Go Blue Radio College Bowl Pool

Only a few more days to get into the action! Go to ESPN College Bowl Mania and sign up. It's all too easy, pick the games, rate them in order of confidence, with your higher confidence games receiving the highest number of points. Submit your picks, and the join the Go Blue Radio group! The Go Blue Radio group is affectionately titled "Go Blue Radio", and the password is, "goblueradio". Simple stuff. Sign up, invite friends, and annoy everyone you love by watching 32 straight bowl games.

And if you're not excited to see Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators beat the Wolverines by about 40 points, then you should look youself in the mirror my friend.

Finally, here's a picture that pretty much sums up the title game:

Hot Rod

The University of Michigan ended their mid-life coaching crisis by buying a Hot Rod. West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez was introduced Monday as Michigan's new head football coach, their alleged third choice. Seeing as how it seems as though Michigan scrambled to find a coach after being turned down twice, most people seem to think that this is a great move, maybe even better than those other two choices. I am reserving judgement for a few reasons. First, I definitely did not know his name before a few weeks ago, that's never a good sign. Secondly, he's not Les Miles. Third, the move leaves me with a "hey, maybe this will work" feeling rather than a "holy shit, we are going to be unstoppable now" feeling. Now, I'm not saying that this move won't work, I'm just saying I can't pinpoint how I feel about this move.

That being said, here's a few reasons why this move may in fact be the move Michigan has been needing:

- He's young enough to be a long term solution for Michigan, not just a stop-over guy or an old standby.

- He took West Virginia from basically an also ran program to a National Championship contender, and a lock BCS team.

- He basically pioneered the spread offense, something that I think will put Michigan ahead of every Big Ten team. He will bring an exciting, and not to mention effective in the college game, system to the Big House. Not to mention the fact that he can teach the defense the best ways to actually stop it. (Maybe tackling someone might work, just a thought)

- The fact that he wanted to come to Michigan, encourages me, even if it's just a little bit. It maybe have been West Virginia's bad management, unwillingness to accommodate Rodriguez's contractual issues, or their general ineptitude as an athletic department, but whatever led Rodriguez to seek greener pastures is fine by me. At least I know that Michigan has the wherewithal to know how to create and update their facilities, how to handle their coaching staffs, and how to run as a successful athletic department.

- Finally, Not only did he want to come to Michigan, but he and his staff that he brought are so excited, they have begun planning and recruiting already. Terrelle Pryor, the No. 1 high school football recruit in America according to Rivals.com, has added Michigan to the list of schools he might choose to attend because of Rodriguez. Pryor is a 6-6, 235-pound dual-threat quarterback with 4.4 speed out of Jeannette, Pa. Pryor, who listed Florida, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and West Virginia as his favorites to attend as of Sunday, told Superprep.com to “add Michigan to my list” following a conversation with Rodriguez. Now, if he lands this kid, not only will he convince me, but he will convince every single Wolverine fan. Not only would he get the #1 recruit, but he would basically be pulling this kid away from Ohio St. and Penn St. out of nowhere, all in one fail swoop. Here's some highlights from Pryor to get you excited:

The Ultimate Mooch

So Jessica Alba announced this week that she's been knocked up. She's a craptastic actress and her entire career is based on the fact that she's ridiculously hot and has a bangin' body, so why NOT ruin it by getting pregnant? Honestly, how do these things happen?! I mean, seriously, do people in Hollywood not understand how birth control works?! An inordinate amount of those idiots seem to end up producing bastard babies that come back to haunt us after 20 years with their 'Look at me! I have no skills! Weeeeeeee!' attitudes and their shitty fragrance lines.



"I've got you my pretty...hahahahahahahahaha!"

At least in the case of Jessica Alba I think I know what happened. I'm no Nancy Drew but I'm pretty sure that Cash Warren must have poked some holes in his condoms or replaced her birth control pills with aspirin or PROMISED to pull out. Kevin Federline wrote the book on how to mooch off of a rich bitch for the rest of your life and you can bet your ass Cash has read every word. Hats off to you sir. This is how the game of life is won.

The Mitchell Report

The day every baseball fan had been waiting for came and went, stopping only to leave a bitter taste in most people's mouth, and leaving everyone with more questions needing to be asked. But in reviewing the report, and considering the reaction by the media and some players, it's clear that most people involved in Major League Baseball are unwilling to clean up and legitimize a sport that is supposed to be America's favorite. It also shows that the players, through the Players Association, have entirely too many rights. In what other sport do the players hold more rights than in baseball? None. NFL players can get signed and dropped at a moments notice. But for some reason, Darren Dreifort can collect $55 million while rotting on the injured reserve, laughing all the way to the bank. If the players were entirely concerned about ridding baseball of steroids, then adopt IOC/more effective testing methods.

In the real world, most people have to get drug tested before they're hired by their employer. If you fail, you don't get the job. It's that easy. If you're found to be doing drugs while being employed, you get fired. Why should it be different for baseball? Oh no, but let's not give these baseball players any punishments. If you and a fellow co-worker are vying for the same promotion, and you know that the other guy has been lying about his performance, or cheating in some way, and then he gets the promotion, are you telling me that you're not going to be mad? Not going to do anything about it?

And let's not be naive here. If a host of players are sending checks to the same guy, a known performance enhancing drug dealer, we can assume that they know what they are getting into and are now involved in a paper trail. We can also assume that the drugs are intended for consumption. So you bought all of those steroids and just didn't take any? Really? Get real.

Don't even get me started on this due process nonsense either. If I show up to work drunk and get fired, where's the due process? It doesn't exist there, and shouldn't exist anywhere outside of a court of law. These guys aren't getting arrested, they're just possibly getting suspended or kicked out of baseball, their job. Baseball players don't need due process or any of this legal bullcrap, that the Players Association or these "legal analysts" on ESPN are spewing. Stop trying to defend these players! They should be rooting them out of the game, figuring out the most effective drug testing, and moving on.

As for the credibility, these guys that gave up most of the names are in some legal trouble already, and are in some serious trouble if they lie, so where's there incentive to lie? What would compel these guys to name some right names, as evidence by the guys who admitted drug use, and then lie about others? That doesn't make any sense.

Something else not to be naive about. Yes this is a lengthy list of players, but it basically only deals with one drug dealer, one strength coach, and one drug lab already being investigation by the government. So if you think that steroids and HGH stops with these guys, you are severely delusional. So you're telling me there's no where to get steroids in Chicago? In the Midwest? In the South? Just like life, some criminals get caught, and some don't. Imagine if every clubhouse attendant had given up names, or if players other than Jose Canseco and a few others had told about their use, and their teammates use. But no, there's this unwritten code: "Don't squeal." The players have to be macho, have to look out for each other. I understand that, they don't want to give up friends. OK, fine. But there's gotta be a few guys out there whose dreamed stopped in AAA, because they were man enough not to take performance enhancing drugs.

On a personal, I was somewhat saddened by the reports about Paul LoDuca and Eric Gagne. Both were my favorite Dodgers at the time they were here, and both seemed to be the classiest of guys. I remember some of my favorite times in high school were at Dodger games with friends, watching Gagne strut out to "Welcome to the Jungle", and see him mow down hitters in the 9th inning. But that's tainted now. I won't be able to look back at those days with the same enthusiasm, because I know it was a sham. Looking back, it seems all too obvious. A 9 year minor leaguer finally making the big leagues and splashing onto the scene by hitting over .300 and knocking over 25 homers. A terrible starting pitcher suddenly becoming an unhittable closer and winning the NL Cy Young while setting a new saves streak record. Just like Rick Ankiel this year, those feel good stories are now cheating stories, and the records and awards are being questioned.

