74th Edition - 12/28/06

Yes, I have taken a break. And I will probably take another break until about January 3. But here is a quick post ... pick edition.

It's Billy Z vs. J
If you're just joining us, here is how the regular season has played out...

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)

And now Billy and I will pick ten bowl winners each.
Will it be possible for one of us to go 10-0?
Could I have a chance to come back and win the season?
Time will tell...

Billy Z's picks

kentucky +9.5 over clemson

missouri +3.5 over oregon st

georgia +3 over va tech

nevada +3.5 over miami

auburn -2 over nebraska

tennessee -4 over penn st

wisconsin +2 over arkansas

michigan [even] over usc

louisville -10 over wake

lsu -9.5 over notre dame

J's picks
california -3.5 over oklamhoma st.
oregon st. -3.5 over missouri
maryland +1 over purdue
minnesota +6.5 over texas tech
texas -8.5 over iowa (this is the lock of the week, trust me)
georgia +3 over virginia tech
tennessee -4 over penn state
michigan over usc
oklahoma -7.5 over bosie st
wake forest +10 over louisville

And here is the update from the NFL picks last weekend.
j NFL: 1-1-1 (25-24-4)
mike d NFL: 2-1 (27-24-2)

• Stuff

Quick film reviews:
The Good Shepherd: B (slow, long but very good acting by Matt Damon)
Notes of a Scandal: A- (just amazing performance by Judi Dench, it has the tension of the murder mystery)

73rd Edition - 12/22/06

Real quick...

• The Picks
  

Mike d and I will be picking NFL like usual ... Next week, look for billy z and I to find 10 bowl games each, and pick every single winner. I plan to hit a 10-team progressive parlay and buy everyone I know milk and cookies. Happy Holidays.

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: (24-23-3)
mike d NFL: (25-23-2)

j NFL:
Bills -4.5 over Titans
Rams -2 over Redskins
Bears -5 over Lions

As always, look for Mike's picks in the comments section.

• Stuff

Here's some quick movie thoughts for you guys this holiday season, and I would love to tell you about "Rocky Balboa" but I'm saving it for friends ...

Pursuit of Happyness: B+
The Holiday: B
Eragon: C- (loved the book)
Happy Feet: C-
Apocalypto: B
Dreamgirls: B (must like musicals)
Casino Royale: B-
We Are Marshall: B
Blood Diamond: C+

Here's Bob Dylan reading "The Night Before Christmas"

72nd Edition - 12/21/06

• Cubs: the lineup

Perhaps the Cubs aren't done picking up free agents and making moves. There has always been talk of Cliff Floyd making his way here from New York. But for this experiment, we are looking at the Cubs roster this second ... Here's what the 2007 Cubs will look like today.

Batting (order chosen by me)
1. Alfonso Soriano CF
2. Cesar Izturis SS
3. Derrek Lee 1B
4. Aramis Ramirez 3B
5. Jacque Jones RF
6. Michael Barrett C
7. Matt Murton LF
8. Mark DeRosa 2B

Pitching (possible starters)
1. Carlos Zambrano
2. Mark Prior (I hope)
3. Ted Lilly
4. Sean Marshall
5. Rich Hill
6. Wade Miller
7. Jason Marquis
8. Angel Guzman
9. Glendon Rusch
10. Carlos Marmol

The problems are really on the pitching side. Who knows

• Stuff

Want to be an elf? You or anyone you have a photo of, can be a dancing elf. Sure, at first I thought it was insanely stupid, but that lasted about two seconds, and then I found it hilarious.
Here's my nephew Cole, watch him and then make your own ...
Click here to watch

Yes, I love the holiday season, but I also don't believe in Santa. I debated the issue on Beep.
Click here to read

"Rocky Balboa" is alive and well, and getting fairly good movie reviews. But before you run out to the theater, read Bill Simmons two articles on the matter. A Rocky road for Stallone and Which Rocky is the Champ?

Coming Friday...
Picks and a list of films out (or coming out) with quick grades so you know what to see when you get sick of your family.

71st Edition - 12/20/06

• The Weekly Bull (15-10) (11-2 at home)

After knocking off the Lakers last night (94-89), the Bulls have won five in a row and sit one game back of the Central leading Pistons. Not bad, considering they were 3-9. Luol Deng had a double-double last night, his fifth of the season.
P.J. Brown's name is popping up in trade rumors ever since he said he wasn't happy in Chicago. Brown was brought to the Bulls to be traded (I could give you all the contract details, but trust me because of his expiring deal he is trade bait), this is just happening a little sooner than we thought. We're almost one-third through the season and the Bulls have hit their stride.

Some numbers
Ben Gordon: 18.6 ppg (30th in NBA)
Luol Deng: 17.9 ppg
Andre Nocioni: 16.0 ppg
Kirk Hinrich: 15.1 ppg
Ben Wallace: 4.0 offensive rebounds per game (1st in NBA)
Luol Deng: 1.8 offensive rebounds per game (46th in NBA)
Ben Wallace: 1.68 steals per game (9th in the NBA)

Schedule for the next week: Fri. @NY, Sat. vs. Charlotte, Tues. @ Minnesota, Wed. vs. Miami: I'm seeing three victories in there.

• NBA: Iverson is moving on up

Allen Iverson is now a Nugget. The 76ers get Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first-round picks (non-lottery) for Allen Iverson and Ivan McFarlin. The sixers didn't get much, but that was expected when Iverson demanded a trade.
The trade is good for the Nuggets because ...
1. Iverson is still VERY good
2. Carmelo Anthony is suspended for 15 games and this gives a quick fix.
3. They didn't give up much for an All-Star that can easily play for three more years at the top of his game.

The downside is all about ego, or who gets the last shot. Those are things a head coach should be happy to deal with when he gains that much talent.

• Bears: Tank down for one

Tank Johnson was given a one-game suspension from the Chicago Bears. Bears general manager Jerry Angelo had this to say, "Collectively, as an organization -- ownership, coaches, players, myself -- we all agreed that the right thing to do was to keep Tank and keep working with him.
We know we're vulnerable going forward. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'm 100 percent on board and trust all the things that we've talked to Tank about."

This is a business decision. The Bears want a Super Bowl, Tank helps. It's that simple. Suspending him against the Lions is nothing.

• Bears: a happier note

The Bears have seven players selected for the Pro Bowl. The Chargers are the only team with more (nine). Here's the Bears:
Brian Urlacher
Lance Briggs
Tommie Harris (injured)
Olin Kreutz (only offensive player)
Brendon Ayanbadejo
Robbie Gould
Devin Hester

• Stuff

Joseph Barbera died, Here is the only tribute you need of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Click here

Rolling Stone has made a list (with videos) of the Top 25 best re-cut movie trailers (think, "The Shining" as a feel-good family flick). Click here

Don't know how long this clip will last, but here's a link to 101 Christmas Specials. I'm talking the whole video. "Frosty," "Rudolph," "Charlie Brown," "Smurfs," "The Office," they are all here, full videos, and free. Click here
They even have "The Star Wars Christmas Special" (no. 100) -- Impossible to watch.

70th Edition - 12/19/06

• The special guest ... Michael from Ready Bare Chested

Once a week (ideally) there will be a special guest columnist. The subject will be sports, but beyond that, anything goes. It could be someone's undying love for their favorite team, a rant about two basketball teams getting into a fight, or their moment when a game became much more.
Today's guest, Michael. Read more of his stuff at Ready Bare Chested.

He'll probably be the first and last of 2006. But once 2007 starts, be ready for some special guests. And if you would like to be one, just email me at thedailyscore@gmail.com.

