I know I haven't posted in a while. It's like I don't even care right? Well I don't know. Turns out there are some newsworthy items out there to speak about.
As it turns out "The U" may as well stand for "The Uncompliant." Ok, maybe that's not a real term. But the story Yahoo! Sports released is seriously toxic for the whole athletic department in Coral Gables. The amount of names - famous players - that were listed by Nevin Shapiro is staggering. He was nothing if he was not uberforthcoming with information about all the gifts he provided to players, coaches, and the school.
In a place like Miami I think it would be easier than in some other places to get players and coaches to take gifts and live "the life." Miami is a huge market with a huge nightlife. It is not hard to find temptation abound in the surrounding areas of Coral Gables. Not to mention this Shapiro guy had a yacht. A yacht! I mean seriously, how much more G can you get?
This whole situation is not surprising at all. Perhaps the extent of it is sort of alarming, but mostly people just shake their heads as if one of their friends told a stupid joke. Nobody is really shaken by this stuff anymore. Its not just Miami. It's everywhere. Miami just got it in the butt.
This guy Nevin Shapiro is a total tool anyway. He's spending the next 20 years in prison because he only liked making money illegally. Now he wants to spill the beans since the players aren't backing him. He knew that these players would take the bait if he dangled it in front of them. I think he's the major villain in the whole thing. I don't deny that players need to take responsibility for their actions. They should know better. They need to understand how strict the NCAA is. You gotta know its stupid if a guy is paying for you to bang some girl. But at the same time, when people with money just want to give it to you with no questions asked, it would certainly be hard to pass that up. I don't know. I'm not sure what I would do had I been in such a situation. I hope I would use my head, but that's easy coming from a schlub like me. Had I been there I may have made the same decisions.
There hasn't been a major "death penalty" handed down in NCAA sports since SMU in the 80s. It would be a huge blow to one of the premier athletic programs in the country if Miami received such a sanction. It would certainly change the landscape of major college sports for a few years, especially football. Poor new football and basketball coaches. They didn't ask for this. Now they are in the thick of it. All the Hurricanes community can do is sit back and wait. This could take a while.
Speaking of expensive things people don't deserve, have you seen Ashton Kutcher's trailer for Two and Half Men? Its insane. It's a semi truck with like seven 60" TVs in there. Really what's the point of that? He's already making $700,000 an episode. Give me a break. This isn't your home. It's your trailer while on set. Define overkill. Clearly, some Americans are not feeling the financial crisis. Jealousy? Yeah maybe a little. But this is bordering on gold-toilet status. Our dream is his reality. Sheesh.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Top 10 Titles More Suited to John Beck Than Redskins Quarterback
1. John Beck, CPA
2. John Beck, Esq.
3. John Beck, DDS
4. John Beck, Realtor, ReMax
5. John Beck, Director, Campus Recreation
6. John Beck, Vice President of Marketing
7. John Beck, CEO
8. John Beck, Revenue Agent
9. John Beck, Museum Curator
10. John Beck, Operations Manager
2. John Beck, Esq.
3. John Beck, DDS
4. John Beck, Realtor, ReMax
5. John Beck, Director, Campus Recreation
6. John Beck, Vice President of Marketing
7. John Beck, CEO
8. John Beck, Revenue Agent
9. John Beck, Museum Curator
10. John Beck, Operations Manager
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
NFL Dream
(To the tune of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream)
You reached an agreement
Without missing too much time
And if you didn't
I was gonna lose my mind.
It was frustrating
But now everything's just fine. Just fine.
Let's vote all the way tonight.
No regrets, just votes.
Let's settle this once and for all.
You and I will work for 10 years.
You've made fans
Feel like their going to pee their pants
The way you lead them on.
Enough lockout
Go to the field
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back
Our hearts stopped
When we believed
Football might not be seen
But you came through
And thanks to you
We're gonna see sacks and every single long pass
It seemed so stupid
An owners and players fight
All over money
Which never really seemed quite right. Quite right.
Let's vote all the way tonight.
No regrets, just votes.
Let's settle this once and for all.
You and I will work for 10 years.
You made me
Want to motherfuckin yell and scream
The way you made me wait
But now we're cool
Fall Sundays are back, Fall Sundays are back.
You all kept my heart racing
With deadlines you were facing
End the lockout for me tonight
Let them put the pads back on
Let me sing the fight song
Let them win for me tonight...
