet out of the competition in flag football?!?) Anyway, our first game was last week. Score is not kept, but, of course, the Head Ball Coach keeps mental score. We lost something, like, 30-14. The Playmaker had 10 of our 14 points, including a sweet (suh-weeeet!) 16 footer from the baseline, which is the equivalent of a deep trey in a league of 7 and 8 year olds (or 6 year olds in the case of our team).

2. Poor Texas. My gosh, it's a wonder anyone from ESPN can utter even a simple sentence in between all of the crying and tears over the injustice that has happened to the Longhorns. If we've heard it once, we've heard it a million (million!) times. Texas beat Oklahoma by 10 points on a neutral field. Wow. That's great. So if the Longhorns were playing for the National Championship, what would Texas Tech say? Wait a minute. We, too, have but one loss...AND we beat Texas. The fact that Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas all beat each other cancels the one loss each team has. But when you look at how they each lost, what they each did against Oklahoma State, as well as their overall schedules, the Sooners are the clear cut best team.

3. The Heisman. We can honestly say we won't have a problem with whoever wins among the trio of Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy. If we had to separate them, we would put Tebow third. Yes, he's a great player. And he has had a good (as in not great) season. But this love affair people have with him is starting to ware on us. Of course he is a great kid off the field. But the fawning simply has become nauseating. Herbie calls him Timmy Tebow. Erin Andrews gets down-right wobbly in the knees when she gets within a mile of him. And how many times must we see the clip of him running, errrrr, sprinting into the Gators' defensive huddle coming down the stretch of the Alabama game, with the obligatory comment, "Wow! What a leader!" (Did they want Bradford to sprint into the Sooners' defensive huddle and scream, "Guys, I just threw my tenth TD of the game. Now, go out their and stop 'em so I can get 11!"?!?!?!?) And raise your hand if you haven't seen the video of Tebow giving a weeping apology for losing to Ole Miss (at home, mind you), like, 12 times.

Which brings us to McCoy and Bradford. Head to head, McCoy was the better player in their October game. (Have you heard that the Longhorns beat the Sooners by 10 points on a neutral field?!?) Of course, voters don't remember that far back -- a fact which will certainly hurt McCoy as voters have spent the last month watching Bradford and Tebow light it up on television. The award has turned into a joke. It is basically an award for the best players on the best teams. A month ago, Tech QB Graham Harrell, fresh off his win against Texas, was universally hailed as the leader. One week later, he went down in flames at OU and presto! he literally dropped off the ballot.

Bradford and McCoy have great numbers, with McCoy having superior rushing totals. It's a complete toss-up, but in a Stunning Decision, we give the Heisman to Colt McCoy.

(And yet, we have a sneaking suspicion the voting tonight will be 1. Tebow 2. Bradford 3. McCoy.)



Friday, December 12, 2008

Christmas Present #14

Dream Snow is a wonderful children's book by renowned author Eric Carle. The Playmaker was given this book by his grandmother when he was 4. Three years later, it is still one of his favorites. You can get this hardcover book on-line at Barnes & Noble for $13. (In the actual store, you will pay $21.)

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Christmas Present #15

We are getting a little sappy with this one. We remember watching this in the second grade -- 33 years ago. (Back then it was OK to show Christmas movies in school.) We rejoiced to find it out on DVD. The plot details are somewhat fuzzy, but we remember enough to know it is a must-have. Plus, you can never go wrong with a Jason Robards' movie. We have ordered it and will be showing it to The Playmaker and The Playmaker's Sister next week.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The most wonderful time of the year...

Christmas Present #16


A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. A repeat from last year's list, but you can't have a list without this classic. We own three copies, in fact, and are always on the lookout for an original one. If you don't like this story, then you don't like Christmas. Darkness was cheap and he liked it.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Christmas Present #17

This (home) office chair (perfect for Your Favorite Blogger), the EMBODY, is supposed to be the most comfortable and-best-for-your-back chair on the market. Heck, it even claims to increase your oxygen intake. (Oh, my!) The only pain this thing will cause is when you go to pay for it -- it sells for $1,595. Ugh.