Eight Years Ago - One Shining Moment

It's hard to believe that eight years ago this week was the start of Michigan State drive to the NCAA National Baskbetball Championship. This year's team is too raw and too inconsistant to make another historic run. although, if you think to a couple of years ago, George Mason was just another mid-major starting down a Murder's Row of elite Basketball teams (MSU included) and that didn't stop them from making it to the Final Four. That's the way it is with the Madness - you never know...

So, in honor of the beginning of the Big Ten Tournament and here's to Charlie, Andre, AJ, Jason, Mo Pete and Mateen - my first National Championship team since I was a fan of any team (and I still have the T-shirts, guys).

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A Banner Season for Comic Book Fans - New Incredible Hulk trailer online

Here's the second attempt of making a franchise out of The Incredible Hulk with a new and improved Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) and Betty White (Liv Tyler). the trailer itself is decent enough to give the thinnest of plot details but it does give away the most compelling reason to see the movie (and no, I'm not talking about the Bruce/Betty kiss). But check it out for yourself down below and let your feelings be heard!

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Ripped from KFR - The Spectacular Spider-Man: A Fast-Forward Review

Just in case you’ve been away from KFR for the past week, the latest animated incarnation of Spider-Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man, hit the cable/satellite waves last Saturday. Rather than go through a rather lengthy traditional review of both shows, I’m only going to hit upon the good and bad things from the first two episodes.

The Good:

• No tired attempt at an origin rehash (At this point, everyone on the planet should know how Peter Parker became Spidey; glad that the creators didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Although, there’s probably gonna be an origin episode in Season Three but I’m crossing my fingers here.)
  Peter Parker is a short geeky teenager again (As One More Day in the comics proved, the only good Spider-Man is one where Peter Parker has angst; not one where he’s over 6’2”, handsome, married to a world-famous supermodel and an accomplished scientist. Call it the Honeycutt rule – BJ with no mustache = funny; BJ with mustache = not funny.)
• Good restraint in not going overboard with the redesigning of the villains (Aside from Electro looking more like The Batman’s Mr. Freeze than the excellent original, the slight redesigns of both the Vulture and The Enforcers looked different enough from its comic version but not so much that they became Marvel 2099. Surprisingly good.)
• Great use of plot touchstones to tie episodes together (Rather than introduce the villains in the episodes that they appear in, the method of using the characters in their pre-villain form such as Doc Ock, Sandman, Venom, Green Goblin and the Lizard give the appearance of some form of continuity and give the older fanboys cause to smile when seeing them on screen)
• Good integration of 3-D and traditional 2-D animation (The “vine swinging” city scenes looked good and showed how far the rendering and integrating of 3-D animation has come since the late 90s. If anyone doesn’t know what I’m talking about, go rent the Batman/Mr. Freeze Direct-to-Video movie to see what I mean.)

The Bad:

• Terrible use of stereotypes in lead female characters (While the redesign of Spidey’s villains was seemingly restrained in most cases, the same could not be said for the female characters in the first two episodes. Gwen Stacy is a typical girl nerd while Liz Allen is some sort of non-descript ethic airhead cheerleader. Not cool.)
• Eddie Brock as a Lab Rat and Parker’s friend (Again, what the…? I like my Eddie Brock dumb and jealous of Petey; not being his bud and helping him get his foot in with Dr. Connor’s at ESU. Not liking how this will play out.)
• Art was so-so (This is nitpicking but the art for the series has that Matsuda/the Batman feel to it, which is grating to some people and not so much to others. I’m not asking for Hanna Barbera or Filmation-style artwork but a change in style from the previous superhero series would’ve been nice.)
• Not enough JJJ (How can you have the nemesis for both Parker and Spidey on screen for less than a couple of minutes? J. Jonah Jameson is both comic foil and antagonist who needs to be there to hate Spidey and to work Parker to death. Can’t be stated enough –More JJJ!)
• Spidey-verse may be too small (another nitpick but how can The Goblin, Doc Ock, and the Vulture work for Osborn Industries and Electro, Venom and The Lizard work for the same lab at ESU? Just seems too forced for my tastes but then again, I’m not ht target audience for the show.)
  

Overall, the two episodes were fun and made for a great start to the series. If you missed it last week, this week’s installment has the Lizard’s series debut so you better get on board, pal.

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Rocklahoma 2008 Breakdown

Being a teenager of the 80s, I am quite fond of the Heavy Metal genre. Although I lean more towards the Speed/Thrash Metal side of the tracks, I can appreciate and enjoy its awkward drunk cousin otherwise known as Hair Metal; especially live in concert.

Well, it appears that I might not be the only one as there will be a repeat of last year's very successful US Rock festival in Pryor, OK nicknamed Rocklahoma. The 2008 version has a veritable who's who of the Hair Metal period from lighter metalish acts like Night Ranger and Triumph to veteran stalwarts like Cinderella and Poison to slightly obscure acts like Kingdom Come and Armored Saint to reunited groups like Warrant and Extreme. Pryor, OK is gonna be a long weekend full of debauchery, drunkenness, hangovers and devil's horns.

To get the true feel of each act and determine for yourself if a trip to the middle of the country is worth it, go to my favorite Hard Rock web location, Hard Rock Hideout. He can break the lineups down with the best rock critic around.

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NBA's Top 10 Shooting GOATs

The Daily Dime column over at the Worldwide Leader (practically the only column I read on a consistent basis over there) has put up a Special Edition of the Top 10 Shooting GOATs (Guards Of All Time) and I'll give you one guess who's in the top slot:



No argument here (and if you had one, I would have you committed to Saint E's for observation). But I do differ with the others. Here would be my list:

1. Jordan (Killer in every sense of the word on and off the court)
2. Jerry West (Made the Number 2 guard glamorous and became the Logo of the league)
3. Kobe (Has the mean streak and determination to become #2 behind MJ but can he be more than a scoring machine and elevate the players around him?)
4. Sam Jones (So under the radar due to the team he was on but could have been a mega-star if he was on any other team; flat out winner)
5. The Iceman (Brought a level of street game to the league with the finger roll and his ability to break down defenders with either the shot or off the dribble from anywhere on the court)
6. The Pearl (Another "street player" of the 70s who was just so smooth and seemed to always be in control)
7. The Glide (Almost Gervin part2; Not the greatest defender near the end of his career but yo knew that he always came up with a nice steal in the lane that would lead to a fast break dunk)
8. Reggie Miller (Mr. 3-Pointer and would throw it up with the best but could never get that elusive ring)
9. Dumars (Great defender who would light it up if you slept on him; great no-frills partner to flashy Isiah)
10. Iverson (Great individual scorer and durable who got to the Finals almost on his will alone but never could lift the play of his teammates; zero titles hurt his ranking)

Who's in agreement? Did I miss someone? Let me know..

