OHHHH LAKER FANS!

Game One was an amazing afternoon at Staples. We got downtown early as we haven't been to a game in a year or two and wanted some time to check out the Team LA store and just enjoy the day.

The downtown area is rapidly changing with new buildings being put up [our old parking lot was gone!] and old buildings being renovated to look damn spiffy. They still have a long way to go to get the area to a place where your average person would be cool walking down the street when there's not a game going on but... it's progress.

Staples looked awesome with purple and gold balloons by the entrance way. People were gathering around the Magic Johnson statue to take photos before the game including yours truly. After making our way inside, we stopped at the Team LA Store to check out the latest merch... along with every other member of Laker Nation it seemed. The place was PACKED to the roof with Laker fans already decked out in Laker gear looking to scoop up more. I saw a few things that I wanted but they were sold out in my size. The Missus did pick up a new Laker shirt though.

We made our way towards the escalators to get up to our seats. Upstairs, they had decorated the pillars along the walkway so I stopped to get a word of advice from the Zenmaster. Or maybe I was giving him some sound advice on taking advantage of the Nuggets' porous defense? You will never know!

We made our way through the concourse where they were offering free purple and gold hair dye and facepaint to anyone interested - a table that was JAMMED by the way. I chose not to partake as I had a funeral to attend yesterday and couldn't afford to have purple and gold hair dye not come out... yeah, that's why... not because I'm not a face painter. Let's go with that.

Inside the arena, the place was looking awesome. As mentioned previously, our seats were literally in the last row of the building right next to the retired jerseys and the banners. But Staples was designed to go up and not out so really, I've never had a bad seat for a game there. For $12 a seat, this was a perfect seat for me. The place slowly filled through the morning as the Lakers ran various hype videos on the big screen. One thing to note that I love about Staples is the out-of-town scoreboard also shows scores from other sports so I could keep an eye on the Dodger game during timeouts and the like. The Dodgers should take a cue on their boards because there are a ton of Laker fans in LA who would like to be able to keep an eye on the team during the Dodger games.

Couple shots from shootaround...


You already know most of my in-game thoughts from the Live Blog. Pau was amazing, Kobe did his part but for me, the real MVP of that game was Lamar Odom. He was absolutely everywhere in that game. He was dishing assists, he was scoring for himself, he was pulling down boards, he was playing D, he was hustling for loose balls. The team looked great for most of the game except for a few stints where they got sloppy.

The big controversy of the night I guess was the "DUI" chant. For the record, I didn't participate in it but I found it slightly amusing. The first time it happened, I thought it was funny. The other times? It got less and less amusing. By the end, I felt pretty bad for him though. Laker fans hated it when Kobe drew chants like that during his legal trouble so I would think they would feel some empathy for another player getting heat for his off-the-court actions. And if that's not enough, personally I wouldn't want to piss Carmelo off since he's perfectly capable of dropping a big game on us if he gets motivated. There's already talk on the Laker boards that the Nuggets fans are considering a chant in reply to point out Kobe's past problem... something that I think will end very badly for them but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Most of the in-game photos aren't worth posting since they're from so far away but I did catch some nice videos that I might put up later. They're big files so I don't feel like waiting right now.

After the game, we made our way out to Chick Hearn Drive where the post-game showing of Lakers Live was taking place with a ton of screaming Laker fans. We joined in, possibly getting on camera a couple of times as the camera panned the crowd. James Worthy came out on the outside deck above the crowd and waved a few times to a big cheer. And after a few more photos, we called it a day.

Big first win for the Lakers. Fifteen more to go, Laker fans!

UFC Picks Results

Let's take a look, shall we?

Going in to Saturday night...

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

And after?
I went 7 out of 11 for the show with a loss of -$50. Going 0 for 2 on the two main events really hurt me moneywise.

So, for the year...

35 out of 60 for .583 - still room for improvement
Moneywise - I'm still up $76.50 for the year

Be back later today with some Laker Game 1 thoughts and photos!

It's The Brain Pain, Coach

Just got home from a very long day. Woke up at 5 AM to pick up my Mom and take her to my Great Aunt's funeral up in Ventura. Just got home finally.

Too, too tired to think.

A sleepy gift from me to you in the form of one of my favorite TV moments ever.

You get Hoynes!



Be back tomorrow with UFC Picks Results and hopefully some actually quality photos from the Laker game.

15 more wins!

And we get to hang another one of these
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Heading for the 4th

BIG third quarter to take a 19 point lead. Keep it up

Guy is shooting a half courter for 230 thousand. Airballed badly. The ball landed around the top of the key. He missed a banked 3 for a two night stay at the Mirage too

Here comes the fourth! Go Lakers!
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At the half

Nice last 5 min of the half keeps the game close. Keys for the Lakers is tight D and good execution on offense. Don't fall in love with 3 and keep the ball moving in on the soft Denver D.

Halftime entertainment is some Russian acrobats that are pretty cool.

Looks like the Dodgers are losing again. Getting swept by Atl doesn't make me happy so I'm glad I have the Lakers to focus on while the Dodgers get out of their funk.
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End of 1

The wheels came off a bit at the end but they looked good most of the first. They need to stay sharp on transition though because the Nugs get out fast.

Funniest moment so far? DUI chant at Carmelo at the line - funny but soooooo wrong
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We're in!

Last row of the building but if they ever turn this place around, we'll be in the front row!
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Game on! Playoff edition

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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.

