UFC Picks

A quick review...

28 out of 49 for the year for .571
Moneywise - $126.50 for the year

Annnnnnnd here goes...

UFC 83
Location: Montreal, Canada
Venue: Bell Centre

Prelims
---
Brad Morris vs. Cain Velasquez
ODDS: Morris +200, Velasquez -260
Morris is 9-2 riding a 4 fight win streak and making his UFC debut. Velasquez is 2-0, also making his UFC debut. This is a tough fight to pick. Velasquez must've been hella impressive to be that big of a favorite off two fights. He's a big, mean looking kid from his photos too.
PICK: Velasquez by TKO [strikes] in Rd 1
BET: None

Ed Herman vs. Demian Maia
ODDS: Maia -180, Herman +140
Ed, from TUF fame, is 14-4 on a three fight win streak. Maia is 6-0 in his second UFC fight... and I can't remember a thing about the first one. I'll stick with the odds on this one.
PICK: Maia by submission [RNC] in Rd 2
BET: None

Jonathan Goulet vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
ODDS: Hironaka -240, Goulet +190
Hironaka is 11-4 coming off a loss to Thiago Alves and a prior loss to Fitch. Goulet is 21-9 on a two fight losing streak. Both of these guys are going absolutely nowhere in the division and this is simply a space-filling match.
PICK: Hironaka by decision
BET: None

Alan Belcher vs. Jason Day
ODDS: Belcher -450, Day +300
Goodness. Quite the odds on this one. Belcher is 12-4 on a two fight win streak but he's lost to guys like Kendall Grove and Okami so he's not going anywhere in the division. Day is 16-5 on a four fight win streak and making his UFC debut. He's a Canadian so that explains why he's on the show. I'm gonna give the newcomer a shot.
PICK: Day by TKO [strikes] in Rd 2
BET: $10 on Day to win $30

Rich Clementi vs. Sam Stout
ODDS: Clementi +120, Stout -160
Clementi is 30-12-1 on a four fight win streak but he's got a loss to Din Thomas on his record so how serious can you take him. Stout is 13-3-1 on a two fight win streak... and he's from Canada. Go figure.
PICK: Stout by TKO [strikes] in Rd 2
BET: None

Joe Doerksen vs. Jason MacDonald
ODDS: MacDonald -165, Doerksen +135
Doerkson is 39-11 on a two fight win streak. MacDonald is 19-9 and was on a bit of a streak before falling to Rich Franklin and Okami. Not the worst people to lose to.
PICK: MacDonald by decision
BET: None

MAIN CARD
---
Marc Bocek vs. Mac Danzig
ODDS: Danzig -500, Bocek +300
Good grief, the odds are bad on some of these fights. I bet Dana gets pissed at the oddsmakers for stacking so many matches like they're that bad of a mismatch. Bocek is 5-1. Danzig is 17-4-1 coming off his only UFC win. Shrug. Take your pick.
PICK: Danzig by TKO [Rd 2]
BET: Throw a tenner on Bocek to win $30

Michael Bisping vs. Charles McCarthy
ODDS: Bisping -330, McCarthy +260
Bisping is 14-1 coming off his only loss... but he really should be coming off two losses in a row. This is his first fight at a lighter weight class so theoretically he should be powering his opponent around the cage. McCarthy is 10-4 with nothing of note on his record and apparently he cut MAJOR weight to make the limit for this fight so I expect him to gas out early and get pummeled.
PICK: Bisping by TKO [strikes] in Rd 2
BET: I'll drop $10 on McCarthy to cover the upset for $26

Nate Quarry vs. Kalib Starnes
ODDS: Quarry -265, Starnes +205
Quarry's 9-2 and on a bit of a roll minus a loss to Rich Franklin. Starnes is 8-2-1 and going nowhere. Quarry needs to steamroll him to get some attention from Joe Silva.
PICK: Quarry by TKO [strikes] in Rd 1
BET: None

Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter
ODDS: Franklin -320, Lutter +210
Franklin's coming off another big loss to Anderson Silva and is really in a no-win position here. If he wins, he's not getting another shot at Silva so he'll have to either wait til someone beats Silva [not happening any time soon!] or he'll have to change weight classes if he wants to challenge for a title again. Lutter's 9-4 also coming off a loss to Silva. He needs a good showing to stay in the UFC's good graces after failing to make weight against Silva. That was embarrassing for him and for the UFC. The Countdown show did a good job of making you root for him to make a comeback though. I'll take a flyer on Lutter realizing he's in a bad spot.
PICK: Lutter by submission - triangle in Rd 2
BET: $20 on Lutter to win $42

Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre (title-unification bout)
ODDS: GSP -500, Serra +300
This is an intriguing fight to me and really the main reason anyone wants to see this show. Everyone is predicting GSP knocks him flat and is re-anointed as arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. A lot of trash talk has flown both ways. A lot of people claiming disrespect by the other. Serra is in a no-lose position here. If he loses, everyone expected him to lose and he's got money in a grudge match with Matt Hughes and a rubber match with GSP. If he wins, he's beaten the heir apparent... twice. Everyone is expecting GSP to be a lot more focused on this one but I have a nagging doubt that he will be. It's hard to be focused when everyone in the free world says you're going to win easily. As such...
PICK: Matt Serra by TKO [strikes] in Rd 2
BET: The remaining $50 on Serra to win $150 if he pulls off the big upset

Top Five Friday: The Second Season Begins

Oh yeah, baby!

Starting tomorrow, the NBA Playoffs are underway and for a basketball fan [a _true_ basketball fan, not this NCAA nonsense,] it's one of the most exciting times of the year.

And for a Laker fan, such as myself, it's DEFINITELY an exciting time of year as the Lakers look to be one of the top teams in the playoffs this year and absolutely have a chance of going the distance. But you gotta play 'em one game at a time, give it a hundred and ten percent, and the good Lord willing... things will work out. Thanks, Crash.

I was lucky enough to score a pair of tickets to Game 1 on Sunday against Denver so I will likely attempt some moderate form of liveblogging [similar to the Dodger game from last week] during the game. Look for that!

But for today, it's time for a Top Five Friday and with the buzz of NBA playoff action in the air, what better topic than...

TOP FIVE LAKER PLAYOFF MOMENTS

NOTE: Please be aware that I really didn't start watch the Lakers regularly til the mid-90s which'll eliminate a lot of the postseason moments you would ordinarily see on this kind of list as I really only want to list stuff that I actually saw as it happened.

5. Eternal Hangtime
This one probably only makes the list because I was actually at the game. In typical Laker fashion, they had managed to work themselves [either up or down] into a close finish in Game 2 of the 2000 Western Conference Semifinals. The timeout right before the end had everyone on their feet, going nutty at the possibility of a game-winner. Kobe had the ball at the top of the arc, slowly, slowly, then moving in. Near the corner at the top of the key, he elevated with Jason Kidd in his face, hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity, and double-pumped his way to a 97-96 win and a 2-0 lead in the series. It was the loudest I've ever heard the Staples Center crowd when I was in the building.


4. I Got This One
Game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals saw the Lakers and Pacers heading to Overtime. The Lakers were up 2-1 in the series and a win by the Pacers would have put the Purple And Gold on their heels with Game 5 in Indiana as well. Things looked dire for the Los Angeles Five that day as Shaq managed to foul out shortly into the overtime period and Kobe was playing on a sprained ankle. What followed was nothing short of a masterful performance by Kobe flying solo capped off by this:


3. .4 seconds
Like this one really needs explained. Game 5 of the 2004 Playoffs had the Lakers and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs meeting in the Western Conference Semifinals. The series was even with the winner of this game gaining a huge edge. The Spurs got a big basket with Tim Duncan making an incredible fadeaway jumper over Shaq leaving just .4 seconds on the clock and giving the Spurs a 73-72 lead. No one thought it could be done. Everyone knew that the entire Spurs team would blanket Kobe to prevent him from getting the ball. The Spurs got a big shot... the Lakers got a bigger one.



2. The Unbelievable Game 7
The 2000 Western Conference Finals saw Portland versus the Lakers in a breathtaking showdown. When all the dust had settled, it came down to a huge Game 7 in Los Angeles that I think every person in Southern California was watching. It was an epic struggle and somehow the Lakers found themselves down going into the fourth quarter... down big. Down 15 points against a team who had taken them to the limit, it had poor Laker fans like my beloved wife [future wife at that point] muttering to herself, "I'll be okay if they lose. It's going to be alright if they lose." But fortunately, we never had to find that out as the Lakers erased the 15 point lead and went beyond to take the victory. This insane fourth quarter also features one of the greatest baskets in Laker history... one of the most iconic moments in Los Angeles sports history with the Kobe to Shaq ally-oop dunk.



And the undisputed #1...

