That's Baseball Bitch

WHITE SOX CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPS 2008. And we will add some more to this in the coming weeks.




* Guest post courtesy of Greg McGovern

Heisman - Week 5

1) Chase Daniel (previously #1) – QB Missouri (Season: 1,412 YDS, 12 TD, 1 INT, 74 rush yds)

Daniel and Missouri didn’t play this week, so he avoided the week of disaster for top college teams. He remains in the top spot going into the Big 12 season. Next: at Nebraska

2) Sam Bradford (3) – QB Oklahoma (Season: 408 YDS, 16 TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)

408 yds and 4 TD against a ranked TCU team. Bradford is getting dangerously close to edging Daniel here atop the rankings. He plays in the perfect offense for huge numbers.
Next: at Baylor

3) Javon Ringer (HM) – RB Michigan St (Season: 699 yds, 12 TD)
Can he keep this workload up? Ringer already has 187 carries in five games. Regardless, 44 carries, 198 yds and a TD against Indiana has Ringer in the top five.
Next: vs. Iowa

4) Graham Harrell (5) – QB Texas Tech (Season: 1,573 yds, 12 TD, 3 INT, 1 rush TD)

Off last week. Next three are at Kansas St., vs. Nebraska, and at Texas A&M.
Next: at Kansas St.

5) Colt McCoy (HM) – QB Texas (Season: 833 yds, 11 TD, 1 INT, 194 rush yds, 2 rush TD)

185 yds, 3 TD, 84 rush yds, 2 TD against Arkansas. Most importantly, a closet Illini fan? Who would have thought that McCoy was a running threat? He looks like this year’s version of Tebow to start the season.
Next: at Colorado

Honorable Mention:
Tim Tebow (4) – QB Florida (Season: 808 yds, 6 TD, 125 rush yds, 2 TD)

319 yds and 1 TD, 2 rush TDs in Florida’s loss to Mississippi. It’s finally time to drop the reigning champ out of the top five. Next: at Arkansas

Mark Sanchez (2) – QB USC (Season: 737 YDS, 10 TD, 3 INT)

227 yds, 3 TD and an INT in USC’s loss to Oregon St. Unless Sanchez gets USC into the national title game, his chance for the Heisman may have been left in Corvallis.
Next: vs. Oregon

Max Hall (HM) – QB BYU (Season: 1,284, 15 TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)

Off last week, Hall needs to tear up his conference and BYU needs to go undefeated to win the Heisman.
Next: at Utah St.

Jeremy Maclin (HM) – WR Missouri (Season: 391 yds, 4 rec TD, 1 rush TD, 1 return TD)

Off before the Big 12 starts this week for Missouri. The Tigers have a real shot at a national championship run.
Next: at Nebraska

Michael Crabtree (UR) – WR Texas Tech (Season 467 yds, 6 TD)
Crabtree moves onto the list despite not playing last week. He and Maclin are the nation’s best two receivers and would have gone to Illinois if their grades were good enough. Benn, Crabtree and Maclin?
Next: at Kansas St.

Dropped out:
Knowshon Moreno (HM) – RB Georgia (Season: 489 YDS, 10 TD, 110 rec yds)

34 yds and a TD against Alabama won’t do it. Moreno is probably the most talented back in the country, but this seems to be the year of the quarterback in the Heisman race.Next: vs. Tennessee

That's Politics Bitch Part Deux

As you may have seen, the House voted down the government bail out plan and the Dow proceeded to drop over 700 points.

Ron Paul, my homeboy, gave a speech before the vote and here is the transcript of what he intended to say followed by the video of his time allotted speech.

The process of this bailout reminds me of a panic-stricken swimmer thrashing in the water only making his situation worse. Even a “bipartisan deal”—whatever that is supposed to mean— will not stop the Congress from thrashing about.

The beneficiaries of the corrupt monetary system of the last three decades are now desperately looking for victims to stick with the bill after they have reaped decades of profit and privilege.

The difficulties in our economy will continue because the Legislative and the Executive branches have not yet begun to address the real problems. The housing bubble’s collapse, as was the Dot Com bubble’s collapse, was predictable and is merely a symptom of the monetary system that brought us to this point.

Indeed, we do face a major crisis but it is much bigger than the freezing up of Wall Street and dealing with worthless assets on the books of major banks. The true crisis is the pending collapse of the fiat dollar system that emerged after the breakdown of the Bretton Woods agreement in 1971.

For 37 years the world built a financial system based on the dollar as the reserve currency of the world in an attempt to make the dollar serve as the new standard of value. However since 1971, the dollar has had no intrinsic value, as it is not tied to gold. The dollar is simply a fiat currency, which has fluctuated in value on a daily, if not hourly, bias. This worked to some degree until the market realized that too much debt and malinvestment existed and a correction was required.

Because of our economic and military strength, compared to other countries, trust in America’s currency lasted longer than deserved. This resulted in the biggest worldwide economic distortion in all of history. The problem is much bigger than the fears of a temporary decline on Wall Street if the bailout is not agreed to.