Finally, maybe it says something about the day that we live in, or maybe it's just an encapsulation of what Major League Baseball is, but think about this: The greatest hitter and pitcher of our time are both cheaters.

Now Jose Canseco is going on radio and TV saying that he was surprised that Alex Rodriguez wasn't named in the report, and that his new book will shed more light on his insinuations. All I can say now is, I won't be surprised.

College Football Bowl Season

Get excited people, College Football Bowl Season is upon us. 32 bowls over (almost) 21 straight days has me giddier than Danny Ainge after saving his career by swindling Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett for pennies on the dollar. Here's a few links to get you a bit excited:

First, check out ESPN's new Playoff Simulator you can make the rankings or use pre-existing rankings, and it predicts a winner. It's pretty fun, includes upsets, and generally doesn't have the same winner because the matchups change. Give it a whirl and see what you can come up with.

Second link is for our first Go Blue Radio contest. Go to ESPN's College Bowl Mania, sign up a team, and join the "Go Blue Radio" private group, with the password "goblueradio". Pride is on the line for this one, so pick the games, decide how confident you are for each pick, and rank them in that order. The winner will be announced after the championship game. Good Luck, invite friends, and GO BLUE!

Now for my picks, although I will keep the confidence points for the College Bowl Mania contest.

NBA Power Rankings.... Part II

I apologize for the long wait... but it took me a while to actually subscribe to the Internet at my new apartment after I was intercepting it for so long. But now I am back in (thanks to Comcast and $35.oo a month) and ready to talk hoops.


We are just about a quarter of the way through the NBA and there a fair share of surprises... the Orlando Magic... disappointments... the Miami Heat... and those who are tearing it up, just like we expected... the new-look Celtics and of course the hated Spurs.


As for the team wearing the Purple & Gold... a quick start got everyone in Lakerland excited, and a few poor games got everyone off the wagon. The thing about the NBA is.... it's a long season and you can never get too up or too down.


In terms of the team itself, the play of some of the younger guys has been encouraging. Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum are vastly improved and make the years beyond Kobe not look so bleak. A year of experience and off season conditioning can work wonders for players and it certainly has for these two.


Guys like Vlad-Rad, Ronny Turiaf, and Sasha are all much improved as well. The Radman is actually healthy and making shots. He still isn't quite worth what we are paying him, but if he continues to play like he did last night against the Nugs he certainly will be.


Kobe is still Kobe and that is expected, no matter what the situation or circumstances. Walton and Lamar's play have both been up and down. One minute they look great and the next Odom is clanking threes. I would like for Odom to take more shots close to the basket... but with Bynum down low there is only so much room. Regardless, him and Luke need to be consistent if we are to have any chance.


As for the oft injured "K-Lame" Brown, he still sucks offensively, but he is an important part of the team. It's no coincidence the team lost three straight after his injury. And Phil would agree, Kwame brings a big body and will bang down low. Who cares if he can't catch the ball. In addition, if he can play I won't be throwing up as much as I am now, watching Chris Mihm.


As for the biggest off-season acquisition, Derek Fisher, his steadying influence cannot be appreciated enough. Our former starting PG (Smush) was recently charged with assaulting a parking attendant over ten bucks... enough said. D-Fish brings toughness, intensity, shooting, defense, and knowledge of the game. God I love him.


Anyways... I didn't like to see Mo Evans get traded, but Cook had to go. Trevor Ariza has some potential and is extremely athletic. If he can just somewhat figure out the offense he will certainly help. Last night's win in Denver was huge, and showed that the team is headed in the right direction. When we get Kwame back and Turiaf recovers from a concussion... I think we can be a force in the West. And speaking of the West, it's as tough as ever but the East is quickly gaining ground. Here is where everyone stands as of December 6th.

LOTTERY BOUND

30. Timberwolves (2-14) Team with league's worst record finding out how difficult life is without the Big Ticket.

29. Sonics (4-15) No one said Durant's job would be easy. Looking to book to Oklahoma before they get kicked out.

28. Sixers (5-13) Never a good sign when your GM gets fired in season.

27. Clippers (6-11) Losers of 7 straight missing Brand more than ever.

26. Knicks (6-11) Losing Isiah... and half the roster would be a good idea.

25. Bobcats (6-11) Still trying to build, but heading in the wrong direction

24. Grizzlies (6-12) Team has too much talent to be this bad.

23. Trailblazers (6-12) Young team has talent but missing the man in the middle.

BETTER TURN IT AROUND SOON... AND I MEAN SOON

22. Heat (4-13) Get the benefit of the doubt because Wade was hurt. Shaq a year older and slower... but still a force.

21. Hawks (7-10) Young talent improving, but still a couple of veteran players away from competing.

20. Bulls (5-11) Kobe rumors had them distracted. Got off to a slow start last year too, should come around.

19. Kings (7-10) Kevin Martin out for six weeks isn't helping the cause.

18. Nets (9-10) Kidd refusing to play to force a trade. See link below to find out how to solve this problem.

17. Bucks (8-9) Yi ain't no Yao. Disappointing start but in the East they're in contention.


PLAYOFFS?? - WELL, IT IS THE EASTERN CONFERENCE


16. Cavs (9-11) Lebron playing out of his mind before getting hurt. Need him back ASAP.

15. Pacers (9-10) Watching them makes me glad Lakers hung on to Bynum.

14. Wizards (9-9) Miss Arenas, but Caron Butler filling in nicely and making Lakers pay for that boneheaded trade.

13. Raptors (10-9) Team doesn't play much D and can't survive too long without Chris Bosh.



LOOKING FRISKY

12. Rockets (10-9) Will it be another year of high expectations and disappointment? Looks like it could be. Time for people to realize T-Mac has never won in the playoff and never will.

11. Nuggets (11-8) Crazy talent, but team plays absolutely no defense. Gets league's award for most tatoos per player.

10. Lakers (11-8) Some big wins and terrible losses. Team still getting better and improving.

9. Hornets (12-7) Chris Paul one of the best PG's in a conference loaded with them.

8. Warriors (10-8) Looked like last year's playoff run was a fluke... until they got Stephen Jackson back and ran off 7 straight.


CONTENDERS


7. Mavs (12-7) Struggled early last season and finished just fine. I think Dirk is still having nightmares of Baron Davis and Co.

6. Pistons (13-5) Starting five as good as any. There window to repeat as champs may have passed.

5. Jazz (13-6) I still hate the Jazz, but Deron Williams makes it hard to do so.

4. Magic (16-4) Dwight Howard is an absolute man child. My early season pick for MVP.

3. Suns (15-4) No surprise here, but can they beat the Spurs come playoff time?

2. Celtics (15-2) Beast of the East looks as good as advertised. Expect to see them in the Finals.

1. Spurs (16-3) Reigning champs picking up right where they left off. No surprise there.

So there you have it. NBA Power Rankings The Sequel.
A couple of random thoughts... I can't wait for next Friday... I will get to see my first ever Laker road game... this one in Golden State... should be a good one.
And check out this link... the solution to Jason Kidd's problems and a way for the Lakers to compete right now for a title.