1. BIG...SHOT...BOB!
I... I just can't do it justice. Just watch.



Thank you, Vlade Divac, for the greatest assist of your career.

Uh oh

There's still a Top Five coming later today but in my unofficial role as the G.I. Joe movie watchdog, I must say...

"Uh oh"

Take a look.


First shot of Marlon Wayans as Ripcord. Where's the camo?! Seriously, I'd be okay with this... maybe... if it didn't get worse. At least I'm looking at the picture and not mocking him immediately. Let's keep going.


First shot of Channing Tatum as Duke. Again, it could be worse. It's not the original costumes for sure. It looks like Fox had a fire sale on the X-Men costumes after KILLING OFF MOST OF THE TEAM and Paramount reaped the benefits. When I joked about the black leather on Scarlett earlier this week, I didn't realize the whole team would be sporting it. The whole team except...
Ohhh my. Dennis Quaid as Hawk looks... well... uhhh... highly metro. What's with the fucking beret? Did someone pick up a Flint action figure and get confused? Where's the flat top, dammit? I'd say, "There's plenty of time to fix it" but apparently Quaid already done shooting so... whew. This image alone is enough to scare me horribly... or scar me... not sure which one.
Yeaaaaaaah. Well, at least they went all-white with the Storm Shadow costume. But where's the mask? And why does it look like he's wearing a trenchcoat?
Now _this_ looks right. She's the one that's supposed to be in skintight black leather! Ahh, I have a feeling her posters will be selling very well next year. Hell, I could probably sell them at Comic-Con this year for a bundle.
"Cover Girl is sporting this year's cutting edge trend in camo. Perfect for skulking in the jungles, sizing up a killshot, jogging on the beach on a misty morning, and cuddling by the fire with that special someone. Note the stylish watch - this girl won't be missing any dates any time soon! Available now on Page 21 of the J Peterman catalog. $89.95"

Larry Hama... take me away!

Oasis vs Jay Z - Let's Get It On!

I saw this news headline last night and I kept it open in my browser specifically so I could write about it today.

Everyone's heard of the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, right? It's pretty much the world's most famed music festival. In the 1970s, it hosted acts like David Bowie, Joan Baez, and T.Rex. In the 80s, when it became an annual show, it featured headliners like Elvis Costello, The Cure, New Order, and the Pixies. Moving into the 90s saw the Breeders, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Oasia, the Foo Fighters, Page And Plant, and even Dylan.

It's gone from one stage to a half dozen or so and really has become the biggest festival going. It traditionally sells out [well over 150k tickets] every year within a matter of hours, no matter if the lineup has been released or not.

This year? No sell out. In fact, there are about 40,000 tickets left.

Why? Some blame the poor weather for the past four years of the Festival.

Others, including Oasis' own Noel Gallagher blames the decision to make Jay Z one of the headliners.

You have to admit, Jay Z doesn't exactly fit in with the list of names above, does he? It sounds like they mean well by making him a headliner and are really going all out for it. Apparently, he is scheduled to appear at a Nelson Mandela birthday tribute the day before and will accompany Mandela to Glastonbury. Mandels himself will appear during Jay Z's set to address the crowd and the set will also feature guest appearances by Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, and Linkin Park - so there's definitely no lacking star power.

Noel says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you break it, people ain't gonna go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? ... No chance." He also argued that the inclusion of hip-hop at the festival goes against the tradition of the festival saying, "I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. No way. No. It's wrong."

One of the Festival co-organizers, Emily Eavis, argues that the festival has a long history of attracting rap acts citing Cypress Hill and The Roots as examples. Doing a quick scan of the Festival's previous lineups shows a Black Eyed Peas performance as well.

Then she struck hard saying, "There is also an interesting undercurrent in the suggestion that a black, U.S. hip-hop artist shouldn't be playing in front of what many perceive to be a white, middle-class audience. I'm not sure what to call it, at least not in public, but this is something that causes me some disquiet."

Ouch. I hope she wasn't planning on inviting Oasis to appear again anytime soon.

This actually kinda reminds me of the Warped Tour several years ago after a long period of strictly being punk/ska/etc. they invited Body Count and Eminem to appear on the lineup. That show did appear to be at a lower attendance level than previous years and I wondered then if it was a backlash because of the hip hop/rap acts being added. I thought both acts were a nice addition in hindsight but I could understand a lot of fans being upset by them being there.

