I've been exhausted lately, and am in our hometown of Teaneck right now to celebrate my father's 15th official birthday. So here's a short version of the five:
1) Read Chuck Klosterman's article in the NY Times about the Celtics. Great stuff.
2) Read the Ball Don't Lie blog on Yahoo! Sports everyday. J.E. Skeets and Kelly Dwyer know the game and are both funny. Rod Benson (D-League All Star) has the best athlete blog there is.
3) The Sporting News has a blog now that is pretty interesting. Another one to add to your daily readings.
4) Listen to the Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast. Please?
5) I'll have more to say about the Jets' moves in free agency once it all settles down. I know, I know, you all wait with baited breath.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Moment of Truth
"No matter what we face, we must face the moment of truth."
I'm sure you all flip past Fox at some point during your channel surfing, just like me. So that means you saw the promo for their silly new game show, "The Moment of Truth".
I had seen a previous episode, well tuned in long enough to get the gist of it and needless to say, I wasn't impressed. Simply put, the show revolves around one person answering questions under a polygraph, then coming back with family members seated close and answering the same questions.
It's as stupid as it sounds, but their latest episode got me to tune in. Or at least DVR it to watch later.
This blonde was in the commercials, pausing around questions of infidelity with her husband in tow. But the kicker was when they brought out an ex-boyfriend to query if he tried to step in would she be down?
That was more than enough and the actual episode didn't fail to entertain in a way that should make you feel bad about yourself, unless you're cool with that side of your persona.
By the way, if you're good with that dark side like me, you'll be a touch upset that we don't get to watch Japanese television shows like the one described here. For those of you who don't want to click the link, this is the paragraph about Happy Family Plan that caught my eye.
And for all this drama, Lauren left with NOTHING because she answered that she thought she was a good person. Could have had $100,000, but instead will head back to the hotel with the same lint in her pocket as she did in the morning.
Hopefully for her sake, the link above shows that she's a model/actress and this was all a fake.
Hopefully. But then again, what do I care? If it's real and she really didn't care about the cash, then it serves her right to leave with nothing after airing all her dirty laundry for the world to see. I feel no pity or remorse for these reality show fiends who are willing to part with their privacy for 15 seconds of TV time or a chance at the Big Bucks.
It's a lot different than the 15 seconds Alex Trebek takes to ask for an anecdote on Jeopardy! In that time, you can't spill your life secrets unless you think telling about the time you carried a goldfish home in your pocket is that embarrassing...
----------------
Now playing: Eminem - Say What You Say
via FoxyTunes
I'm sure you all flip past Fox at some point during your channel surfing, just like me. So that means you saw the promo for their silly new game show, "The Moment of Truth".
I had seen a previous episode, well tuned in long enough to get the gist of it and needless to say, I wasn't impressed. Simply put, the show revolves around one person answering questions under a polygraph, then coming back with family members seated close and answering the same questions.
It's as stupid as it sounds, but their latest episode got me to tune in. Or at least DVR it to watch later.
This blonde was in the commercials, pausing around questions of infidelity with her husband in tow. But the kicker was when they brought out an ex-boyfriend to query if he tried to step in would she be down?
That was more than enough and the actual episode didn't fail to entertain in a way that should make you feel bad about yourself, unless you're cool with that side of your persona.
By the way, if you're good with that dark side like me, you'll be a touch upset that we don't get to watch Japanese television shows like the one described here. For those of you who don't want to click the link, this is the paragraph about Happy Family Plan that caught my eye.
In this particular episode, the family's eightysomething grandmother was required to play Keep It Up with a football, maintaining the ball in the air for 50 bounces without letting it touch the ground. She was given two weeks' training by a top soccer coach, then, live in the studio, she gave it a go. Game girl, she managed 31 bounces in a row. Then the ball fell to the floor. The family erupted in fury, cursing the poor old woman as the whole gang were unceremoniously shepherded from the studio, without so much as a Blankety Blank cheque book and pen between them, to return to their life of abject poverty.Anyway, this is the deal with the stupid show I was originally talking about. The silly girl comes on and it doesn't take long for the questions to get 'personal'. Basically, she's been married to a New York cop for 2 years and from this show, it appears Lauren didn't want to marry Frank, was thinking about another Frank (different dude), would consider leaving her husband Frank for this former boyfriend AND has already had sex with someone else since her wedding day.
And for all this drama, Lauren left with NOTHING because she answered that she thought she was a good person. Could have had $100,000, but instead will head back to the hotel with the same lint in her pocket as she did in the morning.
Hopefully for her sake, the link above shows that she's a model/actress and this was all a fake.
Hopefully. But then again, what do I care? If it's real and she really didn't care about the cash, then it serves her right to leave with nothing after airing all her dirty laundry for the world to see. I feel no pity or remorse for these reality show fiends who are willing to part with their privacy for 15 seconds of TV time or a chance at the Big Bucks.
It's a lot different than the 15 seconds Alex Trebek takes to ask for an anecdote on Jeopardy! In that time, you can't spill your life secrets unless you think telling about the time you carried a goldfish home in your pocket is that embarrassing...
----------------
Now playing: Eminem - Say What You Say
via FoxyTunes
Monday, February 25, 2008
In Case You Required Proof
Via Basketbawful, here is video evidence of just how hopelessly terrible the Knicks are. And also why statistics can never, ever tell you the full story of a player's relative value to a team. For if you were to look at statistics, Zach Randolph would be considered outstanding. But that cannot account for the type of power forward who thinks this is a good idea, ever, even at an All Star game. Count down the days until someone can come in and attempt to clean up the mess that are your New York Knickerbockers.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Indiana times two
Oh Danny Boy, didn't you attend the prestigious Indiana University?
So to not hear your thoughts on the whole Kelvin Sampson thing is a touch unnerving.
OK, that's a little overdramatic, but I would expected an opinion. Sampson calls recruits too much and will likely be either suspended or fired in hours. But he's also made IU basketball relevant for the first time since, well I'm leaving out the Jared Jeffries/Mike Davis experience, but there were ready to become a legit Top tier program again.
And now this.
Eric Gordon is getting a lot of hype for freshman of the year, player of the year and the like, but I haven't seen him play and don't know if he's ready for the Association.
I did catch USC v Oregon last night and can say this - if O.J. Mayo stays at USC, they'll be a Top 5 program next year on his shoulders. After a shaky first half, he took over when necessary and hit a three from Long Beach to keep the Ducks at bay.
This is "Go-Time" for the college basketball season and while I await Kris' expertise on the subject, I mean his job does require him to tape just about every game possible, I love USC to make some noise and fade early, just like Drake and whatever bottom-feeding SEC school that will make it off reputation for an over rated league.
Now the other Indiana.
When I first heard they were making another Indiana Jones, I joked just like everybody else about Harrison Ford's age and how it would suck and yadda, yadda, yadda.
But when I caught this trailer and heard the music, a smile broke across my face. It's just like this column by Mike Vaccaro about the start of baseball season. Regardless of what's happened in the past, everything can be forgiven in moments by the pure memory of previous joy.
Watch this clip and see if you don't get that tingle.
So to not hear your thoughts on the whole Kelvin Sampson thing is a touch unnerving.
OK, that's a little overdramatic, but I would expected an opinion. Sampson calls recruits too much and will likely be either suspended or fired in hours. But he's also made IU basketball relevant for the first time since, well I'm leaving out the Jared Jeffries/Mike Davis experience, but there were ready to become a legit Top tier program again.
And now this.
Eric Gordon is getting a lot of hype for freshman of the year, player of the year and the like, but I haven't seen him play and don't know if he's ready for the Association.
I did catch USC v Oregon last night and can say this - if O.J. Mayo stays at USC, they'll be a Top 5 program next year on his shoulders. After a shaky first half, he took over when necessary and hit a three from Long Beach to keep the Ducks at bay.