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Here's a shocker - Pats Suit Dropped

That little whimper that you heard this morning was the news that the lawsuit against the New England Patriots, Owner Bob Kraft and Head Coach Bill Belichick was dropped. That is a stark contrast when compared to when the suit was announced back during the period known to me as the "Blame the New England Patriots with the Death of Modern Sportsmanship Feeding Frenzy" or for others, the month of February.

I've purposely stayed away from dissecting the whole "Spygate" controversy for two reasons: 1) not all of the facts are in or ever will be in and it's hard to make a case either way without knowing what was exactly done, who knew what and how it benefited the team during the game; and 2) there are too many non-qualified people (numerous bloggers and actual professional reporters) giving their heavy-handed and pious sermons and my two cent-ible points would get lost amid the shuffle.

But here's something that I feel that is not rooted in the moralization on the decay of professional sports ethics (which is an oxymoron if I have ever heard one) perpetrated by the New England Patriots. All anti-trust legislation aside, the governing body of the National Football League has made a ruling on the Patriots involvement and have rendered a verdict. Unless there is any new evidence to provide (potential Three Card Monty dealer Matt Walsh included) that can dispute the original findings, the further vilifying of the New England Patriots (and more importantly, their fans) should be dropped faster than this supposed lawsuit.

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False Claims make for an Impossible Dinner season

Well, I guess history does repeat itself; at least for people who think that the path to success is paved with bad resumes. In the honor of such luminaries as Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph Ellis, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., and George O'Leary (the 5-day coach of Notre Dame), Chef Robert Irvine decided to roll the dice with exaggerated job duties and came up snake eyes as Food TV canned his Dinner: Impossible show for next season.

I just don't understand why in this age of the all-knowing, all-seeing Internet would someone think that they could get away with blowing up stuff in order to be bigger themselves. Plus, if you're going to lie, why come clean to someone who can and will bring you down Watergate-style? It makes no sense. If you're going to lie, be like Barry (Bonds), Roger (Clemens) or Nero and go down with the fiddle that brought you there, man.

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Spectacular Spider-Man Trailer for 03-15-08

The lizard makes his Kids WB animated debut on next Saturday's The Spectacular Spider-Man. I'll have a review of the first two shows later in the week (hopefully). Until then, here's the trailer:

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All Points Bulletin - The Stylist is armed and dangerous

From the way out there department, here's a cautionary tale from our good friends at the Associated Press:

Police: Pa. Stylist Shoots Angry Client

After reading a story like that, I always think that my creed of not sending food back or not complaining about a bad haircut is all the more justified. I'll tip bad if I get awful food or if my hairline in the back is crooked but never complain while someone else could make things worse such as spit in said food. Nothing will save a loogi-flavored burger.

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A Funtime Friday Video

Here's a song that I've digging on since it's release last week:

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New Wanted trailer

After watching the second trailer for Wanted, I'm of two thoughts on it. The first is, as always, that this adaptation will not measure up to the source materials. That's a given with almost all mainstream versions of literary works (and yes, comics can be considered as literary as a book with illustrations in them).

The other thought is that it could be a totally different animal than the book; a highly-stylized better version of Shoot "Em Up, which would be very cool. Jusge for youselves by watching the trailer below courtesy of Traileraddict.com:

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WiiFit creators give up behind the scene fit facts

The WiiFit doesn't come out until May 19th and I've been counting down the days by scouring the Internets looking for anything and everything about this possibly revolutionary marriage between gaming and exercise. (And if you have seen me, you'll be glad that this kind of device is coming around.)

That's when I stumbled upon the actual launch site of WiiFit. On this site, the developers of this game break everything about its creation, software/hardware development and the sights/sounds of the game. You can read and hear all about the WiiBoard (pictured above) and WiiFit right here. And this is just a reminder - you better start limbering up because the release date is about two months away.

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Favre finally calls it quits

Brett Favre has finally let a Nation held hostage off the hook by announcing his retirement today. While the object of unadulterated fawning by the national media as a whole (Rick Morrissey and John Madden included), Favre did bring a certain aw shucks, dumbed-down slinger mentality to the position that traditionally the smartest athlete on the team usually played. And prior to his rejuvenation last year, his numbers were slipping greatly because of that mindset (see chart below).

But that didn't stop the media from practically make aural love to Number 4 every time he stepped on the field even when it was not deserved. And again, prior to finally getting a much needed ground game and taking advantage of a weak NFC Central, Favre's career numbers were headed south at a rapid almost Kurt Warner-like rate. For example here are his 2005 & 2006 regular season numbers:

He was throwing it over 38 times a game and only completing a shade over 58% of them. He threw more INTs than TDs and he averaged only 243 yards a game. Not terrible stats but definitely not Hall of Fame numbers by any stretch of the imagination (other than those who worship at the altar of Favre).

Look - he was a great QB for a long time (for NFL standards. He is the NFL Ironman, won a MVP and a Super Bowl and he did break Dan Marino's career TD and Yardage numbers in 2007. There is no argument that he is a first ballot HOF. But if you looked at the steady decline of his numbers, he probably should've retired 2004 when he first considered doing so.

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Jeff Healy dead at age 41

Word came out that Jeff Healy, who hit it big in the 80s with Road House and "Angel Eyes", had passed away at the age of 41. Healy was about to release his return to blues-based rock with a new CD when the cancer that took his sight at age 1, retinoblastoma or cancer of the retina, moved to other parts of his body and took his life. He was a husband and a father of two kids.

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Daddy's Got a New Pair of Shoes

Ran out today at lunch. Wanted to look for the new LeBron Vs but none of the stores in my area had them (man, I do miss the shopping choices in metro DC area). So, since I have impulse issues and needed to pick a pair, I decided on this sweet pair of kicks:

The Team Jordan Jumpman Elite 08 feel great; especially since I did no prior research in purchasing them. But since I also have a severe case of Buyer's Remorse, I decided to look up the price and description of the shoes. Eastbay.com have them going for $118 and ran this description:

Jordan Men's Team Elite 08
Black/Varsity Red
Elevate your basketball performance to a whole new level with the Jordan Team Elite 08 basketball shoe. This high flyin' Jordan shoe features a combination of floater and rich nubuck leathers with a foam-backed collar and perforated, synthetic leather tongue. The midsole is lightweight Phylon™ with a double-stacked Zoom Air in the heel for the ultimate reaction. A solid rubber outsole with herringbone traction pods add a great grip on the court.