Believe It... Or Not!

Where the hell is John Davidson when you need him?

We just got home and I'm wiped out. So this is all you get tonight...



Like I said before I saw it, it can't be real...

...right?

WTF

I'm so ready to be proven wrong but I don't get not hitting for Penny with a runner on third when he has over 80 pitches and just got rocked.
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Buyer's Remorse

Someone who regretted their purchase almost immediately
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IMG00039.jpg

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Game bloggin'

In the parking lot before the game.

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Game On!

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Top Five Friday: Music Street Cred

I just failed in scoring pre-sale tickets to Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl and oddly, that doesn't really do much to disappoint me. I really think I was more enamored with the idea of selling the tickets at a hefty profit than I was of actually attending the show.

You see, while there may be many, many different reasons for it, Radiohead has always fell into that category of "Bands I'm Supposed To Really Like But Just Can't Get Into."

So, as I was sitting here thinking of that, inspiration struck and I proudly present (while being fully aware I'm about to butcher my music street cred)...

TOP FIVE BANDS I'M SUPPOSED TO REALLY LIKE BUT JUST CAN'T GET INTO!

5. Radiohead
Okay, I have to admit here. I just don't get it. Yeah, there are a handful of Radiohead songs that I dig and I'm sure there would be a bunch more if I took the time to seek them out but Radiohead's not exactly a band that makes me weak at the knees at the thought of them. And I know everyone goes ga-ga over them and the fact that a ticket that sold 20 minutes ago for $39 is already over $250 online should prove that people really, really like them. But I'm just not one of them... and that kills my indie street cred. #5a would be the Flaming Lips who fit the same category. I've had multiple people tell me the Lips were the best concert they ever attended... and I just can't imagine that.

4. Led Zeppelin
Egads. I just butchered my music street cred but... it is what it is! I like some Zep stuff, I truly do. But on the whole, I just don't buy into them as the great legendary rock band that everyone else does. This one I almost feel is a lack of exposure issue but... well, they haven't exactly inspired me to rush out and "get exposed" to them. I'd still love to see them live though... for dueling reasons, 1 - I'd love to be able to say that I had and 2 - sometimes seeing a band live gives you a new appreciation for them [see: Primus]

3. KISS
This is right there with #4 except there are even less KISS songs that I like. Again, this may be a lack of exposure and everyone I know who has seen them live swears that if you haven't seen them live, you can't appreciate them. But the odd thing about their live show is that you always hear about the pyro, the zany effects, and blood spitting... not the music. In a confession that will further damage my street cred, I went to a Limp Bizkit/Eminem show some years ago with the goal primarily of seeing Limp Bizkit. It was that one show where Durst and his boyz relied on cheap theatrics, effects, and pyro over letting their music do the talking for them that soured me on the band. Of course, the later realization that their music talking for them would have been a VERY bad idea didn't help matters. Side note: Eminem was far and away the best performer to take the stage that night and I'm very happy that I got to see him live.

2. The Ramones
Ahhh, the Ramones - the godfathers of punk rock. My problem with the Ramones dates back to 1995 when I saw them open for Pearl Jam two nights running. I had such high expectations for the Ramones going into that show. They were replacing Bad Religion [one of my favs back then] as the opening act so there was a lot of pressure on them in my eyes. I knew their reputation but had heard very little of their music. I was all stoked as the lights went down and the music came up. And what my 19 year old brain heard was a cacophony of what sounded like the same song over and over and over, only broken up by Joey Ramone stopping to shout "ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!" It was maddening and the second night only made it worse. I really couldn't listen to the Ramones for years after that and it's only fairly recently that I've started to dabble in them again.

1. The Dave Matthews Band
Oh, sweet Jesus. Everyone worships at the altar of the Dave Matthews Band. For years, I fought the wave of DMB fans, arguing that he just wasn't that good as people wandered around praising the glory of "Satellite" or "Crash." Occasionally, he'd put out something that I thought was passable but had no desire to cream myself over. And then the fall-back argument that almost all fans of any type of music will use when confronted with a non-believer... "You have to see them live." I had no desire to do so and never would have... except for a couple years ago at Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit show. I was going for Pearl Jam. I was going for the Foo Fighters. I was going for Death Cab. And I was even going for Trent Reznor. What I was not going for was the Dave Matthews Band and as he went on right before Neil Young, guaranteeing most people would stick around for his set, I knew why. He "treated" the fans to what seemed like an eternity-in-Purgatory-long set where every song seemed to devolve into a jam session. I felt like I was watching Phish or the Dead except I'd forgotten to lick the stamp and as a result, I was dead sober for one of the worst sets I've ever seen in my life... and that comes from someone who has seen Johnny Gill turn a 4 minute "My, My, My" into a 10 minute version simply by repeating the title ad nauseum.

I hate the Dave Matthews Band with a passion so there is no doubt that they EASILY take the top spot on this list.

Off to the Dodger game tonight. Will be gone most of the day tomorrow as well so expect a really early or really late post.

EDIT: Fuck Radiohead. I just scored two tickets to Flight of the Conchords in LA in May! Ohhh, glorious day! And if you're not down with that, I've got three words for ya...

Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

TV IS BACK!

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News And Reaction: The Entertainment Version

Not a whole lot striking my interest to write about tonight so... a handful of little topics!