Same goes with Jay Z. If I'm hoping for a Led Zeppelin appearance or Foo Fighters or R.E.M. and get Jay Z instead, no matter how cool "the moment" will be with his guest stars, I might be less inclined to go as well. And no, I don't think it's a race thing, I think it's a personal music choice thing.

March Mixtape: More Details

It occurs to me this morning that I probably should've given some more info about the March Mixtape rather than just throwing the link up and letting you play Musical Russian Roulette.

Soooooo... the bad news? It checks in somewhere over two hours.

The good news? Music from Leonard Cohen, Eddie Vedder, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Belle And Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Stevie Wonder, The Clash, Jackie Wilson, Kate Nash, Colin Meloy of the Decemberists, and many, many more.

So download it today so I don't feel bad for spending so much time working on it!

We've Seen Snakes, Now See Scarlett

EDIT: 4/15, 11 PM - Link went down. Back up now.




The leather costume reminds me a little too much of X-Men. Other than that, I have no complaints.

Thoughts?

Mixtape of the Month - March

Okay, okay... I'm past due. But I did warn you it would be a little late because I was working on something different for it.

And here it is.

This is the first Mixtape of the Month podcast. I decided a couple months ago that it just wasn't right that I would post this list of songs every month and give you no way to hear it. So, now you have a way to hear them.

You've also got me providing commentary between songs to do the usual Mixtape stuff... explain where I found it, why I dig it, etc.

Now, a warning...

This podcasting thing is very much a work in progress for me. I'm already on my second mic and I think I'm going to return it in the next couple days to get a headset mic. I recorded this edition on Apple's GarageBand program which seems to have given me mixed results. It was easy to use but it has left the volume levels lower than desired. You may have trouble hearing the recaps and reviews if you're not listening to this on earphones. I'll try to do better next time!

The good news is that I put this up in mp3 form so you can listen to it in the car, from afar, up against the minibar... wherever you so desire. Bad news? It's a little tough to hear and it's shockingly long. I didn't quite realize how long it would take me to ramble incoherently!

The music on it, in my opinion, is fantastic though so for most of you it's probably worth a listen.

For April's, I'm hoping to solve both the volume and length issues but we shall see.

Enjoy!

Mixtape Of The Month (March)

The Ten Demandments Of Dodger Fandom

EDIT - 4/15, 8:41 AM - Added the promised photos at the bottom

As you are all aware, I attended the Dodgers/Padres game on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. I entered the gates with excitement to see my first game of the season, with enthusiasm for the new season, and with hope that the home team would be able to avenge their bitter loss to Jake Peavy and his Padres the week prior.

I left the stadium disappointed, deflated, and embarassed.

And it wasn't because they lost [although that didn't help one bit.]

Somewhere around the seventh inning when the Dodgers were suffering a slight deficit on the scoreboard, a scattering of fans somewhere near us began chanting "PADRES SUCK!" We remarked with amusement that the chant was a tough one to get behind when we were losing. Soon, the crowd was abuzz and on their feet... but unfortunately, it wasn't looking at the field. Instead, they were looking at the aforementioned section of seats where apparently a Padres fan had taken offense to the chant.

Some predictable shit-talking had ensued and had now escalated to threats of physical violence. I've seen this kind of thing happen at the Stadium before. It's usually broken up in short order and people sink back into their seats a little embarassed by their actions. But this time, no security arrived for a long, long time. I later speculated they must have been waiting for backup because when they arrived, it was en masse. Some pushing and shoving, some screaming and shouting, some shirts removed, some severe posturing occurred. Security arrived... managed to get some control and were in the process of kicking both parties out when suddenly another scuffle broke out as someone else reached out to shove one of the parties getting kicked out. The whole scene probably took ten minutes or so to resolve itself and in the process, the Pads had chalked up another couple runs.

A family that was seated in front of us with their kids who were attending their first game, bailed out and fled the section. And who can really blame them? And to top it off, who knows if they'll be quick to come back next time?

So, like I said... I was embarassed to be wearing the same jersey as these jackasses who decided that they were willing to physically defend their team's honor at any costs. I was concerned that the Stadium's crowd has devolved down the evolutionary scale so badly. Over the years, the Dodger fans have slowly gained a worse and worse reputation and this is exactly why. I don't know if it's leftover Raiders fans who just came down the freeway [and yes, I know exactly how that sounds] or what.

I've seen it get worse and worse over the years. Now it seems like every time I go to the Stadium, I see someone get kicked out for trying to start a fight with an opposing team's fans. Really? Are you serious? I'm all for giving another team's fans shit in your home stadium but to actually try to get physically provoke them? Lifetime ban from the Stadium sounds appropriate to me.