I got the shoes for about $7 more at Foot Locker downtown. So when you include shipping & handling (which you have to since the free shipping takes forever), I feel like at least I didn't get raped by the guys in the stripes.

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Geronimo decides to take the leap into private life

The one bad thing about moving away for the Washington DC area is not being able to turn on the radio and hearing the Don and Mike Show, a show featuring a pair of Radio DeeJays that I had been listening to for about 20 years. From the first time I had heard them when they were "the Morning Zoo" at 105.1 WAVA (a Top 40 Station), it was obvious that Don Geronimo and Mike O'Meara had a genuine chemistry which is a rarity in the cut-throat world of commercial radio.

But it seems like that chemistry will broken when Geronimo does his last show on May 30th; a move which is due to major factors like the death of his wife and the change in regulating the commercial terrestrial radio airwaves. Geronimo touched on these points in an interview with the Washington Post last week. If you are not familiar with the show, here's an excerpt for the aforementioned piece describing what the show used to do prior to 2004 as well as Don's explanation for leaving the show:

"I'm going to be 50 in September," Geronimo says. "You change as a person. Maybe what you did when you were 35, you find it old and tedious now, regardless of Janet Jackson or Freda's passing. Even if you took all the restrictions off now, I don't know if I'd be up for all the shenanigans we did."

Of course, Don and Mike's die-hard fans -- who have made the show a ratings powerhouse in afternoon drive time here and in 25 other cities where the program is syndicated -- may lament the passing of some of the show's raunchier antics, such as taking a busload of listeners to Intercourse, Pa., to have sex in motel rooms while the hosts narrated the event on the air.

"This is certainly not the climate for something like that," Geronimo says now.

Nor do Don and Mike any longer subject celebrity interview guests to their patented sex quiz, which would get quite explicit back in the day.

Hearing those two radio bits reminded me how fun the show used to be; even if Geronimo's claim later in the interview that the show sounds better than ever before comes off like weak sauce. Even though the rest of the crew will continue as "The Mike O'Meara Show" which may be just as good as the original but for me, there will be something missing. And it won't be just just the guy behind the mike. It will be all those memories of listening to two guys talk about anything and everything that would usually start off with a proclamation of "We're fat, we're white , We're catholic and we're sick about it!" They never got any complaints from me.

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

In case you've noticed something odd about these surroundings, I decided to make some changes to this blog. I feel that if I was going to doing some sort of writing activity (to keep the tool sharp, as it were), I might as well as do it here; even if it's only a post a day. To that end, I've spruced up the banner and messed with the template somewhat since I'm CSS-challenged.

The art from my banner is from a friend of mine named Wes Molebash. He's the creator of You'll Have That, a great webcomic, and he is an upcoming comic book artist. You should really check his comic when you get a chance. You won't be disappointed, I assure you. Here is the actual full panel that Wes so generously provided.

There is a story behind both the clothes that Andy (main character of YHT) is wearing and what Katie is saying. But that is a story for another time.

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Extended Iron Man Trailer from last night

As promised, here's the 3 minute trailer for Iron Man. There's a little more plot details and the first time that both Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) make significant appearances along with Stane's creation Iron Monger. All in all, this looks like an awesome summer movie. I think that I'm taking May 2nd off.

But please don't take an admitted fanboy's word for it, have a look for yourself below.

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From the FYI Department - Iron Man spot on ABC's Lost

In case you are not a Lost watcher (which truthfully I am not), there will be a new Iron Man spot on tonight's episode of Lost according to Marvel's Iron Man website:

Not that you need another reason to watch "LOST," but if you do, we have one: The brand new "Iron Man" movie trailer premieres on tonight's episode of "LOST" on ABC and, get this, it's 90-seconds long! "LOST" kicks off at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central. Don't miss a minute of it!

If it is up at the regualr sources tomorrow (YouTube, Google Video), you can rest assured that it'll be here, too.

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The last Justice League: The New Frontier post

I know that it seems like I've been shilling for Warner Brothers/DC for the past week (don't I wish) but in all honesty, I truly dig this material and the overall goodness that is included with this release. So, for the last time (promise), here's a snippet of a Legion of Doom featurette from the second disc and a decription of The New Frontier along with a listing of cool stuff that comes with both DVD versions. If this stuff can't get you to drop some coin on it, I don't know what will.

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Where You Should Buy Justice League: The New Frontier 2-Disc Edition

I've been pimping this release for the last week. so, it shoud come as no big surprise that I'm here to help you find the best place to get what's coming to you as far as Justice League - the New Frontier 2-Disc Edition:

Cheapest On-Line Price:

Overstock.com ($16.91) [Just Missed Out - Amazon.com ($16.99)]

Cheapest Brick & Mortar Price:

Target ($16.99)

Exclusive Merch:

DC Direct Green Lantern Figure (Best Buy - $19.99)

Green Lantern Patch (Circuit City - $19.99)
Digital Download of movie(Target - price above)

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Lego Batman Teaser Trailer

It's a new week with good stuff coming out tomorrow but here's something that has my appetite whetted for October 2008. It appears that the Dark Knight will receive the treatment that has only been afforded the Star Wars saga (and in the near future, the Indiana Jones franchise). Peep your eye at this video courtesy of Amazon.com.

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Another JL: The New Frontier Clip

No Amazon links this time - All Google Goodness. This one is a brief rundown on Amazonian Goddess, Wonder Woman.

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Green Lantern Promo for JL: The New Frontier DVD

Our good friends at Amazon.com have decided to give us fanboys (and fangirls) a taste of what is to come for the Tuesday release of Justice League: The New Frontier by putting up a snippet of the "Behind The Scenes" doc. Click on the image below to see more.

As a post script (and since I just saw this), here's a countdown clock to the release day for the Justice League: The New Frontier DVD.