NEWS: NBC Puts Office Spinoff On Fall Schedule
REACTION: My immediate reaction is: "Cool! Another series by the Office creators! That'll rock!" My second reaction is... "Wait, the showrunners have no idea on what to do for a spinoff? And the network put it on the schedule anyways? That's... fucked." My biggest problem with is is that I'd be concerned that The Office would get watered down - that the creators would be so overworked, the quality level would slip. We already saw that a bit with all the hourlong episodes earlier this season and they've got more "super-sized" episodes coming next season. I hope they know what they're getting into.

NEWS: Lost May Be Getting One More Hour This Season
REACTION: Ohhhh hellllll yeah! More Lost = it's all good in the hood. Since Lost came back on in early '07, it has been nothing short of spectacular and it seems like it's only getting better. Whether it's an extra episode or a two hour finale, it's all golden, baby.

NEWS: Oprah On 30 Rock?
REACTION: Ohhhh fuuuuuuck no! I hate Oprah - hate her with every fiber of my being. Hate her in every way possible that you can hate a celebrity who has no major impact on your life. But god dammit, woman... you ruin enough of the world of television, don't you dare step foot on my 30 Rock!

NEWS: Script Pages Leak From Stone's Movie About Bush
REACTION: I was curious to see it actually. I love JFK so I was wondering where Stone would take a movie about Bush. On the first page, Bush calls Rove "Turdblossom." I'll let that sink in for a bit. Turdblossom. That news either makes this the greatest movie of all time or the worst thing to hit the silver screen since King Arthur. Discuss amongst yourselves.

NEWS: Fight Club: The Musical?
REACTION: No f'n shit. From MTV Movie News online, I discover an article saying that David Fincher wants to do a Broadway musical version of Fight Club for the 10th anniversary of the movie. And if that's not cool enough news, he intends to secure the services of Trent Reznor to write the music for it. Excuse me? Can we change that "no f'n shit" to "HOLY F'N SHIT!" This is one of the coolest pieces of news that I've seen in ages.

She's Rockin' The Suburbs

10 year old Japanese girl rocks the feather boa...

...and then ROCKS YOUR FACE OFF!

Superman vs Wolverine!

Impossible, you say?

Imagine the not-so-distant future. You race into your local comic store on Wednesday, quickly looking over the racks to find your favs. Captain America is back... and yes, it's an alive Steve Rogers. Batman's in some kind of grave danger and questioning his role in society... check. Spider-man is back to being a mystery and the Punisher is still killing people.

You grab for the latest edition of the Justice League of America. The team is engaged in some major battle... all the major players are involved... Batman, Wonder Woman, GL, Flash... there seems like there's someone missing though. Can't quite place who but something just doesn't seem quite right.

You pick up all the Superman books. They're all still there. But again, something's just a little different. The numbering of the books seems off too and the logo is... hrmm.

You're flipping through the pages of the Superman issue. Was that Nick Fury? Couldn't have been.

You grab for a copy of the Avengers. Yep, they're all there too. Cap, Thor, Iron Man... hey, who's the guy with the big "S" on his chest? That's weird.

As you reach the register, there's a giant pile of books that are among the most-hyped. You look at the cover... it's a shot of Wolverine attempting to shove his claws into the guts of Superman. It's a beautifully done cover and as you marvel [no pun intended] at the company cooperation... you notice no DC logo on the book. It's Marvel only.

And you wake up with a start! Whew, that was a close one. A world where Marvel controlled Superman? Now _that_ was a dream... or a nightmare.

Or was it?

A couple weeks ago, Warner Bros lost a lawsuit to determine who owned the rights to Superman. The court ruled the rights belonged to the heirs of Siegel and Schuster, the original creators.

What's that mean?

Well, it means that the heirs could tell WB to shove it and kill any upcoming Superman film properties.

It also means, in five years time when the contract expires, they could very well sell the comic book rights to Marvel.

Will it happen? Probably not.

But Superman gone from the JLA? The Big Three becomes the Big Two? Marvel gets the Man of Steel?

The mind boggles at the possibilities.

Blue's Concert Calendar [updated!]

It's been a few weeks so I thought I'd go ahead and update this and shed some bitter tears at the idea that I already missed Bon Jovi in town and will miss Springsteen tonight and tomorrow. Damn this money thing! Wouldn't life be grand if we could all live the Bohemian lifestyle? If the world was all one big cast of Rent, then maybe we could not sit around all the time and complain about our jobs.

Ahhhh, dare to dream.

April
-----
4/7-8 - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band @ The Pond
4/9 - Bon Jovi & Daughtry @ Staples Center
4/12-13 - Eddie Vedder & Liam Finn @ The Wiltern
4/15 - The Nightwatchman + Friends @ The Troubadour
4/16-17 - Eels @ The El Rey
4/24 - Rilo Kiley @ Glass House in Pomona
4/28 - I'm From Barcelona @ The El Rey
4/28 - Colin Meloy @ The Henry Fonda

May
---
5/6 - Laura Veira/Liam Finn @ The Echo
5/13 - Port O'Brien, Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin @ The Echo
5/15 - Eisley @ The El Rey
5/17 - Eisley @ Glass House
5/27 - The Police @ Hollywood Bowl
5/28 - Mates of State @ Henry Fonda
5/29 - R.E.M. @ Hollywood Bowl
5/30 - Flight Of The Conchords @ The Orpheum

June
----
6/25 - Tom Petty @ Hollywood Bowl

July
----
7/11-12 - Ricky Gervais @ Kodak Theatre
7/16 - Journey, Heart, and Cheap Trick @ Irvine Meadows

August
------
8/1 - Rod Stewart/Bryan Adams @ The Venue Formerly Known As Irvine Meadows
8/22 - Tom Petty @ Verizon Wireless
8/29-30 - John Williams @ Hollywood Bowl

September
---------
9/6 - Nine Inch Nails @ The Forum

GI Joe Vs Transformers

Ahhh, remember the days of yore when Marvel released a GI Joe versus The Transformers miniseries? Good times. And then years later, when both comics had been relaunched by Devil's Due, they repeated it? Not as good of times. Although it did inspire killer statues like...