This is "Go-Time" for the college basketball season and while I await Kris' expertise on the subject, I mean his job does require him to tape just about every game possible, I love USC to make some noise and fade early, just like Drake and whatever bottom-feeding SEC school that will make it off reputation for an over rated league.
Now the other Indiana.
When I first heard they were making another Indiana Jones, I joked just like everybody else about Harrison Ford's age and how it would suck and yadda, yadda, yadda.
But when I caught this trailer and heard the music, a smile broke across my face. It's just like this column by Mike Vaccaro about the start of baseball season. Regardless of what's happened in the past, everything can be forgiven in moments by the pure memory of previous joy.
Watch this clip and see if you don't get that tingle.
Filowitz's Friday Five
NBA Trade Deadline Winners/Losers Edition!
1) Winner: Cleveland. They are a much better team post-trade, adding Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak in the back court, and only having to give up Larry Hughes (who stinks and has a ridiculously large and long contract) and Drew Gooden (who is pretty good, but Joe Smith can split his minutes with Varejao.) LeBron has to be pleased that he has people on the team besides him that can actually score. And adding Ben Wallace can't hurt, especially since they still have Big Z, so Ben doesn't have to play all the minutes at center - they can play him a more manageable 20-25 minutes, and have him play defense against the other big people in the league. All in all, this should make Cleveland one of the definitive top teams in the East, just a bit below Boston and Detroit and maybe just ahead of Orlando.
2) Loser: Chicago. At about this time last year, the Bulls had many young pieces (Deng, Gordon, Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas), PJ Brown's expiring contract, and the Knicks' #1 pick (which turned out to be Noah.) They probably could have had KG, Gasol, Marion, Rashard Lewis, or some other talented player. What do they have to show for all that instead? A team that'll be lucky to win 35 games this year, many fewer tradeable assets since some of their young pieces have devalued (Deng, Gordon, Hinrich), and they now employ Larry freakin' Hughes. If Paxson isn't fired at the end of the season, then he and Isiah Thomas must have made the same Faustian bargain.
3) Winners: San Antonio and New Orleans. The Spurs didn't do anything crazy, but the Kurt Thomas trade was awesome for them. They didn't give up much (Francisco Elston and the aging/injured Brent Barry) and they get a super-solid guy that can play defense, rebound, score, and not cause any problems in the locker room. The Hornets got deeper and more talented (and a bit more crazy) adding Bonzi Wells and Mike James, with only having to give up Bobby Jackson (still has some game, but not like he did with the Kings back in the early part of this decade.) That sets them up nicely to make a run in the playoffs.
4) Losers: Seattle fans. Sure, the moves may be smart from a salary cap perspective. But the Sonics are probably (and unfortunately) leaving the city, so these moves will likely pay off for the people of Oklahoma City. For now, they have to try to get excited about the likes of Ira Newble, Francisco Elston, Donyell Marshall, and Adrian Griffin. That sound you just heard was the Sonics fanbase collectively trying to drown themselves in the Puget Sound.
5) Winners: NBA fans. You can trace this back to the summer, as the Celtics got better with KG and Allen, and as the Magic picked up Rashard Lewis. Follow it through to the Jazz getting Kyle Korver, the Lakers getting Gasol, the Suns getting Shaq, Dallas getting Kidd, the improvement of the Piston's bench, the improvement of the entire Toronto roster, the further emergence of Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, the Warriors still being the Warriors, and the trades mentioned above. What it all adds up to is that the league is in as good a shape as its been in a long time. There is going to be exciting basketball played from now through June, just about every night. What could be better than that?
Bonus Losers: Knicks fans. The NBA is awesome right now, and our team stinks (they just lost by 40(!) to the Sixers (!!!)) On top of that, they probably have the most hopeless situation of anyone. We don't get to share in the fun, and all we have to look forward to is the day when Isiah Thomas is finally fired. I feel like Isiah is holding us hostage, but there will be no Stockholm Syndrome here - the hate I feel in my heart for this situation is brutal and ugly and should not be aired publicly. All I should say is that in this dawning of a new glorious age of the NBA, we are being left in the shadows.
1) Winner: Cleveland. They are a much better team post-trade, adding Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak in the back court, and only having to give up Larry Hughes (who stinks and has a ridiculously large and long contract) and Drew Gooden (who is pretty good, but Joe Smith can split his minutes with Varejao.) LeBron has to be pleased that he has people on the team besides him that can actually score. And adding Ben Wallace can't hurt, especially since they still have Big Z, so Ben doesn't have to play all the minutes at center - they can play him a more manageable 20-25 minutes, and have him play defense against the other big people in the league. All in all, this should make Cleveland one of the definitive top teams in the East, just a bit below Boston and Detroit and maybe just ahead of Orlando.
2) Loser: Chicago. At about this time last year, the Bulls had many young pieces (Deng, Gordon, Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas), PJ Brown's expiring contract, and the Knicks' #1 pick (which turned out to be Noah.) They probably could have had KG, Gasol, Marion, Rashard Lewis, or some other talented player. What do they have to show for all that instead? A team that'll be lucky to win 35 games this year, many fewer tradeable assets since some of their young pieces have devalued (Deng, Gordon, Hinrich), and they now employ Larry freakin' Hughes. If Paxson isn't fired at the end of the season, then he and Isiah Thomas must have made the same Faustian bargain.
3) Winners: San Antonio and New Orleans. The Spurs didn't do anything crazy, but the Kurt Thomas trade was awesome for them. They didn't give up much (Francisco Elston and the aging/injured Brent Barry) and they get a super-solid guy that can play defense, rebound, score, and not cause any problems in the locker room. The Hornets got deeper and more talented (and a bit more crazy) adding Bonzi Wells and Mike James, with only having to give up Bobby Jackson (still has some game, but not like he did with the Kings back in the early part of this decade.) That sets them up nicely to make a run in the playoffs.
4) Losers: Seattle fans. Sure, the moves may be smart from a salary cap perspective. But the Sonics are probably (and unfortunately) leaving the city, so these moves will likely pay off for the people of Oklahoma City. For now, they have to try to get excited about the likes of Ira Newble, Francisco Elston, Donyell Marshall, and Adrian Griffin. That sound you just heard was the Sonics fanbase collectively trying to drown themselves in the Puget Sound.
5) Winners: NBA fans. You can trace this back to the summer, as the Celtics got better with KG and Allen, and as the Magic picked up Rashard Lewis. Follow it through to the Jazz getting Kyle Korver, the Lakers getting Gasol, the Suns getting Shaq, Dallas getting Kidd, the improvement of the Piston's bench, the improvement of the entire Toronto roster, the further emergence of Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, the Warriors still being the Warriors, and the trades mentioned above. What it all adds up to is that the league is in as good a shape as its been in a long time. There is going to be exciting basketball played from now through June, just about every night. What could be better than that?
Bonus Losers: Knicks fans. The NBA is awesome right now, and our team stinks (they just lost by 40(!) to the Sixers (!!!)) On top of that, they probably have the most hopeless situation of anyone. We don't get to share in the fun, and all we have to look forward to is the day when Isiah Thomas is finally fired. I feel like Isiah is holding us hostage, but there will be no Stockholm Syndrome here - the hate I feel in my heart for this situation is brutal and ugly and should not be aired publicly. All I should say is that in this dawning of a new glorious age of the NBA, we are being left in the shadows.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Where A Running Diary Happens
Since my previous attempt to defy sports blog conventions was met with general derision, I decided to go to the hoariest of sports blog traditions, and kept a running diary of the NBA All Star game.
Remember, y'all, I do this for you. All times are Central.
Pre-Game
- Why aren't the East All Stars smiling? Something Doc said?
- 'Sheed can't dance. LeBron can.
- Good news: Chris Paul refrained from vomiting during the intros.
- No German or Chinese national anthems?
- I still say we should switch our national anthem to "Let's Stay Together"
- The crowd is the opposite of electric. Static? Antiseptic?