Peace.

Dodgers sign Andruw Jones

After sitting at the winter meetings in Nashville this week seemingly with his thumb up his ass the entire time, Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti somehow mustered up the energy to make a move, signing Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones to a two year deal. After reading this article a couple of days ago, I was more than resigned to another year of waiting and hoping for the combination of young/unproven and old/past it players to try and get a playoff spot. It seemed as if Colletti was not only not trying, but didn't seem to care that the "sit and wait" attitude was starting to make Dodger fans run their head into blunt objects, or worse, start wondering how he could score tickets to Beckham's first game next season. I started to wonder myself just how quickly the pitching would fall off, or how many games Russell and Rafael could win by themselves before it starting going south.

But with yesterday brought new excitement. The Dodgers improved their lineup without giving up anything. Yeah it's a bit over what he's worth, but who cares, he's still good and the Dodgers are a team that can overspend. No more Juan-for-four Pierre patrolling centerfield? Yes please. A perennial Gold Glover with 50 HR potential and 7 seasons with at least 30 HRs? Sign me up! We all know no one is dumb enough to take Pierre off of our hands, so that leaves Torre to sit either Ethier or Kemp each night, or trade one of them for a pitcher (preferably Ethier). I personally like Jones more than Aaron Rowand, and think that this provides the Dodgers with at least the best lineup in the NL West. Not only that, but apparently he WANTED to come to LA, and that played a big part in the signing. Now all we need is the pitching, and with no good starters available as free agents, it looks like they will have to make a trade. I'm not as high on Kemp as everyone else seems to be, but I would not trade him for anyone except Santana. Plain and simple. Don't even get me started on the 3B search either. (Brandon Inge, WTF?!)

At least the Dodgers are staying in the mix, keeping the interest level up, and letting the fans know that they are willing to improve the club each year. Now if they can only get us some pitching, we'll look like a contender.

P.S. - In ironic fashion, the Dodgers biggest offseason free agent signee is on the DL already, as Joe Torre underwent knee replacement surgery this week. Hopefully not a sign of things to come......

Rumblings & Grumblings

I hate Dell. Apparantly, I'm not alone either. My Dell laptop crashed recently, unable to get past the initial startup, ruining my blogging and creating an upheaval of mythical proportions. OK, it wasn't that bad, but as you all know, it sucks not having a computer at home. Dell's blow, as this is my third Dell that has crashed on me, forcing me to revert back to what feels like the stone ages. Even worse, I'm paying for an internet connection that I'm not using. Now I know most of you don't really care about that, but hey, this is my blog and I can bitch if I want to. Here are some thoughts on recent events in the sporting world.

Last nights game in Baltimore was entirely too tragic, and if every team decided to gift-wrap the Patriots a victory, do we even need to watch the end of the season? I'm just waiting for that Dolphins game in a few weeks, where you can just feel the poetic justice eminating from that matchup. A winless Dolphin team, against an undefeated Patriots team. It just has to happen during that game doesn't it? Just like the Dolphins beating the then undefeated Bears in 1985, it just has to happen? Doesn't seem very likely, but don't those things just happen in sports?

The Lakers continue to be an enigma, just good enough for everyone not to be on their case all of the time, and just crappy enough to lose to teams they shouldn't and get blown out by teams like Utah. Kobe has been up and down, Lamar still blows, Mihm looks like a crappy Radmonovic, and even Fisher has been a turnover machine. If it wasn't for Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar both blowing up and really killing other teams' second units, the Lakers would be far worse off than they actually are. I still think they need a trade, a shake up for a good power forward. Mitch, get rid of Lamar, I'm begging you.

Time for college bowl season boys and girls! Our first Go Blue Radio contest is upon us as well! In the future you can expect prizes and other giveaways but for now, just your pride is at stake. Go to ESPN College Bowl Mania and sign up. It's all too easy, pick the games, rate them in order of confidence, with your higher confidence games receiving the highest number of points. Submit your picks, and the join the Go Blue Radio group! The Go Blue Radio group is affectionately titled "Go Blue Radio", and the password is, "goblueradio". Simple stuff here people. Sign up, invite friends, and test you manhood (or womanhood).

After their disappointing football season that saw them lose every league game, and miss the playoffs for the second straight year, the Loyola Cubs turn to the basketball season with high hopes. After winning their first two games at the Redondo Union High School tournament, they went on to lose two straight in the later rounds of the tournament. They have a 4 game tournament in El Segundo this week, and I hopefully plan on attending a game or two to give you some analysis. The Cubs have a highly touted 6-8 junior Hollis Thompson, who I've heard and read great things about and am pumped to see him in person. High School basketball is always a good time, and hopefully Loyola has something going on this year.

Finally, as the baseball winter meetings start heating up, I feel like I'm having deja vu all over again. It seems like every year, the Dodgers are one of the 3-4 names listed in every single major trade. Yet inevitably, they never make any of those trades, and just sit tight or pull or weird trades for utility infielders or relievers just so they can say they did SOMETHING. It's a broken record at this point, and only making a solid move for a starter/3rd baseman would suffice to change the attitude of the club. Cause as it stands now, they're no better off than they were a year ago, with a few less players in the mix. I'm tired of seeing the Angels get every good player they want and make the necessary changes they need to compete, and even more tired of seeing the Red Sox and Yankees engage in their annual pissing contest until one of them pees on the MLB long enough and a crappy team unloads their best player for what seems like pennies. Like I said, deja vu all over again.

Hopefully I get a computer soon and can get back on schedule, but in the meantime look forward to some more great pieces from my other writers, including a NBA Power Rankings.

Age 6 Gender Issues.

So take a second and examine the picture below. Take a good hard look at it and tell me what you see? Do you see Celine Dion and her 6 year old daughter? Well, that's what I see. But I was wrong. Until I read the caption on top of the picture, I honestly thought it was a girl. It is in fact a boy. So why does this young man look like he's already having gender issues? Perhaps he's been listening to his mom's music way too much or maybe it's because they're French-Canadian? One will never know. Let's hope he gets his hair cut soon so all the other masculine French-Canadian kids don't bitch smack him.

Harry Potter 6!!!

So they've started filming HP6: HP & The Half-Blood Prince and boy am I excited! Here's a couple of behind the scenes videos to tide you all over (or maybe just me):

Behind The Scenes Featurette 1

I like when Frenchie says, "It has a hood. Because we are wizards." Oh. Duhhhhhhhhhhh.

Behind The Scenes Featurette 2

They should let people live inside the sets after they are done with them. And by "people", I mean ME.



"We are disgustingly wealthy! Yay!!!!!!!!!"

New Music Tuesday

Welp, it's Tuesday. You know what that means. People around the world are running to their computers to illegally download this week's new releases. Not that I have any experience doing this, but I'm sure it's a cost effective way for a college student to have new music every week. Lately, it seems that not many albums are being released worth mentioning. Unfortunately, this week is like the rest, but I'm sure a few of you actually care about the following albums.