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Satellite Demolition Factoids

Where's the Superfriends when you need them? With the US-193 coming home to roost, it looks like the US will have to resort to shooting some missles at it in order to minimize the impact to our Mother Earth. Actually, when you think about it, the firepower might make for a great fireworks show. But I just wish that we had a laser cannon to vaporize the free-fallin' disaster just to be safe. So, in an effort to ignore the possible cataclysm, those jokesters at FEMA have compiled some fun facts about the incoming US-193:

Satellite Summary:

• A U.S. Satellite has malfunctioned and is expected to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere sometime between the last week of February and the first week of March. Right now it is in an uncontrolled decent and as a result, the exact date, time and place of impact can not yet be determined.
• The satellite weighs approximately 5000 lbs and about 50% of it will most likely survive re-entry.
• The fuel tank, lined with Beryllium, contains 1,000 lbs of Hydrazine and will likely survive re-entry. Both are considered hazardous materials.
• On a conference call held on Thursday, February 14, 2008 DHS stated that there is a 28% probability that the satellite will hit land and a 21% probability that impact will occur near a populated area.
• Debris field expected to be 100 miles long by 60 miles wide
• Final impact area projections will be more defined within two hours of impact
• DoD will attempt to intercept satellite via missile after February 20th, 2008.
• FEMA will be standing up 1 ERT-A per FEMA Region to facilitate a timely federal response
• State EOC will possibly move to a level 2 activation closer to impact – this has the potential of being a no notice event
• Plans/Ops will be reaching out to all sources to obtain and push out information as it becomes available.
• http://www.n2yo.com/ – unofficial satellite tracking webstie
• Space Shuttle landing is schedule for Monday, February 20th

History of US-193:

• NROL 21 (or USA 193) is the cover name for one-off classified satellite.
• Constructed by Lockheed Martin operated by the National (NRO)
• Launched December, 14 2006
• A few weeks after launch reports emerged, that ground stations were unable to communicate with an expensive experimental U.S. spy satellite launched last year by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
• In August 2007 the satellite has been declared a complete loss and will be allowed to decay from orbit.

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"Marvel"-ous Movie and DVD News

I wish that I had the time to break news stories but unfortunately, blogging doesn't pay the bills and in the immortal words of Latrell Spreewell, "I've got a family to feed." To that end, I read on Newsarama of Marvel's 4th Quarter Profits and appended at the end of the press release was this:

Along with listing the upcoming Iron Man and Incredible Hulk movies (hitting theaters on May 2nd and June 13th, respectively), Marvel reiterated that writers have been engaged for Captain America, Thor and The Avengers films, while Ant-Man has both writer and director. Punisher War Zone is slated for a September 12th release, while X-Men Origins: Wolverine is slated for a May 1, 2009 release.

Wolverine and the X-Men, an animated television series, is slated for a spring, 2009 release, with Hulk: The Animated Series and a property called Super Hero Squad. Iron Man: The Animated Series is slated for a spring 2008 release.

Upcoming direct-to-DVD releases include:

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow - August 2008
Hulk Vs. - January 2009
Thor: Son of Asgard - September 2009
Planet Hulk - February 2010

And Spider-Man: The Musical? Still in development.

All in all, some great news for the Marvel Zombies out there (and I know one in training who will especially like to hear about the upcoming Super Hero Squad release). And hopefully, Spider-Man: The Musical will still live only in development hell or at least one can hope.

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A Belated VD Dedication

Here's something for those who get crushed on St. Valentine's Day:

Never trust a big butt and a smile! Aww Yeah!

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"Indiana Jones" Teaser Trailer released

IndianaJones.com and Yahoo.com release the first of many (I'm sure) trailers for the upcoming "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Check it out below:

For the record, I went going into seeing this trailer not wanting to like it. But damn it, by the time the Indy Theme song comes rolling in, I've become a 14-yr old again and can't wait to see the whole thing in theaters. Damn you, John Williams.

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The 25th Anniversary of Jackson's "Thriller"

Yesterday, Sony dropped the newest recycling of Michael Jackson's Thriller; this one is labelled "The 25th Anniversary of Thriller" with the sub-title "The World's Biggest Selling Album of All-Time". Hopefully, the kids that are learning at the feet of Hannah Montana will google the word "album" so they can understand the concept of vinyl as the sole form of music listening. The regular release does include six remixes by people like will.i.am, Akon, Kanye West and Fergie and the deluxe version has some more production value and a DVD. It is hard to believe it has been 25 years since Michael actually looked like a person versus the zombie he resembles in John Landis' "Thriller"video. So, to either to enlighted yourself on the pre-plastic boogie man that was the self-professed "King of Pop" or just to make yourself feel older than you already feel, go on over to the LA Times and read their very so-so 25 "Thriller" facts.

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RIP Stever Gerber (1947-2008)

Yesterday, Stever Gerber (pictured above) of Howard the Duck fame, passed away from pulmonary fibrosis. And while I am an avid reader of the medium, I can honestly say that I've never read the series that he created and that really defined him. I was just moving into junior high and didn't want to read a book about what looked like Donald Duck in a human's world since even as a 11 year-old, your allowance only went so far. As as I first hear word of his passing late yesterday, I was sad but I still thought that he was more of an icon to older people than myself.

Then I read this heartfelt post by Mark Evanier and as I was reading, I became aware of how Gerber was there during my formative years. Gerber's resume included such great cartoon shows like Plastic Man, G.I. Joe and Dungeons & Dragons; all shows were hallmarks for kids of the late 70s-early 80s. But to find out post mortem that this man was basically responsible for creating and making Thundarr the Barbarian truly hits home how influential he was and makes my initial dismissal of Howard the Duck all the more superficial. Which is why the next collections I get is the Essential Howard The Duck.

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2007 New Models #15 of 36 - 1966 TV Series Batmobile

I picked this baby up at a KB toys in Foley, AL for just under $1.50 and it was well worth it. Say what you will about the TV Series (and believe me, I have - the words "The Bat Batman" come to mind), the only cool thing on the show was the car. As the Chris O'Donnell version of Robin said, "Chicks dig the car." He ain't lying, folks.

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Ripped from the KFR pages - Mt. Dew shows off their Green Label Art

Being relatively new to the redneck backwoods of the States (as the chaps from “Top Gear” would have you believe), I was beginning to think that the latency for all things cutural was around 1-2 months. So, imagine my surprise when I saw these interesting bottles in my local Tom Thumb (the Florida equivalent to 7-11):



These designs are a part of the soda’s Green Label Art promotion and there are a total of six bottles available. I kinda dug them but then again, I am nothing but a bitch to a decent-looking mass marketing campaign.