- Thank God for Marv Albert. He makes everything better. Reggie Miller? The opposite.
First Quarter
7:49pm What the f is with the East uniforms? Blue in front, white in the back? Yuck.
7:50pm Dwight Howard owning Yao Ming. He hates communism.
7:51pm The dual colors on the uniforms are making me feel like I had a rotten po' boy.
7:54pm Look at Kidd having fun, like a, um, kid?
7:55pm Duncan took a three? Not fundamental!
7:56pm Does America realize Chris Bosh is good? They should.
8:00pm I wonder if Gatorade had to pay Tribe and Lou Reed for that Wade G2 commercial.
8:04pm It's Detroit vs Denver! One of these teams isn't going to the finals. Hint: they play in Denver.
8:08pm Typical All Star game: general sloppiness periodically broken up by brilliance.
8:11pm TO wearing sunglasses inside: proving his douchedom once and for all.
8:14pm The first quarter - so many missed shots and stupid passes. And good dunks.
Second Quarter
8:16pm I think Frank Caliendo did that commercial in blackface as Barkley. Yikes.
8:21pm David West 2-2. Highwaymen!
8:23pm That Chris Paul sure can pass, huh?
8:27pm Kidd airball. Dallas still want a sub-40% shooter?
8:29pm Awesome flurry of points while Sager and Kobe said nothing of import.
8:31pm Howard and James oop-fest 2008!
8:32pm Brandon Roy: not a dunker. Nice guy, though.
8:35pm Creepy TNT harlequin ladies > Fox NFL robots
8:39pm The crowd is deader than Heath Ledger.
8:39pm Too soon?
8:40pm Why 'Sheed rules: left-handed 3. Who shoots with the wrong hand?
8:45pm 'Sheed did it again! And made it!
8:46pm Carlos Boozer = great finisher. Now you know.
First Half summary: lots of scoring, lots of Howard and James. Chris Paul didn't play nervous, 7pts and 6ast.
Halftime Show
- Harry Connick Jr. You were in Hope Floats, so f you.
- Better than LeeAne Rimes and other country acts, though.
- It wouldn't be an All Star game without the Neville brothers! Oh, wait, yes it would.
- Pat Morita > Djimon Hounsou
Third Quarter
9:18pm Yao took a three? That looked, well, weird.
9:20pm Tim Duncan missed a dunk. Not fundamental!
9:22pm Yao just did the Dream Shake. That looked better.
9:23pm Yao took another three. Stop.
9:25pm LeBron James, 19pts 8reb 8ast with 6:30 left in the third. As Skeets would say, whoa boy!
9:27pm The crowd is as lifeless as Paris Hilton's eyes.
9:28pm Joe Johnson is mostly unnecessary.
9:34pm Did Marv just call Paul "Nash"? They don't look alike, Marv.
9:41pm Paul Pierce is still really good, in case people forgot.
Fourth Quarter
9:44pm I bet Pats fans hate that Gatorade "some come up short, some come up Giants" commercial as much as the rest of us love it.
9:48pm Amare dunked on Dwight. Better in-game dunker? Maybe.
9:54pm I'm not texting my MVP vote. Ever.
9:55pm Great steal+assist from Paul - tie game 110-110. Exciting!
9:57pm Loudest crowd moment: James' air ball? WTF?
10:01pm Nash blew his nose on Sager's pocket square. Awesome.
10:03pm Amare is TAKING OVER!
10:05pm Ray Allen can hit from anywhere. And does.
10:09pm Note: Paul and Roy at crunch time. Meet the new bosses.
10:11pm James' drive&dunk - unbelievincredible.
10:12pm Wade blocked Dirk's three - special!
10:13pm F it, I'm texting Filowitz for MVP.
10:15pm Fun game, East wins.
10:18pm Filowitz does not win MVP. LeBron James does. Filowitz is hungry, and is about to cook sausage and peppers. So Filowitz wins!
Remember, y'all, I do this for you. All times are Central.
Pre-Game
- Why aren't the East All Stars smiling? Something Doc said?
- 'Sheed can't dance. LeBron can.
- Good news: Chris Paul refrained from vomiting during the intros.
- No German or Chinese national anthems?
- I still say we should switch our national anthem to "Let's Stay Together"
- The crowd is the opposite of electric. Static? Antiseptic?
- Thank God for Marv Albert. He makes everything better. Reggie Miller? The opposite.
First Quarter
7:49pm What the f is with the East uniforms? Blue in front, white in the back? Yuck.
7:50pm Dwight Howard owning Yao Ming. He hates communism.
7:51pm The dual colors on the uniforms are making me feel like I had a rotten po' boy.
7:54pm Look at Kidd having fun, like a, um, kid?
7:55pm Duncan took a three? Not fundamental!
7:56pm Does America realize Chris Bosh is good? They should.
8:00pm I wonder if Gatorade had to pay Tribe and Lou Reed for that Wade G2 commercial.
8:04pm It's Detroit vs Denver! One of these teams isn't going to the finals. Hint: they play in Denver.
8:08pm Typical All Star game: general sloppiness periodically broken up by brilliance.
8:11pm TO wearing sunglasses inside: proving his douchedom once and for all.
8:14pm The first quarter - so many missed shots and stupid passes. And good dunks.
Second Quarter
8:16pm I think Frank Caliendo did that commercial in blackface as Barkley. Yikes.
8:21pm David West 2-2. Highwaymen!
8:23pm That Chris Paul sure can pass, huh?
8:27pm Kidd airball. Dallas still want a sub-40% shooter?
8:29pm Awesome flurry of points while Sager and Kobe said nothing of import.
8:31pm Howard and James oop-fest 2008!
8:32pm Brandon Roy: not a dunker. Nice guy, though.
8:35pm Creepy TNT harlequin ladies > Fox NFL robots
8:39pm The crowd is deader than Heath Ledger.
8:39pm Too soon?
8:40pm Why 'Sheed rules: left-handed 3. Who shoots with the wrong hand?
8:45pm 'Sheed did it again! And made it!
8:46pm Carlos Boozer = great finisher. Now you know.
First Half summary: lots of scoring, lots of Howard and James. Chris Paul didn't play nervous, 7pts and 6ast.
Halftime Show
- Harry Connick Jr. You were in Hope Floats, so f you.
- Better than LeeAne Rimes and other country acts, though.
- It wouldn't be an All Star game without the Neville brothers! Oh, wait, yes it would.
- Pat Morita > Djimon Hounsou
Third Quarter
9:18pm Yao took a three? That looked, well, weird.
9:20pm Tim Duncan missed a dunk. Not fundamental!
9:22pm Yao just did the Dream Shake. That looked better.
9:23pm Yao took another three. Stop.
9:25pm LeBron James, 19pts 8reb 8ast with 6:30 left in the third. As Skeets would say, whoa boy!
9:27pm The crowd is as lifeless as Paris Hilton's eyes.
9:28pm Joe Johnson is mostly unnecessary.
9:34pm Did Marv just call Paul "Nash"? They don't look alike, Marv.
9:41pm Paul Pierce is still really good, in case people forgot.
Fourth Quarter
9:44pm I bet Pats fans hate that Gatorade "some come up short, some come up Giants" commercial as much as the rest of us love it.
9:48pm Amare dunked on Dwight. Better in-game dunker? Maybe.
9:54pm I'm not texting my MVP vote. Ever.
9:55pm Great steal+assist from Paul - tie game 110-110. Exciting!
9:57pm Loudest crowd moment: James' air ball? WTF?
10:01pm Nash blew his nose on Sager's pocket square. Awesome.
10:03pm Amare is TAKING OVER!
10:05pm Ray Allen can hit from anywhere. And does.
10:09pm Note: Paul and Roy at crunch time. Meet the new bosses.
10:11pm James' drive&dunk - unbelievincredible.
10:12pm Wade blocked Dirk's three - special!
10:13pm F it, I'm texting Filowitz for MVP.
10:15pm Fun game, East wins.