Jordin Sparks, Jordin Sparks

Before we begin talking discussing the most recent winner of the phenomenon that is American Idol , did anyone see the American Music Awards on Sunday? You didn't? Well either did I. From what I read, both Idol alumni Daughtry and Carrie Underwood walked away with 3 prizes each. We all know Underwood won the whole competition in 2005, and in the words of Mugatu, "That Carrie Underwood is so hot right now!!". So in 2006, the "talented" asshole that is Taylor Hicks somehow walked away with the title. Daughtry was left with the last laugh. He finished 4th. He's huge right now. When was the last time we saw or heard a song by Taylor Hicks? Well, I have no idea and I thank God every day for that. He truly didn't make anyone proud. So I think the next step for Hicks is for Daughtry to take him out back and put him out of his misery. While he's at it, he might as well feed Clay Aiken to Ruben Studdard, and then put Ruben to sleep. It makes sense in my mind.

So Jordin Sparks released her debut self titled album today. I have yet to listen to it, but from the reviews that it's getting, it seems to be a pretty well made album. But we do have a slight problem, which is the song God Loves Ugly. Yes, thats right. we have another self loving anthem for the women. Let me barf on you right now. We had enough of that when TLC released Unpretty. We don't need anymore of these cliche songs declaring that the ugly bird is pretty. We all watch Ugly Betty every week. This morale is getting old. So in this song, the opening lines are "You said, I wasn't pretty. So I just believed you". Really Jordin? Did someone really say that to you? As a former model, do you really think you're not pretty? Do you believe everything everyone tells you? Well get over it and quit bitching. You won American Idol. You have a $1,000,000 recording contract. You're fine.





OneRepublic, Dreaming Out Loud

So, I'll admit it, "Apologize" is a really good song. Timbaland did a great job producing that song. Too bad he didn't do the whole album. About a year and a half ago, the Fray were featured on Grey's Anatomy and then became pretty big. I like the Fray. I'm not the biggest fan, but they do have some pretty good songs on their album. Now I ask you this question: What's the difference between the Fray and OneRepublic? Absolutely nothing. If you heard the Fray's album last year, then you already heard this one. When previewing the songs on their album, I could not tell a difference between the 2 bands. Fortunately for the Fray, they released their album before OneRepublic. It's like when John Mayer released his album a few years back. Immediately following Mayer's shot to super stardom, about 50 other artists emerged sounding exactly like him (i.e. Jason Mraz, Gavin DeGraw, me). I think Daughtry should shot Jason Mraz while he's at it. So with that said, Dreaming Out Loud isn't even worth an illegal download.


I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Week 11 NFL Picks

Good thing the Broncos are playing on Monday night so I don't have to spend all of Sunday refreshing the internet 1,200 times and checking the same box scores every 30 seconds trying to see how my fantasy teams are doing.........Oh wait, I will still be doing that tomorrow....

The whole Adrian Peterson/Chester Taylor fantasy story has definitely been one of the better fantasy story lines of the year. Everyone was hating on that guy who took Adrian Peterson in the draft, or even worse the guy who didn't show up to the draft but somehow ended up with him on his team being drafted by the computer. Chester Taylor was a 2nd or 3rd round pick in most drafts, and had been reduced to the bench or the waiver wire in most leagues, only for Peterson to go down last week leaving every pissed of Chester Taylor owner ecstatic, or creating havoc on a league by having someone pick him up off of waivers in the wee hours. Interesting how a guy goes from a fantasy stud lock, to a bench player with an all-time fantasy player in front of him, back to being a lock. Good times. (Except for me, who picked Taylor up after someone dropped him after A-Pete blew up only to drop him a few weeks ago...lame)

On to the picks, home team in CAPS:

Chargers (+3) over JAGUARS

Browns (-2.5) over RAVENS

Steelers (-9.5) over JETS

COWBOYS (-10.5) over Redskins

Dolphins (+10) over EAGLES

Buccaneers (-3) over FALCONS

VIKINGS (-5) over Raiders

BENGALS (-3) over Cardinals

COLTS (-14.5) over Chiefs

LIONS (+2.5) over Giants

TEXANS (-1) over Saints

PACKERS (-9.5) over Panthers

Rams (-3) over NINERS

SEAHAWKS (-5.5) over Bears

BILLS (+16) over Patriots

BRONCOS (-2) over Titans

Last week: 7-7

Season: 38-28-2

Movies Opening This Weekend

Beowulf

Breaking News!: Computer Angelina Jolie is still way, WAY hotter than you.

I don't understand why people make motion capture movies. If you want to make a cartoon, make a cartoon. If you want to make a live action movie, make a live action movie. But this in- between bullshit is just weird. And seemingly unnecessary now that computers can create ridiculously cool special effects in live action movies. That being said, motion captured "Beowulf" looks about a billion times better than the shitastic "Polar Express", which someone managed to be both super creepy and mind numbingly boring at the same time. And Angelina Jolie already looks like a superhuman computer character, so what's the harm? This movie's probably going to be awesome.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

"I'll show you my magic if you show me yours..."

Now, I'm a big fan of magic. I just finished rereading ALL 7 Harry Potter books in a row, and if that doesn't make a magic nerd then I don't know what does. But boy oh boy, the magic in this movie looks super gayballs. At the end of the trailer a little toy sock monkey gave Jason Bateman a hug and I threw up in my mouth a little bit. Don't go see this movie unless you have a small child with you. And even then, you should probably just drop your baby off and let it fend for itself. That's how they learn.

Love In The Time of Cholera

"Wow...I honestly thought you'd be a lot hotter when you got old...ummmmmm, yeah....this is awkward now..."

This is a wonderful, beautiful, breathtaking, timeless novel. But the trailer makes it look like this movie is "The Notebook" with spanish accents. Javier Bardem is pretty much a badass, which is a plus, but John Leguizamo plays someone loud and annoying (what else is new?), so that's a minus. Plus, you might catch cholera. So you should probably just go read the book instead.

What Would Jesus Buy?

"Oh my GOD, I can't believe we all wore the same outfit. How EMBARRASSING..."

"Searching for the true meaning of Christmas, the Reverend Billy travels the country to exorcise the demons out of Wal-Mart headquarters, preach against the infamous Mall of America and visit the wonderful world of Disneyland."

I hope Jesus is buying this guy some meds. Or a new brain. That being said, go watch the trailer for this movie. It actually looks wicked awesome. Because who DOESN'T want to exorcise the demons out of a Wal-Mart billboard sometimes?!


That's all for now folks! Thanks for reading!

Gayballs,
Jill

New Music...

Perez Hilton just debuted John Mayer's new single Say. Check it out. It's one of his best songs to date. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

http://perezhilton.com/?p=8964

Bankrupt Baby Daddy

I found this story a couple of days ago and found it pretty interesting:

Apparantley, ex-NBA player Jason Caffey has filed for bankruptcy, claiming that he's about $2 million in debt. Not only does he spend about $15,000 a month in money that he doesn't really have, but he can't pay his child support to an estimated 8 kids by at least 3 different mothers.

The best part is that the attorney says that he doesn't know how many kids Caffey actually has. I'm sorry, what?? Don't you know how many kids you have, or do you just stop counting after 8? I kind of hope that all of the kids have some form of Jason in their name, even if they're a girl, like Jasondra or something like that.....But I digress....