If you want to see the other bottle designs, they’re at Kung Fu Rodeo.

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One last thing...

Bruce Allen of Patriots Daily posted a great piece on the Patriots season and it has nothing to do with the SB loss. You really should read it. I thought so highly of it that I placed the following comment:

Well said. This season felt more like a drain after the constant national Patriots bashing. But unfortunately, I have a feeling that this will not be a one season thing because you know that *insert your own sanctimonious entity (overly ambitious Print Columnists, narcissistic TV "Analysts", self-appointed World-Wide Sports Leaders, holier-than-thou Comment Trolls, overzealous Congressional Eagles fans)* will do their best not to let the rest of the country forget about "Spygate". And just like this year, the New England Patriots fans will receive the brunt of those attacks.

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Finding a new way to smile

One of the "benefits" from watching the Super Bowl (if that's really possible) was remembering that this movie was coming out this summer.


WANTED - Starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Terrence Stamp, Common

Very little has been seaid about this blockbuster, which leads me to believe that it's really bad or it could be the sleeper comic book movie of the summer. And considering the competition in that genre alone (Iron Man, the Dark Knight), that's saying alot.

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Moving on..

Here's something to look forward to in the summer..

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Here's a pick-me-up for my fellow Pats fans

After the events of tonight's game, I'm in need of a little Ha-Ha just so I can go to sleep without ripping my pillows to shreds.




G'Night... Damn 18-1.

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LA Times' Plaschke is the new Jay Mariotti

Bill Plaschke has just proven that he's cut from the same cloth that drapes the Chicago Sun-Times' Jay Mariotti with his latest column deftly titled, "Brady is just Johnny come lately". Why do I say this outrageous statement, you ask? Well, rather than pulling out quotes that may seem to be out-of-context, here's the entire word-by-word column with my comments whenever appropriate (in bold and parenthesis):

Bill Plaschke

Brady is just Johnny come lately

Patriots' leader is a three-time Super Bowl champion, but he seems more a quarterback for his time than for all time. In other words, he's no Unitas.

January 27 2008

The first thing you notice about Tom Brady is, well, nothing.

He doesn't have a nick on his face because today's referees won't allow it. (More like his offensive line won't allow it. The refs call the same game for all QBs. But nice conspiracy theory, Bill.)

He doesn't have a growl to his voice because today's huddles don't require it. (And that's because you're in the huddle with them. Right, Bill?)

He doesn't have fire in his eyes because today's teams don't need it. (Obviously, Bill, you didn't see the Steelers/Pats game when Brady got in Anthony Smith's face about his earlier prediction. Then again, it's not your job to get those facts right. You just "observe".)

Tom Brady is fantastic, but he's formula. He's a champion, but he's a creation. And to anoint him as the best quarterback ever would be to forget that his position was invented, inspired and made famous by those who were neither. (I'd agree with saying he's not the best ever but to say that he's just a product of a "formula" is disingenuous to say the least.)

If Brady leads the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl win over the New York Giants next Sunday, everyone will celebrate his four world championships.

They will forget that Otto Graham won seven league championships.

Everyone will marvel at Brady's 15-2 postseason record.

They will forget that Bart Starr was 9-1 in the postseason with a record 104.8 passer rating.

Everyone will wax about how, in two Super Bowls, Brady led his team on late fourth-quarter game-winning field-goal drives.

They will forget that, in one of his four Super Bowl championships, Joe Montana drove his San Francisco team 92 yards for a last-second, game-winning touchdown. (I highly doubt people will forget Joe Montana. Well, maybe those two chumps that sit at his diner on the NFL Network would but that's it.)

Everyone will applaud Brady for his tough defender's mentality.

They will forget that Slingin' Sammy Baugh actually played defense, picking off 31 passes in his career, which is more than he threw in his last three seasons combined. (Not exactly sure where you pulled this one from but I see what you're saying. Baugh was a beast in his day. But no one else plays both sides so it's hard to belittle Brady's accomplishments because he's not only the QB but the CB as well.)

Everyone will predict that Brady's 92.9% completion rate in the playoffs against Jacksonville is a record that will never be broken.

They will forget that Johnny Unitas once threw touchdown passes in 47 consecutive games, a record that will truly never be broken. (I think that this comparison could be filed under "Apples & Oranges"; both equal records but are not similar in the least. Nice try, Bill.)

Yeah, everyone will forget Johnny Unitas. (Uh-oh, you can see where this is going - this has the sounds of an old man "Back in My Day" rants. Batten down the hatches.)

He invented the two-minute drill. He invented the rhythm passing game. He invented the quarterback as a leader, calling all of his plays, something today's quarterbacks haven't done for more than a decade.

He was the catalyst in the 1958 championship game between his Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, an overtime victory by the Colts that changed pro football forever.

He was the first true quarterback of the modern era, setting the bar for toughness and accountability.

"You can look at all the numbers you want," said Dan Fouts, former San Diego Chargers great. "But to me, being a quarterback is all about a feeling."

Nobody illustrated that feeling better than Unitas. He was football's Babe Ruth, and Bart Starr was its Lou Gehrig, and Sammy Baugh was its Ty Cobb, and Joe Montana was its Joe DiMaggio.

Tom Brady is football's, well, um, Alex Rodriguez. (And there you go. Old Man Bill would like you to believe that Brady is just a cold gazing, soft voiced, unfeeling, product of a system that is only about putting up numbers that are easily attainable due to the refs. And I won't even go near that A-Rod comment; that's just trying to bait any Anti-Yankee sentiment. Wow, I wonder what Old Man Bill thinks of Peyton?)

Rodriguez is great, he's headed for the Hall of Fame, but he will retire as neither the greatest third baseman nor shortstop in history. (Maybe as the greatest hitter but he's right; not the greatest 3rd baseman or SS in history.)

Put him in the history books. But put him in context. Same goes for Brady. (You could say the same thing about every other example Old Man Bill uses in his argument against Brady - Montana was a product of the changes in passing rules from the 70s, etc. But I'll give you more credit than Old Man Bill does his readers.)

"I hear all these people talking about Tom Brady and I just sort of smirk," said John Unitas Jr., the late quarterback's son. "It's an entirely different game. I'm biased, but what my father did, you can't compare it to anything today." (True, it is an entirely different game but that doesn't make Brady's stats or accomplishments laughable by any means. I'm sure Johnny U would agree.)