You reached an agreement
Without missing too much time
And if you didn't
I was gonna lose my mind.
It was frustrating
But now everything's just fine. Just fine.
Let's vote all the way tonight.
No regrets, just votes.
Let's settle this once and for all.
You and I will work for 10 years.
You've made fans
Feel like their going to pee their pants
The way you lead them on.
Enough lockout
Go to the field
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back
Our hearts stopped
When we believed
Football might not be seen
But you came through
And thanks to you
We're gonna see sacks and every single long pass
It seemed so stupid
An owners and players fight
All over money
Which never really seemed quite right. Quite right.
Let's vote all the way tonight.
No regrets, just votes.
Let's settle this once and for all.
You and I will work for 10 years.
You made me
Want to motherfuckin yell and scream
The way you made me wait
But now we're cool
Fall Sundays are back, Fall Sundays are back.
You all kept my heart racing
With deadlines you were facing
End the lockout for me tonight
Let them put the pads back on
Let me sing the fight song
Let them win for me tonight...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Another Dimension
Ok, so the women lost the World Cup final to Japan. Sort of gave it away. Or so I'm told. I was on my way back from an awesome weekend at the lake house (not mine!). They were heavy favorites and should have won. Oh well. I was over it in about 5 minutes. I would have liked to brag about a victory, but no big deal. That's the beauty of soccer in America. No one expects too much. Even from our Number 1 women's team. And even if they do expect a lot, nobody is really devestated if they lose. Anyway, some of the games were exciting and the ratings were big. Props to women's soccer for actually giving us something to watch in this dorment time of the sports year.
On a totally unrelated note, I would like to discuss the new "in" thing on the big screen: 3-D movies. Apparently, according to Hollywood, any new movie worth its salt needs to come out in 3-D. As any avid movie goer has learned, this is to the detriment of the product. Generally, I enjoy the 3-D effects. There is an added element of excitement and newness with it. But with the technology now becoming the norm, how exciting is it? Avatar was phenomenal in 3-D, and that movie sort of kick-started this new fad. But now Hollywood is making movies just to use the technology. I saw a preview the other day for Shark Night or something like that. One of those awful, gory-style-young-people-dying movies relating to sharks in a lake or some bullshit. Seriously? Leave Jaws as the scary shark movie. There is not a chance in hell that this will be a good movie. But producers think it will be supercool for audiences to feel like a shark is really attacking them. I would argue that no one wants to pay $14 for a crappy movie regardless of the special effects. I don't know, maybe I'm an idiot and don't understand the masses. But to me its a gross overuse of something that really doesn't add much cinematic value. I mean really, how many Final Destination movies do you have to make just for super gory 3-D scenes? Those movies stopped being good 5 movies ago. Please stop.
So when I see the final Harry Potter movie on Thursday, it will not be in 3-D. Sigh. I don't know. Maybe I'll cave. I'm the worst victim of Hollywood marketing on earth.
On a totally unrelated note, I would like to discuss the new "in" thing on the big screen: 3-D movies. Apparently, according to Hollywood, any new movie worth its salt needs to come out in 3-D. As any avid movie goer has learned, this is to the detriment of the product. Generally, I enjoy the 3-D effects. There is an added element of excitement and newness with it. But with the technology now becoming the norm, how exciting is it? Avatar was phenomenal in 3-D, and that movie sort of kick-started this new fad. But now Hollywood is making movies just to use the technology. I saw a preview the other day for Shark Night or something like that. One of those awful, gory-style-young-people-dying movies relating to sharks in a lake or some bullshit. Seriously? Leave Jaws as the scary shark movie. There is not a chance in hell that this will be a good movie. But producers think it will be supercool for audiences to feel like a shark is really attacking them. I would argue that no one wants to pay $14 for a crappy movie regardless of the special effects. I don't know, maybe I'm an idiot and don't understand the masses. But to me its a gross overuse of something that really doesn't add much cinematic value. I mean really, how many Final Destination movies do you have to make just for super gory 3-D scenes? Those movies stopped being good 5 movies ago. Please stop.
So when I see the final Harry Potter movie on Thursday, it will not be in 3-D. Sigh. I don't know. Maybe I'll cave. I'm the worst victim of Hollywood marketing on earth.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Party in the U.S.A.