10:18pm Filowitz does not win MVP. LeBron James does. Filowitz is hungry, and is about to cook sausage and peppers. So Filowitz wins!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Dunk Contest
Did you miss the Slam Dunk contest yesterday?
You shouldn't have. The Superman (look where he jumps from!) The Birthday Cake (he blew out the candle!) The Ridiculous Self-Alley-Oop (actual humans shouldn't be able to do this!)
A great year for creativity and showmanship. God Bless the NBA.
Watch them all:
You shouldn't have. The Superman (look where he jumps from!) The Birthday Cake (he blew out the candle!) The Ridiculous Self-Alley-Oop (actual humans shouldn't be able to do this!)
A great year for creativity and showmanship. God Bless the NBA.
Watch them all:
Friday, February 15, 2008
Poetry?
If I can't write poetry, I can't write poetry. It is as simple as that. It ain't about that at all. It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about poetry. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise writer, and we're talking about poetry. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about poetry, not a blog, not a blog, not a blog, but we're talking about poetry. Not the blog that I go out there and die for and write every blog like it's my last but we're talking about poetry man. How silly is that? ... Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about poetry. We're talking about poetry man. We're talking about poetry. We're talking about poetry. We're not talking about the blog. We're talking about poetry. When you come to the site, and you see me write, you've seen me write right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about poetry right now. ... Hey I hear you, it's funny to me too, hey it's strange to me too but we're talking about poetry man, we're not even talking about the blog, when it actually matters, we're talking about poetry ... How the hell can I make my blog better by writing poetry?
Filowitz's Friday Five
1) The NBA All-Star break comes at an odd time for the league. It's one of the few times of the year where the NBA gets front-and-center sports fan attention, since football is over, baseball hasn't started yet, and no one cares about hockey anymore. Except, this is the time of the year where a lot of teams already start to look ahead to the time off, and badly mail in some games. So you get the phenomenon of people finally starting to give the NBA a real look, only to find some well-hyped teams playing lethargically. The NBA should try to do something about this. Well, the only thing they can do is shorten the season, which will never happen, since it takes away revenue, so I guess we'll have to live with it. And the occasional Suns-Warriors game (like last Wednesday night) to get us by.
2) One of the cool things going on this weekend is that there's All-Star events for the NBDL, too. They're going to have them play HORSE, which could be a cool test to see if that can work for the NBA (as people like Bill Simmons have been calling for for years.) Also, it'll be a chance to see my favorite player-blogger, Rod Benson. If you're not reading Too Much Rod Benson, you're missing out. Boom Tho!
3) Besides this very sentence, I'm not writing a thing about the "story that should just go away and leave me alone but seriously I can't believe Congress is wasting its time holding hearings when it's barely looking at odious bills trying to give retroactive immunity to telecom companies but sure let's all get a chance to call a baseball player a big fat liar" issue that is Roger Clemens.
4) Do respond to Kris' query below. And while I'm plugging things, new Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast this week. I thank you for your support.
5) In light of the Jason Kidd trade being held up by the incomparable Devean George, and because it is the worst winter in Chicago since I've been here, and since I feel like it and it's my freakin' regular blog feature so I'll do whatever my mood strikes, I leave you with this poem.
Ode to Melancholy
No, no! go not to Lethe, neither twist
Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;
Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kissed
By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;
Make not your rosary of yew-berries,
Nor let the beetle nor the death-moth be
Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl
A partner in your sorrow's mysteries;
For shade to shade will come too drowsily,
And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.
But when the melancholy fit shall fall
Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,
That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,
And hides the green hill in an April shroud;
Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,
Or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave,
Or on the wealth of globed peonies;
Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,
Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,
And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.
She dwells with Beauty -- Beauty that must die;
And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips
Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,
Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips;
Ay, in the very temple of delight
Veiled Melancholy has her sovran shrine,
Though seen of none save him whose strenuous
tongue
Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine;
His soul shall taste the sadness of her might,
And be among her cloudy trophies hung.
My man John Keats said that.
2) One of the cool things going on this weekend is that there's All-Star events for the NBDL, too. They're going to have them play HORSE, which could be a cool test to see if that can work for the NBA (as people like Bill Simmons have been calling for for years.) Also, it'll be a chance to see my favorite player-blogger, Rod Benson. If you're not reading Too Much Rod Benson, you're missing out. Boom Tho!
3) Besides this very sentence, I'm not writing a thing about the "story that should just go away and leave me alone but seriously I can't believe Congress is wasting its time holding hearings when it's barely looking at odious bills trying to give retroactive immunity to telecom companies but sure let's all get a chance to call a baseball player a big fat liar" issue that is Roger Clemens.
4) Do respond to Kris' query below. And while I'm plugging things, new Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast this week. I thank you for your support.
5) In light of the Jason Kidd trade being held up by the incomparable Devean George, and because it is the worst winter in Chicago since I've been here, and since I feel like it and it's my freakin' regular blog feature so I'll do whatever my mood strikes, I leave you with this poem.
Ode to Melancholy
No, no! go not to Lethe, neither twist
Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;
Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kissed
By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;
Make not your rosary of yew-berries,
Nor let the beetle nor the death-moth be
Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl
A partner in your sorrow's mysteries;
For shade to shade will come too drowsily,
And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.
But when the melancholy fit shall fall
Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,
That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,
And hides the green hill in an April shroud;
Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,
Or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave,
Or on the wealth of globed peonies;
Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,
Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,
And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.
She dwells with Beauty -- Beauty that must die;
And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips
Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,
Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips;
Ay, in the very temple of delight
Veiled Melancholy has her sovran shrine,
Though seen of none save him whose strenuous
tongue
Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine;
His soul shall taste the sadness of her might,
And be among her cloudy trophies hung.
My man John Keats said that.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Pearls of Wisdom
You know when a guy has a really fancy car people always say he is trying to over compensate for something, presumably a small penis.
Does the same hold true for women? When a chic drives a really big truck does that mean she has a small vagina?
Discuss
Does the same hold true for women? When a chic drives a really big truck does that mean she has a small vagina?
Discuss
Monday, February 11, 2008
We’re Gonna need a bigger Boat
The above line was so perfectly delivered by Amity Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) in the 1975 thriller Jaws. Scheider is probably most recognized for his role as Martin Brody in the first two installments of the Jaws series, but he had several other prominent roles including two Academy Award nominations. Scheider passed away this weekend at the age of 75 in Fayetteville Arkansas.
Scheider was a hard working actor on the New York theatre scene and small movies roles in the 60’s when he broke through in Jane Fonda’s thriller Klute. Later that same year, 1971, he co-starred along side Gene Hackman in the award winning French Connection portraying real life detective Sonny Grasso. For his part he was nominated for an Academy Award, as was Hackman. Scheider went on to make Jaws a few years later were he became a pop culture legend as Chief Brody. His famous line, above, was ad- libbed by Scheider during the filming and was voted the #35 greatest movie line by the American Film Institute. His string of quality roles continued as he played along side Dustin Hoffman in cold war espionage thriller Marathon Man and then starred as a fictional version of director Bob Fosse in All that Jazz. He was nominated for his second Academy Award for his role in All That Jazz this time losing out to his buddy Dustin Hoffman.
It was during this run of success where Scheider made two terrible decisions. First he disagreed with the script in the 1978 war drama The Deer Hunter and asked to be relieved of the role, which was later taken by Robert DeNiro who was nominated for an Academy Award for the role. In the early 80’s he also turned down the first chance to play Vietnam War vet John Rambo in First Blood.
As the 80’s went on he fell out of the mainstream of Hollywood. However, Scheider resurfaced in the mid 90’s in Steven Spielbergs sci-fi under water adventure seaquest-DSV. The series was short lived, partly due to Scheiders disapproval with the direction of the show, which led to his abrupt departure. Scheider had small roles in The Rainmaker, the HBO drama RKO 281, The Punisher and a reoccurring guest role on the TV drama Third Watch.