So Caffey claims that he can't pay his child support because the figures determined to pay were determined while he was playing in the NBA, making about $5 million a year, and now that he's out and can't figure out how to have a regular job, he can't pay the high child support numbers. Makes sense, but don't you think you stop having kids after the first divorce and that first time you get killed in court with a high child support number? Maybe it's just me, but don't you think he would've figured this stuff out?

Now, if you're one of the (at least) three baby mamas involved here, you should be kicking yourself in the ass right now for not getting your money up front. Plain and simple, if you get inpregnated by a professional athlete, you need to get money upfront, because you never know how many kids he already has and the next injury could result in your baby daddy filing for bankruptcy in a few years. Just like if you're lucky enough to win the lottery, you take the lump sum. Don't be an idiot and go with the annuity because that money isn't guaranteed. The lottery could fold, the world might end, you just don't know. Get that money up front in a lump sum and earn some interest on it. Or you could take the not having kids with guys who have 10 already with 5 different women route.....

WTF?!

Sooooooooooo, a few weeks ago "The Office" aired an episode that involved Dwight entering the online role-playing world of Second Life. "CSI: NY" also did an episode about Second Life. Not wanting imaginary television characters to think I was lame (I like to imagine that all the characters on TV think of me as a god-like figure that watches over them and laughs at all their funny jokes), I decided to do a little research about Second Life.

And because I'm a pervert, my research quickly centered on a very important question: can you have s-e-x on Second Life? I mean, I figured that you could have plain old cyber sex, but could you actually make your avatar (a fancy pants word for the 'hotter than you actually are in real life' cartoon character that you create with Second Life) do the dirty nasty with another avatar? Well, here's what I found:



Not only can you make your avatars have doggy style sex, but you can also accidentally have gay sex with BATMAN. What a brave new world we live in. This is the real reason those scientists invented the internet.

One More Time...

A few years back when I got my very first iPod (20GB black and white 4th gen), I made a playlist entitled 'One More Time'. No, this was not a Britney Spears reference. It was simply referring to songs that I would listen to on repeat because I became highly obsessed with them. These songs are the ones once you hear it, you fall in love with it, and then you have to listen to it over and over again. These are the songs that if you're at work, all you can do is sing it in your head and the first thing you do after punching out is go to your car and pop your headphones in, listen to it and sing along until your face turns blue. These are the songs that after listening to it for the 100th time in a row, you still cannot get over it. Well my playlist consisted of quite a few of these songs. Here's a small list of some of those songs that are near and dear to my heart. (P.S.- Don't judge me. I know we all have some weird obsessions with certain songs or artists, even if it's some Lillith Fair crap.)

• The Toadies- Possum Kingdom
• The Red Jump Suit Apparatus- Face Down
• The Cure- Just Like Heaven
  
• Gomez- How We Operate
• Sarah McLachlan- Sweet Surrender
• The Postal Service- Such Great Heights

Check out the video for Such Great Heights. One of the best videos I have ever seen! Enjoy!



So I love weird music videos. The following video is by an artist named Sia. She's done work with Zero 7 and Massive Attack but if anyone is familiar with the HBO series, Six Feet Under, her song 'Breathe Me' was featured in the final scene of the series. If you watched the show, you know what I'm talking about. It's very hard to forget a song and a scene that powerful. But anywho, her latest video, "Buttons' is one of the coolest/weird/most creative videos I have ever seen. She looks kinda fug in the video so don't let that take anything away from it. Enjoy!



So if you have a One More Time list of your own, or know of any cool music videos like the ones above, leave a comment or two and let me know!

Until next time. Have a good one!

Week 10 NFL Quick Picks

Home team in CAPS.....and thank God the Patriots are on a bye week this week...


Falcons (+4) over PANTHERS

Vikings (+6) over PACKERS

Broncos (+3) over CHIEFS

Bills (-2.5) over DOLPHINS

SAINTS (-11.5) over RAMS

Browns (+9.5) over STEELERS

TITANS (-4) over Jaguars

REDSKINS (-2.5) over Eagles

Bengals (+4) over RAVENS

Lions (+1) over CARDINALS

Cowboys (-1.5) over GIANTS

Bears (-3) over RAIDERS

Colts (-3.5) over CHARGERS

49ers (+10) over SEAHAWKS

Last week: 11-3

Season: 31-21-2

Entertainment Report

Hey all! My name is Jill and I'm your new Entertainment Reporter for Go Blue Radio! I'll be covering movies, television, radio, & my boyfriend: the internet (I love you so much baby). Hit me up if there's anything in particular you'd like me to cover!


Movies opening this weekend:

Fred Claus


"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The bad reviews are headed straight for us!"


Now I know that Santa has a "Naughty" & a "Nice" list, but I also like to think he has an "Insufferable Douchebag" list filled with people who make crappy Christmas movies about him. Tim Allen is on the list (IMDB tells me that he made 3 of those shitty "Santa Clause" movies AND "Christmas With The Kranks" so he's probably #1). So is Ben Affleck ("Surviving Christmas"). And even Arnold Schwarzenegger ("Jingle All The Way"...to hell). And now Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti have earned their place on the list with this very special crapfest. And if you pay $10 to go see this movie, YOU'LL end up on the list too.

P.S. People on the "Insufferable Douchebag" list only receive non-fictions books and savings bonds for Christmas.


Lions For Lambs



Seconds after this photo was taken Leo enjoyed a fine breakfast of lamb chops.

This is the kind of movie that gives liberal Hollywood a bad name. We get it Hollywood -- you don't like the war and you think Bush is a big fat liar face. I'm not saying I disagree, but stop making stupid movies about it. At one point in the preview Tom Cruise actually says "Do you want to win the war on terror? YES OR NO?!" No Maverick, I don't.




P2


"Why is my movie set in such a lame location?!"

A pretty girl gets locked in an underground parking lot overnight and is terrorized by a mysterious man. I imagine that the mysterious man is just the parking attendant trying to get her to pay $17.5o for 15 minutes of parking. Scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaary...



Steal A Pencil For Me



This movie is in limited release so I wouldn't normally talk about it if not for its description:


"What's worse: being stuck in a Nazi concentration camp or being forced to live there with your wife and your girlfriend?"

Ummmmmm, I think it's probably the concentration camp. Although the silver lining is that, under such life and death circumstances, you could probably definitely convince your wife and girlfriend to have a threesome with you.





In other news, here's why you should support the writer's strike that's happening in Hollywood right now even though it means reruns and more bad reality TV:

I'm am officially over Boston sports. There was a time that I naively rooted for the Patriots against the Rams (because the Rams left LA) in the Super Bowl, and the Red Sox over the Yankees in the playoffs (Because Yankees fans blow). But we're at the point where Boston and their bandwagoning fans have become too much for everyone to handle. The media is beginning to enter the "tearing down" stage of Boston sports, after spending such a long time in the "building them up" stage. Boston fans are coming out of everywhere like locusts and are at times more annoying that New York fans. They like to think that their teams are the new "America's Teams", but they're not. From the Patriots to the Red Sox, BC, and the Celtics, America will eventually turn on them and become annoyed with their fans. I'm just over them, and hoping that we can move on and that it's just a bad fad, like all of the hambones dressing up as a "dick in the box" guy for Halloween.

Aside from that, here's some videos to cheer you up and forget about that annoying Patriots fan at your local bar harassing everyone on Sundays.