I'll leave the security measures to the Stadium but something needs to be done before the Stadium empties out of kids and families and people are legitimately afraid to walk through the turnstiles.

With that in mind, I propose a little self-government. I've come up with a list of Ten Demandments - no, not Commandments because God knows we wouldn't want to be sacriligious but Demandments ala Hulk Hogan telling us to say our prayers, take our vitamins, believe in ourselves, and inject your 600mg of Deca-Durabolin daily. These are the Ten Demandments of Dodger Fandom - the rules that all Dodger fans should be required to follow for their own sanity and the sanity of those around them.


The Ten Demandments Of Dodger Fandom

1. Thou Shalt Keep Hands, Feet, Objects To Yourself
Obviously as the inspiration for this post, this is the first one... the biggie. Hey, I'm as big a fan as anyone in that Stadium and I've never felt the need to physically assault someone over the action of the field. I believe in the shit-talking. I believe in telling Padres fans that it's "cute" that their team hangs divisional title banners and that we'd do it if we had room next to all our World Championship banners. I believe in believing all Angels fans are bandwagon jumping whores who don't recognize the names of Donnie Moore, Brian Downing, and Doug DeCinces and I believe in letting them know that odds are high that I know more about their team then they do. But I also believe that that's as far it should go. No flinging peanuts at high velocities... no chocolate malts winged through the sky... no threats of physical violence... and absolutely no escalation to physical violence. If you can't beat them down with your words, you're not enough of a man to continue the battle so sit the fuck down and shut up.

2. Thou Shalt Leave The Beach Balls At The Beach
I have made it my personal mission to rid the Stadium of the beach ball. Any ball that comes near me is going over the railing if I have anything to say about it [and on Friday night, my friend Phil and I sent two of them over the edge.] It's disrespectful to the players on the field and to the other fans who are trying to watch and enjoy a baseball game. I didn't sign on to play beach ball when I buy my ticket so get the fucking things away from me.

3. Thou Shalt Not Do "The Wave"
Seriously, people. Los Angeles and Southern California in general are always supposed to be on the cutting edge... keeping up with the trends... all that shit. So why the hell do we perform like circus animals in our Stadium doing some kind of fan ritual that first popped up in the mid-80's. Do fans in other stadiums even do "The Wave" anymore? And it's just so fucking pathetic to watch the people in the pavillion try to get the damn thing started inning after inning repeatedly until people just give in and do it out of mercy. If the height of its popularity was an old TBS Superstation commercial in the 80's, it's probably time to give it up.

4. Thou Shalt Put Your Trash Under Your Seat
This is an easy one. Just chuck it under your chair. Don't try to shove it under the seat in front of you. Don't put it under your feet so people can't walk through the row without stepping in nacho cheese. Just stuff it under your seat and be done with it.

5. Thou Shalt Not Boo The Home Team
Man, I felt so bad for Andruw Jones on Friday night. Yes, he's struggling. Yes, we'll all spend the whole season tearing our hair out if he keeps hitting this way and makes that much money. But does booing him really help? You think that's going to inspire him to suddenly smack one out of the Stadium? It's just classless. Talk as much shit as you want about his performance but there's no need to boo him when he pops up in a clutch situation. Cheer the name on the front of the uniform if you can't cheer the one on the back.

6. Thou Shalt Not Keep Your Eyes Locked On Your Cellphone
Okay, I understand the need/desire to do it a bit. Hell, I even took the Blackberry with me to do some liveblogging and take some pictures. But I was doing it between innings for the most part. I've seen people spend the entire game with their eyes glued to their phone for whatever reason. What's the point? Stay home. In yesterday's game, there was a foul bowl hit in the Dugout Seats that some fool missed WHILE WEARING A GLOVE because he was too busy chatting on his cell phone. He got booed. See, HIM... you boo!

7. Thou Shalt Not Settle For Steamed Dodger Dogs
It may be an odd one but it's an important one! How could anyone settle for one of those boiled/steamed Dodger Dogs when you can walk twenty more feet away and pick up one of those awesome Grilled Dodger Dogs? Mmmmm. And more importantly, if everyone demands Grilled Dodger Dogs, eventually every stand will have them!