Scheider will forever be remembered for his role in Jaws, but he was a talented actor who always added to any movie through his professionalism and acting ability. Scheiders career may not be as distinguished as others, but his popular films and award nominated roles will live on with the fans of quality actors. Unfortunately the death of a good actor like Scheider went widely unnoticed while Mathew McConaughey’s Fools Gold tops the box office this weekend, followed by other top notch films like Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (which of course could be a hermaphroditic porn, but I doubt it).
Roy Richard Scheider Nov. 10, 1932-Feb. 10, 2008
Scheider was a hard working actor on the New York theatre scene and small movies roles in the 60’s when he broke through in Jane Fonda’s thriller Klute. Later that same year, 1971, he co-starred along side Gene Hackman in the award winning French Connection portraying real life detective Sonny Grasso. For his part he was nominated for an Academy Award, as was Hackman. Scheider went on to make Jaws a few years later were he became a pop culture legend as Chief Brody. His famous line, above, was ad- libbed by Scheider during the filming and was voted the #35 greatest movie line by the American Film Institute. His string of quality roles continued as he played along side Dustin Hoffman in cold war espionage thriller Marathon Man and then starred as a fictional version of director Bob Fosse in All that Jazz. He was nominated for his second Academy Award for his role in All That Jazz this time losing out to his buddy Dustin Hoffman.
It was during this run of success where Scheider made two terrible decisions. First he disagreed with the script in the 1978 war drama The Deer Hunter and asked to be relieved of the role, which was later taken by Robert DeNiro who was nominated for an Academy Award for the role. In the early 80’s he also turned down the first chance to play Vietnam War vet John Rambo in First Blood.
As the 80’s went on he fell out of the mainstream of Hollywood. However, Scheider resurfaced in the mid 90’s in Steven Spielbergs sci-fi under water adventure seaquest-DSV. The series was short lived, partly due to Scheiders disapproval with the direction of the show, which led to his abrupt departure. Scheider had small roles in The Rainmaker, the HBO drama RKO 281, The Punisher and a reoccurring guest role on the TV drama Third Watch.
Scheider will forever be remembered for his role in Jaws, but he was a talented actor who always added to any movie through his professionalism and acting ability. Scheiders career may not be as distinguished as others, but his popular films and award nominated roles will live on with the fans of quality actors. Unfortunately the death of a good actor like Scheider went widely unnoticed while Mathew McConaughey’s Fools Gold tops the box office this weekend, followed by other top notch films like Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (which of course could be a hermaphroditic porn, but I doubt it).
Roy Richard Scheider Nov. 10, 1932-Feb. 10, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Filowitz's Friday Five
1) I wish I could have a contrary opinion about the Shaq trade. I wish I could do like Michael Wilbon's article on Thursday, and try to talk myself into how this could work. I wish I could believe what Byron Scott said in that article, that Shaq on the Suns could be like an old Kareem playing with the Showtime Lakers. I wish I could understand how an injured, slow, 35-year-old Shaq fits in with the up-tempo Suns offense. But I can't. It made no sense to me when I first heard it, and it makes no sense to me now. I can't see it working. At all. Well, except as comic relief in their locker room.
2) Speaking of the Suns, the double-overtime game with the Hornets was reason number 5,478 why League Pass is worth the money. Fast-paced, well-played, with clutch shooting at the end of quarters and overtimes. Chris Paul was a man possessed, especially after having a bad game against Deron Williams the night before. 42 pts, 9 assists, 8 steals, 5 rebounds, 1 TO. That's as sick of a line as you can get. The rest of the All-Stars - Nash, Amare, and our boy David West - played at a high level, too. This is a perfect example of why the NBA is back to being must-watch on most nights of the week. Though I wonder how many more Suns games will look like this now that they have Shaq (damn you Steve Kerr. damn you to hell.)
3) Speaking of trades, I love the Gasol trade for LA. First, you get rid of Kwame Brown, who makes Michael Olowokandi look like Hakeem Olajuwon. Second, you get a seven-footer who is perfect for the triangle offense, since Pau can shoot and pass. I'm even kind of happy for Kobe, because I'd like to see the game's best player get another legit shot at the title, even though I think they'll ultimately not get past the Spurs. It's going to make the Western Conference playoffs that much more exciting, at the very least.
4) Speaking of the Lakers, despite their new team, they did lose to the Hawks the other night. I don't want to alarm anyone, but the Hawks are actually a pretty good team. And I don't want to further disturb you, but while Joe Johnson made the All Star team, he's not even the best player on the Hawks. That would be Josh Smith, who's averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3.4 blocks (2nd in the NBA), and 2 steals (8th in the NBA), with a PER of 21. And he's fun to watch, too. This is not even mentioning Al Horford and Josh Childress. Do yourselves a favor and catch a Hawks game, you'll feel like a super NBA smarty-pants if you do.
5) Um, do you know anyone who watches the Pro Bowl? Seriously, can you name one single person that is actually planning to watch it? I mean, sure, if you're already home, and you're flipping channels, and you already saw the Law & Order they're showing on TBS, then you might watch it for a minute. But to go out of your way to watch it? It doesn't happen. And if it does happen, I mean, damn. You sound worse than a guy that does nothing but sit around his condo eating take out and watching Hawks games on League Pass. Aloha!
2) Speaking of the Suns, the double-overtime game with the Hornets was reason number 5,478 why League Pass is worth the money. Fast-paced, well-played, with clutch shooting at the end of quarters and overtimes. Chris Paul was a man possessed, especially after having a bad game against Deron Williams the night before. 42 pts, 9 assists, 8 steals, 5 rebounds, 1 TO. That's as sick of a line as you can get. The rest of the All-Stars - Nash, Amare, and our boy David West - played at a high level, too. This is a perfect example of why the NBA is back to being must-watch on most nights of the week. Though I wonder how many more Suns games will look like this now that they have Shaq (damn you Steve Kerr. damn you to hell.)
3) Speaking of trades, I love the Gasol trade for LA. First, you get rid of Kwame Brown, who makes Michael Olowokandi look like Hakeem Olajuwon. Second, you get a seven-footer who is perfect for the triangle offense, since Pau can shoot and pass. I'm even kind of happy for Kobe, because I'd like to see the game's best player get another legit shot at the title, even though I think they'll ultimately not get past the Spurs. It's going to make the Western Conference playoffs that much more exciting, at the very least.
4) Speaking of the Lakers, despite their new team, they did lose to the Hawks the other night. I don't want to alarm anyone, but the Hawks are actually a pretty good team. And I don't want to further disturb you, but while Joe Johnson made the All Star team, he's not even the best player on the Hawks. That would be Josh Smith, who's averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3.4 blocks (2nd in the NBA), and 2 steals (8th in the NBA), with a PER of 21. And he's fun to watch, too. This is not even mentioning Al Horford and Josh Childress. Do yourselves a favor and catch a Hawks game, you'll feel like a super NBA smarty-pants if you do.
5) Um, do you know anyone who watches the Pro Bowl? Seriously, can you name one single person that is actually planning to watch it? I mean, sure, if you're already home, and you're flipping channels, and you already saw the Law & Order they're showing on TBS, then you might watch it for a minute. But to go out of your way to watch it? It doesn't happen. And if it does happen, I mean, damn. You sound worse than a guy that does nothing but sit around his condo eating take out and watching Hawks games on League Pass. Aloha!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Draft Master
I must admit I am a capitalist pig, especially when it comes to things like my beloved baseball team, the New York Yankees. I always want them to spend spend spend and buy as many free agents as possible, as long as it give us a chance to win. Because of course if we don’t participate in this form of capitalism, Dan, the terrorists win, and we can’t have that. However, NFL football is completely different, though free agency is a cog in the wheel; it isn’t the major way to overhaul a team.