Man = Sports

I was never good at sports. Sure I played sports in high school, that is, until I broke my leg playing football and after I returned the following season was so fearful that someone would tackle me I would literally squirt just a little bit of pee every time someone on the field would come anywhere near me. Needless to say, I played very little. Then there was basketball. I concussed myself running into the hip of a larger player. And, finally, baseball, where every at bat, between the short time the pitcher would catch the ball and throw it, I would work myself into a full blown panic attack fearing I would be hit by the pitch.
(Good question … Why did I play sports in the first place or at least try something a bit less physical than football? Familial pressure, that’s why. My mother’s side of the family, many of whom all went to the same high school as me, is freakishly talented at athletics. One uncle and two cousins were successful, and widely-known, college football players. One even went pro. Being the youngest in the extended family the high school coaches saw me as the end of a great line, a Messiah, the great white hope. They were wrong. I am the runt of the litter.)
When high school ended and I was free of the sporting yoke I dropped nearly all interest in the gaming life: playing it, watching it, discussing it, etc. This led many people in my life, particularly those who enjoyed football, to think I was gay. I know, that sounds pretty strange … people who enjoy football thinking … but it’s true. While they perused their Sports Illustrated and ESPN magazines, I busied myself with Esquire and GQ. This also led people to believe I was gay, which to me was very counterintuitive. There, on the cover of ESPN magazine was a topless Tom Brady eyeing the camera with a come-hither stare. Meanwhile, on the cover of my “gay” magazines, was a beautiful, nearly topless woman.
One year I even refused to watch the Super Bowl, instead opting for a marathon session of Star Wars episodes IV through VI.
I am now 26-years-old and years away from those traumatic high school athletic days and what do I find myself reading every morning? The sports page. It isn’t the first thing I flip to in the day’s newspaper, but I make it there after only a few minutes of scanning the front section. Being a Chicago Sun-Times reader, I flip over the newspaper and read the sports headlines, check standings and even digest at least the first few paragraphs of a particular sports story. In fact, I even enjoy the witty and irreverent sports columnist Rick Telander as well as scowl with delight at the hated Jay Marriotti.
But why, after nearly 10 years of avoiding sports – much to my own derision and delight – have I begun casually following it? Because I’ve given up. I can no longer beat or even buck the system, therefore I must – at the very least – lurk on its outer fringes.
This decision began about three years ago, shortly after my college graduation. Having entered the “real world” of working and dating I noticed I was outside my comfort zone. People didn’t know me as the straight guy that disliked sports yet wasn’t a bad drinking buddy/concert friend/movie enthusiast/etc. There I was one day mingling with some guys at a work event. We had exhausted all the work talk we could manage. Silence crept across the room as we coughed and stirred our drinks. One guy brought up the route he takes to work. “Sometimes I take the split and cruise down the Edens for a while. Get off at Dempster and shoot over to the office that way.” We nodded with disinterest. Then someone finally brought it up. “How about that Monday night game?” And it was there that I was lost, trying to nod in agreement, feigning interest and hoping that someone would please, please bring up that Jonesy continues to wear black shoes with his tattered brown braided belt. Or, even worse, that awkward, silent moment would arise when I was standing at a bar with a girlfriend’s friend’s boyfriend. This was even worse than the work event, since there was even less to talk about than sports.
So I gave up. In our modern world – with all that occurs in the areas of politics and culture – two men, strangers, must rely on sports as common ground. Perhaps I’m not trying hard enough and instead falling back on the lowest common denominator. And of course, I’m admitting a huge lack of self-esteem. Still, every morning I read the sports page so the next time I’m out with my girlfriend, her friend and her friend’s boyfriend and the men are sent to the bar for drinks and there – between the time we order our drinks and I attempt to flake out on actually paying for them – we have something to talk about.
“A gin and tonic and Budweiser, please.”
“Two rum and cokes.”
“So, how about that Cubs spending spree?” I begin. “I don’t know how I feel about them paying tens of millions of dollars for a pitcher whose record is only one better than average.”
I await his response, hoping I’ve gotten my facts right.
“Tell me about it.”
Shit, I can’t tell him anything about it. Change the subject.
“Yeah … But, I mean, it’s not nearly as bad as the Red Sox paying all that money just to talk to a guy from Japan.” Okay, I don’t know his name, but who does? It’s Japanese and most certainly hard to pronounce.
“I know.”
Does he know? Maybe I’ve stumped him. Or maybe he cares as little about sports as I do. Maybe I’ve avoided launching a more rewarding conversation with someone who will prove extremely interesting.
And there it is, just like my baseball playing days, I’ve worked myself into a full blown panic attack over sports.
“So, how’s your fantasy team doing?” He then asks.
I knew it!
My anxiety subsides.
My hunch was correct.
With confidence I tell him, “I don’t have a fantasy team.” Then walk away with my gin and tonic and Budweiser leaving this geek to pick up the tab.

69th Edition - 12/18/06

• NFL - the fog is just a haze

The playoff picture was murky before this weekend. Now we can see, kind of.
In the NFC ...
The Bears have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Saints have won their division.
The Cowboys are in.
These teams have a chance -
Seahawks, Eagles (8-6)
Giants, Falcons (7-7)
I'm not going to mention the 6-8 teams that have a mathmatical chance.
In the AFC ...
Chargers clinched division.
Colts clinched division.
Ravens in the playoffs.
These teams have a chance -
Patriots (10-4)
Bengals (8-5) -- playing the Colts tonight.
Broncos, Jaguars, Jets (8-6)
Then there are four teams at (7-7)

Sunday's Best ...
QB
Rex Grossman: 339 yards, 2TD (W)
Chad Pennington: 339 yards, 1TD, 1INT (W)
Eli Manning: 282 yards, 2INT (L)
I assume the above list will change after Palmer vs. Manning tonight.
RB
LaDainian Tomlinson: 199 yards, 2TD (W)
Frank Gore: 144 yards (W)
Willie Parker: 132 yards, 1TD (W)
WR
Laveranues Coles: 144 yards, 1TD (W)
Desmond Clark: 125 yards, 2TD (W)
Plaxico Burress: 120 yards (L)

• NBA: FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Look for David Stern to slap some heavy fines and suspensions on the Nuggest and Knicks for the brawl on Saturday night. Go to ESPN.com to watch the brawl. It should still be the headline on their NBA page.
The latest talk is that Isiah Thomas may have ordered the fight to start since he was annoyed Marcus Camby and Carmelo Anthony were still in the game for the Nuggets when the game was out of hand. Thomas actually tells Anthony not to drive to the basket again right before the fight takes place.
Anthony can be seen giving a cheap shot to a Knick and then immediately retreating.
I would hate to see any of my Bulls get into a fight over a game. Then again, that game is their life. So if it had to happen, I would at least hope they would stand and fight. Seeing what Anthony is made of has to be disappointing to Nugget fans.

• Bears: Tank Johnson ... I hate talking about this.

And since I hate talking about Tank Johnson's legal troubles, and his bodyguard who was just shot and killed, I'm letting ESPN do it - click here to read

• Hawkeyes: I wish I could say the mighty have fallen

The Iowa Hawkeyes lost to the Drake Bulldogs by 16 points. This hasn't happened for 28 years. A record 7,268 people saw it happen. If you are looking for further coverage on the Iowa Hawkeyes for the remainder of the year, it will be sparse. I assume I only have one friend left (Brian Hunt) who will be following the Hawkeyes. Perhaps I can have him give everyone monthly updates. Ohbytheway, Drake's head coach, former Iowa coach Dr. Tom Davis. Iowa is 5-6 and hasn't been this bad for 32 years. The pretty good have fallen (not the mighty).

• The Picks (revisited)

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: 3-0 (24-23-3)
mike d NFL: 3-0 (25-23-2)

Well, if you stuck we mike d and me, you are back to earning very little money. Congratulations. You deserve it.

• Stuff

We have a winner!
Justin Timberlake was fan-freaking-tastic on SNL. The highlights ... Homelessvile, The Barry Gibb Talk Show (w/Jimmy Fallon), Hip Hop Kidz, the opening monologue (Chimpmunks Song) and of course, the soon to be classic, Dick in a Box (click to watch).
So far, Justin Timberlake and Alec Baldwin have been the only "must see" Saturday Night Live's.
Here's the season to date: 5-4
Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake
Not Funny: Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Matthew Fox, Annette Bening

I don't know how, but "Lost" and Weird Al just seem to fit - Click here to watch

Time magazine - I don't like your "Person of the Year" - in fact, I hate him. Click here to read

68th Edition - 12/15/06

• Blatant Self-Promotion

*Click here to read my interview with Paul Feig. He is the director of "Unaccompanied Minors," the creator of "Freaks and Geeks," and has directed multiple episodes of "The Office."

*Click here to read my interview with Will Smith. I shouldn't have to explain who this man is, but he's the one who brought us such classic songs as "Nightmare on my Street," "My Buddy," and "Parent's Just Don't Understand." -- We didn't talk about any of those songs.

• NFL: Game of the Week

Eagles vs. Giants. The Eagles were left for dead a couple weeks ago when they lost Donavan McNabb for the season ... that hasn't happened yet. If they lose to the Giants, everyone can say, "I told you so." Because they will be dead. Both teams are 7-6 and one game behind the Cowboys.

*And don't forget -- there is football on Saturday night (Cowboys v. Falcons)

• NFL: Game of the Weak

Combined, the Packers and Lions are 7-19. But this game still matters ... to me. I have Roy Williams, Donald Driver, Ahman Green and Kevin Jones on my fantasy roster. Yes, I know Kevin Jones is out for the year.

• Bears: Bear down, Chicago Bears (not the song, more of a disappointment)

Tank Johnson, the Bears defensive tackle, was charged Thursday with not having a gun owner identification card after six firearms were found at his Gurnee (close to Six Flags) home. His neighbors had been complaining about Johnson and friends shooting guns in the backyard and also having six pit bulls in a cage. The police had been investigating Johnson for the past six weeks. Knowing the NFL, he will not miss any time this year for the incident.

• The Picks

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: (21-23-3)
mike d NFL: (22-23-2)

The Bowl games are close to starting. Billy z and I will be picking them (but probably not all of them -- just enough to allow me a comeback.)

Until then, you're stuck with mike d and me dominating the NFL (of recent).