Amazing College Football Play from Trinity:




Great Highlight Reel from the First Week of the 07/08 NBA Season:




Super Mario beating Michigan State:




And finally, my personal favorite:

Is it possible to cancel the season after 3 games?

The Lakers have played flawless basketball for 2 straight games, and should have won the first game if it weren't for 18 missed free throws and an improbable own-basket. The bench has been outstanding, Derek Fisher has made an instant impact, and Andrew Bynum has played up to where everyone expects him to be by this point. I know it's 3 games, but if they keep playing like this, the Lakers can do some serious damage.

Two plays basically summed up the last two games. First was Ronnie Turiaf's thunderous dunk on Brian Skinner during the Phoenix game. The Lakers have needed something like this for the past 3 years or so, a monstrous dunk by a high energy guy that just gives the team a lift and a bit of machismo. I know Kobe has posterized some people during that time span, but they needed someone else to do it to give the rest of the team that little bit of extra confidence.


The second play was Kobe blocking a Kirilenko dunk during the game against Utah. Talk about a confidence boost, Kobe went up mano-a-mano with AK47 and rejected him at the rim. Kobe showed his passion for winning and the bench took note and won the game in the 4th quarter. Now only if the Lakers can play with this much passion and energy for the rest of the season, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Week 9 NFL Picks

Home team in CAPS:

BILLS (+1) over Bengals

Broncos (+3) over LIONS

TITANS (-4) over Panthers

Packers (-2) over CHIEFS

Chargers (-7) over VIKINGS

FALCONS (-3.5) over Niners

SAINTS (-3) over Jags

Redskins (-3.5) over JETS

BUCS (-3.5) over Cardinals

BROWNS (-1) over Seahawks

COLTS (+5.5) over Patriots

Texans (+3) over RAIDERS

Cowboys (-3) over EAGLES

STEELERS (-9) over Ravens

Last Week: 8-5

Season: 20-18-2

Bowl Predictions V.2

Another set of Bowl Predictions as this crazy college football season looks to get even crazier. The Oregon vs. Arizona St. game is going to be amazing, and we can probably throw these predicitions out of the window in a couple of weeks but hey, I'm excited for Bowl Season! Have a gander at the side panel on your left and vote for your Heisman Trophy favorite!

Metro Station- Shake It

Sorry guys! We couldn't get the link to work in the previous post. Here's a video a fan put together of Metro Station's Shake It. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Until next time...

Happy Halloween folks! So the one thing I used to love about Halloween was the free candy and week long sugar highs. We all love free stuff so thank God for iTunes. I'm sure many of you know that iTunes has the free Single of the Week. For the most part, they do have some really good songs on there. I have found some of my favorite songs on there. They also feature up and coming artist every week. Sometimes they make it big (i.e. The Fray) and sometimes we'll never hear from them again. Let's support them so check them out. It's free. Who can beat that? Click play below to hear Shake It by Metro Station. It's a fun, upbeat alternative song. Unfortunately for you, not free anymore but you should buy it. It's only $.99, so let's stop being cheap and just download it.

New Release Tuesday was yesterday. What an exciting day in the world of music. Let's see who released an album yesterday:

1.) Backstreet Boys- Unbreakable: So does this really count as a Backstreet Boys CD? Kevin quit the band. I know, I know. When I heard this news last year, I was heart broken. The one Backstreet Boy who never had any solos is now gone from the group. Whatever. I'm over it.

So I can't say that I actually listened to this CD. I did preview the songs on iTunes and I must say, it' no where close to the greatness of "I Want It That Way" (Yes, I said greatness. Get over it. Everyone knows that song like the back of their hands. I'm sure a blind/deaf mute could sing that song). Pretty much every song was exactly the same; the only difference is that each track has a different name. It really is a shame. I bet they wish they had Justin Timberlake in their group. But after this album crash and burns, I think Nick Carter should come out with another season of House of Carters on E!. Or perhaps not. Maybe he should crash and burn with the CD.

2.) Insane Clown Posse- Jugganauts…Best of ICP: I have no idea why I'm even mentioning this amazing group of clowns. Perhaps it's either 1.) They are by far the greatest thing to come out of Detroit, Michigan (besides me of course) in the last 50 years or 2.) They are the poster child of white trash? I think I'm going to pick door #2. If you're a fan of ICP, then we might have a problem. I honestly don't get what appeal these people have. I wish I could write a song called "Boogie Woogie Wu" or "I Want My Shit" and instantly become famous. Unfortunately for us, ICP won't be returning to their trailer parks anytime soon. Sigh.

3.) Britney Spears- Blackout: So most of you are sports fans, and I know you're all wondering how this CD turned out. To be completely honest, it's not as bad as it should be.Given she's had a pretty awful year, we would expect her to produce an album as bad as her personal life. But it's simply not the case. She managed to release an album that is going to be considered one of the best pop albums of the year. She used a slew of different producers including Bloodshy and Advant (Toxic, Toy Soldiers) and the Neptunes, to help her regain her reign as one of the greatest pop icons in music history. Perhaps if she keeps her legs closed and doesn't drink herself to death, we'll be able to see Britney strut around half naked with a python again. Sigh.


Have a great and safe Halloween! Until next time, I leave you with another Tres Piece masterpiece. Enjoy!

-- Andy

Rumblings & Grumblings

Just some randoms thoughts over the past few days regarding sports and life here in L.A.

- The Lakers: I'm not that concerned about the whole Kobe Bryant situation. Our Lakers and NBA correspondent Dan Noyes and I will be discussing this issue this week and we will post our thoughts on the Kobe melodrama later in the week. I think he will stay for various reasons, but what does concern me is what we saw last night in their season opener. A game the Lakers should have won, and should have won by at least 10 points. What pisses me off, is the 18 missed free throws, 1 own basket by Luke Walton, Kobe shooting well under 50%, and the Lakers not being able to hit the broad side of a barn in the 3rd quarter. All that and they only lost by two. Now I know Lamar Odom isn't playing, but this lineup put out by Phil Jackson in the 3rd quarter while the Rockets were making a visible run actually scared me: Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm, Luke Walton, Maurice Evans, and Jordan Farmar. Holy Christ! At least the defense played a bit better.

- The Dodgers: Finally, the Dodgers actually make some noise during the offseason, in a way that actually takes attention away from the Yankees and Red Sox. Grady Little officially 'resigned" yesterday, making the possibility of Joe Torre look even better. The Dodgers had apparently offered Joe Girardi a 3 year deal worth an estimated 7.5 million, which the Yankees ended up matching. As we all know, Girardi went with the Yankees, and the Dodgers turned their attention to Torre, who would most likely include Don Mattingley as his bench coach. I'm starting to get a bit excited if that's true, but I guess anyone who thinks that Mark Hendrickson should sit on the bench is an upgrade. As for the A-Rod rumors (that he may follow Torre to L.A.), I don't really mind them. A lot of peole I've talked to would hate to have A-Rod on the Dodgers. Well, he's better than anyone the Dodgers have had in the last10 years of so, and if he chokes in the postseason, who cares? At least we're there.


- The L.A. Kings: Just kidding, the NHL is lame....