Money’s most important function is to serve as a means of exchange—a measurement of value. If this crucial yardstick is not stable, it becomes impossible for investors, entrepreneurs, savers, and consumers to make correct decisions; these mistakes create the bubble that must eventually be corrected.

Just imagine the results if a construction company was forced to use a yardstick whose measures changed daily to construct a skyscraper. The result would be a very unstable and dangerous building. No doubt the construction company would try to cover up their fundamental problem with patchwork repairs, but no amount of patchwork can fix a building with an unstable inner structure. Eventually, the skyscraper will collapse, forcing the construction company to rebuild—hopefully this time with a stable yardstick. This 700 billion package is more patchwork repair and will prove to be money down a rat hole and will only make the dollar crisis that much worse.

But what politicians are willing to say that the financial “skyscraper”—the global financial and monetary system-is a house of cards. It is not going to happen at this juncture. They’re not even talking about this. They talk only of bailouts, more monetary inflation, more special interest spending, more debt, and more regulations. There is almost no talk of the relationship of the Community Reinvestment Act, HUD, and government assisted loans to the housing bubble. And there is no talk of the oversight that is desperately needed for the Federal Reserve, the Exchange Stabilization Fund, and all the activities of the President’s Working Group on financial markets. When these actions are taken we will at last know that Congress is serious about the reforms that are really needed.

In conclusion, there are three good reasons why Congress should reject this legislation:

a. It is immoral—Dumping bad debt on the innocent taxpayers is an act of theft and is wrong.

b. It is unconstitutional—There is no constitutional authority to use government power to serve special interests.

c. It is bad economic policy—By refusing to address the monetary system while continuing to place the burdens of the bailout on the dollar, we can be certain that in time, we will be faced with another, more severe crisis when the market figures out that there is no magic government bailout or regulation that can make a fraudulent monetary system work.

Monetary reform will eventually come, but, unfortunately, Congress’ actions this week make it more likely the reform will come under dire circumstances, such as the midst of a worldwide collapse of the dollar. The question then will be how much of our liberties will be sacrificed in the process. Just remember what we lost in the aftermath of 9-11.

The best result we can hope for is that the economic necessity of getting our fiscal house in order will, at last, force us to give up our world empire. Without the empire we can then concentrate on rebuilding the Republic.

That's Politics Bitch

I don't always agree with Bill Maher but his writers are hilarious.

First 2 minutes is pretty funny but the political stuff is located at the 1:45 mark.

People Who Shouldn't Be Allowed to Vote

Scientologists - You have to be a total moron in order to follow a religion that requires money for knowledge. The fact that their pope is Tom Cruise should be warning enough.

Sweden - In case you missed it Sweden held a protest this week against globalization. Apparently this is their attempt to solidify power with Muslim extremists in the Middle East and Indonesia.

People who were duped into thinking Pizza Hut's pasta was restaurant quality - We have all seen those morons in the Pizza Hut commercials who rave about the texture and taste of macaroni and bacon pasta. People who can be that easily duped should not be worrying about national affairs but rather their own hygiene.

9/11 conspiracy theorists - Never mind that Popular Mechanics shot down every one of their issues, anyone who believes that the Bush administration was able to organize and keep quiet thousands of people is a dumbass who shouldn't be allowed to vote.

If Sports Gambling Were Legal...

Back on track finishing 4-2 last week.

Michigan St. -8 @ Indiana - Although this is a trap game for MSU, I don't see Indiana being able to stop Javon Ringer.

Northwestern +8 @ Iowa - Just a gut feeling that CJ Bacher will find his rhythm.

Virginia +7 @ Duke - If Duke covers the spread this time around they may actually be a legitimate D1 football team.

Purdue +2.5 @ Front Butt - Purdue will spread it out and I have a feeling the real Chris Painter will show up.

Va Tech +7 @ Nebraska - Sorry Bateman, but I think Nebraska football will never be the powerhouse it once was.

Illinois +14 @ Penn St. - The Illini could get blown out or keep it close, look for Juice to get back on track and keep the Illini in the game.

Week 5 Picks

That's Politics Bitch

In case you didn't know John McCain has suspended his campaign and wants to delay the scheduled debate this Friday. McCain said "we must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved."

The Obama campaign says the debate is still on and will only go to DC if congressional leaders feel his presence will help.

My take: this is a good move by McCain only if his presence in DC actually amounts to something. Warren Buffet, an Obama supporter, has called our current economic situation "an economic Pearl Harbor." I kind of agree with John McCain that if a bailout plan isn't ready by Friday than it would seem inappropriate for the two candidates to be debating when America is in a crisis.

Side note on Jackson Browne, who was on the Colbert Report yesterday: You are a dumb, dumb, dumb person. Just because you can play an instrument and use to write popular music doesn't mean people want to hear your political views.

Jackson Browne's new single, Going Down to Cuba, speaks of how wonderful Cuba is. Yes Jackson, I'm sure the areas you went to were wonderful just as the parts of Jamaica I visited were. But even when I was thirteen I realized that the Jamaica I saw wasn't representative of it as a whole.

One of the lines in the song mentions how they can evacuate when there is a hurricane. Really Jackson, do you realize that Cuba's evacuating entails government orders to leave their shacks and walk 5 miles from the coasts to higher ground?