Ahoy! I am a week removed from my trip to Scotland, and I gotta say it was a great trip. Wonderful things to see and wonderful people as well. Upon returning to the States, the world is in the throes of the Women's World Cup -- perhaps no grander stage to display pride and patriotism. In the spirit of my travel to foreign lands and many foreign lands vying for soccer's ultimate crown, here are a list of 5 things I would love about living in the UK and 5 things I would totally miss if I ever lived in the UK:
5 Things I Would Love About Living in the UK
1. In major cities, pubs on every corner. I mean seriously.
2. Public transportation. Everything is so efficient, you don't even need to drive. Plus you can walk everywhere, so you could be safe going to and fro the pubs.
3. An emphasis on not working too hard. Obviously, people work hard, but they are not afraid to take a load off over there.
4. The lack of tipping in the service industry. It's weird to order a drink and not have to tip each time. Though they appreciate I'm sure, it's not entirely expected. The cost of the drink is the cost of the drink. Cool.
5. The fact that in Scotland, it doesn't get dark until after 11pm in the summertime. Obviously, the inverse is true in the winter, but we won't worry about that.
5 Things I Would Totally Miss About the U.S. If I Lived Abroad in the UK
1. American football/sports. Far and away.
2. Driving on the correct side of the road. Our side.
3. American TV. While I enjoy the British sense of humor, we have so many more choices for solid TV programming.
4. Cuisine. I loved haggis, but the melting pot that is America has a myriad of options for great food destinations. Especially in D.C.
5. Dentistry.
So that would be my lists. And today you have to be super happy to be an American! After the U.S. women's soccer team had the most improbable sports victory I can remember. I know most of my friends would argue that soccer - especially women's soccer - has no bearing on anything relating to sports or patriotism. But I am not that shut-off. No matter the sport, I love championships. LOVE THEM. How could you not be excited about this? In a weird way, it makes me feel like I can get out of any rut. The team was dead and buried. I sure wrote them off (of course, that is nothing new). The resiliency and grit the team showed is something to be admired. Brazil, gaining every possible advantage from the referee, thought they were a shoe-in to play France on Wednesday. But after all the flopping and whining, all they are going to do is go home with the whole country waiting for 2014's men's team to defend home country.
Now the French await. And if we've learned anything, it's that the French buckle under the pressure. Go USA and Slainte Mhath!
5 Things I Would Love About Living in the UK
1. In major cities, pubs on every corner. I mean seriously.
2. Public transportation. Everything is so efficient, you don't even need to drive. Plus you can walk everywhere, so you could be safe going to and fro the pubs.
3. An emphasis on not working too hard. Obviously, people work hard, but they are not afraid to take a load off over there.
4. The lack of tipping in the service industry. It's weird to order a drink and not have to tip each time. Though they appreciate I'm sure, it's not entirely expected. The cost of the drink is the cost of the drink. Cool.
5. The fact that in Scotland, it doesn't get dark until after 11pm in the summertime. Obviously, the inverse is true in the winter, but we won't worry about that.
5 Things I Would Totally Miss About the U.S. If I Lived Abroad in the UK
1. American football/sports. Far and away.
2. Driving on the correct side of the road. Our side.
3. American TV. While I enjoy the British sense of humor, we have so many more choices for solid TV programming.
4. Cuisine. I loved haggis, but the melting pot that is America has a myriad of options for great food destinations. Especially in D.C.
5. Dentistry.
So that would be my lists. And today you have to be super happy to be an American! After the U.S. women's soccer team had the most improbable sports victory I can remember. I know most of my friends would argue that soccer - especially women's soccer - has no bearing on anything relating to sports or patriotism. But I am not that shut-off. No matter the sport, I love championships. LOVE THEM. How could you not be excited about this? In a weird way, it makes me feel like I can get out of any rut. The team was dead and buried. I sure wrote them off (of course, that is nothing new). The resiliency and grit the team showed is something to be admired. Brazil, gaining every possible advantage from the referee, thought they were a shoe-in to play France on Wednesday. But after all the flopping and whining, all they are going to do is go home with the whole country waiting for 2014's men's team to defend home country.
Now the French await. And if we've learned anything, it's that the French buckle under the pressure. Go USA and Slainte Mhath!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
For Buckets Sake
Quite the exciting night. Packing for Scotland while watching the NBA Draft! Riveting. But yes, I will be out of commish for the next week as I am overseas visiting the birthplace of golf. Sweeeeet. I will have knocked out 2/3 of the UK in last two years. Holler.