- Loyola 9 - Notre Dame 26: Normally, I would loathe losing to anyone named Notre Dame. But, the Cubs put up a valiant effort against a very good team, a team that most people thought would run up the score (as they did last year, scoring on nearly every drive in the first half). The defense played exceptionally well against a high powered offense, while the Loyola offense couldn't get much going. It looks like the Cubs will have to win their next two games to make the playoffs, and will have to surprise some people as they come in as underdogs against Crespi.


- The fires: Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone displaced and effected in some way by the fires that raged across Southern California. Unbelievable. The fires displaced more people than Hurricane Katrina, and the worst part about it is that some of the fires were started by arson. I personally think that the arsonists who started any of these fires, should be hunted down and publicly humiliated and reprimanded. If you are such an asshole that you decide to start a fire when you know full well that it will turn into something devastating that will leave a wake a burned buildings and house-less people, then you should not be allowed to be in the public setting anymore. There is something mentally wrong with someone who would do that, and although it is not quite the same as committing cold blooded murder, that implications are the same, as starting a fire of that magnitude does endanger people's lives and can lead to death. Lock em up I say, and throw away the key.


MUSIC COMING SOON!!

Week 8 NFL Picks

Here's your week 8 picks, home team in CAPS:

Browns (-3) over RAMS

Lions (+5) over BEARS

BUCS (-3.5) over Jaguars

Colts (-7) over PANTHERS

Bills (+3) over JETS

Steelers (-3.5) over BENGALS

VIKINGS (+1) over Eagles

Raiders (+7.5) over TITANS

Saints (-2.5) over 49ERS

Giants (-9.5) over Dolphins (In London)

Redskins (+16) over PATRIOTS

CHARGERS (pk) over Texans

BRONCOS (-3) over Packers

Season Record: 12-13-2

Girardi in LA?

According to ESPN.com and Buster Olney, Girardi may be being considered for the job in Los Angeles in addition to the job for the Yankees.

In my opinion, anyone else at this point is better than the bumpkin known as Grady Little. I like what Girardi did with the youngins in Florida during his only year as a manager, and the Dodgers are looking to play a lot of youngsters next year. Girardi somehow managed 78 surprising wins out of a $14 million payroll in Florida in 2006 and won the NL Manager of the Year Award, before being fired because of a dispute with the Marlins owner.

Hey, since we're here talking about new managers in LA, what about Joe Torre?? Forget the Pirates or Cardinals, what about a Brooklyn guy coming to the Dodgers......Not as far out there as you might think. I'll settle for anyone who makes the Dodgers relevant again.

Tres Piece

Q: What's better than 3 dudes passionately lip-syncing and dancing to NSYNC in harmonious and hilarious fashion?

A: Nothing





MORE TRES PIECE

NBA Power Ranking Week of 10/23

Time to unveil the initial 2007-2008 NBA Power Rankings. But before we do that... there are a few things I need to get off my chest.

Another week goes by in the Lakers' preseason and already we have more drama than General Hospital.

Amid comments by Owner Jerry Buss that Kobe is not untouchable... there were rumors flying that The Mamba had cleaned out his locker in anticipation of a trade.

Jesus Christ... what gives... I guess I should know by n0w that it's not possible... but can we go a week without some stupid story getting blown out of proportion. In my mind Buss comments were dead on... but about 3 months too late... as good as he his, it's about the team and if you've got to trade Kobe before he opts out so be it.

But why did those comments have to come three weeks before the season... I'm thinking Buss would just rather have negative/worrisome/troubling attention on the Lakers than no attention at all.

Thank God Kobe got on the floor for some action this past week and seems to be enjoying his teammates (at least for the moment). Where exactly the team is headed remains to be seen.

But for now... let's just find out where the Lakers stand in our preseason Power Rankings.

Lottery Bound

30. Timberwolves: If life with KG wasn't too great the past few years, imagine how it will be without him.

29. Sixers: First full season without AI not looking good.

28. Pacers: With glory days of Miller & Co. long gone, Indiana looks to rebuild.

27. Hawks: It's nice to have the potential, but there's a problem when your drafting in the top 8 every year.

26. Kings: Can't wait to hear the complaining Kings fans all season.

25. Knicks: Isiah's turbulent off season will carry over into season.

24. Clippers: Life without Brand will prove difficult for the Clips.

Wait till Next Year

23. Trailblazers: One can't help but wonder if Portland drafted damaged goods..

22. Supersonics: Future looks bright even if it's in another city.

21. Grizzlies: Terrible year last year... improved and should be better.

20. Bobcats: Lost May and Morrison for the year... but J-Rich and Gerald Wallace are the nucleus of a franchise headed in the right direction.

Playoffs in Sight

19. Bucks: Roster has enough talent to compete for a playoff spot. Need to stay healthy and see what Yi brings to the table.

18. Heat: Wade coming off an injury and Shaq is a year older. Window of opportunity likely past.
17. Hornets: Chris Paul one of the best in the game... must be healthy all season for Hornets to get back the playoffs in the first full year back in New Orleans.

16. Wizards: Arenas in contract year so you know he's bringing it. Roster filled with too many swing men and not enough down low to contend.

15. Nets: Hope to get Jermaine O'Neal in a trade before window closes on Kidd's career.

Contenders if All Goes Well

14. Magic: Will go as far as a developing Dwight Howard can take them.

13. Lakers: Health concerns will determine how late they're playing (and how long Kobe will be in purple and gold.)

12. Raptors: Won't be taking people by surprise this year. Bosh one of the best, just can't disappear in the playoffs.

11. Warriors: A poor man's Suns team is fun to watch, but must replace the scoring of J-Rich.

10. Bulls: Baby bulls starting to grow up. Question is, will they land Kobe?

9. Cavs: Run to the Finals a fluke. Lebron needs more help before he gets a ring.

8. Nuggets: Melo and AI finished the year on fire. Hoping Kenyon Martin has something left in the tank.

Knocking on the Door

7. Jazz: Boozer/Williams combo could become modern day Stockton and Malone.

6. Rockets: Ming and McGrady still looking to make it past first round. This year as good a chance as any.

5. Pistons: Might be last hurrah! for this group who fell apart last post season.

Cream of the Crop

4. Mavs: Last year's best team and home of reigning MVP looking to avenge last season's playoff embarrassment.

3. Celtics: League's newest big three should cruise through weak Eastern Conference.

2. Suns: Nash and the boys trying once again to make it to the promised land.

1. Spurs: Hated Spurs return same nucleus that has won multiple titles.

Loyola 21 - Saint Francis 20

At a packed stadium in La Canada, the Cubs ended their night celebrating on Friedman Field after a come from behind victory that saw Loyola score 21 points in the 4th quarter. What seemed like an easy victory for St. Francis came crashing to a halt as Loyola's offense finally found a rhythm and scored on 3 consecutive drives in the 4th quarter.

After being severely outplayed for 3 quarters, and with fans starting to head for the exits, Loyola turned a poor St. Francis punt into a touchdown as sophomore running back Anthony Barr ran for a 20 yard TD to cap off a short drive. 4 plays later the Cubs found themselves on the St. Francis side of the field again and senior wide receiver Dustin Rosenberg split the seem and hauled in a 30 yard pass for a touchdown from quarterback Stephen Rokus.

Another defensive stop by the wolfpack defense of Loyola had the Cub offense again on a short field, tied 14-14 with less than 5 minutes to play. Successful runs by Barr and a few timely 3rd down hitches by Rokus had the Cubs knocking on the doorstep. A 2-yard draw by Barr capped off the drive and gave Loyola a 21-14 lead with 1:08 remaining, and left the Golden Knights in a stunned state.