It would be nice if one day Hollywood would take a hint from the sports world and not talk about politics.

The NFL is Racist

In case many of you didn't know, this month is NFL Hispanic heritage month. What exactly that means I have no idea because I can't read or speak Spanish. Anyways, this attempt by the NFL to expand its appeal is really rooted in its deep hatred and fear of soccer and the growing Latino community.

Many of you have heard a football coach tell a player if he doesn't want to get hit he should play soccer. This quote, besides being a fallacy because there is a lot of contact in soccer, tells of the fear football people have of soccer, a foreign sport. These people fear the idea that one day just as many young American boys will be playing soccer as there are playing football. And this fear is becoming more of a reality every day.

It is predicted that by the year 2055 35% of America will be Hispanic and Caucasians will represent 50% of America. It is no secret that the Hispanic community loves soccer and you can see their passion for the sport by driving by parks and football fields on Sunday afternoons. It is this passion for the sport that scares the NFL.

Every year since its inception the MLS has seen its attendance rise. While the MLS isn't selling out 80,000 seat arenas they are cultivating a following of very diverse and dedicated fans. Now the NFL doesn't see this as a current threat, and its not, however with a growing Hispanic community the NFL wants to nip this potential problem in the butt.

The NFL has no Asian heritage month or African heritage month and they won't because these communities are not growing at the rate of the Hispanic communities nor do those communities show a general passion for soccer. This passion for a sport they don't understand is what drove them to start Hispanic heritage month.

In conclusion, NFL owners, old, white, curmudgeons, fear the growing Hispanic community and its passion for a sport they don't understand. This hatred/fear has been instilled for generations and will continue to be instilled as long as old white stupid people coach football. I hope that one day my child will be judged not by his Team USA Jozy Altidore jersey but rather his passion as a fan.

Heisman - Week 4

1) Chase Daniel (previously #1) – QB Missouri (Season: 1,412 YDS, 12 TD, 1 INT, 74 rush yds)

Daniel had 439 yds and 2 TD in Missouri’s struggle against Buffalo, but he is putting up huge numbers for a top 5 team. Competition heats up as the Big 12 starts for Daniel this week at Nebraska.

Next: at Nebraska

2) Mark Sanchez (2) – QB USC (Season: 510 YDS, 7 TD, 2 INT)

Off last week, Sanchez is looking forward to starting the Pac-10 schedule against a terrible Oregon St. team.

Next: at Oregon St.

3) Sam Bradford (3) – QB Oklahoma (Season: 882 YDS, 12 TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)

The Sooners were off last week, but Bradford’s stats are still among the best in the country.
Next: vs. TCU

4) Tim Tebow (4) – QB Florida (Season: 489 yds, 5 TD, 118 rush yds)

Tebow led the Gators over rival Tennessee, but he didn’t put up big numbers, with 96 yds and 2 TD. If his name wasn’t Tebow, he wouldn’t be in the top five.

Next: vs. Ole Miss

5) Graham Harrell (5) – QB Texas Tech (Season: 1,573 yds, 12 TD, 3 INT, 1 rush TD)

322 yds and 4 TD against UMass, but Texas Tech is going to start playing real teams, with a rough stretch of at Kansas St., vs. Nebraska, and at Texas A&M.
Next: at Kansas St.

Honorable Mention:

Javon Ringer (Unranked) – RB Michigan St (Season: 699 yds, 11 TD)
Workhorse back had 201 yds and 2 TD vs. Notre Dame, following 282 yds and 2 TD the previous week.
Next: at Indiana

Jeremy Maclin (Honorable Mention) – WR Missouri (Season: 391 yds, 4 rec TD, 1 rush TD, 1 return TD)

Things are starting to roll for Maclin, who had 14 catches, 168 yds and a rushing TD against Buffalo.
Next: at Nebraska

Max Hall (HM) – QB BYU (Season: 1,284, 15 TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)

Good but not great against Wyoming, Hall will have to put up better numbers against his weak schedule for the rest of the year.
Next: at Utah St.

Knowshon Moreno (HM) – RB Georgia (Season: 455 YDS, 9 TD, 96 rec yds)Youtube this guy, he is a freak. Apparently, he also likes white girls (above). 149 yds and 2 TD against a good Arizona St. team. A good game against Alabama this week and Moreno jumps into the top five, maybe higher.
Next: vs. Alabama

Colt McCoy (UR) – QB Texas (Season: 833 yds, 11 TD, 1 INT, 194 rush yds, 2 rush TD)

Through three games McCoy is tearing it up through the air and on the ground, but who has Texas played? Postponed game against Arkansas gives McCoy a national stage.
Next: vs. Arkansas

Dropped out:
Matthew Stafford (HM) – QB Georgia (Season: 919 yds, 5 TD)

285 yds and a TD for Stafford in their win over Arizona St. Drops out not because of his play, but because he hasn’t played as well as the guys who jumped over him.Next vs. Alabama

P.J. Hill (HM) – RB Wisconsin (Season: 379 yds, 4 TD)

Off last week, Hill is a physical runner who is ready for the pounding of the Big Ten.
Next: at Michigan

If Sports Gambling Were Legal...