Anyways... on this very late Sunday night, I thought I'd review a handful of news and rumors about the upcoming GI Joe movie as well as the Transformers sequel [which I can't read much about because my lazy ass still hasn't watched the first one... but I do own it on DVD so I'm one step closer - besides, can it really be any better than Transformers: The Movie where millions of innocent children collectively gasped around the world when Starscream said "shit?"] that have made their way across the Interweb in the past few days.

** DEVASTAAAAATOR!
Rumors are running rampant that the Constructicons will be in the Transformers sequel with the news that set fanboys all atwitter that yes, where the Constructicons go, DEVASTATOR is sure to follow. Now, if only we can get the Dinobots involved.

** "Latino Review reports that Brendan Fraser has filmed what sounds like a cameo as Gung Ho in G.I. Joe, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been offered the role of Shipwreck."
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! How many god damn Joes do we need in this flick? Brendan Fraser?!? ENCINO MAN?!?! Have these people even fucking seen a Gung Ho action figure? Gung Ho is all beefy and brawny and asskickingly cool. Brendan Fraser is the guy who pissed himself when he saw the ocean in Blast From The Past [a highly underrated flick where Ms. Silverstone (if you're nasty) is scorching hot]... he is not Gung Ho.



The Rock as Shipwreck? Barring any racially motivated "that's not rights" - I can sorta see it. BUT I DON'T NEED TO! HOW HARD IS THIS MOVIE TO MAKE?! You needed Hawk, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, Stalker, and maybe a couple more to start with. Gung Ho would have been fine to add to the group... SIX MONTHS AGO! You don't need the cavalcade of Joes who're going to be on screen too quickly to notice or too shallow to give a shit about. Did no one learn anything from that X-Men 3 rubbish?

** Logo for GI Joe movie goes active
Apparently discovered at a toy show, here you go...



I'm filled with large amounts of indifference. It's not exactly inspiring me to do cartwheels, pull all my toys out of the closet, and support Sgt. Slaughter blindly in all that he does. You know what bugs me about it? It's that fucking star. It reminds me of the scene in LA Story [another criminally underrated movie] where Sarah Jessica Parker [before she was famous] and Steve Martin are on a date. He asks her for her name and she replies it's "Sandy"... or so you think! When Martin replies that it's nice to meet a girl with a normal name unlike all the people with weird names now like Tiffany spelled with a p-h-i or instead of Nancy, it's Nanceen. Sandy replies that her name is SanDeE... with that exact capitalization... and that there's a star at the end. And that my friends, is what I think of the GI Joe movie logo.

It's shiny, fancy, and has a star randomly fucking placed for IMPACT. And yes, the old logo had a star but I'm standing firm in my belief that this star blows ass... you may quote me.

Gah... I thought there was more. That's all I've got!

Back tomorrow with a crazy-ass story about Superman that you do NOT want to miss!

How's that for a teaser?

Eeeks!

Just got home from a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn[wait for it]nnnnnnnnnnnnnnng day that started innocently enough with a little shopping and plans to visit IKEA... maybe a little Bed Bath And Beyond [I'm not sure if we'll have time!] devolved into a barrage of technological insanity.

First, a phone call. "I just bought a ton of electronic equipment and I need your help in assembling. Can you drop everything you had planned for the day and assist?" Me, being the extraordinary friend and world-class human being that I am? "Umm...err... ummm... well, okay, I guess."

I arrive to find a new TV... a PS3... a new DVD Recorder... a new quasi-surround sound system and more gold-plated cabling than you can shake a stick at. Oh, and did I mention a new stand for said equipment that needed to be built?

Hours later, all equipment was installed, connected, and powered on... but as typically happens in such an install, there was one quirk... one monkey in the wrench. There was no sound.

I plugged and unplugged cables. I played with settings on the TV. I played with settings on the sound system. I stared blankly like Festus from Friday Night Smackdown as I tried to run the cables in my brain to see where the problem lied. I started drinking, searching for liquid inspiration.

And in the end?

It works. And I'm tired.

Quite the day!

You'll excuse me if you call me tomorrow and "it goes to voicemail."

Just kidding...

...maybe.

Oh, by the way, I fucking hate Jake Peavy.

Top Five Friday

Ok, ok... time is ticking.

By suggestion...

Top Five NBA MVP Candidates!

5. Tim Duncan
How do you not have Tim Duncan listed on any listing of MVP candidates? You can list your Dwight Howards for taking Orlando to the division title or your Tracy McGradys for that incredible winning streak or your Steve Nashs for keeping Phoenix near the top again but in the end, it's still Tim Duncan... the Spurs are still one of the best teams in the league... and he's still one of the best players in the game. He automatically makes this list for me easily.