Mike d picked the 49ers over the Seahawks last night, I don't know the spread off hand, but it doesn't matter because the 49ers won outright. So he is sitting at 1-0 already. Look for mike d's two other picks later today in the comments.

j NFL:
Eagles +5 over Giants
Rams +2 over Raiders
Buccaneers and Bears over 34 total points

• Stuff

Oh, a soap box, give me a second to get up on this ... I can't stand that Meryl Streep was nominated for Lead Actress instead of Supporting Actress. It just doesn't make sense. I sat through "The Devil Wears Prada" (it was fine, for what it was) and at no point did I think I was on Streep's journey. It was clearly Anne Hathaway's journey. The film was about her, and her life, about her job and about the people in her life. One of those people became Streep.
This all started (for me) when Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for Silence of the Lambs. With less than 16 minutes on screen, Hopkins was given the "Lead Actor" nomination. It's ridiculous. He was a supporting character (and should have won for that). It doesn't matter if his role was cool, crucial, or the best male role, he wasn't the lead. All of this is determined by the studios that make the films. It shouldn't be. It should be up to a nomination committee. And I formally announce my candidacy for this position. Vote for j.

Quick Movie Review:
"The Pursuit of Happyness"
Totally worth seeing. Both Will Smith and his son Jaden give great performances. The movie's goal is to actually put you through the hell that Chris Gardener went through in real life. It does.
B+

Here's some Christmas movie trivia to get you through the weekend. Not that easy. Click here - I expect John and Kenzie to post their scores in the comments section. I will also.

If you like year-end lists, here is a list of those lists. This shall waste the rest of my morning. Click here

Dan Marino loses it on the HBO's "Inside the NFL" - Click here to watch the video

"Heroes" has comic books. Click here to read

And finally, whether you watch "30 Rock" or not, you would be stupid not to take advantage of sending your friends a message from Alec Baldwin. It's personalized, and it's fantastic. Click here for the link

67th Edition - 12/14/06

Not much going on today.

• NBA: a litte boring

Dwayne Wade had his wisdom teeth pulled out. Allen Iverson hasn't been traded yet, but Bill Simmons has written a great article about the situation. Click here to read

• MLB: about time

Daisuke Matsuzaka finally signed with the Red Sox. They spent $103 million ($51 to talk to him, then a six-year $52 million deal).

• NFL: a fixture

Lamar Hunt, the Kansas City Chiefs owner who coined the phrase "Super Bowl" is dead at the age of 74. My heart goes out to my friend Brian Hunt, who recently changed his name from Brian Schneckloth (marriage reasons). Losing a Hunt this early in his name change must be hard for him.

Also, former Iowa Hawkeye Wayne Drehs has written about former Iowa Hawkeye Chad Greenway, an early draft pick for the Minnesota Vikings who has spent his season on the IR list. Click here to read

• Stuff

Coming tomorrow: An interview with Paul Feig (creator of "Freaks and Geeks")

Coming soon (maybe tomorrow): An interview with Will Smith

Golden Globe nominations are out today - here's the complete list

My quick thoughts on the Golden Globes ...
*"Babel" is now overrated. But then again, what did you think the foreign press would vote for?
*The race for "Best Comedy/Musical" is a tougher competition.
*Beyonce Knowles and Meryl Strepp are not the leads of their movies, they are just the biggest names.
*Mark Wahlberg getting nominated for "The Departed" is a waste of a vote. He was great, but his role was small and Jack Nicholson being nominated in the same category proves how pointless it is.
*I am so sick of people calling "Desperate Housewives" a comedy.
*Tony Shalhoub (love him from "Wings") better not win again for "Best Actor - Comedy."

I haven't even begun to think about all the mistakes that were made from people not on the list of nominations. More on that later.

66th Edition - 12/13/06

• The Weekly Bull (11-10) (8-2 at home)

This week the Bulls went 3-1, losing only to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but I think the real reason they lost was simply to begin the courting of Kevin Garnett. It's the wounded puppy dog theory, they tried to show Garnett that they couldn't win without him. Hopefully, he hasn't paid attention to the rest of the dominating performances lately.

Some numbers:

3pt percentages:
Kirk Hinrich: 43% (19th in the League)
Andre Nocioni: 42%
Chris Duhon: 39%
Ben Godron: 34%

FG percentage:
Loul Deng: 56% (9th in the League)
Andre Nocioni: 48%
Kirk Hinrich: 46%

Predictions for the coming week: Wed. Seattle (W), Fri. Milwaukee (L), Sat. at Atlanta (W), Tues. Lakers (W)

• NFL: The rookies

There are four rookies to truly pay attention to ... who should win the "Rookie of the Year?" ... who will?

Matt Leinart:
3-6 (as a starter); 56% completion; 2,171 yards, 10 TD, 10 INT; Passer Rating - 73.9

Reggie Bush:
405 yards rushing; 3.2 yards per carry; 79 receptions; 687 yards receiving; 6 TD; 1 punt return TD; 1 interception thrown

Vince Young:
6-4 (as a starter); 52% completion; 1704 yards, 10TD, 11 INT; Passer Rating - 65.7; 458 yards rushing; 5 rushing TD

Devin Hester:
36 Punt returns - 14.4 avg. (leads NFL) - 3TD; 10 Kickoff returns - 35.1 avg - 2TD; 1 missed FG returned 108 yards (ties NFL record); 6TD returned is a single season record; 5 tackles

So - right now, who gets the nod?

• Stuff

If you want to help PBS, drink their coffee. In a partnership with Green Mountain Coffee, PBS will market the PBS Blend on shoppbs.org. The hope is, the coffee can be another income source for people wanting to help fund PBS.

Prince is playing the Super Bowl Halftime show.

65th Edition - 12/12/06

• Bears: Yes, I'm calling it a comeback

Even though Rex Grossman wouldn't want the Bears 42-27 victory over the Rams to be known as his comeback game, that's exactly what it was.

Grossman was 13/23 for 200 yards and 3TD. More importantly, the Bears ran 34 times verses 23 passes. I believe that is the key to their future.

Devin Hester is insanely good. He returned two kickoffs, of 94 and 96 yards. He had six TDs on the season (a record) and perhaps is the most brilliant draft pick of all time. Perhaps.

Click here to see what the current playoff schedule would look like. Remember, the 3rd team plays the 6th, and the 4th and 5th play each other ... with the 1st and 2nd teams getting first-round byes.

• NBA: Balls

The NBA is switching their balls. The current set of balls are too slippery, especially when sweat gets on them. Sweaty balls. Plus, the older the balls get, the harder they are to grip. They lose their feeling. Nobody likes playing with this current set of balls. The men have always said they don't like playing with these balls, and the women would probably say the same thing if the men ever stopped playing with them long enough to let the women touch them. But, historically, women have never been as good as playing with the balls as men.

The leather balls will be back December 1.

• Fantasy: the playoffs begin

1. 7th Place: 10-4, 1292.52
2. bo knows: 9-5, 1297.56
3. Turd Ferguson: 9-5, 1296.02
4. T.D. Parker: 8-6, 1339.44 (me)
5. Shane Falco: 8-6, 1331.04
6. the hunt begins: 8-6, 1289.58

I made the playoffs by 8 points and have to play 7th Place (Tomlinson) in the first round. Prognosis, negative.

• Stuff

The Scrubs people have put their voices on the "Charlie Brown Christmas Special." Click here

64th Edition - 12/11/06

• The NFL

LaDainian Tomlinson is the MVP. Drew Brees is the only other name allowed in the conversation. Tomlinson scored three more times to make it 29 (a record) for the season. Brees threw for five TDs against the Cowboys and is somewhat on pace to break Dan Marino's single season passing yardage mark.

I'll be talking about the playoff picture on Tuesday.

The Best
QB
Chris Weinke: 423 yards, 1TD, 3INT (L)
Drew Brees: 384 yards, 5TD (W)
Peyton Manning: 313, 1INT (L)
RB
Willie Parker: 223 yards, 1TD (W)
Ladell Betts: 171 yards (L)
Maurice Jones-Drew: 166 yards, 2TD (W)
WR
Donald Driver: 160 yards, 1TD (W)
Terry Glenn: 150 yards (L)
Drew Carter: 144 yards, 1TD (W)

• The Picks (revisited)

Wow. It's obvious if billy doesn't participate mike d and I do great. And if I don't bother picking college games, I can't lose. Yes, these two things are obvious.

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: 3-0 (21-23-3)
mike d NFL: 2-1 (22-23-2)

• WSOPC

The Team: Happy Fun Ball
The Captain: j
The Teammates: John and Kenzie
The Purpose: To prove pointless knowledge has a point
The Stage: World Series of Pop Culture on VH-1
The Beginning: February 2, 2007
The Where: Chicago Try-outs

j strengths: Movies, Hollywood crap, Saturday Night Live
j weakness: Remembering names, caving under pressure

john strengths: Music, lyrics, videos, band names, songs, 80s movies
john weakness: Quick to accept defeat

kenzie strengths: TV, sanity
kenzie weakness: huge crush on the team captain could blind her to the true purpose of the competition.

