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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

DSRTSV! 11/25/08

As an early Thanksgiving gift, I leave you with a cornucopia of awesome beer commercials:

Bulimia has never been so funny...


Yeah, I would have taken the label off too


Indeed, damn that strong beer


The only question I have: "who keeps a couch like that on, what appears to be, a really nice patio"


What the fuck? Five Beers?


Oh yeah, and this one!

Top 25 Poll: It's About to Get Ugly


The college football landscape got a bit of a makeover on Saturday thanks to Oklahoma pounding Texas Tech. The results have already been shown in the BCS standings, but now it’s time to figure out what the shake up did to the Walker-Sports College football standings.


1) Alabama: The Iron Bowl is right around the corner, but for all the obvious reasons this years edition of a great Southern rivalry is not as exciting. What Alabama needs to do is make sure they stay focused. First they must focus on Auburn and pour everything they have into that game. Once the final whistle is blown they can look around the corner to Florida. But they have to take it one step at a time, as there is still a lot of work to do.


2) Oklahoma: The Sooners put together their best performance of the season on Saturday, and it could not have come at a better time. National television against the second ranked team in the country and the Oklahoma Sooners destroyed the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Sooners offense looked dangerous and their defense smothered Texas Tech. While Saturday was great, the Sooners must put it behind them and now focus on Oklahoma State. Handle business there, and this whole BCS/Big 12 mess should sort itself out and the Oklahoma Sooners will end up exactly where they deserve.


3) Florida Gators: Some people will say, Florida got screwed by ending up third in this poll, but at the end of the day, they are in the best position of any team in the top 25. While they are sitting in the third spot, Florida controls its own destiny. Yes the Gators still need to get by in state rival Florida State next weekend, and God only knows which FSU team will show up. But once they are done with that, it’s pretty much assured that the Gators will match up against Alabama for the SEC title. If Florida wins that game, then they is in, it’s pretty simple.


4) USC: It’s going to be very funny to me when USC finishes the season in the top five in the country and fails to win the Pac-10. Nonetheless, the Trojans have put together a good season, but that one lost on a Thursday night looks like it will bite them in the ass. I bet you that Pete Carroll and company are wishing the Pac-10 had a conference championship now.


5) Texas: The Longhorns are getting screwed. No other way to put it really. Texas has done everything right, but they will need a lot of help to get back into the mix of things. The way Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech actually hurt Texas because Texas lost to the Red Raiders. It also does not help the Longhorns that they lost to the Red Raiders just a few weeks ago. Teams that lose early are rewarded, while those who lose late are punished.


6) Utah: The dream season remains in tact and after winning in their big game against BYU. It is set and done that that the Utes will be a part of the BCS one again. This will make them a two time BCS party crasher. It has been a great season, and they will enjoy playing the Bearcats in a game that Utah should win.


7) Boise State: America’s favorite BCS busters are still in the mix and alive and well. Boise State has worked its way into the top ten in the BCS rankings and if they can hold on against Fresno State they too will be BCS dancing once again. If the chips fall correctly, Boise State could get a shot at an ACC team, and if that is the case they will be celebration their second win in a BCS game.


8) Penn State: Joe Pa could not have written a better exit plan for his storied career. Penn State has dominated the Big 10 all season, and after destroying Michigan State, PSU is on their way to the Rose Bowl. Everything has just fallen into place for Penn State, now let’s hope that Joe Pa does the right thing and steps down after his big game.


9) Ball State: I feel like a broken record saying this, but this has been a great year for Ball State and they have done everything right. However at the end of the day, they fail to have a marquee victory over anyone. And the result is Ball State is left out of the BCS Bowl games.


10) Missouri Tigers: The more I look at the Tigers just hanging out in the Big 12 North, the more they scare me. Missouri will play the Big 12 Championship in their back yard, and I keep getting these visions of them playing spoilers. If they knock of Texas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma, the BCS computers may explode.


11) Ohio State: The best part about this ranking is we will not have to watch Ohio State be the whipping boy for another SEC team in a BCS game. That alone makes this season better than either of the previous two years.


12) Texas Tech: Texas Tech fell back into their old ways and old habits on Saturday night. The Air Raid offense was grounded, and the Texas Tech defense looked like Swiss cheese. Texas Tech can still factor into the Big 12 race but they are likely out of running for a BCS Championship.


13) Georgia Bulldogs: It just wasn’t the season for Mark Richt and his boys. They get in state rival Georgia Tech this weekend. Other than that, they will play in a New Years day game, which is great, but it will seem extremely anti-climatic.