I have to say, it is encouraging watching the Wizards operate in this draft. Initially, I do not get excited about bringing in foreign players who you may have to wait a year or two to even get onto your squad. That's simply a bias. I don't get to watch those players play throughout a season like I do with the college players that are coming out. But the experts seem to really know these guys and really like this Jan Vesely character out of the Czech Republic. Watching his highlights sort of made me a believer. He is a vicious dunker. It will be nice to see John Wall alley-oop him a few times a game. But what really endeared me to him after watching him be selected was his money long smooch with his hot, blond girlfriend. The crowd went wild. Great TV. I just hope he makes it over to D.C. for next season. That would be my main concern.
I love the pick of Chris Singleton at 18. He fell right into the Wizards lap and they jumped. They need defense and he just so happens to be a wide body to fill up the lane. I think he will be a valuable asset to a growing, immature team.
I don't really enjoy the Shelvin Mack pick in the second round, though I am familiar with him. With my fellow Terrapin Jordan Williams sitting there ripe for the picking I would have loved to seem them take the hometown hero. But I guess they may need a safety net at the guard position in case Nick Young leaves or just for depth. After all, they need to score more points than the other team to win games. Simple concept. I'm just not sold that Mack is the answer to help contribute to point totals. But he could prove me wrong. He's not a bad player. Overall, I think the Wizards really did help themselves though. They got skilled players and filled some needs. That's what its all about. A couple more drafts with multiple picks and they could really be in good shape.
Alright, so I shall return with a blog in a few weeks after the overseas vacation. In honor of my trip to Scotland, here are a few things I would like to see happen when I am off the American media grid for a week:
- NFL: Please tell me there's a season. Get a deal done next week. What a great welcome home gift that would be.
-Either the Nationals or the Orioles become a totally stable baseball franchise. The buzz in DC right now is about the Nationals winning games, but when the coach quits there's a problem. And well, with Angelos at the helm in Baltimore, all you can do is hope.
-I miraculously have a million job offers waiting for me upon my return.
-An epic Wimbledon final. Actually, I will probably be plugged right into this, but whatever.
Random note: Why the hell are they remaking Footloose? Some movies should be left alone. MTV should be ashamed. Julianne Hough is no Lori Singer. I can tell you that right now. Let Kevin Bacon's majestic performance stand alone.
I'll do my best to take a pic in a kilt.
I have to say, it is encouraging watching the Wizards operate in this draft. Initially, I do not get excited about bringing in foreign players who you may have to wait a year or two to even get onto your squad. That's simply a bias. I don't get to watch those players play throughout a season like I do with the college players that are coming out. But the experts seem to really know these guys and really like this Jan Vesely character out of the Czech Republic. Watching his highlights sort of made me a believer. He is a vicious dunker. It will be nice to see John Wall alley-oop him a few times a game. But what really endeared me to him after watching him be selected was his money long smooch with his hot, blond girlfriend. The crowd went wild. Great TV. I just hope he makes it over to D.C. for next season. That would be my main concern.
I love the pick of Chris Singleton at 18. He fell right into the Wizards lap and they jumped. They need defense and he just so happens to be a wide body to fill up the lane. I think he will be a valuable asset to a growing, immature team.
I don't really enjoy the Shelvin Mack pick in the second round, though I am familiar with him. With my fellow Terrapin Jordan Williams sitting there ripe for the picking I would have loved to seem them take the hometown hero. But I guess they may need a safety net at the guard position in case Nick Young leaves or just for depth. After all, they need to score more points than the other team to win games. Simple concept. I'm just not sold that Mack is the answer to help contribute to point totals. But he could prove me wrong. He's not a bad player. Overall, I think the Wizards really did help themselves though. They got skilled players and filled some needs. That's what its all about. A couple more drafts with multiple picks and they could really be in good shape.
Alright, so I shall return with a blog in a few weeks after the overseas vacation. In honor of my trip to Scotland, here are a few things I would like to see happen when I am off the American media grid for a week:
- NFL: Please tell me there's a season. Get a deal done next week. What a great welcome home gift that would be.
-Either the Nationals or the Orioles become a totally stable baseball franchise. The buzz in DC right now is about the Nationals winning games, but when the coach quits there's a problem. And well, with Angelos at the helm in Baltimore, all you can do is hope.
-I miraculously have a million job offers waiting for me upon my return.