That's it. That's the team.

63rd Edition - 12/8/06

• WSOPC (World Series of Pop Culture)

Once again, I am at my work computer and can't upload the necessary photos... So with that said, the update on "World Series of Pop Culture" will be happening on Monday. Promise. I mean it. Listen, I swear. Come on, don't give me that look. Good lord, not everything is my fault. Get off my back. I hate you. Is that what you needed to hear? I. Hate. You.

• MLB: Bonds is back

Barry Bonds signed a one-year deal with the San Fran Giants (the only team that can love him), for $16 million. He needs 22 home runs to break Hank Aaron's record. It should happen if his knees hold up. So we are stuck watching Sportscenter URGENT UPDATES for one more year. I guarantee Bonds will hit the history making home run at home. No way he hits it on the road.

• NBA: High

Damn. The Suns beat the Nets 161-157 in double OT. It was 133-133 at the end of regulation thanks to a three-pointer by Steve Nash with two seconds left. Jason Kidd had the most impressive line with 38 points, 14 rebounds, 14 assists. Thirteen players had double digits in points.

• Fantasy World

Turd Ferguson: 9-4, 1214.28
7th Place: 9-4, 1181.86
T.D. Parker: 8-5, 1245.14 (this one's me)
Shane Falco: 8-5, 1223.46
the hunt begins: 8-5, 1222.92
bo knows: 8-5, 1176.20

Those are the top six team in my Fantasy Football league. Bonus points if you know what my team name is a reference to. Four of us with make the playoffs, two won't.
I would be more excited, accept I am going against Willie Parker and he already had 26 points last night against the Browns.

• The Picks

the update ...
j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: (18-23-3)
mike d NFL: (20-22-2)

NCAA: Billy and I will be taking a break as he enjoys his comfortable lead.

NFL:
Falcons -3 over Buccaneers
Vikings +1.5 over Lions
Titans +1 over Texans

• Stuff

I only saw one of the flicks opening this weekend ...

"Apocalypto" - It's a good action movie. Very similar flow to "Braveheart." There are some great chase scenes. I wish more directors would attempt to do what Mel Gibson has done. Instead of making a mindless action movie, he has made a mindless action movie set in a world I didn't know. You only get a glimpse of the Mayan culture, but that is much better than what we are normally handed.
B

Here are the top 50 videos of 2006, presented by DoCopenhagen. They also have a link the the top 50 of 2005. That way you have something to do in the morning AND afternoon. Click here to go to the site

Did Ali invent Rap by Chuck Klosterman. Click here

62nd Edition - 12/07/06

• The Cubs: dropping bills

The Chicago Cubs have signed another free agent. Former Toronto Blue Jay, Ted Lilly signed with the Cubs for four years, $40 million. Last year he was 15-13 with a 4.13 ERA. His career ERA is 4.60. He is an average AL pitcher. Luck might be on the Cubs side with this. There has recently been a history of AL pitchers coming over to the NL and dominating. Though it probably won't last for four years.

Out of nowhere, the Cubs are spending. Like an uncle who just won the lottery, the Cubs are buying (and overpaying for) everything in sight.

Ryne Sandberg is putting in his dues. After being pretty bad last year as a guest host on ESPN Radio 1000, Sandberg is now managing the Peoria Chiefs (Class A). He hopes to one day be a big-league manager. At this stage, I don't care. He was never my favorite Cub. Andre Dawson and Mark Grace were more interesting during those years.

Also, Freddie Bynum is now on the Orioles.

• MLB: more moves

Jason Schmidt is a Dodger. Mike Piazza will DH for the A's. Freddy Garcia is on the Phillies. Barry Bonds is begging someone to pay him $18 million for a year's work (so far, no takers).

• Quick Bull

The Bulls won their sixth in a row 121-94 over the 76ers. When the Bulls were 3-9, I said they would be lucky to get to .500 by the All-Star Break. I enjoy being wrong.

• Stuff

I forgot to post the pic of John (my teammate for World Series of Pop Culture). I will do that Friday. In fact ... Friday there will be a long post about it.

In the mean time, if you're like John at all, you will love that "Spencer for Hire" is now available for free on the Internet. Enjoy. I never got into the show. Click here to watch

For something insanely random, and addictive... Check out "Joe Mathlete Explains Today's Marmaduke." He does what he says, explaining what the joke was in the daily Marmaduke comic. 12/2/06 is my recent favortie. Click here to read

61st Edition - 12/6/06

• The Weekly Bull (8-9) (5-1 at home)

Nicely done, Bulls. I predicted they would go 2-1, and they went 3-0 last week, beating the Knicks, Wizards and Celtics. Perhaps the Bulls aren't average to below-average after all.

Some Numbers:
Five-game win streak
Seven games in a row scoring over 100 points
The Bulls are in 4th place in the Central Division.
They would be in 1st in the Atlantic.
The Bulls lead the East with a +2.9 point differential per game.
The Spurs lead the West with a +7.5 point differential.
Four players average 15 or more points (Deng, Gordon, Hinrich, Nocioni)
Ben Wallace's rpg are 8.8 (down from 10 two weeks ago)

Predictions for the week to come: Philadelphia (W), Toronto (W), Minnesota (W), Indiana (L)

• MLB: Faces and places

J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo are on the Boston Red Sox. Greg Maddux is a Padre.

• NFL: Asthma is illegal

Just an odd story. Hollis Thomas was taking Advair twice a day, and an inhaler four times a day. The team doctor says Thomas needs a high dose of inhaled steriods to keep his asthma in check. The league has decided he's in violation of the steriod policy. He's 335 pounds of fat, not muscle.

• Random Fact

The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star Game.

• Stuff

Here is an interview of Sylvester Stallone (not by me unfortunately). He answers readers' questions as does a good job with it. Click here

When "Lost" comes back, it will be at 9 p.m. instead of 8.

VH-1 has another round of "World Series of Pop Culture" in which three team members need to send in an application and a picture. So my friend John sends me this ... (I guess you have to do this on the home computer -- look for the update around 1:30 p.m.) -- We're a shoe-in for TV, don't you think?

60th Edition - 12/5/06

Quick stuff ...

• MNF: Who knew?

It appears the Eagles do have players in addition to Donovan McNabb. In fact, they have an entire team of players that try hard every week. In addition to that, they can win games.
Eagles 27, Panthers 21
And now the Eagles can sniff the playoffs with three other 6-6 teams.

• Da Bears

Lovie Smith has declared there will be no change at QB for the Bears. His logic is more of the A=B, and B=C, so A=C. In other words, Grossman plays, Bears are 10-2, so Grossman is 10-2. What he doesn't seem to take into account, it would be VERY difficult for ANY other QB, including 3rd stringer Kyle Orton, to play worse than Grossman has these last five games.

And Fluff Stuff ...

• I heart the 80s

**Thank you Giant Magazine. They have compiled a list of 50 of the best commercials from the 80s. Personally, it seems more like 50 commercials they could simply find video for, but I'm not complaining. click here
My personal favorites ...
1. Because I still say that anytime my fiancee asks me where I learned something.
18. Because I still know all the lyrics. By the way, this was a healthy cereal, no sugar. But they sucked me in, having my mom buy it every week.
50. I wanted one, my parents never bought me one. Thank you mom and dad, thank you.

**David Letterman just signed on with CBS to continue "The Late Show" until 2010. Conan O'Brien is taking over for Jay Leno in 2009.

**Masi Oka (Hiro from "Heroes") will play himself on an upcoming episode of "Studio 60."

**The fall finale (suddenly becoming a standard for shows) of "Heroes" was the exact opposite of the fall finale of "Lost" (the originator of the fall finale). In other words, "Heroes" left me excited for future episodes.

59th Edition - 12/4/06

• NFL: The Checklist

Bears 2006 Checklist --
Make the playoffs: check
Clinch the division: check
Secure homefield advantage:
Win first round playoff game:
Go to Super Bowl:
Be the last team standing:

The checklist is coming along nicely, even if Grossman is trying to screw it up as much as possible. "Win Ugly" needs to be the adopted mantra for the Bears this season. And instead of the word "ugly" there could be a picture of Grossman's face, or just his stat line. By the way, the Bears won 23-13 thanks to the defense, Cedric Benson, and Devon Hester.

Vince Young did it again, leading the Titans over the Colts (with help from Rob Bironas and a 60-yard FG to end it).

The Cowboys now have a two-game lead over the Giants thanks to Martin Gramatica and his late 46-yard FG.