Start with the snap.

While Brady is famous for his "decision making," many of those decisions have actually been made for him by his offensive coordinators. (Same with any other QB in the league; although Peyton is largely the one that most "talking heads" point out.)

The Patriots' game plan is more homework than instinct, more science than scrabble. (Hmmm, I thought that all NFL teams study film. Imagine my surprise to hear that the Pats are the only ones who do the work. Wow, 18-0 does have a hollow ring to it.)

Unitas, meanwhile, was renowned for once telling offensive coordinator Don McCafferty to "Sit back and enjoy the game, I won't need any help."

"My father never had a microphone in his helmet," said Unitas Jr. "He would study film two hours every night in the basement, figuring out his own plays." (First, it's a speaker in the helmet and second, the technology wasn't available back in the 50s. But it's nice to hear that the Colts were paying some guy to do nothing while Johnny U was diagramming plays in his basement.)

Next, the pocket.

Brady has been blessed with rules that prohibit defenders from taking cheap shots at the quarterback. This, combined with a strong offensive line, has allowed him to stand in the backfield poring over possible receivers for what seems like hours.

Have you ever seen Brady with blood? Have you ever seen him wearing even so much as a grass stain? (No, that’s because he does have a pretty good O-line. But have you seen the number of QBs that have started this year for other teams, Old Man Bill? Highest ever. But don't concern yourself with the facts; it would render your "theory" moot.)

The ancient quarterbacks survived with no such rules, with defenders hitting them every play, smaller guys than today, but hits nonetheless. (Geez, Old Man Bill, you forgot that players had worse equipment back in the day and that there was no such thing as FieldTurf and that everyone played outside. Oops, and you forgot to say, you buncha whippersnappers.)

There is a reason that one of most famous quarterback photos is not of Tom Brady pumping his fist into the air, but of Y.A. Tittle kneeling with blood trickling down his head. (Really? I thought that it was Starr's sneak during the Ice Bowl or Joe Montana's fist pump or Brett Farve running around like a crazed loon. But Tittle's bloody noggin is a pretty good one too. Can I get it on a T-Shirt?)

"The beating those guys took was tremendous," Unitas Jr. said.

Finally, there is the pass.

Brady's receivers are protected by today's rules, to the extent that defensive backs cannot even accidentally graze them.

The ancients' receivers were routinely tackled. The mere act of putting the ball in the air was a gamble. (So was walking to school ten miles barefoot, wasn't it, Old Man Bill? I get the point; rules change. Did you know that back in the day, college basketball players were not allowed to dunk? Blame Lew, Old Man Bill!)

"My father played when there were mostly running offenses," Unitas Jr said. My father was the other way."

In 1959, Unitas' league-leading total of 32 touchdown passes was more than 50% higher than his closest competitor, Pittsburgh's Bobby Layne, who threw for 20.

Brady threw for a record 50 touchdowns this season, but he is playing in an era when career and season passing records are falling faster than Green Bay snow. (Yes, let's blame Brady for being born in the 1980s and playing in the 2000s where the NFL has changed the rules and it's not like it was back when Fonzie ruled Milwaukee.)

Brady is playing in an era when the following scenario would never happen: (Maybe or maybe not. But you know the old saying - never say never. But yet Old Man Bill is absolute in his stance.)

Playing in overtime for the league championship, having driven his team to his opponent's eight-yard line, a quarterback decides to pass.

That was Unitas, 50 years ago. His Colts were in position to kick a field goal to beat the Giants for the title. Yet he saw a hole in the defense and threw a seven-yard pass to Jim Mutscheller to set up Alan Ameche's one-yard touchdown run.

"My father controlled the game," said John Unitas Jr. "He stuck it all out there." (Nothing against Junior here, but he's not really a model of objectivity, is he? At least he said that at the beginning, unlike Old Man Bill here.)

It is a game that no longer exists, and he is the kind of quarterback who no longer exists.
Today, Tom Brady stands alone. In this history of professional football, he stands in line. (All that to say that Brady is not the best of all time; a subject he is willing to agree with Old Man Bill. But to go the whole A-Rod name-calling route and further bemoan the good old days while belittling Brady's accomplishments not only makes Old Man Bill seem misinformed but sad as well.)

This post was also made on ArmchairGM.com

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The World's Greatest Living Daredevil Dies

R.I.P. - EVEL

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The Dominoes were right..

Read more about this image right here

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"Just drivin around in John Voight's car.."

"It isn't the end of the world that I'm selling my car."

Are you in the market for a formerly-owned car and don't care what may or may not have happened in it? Have approximately $50 grand laying around that's looking for a good home? Lastly, are you an eBay member in good standing? Well sir or madam, I've got the opportunity of a lifetime for you. It seems that due to the recent success of selling his BBQ grill on the eBay, Manny Ramirez has decided to part with his '06 Chrysler 300M STR8 using the internet auction warehouse according to Jerry Nasif, the person who is handling the car sale for the Red Sox slugger.

The car comes standard with the following added features: 22-inch rims, chrome as far as the eye can see and a customer grill. Plus, Nasif says that Manny will throw in "a trunk full of autographed items, a jersey, bat and ball, four tickets to a future Red Sox game and a meet-and-greet with Manny to talk about the car." But no word on who's gonns pay for the gas.

Are you worried about a high starting bid and a expensive reserve? Fuggetaboutit. "...Nasif said he will start the bidding at $5,000 and won’t set a reserve. But he expects the ride to sell for something in the neighborhood of $50,000..."“It’s probably worth around $35,000,” he said. “But we’ll get an extra $10,000 or so because it was Manny’s.”" Because, as you know, celebrity is all about the Benjamins.

Are you scared about seeing tons of fake bids in order to artifically raise the price of this wonderous piece of American machinery? Fuggetaboutit. "We are only working with bidders who have 100 percent positive feedback on eBay,” Nasif said. “That way people can’t just register to bid on this.” So, too bad for those eBayers who have been screwed by a vindictive seller who gave you a negative becuase you were one day late with your payment.

In other words, for those of you who have the disposable cash and the eBay cred, this car is practically yours for the taking. Then you will really know what is like for Manny to be Manny. At least when he's driving; not running the base paths.

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How did I acquire my fandom?