14) Oklahoma State: The Cowboys have had a great season, and things could get even better by next week this time. Oklahoma State has the opportunity to play spoiler when they take on the red hot Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma State has a history of kicking the Sooners when they are at their best, pulling the upset this time could prove to be as sweet as a trip to a BCS game.


15) Cincinnati Bearcats: Look who showed up and won the Big East. I have to admit that I did not see that one coming. Now the biggest question in Cincinnati is where their head coach will end up as he is high on the Tennessee Vols wish list. The way he handles the next few weeks going into his BCS game could prove to be very important to the Bearcats welfare.


16) TCU: Great year played some great football. Their two losses came against two BCS teams, really TCU did everything they were supposed to do, but just did not have enough in the tank. This is the life that is college football.


17) Oregon State: One win away from the unthinkable, a trip to the Rose Bowl. Truly Oregon State upending USC and taking their spot in the Rose Bowl would have to go down as one of the all time great moments in college football. However, before the Beavers can pack their bags for southern Cal, they must take on in state rival Oregon in the Civil War battle. You can bet the atmosphere will be crazy for this game.


18) BYU: When the season opened, the Cougars wanted to go undefeated and make it to a BCS game. When the hopes for a BCS season went down the tubes early in the season, the goal then became beat Utah. Well after Saturday, that goal will go unfulfilled as well. In the end of the day, BYU had a good season, but they fell well short of any expectations they had for themselves.


19) Oregon: The Ducks have hung around this spot of the poll all season and truth is told they have had a solid season; this is a team that knew they were going into a transition year of sorts. Not to mention they have gone through about 300 quarterbacks thanks to injuries. Nonetheless, the Ducks have a chance to play spoiler on Saturday when they travel to take on Oregon State and if they can do that, the season will not seem so bad.


20) Michigan State: So close but yet such a long way to go, that was the story all season for Michigan State. The Spartans were crushed both times they matched up against the elite of the Big 10. That is what happens when a team has a one dimensional attack. Good teams know how to stop it and leave you looking for answers.


21) Northwestern: This has been an amazing season for Northwestern. No many saw this team working their way into a bowl game but that is exactly what they have done. I tip my hat to them on a great season.


22) Boston College: Maybe they are the best team in the ACC; at this point I am not even sure what that means. The Eagles have a chance to play for an ACC Championship, and no matter who stumbles into that game, the Eagles have a chance to win.


23) Ga. Tech: Talk about a great first year. Paul Johnson leaves Navy comes to Ga. Tech and he has his option offense rolling at full speed already, and he has yet to bring in all his players. Ga. Tech has over achieved this season, and that is not a bad thing.


24) Florida State: Bobby Bowden will do whatever it takes to make sure he sticks around long enough to pass Joe Pa on the all time wins list. Why else would FSU be playing up to this level this late in the season?


25) West Virginia: Pat White had his best game of the season on Saturday, but it was far too little too late to save the season.

Tasty Tuesday (before Turducken Day) Daily "Linkin' Logs" (11/25/08)


I have a goal of posting a draft review today. It may or may not come to fruition because I'm also making holiday travels late tonight (a midnight bus to be exact), but if I can crank the review, I will. Beyond that, the next few draft reviews may be entering the murky holiday time. At most, I'll post two between now and next Monday. I apologize, but I'm sure you all will be busy as well.

In an unrelated note, Northeastern Hockey is now ranked 4th in the Nation in both the USCHO and USA Today polls, tops among Hockey East teams. Northeastern is set to face #7 Princeton this weekend in the RPI Holiday Tournament in what could be considered a national statement game. Additionally, they are entered in the Dodge Holiday Classic, set for the weekend after New Years where they could face current #1 Minnesota (they could only meet in the championship for the four team tournament) in what could be a preview for the NCAA Tourney. Needless to say, its an exciting time for Husky Hockey which hasn't been this competitive since the mid 80s.

Monday, November 24, 2008

DSRTSV - 11/24/08

The trifecta!

Denny Green



Jim Mora



And Herm Edwards



Aww, fuck it, here's Mike Gundy too

Again, the MMBBQ (11/24/08)



We're unveiling a new logo for our weekly Petey bashing. I was thinking it's a bit offensive to Norm Peterson, so we apologize "Cheers" fans. But again, the point is there:

An alcoholic, unemployed, idiotic barfly could do a better job than good ole Petey. You'll notice a lot of venom and overzealous use of the work fuck. I apologize, but I think you'll understand.

Anyways, time to light the BBQ. This one from his overview of the weekend ("weekend of the QB"...)