For the complete playoff picture -- click here

The Best
QB
Peyton Manning: 351 yards, 1TD, 2INT - L
Jon Kitna: 314 yards, 1TD, 3INT - L
Mark Bulger: 314, 2TD, 3INT - L
RB
LaDainian Tomlinson: 178 yards, 2TD - W
Ladell Betts: 155 yards, 1TD - L
Deuce McAllister: 136 yards - W
WR
Marvin Harrison: 172 yards, 1TD - L
Reggie Bush: 131 yards, 1TD (3 rushing TD) - W
Matt Jones: 128 yards, 1TD - W

• NCAA Football: No rematch

The humans, not the computers decided that THE Ohio State would not have a rematch with Michigan.
It's Ohio State vs. Florida.

For the complete Bowl schedule -- click here

For the record, I think Iowa will lose about 45-17 to Texas in the Alamo Bowl. So sad.

• The Picks (revisited)

j NCAA: 2-1 (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: 2-1 (27-12-2)
j NFL: 1-2 (18-23-3)
mike d NFL: 3-0 (20-22-2)

Now they are both starting to pull away from me.

• Stuff

"Saturday Night Live" had its moments, including Amy Poehler's rant on women and their undercarriage, but overall it just wasn't funny enough. Hosted by Matthew Fox the "Lost" jokes were too easy.

For the season: 4-3
Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges
Not Funny: Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Matthew Fox

58th Edition - 12/01/06

• The Self-Promotion

This month's monthly movie preview (with a local twist) combines the December films with holiday things to do around the Chicago area. It might be my biggest strectch yet, but in this noggin' ....mmmmm egg nog.... it all makes sense.
Click here to read

• NFL

A quick recap from last night's game. Bengals 13, Ravens 7.

Game of the Week: Giants vs. Cowboys (Fox, 3:15). The Giants have been in the paper all week with Strahan complaining about the media, and Coughlin complaining about Manning. The crazy thing is, everyone has decided that the Cowboys are THE team to beat and the Giants are in disarray. If the Giants beat the Cowboys, they'll both be 7-5, with the Giants owning the tiebreaker and a huge division lead.

Bears. Everyone is complaining about the 9-2 Bears. Grossman, the defensive line not getting a sack, Benson saying he is better than Jones ... I really wish I could enjoy this run the Bears are on a little more.

• Chicago Weather

Right now it is about 31 degrees in Chicago. Not bad.
It rained most of yesterday afternoon. Bad.
There was a slight layer of ice on things. Bad.
It started snowing last night. Bad.
It's pretty windy. Bad.
There is a huge about of slush in the city. Bad.
Every street corner is like a lake and your shoes will get soaked. Bad.
I couldn't risk biking to work today. Bad.
While taking the Blue Line, I read an article saying the city was ready for the storm. SO bad.

So, if you are keeping score, Chicago is losing 1-8 right now.

• NBA: Kobe being Kobe

I was going to try and make some create link to Bruce Springsteen's "52 Channels and Nothing's On" with Kobe Bryant going for 52 points last night, 30 in the 3rd quarter. But then I remembered that Bruce's song was 57 channels. So that's that.

• The Picks

Curious how anal I am? Here's an example ... I can't give college picks this week, because mike d will read them and then have a helping hand in trying to take me down for the season long competition that he, myself and nine other guys are doing (College Football Pick'em). Right now I have a two game lead with only eight games to choose this weekend. I need all the help I can get. So I will post my picks later this weekend, and you'll just have to trust me. Come on ... who wouldn't trust a guy to be honest about gambling?

Previous Standings
j NCAA: (21-15-1)
billy z NCAA: (25-11-2)
j NFL: (17-21-3)
mike d: (17-22-2)

j NFL picks
Colts -7.5 over Titans
Dolphins straight up over Jaquars
Lions +13.5 over Patriots

As always, look for mike d and billy z's picks later today.

• Stuff

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (the originators of the British "Office") wrote "The Office" episode from last night, and it wasn't that good.

"My Boys" -- a new sitcom on TBS is funny. Totally worth watching, especially compared to CBS sitcoms. Here is a link, there have been two episodes, but you can watch both online. It's like "Sex and the City" except the total opposite, while still being about a woman. Plus, it's based in Chicago and they actually know the city well.
Click here to watch

Don't go to the movies this weekend. Or at least don't bother seeing anything that opens up today. Go see --
"The Departed"
"Borat"
"The Prestige"
"Stranger Than Fiction"
"The Fountain"
"Casino Royale"
(in that order)

57th Edition - 11/30/06

• Hawkeyes: Yes, they have a basketball team ...

Not a very good one though. The Iowa Hawkeyes lost to Virginia Tech 65-69. That drops the Hawks to 2-4 this year. Adam Huluska is the big man on campus this year, and he put in 24 points last night. Unfortunately, there isn't a strong supporting staff and Coach Steve Alford has never proved himself with any talent level as Iowa. The one thing Iowa could count on with Dr. Tom Davis as a coach was a C+ team would play like a B team. But an A- team would also play like a B team.

• Ready for some football?

If you have the NFL network, the football weekend starts tonight, with the Ravens vs. Bengals. I don't, but my good friend "Bar" does. The Bengals are sitting at 6-5 and only 2-3 at home.

• Hall of Fame: MLB

Lee Smith and Andre Dawson are two former Cubs who are on the ballot for the Hall of Fame this year ... and have no chance of getting in.

There are two guarrentees this year. Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gywnn.

After that, things get interesting. Mark McGwire and Jose Cancesco are on the ballot as well for the first time. How both men are voted on will be an indication of how the baseball writers feel about the steriod age. Keep in mind, these are the same writers who didn't investigate the issue when it was happening in the late 90s. So they will either continue to ignore, or attempt to make up for their mistakes at the expense of others.

My thoughts, vote for numbers, or don't vote. Having hunches is not a good enough reason to keep someone out. Even if the hunch seems obvious.

• Stuff

Seeing the newest Danny DeVito flick isn't high on my list ... but seeing DeVito drunk on "The View" -- fantastic. Click here to watch

"Studio 60," for the first time ever, GAINED VIEWERS! They went from 7.31 million to 7.45. Victory.

If you enjoy "The Big Lebowski," then check out the Nintendo Wii remake of the bowling scene (with bad language). Click here to watch

David Caruso is a bad actor. Here is proof, with a montage of Caruso one-liners from "CSI: Miami." Click here to watch (and let me know if you make it through all 7 minutes).

I just started watching "The Wire" this week, starting with season 1 of course. Very strong. Will continue.

56th Edition - 11/29/06

• The Weekly Bull: Heading Home (5-9)

The Bulls used to be 3-3, then they began the seven game road trip (finishing 1-6). Luckily, New York was the last stop so they picked up a victory 106-95. And then New York came to Chicago, and the Bulls now have a two-game win streak.

Besides Ben Wallace having "no regrets" about wearing a headband during a game earlier in the week (a violation of team rules), he also said he had ligament damage and bone chips in his right hand. That is news to the team who said he had a sprained index finger and bruised wrist.

Wallace is consistent in using the word "we" instead of "me," but his actions proved otherwise. If you are willing to run the risk of getting benched by wearing a headband, you are selfish.

Some numbers:
Luo Deng had 12 points last night, after scoring 20 or more three games in a row.
The Bulls are shooting 38% from 3pt range.
Ben Gordon is shooting 29% from 3pt range.
Luo Deng is second on the team in rebounds at 6.0 a game.
Tim Thomas is averaging 8.5 minutes and 2.4 points a game.

The week ahead: Hornets (I predict win), Wizards (loss), Celtics (win).

• NFL

Right now, this is how the seeding for the NFL playoffs would look ...

NFC
1. Bears
2. Saints
3. Cowboys
4. Seattle
5. Panthers
6. Giants
(these are also the only teams with winning records in the NFC)

AFC
1. Colts
2. Ravens
3. Chargers
4. Patriots
5. Chiefs
6. Broncos
(three teams are one game behind the Broncos)

• Stuff

Know someone that loves "The Office" a little too much? Get them this snow globe. Other items are available as well.

And now something that should distract you the rest of the day ... Here are the Top 50 loose ends from "Lost" by the staff at IGN. This actually might be more annoying than entertaining.

55th Edition - 11/27/06

• NFL: It was gross

*Each Tuesday I will update the NFL playoff race since it is starting to make a little more sense.

*The Giants had a 21-0 lead in the 4th quarter against the 3-7 Titans. But Vince Young decided to use the skills that won him a National Championship last year and led the Titans to a 24-21 victory.

*The Steelers were in a must-win situation against the Ravens. And they lost 27-0, making the defending champs 4-7 and almost a lock for being out of the playoffs.

*The Bears lost 13-17 to the Patriots. It was filled with turnovers. The Patriots gave it up five times, the Bears four. Actually, I should say Grossman had four. Three interceptions and one fumble caused the Bears to lose. Once again coach Lovie Smith didn't consider benching Grossman for high-paid backup Brian Griese. Once again Smith has said going forward, Grossman is their quarterback. Brady's interceptions were caused by tips or receivers losing their grip. Grossman's interceptions were caused by bad throws.
It doesn't make sense for the Bears to throw it 34 times (completing 15). Both Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson ran the ball very well. Why not let them do it more? Grossman's main asset is throwing it up for Bernard Berrian, Griese could do that just as well. And perhaps run a more ball-controlled game. Perhaps. I don't know. But considering the easy path the Bears have to get to the Super Bowl this year, they should make sure to try everything to get the most out of their team.