Yeah I know I was 0-6 last week but 3 of them were by .5 points and in most places I would have bought the point. So here we go again.

Colorado +3 vs West Virginia - Look for the Fighting Dan Hawkins to win this game outright.

Penn St. -28 vs Temple - I don't normally like giving that many points but Temple is bad and Joe Pa won't let his boys look past them to next week's game versus the beloved.

Auburn +3 vs LSU - LSU may have more playmakers than Auburn but that Auburn defense will keep the game close.

East Carolina -7 @ NC St - NC St is terrible. That is all.

Florida -7 @ Tennessee - If Tennessee lost to UCLA and UCLA lost to #14 BYU by 59, how bad will Florida beat Tennessee?

Georgia -7 @ ASU - I hate ASU.

Fall TV Preview Part Deux

While Tim covered most of the shows that I will be watching this year he did leave out a few gems.

Tuesday
8-9 (ABC Family) - Greek

The only reason I started to watch this show was boredom and to see how Hollywood would depict college. What I found was a pretty witty show, super hot girls, Kelsey Grammar's daughter, and a somewhat accurate take on college. Season 2 just started and if you want to catch up check out http://community.abcfamily.go.com/watch/3/full-episodes.


Wednesday
9-9:30 (Comedy Central) - South Park

Still one of the funniest shows on TV, South Park was good but great last year. Hopefully Trey and Matt return to episodes like the "sleepover" rather than get all preachy.


Friday
8-9 (NBC) - Friday Night Lights (Starts in February)

FNL is basically the lovechild of the movie Friday Night Lights and Varsity Blues. While the girls are out of this world attractive the story is good as well as the filming of the football action. You can also catch up with this show on nbc.com.


Sunday
8-9 (FOX) - 24
9-10 (HBO) - Big Love

24 Returns in January but not before the premiere of 24:Redemption, a two hour television movie that bridges the gap between seasons 6 and 7.


Also if you subscribe to HBO or download tv shows illegally then I most definitely recommend Big Love. The show is awesome and will most likely get a huge ratings boost since that mormon compound in Texas was busted.

Random Thoughts

The Challenge update: I watched the first episode and there’s no CT, which really disappoints me.

To steal from Tom, people who shouldn’t be allowed to vote: people who eat/chew gum/smack on mints while talking on the phone. I have no choice but to listen to you and it’s disgusting.

I don’t know what’s worse when allowing a car in front of me, not getting a thank you wave of some sort or getting the “rock on” sign. This actually happened.

Why do girls call their friends girlfriends or guyfriends? I don’t care if your friends are girls or guys. If you keep this up, I’m going to think you are a polygamist lesbian. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Week 4 Picks

Fall TV Preview

Summer is coming to a close, but one thing I enjoy about this time of year is the season premiere of shows other than Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader? I will preface this preview list by saying that I have terrible taste in television other than comedies and anyone who knows me or has lived with me can vouch for that statement. With that said, here’s what I’m looking forward to. If I'm missing something, please let me know and I will give it a shot.

Monday
7-7:30 (CBS) – The Big Bang Theory
7:30-8 (CBS) – How I Met Your Mother
8-8:30 (CBS) – Two and a Half Men
9-9:30 (MTV) – The Hills

CBS has a decent run of comedies starting with The Big Bang Theory, which is based on a bunch of scientist nerds who live across the hall from the hot girl from “8 Simple Rules” (above). Simple, but brilliant. I started watching this show earlier this year and there are a few good laughs every episode.

How I Met Your Mother tries to be Friends with a slightly younger crowd. Neil Patrick Harris makes this show, otherwise I wouldn’t watch it. There’s a little too much mushy relationship crap for my taste, but its not a waste of 30 minutes. Also, if anyone hasn’t noticed, Bob Saget is the narrator.

I’ve only seen one episode of Two and a Half Men, but the one I saw was great. Definitely worth a couple episodes.

Yes, I watch The Hills. I don’t really need an explanation for this other than there are a bunch of hot girls my age (above) parading around LA. Questions?

Tuesday
8:30-9 (BTN) – Illinois Football: The Journey

Well done show about the 2008 Fighting Illini football team. Already a couple episodes in, so catch up.

Wednesday
9-10 (FX) - Sons of Anarchy
9-10 (MTV) - Real World/Road Rules Challenge

Pretty weak night for TV, so you can watch a corrupt biker gang show, which is decent and has the mom from Married With Children. I would only watch this if it was already on and have nothing better to do. And yes, I watch The Challenge. I missed the first episode, but as long as CT is part of it, I will watch him and his sauce-peppering.

Thursday
7:30-8 (NBC) – Kath & Kim
8-8:30 (NBC) – The Office
8:30-9 (NBC) – 30 Rock
9-9:30 (FX) – Always Sunny

This is definitely the night for TV this fall. I figure I will give Kath and Kim one or two episodes because the trailers were decent, plus there’s nothing else on at that time. By now, you either like The Office or you don’t, but this is a critical season for this show to get back to where it was in its first few seasons. 30 Rock is hilarious and well-written, led by a solid trio of Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan, all of which are great. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is probably the best of the bunch on this night and the show I’m looking forward to most unless The Office can return itself to glory.