Now this stat is eerie: After Tom Brady's first 11 starts in the NFL, his completion percentage was 66.3. After Matt Cassel's 11 NFL games this season, his completion percentage is ... well, 66.3...

...It's crazy and all-too-soon and slightly irreverent. But it is also unavoidable. Life is imitating art. The career path of Cassel is following Brady's. Brady's record after 11 games: 8-3. Cassel's: 7-4 -- and if the Pats had won the overtime coin flip a week ago Thursday, I bet those records would be the same. Brady's rating: 91.6. Cassel's: 90.5. Cassel leads Brady by 377 passing yards, thanks to Cassel's back-to-back 400-yard passing games. (Been on Mars? That's no misprint.) As for touchdowns, Brady leads Cassel by three...

...but he has thrown for more yards than Brett Favre this season (2,615 to 2,461) and for a higher passer rating than Peyton Manning (90.5 to 87.2) and for more yards per pass attempt than Eli Manning. The Patriots' system works, and it works wonders.

Okay Petey, you're being ridiculous. You've got to be shitting me. If I'm to believe Tom Brady is a Super Bowl god (who you've slobbered over numerous times) then I submit what Peter wrote just before last year's Super Bowl:
was a ref’s buried whistle and a stunning drop by Mr. Hands from being 28-for-28 the other night. Are we watching the best quarterback of all time in mid-career?...
Yeah, I thought not. So is he the best of all time or a system QB? Maybe Cassel is just as good. Whatever, King pisses me off because of this sensationalist bullshit. I thought he was supposed to be fair and balanced (oops!).

And you thought the Eagles ranting was over?
Donovan McNabb looks awful. He's slow-footed, with severe accuracy issues (48-percent completions in his last 11 quarters), at the same time star running back Brian Westbrook is a shell of himself because of injuries, at the same time his best offensive lineman, guard Shawn Andrews, is out with a back injury, and at the same time his star tight end, L.J. Smith, is going through a Steve Sax-like slump catching the ball.
Bah. Petey, have you watched the Eagles at all this season? Over the last few weeks, King's joined the Pravda parade to pile on McNabb and it's disgusting. Yes, McNabb's best weapon, best protection and the crucial (to the WCO) TE are all either injured or sucking (Smith sucks the big one). Yes, McNabb is the one who looks awful, and I'm not saying he's not killing the Eagles as well, but get a fucking clue before you pile on. Who makes the personnel and game plan decisions...yeah, you know who.

What? They're football gods now?
2. New York Jets (8-3). Biggest day in the history of New Jersey sports: The Jets versus the Giants in Tampa ... WITH SPRINGSTEEN AT HALFTIME.
How the fuck are the Jets the second best (and best in the AFC) team in the NFL? Are you really picking them to win it all? Someone hold this man accountable after he already picked the Cowboys and Patriots for the big game just 2.5 months ago.

Also, Am I the only who's imagining Peter screaming like a little girl because he put "WITH SPRINGSTEEN AT HALFTIME" in all caps...fuckin' douche

No, that's not really that good.

Now this one isn't entirely Petey's fault but:
Offensive Players of the Week
Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas. He asked for it, he got it. Inexplicably, the 49ers put about half the defensive pressure on Owens than he'd seen in recent weeks, and they paid for it. Owens, who'd blabbed to Deion Sanders during the week that he was still great and he just wasn't getting the ball enough, put up. His seven-catch, 213-yard day was vintage T.O.
Owens was so happy after they gave him the ball but...its the fucking 49ers. They're terrible. Nate Clements has no help and their pass defense is ranked 29th in the NFL. TO, you got the ball because their DBs suck ass not because you were open or you were due for such an amazing game. The offense worked well because the other team sucked. Why do players get rewarded (and lauded by the idiot media) for playing well against a craptastic team?

I'll give you that one
He (Pittsbrugh DC Dick LeBeau) played pickup basketball at Ohio State with Bobby Knight, who has called LeBeau one of the 10 finest athletes he has encountered in his life.
I wonder if Knight slapped him too?

Ummm? You still stink Peter

The Bad: Marriotts simply have to change their shampoo. On overnight trips I often don't bring my full toiletry kit, so I can skate through security and not check a bag. So I find myself using whatever shampoo is in the hotel. Marriotts have been using some Bath and Body Works girly shampoo for the past year or so, and when I get out of the shower, the perfume smell is revolting. Shampooing with soap is the only option -- a grotesque one, but a necessary evil now -- to avoid smelling like a woman.

Can't you put no-smell or low-smell shampoo in the rooms, Mr. Marriott? I know you'll scoff at the toiletries in Hampton Inns, but the freebie Purity shampoo there, relatively scentless, is the way to go.