The Best
QB
Matt Leinart: 405 yards, 1TD, 2INT - L
Drew Brees: 349, 2TD, 1INT - W
David Carr: 321, 1TD, 1INT - L
RB
Joseph Addai: 171 yards, 4TD - W
Michael Vick: 169 - L
Larry Johnson: 157, 1TD - W
WR
Larry Fitzgerald: 172 yards - L
Devery Henderson: 158, 1TD - W
Anquan Boldin: 140, 1TD - L

• Bulls: Head issues

Ben Wallace is upset because he isn't allowed to wear a headband during games, Skiles benched him twice during a game because he was wearing his headband. It's a team rule. It's also a team rule to tape your ankles and not listen to your music on a speaker in the locker room. Five years, $60 million. This better go away soon. This is not a matter of right or wrong. This is a pissing match between Wallace and Skiles. More on this Wednesday during "The Weekly Bull."

• The Picks (revisited)

j NCAA: 3-3 (21-15-1)
billy z NCAA: 3-3 (25-11-2)
j NFL: 3-3 (17-21-3)
mike d: 4-2 (17-22-2)

Mike had to go and mess up the symmetry of everyone breaking even this weekend. Way to go mike.

• Stuff

Finally - I am all caught up for tonight's episode of "Heroes." Here are my thoughts, it reminds me of the first season of "Lost" only better. Each week someone pretty amazing happens, you don't understand it, the show ends with a "to be continued ..." and then the next episode ACTUALLY EXPLAINS WHAT JUST HAPPENED!! Amazing.
Now, it also reminds me of the first season of "Lost" only worse. I was much more attached to the character in "Lost" than I am with "Heroes." Everyone is just a little annoying. Hiro is almost too childlike, you shouldn't want to put an adult in your pocket cause he's so cute. Peter Petrelli needs to cut his bangs out of his eyes. And Niki Sanders needs to do something interesting. At this point, anyone can die and I am fine with that. Especially FBI agent Audrey (Clea Duvall) -- no offense to her dad Robert Duvall though.

54th Edition - 11/22/06

The Big T-day Extravaganza

OK, my next update will be on Monday, November 27. So I'll make this a long one (in other words, bare with me).

We'll get to the picks (at the end), the movies, some fluff and a little self-promotion ... But since it is Wednesday that means we start with the ...

• Weekly Bull: There's truth in the title (3-8)

Things aren't going well. The good news is that the Bulls just completed their fifth game on the annual circus road trip (the circus comes to town every year and forces the Bulls to have a big road trip). Yes, five games are done, but they have failed to win any of them. 0-5. With two games left at Philly and at NY, hopefully they can manage to finish 2-5.
This trip is a set back for the Bulls who should be one of the elite teams in the East. Now they are going to have to work hard just to get to .500 by the All-Star break (about 30 games away).

Inside the numbers:
Leading scorer - Luol Deng, 17.3 ppg (43rd in league)
Ben Wallace - 10.3 rpg (11th in league)
- 4.8 offensive rpg (1st in league)
Kirk Hinrich - 6.0 apg (19th in league)

• NCAA Basketball: Still a little early

Doesn't feel right talking about college hoops, but with Marquette defeating Duke (73-62) last night maybe I should start paying attention.

Top-ranked Florida is sick (good) right now. I mean, who would have thought they would have beaten power house Prarie View A&M (94-33). After all, Prarie View A&M had already beaten South West Assembly of God (61-57). If you can beat God, shouldn't you be able to beat Florida?

• Cubs: We need a pitcher

The signing of Alfonso Soriano is great. We still need help in the pitching department. One suggestion, Tom Glavine. The Mets have declined to pick him up for next season. He was good, not great, last season. But the Cubs need good pitchers, and after all -- crafty veterans are always a plus.

By the way, the Juan Pierre era is over after lasting just one year. He is signing with the Dodgers.

Also, in an interview yesterday Cubs' GM Jim Hendry said Soriano will play the outfield, but which position is still up in the air. He will be leading off though.

• MLB: The Final Awards

Not that anyone really cares or remembers how they were earned, but here are the 2006 MLB awards.

NL MVP: Ryan Howard
AL MVP: Justin Morneau
NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb
AL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL Rookie: Hanley Ramirez
AL Rookie: Justin Verlander
NL Manager: Joe Girardi
AL Manager: Jim Leyland
NL Comeback: Nomar Garciapara
AL Comeback: Jim Thome

• Stuff

Watching Michael Richards rant and rave on stage, showing he is capable of spewing racism is awful to watch -- click here
Watching Michael Richards attempt to apologize on the David Letterman Show is awkward to watch -- click here

• Living in a Fantasy

Fantasy Football: Right now I am one game out of the playoff race, even though I have more points than anyone else in the league. I keep telling myself I'm the best and the competition always tries to rise up against the best ... Then I realize I am wasting too much thought on fantasy football. With three games left before the playoffs I think I need to win two. It's going to be tough.

College Football Pick'em: With two weeks left, I have a three game lead, over mike d. I need this win. For the season so far I have picked 134 out of 244 (all the Top 25 games). 55 percent is pretty good in the world of gambling.

• Quick Movie Reviews

The Fountain
Hugh Jackman carries this film by Darren Aronofsky. I have never been blown away by a Jackman performance until now. "The Fountain" tells the story of one man's journey through a thousand years to try and save his love (played by Aronofsky's real-life girlfriend Rachel Weisz). There are definitely times when you won't fully understand what Aronofsky is trying to say in this film, but the feelings and visually you are left with will more than make up for it.
Grade: B
Blatant Self-Promotion
Click here to read my interview with Darren Aronofsky

Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny
Plot: Jack Black and Kyle Gass got their start on “Mr. Show with Bob and David” on HBO. Now they have a full-length film which tells the tale of JB and KG hungry for success, and trying to pay the rent. They set off on a quest for the pick of destiny, a legendary guitar pick that has helped many bands become rock legends. Black, Gass and director Liam Lynch (“Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic”) wrote the film, which also features new songs by the band.

Bottom Line: “Mr. Show” was on a decade ago, and this film feels about five years too late. Black and Gass still have good chemistry … but “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny” hits us over the head that the chemistry is pot. And they probably have a point, the jokes would be funnier with a joint. That’s not a compliment. It starts off strong with Meat Loaf as Black’s father and that is just the beginning of cameos that include Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller, Ronnie James Dio, Tim Robbins and John C. Reilly (as sasquatch). The one truly laugh-out-loud moment came when Black and Gass discover their tattoos and name the band accordingly. The new songs don’t compare to “Tribute,” “F*ck her Gently,” and “Rock Your Socks.” Otherwise, it’s easy to watch and zips along pretty quick, but it’s not the greatest film of all time, as “The D” would have you believe. You would be much better off checking out Tenacious D in concert, buying their self-titled album, and waiting for this film on DVD … And have a burrito close by for when the munchies hit.
Grade: C+

• The Picks

Well, we learned some things last week --
1. I can still win a weekend with the NFL (I went 2-1)
2. billy z clearly learned how to make a post after the games are played (it's the only explanation for him going 3-0 last weekend)
3. mike d should stick to playing fantasy football

With the big t-day weekend upon us, we're going to add some more games to the mix...

Previous Standings:
j NCAA: (19-12-1)
billy z NCAA: (22-8-2)
j NFL: (14-18-3)
mike d NFL: (13-20-2)

j NCAA
Boston College -4 over Miami
Texas -13 over Texas A&M
LSU straight up over Arkansas
Tennesee -19 over Kentucky
Oklahoma -5.5 over Oklahoma St
USC -7 over Notre Dame

Last year, I went 3-0 on my Thanksgiving Day parlay. And since n=1, I will always go 3-0 on my Thanksgiving Day parlay. That's how gambling works, right?
j NFL
t-day games:
Dolphins -2.5 over Lions
Buccaneers +11 over Cowboys
Chiefs +1 over Broncos
Sunday games:
Steelers +3 over Ravens
Bengals -3 over Browns
Bears +3 over Patriots

That's it. That's enough to keep you full until next Monday. As always, look for billy z and mike d to add their picks in the comments section.

53rd Edition - 11/20/06

• NCAA Football - Good game, good game.

Ohio State 42, Michigan 39
It was the most watched regular season college football game since Florida State at Notre Dame in 1993.
The rest of the year is still a bit confusing, with strength of schedule changing a couple more times ... the only thing that seems to be a guarantee is Ohio State playing USC, if USC beats Notre Dame and UCLA. Though, as of right now, Michigan is still #2 in the BCS standings.
Current BCS Standings

The Iowa Hawkeyes started the season in the top 15. They finished 8th in the Big Ten after a 24-34 loss to Minnesota. Insanely, they still get to go to a bowl game. Perhaps Detriot's Motor City Bowl is a callin'. So sad.