Dan Shanoff’s blog is one of the first things that I read on the web as part of my morning sport constitutional. But, usually, he doesn’t post again until the next morning. Well, around mid-morning yesterday, he posted a column that never saw print (don’t we all have them) about how he became a fan of the Florida Gators via his girlfriend/soon-to-be wife and in the process, he began to define how people become affiliated with their sports teams.

As I continued to pore over this post, I came upon the realization that I fit into all four categories of how I became a fan of one team or another. So, as part of this quasi-meme on the subject, I’ve decided to align my fandom associations by using the “Sports Fan Allegiance Tenets by Shanoff” or SFATS for short.

Biology – I was raised with a couple of undeniable truths that were ingrained into my memory banks through the application of corporate punishment. They were:

• Always say “Sir” or “Ma’am” to anyone older than me;
• Don’t talk to strangers, and;
• Never root for the Maize and Blue

Spartan blood was what I was born with and that faith hasn’t wavered since. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t root for Sparty; even during the years of abandonment by Saban and the utter destruction of the football team by Williams and John L. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t rebel in my teenage years. After all, I did send my SAT scores to Ann Arbor during senior year to see if they’d want me.

Geography – After graduation from the aforementioned MSU, my dad was drafted into the Navy due to the Vietnam War. And he decided to make a career of it and as a part of that commitment, the family moved with him through his various tours of duty. But the one “faithful” twist in fate had my dad move himself, his wife and two grade school kids from the warmish surroundings of Memphis to the freezing tundra of Brunswick, Maine in January 1978.

The following spring thus spawned my almost 30 year love/hate affliction to the Boston professional sports teams, most notably the local nine. While ’78 is a time of disgust for most Sox fans, I will always remember it like Henry Hill did when he was arrested for the first time – he was welcomed into the “family” with open arms and a lifetime of penance.

College – This reason is why sometimes I root for Oklahoma, George Mason and Marymount. Why so many universities, you ask? It probably speaks more to my capacity to ignore any type of studying and gravitate to the finer aspects (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) of college life than it was about my quest for educational knowledge. Man, I miss the 80’s.

Your own choosing – It was April 17th, 2003 and I was in the hospital awaiting the arrival of the person I would immediately call my son. As luck would have it, the TV was on the 5’o clock news and the sports segment was coming up next. Now the remaining details are somewhat fuzzy due to all of the screaming, the crying and the tears that I was experiencing while my wife repeated dug her nails into my skin while delivering my baby boy.

But 2003 was the last year of the Winston Cup and I was thinking about casually following NASCAR for the last go-around. Somehow, I determined that since my son was born on the 17th during the 17th hour, I should follow the #17 car driven by Matt Kenseth in honor of my son. Needless to say, he won that year in such a way that NASCAR’s governing body decided to create “The Chase for the Cup” and I’ve continued to follow those guys who only make left turns for a living. But that hasn’t stopped the old-timers like my brother-in-law from calling me a bandwagon jumper which I disprove with simply saying, “It’s not like I picked Jeff Gordon, now is it?”

I’m no sure if I am the only one who can lay claim to placing all four categories in the SFATS but looking back, it is a wonder how the simplest choosing of some inane like a sports team has stuck with me longer than anything else that I’ve learned throughout my life other than saying “Sir” or “Ma’am”. Those are the type of painful lessons that you just don’t forget.

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Avast, ye web-surfing scum

Arr, it's "Talk Like a Pirate Day". Put your peepers to this and do iy smartly, you grubby land-lubbers.

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Images of the Day for 09-17-07

Sorry that I've been away for awhile but have been fighting the uprising of supposed ethics professors during this whole Patrios taping scandal. But there's nothing like a couple of victories to help clense the palate. Michigan State held off a game Pitt Panthers in a 17-13 win while the recently much-maligned New England Patriots put the boots to the supposed #3 team in the AFC (after NE and Indy) in a 38-14 victory. Nice way to start the workweek, if you ask me.

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Pats are guilty of spying, according to ESPN Talking Heads

The hardest working man in the NFL biz, Chris Mortensen, has gotten word from league sources that confirm the New England Patriots are guilty of stealing hand signals. And John Clayton says that the penalty will be severe, stating it might cost the Pats a 2nd Rounder and a 5th rounders in next year's draft. Clayton also brings up the fact that defensive signal callers might begin to wear the same equipment as QBs. He, then, concludes the column with a bizarre, almost dismissive thought:

What will be the longterm effect on Belichick and the Patriots? Although this is embarrassing, you can't take away what this franchise can do. They may have the best team in football. Robert Kraft is one of the league's best owners. The team has three Super Bowl rings and a great chance to get a fourth. Other great organizations have paid penalties for violating league rules. The Broncos lost a draft choice for violating the salary cap with John Elway. The Steelers once had to forfeit a third-round draft choice for working out in shoulder pads in the offseason. The Patriots may lose a draft choice or two. And whether or not the Patriots videotaped the Jets' defensive signals, Belichick won't be any less of a coach.

(Article also posted at armchairgm.com)

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Image of the Day for 09-11-07

Pictured above (Left to Right): Shia LeBeouf, Steven Spielberg, Ray Winstone, Karen Allen, Harrison Ford)

The name for the latest installment of Indiana Jones was announced yesterday by Shia LeBeouf at the MTV Video Music Awards in Vegas.

And the winning title is (drumroll)... "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". One word - Suhweet!

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Image of the Day for 09-10-07

In case you're not a big time NFL fan, Kevin Everett suffered what most players fear - an spinal injury on the field. He was injured during a kickoff and was carted off the field. His prognosis is not very rosy with still the possibility of death depending on how his body adjust to the trauma. It's hard not to think of the players on the field to be something similar to live action Madden pixels moving around in a choreographed pattern. But when something like this happens, I definitely take a step back and count my blessings. Here's to wish that young man a speedy and (hopefully) miraculous recovery.

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Image of the Day for 09-09-07

AP Photo/Mel Evans

I almost took today off as it was a national holiday in the Schramm compound but since the Pats cruised to a 38-14 victory - I decided to gloat. Please to be reading the following commentary from around the Internets.

Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel
ESPN's Len Pasquarelli
Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy

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Image of the Day for 09-08-07

NME.com reports that No Doubt may go back to "their roots" and make a ska-flavored CD, which would be a great change of pace from the crap that is currently out in stores (outside of the recent crop of new hard rock/metal).