4. Lebron James
Honestly, I'm not all that impressed with Cleveland. They made the playoffs, sure, but they're squeaking in as a four seed in an absolutely abysmal Eastern Conference. You can't deny that he's a great player and that Cleveland would be horrific without him but... come on, they're not _that_ good to bestow the MVP on him.

3. Kevin Garnett
You gotta give someone credit for the Celtics being so great this year and I guess KG is a better choice than Ray Allen, right? It's hard to really gush all over him though considering he did join Allen and Paul Pierce. Put those three on any team and I gotta think they're very competitive. I don't think KG's done enough individually to lift that team up to be worthy of the MVP nor is he the best player in the game.

2. Chris Paul
Where you run into an issue here is when you determine what makes an MVP to you. Is it the best player in the game or is it the player that if you took him off his team, his team is a low lottery team? Chris Paul has done an absolutely incredible job with the Hornets and if they managed to finish the season in the top spot of the Conference, I would have absolutely no issues with him as the MVP. I can't really make an argument against him other than he's not the best player in the game.

1. Kobe Bryant
Now, _he_ is the best player in the game. You can argue that he lifted the Lakers into the top spot in the West [with the help of a rapidly developing Andrew Bynum]. Those two things together should be enough to win the MVP for him unless the Lakers bottom out before the season's end. Kobe and Chris Paul are #1/2 in my mind and are almost interchangeable. It's hard to pick one over the other... extremely hard but with my heart wearing purple and gold, I'm picking Kobe as the MVP.

Diversity Day

Running a few errands this afternoon and I thought I'd remotely share 5 Things iPod About You.

With the iPod on random, the first five artists I listened to were Eazy E, Kid And Play, Creedence, The Four Tops, and the Aquabats.

Ahhh, sweet sweet diversity!
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UFC Picks Results

Ugh. Pretty sure I bombed on this one. Haven't checked for sure yet though.

Here's where I was before the show:

21 out of 37 for the year for .568
Moneywise - +86.50 for the year

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

Money! Money! Yeaaaah! Yeaaaah!
And I actually increased my average. Neato mosquito.

Next picks event is for the UFC PPV where I will likely be rooting for Matt Serra over that dastardly Canadian GSP.

PICK: David over Goliath via slingshot in Rd 2

Yes, it's that time again. There's a UFC Fight Night tonight so it's time to continue the ongoing drama of Blue's 2008 UFC Picks.

First, let's see how I'm doing so far this year...

21 out of 37 for the year for .568
Moneywise - +86.50 for the year

A looooooooooooot of fights tonight. 12 fights, good grief. Alright, let's get crackin', son!

Location: Broomfield, Colo.
Venue: Broomfield Event Center
Broadcast: Spike TV

PRELIMINARY CARD
---
Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer
ODDS: Speer -220, Johnson +180
Johnson is 4-1 coming off a loss to Rich Clementi. Speer is 9-2 coming off a loss to Mac Danzig. This one really could go either way. I'm going with Speer since he has the experience edge.
PICK: Tommy Speer via TKO (strikes in Rd 1)
BET: None

Roman Mitichyan vs. George Sotiropoulos
ODDS: Mitichyan +160, Sotiropoulos -200
Mitichyan is 5-1 coming off a three fight win streak - no one of note on his record though. George is 8-2 and is on a two fight win streak. I'm going with George.
PICK: George via submission [RNC in Rd 2]
BET: None

Samy Schiavo vs. Clay Guida
ODDS: Guida -600, Schiavo +400
Schiavo is 10-4 on a six fight win streak. Clay Guida met my friends Phil & Stacy recently - oh, and he's 22-9. He's got a real spotty record though with losses to Huerta, Griffin, and Din Thomas of all people in 2007. Just because I know it'll piss Phil off, I'm picking the upset!
PICK: Samy Schiavo via TKO (strikes in Rd 1)
BET: $15 on Schiavo to win $60

Jeff Cox vs. Manny Gamburyan
ODDS: Cox +500, Manny -800
Cox is 9-4 with a spotty track record. Manny is 7-2 with one of the losses that fluke shoulder injury in the Diaz fight. This looks like a setup to build Manny back up. I'm picking Manny but the bet on Cox is worth a shot.
PICK: Manny via submission (guillotine in Rd 2)
BET: $15 on Cox to win $75

Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas
ODDS: Neer +!60, Thomas -200
Neer is 23-6-1 in his first fight back in the UFC since August of '06. Since then, he's fought seven times - fighting six times in 2007. Impressive. Thomas is 20-7 coming off a first round loss to Kenny Florian. I'm thinking Neer is the hungrier fighter right now and I'm picking the slight upset.
PICK: Josh Neer via decision
BET: None

Marcus Aurelio vs. Ryan Roberts
ODDS: Marcus -800, Roberts +500
Jeez. Another long odds fight. Marcus is 15-5 but only fought twice in 2007 - a loss to Guida and a win over a scrub. But he's beaten Gomi once and taken him to a decision a second time - an impressive feat. Roberts is 8-2 coming in on a two fight win streak to make his UFC debut. I'm picking Maximus to win but I'm tempted by the long odds as usual.
PICL: Marcus Aurelio via submission (armbar in Rd 1)
BET: $15 on Roberts to win $75