• Chicago Cubs: Damn, they are REALLY trying

Cubs sign Alfonso Soriano to an 8-year, $136 million contract.
Here's the thing I have finally realized. Contracts in baseball don't matter. There is no limit for teams like the Cubs, Yankees, Red Soxs. They can just spend. So simply getting the player is all that matters, not whether or not you will have enough left over to get a pitcher (which the Cubs need).
Reportedly, Soriano will be playing center field (he has a good arm, but only one season of experience in the outfield). He'll also be leading off. Last year he had over 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Cubs will win more than the 66 games they did in 2006. I don't love him leading off, and he's not a proven winner, but I love his talent.

• NFL: Ouch

The Colts lost to the Cowboys. Brett Farve hurt a nerve in his arm. Donovan McNabb is out on a season-ending injury for the third time in five years. LaMont Jordan is probably out for the year. And my two fantasy running backs (Kevin Jones and DeShaun Foster) left their games with injuries.
Luckily, out of it all the Bears improved to 9-1, with a 10-0 defeat of the J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets! This win proved the Bears could win with great defense, running the football, and not turning the ball over.

The Best
QB
Drew Brees: 510 yards, 2TD, 3INT - L
J.P. Losman: 340 yards, 3TD, 1INT - W
Carson Palmer: 275 yards, 3TD, 1INT - W
RB
Frank Gore: 212 yards - W
Larry Johnson: 154 yards, 2TD - W
Travis Henry: 143 yards, 1TD - W
WR
Lee Evans: 265 yards, 2TD - W
Chad Johnson: 190 yards, 3TD - W
Devery Henderson: 169 yards - L

• The Picks (revisited)

j NCAA: 0-3 (19-12-1)
billy z NCAA: 3-0 (22-8-2)
j NFL: 2-1 (14-18-3)
mike d NFL: 0-3 (13-20-2)

52nd Edition - 11/17/06

• NCAA Football: Game O' The Year

No. I am not talking about Northwestern vs. Illinois. Nor am I speaking of Iowa vs. Minnesota (even though the winner gets a pig).

#1 THE Ohio State University vs #2 Michigan Wolverines

As an Iowa Hawkeye alum, I think I am supposed to have hatred for both these teams, probably one more than the other ... But on Saturday afternoon at 2:30, I really won't care. All I hope is that the score is close. Hype has a way of making these "once in a lifetime" games a disappointment. If the score can be within eight points, I will be in college football heaven.

Speaking of heaven, ESPN has decided the game is "Judgement Day." It would be SO awesome if the loser got banished to hell. That would probably make the kids play harder.

* Also - USC starts a streak of playing Cal, Notre Dame and then UCLA. If they win out, expect to see them play the winner of the Big Ten in the BCS Championship game.

* Iowa is currently bowl eligible. Montana was the division II team, not Northern Illinois. But I guess we can count that as a win every so often. So here's a sarcastic yippee! to the Iowa Hawkeyes for making it to a bowl game (can you tell I have gotten used to them finishing in the top 10?).

• NFL

Game of the Week is the Chargers vs. the Broncos, Sunday night. I know this because NBC has told me about the "flex" schedule and all of its glory. "Flex" stands for "Flexible," which is WAY to big of a word for the TV world. The idea is that NBC makes sure there is a good game on Sunday night. Thank you NBC, especially for dumbing it down.

NFL Real Talk with Jason Whitlock

• The Picks: As always, look for billy z and mike d's picks in the comments

so far this season:
j NCAA: 19-9-1
billy z NCAA: 19-8-2
j NFL: 12-17-3
mike d NFL: 13-17-2

j NCAA:
Illinois -2.5 over Northwestern -- I like Juice.
Iowa +2.5 over Minnesota -- The word is fight, Fight, FIGHT for Iowa!
Ohio State -7 over Michigan -- I believe Ohio State is going to win. Seven is a lot of points, and it makes me want to take Michigan, but Michigan's offense can disappear at times, Ohio State's can't.

j NFL: On the road again ...
Colts -1 over Cowboys
Steelers -3 over Browns
Bears -7 over Jets

• Stuff

Quick Film Reviews

Fast Food Nation
Richard Linklater has taken the non-fiction bestseller and make it into a drama about all angles of the fast food corporation. Unfortunately, none of the punches he takes hits hard enough. The cast is impressive as always with a Linklater film (Ethan Hawke, Avril Lavigne, Bruce Willis, Wilmer Valderrama, Greg Kinnear, Luis Guzman, Patricia Arquette, Kris Kristofferson). Willis' cameo is probably the most fun, but the movie is a bit slow and the impact scene is supposed to be the kill floor at the end, though interesting, I didn't feel like I was learning anything new. All that being said -- Linklater was fantastic to sit down and talk to -- click here to read the interview.
Grade: C+

Happy Feet
It's creepy. This animated flick is about an Emperor Penguin who dances instead of sings. It felt like I was watching "Moulin Rouge" and "March of the Penguins," good in theory, not in practice. But more importantly it answers questions such as --
Q: What if Elvis and Marilyn Monroe had a child?
A: It would sound a lot like Frodo Baggins.

Q: Will it offend anyone that Robin Williams overdoes impressions of a black voice and an Argentinian voice?
A: Probably not, somehow everyone will think that's great.

Q: Why would humans want to save penguins?
A: Because they are cute and dance when we want them to.

The film is fluff through the first 2/3. Then Mumble (Elijah Wood) leaves his parents Memphis (Hugh Jackman) and Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman) to discover why their food is disappearing. Will kids find the zoo creepy? Will anyone understand the timeline doesn't make sense in this film? I have no idea. It's best not to think about.
Grade: C-

Casino Royale
Plot: Bond is back. “Casino Royale” is based on the original novel by Ian Fleming and is considered a prequel to all the other adventures. This time Daniel Craig (“Road to Perdition,” “Layer Cake”) is Bond, James Bond. On his first “007” mission Bond must stop Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) from winning a high-stakes poker game.
Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a Treasury official, is assigned to assist him. There is plenty of time for chases, romance, martinis and torture since the film is two hours and 24 minutes long.

Bottom Line: Since this is Bond’s first mission, he’s rough around the edges and Craig’s Bond has a bigger ego than all that have come before him. This remains the highlight of the film. Unfortunately, the rest doesn’t keep up with Craig and we are left with similar problems the recent Bond films have had. There is not a great bad guy, just guys who report to other guys. I thought I was getting the story of how James Bond got his start, but that really only takes five minutes, and then we are off to the races with over-the-top action sequences, which are easy on the eyes.
The film comes to a stretching halt when Bond … “bonds” with Vesper … It takes so long you’ll think you are watching “James Bond: The Love Story.”
Two more things, the film does a terrible job assuming the audience doesn’t know how to play Texas Hold’em, and the ending is simply a “to be continued …” to the next installment.
I know, I sound like I am ranting, but I had high hopes that this would be the beginning of something brilliant. After all, in the cinematic world, “B” stands for Bond. Unfortunately, I have to add a minus to it.
Grade: B-

51st Edition - 11/16/06

• NBA: ouch

Kenyon Martin is going to miss the remainder of the season due to arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Sure that is bad news for the Nuggets, but it means we will get to see former Iowa Hawkeye Reggie Evans a little bit more this year. That's good news for everyone, who knows how many more crotches he can grab in those extra minutes. No idea what I'm talking about? click here

Adam Morrison isn't hurt, though he did damage to the Spurs (wow, I should be on TV saying these lines). Morrison scored 27 and the Bobcats beat the Spurs in OT. I wish they would describe his talent as "wispy." So it would match his moustache.
"That Morrison is dangerous, he torched the Spurs last night," said Man #1.
"Yeah, he's wispy," said Man #2.
See ... it works.

• Cubs: Hope they know what they are doing

The Chicago Cubs could have hired Joe Girardi, who was just named Manager of the Year for the NL. I hate living in the world of make believe, but whenever Piniella and the Cubs drop four in a row, I'm going to be imagining a Girardi led team for the next 20 years.

• Stuff

Borat: Cohen speaks to Rolling Stone
Click here to read an excerpt of Cohen (as himself) talking about the film and character that has taken over the box-office.

Scrubs is coming back ... with a Hero? Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura on "Heroes") has long had a recurring role on Scrubs as Franklyn. Bill Lawrence wants to bring him back ... with the special powers. By the way, I watched the first episode of "Heroes" last night. It was good, not great. I assume I'll like it more as it goes on. I think I like the painter who can see the future (and has a heroin addiction) the best. Though he might be dead.

Coming Tomorrow: The Picks, Quick Movie Reviews (Casino Royale, Happy Feet, Fast Food Nation), THE Ohio State vs. Michigan

50th Edition - 11/15/06

• I'm 50! (50th Edition)

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Sally O'Malley. I'm proud to say that I am 50 years old. I'm not one of those gals who's afraid to tell her real age, and I like to ... kick!, stretch!, and KICK! I'm 50! 50 years old! 50 years old. Not afraid to hide my age, 50!