The NFL Draft is the most important day in franchise building. Men like Bill Walsh and Bill Parcells were among the many who saw the value of getting as many draft picks as possible and realizing that your 5th round pick could be as important as your 1st rounder. In recent year the Patriots obviously have been praised for their superb drafting efforts, as where the Cowboys under the Parcells regime. Ted Thompson had taken over in Green Bay for Ron Wolf just a few years ago and revamped a roster by adding 45 new players over the last 3 seasons, putting his team in position for a championship.
While all this was going on a transfer of power was happening in New York. Ernie Acorsi who had been the long time apprentice of the legendary George Young was beginning to transfer more and more power over to his director of college scouting, Jerry Reese. This move was done with the anticipation that Reese would soon be the General Manager.
Acorsi seeing that Reese had what it took to be a GM had him assist with the 2003-04 drafts and then Reese took over full time for the 2005 draft. Here are some of the players and rounds they were drafted in under the Reese/Acorsi drafts of 03-04
2003
2nd Round- Osi Umenyiora
5th Round- David Diehl
6th Round- David Tyree
2004
1st Round- Phillip Rivers (Eli Manning)
2nd Round- Chris Snee
4th Round- Reggie Torbor
5th Round- Gibril Wilson
Six out of seven of those guys started in Super Bowl XLII and the other made perhaps the most amazing play in Super Bowl history.
Reese took over by himself from 05-07 drafts and they got even better.
2005
2nd Round- Corey Webster
3rd Round- Justin Tuck
4th Round- Brandon Jacobs
2006
1st Round- Mathias Kiwanuka
3rd Round- Gerris Wilkinson
4th Round- Barry Cofield
2007 (Perhaps one of the most productive drafts of all time)
1st Round- Aaron Ross
2nd Round- Steve Smith
3rd Round- Jay Alford
4th Round- Zak Deossie
5th Round- Kevin Boss
7th Round- Michael Johnson
In the 2005 draft the Giants only had 4 picks and they got quality with three out of the four. While the 06 Draft doesn’t look that good think of the fact that Kiwanuka started at LB until he got hurt, was replaced by Wilkinson who was replaced by Torbor, now that is having depth. And what can be said about the ’07 draft. Think about the fact that all of those guys were rookies and three of them (Smith, Boss and Alford) each made singularly great plays in the game, while Ross started at corner and Deossie is the teams long snapper on kicks and Michael Johnson plays an integral roll in nickel and dime packages.
Now I do not know who won executive of the year this season in the NFL but if it wasn’t Jerry Reese then he was completely robbed and a recount should be in order.
The NFL Draft is the most important day in franchise building. Men like Bill Walsh and Bill Parcells were among the many who saw the value of getting as many draft picks as possible and realizing that your 5th round pick could be as important as your 1st rounder. In recent year the Patriots obviously have been praised for their superb drafting efforts, as where the Cowboys under the Parcells regime. Ted Thompson had taken over in Green Bay for Ron Wolf just a few years ago and revamped a roster by adding 45 new players over the last 3 seasons, putting his team in position for a championship.
While all this was going on a transfer of power was happening in New York. Ernie Acorsi who had been the long time apprentice of the legendary George Young was beginning to transfer more and more power over to his director of college scouting, Jerry Reese. This move was done with the anticipation that Reese would soon be the General Manager.
Acorsi seeing that Reese had what it took to be a GM had him assist with the 2003-04 drafts and then Reese took over full time for the 2005 draft. Here are some of the players and rounds they were drafted in under the Reese/Acorsi drafts of 03-04
2003
2nd Round- Osi Umenyiora
5th Round- David Diehl
6th Round- David Tyree
2004
1st Round- Phillip Rivers (Eli Manning)
2nd Round- Chris Snee
4th Round- Reggie Torbor
5th Round- Gibril Wilson
Six out of seven of those guys started in Super Bowl XLII and the other made perhaps the most amazing play in Super Bowl history.
Reese took over by himself from 05-07 drafts and they got even better.
2005
2nd Round- Corey Webster
3rd Round- Justin Tuck
4th Round- Brandon Jacobs
2006
1st Round- Mathias Kiwanuka
3rd Round- Gerris Wilkinson
4th Round- Barry Cofield
2007 (Perhaps one of the most productive drafts of all time)
1st Round- Aaron Ross
2nd Round- Steve Smith
3rd Round- Jay Alford
4th Round- Zak Deossie
5th Round- Kevin Boss
7th Round- Michael Johnson
In the 2005 draft the Giants only had 4 picks and they got quality with three out of the four. While the 06 Draft doesn’t look that good think of the fact that Kiwanuka started at LB until he got hurt, was replaced by Wilkinson who was replaced by Torbor, now that is having depth. And what can be said about the ’07 draft. Think about the fact that all of those guys were rookies and three of them (Smith, Boss and Alford) each made singularly great plays in the game, while Ross started at corner and Deossie is the teams long snapper on kicks and Michael Johnson plays an integral roll in nickel and dime packages.
Now I do not know who won executive of the year this season in the NFL but if it wasn’t Jerry Reese then he was completely robbed and a recount should be in order.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Strahan, an appreciation
It was sometime in the mid spring of 1993 and Giants spent their highest draft pick, #40 overall (because of the Dave Brown Supplemental selection). They picked a fairly unheralded pass rushing specialist name Michael Strahan from Texas Southern University. Needless to say I wasn’t too pshyched about this pick. Some experts said it was a good pick and that Strahan had potential as a pass rusher but his everydown capability was a question mark.
The start of the ’93 season was timid for Giants fans. Thankfully the Ray Handley era ended (remember we chose Handley over othe assitants like Bill Belichik, Tom Coughlin, Romeo Cronell, Charlie Weis and Al Groh) and Dan Reeves had taken over. Gone were many of the two time Super Bowl Champion players like Jeff Hostetler, Gary Reasons, Pepper Johnson, Lionel Manuel, Mark Bavaro, Lee Rouson, Perry Williams, Leonard Marshall, Otis Anderson, Erik Howard, Bart Oates, and Maurice Carthon. By the 1993 season other key contributers has moved on like Mark Ingram, Stephen Baker, Myron Guyton and Everson Walls and it proved to be the final one for other members of the Giants Championship teams; Willaim Roberts and Mark Collins went on to other teams and Giants greats Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor retired. Strahans rookies season was very short of memorable, only playing in 9 games due to injury.
By the 1994 season the Giants were in the fulls wing of a new era. Strahan was going to be the one looked to as the next great defensive player in the history of the team. He struggled through the Reeves years only accumalting 19 sacks through 4 seasons. But Strahan would break out in 1997 and become one of the games great defensive players. Over the next seven seasons he would come to be the games preeminant defensive end and pass rusher.
He was a 6 time pro bowl player from 1997-2003 and a 5 time all pro. His signature campaign would be that of 2001 where he broke Mark Gastineau’s record of 22 sacks in a season. Strahan finsihed with 23 sacks and for his efforts was selected the NFL’s derensive player of the year. Two years later in 2003 he lead the NFL in sacks again with 18.5. Over that seven year period Strahan gathered 98 sacks, an average of 14 per year. In 2000 he would also help the Giants reach the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history, and though the Giants lost to the Ravens Strahan had 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
During this time Strahan has always been the vocal leader and played the game with an endearing smile. Through many up and down seasons and even a messy public divorce Strahan never lost his love for the game and his love for being a New York Giant. At 255 pounds Strahan proved to be more than a pass rushing specialist and became a consistant run stopper with incredible durability. Through 15 NFL seasons he has played 15+ games a year in 12 of those.
As this new era of the Giants began, he became the veteran leader with a core of young hungry defenders. He has mentored one of the best young Defensive Ends in the game in Osi Umenyiora. This season Strahan spearheaded the Giants resurgent defense and was the vocal leader in a positive manner that this team needed. During Super Bowl 42 Strahan and his defensive linemates were my MVP with their relentless pursuit of Tom Brady. Strahan himself had a few huge plays. After Manning was picked off by Ellis Hobbs the Patriots had a 3rd and 1 and Brady handed the ball to Lawrence Maroney but Strahan shot through the line and helped make the stop. Then during the opening drive of the 3rd quarter after Brady had completed to big third down passes and a penalty kept their drive alive, the Pats faced a 3rd and 7 of the Giants 25. Strahan streaked around RT Nick Kaczur and drilled Brady basically knocking them out of field goal range and forcing the Patriots to try and pick up a 4th and 13, which they failed to do.