TELEVISED CARD
---
Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard
ODDS: Edgar -220, Maynard +180
Edgar is 8-0 coming off a win over Spencer Fisher. Maynard's 4-0. A battle of the undefeated. I'm a little more impressed with the competition that Edgar has faced so far so I'm picking a win for him.
PICK: Edgar by decision
BET: None

Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino
ODDS: Diaz -145, Pellegrino +115
Very close odds on this one. Diaz is 8-2 on a three fight win streak. Pellegrino is 11-3 with some decent names on his record. Diaz has looked unstoppable in his last few fights so I'm going with him.
PICK: Diaz by decision
BET: None

Houston Alexander vs. James Irvin
ODDS: Houston -250, Irvin +190
Ahhh... Houston Alexander. The world wanted to make him a superstar so badly after the two surprise KOs but Thiago Silva brought him back down to Earth. This will probably be the fight that decides if Dana keeps Houston around. Irvin is 13-4 but doesn't have the most impressive record against anyone with a name (although he does have a NC on his record for a fight against Bobby Southworth where they both fell from the cage... good shit.) I think Houston realizes if he loses here, he's probably gone and will fight accordingly.
PICK: Houston by TKO (strikes in Rd 1)
BET: None

Tim Boetsch vs. Matt Hamill
ODDS: Hamill -180, Boetsch +150
Hamill is 3-1 and is coming off that bullshit decision loss to Bisping. I expect he'll be out to prove a point tonight. Boetsch is 7-1 and this is his "reward" for stepping into a late fight with David Heath back in Feb. He'll be hungry to make sure he can stay in the UFC. I'm guessing this'll be quite the slugfest.
PICK: Hamill by TKO (strikes in Rd 2)
BET: $25 on Hamill to win $14

Thiago Alves vs Karo Parisyan
ODDS: Karo -170, Alves +140
Thiago is 13-3 and on a four fight win streak. Karo is 18-4 on a three fight win streak. Both men are looking to get in the picture to fight the winner of Serra/GSP. Karo also serves in kind of a gatekeeper role for the division so this should be an interesting fight. Karo gets treated as an afterthought but he's no pushover. He's got wins over some top guys in the division.
PICK: Karo by decision
BET: None

Kenny Florian vs Joe Lauzon
ODDS: KenFlo -185, Lauzon +155
I love me some Kenny Florian. He's 8-3 on a three fight win streak and is looking to get the winner of Sherk/Penn. Lauzon is 16-3 on a six fight win streak including his stunning win over Jens Pulver. This should be an excellent fight and really could go either way quite easily. I'm gonna be like George Michael though... I'm gonna have faith in my boy KenFlo.
PICK: Florian by submission [RNC in Rd 2]
BET: $30 to win $16

And that's that. Check back tomorrow to see how I did.

March Mixtape + Stuff

Firstly, I want to announce that the March Mixtape is going to be delayed for a few days or so. The songs are selected but I REALLY want to do something different with it and I don't have the equipment to do so at the moment. I'm hoping to have that resolved by the weekend.

Now, with that out of the way... some random randomness to get you through the day...

NEWS: Dennis Quaid wraps on GI Joe
REPLY: Well, the interesting thing about that is that the production moved to the Czech Republic where I presume they will shoot action footage. That makes me curious. Does that mean Hawk isn't in any of the battle scenes? If so, that's a unique creative choice. Not bad nor good... just unique. On a side "NEWS", the actor playing Storm Shadow completed his first scenes on set recently. I'm stoked to see him in costume.

NEWS: DODGERS WIN!
REPLY: 1 down, 161 to go. It was a great Opening Day with a great win over the arch-rival Giants but perhaps more entertaining, a tremendous pre-game ceremony with tons and tons of former Dodgers in the house for it. Even a first pitch from Sandy Koufax. Just awesome.

NEWS: Ric Flair retires
REPLY: The last twenty minutes of Raw were perhaps the greatest 20 minutes of Raw ever. It was so emotional, as stirring, as moving of a segment that professional wrestling is capable of. Old friends, old rivals, people inspired by the man, people who aspired to be "the man" - everyone was present for without a doubt the greatest farewell I've ever seen. Even non-wrestling fans should watch those 20 minutes and I defy you to not at least feel a tug on your heartstrings. Thanks for the memories, Ric... one last time.

NEWS: Dolly Parton Night on AI
REPLY: Oh god. I don't think I've ever looked forward less to American Idol.

NEWS: The Ultimate Fighter starts tomorrow night
REPLY: Could be good, could be bad. Ask me Thursday.

That oughta do it for today. Evenin', folks!

GAME ON!

I am quite drained from the emotional roller coaster of the Ric Flair retirement yesterday but not enough to not be extremely psyched for Opening Day today. Of course, some would argue it's not really Opening Day since the Sox and A's opened the season in Japan last week. Or some might argue that since the first stateside game was last night, this is just another day in the season.

To me, the first day the Dodgers play is always Opening Day. And there's just nothing quite like opening the season at home.

I love going to Opening Day. The stadium always looks so beautiful on that first day - like an old friend you haven't seen in six months. You can smell the fresh cut grass when you walk in. Your neck cranes from left to right to pick up those little [or major] changes made over the off-season. The people are excited - there's the "audacity of hope" in the air that you are about to start a World Championship season. I've always imagined that feeling being echoed in ballparks all over the United States on Opening Day - even in places like Kansas City and Tampa Bay where their chances are slim and none with slim scheduled to be contracted along with Minnesota - but that the hope is there nonetheless. For at least just that one day, they can imagine their team in the World Series battling for the championship.