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Image of the Day for 09-07-07

I'm not usually one to promote the sites that I frequent (yeah, right) but if you're a sports' nut like me, the above-referenced image is the place that you'll want to go to. armchairgm.com is basically like one big sports bar but it includes all teams and all leagues. And since the whole site is based on user participation, there is always something to discuss or argue about. You can even start rivalries with other users. armchairgm.com is probably one of the biggest growing sites about sports right now. C'mon, get in on the ground floor and become a part of the newest scene, man.

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Image of the Day for 09-06-07

Ripped from the KFR headlines - my post about the price slashing of the iPhone and the new iPod. Read all about it (and my subsequent discussion with Steve in the comments section) here.

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What If...my questions for Ken Jennings

Around this time last year, I tried to swing an interview for my column at Quick Stop Entertainment with Mr. Ken Jennings of Jeopardy fame. I read that his new book was going to be called Brainiac and he did mention that he was a fan of the comic book medium. So, I thought that getting an interview would have been a match made in 4-color heaven, or at the very least, a "no-brainer".

I wrote a few sample questions and sent an email to his domain address. Within a couple of days, I received word from his agent stating that he would be taking interview requests closer to his book release date. I acknowledged her email with a couple jokes and waited for my turn in line.


The release date came and went with no word. A week also ran past me like Tomlinson does the Raiders D. And you can see where I'm going with this (especially if you read the post title). After a few weeks, I began to realize that I was given the email equivalent of a blowoff.

I was going to trash the question since they were no longer relevant and no question likes to go unanswered. But I thought better about it. They're not naked light bulb, sweat your ass off questions. But they're not lame one either, at least in my opinion.

So, I will let you decide. Please let me know what you think. I'm not Ed Bradley. Hell, I'm not even James Lipton but I would like to think that I could carry a conversation with anyone.

Why write a book?

Other than the obvious, why pick Brainiac as the title?

Your blog gained some unnecessary flack about your revelation about the existence of the Trebeck 3000 humanoid. Were you surprised about how devoted the cult of Jeopardy are to its cybernetic leader?

Do you feel that your intelligence has been devalued at all due to the normal dumbing down that has become a part of the world's culture of celebrity?

I watched most of your historic run on Jeopardy and your knowledge of comics (both in strip and book form) came in pretty handy. What role do you think that reading comic books as a kid in the 70's in helping develop your intellect? (Follow-up question) For point of reference purposes, what was the last comic book that you read?

What were some of the perks that you never even thought that you'd get just from being on Jeopardy?

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Image of the Day for 09-05-07

I'm on the fence about the latest batch of TV shows with elements of sci-fi and comic book mythos such as Heroes and Battlestar Galatica will generate any more comic book readers than are previously in existence. But there's always hope. The image above is for the aforementioned Heroes Hardcover that is due out in stores October 24th. If you're interested, here's the write-up about it:

This stunning hardcover collects the amazing online comics based on the smash-hit, Emmy Award-nominated NBC show HEROES! This volume — featuring two stunning covers by comics legends Jim Lee and Alex Ross — also includes an introduction by Masi Oka (Hiro), all 34 chapters of Season One, and Tim Sale's artwork as seen on the show. The comics included have been written and illustrated by some of comics' and television's top writers and artists, including Michael Turner, Phil Jimenez, Marcus To, and more!

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Where You Should Buy The Office Season 3

It's another week and it's another TV series DVD set that you should definitely get. Here's the breakdown on where and how much you should pay for The Office Season 3:

Cheapest On-Line Price: Amazon.com ($31.99)
Cheapest Brick & Mortar Price: Circuit City ($29.99)
Exclusive Merch Collector's Edition: Dundie Award, Dwight Schrute mini-bobblehead and welcome letter - pictured above (Best Buy, $42.99)

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Image of the Day for 09-04-07

(Photo by KEVIN W. FOWLER/For the Lansing State Journal)

In all of the other things that happened over the weekend (Labor Day, U of M losing, WWE suspensions), I forgot to talk up how badly the Spartans needed an opening day win in a way to totally create a fresh start for the Dantonio Era in East Lansing. Well, they did take it to the Blazers of UAB (owners of my old Fantasy Football team's logo) in a big way and cruised to a 55-18 victory. Jehuu Caulcrick went for 93 yards on 10 carries with scores of 1, 5, 42, and 5 yards, earning him Big Ten Offensive co-Player of the Week. This Saturday is the Falcons of Bowling Green (whose team colors are Orange - crazy Ohioans). For one week in the fall, the Spartans looked way better than the Wolverines and that feels very good.

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Image of the Day for 09-03-07

For the past couple of weeks, my son has been getting his comic book geek wings by asking for (and most of the time) receiving the Hasbro/Marvel Super Hero Squad figures. His current obsession with super heroes rivals my own, which brings a tear to my eye. It's hard for me, as a parent, to limit his toy purchases when I myself would buy all of them in a heartbeat for him. so, as a nod to the boy, here's a new sculpt of Venom, who is one of the newest figures from the next wave of Spider-Man Super Hero Squad. Have a good Labor Day, y'all.

Image is from MarvelousNews.com

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Image of the Day for 09-02-07

After years and years of waiting (I refer to it as The Chinese Democracy of Hip-Hop), Q-Tip's forever-in-the-works CD, The Renaissance, is expected to hit the shelves in the early part of 2008. To help get some early buzz as well as probably mending some faith with his longtime fans, Tip gave a brief description of three tracks from the new CD - Official, Be Brave, and Fever, to Entertainment Weekly's First Listen. He also gave an exclusive online interview about the trails and tribulations of moving from Arista to Dreamworks to Interscope to Geffen to (finally) Universal Motown. The interview will truly fascinate you.

Now, before you get all jazzed with anticipation about finally buying the disc, I've heard this song and dance before (as far back as 2005), so I'm taking any news about The Renaissance with a grain of salt.

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Image of the Day for 09-01-07

I love it when the all-mighty preseason polls take a hit on the first week of the year and thankfully, U of M does not disappoint me in this fashion this year as they lose to a very tough but beatable Appalachian State, 34-32. In classic underachiever fashion, Michigan let their opponents get a big lead, fight back to lead late in the game then let victory slip through their fingers. As decidedly biased MSU fan, this loss pleases me to no end; almost more than seeing the Spartans take it to Division I-A UAB. But even objectively, this loss may haunt the Wolverines through out the whole year.

More info about the game can be found here - > App State v. Michigan

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