Ok...

Wait, you just bitched about the hotel room shampoo? And your editor actually okayed this? This is what you'd like to present to your male 18-35 year old age group; a story about how girly the shampoo at the Marriott is? Maybe they were just confused by the man-tits?

10 things I thought Peter King would shut the hell up about...
Think you've had a busy time at work recently? What about this 11-day stretch for CBS/YES Network/Westwood One Radio play-by-play man Ian Eagle, ending Sunday in Miami:

Nov. 13, Jets-Patriots, radio, in Foxboro; Nov. 14, Hawks-Nets, TV, in New Jersey; Nov. 16, Raiders-Dolphins, TV, in Miami; Nov. 17, Browns-Bills, radio, in Buffalo; Nov. 20, Bengals-Steelers, radio, in Pittsburgh; Nov. 21, Nets-Raptors, TV, in Toronto; Nov. 23, Bills-Chiefs, TV, in Kansas City.

And I thought I was busy.

You're not. You just write these shitty articles I read and make fun of. I think it's harder for me personally.

And finally...
h. Thanksgiving Night in Philadelphia. I'm sure the crowd's going to be in a giving mood. Giving a certain finger, most likely...
Yeah, that's fuckin' right...

The Out-Drafting Scoring System


And I think we've got it. Again, I'm not going to award half points or anything, so I will just be picking the category the player falls closest to. Points won't be awarded if the player leaves the team and succeeds elsewhere.
  • 0 points = Never played an NFL game (regulation)
  • 1 point = played at least 1 year at NFL level, special teamer or spot duty
  • 2 points = backup or role player, multiple years with team
  • 3 points = Starter or flexible career level backup/jack of all trades
  • 4 points = Starter, star, pro-bowler, team leader dependent on level of players on other teams, clutch factors and other teammates
  • 5 points = all-pro, multiple pro-bowls, star, team leader, etc
Bonus points may be awarded based on round. They will only be given to players who earn 3s, 4s or 5s.
  • 3s will be awarded on extra point if they are drafted on the 2nd day (4th through 7th, I'm counting 3rds as first day for the purpose of this, since the rule has only been in effect for one year).
  • 4s will be awarded 2 points for being drafted in the 2nd day
  • 5s will be awarded 3 points for being drafted in the 4th or 5th round and 4 points for 6th or 7th.
There's also a chance to lose points:
  • 0s drafted on the first day will receive a -1
  • 1s drafted in the 1st or 2nd round will receive a -1, -2 if they're top 15
  • 2s drafted in the first round will receive a -1, -2 if they're top 10
  • 3s drafted in the top 10 will receive a -1
Trades will be graded on a case by case basis. I won't be considering trades of player for draft picks, but I will be averaging (to closest whole number) scores for players selected in the same round. I.e. if Player X is traded a la Ricky Williams for a cache of picks (1-7 rounds) then the players drafted in each round will have their scores averaged. For example if the first rounded yielded a superstar at pick 16 (Score: 5) and a dud 1 year backup (Score: 1 - 1, drafted in 1st = 0), then the score is averaged to 2.5 and rounded to 3; therefore its a net score of 3 for the first round.

Trading down on the other hand will result in multiple scores for the same round and will be the only time you can score multiple times for the same round. I.e. Team X trades their late 1st round pick for an early 2nd and 5th to Team Y. Team X will be scored for both first rounders (which aren't really eligible for bonus points and really only bonus losses) and Team Y will be scored for the higher pick and round out the even one with the goal of only accounting for 7 picks per team per year. So trading down allows a team to collect bonus points if its worth it and trading up provides a team with a better hit rate (ideally). Now I know I'll miss some trades so you'll have to bear with me and point out errors as you see them (much appreciated).

If you have any suggestions for scoring, please use the comments. I hope to have Fat Andy up soon enough and we'll go from there. I, much like all of you, are anticipating a busy week, so we may not see more than one other draft till next week.

But it should be fun.

Daily "Linkin' Logs" - Survival Edition (11/24/08)


As a sports fan, I really try to attend/view/embrace numerous sporting events. If you haven't gathered already, I'm a casual to interested NCAA Hockey fan (brought on by my Alma Mater), I enjoy the occasional Boxing Match (definitely a casual fan) and I will watch the World Cup when it gets to a National broadcast level.