Sunday
All Day Marathons (BRAVO, USA) - Law and Order: Criminal Intent (BRAVO, USA)
9-9:30 (HBO) - Entourage

Law and Order: CI is probably the best show there is on TV as long as Detective Robert Goren (above) is on the case. I haven’t watched Entourage in a season or two, but that’s cause I don’t have HBO. I’d recommend for anyone who has it.

* I think it took me longer to upload the pictures on this post than to write it, so I apologize if this doesnt make sense. I'm not a journalism major with a bunch of time on my hands or anything.

Heisman - Week 3

1) Chase Daniel (previously #1) – QB Missouri (Season: 973 YDS, 10 TD, 1 INT, 58 rush yds)
405 yds and 4 TD vs. Nevada has my Heisman favorite rolling. As long as Missouri keeps winning, Daniel will probably be the top man on this list.
Next: vs. Buffalo

2) Mark Sanchez (2) – QB USC (Season: 510 YDS | 7 TD 2 INT)
Sanchez led his Trojans to an annihilation of (an) Ohio State University last week with 172 yds and 4 TD. The best offensive player on now unquestionably the best team in the country.
Next: at Oregon St.

3) Sam Bradford (4) – QB Oklahoma (Season: 882 YDS | 12 TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)
With 304 yds and 6 TD (one rushing) at Washington, Bradford is making a strong push for the top spot on this list. I’m waiting for him to be tested to move him past the top two, so look out in two weeks when the Sooners play Texas.
Next: vs. TCU

4) Tim Tebow (3) – QB Florida (Season: 393 yds, 3 TD, 92 rush yds)
Off last week, Tebow drops a spot heading into a showdown with SEC rival Tennessee.
Next: at Tennessee

5) Graham Harrell (HM) – QB Texas Tech (Season: 1,251 yds, 8 TD, 3 INT, 1 rush TD)
418 yds and 5 TD against SMU jumps Harrell back into the top 5. Cupcake schedule ends after Massachusetts this week.
Next: Massachusetts

Honorable Mention:
Max Hall (Unranked) – QB BYU (Season: 1,095 yds, 12 TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)
Led 59-0 shellacking of UCLA with 7 TD. IF BYU stays undefeated, Hall could make his way into the Heisman picture.
Next: vs. Wyoming

Jeremy Maclin (Honorable Mention) – WR Missouri (Season: 223 yds, 4 rec TD, 1 return TD)
The explosiveness Maclin showed with 6 catches for 172 yds and 3 TD against Nevada is what we should be expecting the rest of the year from the nation’s best receiver.
Next: vs. Buffalo

Knowshon Moreno (HM) – RB Georgia (Season: 306 YDS | 7 TD |, 96 rec yds)
Struggled against South Carolina with 79 yds and 1 TD, but Moreno is the most talented running back in the country.
Next: at Arizona St.

P.J. Hill (HM) – RB Wisconsin (Season: 379 yds, 4 TD).
112 yds in Wisconsin’s win over Fresno St. Tough stretch ahead for Hill: at Michigan, Ohio St., Penn St.
Next: at Michigan

Matthew Stafford (5, pictured above) – QB Georgia (Season: 634 yds, 4 TD)
Poor game against South Carolina with 146 yds, no TDs and sacked four times.
Next at Arizona St.

Dropped out:
Chris Wells (HM) – RB Ohio St (Season: 111 yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds)
If you don’t play, you don’t deserve to be on this list.
Next: vs. Troy

Hey O Vontae!

Random Musings

An update on things gayer than playing ultimate frisbee; playing ultimate frisbee at night with a glow in the dark frisbee.

Why do I feel like an ass when I go to the 20 items or less line with 20 items?

Whats the point of co-ed sports? I feel like no one really wants to be there. It's insulting to girls when they see guys playing down to their level and half assing it and for guys whats the point of playing a psuedo competitive sport?

Why do people root against players on their own team? IE Rex Grossman, Juice Williams, and Chester Frazier. I can understand being frustrated and upset with them but to actually root for them to perform poorly is idiotic. I'm looking at you Greg.

More on McDonald's later but in case you don't know, McDonald's is offering 49 cent vanilla cones.

All Hail Big Z

Quantum of Badass

Wow.

That's Politics Bitch

Saw this on Drudge today and couldn't help but laugh at Matt Damon mentioning actuary tables.  First of all I was impressed he could actually read and secondly I'd love to see these secret actuary tables he talks about.

"One in three chance McCain dies and we have a one term governor as President."  How about a 100% chance of having a one term senator as President if Obama is elected?  Now that Matt Damon can read hopefully forming his own thoughts is next. 

Week 3 Picks

If Sports Gambling Were Legal...

I figured with the slow economy that many of you could use some extra cash.  So without further ado here is my six pack of college football games to bet on, if it was legal.

Navy +1.5 @ Duke - How Duke is a favorite in any game they play is ridiculous.

Stanford +13 @ TCU - The Fighting Harbaughs should at least keep it close.