-An epic Wimbledon final. Actually, I will probably be plugged right into this, but whatever.
Random note: Why the hell are they remaking Footloose? Some movies should be left alone. MTV should be ashamed. Julianne Hough is no Lori Singer. I can tell you that right now. Let Kevin Bacon's majestic performance stand alone.
I'll do my best to take a pic in a kilt.
Monday, June 13, 2011
So, What Now?
As I sit here and watch the disembowling of Vancouver in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I come to the realization that all a scintillating sports season is coming to an end. Ok, with the way things are going in this game I have another two nights to mourn the exit of the "winter" sports season. Still, should Vancouver not come back to win this game, after Wednesday, what comes next?
See normally we would only be a few weeks out from minicamps and training camp and two-a-days for college football. And the anticipation would be making our knees shake and our manhood stand at attention. But we don't really have that right now. Though it looks like sunny days are on the horizon in terms of the lockout, we are still devoid of any legit NFL news. If you look on an NFL news website they are reaching farther than Mr. Fantastic to find any interesting material. The end of June and July do not look promising.
The great thing about May and June are the coinciding playoff runs by two of the major sports leagues in the NBA and the NHL. Yes, some interest in hockey has waned a little bit since the Capitals broke a million hearts, but playoff hockey is second to none. And as much as the NBA regular season makes me want to hibernate like a black bear, I do enjoy the playoffs. Basketball is a great stage for dynamic superstar performances that can just take over a series. Can we say Dirk Nowitski? I mean, how great was it that he outdueled LeBron and Wade to take over. So glad LeBron and Miami have to wait at least another year. What a deuche. No less than you deserve. Big ups to Dallas. Way to play. Anyway, I digress. The NBA finals was gritty, exciting, and worth watching...for once. That's over. Hockey will end in two days. What is out there to replace that playoff excitement?
To all the baseball fans, don't tell me baseball. Yes, baseball is a great summer outing. But the season is so damn long, baseball doesn't even matter for another four months. Plus, yet again, the area teams are not any good. Nothing is interesting on that front. Oh yeah, and baseball isn't football. Keep that in mind.
So what to do? I guess I will still be reading blogs and websites checking in on local sports and football teams that have nothing to report. I will awake everyday with my fingers and toes crossed that the lockout is nearing its end. I guess I will try to keep up on as much recruiting as I possibly can. That's what I got. Until then, as much as I hate that Boston is enjoying a pretty phenomenal run as a championship city over the last decade, I will hope the Bruins can string together a few more wins to keep the cup out of Canada.
See normally we would only be a few weeks out from minicamps and training camp and two-a-days for college football. And the anticipation would be making our knees shake and our manhood stand at attention. But we don't really have that right now. Though it looks like sunny days are on the horizon in terms of the lockout, we are still devoid of any legit NFL news. If you look on an NFL news website they are reaching farther than Mr. Fantastic to find any interesting material. The end of June and July do not look promising.
The great thing about May and June are the coinciding playoff runs by two of the major sports leagues in the NBA and the NHL. Yes, some interest in hockey has waned a little bit since the Capitals broke a million hearts, but playoff hockey is second to none. And as much as the NBA regular season makes me want to hibernate like a black bear, I do enjoy the playoffs. Basketball is a great stage for dynamic superstar performances that can just take over a series. Can we say Dirk Nowitski? I mean, how great was it that he outdueled LeBron and Wade to take over. So glad LeBron and Miami have to wait at least another year. What a deuche. No less than you deserve. Big ups to Dallas. Way to play. Anyway, I digress. The NBA finals was gritty, exciting, and worth watching...for once. That's over. Hockey will end in two days. What is out there to replace that playoff excitement?
To all the baseball fans, don't tell me baseball. Yes, baseball is a great summer outing. But the season is so damn long, baseball doesn't even matter for another four months. Plus, yet again, the area teams are not any good. Nothing is interesting on that front. Oh yeah, and baseball isn't football. Keep that in mind.
So what to do? I guess I will still be reading blogs and websites checking in on local sports and football teams that have nothing to report. I will awake everyday with my fingers and toes crossed that the lockout is nearing its end. I guess I will try to keep up on as much recruiting as I possibly can. That's what I got. Until then, as much as I hate that Boston is enjoying a pretty phenomenal run as a championship city over the last decade, I will hope the Bruins can string together a few more wins to keep the cup out of Canada.
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