The best scene was watching Strahan stand on the sidelines and bark at the offensive line just before the Giants received the ball for their final possession. I have no idea what Strahan was saying but undoubtedly it was positve encouragment to his teammmates. If this proves to be it for Strahan his joy, passion and determintation will be missed, and so will his laughter and gap toothed smile.
The start of the ’93 season was timid for Giants fans. Thankfully the Ray Handley era ended (remember we chose Handley over othe assitants like Bill Belichik, Tom Coughlin, Romeo Cronell, Charlie Weis and Al Groh) and Dan Reeves had taken over. Gone were many of the two time Super Bowl Champion players like Jeff Hostetler, Gary Reasons, Pepper Johnson, Lionel Manuel, Mark Bavaro, Lee Rouson, Perry Williams, Leonard Marshall, Otis Anderson, Erik Howard, Bart Oates, and Maurice Carthon. By the 1993 season other key contributers has moved on like Mark Ingram, Stephen Baker, Myron Guyton and Everson Walls and it proved to be the final one for other members of the Giants Championship teams; Willaim Roberts and Mark Collins went on to other teams and Giants greats Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor retired. Strahans rookies season was very short of memorable, only playing in 9 games due to injury.
By the 1994 season the Giants were in the fulls wing of a new era. Strahan was going to be the one looked to as the next great defensive player in the history of the team. He struggled through the Reeves years only accumalting 19 sacks through 4 seasons. But Strahan would break out in 1997 and become one of the games great defensive players. Over the next seven seasons he would come to be the games preeminant defensive end and pass rusher.
He was a 6 time pro bowl player from 1997-2003 and a 5 time all pro. His signature campaign would be that of 2001 where he broke Mark Gastineau’s record of 22 sacks in a season. Strahan finsihed with 23 sacks and for his efforts was selected the NFL’s derensive player of the year. Two years later in 2003 he lead the NFL in sacks again with 18.5. Over that seven year period Strahan gathered 98 sacks, an average of 14 per year. In 2000 he would also help the Giants reach the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history, and though the Giants lost to the Ravens Strahan had 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
During this time Strahan has always been the vocal leader and played the game with an endearing smile. Through many up and down seasons and even a messy public divorce Strahan never lost his love for the game and his love for being a New York Giant. At 255 pounds Strahan proved to be more than a pass rushing specialist and became a consistant run stopper with incredible durability. Through 15 NFL seasons he has played 15+ games a year in 12 of those.
As this new era of the Giants began, he became the veteran leader with a core of young hungry defenders. He has mentored one of the best young Defensive Ends in the game in Osi Umenyiora. This season Strahan spearheaded the Giants resurgent defense and was the vocal leader in a positive manner that this team needed. During Super Bowl 42 Strahan and his defensive linemates were my MVP with their relentless pursuit of Tom Brady. Strahan himself had a few huge plays. After Manning was picked off by Ellis Hobbs the Patriots had a 3rd and 1 and Brady handed the ball to Lawrence Maroney but Strahan shot through the line and helped make the stop. Then during the opening drive of the 3rd quarter after Brady had completed to big third down passes and a penalty kept their drive alive, the Pats faced a 3rd and 7 of the Giants 25. Strahan streaked around RT Nick Kaczur and drilled Brady basically knocking them out of field goal range and forcing the Patriots to try and pick up a 4th and 13, which they failed to do.
The best scene was watching Strahan stand on the sidelines and bark at the offensive line just before the Giants received the ball for their final possession. I have no idea what Strahan was saying but undoubtedly it was positve encouragment to his teammmates. If this proves to be it for Strahan his joy, passion and determintation will be missed, and so will his laughter and gap toothed smile.
Monday, February 4, 2008
A Coronation
That’s it, the game is over, all the stories have been written and as we have argued over the last 2 months, the legend has been born. It is Eli time, nobody else. He is worth all the hype, he was worth the trade, worth the #1 pick. Only one other #1 draft pick has lead his team to a Super Bowl Championship in his fourth season, and that was Troy Aikman. Dan and Andrew your Eli jerseys are on order and will be at your houses in a few weeks, I can’t wait.
Oh, and Dan you can take all your manage the game bullshit and stick it where the sun don’t shine. And I know Dan fights with me more for the pleasure of it, rather than actually hating Eli, but I just hate when people use the term “managing the game.” It is a backhanded compliment, and Eli WON the game. The Patriots marched down the field and it looked like another Super Bowl game winning drive for the immortal Tom Brady. However, someone forgot to tell Eli Manning and the New York Giants.
Eli jogged onto the field, shoulders slumped, head bobbing and mostly staring down at the ground (you know the demeanor Giants fans hate about Eli) and as he entered the huddle he simply clapped his hands twice and began calling the play. That’s what we kept missing all along with Eli, it wasn’t the me, or Josh or Keith or my mother that had to believe in Eli, it was his teammates, and they did and always have. Guys like Toomer and Plaxico and Strahan kept telling us to believe in Eli, but we doubted sometimes, but they never did, not even after Brady connected with Moss and the Boston city council started planning the Pats parade route. \
Eli and the Giants offense set the tone right off the bat by marching down the field, even though they didn’t score a touchdown, they let the Pats know they were here to fight. Early in that drive (the third play) Eli faced a 3rd and 5 and he found Plaxico Burress over the middle for 14 yards and the game was on. Then with the game on the line, Eli again found Plaxico alone in the end zone for the game winner. Plax didn’t make any other catchs last night, he went 57:53 of game time and more than 3 hours of actual time between receptions. As they say, it’s all about timing, and Eli’s timing has been on for over 2 months. And now it is Eli’s time.
Oh, and Dan you can take all your manage the game bullshit and stick it where the sun don’t shine. And I know Dan fights with me more for the pleasure of it, rather than actually hating Eli, but I just hate when people use the term “managing the game.” It is a backhanded compliment, and Eli WON the game. The Patriots marched down the field and it looked like another Super Bowl game winning drive for the immortal Tom Brady. However, someone forgot to tell Eli Manning and the New York Giants.
Eli jogged onto the field, shoulders slumped, head bobbing and mostly staring down at the ground (you know the demeanor Giants fans hate about Eli) and as he entered the huddle he simply clapped his hands twice and began calling the play. That’s what we kept missing all along with Eli, it wasn’t the me, or Josh or Keith or my mother that had to believe in Eli, it was his teammates, and they did and always have. Guys like Toomer and Plaxico and Strahan kept telling us to believe in Eli, but we doubted sometimes, but they never did, not even after Brady connected with Moss and the Boston city council started planning the Pats parade route. \
Eli and the Giants offense set the tone right off the bat by marching down the field, even though they didn’t score a touchdown, they let the Pats know they were here to fight. Early in that drive (the third play) Eli faced a 3rd and 5 and he found Plaxico Burress over the middle for 14 yards and the game was on. Then with the game on the line, Eli again found Plaxico alone in the end zone for the game winner. Plax didn’t make any other catchs last night, he went 57:53 of game time and more than 3 hours of actual time between receptions. As they say, it’s all about timing, and Eli’s timing has been on for over 2 months. And now it is Eli’s time.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Two plays that will decide SB 42
Here's my Super Bowl preview and in my eyes, it gets broken down to two match ups that will decide the game.
Giants Nickel Defense vs. Patriots Wide Receiver Screen
In my opinion, the Giants need to have corner backs Sam Madison, Arron Ross and Cory Webster on the field at all times, regardless if the Pats are in three wide or two tight ends. Tom Brady throws the ball too much to worry about matching up poor pass defenders like Reggie Torbor against anybody, yet along Wes Welker in the slot.