Central Michigan -3.5 @ Ohio - The real reason Vince Young is freaking out is because Dan Lefevour joined him in the 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards club.

Georgia -7.5 @ South Carolina - South Carolina just lost to Vanderbilt and their best wide receiver is out, I smell a rout.

Michigan -2 @ Notre Dame - If Notre Dame couldn't run on San Diego St. what are they going to do against Michigan?

Fresno St. +2 vs Wisconsin - Wisconsin is vastly overrated and Fresno St. is once again loaded with juco's who would score less than a 10 on the wunderlich test.

People Who Shouldn't Be Allowed to Vote

  

Grown men who paint their faces - Need I say more?

People who yell to put McGee in during Illinois games - The legend of Eddie McGee is something I will never understand.  The guy fumbles or throws an interception in almost every game he plays in yet, is viewed by fans as the second coming of Christ.  Juice is a better player and it isn't close.

The State of Missouri - Maybe its not having a public university in the Princeton Review top 386 colleges or not having a pro basketball team the state is full of a bunch of uneducated douche bags.  Or maybe it's because with no battery charges everyone is getting beat up and there is nothing they can do about it.

PETA - Millions of other animals eat other animals every day.  Yet we aren't supposed to?  I get treating them better before we give them the axe but come on people, if given the chance animals would eat us.

After reviewing previous People Who Shouldn't Be Allowed to Vote entries I feel that about 60% of the nation is still able to vote. This, in my opinion, is still way to high.

Heisman - Week 2

1) Chase Daniel (previously #1) – QB Missouri (Season: 568 yds, 6 TD, 1 INT, 46 rush yds on the season)

Did nothing to lose the top spot on this list with 245 yds and 3 TDs vs. SE Missouri St.Next: Nevada
2) Mark Sanchez (2, pictured left) – QB USC (Season: 338 yds, 3 TD 1 INT)

Off last week, Sanchez can become the frontrunner with a big game against the Buckeyes Saturday.Next: Ohio St3
3) Tim Tebow (3) – QB Florida (Season: 393 yds, 3 TD, 92 rush yds)

Florida dismantled Miami (Fl) and Tebow was the reason why with 256 yds through the air and 55 on the ground. The brutal SEC starts after a bye week for Florida.Next: at Tennessee
4) Sam Bradford (Unranked) – QB Oklahoma (Season: 578 yds, 7 TD, 2 INT)
Bradford catapults himself into the top five after a huge week against Cincinnati with 395 yds and 5 TDs.
Next: at Washington
5) Matthew Stafford (Honorable Mention) – QB Georgia (Season: 488 yds, 4 TD)

Solid again against Central Michigan with 213 yds and 2 TD, Stafford should be in the race all year with the best conference’s best team.
Next at South Carolina

Honorable Mention:

Knowshon Moreno (UR) – RB Georgia (Season: 227 yds, 6 TD, 83 rec yds)
Big week against Central Michigan with 168 yds and 3 TDs to get himself onto the list for the first time.
Next: at South Carolina
Graham Harrell (5) – QB Texas Tech (Season: 833 yds, 3 TD, 3 INT, 1 rush TD

Will have to avoid mistakes he made against Nevada (2 INT), but Harrell plays in the perfect offense to be a threat for the Heisman.Next: SMU
Chris Wells (HM) – RB Ohio St (Season: 111 yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds)
Ready to go for the showdown against USC. Huge test to his health and his Heisman season.
Next: at USC
P.J. Hill (HM) – RB Wisconsin (Season: 267 yds, 4 TD).
Big game against Fresno St this week to see if Hill can run against real competition.
Next: at Fresno St
Jeremy Maclin (HM) – WR Missouri (Season: 51 yds, 1 rec TD, 1 return TD)
Off to a slow start, but he can get hot fast and get back into the thick of things.
Next: Nevada

Dropped out:
Pat White (4) – QB West Virginia
Can’t lose to East Carolina and expect to win the Heisman.
Juice Williams (HM) – QB Illinois
Greg, he’ll be back.

Bears/VMA Diary

As promised, here is the first of what is hopefully many sport and entertainment diaries.

We start a little late due to some slow service at Dos Reales in Urbana.

1st Quarter

5:58 - Without Devin Hester how many games would the Bears have won last year? Maybe 5?

5:14 - Grossman with some impressive calisthenics. Al Michaels needed to drop the Major League 2 line from Bob Uecker about Roger Dorn, "Dorn putting on some extensive calisthenics."

4:59 - Matt Forte = Good. When you run away from Bob Sanders you are damn fast.

3:02 - Do the Bears really have an Asian linebacker coach? Lloyd Lee? Maybe it was just me but I couldn't stop thinking of Lloyd from Entourage whenever I saw him.

2:45 - Peanut Tillman lays the wood to Reggie Wayne. Where the hell did laying the wood come from? Who lays wood?

2:32 - I completely forgot that Brian Griese played for the Bears last year.

1:48 - I know it's only the first quarter of the first game of the year but if the Bears can stay healthy and get a #1 wide receiver, calling Steve Smith, they could go to the Super Bowl.

:40 - Usain Bolt?

