Last year, since the local 5 (at least for me) was just dreadful to watch, I decided to take a year-long sabbatical from watching the NBA in any form. But, after missing out on Oden and Durant but getting Allen and Garnet instead, I'm back with the Celts and the NBA in general in true "bandwagon" form, which didn't prepare me for the wardrobe change on Tuesday; otherwise known as the St. Patrick's Day Unis (pronounced You-knees).
As the saying goes, I'm of two minds on the subject of the these Alternate Jerseys and the Celts' Saint Patrick's Day one in particular. When I first tuned in to watch the Celts/Rockets game, I did a double take. To me, it thought that it was a college game with Notre Dame, which doesn't fly with a Michigan State fan at all. And since Boston College is the neighborhood big time team and has a gold-ish hue in their team colors, the initial look made the jersey seem it was made more for the Road to the final Four than the Road to the NBA Championship. Plus, the white block name lettering on the back when everything else was gold seemed cheap.
But as I was fixing to go full on with the urge to hate on the St. Patty's jersey, I looked at it again and noticed how cool the gold script looked against the Celtics Green. The gold clover was silly (in a good way). The white stripe in between the two bands of gold really accentuates how classic the jersey could have been if it was an actual organic (meaning back when the franchise was relatively new) creation versus the new and tired tradition of professional teams whoring out their fans by coming up with multiple alternate game jerseys just to generate additional revenue. And at $75, it's not a decision to make lightly.
Does anyone else out there have an opinion on this jersey specifically or alternate jerseys in particular? I'm ready to break it down wit the best of ya.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Two Minds - The Boston Celtics St. Patrick's Day Alternate Jersey
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Batman: Gotham Knight DVD details
July 8, 2008
Single Disc DVD ($19.98 SRP)
2-Disc Special Edition DVD ($29.98 SRP)
Blu-Ray Disc ($34.99)
Video - Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio - 5.1 Dolby Digital
Kevin Conroy
Kevin Michael Richardson
Will Friedle
Gary Dourdan
Ana Ortiz
Parminder Nagra
David McCallum
George Newbern
Alanna Ubach
Jason Marsden
- “Batman and Me a Devotion of Destiny: The Bob Kane Story” - The comprehensive chronology of the remarkable life of the creator of Batman
- “A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City” - A stimulating documentary covering Gotham City’s most nefarious of characters, combined with a look into the symbiotic relationship Batman shares with his enemies
- “Batman: The Animated Series” Bonus Episodes - Bruce Timm selects his favorite episodes from Batman: The Animated Series
- “Sneak Peek: Wonder Woman” - DC Universe animated original movie
- Audio Commentary track features the filmmakers of Gotham Knight
If you want more info, it can be had at KFR
Sphere: Related ContentSweet Christmas - Temple versus Michigan State
Today at 12:30, Michigan State, the five seed, will tipoff against the Owls of Temple and all I've heard is how the tandem of Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas might be too strong for the Spartans. This game has become a predictable 5-12 upset of most of the prognosticators.
Well, I mihgt not get paid for my opinion (yet) but how can these people think that the Big Ten doesn't offer the same type of team that Temple is - high-tempo, hard man-to-man. It just doesn't make sense why anyone would think that a team built to run it out of the gym (State) would be tripped up by a decidedly weaker Atlantic-10 tourney winner.
The predecition - State 80-60
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Red Sox players are stand up guys for BoSox staff
Breaking news just this after noon as the Boston Red Sox players unanimously agreed to boycott today's final spring training game and refuse to board their charter plane to Japan based on the fact that MLB withdrew a $40K stipend to the team's coaching and training staff.
However, this brouhaha might be over as soon as it began as it appears that there is a settlement in the works, according to the Boston Globe:
The Boston Red Sox have returned to the field for their spring training
game, now scheduled to begin an hour late amid a boycott over pay dispute for
their Japan trip. The players had refused to play the final spring
training game in Florida and threatened to boycott their flight to Japan for
their season openers unless their coaches and other staff are paid for the trip.
There has been some type of settlement in the coaches dispute or at least
progress made. We'll have more as news comes out.
It must be good for the MLBPA to see its members take such a positive public stand; especially since the union has been taking a beating from all of the non-preventative action they took about the league's steroids epidemic. Sphere: Related Content
Life in a Smaller Town...
I have spent the previous 20 years in the bosom of the Nation's Capital, also known as Fairfax County, Virginia. It has all of the amenities that a great suburbia needed - local malls, great restaurants and a ton of actives to fill your weekends; whether if you had kids or not. Except for the higher price of real estate and the fact that I was beginning to hate the hour long commute to go anywhere, it was a great place to live.