And the Dodger Dogs, oh my god, the Dodger Dogs. You can smell them from a mile away... as soon as you get parked and cast your first glance on Blue Heaven On Earth, you can seemingly smell the greatest hot dog in professional sports. It's not a "Friar Frank"... it's not a "Halo Dog"... it's not a... hey, in Oakland, do they call their hot dog "A Dog?" It's the Dodger Dog. The hot dog that the Good Lord Almighty himself [if you believe in Moses bringing down the Ten Commandments, you know, the actual stone tables and smashing them into dust... if you believe in that sort of thing] reached down from the heavens and deposited into the grandest cathedral in all of baseball.

I'm heading out the door [sadly not to the game] shortly so before I go... a quick [maybe] story of my favorite Opening Day...

The year was 2005. And we had decided to buy a Dodgers "mini-plan" of tickets that would give us 4 tickets to games throughout the season... including Opening Day. The audacity of hope was in the air that season, having just battled into the playoffs the season prior.

The drama starts days before the game as two of the people scheduled to attend the game with us, two of Mrs. Blue's siblings [names withheld to protect the innocent... AND THE GUILTY!], announce they may be unable to attend. They ask us to find replacements for them. Mrs. Blue fills one slot with another sibling and I offer the final to Poff Daddy. He agrees and we're set.

The night before the game, Poff Daddy pulls what is known in circles as "The Poff Flake." He starts with a wishy-washy excuse... something about traffic is possible. Then the excuses get more bizarre... he starts accusing the Dodgers of not being worth driving that far to see because... well, Paul LoDuca had been traded among others. Eventually, it turns into, "I'm not that much of a baseball fan anyways. Give it to someone else." With literally less than 24 hours til game time, we give up and just assume that ticket will be wasted.

The next morning we get off to a late start driving to the game because... well, because it's Mrs. Blue and her sister which automatically means we'll be late to anything. Traffic is predictably snaggled which makes for a slow-go and I start getting a little nervous. As someone who can't stand missing the previews at the movies, the idea of missing the opening ceremonies on Opening Day has me nearly pulling my hair out. At some point, I turn the radio on so I can at least hear the awards being given out.

We're getting closer, battling the Los Angeles traffic, as the game ticks closer as well. We emerge into the Dodger Stadium parking lot with just minutes before game time - ordinarily a fairly easy task but on this particular Opening Day, there was absolutely not a single parking space to be found. While scouring two filled lots, the Dodgers fall behind early with starter Derek Lowe giving up a home run and putting the Dodgers down 5-0 before they even come to the plate. Ultimately, I end up parking in a place that's basically an empty space between two lots. I am assured by a random parking attendant that I won't get towed. I cross my fingers and head for the turnstiles.

By the time we reach our seats, I'm quite grumbly. I'm bitching about the fact that I took the day off work for this and that I can't even get to my seats before the fourth inning. The top of the 4th arrives, I sit down in my seat with my Dodger Dog that I really can't even enjoy. The Dodgers are down... not huge but enough that I'm pissed off and there's no changing that.

They rally here and there, chipping away but coming up short. I'm disgusted by the team, I'm disgusted by the day - at this point I just want to go home and wallow in my misery. I'm so annoyed that when Mrs. Blue's brother arrives at the stadium to claim the final seat, I actually volunteer to go up and give him the ticket so I don't have to watch the game.

By the time we reach the bottom of the ninth and the place has thinned out greatly, the score is 8-5... not insurmountable but for a team with notoriously questionable offense, it's not looking good and I'm still in a pretty foul mood. The Giants bring in Armando Benitez and my mood is not improving.

But they kept chipping away and soon, Milton Bradley came to the plate with a 8-7 score and a mentally drained home crowd finding a little life in their hearts to try and root the much-maligned Bradley on.

A shot to left field seems to be a single that'll tie the game...

...and it shoots right under the left fielder's glove, allowing one more run to come home and putting the Dodgers in first place with a score of 9-8. The players were thrilled, Bradley being mobbed by the team. The fans were jumping up and down all over the stadium, hugging and high-fiving random strangers like we had just won the division... not the championship mind you, the division. I can't even imagine what people will do to strangers the day that World Championship returns to Dodger Stadium...

...but hopefully I'll have an answer to that in six months.

It was one of my favorite days in Dodger Stadium in all the years I've been going there and in the end, it proves the moral of my story.

On Opening Day, everyone can... and should... have the audacity of hope.

Play ball.

The Tingle

I said a week or so ago that Wrestlemania this year didn't have the feel yet. It didn't have "the buzz."

Now, with hours to go, I've got the tingle. The feeling of anticipation. The hype going through the roof. The knowledge that we're just hours away from the once a year extravaganza.

It's slowly been building over the past week but sometime in the past two days, I just felt it. I could feel the tingle and knew I was ready for the biggest spectacle in "sports entertainment."

And with the tingle going strong, that leaves only one thing left to do.

PREDICTIONS AND FANTASY BOOKING!

Let 'er rip!