Nevertheless, the Pats are going to use screen passes to get the offense going and the WR Screen is a beaut.
Randy Moss and Welker to one side, run Dante Stallworth into motion to the strong side and snap the ball. Welker takes a step back, Moss and Stallworth block the defender in front of them and it leaves Welker one on one with nothing but grass and safety pursuit in front of him.
Yes, the Pats will run traditional half back screens to Kevin Faulk and Maroney, but against a speedy defensive front like the Giants, that won't work early in the game. This will and unless Ross and Webster tackle clean and crisp all game, it will be plays like this that spell doom for the G-Men.
Patriots Linebackers in 3-4 defense against Giants Play-Action Pass
For starters, this is a 4-3 defense but since Thomas plays standing up and occasionally drops into coverage, they call it a 3-4. But let's face it, if Elisha can drop back and see Thomas trying to cover Kevin Boss and slot receivers like Steve Smith all night, he'll dink and drop off all night.
So that leaves Teddy Bruschi, Senior Seau and Mike Vrabel with linebacking duties against a rushing attack that is a much better interpretation of Lightning and Thunder. I'm sure all true Giants fans remember the 2 to 4 games when Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne actually resembled this cute saying, but Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are the real thing.
Unlike every TV announcer, and I'm sure Joe Buck will remind everyone if given the chance, I like Jacobs pounding it first and Bradshaw in reserve. If a defense gets an off-tackle play twice and the guy is running hard and pounding the hole, the third time through when Bradshaw flashes to that hole, then bounces away only works with the expectation from the first two runs.
We're all smart enough to know that Elisha is playing well because he's reading defense and checking down, not forcing the ball to receivers and yadda, yadda, yadda. What really helps is a strong running game behind an offensive line that's stayed healthy (for the most part) all year long.
So when he shows the ball like a carbon copy of Steve DeBerg, then pulls it back and looks downfield, it will be up to Bruschi, Seau and Vrabel to not flood to the running back and stay at home. If they're fooled, then Smith and Amani Toomer can have a big night underneath, helping to produce long time-consuming drives that keeps the Patriots offense off the field. That's the only way the Giants stand a chance at winning this game.
Giants Nickel Defense vs. Patriots Wide Receiver Screen
In my opinion, the Giants need to have corner backs Sam Madison, Arron Ross and Cory Webster on the field at all times, regardless if the Pats are in three wide or two tight ends. Tom Brady throws the ball too much to worry about matching up poor pass defenders like Reggie Torbor against anybody, yet along Wes Welker in the slot.
Nevertheless, the Pats are going to use screen passes to get the offense going and the WR Screen is a beaut.
Randy Moss and Welker to one side, run Dante Stallworth into motion to the strong side and snap the ball. Welker takes a step back, Moss and Stallworth block the defender in front of them and it leaves Welker one on one with nothing but grass and safety pursuit in front of him.
Yes, the Pats will run traditional half back screens to Kevin Faulk and Maroney, but against a speedy defensive front like the Giants, that won't work early in the game. This will and unless Ross and Webster tackle clean and crisp all game, it will be plays like this that spell doom for the G-Men.
Patriots Linebackers in 3-4 defense against Giants Play-Action Pass
For starters, this is a 4-3 defense but since Thomas plays standing up and occasionally drops into coverage, they call it a 3-4. But let's face it, if Elisha can drop back and see Thomas trying to cover Kevin Boss and slot receivers like Steve Smith all night, he'll dink and drop off all night.
So that leaves Teddy Bruschi, Senior Seau and Mike Vrabel with linebacking duties against a rushing attack that is a much better interpretation of Lightning and Thunder. I'm sure all true Giants fans remember the 2 to 4 games when Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne actually resembled this cute saying, but Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are the real thing.
Unlike every TV announcer, and I'm sure Joe Buck will remind everyone if given the chance, I like Jacobs pounding it first and Bradshaw in reserve. If a defense gets an off-tackle play twice and the guy is running hard and pounding the hole, the third time through when Bradshaw flashes to that hole, then bounces away only works with the expectation from the first two runs.
We're all smart enough to know that Elisha is playing well because he's reading defense and checking down, not forcing the ball to receivers and yadda, yadda, yadda. What really helps is a strong running game behind an offensive line that's stayed healthy (for the most part) all year long.
So when he shows the ball like a carbon copy of Steve DeBerg, then pulls it back and looks downfield, it will be up to Bruschi, Seau and Vrabel to not flood to the running back and stay at home. If they're fooled, then Smith and Amani Toomer can have a big night underneath, helping to produce long time-consuming drives that keeps the Patriots offense off the field. That's the only way the Giants stand a chance at winning this game.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Prediction.....PAIN!!!
Yes and ode to Clubber Lang.
Might as well throw some wild predictions out there and if any of them come true, I am a genius and if they don't come true, that I am just another idiot babbling fan.
Giants 31 Patriots 24
MVP- Osi Umenyora, 3 Sacks and a Forced Fumble
Eli- 12-22 234 2 TD's
Jacobs- 23 147 yds TD
Plaxico- 8 rec 109 1 TD
Might as well throw some wild predictions out there and if any of them come true, I am a genius and if they don't come true, that I am just another idiot babbling fan.
Giants 31 Patriots 24
MVP- Osi Umenyora, 3 Sacks and a Forced Fumble
Eli- 12-22 234 2 TD's
Jacobs- 23 147 yds TD
Plaxico- 8 rec 109 1 TD
Filowitz's Friday Five
1) My Super Bowl preview: expect me to consume about six or seven beers, several hundred chips, plenty of guacamole, cheese, and numerous chicken bits dipped in sauce. Over/under on pieces of vegetables dipped in something: 15. Bet the over.
2) I'll also most likely be annoying the people at my party with talk of offensive line play (the key to this game.) Because there's nothing the casual football fan likes more than to hear a football nerd talk about blocking schemes.
3) I don't give a fuck about the commercials. They are commercials. Fuck commercials, and fuck the people that only watch the game to watch fucking TV commercials. They should choke on guacamole that they lick off the tip of my cock. And while I'm at it, fuck Jordin Sparks, and fuck Tom Petty, and all of the Heartbreakers, too.
4) Here's player 1: 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, PER 20.7, 47.8% from the field, team is 32-13.
Here's player 2: 15.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, PER 19.9, 52.1% from the field, team is 33-14.
Player 1 is the one that goes to the All-Star game, right? Exactly. Hardly an argument.
So congratulations to Teaneck's own David West for his first All-Star appearance. Sorry, Shawn Marion. You're good, but not quite as good this year.
5) Really, all I want out of this Super Bowl is a good game. It's the last football game until September. Let's make it competitive, okay? You hear me, Eli? Just make it fun to watch for four quarters.
2) I'll also most likely be annoying the people at my party with talk of offensive line play (the key to this game.) Because there's nothing the casual football fan likes more than to hear a football nerd talk about blocking schemes.
3) I don't give a fuck about the commercials. They are commercials. Fuck commercials, and fuck the people that only watch the game to watch fucking TV commercials. They should choke on guacamole that they lick off the tip of my cock. And while I'm at it, fuck Jordin Sparks, and fuck Tom Petty, and all of the Heartbreakers, too.
4) Here's player 1: 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, PER 20.7, 47.8% from the field, team is 32-13.
Here's player 2: 15.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, PER 19.9, 52.1% from the field, team is 33-14.
Player 1 is the one that goes to the All-Star game, right? Exactly. Hardly an argument.
So congratulations to Teaneck's own David West for his first All-Star appearance. Sorry, Shawn Marion. You're good, but not quite as good this year.
5) Really, all I want out of this Super Bowl is a good game. It's the last football game until September. Let's make it competitive, okay? You hear me, Eli? Just make it fun to watch for four quarters.
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