But as all of these wistful tales usually reveal, I moved away from the relative comfort of the former Murder Capital of the World and into the direct path of Hurricane Alley - the Florida Panhandle. And while the price of housing is more affordable and the commute was reduced by more than a half, it's the little things that I'm beginning to miss.
That's what these posts will consist of - me nitpicking about the stuff that little towns lack. most of the time, the post will be short and to the point but there are sometime when I need to get things off of my chest. Case in point, please read below.
Tuesday is usually new DVD/CD release day and I have only has one Yellow Tag store, one Red City store and three Bullseye stores in my general vicinity. I know. I live it every day. Please don't cry for me, really. But as you might suspect, I can get geeked if something is coming out on Release Day.
Yesterday, a new metal CD with a Yellow Tag exclusive DVD came out at $7.99 (highlighted in the Weekly Ad) so I decided to stop by said store to pick it up. I got there and found that both racks for the CD was empty. I was beside myself. I was thinking, "It friggin just came out today - I know that not everyone in this city came here before 4 PM and sold it out. It's just not possible."
I checked the band's white placeholder in the music section and saw nothing as well. I almost walked out the door but knowing how this business is run, I decided to ask a Store Representative if he could locate the missing CD.
After pointing out the empty racks to him, he went to the other place that I looked and, shocker, it wasn't there either. He then went into the back. After a few minutes, he came out with their entire order in his arms and gave the first one.
As I went to check out, I thought that only in this store in this small town would the highlighted exclusive release for this week wouldn't be stocked until 4PM. Now, this incident could be chalked up to more of a "Clerks"-bred apathy but I doubt that it would've happened in Northern VA. At least it would've been before 4 since there were three Yellow Tag stores within 5 miles of my work. Damn, I miss that.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Pittsburgh Comicon Founder is found guilty of murder
As a follow-up to a news item that was posted here in the summer of last year, Michael George, founder of the Pittsburgh Comicon, was found guilty in Macomb County Court of killing his wife, Barbara Maria George, who was murdered in 1990 while preparing for his birthday party in their comic book shop, Comics World, in Clinton, Michigan.According to reports, George collapsed and was openly sobbing as the verdict was read. Even though the verdict was given, there will be some feelings that will never heal from the outcome of these proceedings.
Both daughters testified for the defense of their father. "“We have two nieces who we’ll probably never see,” Joe Kowynia, Barbara George’s brother, said to the Detroit Free Press. Barbara George’s sister, Chris Ball, also said to the paper, "It’s a steep price for justice."
Product Placement - Iron Man and Audi
Monday, March 17, 2008
Wii Sports Cheat - Blue Practice Court
Here's another time where I'm providing "fresh" commentary to a stale item. In case you don't read the Wii Sports cheat sheets, here's a way to play a doubles set on the blue practice court:
After selecting the Miis that you will be playing as, hold down the 2 button as you click the A button to pass through the Movement Warning screen (image is shown below).
Continue to hold the 2 button down after the screen fades to black. The next screen you should see is the opening of the match with your selected Miis on the blue practice court. You'll still hear the crowd oohs and ahhs and the game will still play the same but a new court is a great change of pace or those who are somewhat burned out by the standard WTA-like arena.
Upcoming "Iron Man" movie tie-in video game trailer
This preview makes the game look promising but like all teaser trailers, this might be as good as the game gets. although, I do like the look of Stealth Mode Iron Man.
New Def Leppard CD cover art unveiled and "Nine Lives" single
I caught the majority of the song, which features Tim McGraw in the opening, on YouTube and it's a little south of meh. Not all that great and the son of Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw doesn't really add all that much to the song. But I'm probably not the most objective person on this subject since I feel that the only producer for the group is Mutt Lange, who helped produced the band's comeback CD, Euphoria back in '99.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Yahoo sez PS2 is Gaming Console Best Buy
I just read this recent article by Yahoo about the best buy in home console gaming was the last gen PS2. And you know what? While I'm a complete Wii convert, I can see the total economy of getting a PS2 if you're tight on cash but still want to rock on some of the newer games. But, when you consider that the PS3 can play not only the hi-def DVD champion Blu-Ray and most of the older PS2 games, you gotta look at the PS3 as a better purchase/investment.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
"Fair is foul and foul is fair" - Michigan State versus Wisconsin
I know that this missive might be perceived as sour grapes or a fanboy just pissing and moaning but I'm not about objectivity with this one.
I purposefully stay home to peacefully watch the MSU/Wisconsin game and ended watching an unbelievable display of flopping that would make Manu proud and ticky-tack fouls that made me wonder if the officiating team was working a Donaghy angle on the outcome.