Commercial - Is it immature to laugh when I see a woman using an electric toothbrush?

2nd Quarter

14:37 - John Madden "Everyone in the NFL is sad to see Tom Brady injured." My ass, if I was in the AFC East I would be jumping for joy. It's not like he is going to die or never play again.

14:15 - Bears ball and it's 2nd and 5 and they go deep. They follow that up with a draw....wtf? Maybe someone should tell Ron Turner the Bears don't have the offensive firepower to guarantee a 3rd and 5 first down.

12:19 - Why hasn't Syracuse ever been good at football? Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney...seriously what's the problem? Drew I'm looking at you buddy.

11:54 - Better stache, Marvin Harrison or referee Mike Carey?

9:38 - Why don't they make goalposts higher? We can build 100 story buildings yet can only build goalposts 30 feet high.

9:28 - Why do white people who aren't balding shave their heads? In the course of white people history it has never nor will ever look good. And I'm looking at you Anthony Gonzalez.

9:08 - Some good cocktail party information for those at home, Matt Forte is the 5th rookie running back to run for a 50 yard touchdown in his first game in the first quarter.

8:40 - Bob Sanders is on HGH. Human arms don't get that way naturally.

7:20 - For the record right now TNT is showing United 93, Discovery is running Attack on the Pentagon, and National Geographic is playing Inside 9/11.

6:45 - John Madden "Kyle Orton can throw the slant." I'd hope so because so can any high school quarterback.

5:20 - How can Kyle Orton a professional athlete, sort of, be so slow?

4:43 - John Madden with another gem, "When you first look at Lucas Oil you don't think its a stadium, you think it's an arena." Maybe someone should check if Madden is huffing Tinactin cans.

3:59 - How embarrassing is it to give up a safety? Not being able to move the ball forward is pathetic enough but to go backwards into your own end zone...watching Smallville pathetic.

2:00 - The Baltimore Ravens have by far the coolest name in the NFL. Giants, Titans, Bears, Colts, Texans, Raiders....blah. But naming a team after a sweet bird and because Edgar Allen Poe was from Baltimore is bad ass.

1:43 - Marty Booker looks like he needs a walker.

:57 - Olin Kreutz has maybe one more season in him.

:18 - G - REG!

Halftime I ventured over to the VMA's

- Rihanna is on a Beatles like pace of hits.

- Russel Brand is a douche. Yeah wearing promise rings may not be the coolest thing in the world but to make half of your monologue about the Jonas Brother's wearing them...weak.

- Also ripping on America for electing Bush for 8 years when the UK has had Tony Blair, good friends with Bush, and a new prime minister more conservative than Blair is whats the analogy...pot calling the kettle black?

- Damn Britney looks good again.

3rd Quarter

15:00 - The 'U' does most definitely not produce nobel laureates. Although it's tough to get mad at Hester.

Commercial - The Mastercard Mr. Bill clay doll commercials are awful.

Commercial - When was the last good movie that either Pacino or Deniro was in?

9:18 - Grown men with face paint should not be allowed to vote.

7:34 - #44 on the Bears, Payne, sucks. Should not be on the field.

VMA - McLovin needs to do something else funny fast. He is getting a ton out of one supporting role.

3:03 - The Bears need to get G-Reg more touches.

1:52 - Why doesn't the media get on Tony Dungy for not believing in dinosaurs and thinking the world is 3,000 years old? Seriously, these people need to be ostracized from society.

1:00 - And the Bears defense draws closer to outscoring the offense.

VMA - Tokio Hotel is a freak show. If I can't tell whether or not you are a girl or guy until you talk you need to change what you are wearing.

:15 - The Colts look really, really old. Especially Marvin Harrison.

Commercial - Speaking of getting old, the Mac commercials are getting really old.

4th Quarter

12:15 - Matt Forte = Really Really good.

VMA - I like Kid Rock. There I said it.

9:05 - Just thinking out loud but why when holding or intentional grounding gets called on the offense in the end zone it results in a safety but when the defense holds or interferes with the offense in the endzone the ball is placed at the 1 yard line?

5:58 - There are like 8 refs on the field and Ogunleye decides to head butt someone. Football players are so stupid.

4:18 - Gameover, Bears win onto the last 10 minutes of the VMA's.

VMA - Apperently Britney was the big winner of the evening. Before tonight she had never won one which is upsurd considering she has some of the most famous videos ever.

Hope you enjoyed the diary I will try and do better next time.

College Football Picks - Week 2

	Tom (5-5)	Tim (5-5)	Mike (4-6)
Central Michigan at (2) Georgia	Georgia	Georgia	Georgia
Cincinnati at (4) Oklahoma	Oklahoma	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
Miami (FL) at (5) Florida	Lord Tebow	Florida	Florida
(8) West Virginia at East Carolina	West Virginia	West Virginia	West Virginia
Eastern Illinois at (24) Illinois	Fighting Illini	Illinois	Illini
Georgia Tech at Boston College	Georgia Tech	BC	BC
Miami (OH) at Michigan	Michigan	Michigan	Michigan
Minnesota at Bowling Green	Bowling Green	Bowling Green	Bowling Green
Marshall at (11) Wisconsin	Wiscy	Wisconsin	Wisconsin
Oregon St at (19) Penn St	Penn St.	Penn St	Penn St.