A tremendous kick-off return fired up the home crowd as St. Francis had 45 yards to go and 1:00 minute to play. After a few scrambles by backup QB Justin Sciarra, a few good screen plays, and a few Loyola penalties, the Golden Knights had the ball on the Loyola 12 with 9 seconds remaining. An incredulous and inexplanable half-back pass by St. Francis should have ended the night, as nearly 3 Loyola players converged on the ball, with no one coming up with the interception. With 2 seconds remaining, Sciarra hit Dietrich Riley on a slant pattern for a touchdown, as the stadium erupted. As the elation was hitting a new high, the home crowd was hit with a stomach punch as kicker Sean McGuinness missed the extra point, sending the Cubs into a frenzy and schocking the Golden Knights into a stunned silence.

The rollercoaster of a game saw the Cubs turn the ball over 4 times, and committ an ungodly amount of penalties. The defense played well, but were put into tough situations in the first half by the Loyola offense. After a missed field goal by St. Francis, Chris Sember gave the Golden Knights the ball right back, when he intercepted a Stephen Rokus pass and returned it to the Loyola 9. Three plays later, Evan King dove into the end zone with his first touchdown to give the Golden Knights a 7-0 lead. After the ensuing drive saw Loyola fumble the ball around the 50 yard line, King took off on a 45 yard scamper down the sideline to the Loyola 2 yard line, and scored again shortly thereafter.

This game somewhat encapsulates Loyola this season. Terrible first half performances, underachievement by the offense, overachievement by the defense, hoards of penalties and mistakes, and just enough passion and grit to sneak out a win, when they can. The penalties and turnovers need to stop if Loyola is going to even have a chance in the Serra league, and the first half play calling must, must, must improve as well. I know the first half is meant to get a feel for the game, but I think Loyola threw the ball 4 times in the first half, with a spread offense. That left Barr without a fullback or an extra blocker, when the entire world knew that it was a run play. Here's hoping for a little improvement in the focus of the Cubs, along with a little more creative juice on offense. Loyola's defense is good enough to hold them against Notre Dame and Crespi, but they will need to score if they are going to advance to the playoffs.

Loyola will take on high powered Notre Dame this Friday out in Sherman Oaks. Go Cubbies!

Top 10 Reasons Why I Hate San Francisco

Sorry for the break in posting and no NFL picks for the week, I went up to San Francisco to cheer on some friends running a marathon. The trip reminded me why I hate San Francisco, and every smug, dirty, smelly, Barry Bonds loving, patchouli oil smelling hippie that lives in San Francisco, along with many other city factors and features that make me dislike it.

First, I'll go over the things I DO like, just so this isn't a completely and utterly one-sided. For starters, I do like that it looks and feels like a big city, with the big buildings, the views, and the overall buzz. I like Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, the cable cars, the architecture (for the most part), most of the parks, the bridges, Alcatraz, and Union Square. So yes, there are definitely things to like about the city, and it possesses a few redeeming qualities.

Now onto the list.

10. The lack of parking. Understandable for a big city, but still annoying nonetheless. It hinders anything you want to go out and do, and if you don't want to pay an astronomical price for parking, then you walk. Which leads to #9....

9. The freaking hills. Yes it is part of the "charm" of the city, but the absolutely suck. Sometimes it really seems like everywhere you go is uphill. When there are stairs in the sidewalk, that's a problem. "But after you go up, there's always the downhill". Yeah, there is. But downhills suck and ruin your knees because you are constantly jamming them into the ground to keep yourself from rolling down the steepest hill of your life.

8. The way that the people don’t know how to negotiate a sidewalk or any other public space. In cities like New York people use eye contact to determine right-of-way, and never stop dead in their tracks without looking behind them. I know that you're thinking, "well they're probably the tourists". Yeah, probably, but it's still going on in the city, and people just seem to be retarded and not know how to walk on the sidewalk.

7. The driving is ridiculous. If it isn't a one way street, it's a freaking bus only lane, or a no left turn sign. The hills are terrible and do a number on your brakes, and don't even get me started on the assholes who think it's OK to drive a stick shift in the city, and then roll back 30 feet before the get started. Even worse than driving yourself is.....

6. The cab drivers. If they actually know where you want to go, they take you in an ass-backwards direction that leads to more traffic and a costlier ride. If (and when) they don't know where to go, they ask if you have a map or just drop you off "near" where they think you want to go. Shouldn't there be some kind of map test for taxi drivers, or maybe a freaking GPS so you don't even have to know a lick about the city.

5. The smug, self-satisfied attitude of residents who are convinced that they live the greatest city in the world. These are the same people who claim to love the environment, then commute to jobs in San Jose, or other hypocritical things.

4. Giants fans and Barry Bonds, a match made in heaven..... Who better to root for an arrogant, self-absorbed steroid-abusing asshole, than San Franciscans! Their undying love for a man that everyone else in the universe utterly despises, has to say something about the fan base. They come up with excuses for him, say they don't care, act as if it will all go away in a few years if they just don't talk about it, but have the nerve to be complete douche bags at all times, regardless of the score. The smug attitude of everyone in the city carries over into the ballpark, as all they can talk about is how great the freaking stadium is. Who cares?? It's not that good, and the Giants suck, get over it.

3. It's amazing how shitty certain parts of the city are, and how close the not-so-shitty areas are to the shitty ones. Every major city has its bad areas, but walk 10 blocks in San Francisco and it goes from millionaire's' houses, to crack houses and drug deals, to a middle class area. And they all have their own little name for the each district, even if it's only like a two block radius. It's like a superiority complex as to where in the city and what tiny little district you live in, be it the Castro district, the Tenderloin, Pacific Heights, or Nob Hill, everyone seems to base their self worth on where they are. Speaking of shitty areas....

2. The freaking bums are out of control in San Francisco. No less than 5 on each block, homeless people flock to San Francisco like the swallows of Capistrano. They are everywhere, and you are constantly being harassed by homeless people. I don't understand why San Francisco is the bum Mecca, maybe it's the liberalness or whatever, but pretty soon they will out number everyone else, and the whole city will be one big bum fest, if not for the......

1. Goddamn Hippies! Much like Eric Cartman, I hate hippies of all shapes and sizes. It's not the 60's anymore, so stop pretending to be some kind of "free thinker" who conforms to the same dress and hippie-speak as everyone else. Hippies nowadays have very little political activism or philosophical edge to them at all, and tend to get nothing accomplished, other than pissing everyone else off. Normal college hippies who wear Phish patches on their backpacks and hold a picket sign once or twice like to call themselves hippies, but I'm not talking about just plain old liberal people here, I'm talking about white, smelly, tie-dyed wearing, hemp necklaced, dread-locked, drug-pushing hippies who live in their hippie commune known as San Francisco. I understand that hippies are really nothing more than kids finding a clique like goths or athletes, but they are the worst kind, because of the utter stupidity of them. How about those hippies who climbed up the trees at Cal and tried to saved them from being cut down, when the plan was to plant 3 trees for every 1 cut down. Great idea hippie, live in a tree for the rest of your life. Please hippies, just get out of the way and stop fighting for nothing more than faux-causes.