Which brings me to my weekend where I watched #6 Northeastern defeat #13 New Hampshire 3-2 (NU went on to a 4 point weekend, beating UMass-Lowell 4-3 Saturday, while UNH salvaged 2 points by beating Providence 4-3). Then Saturday I took in the Hatton-Malignaggi fight which Hatton soundly whipped Malignaggi to a 8 round TKO. Amongst the entertaining moments was Ricky Hatton walking to the ring (afterall "There's only oooonnnneee Ricky Hatton, ooooooonnnneee Ricky Hatton") in a fat suit (mocking the discussion over him losing 40 pounds in order to get into the fight) and Malignaggi being significantly upset over having his trainer throw in the towel, even though, without constantly grabbing Hatton, he would have been knocked out, if not seriously hurt.

And it culminated Sunday, when a buddy and I attended Survivor Series in Boston. Yeah, that's right, we went to a pro-wrestling event. I called it "getting in touch with my inner 13 year old." I know what some of you will say; my only advice is, until you just accept the fact that its fake, and then sit back and enjoy, you really don't know. Its certainly athletic. Its theatric. Its entertainment. And frankly, it was cheaper for us to attend the event than actually order in on PPV...so we went. A quick rundown:
  • The three Survivor Series matches were okay (and really just okay).
  • Team Shawn Michaels defeated Team JBL in the first match. It was about par for the course and really predictable.
  • Team Randy Orton defeated Team Batista. Actually what it came down to was Batista kicking everyone's ass after his team sucked balls. Orton won with some bullshit trickery...I don't get it, how do these referees only notice the good guys trying to cheat. Seriously, I know its fake, but at least put a little effort in.
  • The Diva match was meh. There's basically 6 hot Divas and 4 Uggos. And letting the Uggos battle it out near the end was bullshit. No one wants to see them. I don't get some wrestling fans who cheer for some of these women. I really don't give a shit if they're good at wrestling...so leave those women to do...whatever it is they do and just let the hot ones show their goods.
  • The Casket Match featuring the Big Show and The Undertaker was really crappy to start with. Then, as the Big Show appeared to have enough, he flipped the casket over and began to walk away. The Undertaker used his dark magic (read: pyrotechnics) to keep the Big Show close to the entrance stage, had another casket brought out and ended the match by tossing the Big Show into a standing casket, knocking it over and causing the door to shut; ending the match and declaring the Undertaker the winner.
  • The Triple H - Vladimir Kozlov match just plain sucked. It was slow and boring, which is typical of Kozlov matches (he just doesn't have it. He's supposed to be a heel, but no one really cares. I booed him because the match sucked and there were chants of "boring" during the match). Originally the match was scheduled to be a triple threat and include Jeff Hardy, but he was announced to be out of the match at the beginning of the evening. Now what I didn't get was WWE announced that according to "TMZ and ABC News Boston" Jeff Hardy will not be wrestling tonight. How does that work. Does WWE need to consult real news services to confirm their fake news? So as the match is going on and both Triple H and Kozlov and on the mat, the "Smackdown" GM Vicki Guerrero walks out and announces that it will be a triple threat and introduces Edge as the third opponent. How the hell does this work? After those two beat the shit out of each other, then Edge gets to fight. Who condones this shit? So then of course Edge runs in and beats everyone up. So now, the crowd, who's been calling for Hardy the entire match, gets their wish and Hardy runs in to disrupt the whole thing. First he clubs Edge with a few fists, then he grabs a chair, nails Kozlov and then goes after Edge and Triple H. Edge ducks, Triple H gets hammered and Edge spears Hardy. He then goes on to pin Triple H and is declared the New Champ.
  • And finally, the awaited title match between Chris Jericho and John Cena. Now, another thing I never got is why in the WWE that the order of entrances is always discombobulated. In any legit event, the Champ always comes out last, but in WWE, its always the guy who would get the biggest ovation (or boos, but biggest reaction). Now, I get why, but it still pisses me off; the idea is to give off the appearence that the show is "real." Its called acting. Also, Chris Jericho looks like a rooster with the haircut. The match was entertaining and the crowd was pulling for Cena (he's from Newton, about a half hour from Boston). Cena pulled off the win in his comeback fashion and was declared the champion.
Well, that's about it. It was worth the admission price and I highly endorse the entertainment factor of the WWE. There was certainl an eclectic crowd with a massive age (and intelligence, I think there were some middle schoolers with more brains than a few adults) range. None the less, highly entertaining.
We'll be back later with your MMBBQ. It might be a little later than usual today, but should be fun once I get around to reading Petey's shitfest today (I wonder if he'll actually fellate Tom Coughlin?)

Saturday, November 22, 2008

DSRTSV - 11/22/08

Remember this one, when "The Dream" bitched John Starks to keep...well, the dream alive. Of course this led to back-to-back titles for the group before M.J. came back and taught 'em all who the champs really were...

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