ECW TITLE BATTLE ROYAL
Lots of big bodies in there. Not too many that they'd want to put on PPV. With the outdoor setting, I gotta imagine the effects guys are going crazy with what they could do with Kane's entrance.
SHOULD BE: Kane - someone around that long deserves the big PPV bonus. My runner-up in a "he deserves better than he's gotten" is Stevie Richards.
WILL BE: Kane - gotta imagine they want the fire entrance on PPV and he's really the only guy they can put in with Chavo at Mania and have the crowd care.

ECW TITLE MATCH - Chavo Guerrero vs Kane
This seems like a good time to go away from the pretty bad Chavo push. Kane as the ECW champ doesn't do much for me but it might draw a few more eyeballs to ECW and at minimum, would seem to put the ECW Title on a higher level than it currently is.
SHOULD BE: Kane - not much left to do with Chavo in that spot
WILL BE: Kane - big men = ratings in Vince's mind

BUNNYMANIA - Ashley/Maria vs Beth Phoenix/Melina
I'm not about to go back and look but has the Playboy cover girl ever lost her Mania match? Ideally, this match is used to have someone pin Beth to set her up for a title shot. But Ashley and Maria aren't what I'd have in mind for that. Maybe a Mickie James interference? They kinda went away from that angle though. This match would've been a hundred times better if Lawler was on the face side and Santino was with the heels in the ring.
SHOULD BE: Ashley/Maria with outside help from someone ready to go for the title
WILL BE: Ashley/Maria with lots of bad wrestling and Snoop Dogg getting to lay out Santino.

BELFAST BRAWL - Finlay vs JBL
How do you not have the avenging father win here? Expect a Hornswoggle return to help Finlay... maybe. I saw somewhere online someone suggest the idea that Hornswoggle turn on Finlay because he's mad that Finlay never told him that he was his father... that he used him to embarrass Vince, etc. I'm not opposed to that idea but I just don't know where that goes. Hornswoggle with JBL? Hornswoggle with Vince? Actually, JBL playing Raven to Finlay's Sandman with Hornswoggle as Tyler would be pretty cool. Hornswoggle throwing little Clotheslines From Hell. Hrmm... I like it!
SHOULD BE: JBL wins with Hornswoggle interference to further the feud because I could watch JBL and Finlay face off for months.
WILL BE: Finlay wins with Hornswoggle interference

Batista vs Umaga
I think this match is going to be far cooler than anyone expects. Umaga is amazingly good and gets so little credit for it. I expect this one to be a potential show stealer if given the time and latitude.
SHOULD BE: Umaga wins through some nefarious means. Batista attacks him the next night on Raw. Raw trades Umaga/London/Kendrick to Smackdown for the returning Matt Hardy and a player to be named later.
WILL BE: Batista wins to give Smackdown a cookie

MONEY IN THE BANK
My dream booking of this has Matt Hardy run in right after the bell and start participating in the match. He goes straight for MVP and stays on MVP for most of the match. Security tries to force him out from time to time, but he keeps breaking free and re-joining the fray. Have him do some of the Jeff spots to pop the crowd.
SHOULD BE: A returning Matt Hardy to the push of a lifetime.
WILL BE: MVP [which is my backup "SHOULD BE" if Matt Hardy's not in the cards]

BIG SHOW VS MAYWEATHER
This could be spectacular or it could be a spectacular trainwreck. Basically, this match has become two heels squaring off and I just don't know what you do with that. My gut says they convinced Mayweather to lose to Show. I expect chaos, wild brawling, and a chokeslam. The only thing that sticks in my craw is Mayweather's people hyping a big swerve that no one will see coming. I just can't figure out what that would be.
SHOULD BE: Big Show - you don't pay all that money to bring the Show back and have him lose to someone three times smaller than him
WILL BE: Double DQ - I could see it getting thrown out with Floyd's posse hits the ring and some of the unused WWE guys on the show charge in to brawl with them.

WORLD TITLE MATCH - Edge vs Undertaker
I don't think anyone envisions a scenario where Edge wins this. It's interesting because so many people were picking Orton to beat Taker a few years ago because Orton "Was the future of the WWE." Isn't Edge closer to the future of the WWE than Orton is yet no one is picking Edge at all?
SHOULD BE: Taker
WILL BE: Taker

RIC FLAIR VS SHAWN MICHAELS
I just can't pick against Flair. It just seems wrong that Flair's career is going to end in such a foregone conclusion. Of all the predictions on the Internet, almost no one is picking Flair to win. It's just not right.
SHOULD BE: Ric Flair wins... and then retires in a tearful speech, saying beating Shawn Michaels on the biggest stage of them all is as good as it gets and he wants this night to live forever.
WILL BE: Flair goes out on his back and we all cry

WWE Title Match - Randy Orton vs Triple H vs John Cena
Triple H doesn't need the title and there's really no matches I'm dying to see him in with it. John Cena doesn't need the title and there's really no matches I'm dying to see him in with it. Randy Orton has been treated as an afterthought in this whole angle and deserves to sneak out the victory. So, imagine Orton sneaking in an RKO on Cena and getting the win. The crowd is stunned. Orton's music is playing as the show appears to be over. And here comes Matt Hardy, MITB case in hand. Matt grabs the mic, says this one is for Jeff... short five minutes match... Twist of Fate puts the gold on Matt Hardy and the place goes nutty as the show ends. Now _that's_ a finish.
SHOULD BE: Randy Orton leading to Matt Hardy winning the title
WILL BE: Triple H gets the gold back

And that's that.

See you tomorrow for a special MLB Opening Day post!