Early on, you could see that the officials were imposing their will on the game by reaching for their whistle seemingly every other time Wisconsin brought the ball down court. By the first half, the Spartans had a meager two point lead but also was averaging about a foul a minute. Hmm, you don't think that those early fouls would have an effect on the second half, would ya?
By the time all was said and done, Michigan State held the Badgers to 17 made shots from the floor (37% from the floor, 29.4% from 3-point line), forced 11 turnovers and got 2 blocks while hitting 42% of their shots including being 47% from 3s, and dishing out 10 assists. That's a recipe for success against the very consistent and tough Wisconsin team. But the Spartans lost dramatically in the one area of the game that they could not control - fouls. Wisconsin only committed 18 total fouls resulting in 19 free throws while Michigan State had four player foul out and had a total of 30 fouls, resulting in 37 free throw attempts. The only reason that the Badgers only won by two was that they were a shade over 70% from the line.
At least the Spartans will get a chance to prove themselves in the NCAA Tourney against a non-Hightower led crew. But for this Big Ten semi-final game against the Badgers, the old witches in Macbeth were right - "Fair is foul and foul is fair".
"The Wire" Exit Interview with David Simon
"The Wire" has been probably the most critically applauded TV series (Pay, Cable, or Network) since I don't know when. But unlike most Network series, they left when they were on top; though not without much speculation as to why the early exit from members of the media and fans themselves. Simon himself tried to appease thos people when he had his farewell letter posted on HBO's website.
But for those seeking a more behind the scenes view of the series and its creator, I highly recommend this great interview of Simon by Charm City's own City Paper. While there are some spoilers in the piece, there are some great points on how the final season was made to be shorter and why Simon appears to be everywhere talking about the show and giving more interview than he had in the previous four seasons. Take the time, print out the page, sit back and digest this definitive look at "The Wire". Plus, there's a great screengrab of Simon behind the computer with a "Save Our Sun" plaque on his cubicle shelf.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Mock 1st Round Pick for the Patriots by Mike Reiss on The Worldwide Leader
When checking the scores of the Ohio State-Michigan State Big Ten Tourney game (which the Spartans won behind 28 pts by Neitzel), I saw this link to a mock draft clip for the Pats with Mike Reiss.
Wait until the :41 second mark and you'll hear First Take host Jay Stephens leave Reiss hanging out to dry with about two seconds of silence. The Patriots Beat Reporter for the Globe does his best to quickly fill the vacuum with actual factual analysis.
It probably was a technical issue. Or maybe it was due to Stephens running back to the set after downing down a vodka shot with fellow host, noted ESPN drunkard and Carol Burnett cartoon look-alike Dana Jacobson (comparison picture below). One could only hope..
Last Day - vote SPARTY!
Today is the last day to vote on who will be the mascot on the EA Sports' NCAA Football 09 Wii cover and Sparty needs your help. He's in second place behind Butch T. Cougar of Washington State, who isn't in Sparty's league as far as image and style goes. So, who would you pick the rough and manly Sparty or the four-color Pink Panther?
Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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).
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!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Ripped from KFR - The Spectacular Spider-Man: A Fast-Forward Review
- 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.
Sphere: Related ContentRocklahoma 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.
Sphere: Related ContentTuesday, March 11, 2008
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..
Here's a shocker - Pats Suit Dropped
Monday, March 10, 2008
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.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
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:
Saturday, March 8, 2008
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.
Friday, March 7, 2008
A Funtime Friday Video
Here's a song that I've digging on since it's release last week:
Thursday, March 6, 2008
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:
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
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.)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Favre finally calls it quits
Monday, March 3, 2008
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.
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.
Sphere: Related ContentSunday, March 2, 2008
Geronimo decides to take the leap into private life
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:
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. Sphere: Related Content"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.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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.
Friday, February 29, 2008
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.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
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. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The last Justice League: The New Frontier post
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Where You Should Buy Justice League: The New Frontier 2-Disc Edition
Cheapest On-Line Price:
Digital Download of movie(Target - price above)
Monday, February 25, 2008
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.
Friday, February 22, 2008
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.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
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
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.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Satellite Demolition Factoids
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.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
"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 2010And 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.
Friday, February 15, 2008
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!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
"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. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
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.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
RIP Stever Gerber (1947-2008)
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.
Monday, February 11, 2008
2007 New Models #15 of 36 - 1966 TV Series Batmobile
Friday, February 8, 2008
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.
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.Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, February 7, 2008
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.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
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.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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):
Brady is just Johnny come lately
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 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."
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.
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.
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.
"My father played when there were mostly running offenses," Unitas Jr said. My father was the other way."
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.
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.)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
"Just drivin around in John Voight's car.."
"It isn't the end of the world that I'm selling my car."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.
Friday, October 26, 2007
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
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. Sphere: Related Content
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