8. Thou Shalt Not Root For Injuries
I can't stand it when someone goes down on the field and the fans cheer. I can't stand hearing someone get excited at the fact that so-and-so went down with a torn hammy and will miss the upcoming big game. It all comes 'round in the end. It's bad karma if you believe in that sort of thing. If you don't, it's just in really poor taste and means you should probably be on one of the lower circle of Hell... or a Giants fan.

9. Thou Shalt Listen To Vin Scully When Given The Chance
Friday night was mini Helmet Radio night. They gave out these mini battery-powered radios with batteries that were pre-programmed to the Dodgers radio station. So, why were the people I with some of the only people in our section that ripped the boxes open to listen to Vinny call the game? The man is a treasure of the game and should be cherished as one. There was a time when I was a kid that people used to bring huge radios to the Stadium with them just so they could listen to Vinny while they were watching the game. You could hear his voice through the entire Stadium. Now? You're more likely to listen to someone discussing what happened on Grey's Anatomy the night before.

10. Thou Shalt Know Your Dodger History
Please, please, please make an attempt to know your Dodger History if you're going to hold yourself up as a Dodger fan. I'm not talking stats, dates, etc. although all those are nice. But at least have some kind of familiarity with the legends of the team's history. You should know names from the 90's like Mike Piazza and Eric Karros. You should know names from the 80's like Kirk Gibson, Fernando Valenzuela, Pedro Guerrero, and Orel Hershiser among others. You should know names from the 70s like Ron Cey and Steve Garvey. You should know names from the 60s like Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Maury Wills. And you really should even go further back like Johnny Podres, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, and so on and so. Come on, people. Just make a little effort. Don't be an Angels fan and not know who was on your team before... well, last week.

And that's that. Just to show that I'm not all piss and vinegar about the Dodgers now, here are a few pictures from Friday night that I wanted to share...

News & Reaction: Sports Edition

NEWS: Lakers can win top spot in West with win on Tuesday over Sacramento
REACTION: Seeding is usually so important in the NBA playoffs but with such a tough Western Conference, I'm not sure how much it matters this year. Even with a win of the top spot in the West, you could end up facing either Golden State, Denver, or Dallas. GS has given the Lakers nightmares this year. Denver is ever dangerous with Iverson and Carmelo both capable of dropping 40+ on any given night. And Dallas is a very deadly team. Dirk has seemingly been lights out in clutch situations all year long and while he's famous for having trouble translating that into the post-season, I'm not sure I'm willing to take that risk in the first round. Whoever it is, I will be in the Staples Center for Round One, Game One next weekend and hope to do a little liveblogging from the game.

NEWS: Dodgers lose 2-3 on the weekend to the Padres
REACTION: Ugh. Just plain ugh. This very easily could have been a weekend sweep - that's the bright side. The dark side is - this very easily could have been a weekend sweep... bu t the Dodgers couldn't get the job done! Friday night, I questioned some of the managerial decisions but the bullpen obviously faltered when it counted. Today, they were 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. In a one run game, that's just unacceptable. I still expect the team to turn things around but it's been a very rough start to the season for the Boys in Blue.

NEWS: Matt Serra vs GSP next weekend
REACTION: I'll be doing my UFC picks later in the week but I'm starting to get pretty psyched for this fight. GSP is easily a better fighter in the eyes of most but Serra pulled it off once so you just never know. I'm a fan of Matt Serra. I think he's genuinely a good guy and I'm happy to see him enjoying success. But a loss to GSP will have everyone calling him a fluke and send him down the ladder far and fast. It's going to be a tough one to win for Serra but I'll be pulling for him.

NEWS: Blue watches TNA PPV
REACTION: I did? Oh, that's right, I did! While I watched it through less than legal means and thus didn't contribute a dime to Panda Energy, I did check out the show in hopes of seeing one of my favs, Samoa Joe, win the TNA World Title. He did and I was pleased. Oh, and the rest of the show wasn't horrid either. It wasn't enough to make me want to buy the next one but it wasn't as bad as I expected either. And I want to make my early suggestion for Frank Trigg to IMMEDIATELY replace Don West as color man or at least join the team. It was such a refreshing change from West screaming "UNFREAKINGBEELIEVABLE" at every opportunity.

NEWS: Dodger fans need to follow 10 Commandments
REACTION: No, not _the_ Ten Commandments. Not "the original stone tablets that Moses brought down out of Mt. Horeb and smashed, if you believe in that sort of thing." What? Didn't any of you guys go to Sunday School... or watch Raiders Of The Lost Ark.. a lot? More on this tomorrow.