That's Politics Bitch

Most of you know that I am a very political and opinionated person.  So what better time than now to introduce a new feature where I will break down the current political climate.

Let's start with the Democratic Convention:

-  Was there anything better than having to watch Hillary Clinton spend 30 minutes praising Barack Obama?  You could see it on her face that she didn't want to be there.

-  The video tribute to Ted Kennedy was probably the pinnacle of unintentional comedy.  The first part described how sailing/yachting was his passion and where he felt most comfortable.  Ted Kennedy went on to say that "every man thinks his very best when he is out at sea."  Thanks Ted, too bad that most of the people that vote for your party only see yachts on Cribs or Super Sweet Sixteen.

-  Obama's speech on Thursday was pretty solid but I didn't think it was in his top ten.  But that's like saying Jordan's 53 point game at the Garden in 96 isn't in his top ten moments.

-  Back to Ted Kennedy, why in the hell is this man a respected politician/person?  Trent Lott and Tom Delay are run out of politics for run of the mill scandals yet Ted Kennedy gets no flack for killing someone.  What a joke.

Now onto the Republican Convention:

-   Joe Lieberman is a douche.  He had no problem cuddling up to Obama when he needed his help to raise campaign money but now that he won reelection he tosses him aside.

-  Michael Moore, douche bag extraordinaire, said that Hurricane Gustav was a sign that there is a God in heaven.  The Hurricane "prevented" Bush and Cheney from speaking at the convention.  Which makes me wonder if maybe God isn't liberal.

-  Sarah Palin...Yes I Would!!!  Woman is simply a fox and is pretty quick on her feet.  This is a great pick because even is McCain and her lose this election she has become a star and something the Republican party desperately needs.

-  McCain's speech was solid although he lost me in the middle a little bit.  He also did a great job of making me feel like a piece of crap in terms of what I have given my country.  His ending was great as it sort of reminded me of a cross between Bill Pullman from Independence Day and Sean Connery in First Knight.

Voter Status:   Undecided, however Obama's stance on babies that are "born alive" worries me a little.  If you didn't read or hear about it, 98 US Senators agreed that hospitals and outreach centers should assist a baby that is born alive during an attempted abortion.  Obama voted present.  Super weak.

Heisman Race

Since Illinois is relevant in college football again, I’ve started to pay more attention to the national picture a little more. So I thought I would do a weekly Heisman race post. After one week, here are the candidates:

1) Chase Daniel – QB Missouri (last week 323 yds, 3 TD, 47 rush yds)
In for a big year with an explosive offense. If Missouri is in a BCS game, Daniel will be in the Heisman race all year
Next: SE Missouri St.
2) Mark Sanchez – QB USC (last week 338 yds, 3 TD 1 INT)
The new USC quarterback has all the offensive weapons around him. The quarterback on the #1 team in the country always deserves Heisman attention.
Next: Ohio St.
3) Tim Tebow – QB Florida (last week 137 yds, 1 TD, 37 rush yds)
Trying to win the award back to back years. It will be tough to beat last season’s numbers, but nothing would surprise me with Tebow.
Next: Miami (FL)
4) Pat White – QB Western Virginia (last week 208 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT, 63 rush yds)
Multi threat quarterback that leads the Big East favorite
Next: East Carolina
5) Graham Harrell – QB Texas Tech (last week 536 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT)
Expect big-time numbers from Harrell all year. It probably wont be enough to win the award unless he re-writes the college football record books.

Honorable Mention:
Chris Wells – RB Ohio St (last week 111 yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds). Will he be healthy for USC?
Jeremy Maclin – WR Missouri (last week 4 rec, 31 yds, 99 yd return TD). Freak athlete who I hope to never see again against Illinois.
P.J. Hill – RB Wisconsin (last week 210 yds, 2 TD). Workhorse for Wisconsin who wants to break Ron Dayne’s all time rushing record
Matthew Stafford – QB Georgia (last week 275 yds, 2 TD). Favorite to be the number 1 pick in this year’s draft leads arguably the top team in the country.
Juice Williams – QB Illinois (last week 451 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT). Why not? The Juice is loose.

Random Musings

If I was Nastia Luikin I would have refused to accept the silver medal in the uneven bars. How some Olympic sports are allowed to give out two gold medals while others are not is subjective and ridiculous.

If NBC wanted to get better ratings out of its equestrian coverage, along with rider's hometowns and age, they should list their parent's net worth. Just imagine the story lines of the underdog rider whose parents were measly radiologists and could only afford an eight horse stable.

Why do we call all judges honorable? Imagine if a firefighter went around being called courageous fireman Joe. Even doctors draw the line somewhere.

Besides a Clay Aiken concert, is there anything gayer than seeing a bunch of guys chasing after a frisbee disc? Also why is it called ultimate frisbee? For a sport that is usually not played by frat guys it sure seems like they named it.

Why do accountants, lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc. perform pro bono work? They already spend the first five months of the year working for other people but that isn't enough?