• The Weekly Bull (Season Record: 3-4)

Tuesday Night: Bulls 99, Mavericks 111
There is a new starting five for the Bulls ... and it led to a loss against the Mavericks. Andres Nocioni and Chris Duhon are now starting with Ben Wallace, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng. Ben Gordon (who has been shooting awful) and P.J. Brown now come off the bench.
Perhaps more importantly the road trip from hell has begun. The circus is in town for Chicago which means seven straight road games. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver, Philadelphia and New York.
With the expectations high for this team, a 3-4 record for the road trip would be acceptable.

Some Numbers:
Since 1999, the Bulls are 4-42 on this annual road trip (keep in mind they went 3-3 during it last year)
Hinrich: 18.3 ppg
Deng: 18.0 ppg
Ben Wallace: 10.0 rpg
Ben Gordon: 22% from 3pt range

• NCAA Basketball: Knight Strikes!

Catchy title, boring story. Michael Prince, one of Knight's players, wasn't looking Knight in the eye during a time-out. Knight moved Prince's face quickly (a small slap) to get his attention. Here is the full story
There is really only one question I could think of asking Knight - "Why not just yell at him to get his attention?" Otherwise the story is simply a chance to bring up other Knight incidences and sell papers.

• MLB: NL Cy Young

Yup, baseball has finally gotten around to voting on the best pitcher of the regular season ... insert yawn here ...
1. Brandon Webb (only had 16 wins)
2. Trevor Hoffman
3. Chris Carpenter
4. Roy Oswalt
5. Carlos Zambrano

• Cubs: A new second baseman

Mark DeRosa had a career year with the Texas Rangers, hitting .296, 13 HR and 74 RBI. Now he is a Cub. 3 years, $13 million. I guess this means Ronny Cedeno is in trouble.

• Stuff

Every year, Jones Soda comes out with holiday flavors. It's for charity, so that makes these flavors OK ... Dinner Roll Soda, Turkey and Gravy, Sweet Potato, Green Pea, and Antacid.
Chicago folks can buy it at Cost Plus World Markets.

• Book 'um Dano, I'm 5-0!

49th Edition - 11/14/06

• Cubs: same faces, new price tags

Aramis Ramirez walked away from the final two years on his contract (4-year, $41 million) because he knew he could get more.

The Cubs walked away from Kerry Wood, who was set to make $13.5 million. Instead they paid him a $3 million buy-out to negate his contract.

They are both coming back.
Ramirez signed a 5-year, $75 million (paying him more than Derrek Lee)
Wood signed a 1-year, $1.75 million deal that could be worth $6 million if he stays healthy and regains a starting position.

The nice thing here, both men would have made more money if they had gone elsewhere. Ramirez would have been considering the top free agent (along with Alfonso Soriano - who the Cubs are going to look into) - and the market would have paid him about the same per year for the a six-year deal.

And there is always a team that would take a chance on Wood. He could prove to be a decent reliever/starter, and if that's the case, the Cubs got a bargain. As long as they don't plan on Wood being good, it's a steal.

The need still remains for more: Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt, Carlos Lee or Soriano need to put on the blue pinstripes.

• Stuff

"NBC Nightly News" and "Meet the Press" are both going to be available for free on iTunes in video format. Be careful and choose wisely, only one of them will make you smarter.

I didn't go to Lollapoalooza this summer in Chicago. The chance of 100 degree weather and little money in my pocket made it easy. Now I can buy some sets from the live show. Brilliant. click here to browse the catalog

• My Tivo is happy and sad

"Friday Night Lights" just got picked up for a full season. It's a dead heat between this and "Studio 60" for my new favorite show. Plus, I am about to start watching "Heroes," and I still sit through "30 Rock." Good lord, I love NBC. I watch more NBC show than any other network. I didn't even know it. Anyway, "Lights" is a good thing.

Now onto my Tivo being sad ... This Thursday night I have to drag out my old friend VCR. "Earl," and "Office" are super-sized, followed by "30 Rock" on it's new night. This means I have decided "Grey's" gets the videotape treatment on the second TV. By the way, "Grey's" hasn't been good lately. Izzie. I cringe every single time she is on the screen. And the "Mc" thing has run it's course. I don't McCare.

• The Rankings

I'm in the mood for a list. Here are my TV rankings for this season so far (not including sports) ... It's a combination of my excitement to see a show and my annoyance if I miss an episode (though I haven't missed an episode yet).

1. The Office
2. Studio 60
3. Friday Night Lights
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Lost
6. Grey's Anatomy
7. Saturday Night Live
8. My Name is Earl
9. 30 Rock

Keep in mind, this is all I watch right now. "Rescue Me" would be in the top three if it was on right now, and I am about to get caught up on "Heroes" -- give me a couple weeks.

What about you? Or is my list perfection so there is no need for another?

48th Edition - 11/13/06

• Bear with me: It's a play on words

Bears 38, Giants 20
I was convinced Rex Grossman was one interception away from being benched last night for Brian Griese. But thanks to a draw play with 2:00 left on 3rd and VERY long, the Bears went from looking horrendous, to dominating the Giants. At the 2:00 mark it was 3-13, with the Bears only having 50 yards of offense.
Also - Devin Hester returned a FG 108 yards. He even played it up like he was going to down the missed FG in the end zone. Hester is a train wreck, you have to watch, and it will be ugly. We just never know if it will be ugly for the Bears or their opponents.

• NFL

Chargers 49, Bengals 41
Steelers 38, Saints 31
There was scoring in the NFL, let's see how that affected the best.

The Best
QB
Carson Palmer: 440 yards, 3TD
Drew Brees: 398 yards, 1TD
Steve McNair: 373 yards, 3TD, 2INT
RB
Willie Parker: 213 yards, 2TD
Frank Gore: 159 yards, 1TD
Tiki Barber: 141 yards
WR
Chad Johnson: 260 yards, 2TD
Donald Driver: 191 yards, 1TD
Marques Colston: 169 yards

• Hawkeyes: don't look, I'm hideous

The Hawks lost to Wisconsin. They are 2-5 in the Big Ten, 6-5 overall. I might be wrong, please correct me if I am, but the Hawks must beat Minnesota to be bowl eligible. You need six wins and the Hawks only have five since one was against Northern Illinois, not a Division I school.

• NCAA Football: Real Quick

Here are the latest BCS rankings. Doesn't matter much right now, since USC still has three games to play. I find it very annoying that Big Ten teams have one game left and others still have three to play. Can't a schedule be made that has everyone wrap up at the same time? Also, it would help if AP and Coaches polls didn't start until week 5. That way people wouldn't have to explain the reason Rutgers isn't No. 3 right now--because no one thought they would be good.

• The Picks: revisited

j NCAA: 2-1 (19-9-1)
billy z NCAA: 3-0 (19-8-2)
It's insane how good billy and I are.
j NFL: 1-2 (12-17-3)
mike d NFL: 1-1 (13-16-2) he has the Bucs +9.5 tonight
It's insane how bad mike and I are.

• SNL: We have a winner

Funniest Saturday Night Live in years.
The show had Christina Aquilera, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Tony Bennent and Paul McCartney ... not to mention Alec Baldwin hosted.
The funniest sketch was Baldwin and Kristen Wiig as new carpool partners.

So, for the season -- SNL: 3-2
Funny: Alec Baldwin, John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie
Not Funny: Dane Cook, Kate Hudson

*I'll talk about the Cubs (Ramirez and Woods signing) tomorrow.

47th Edition - 11/10/07

• NCAA Football: Rutgers sucks ... Rutgers is AWESOME!

Rutgers was losing to the Louisville Cardinals 25-7. That's a wide margin, especially when Louisville has an offense that won't quit ... that was until the 2nd half of the game when Rutgers held them to 52 yards, and came back to win 28-25. They got two chances to make a late FG thanks to an offsides call, but Rutgers now joins Michigan, Ohio State and Boise State as the only unbeatends in college football.

• The Hawkeyes

*Iowa is getting 1.5 points against Wisconsin. Keep in mind Iowa has recently lost to Indiana and Northwestern (at home). There is a strong possibility the Hawks lose out and don't make a bowl game this year.

*The Iowa Basketball team will enter the 2006-07 season with 18 straight wins in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, a streak that ranks first in the Big Ten Conference and third in the nation behind only Gonzaga (40 games) and Connecticut (19) ... Too bad the Hawks are expected to finish 9th out of the 11 Big Ten teams.

• Plaxico Burress is a moron. This is one of the reasons:

"I don't think they're the best corners I've played against or we've played against this year. By far, no," Burress told the Newark Star-Ledger. "Those guys make plays [on] the balls that are thrown straight to them, but they're not just covering guys straight up and just shutting them down. I haven't seen any of that.
"They're very beatable."

Thank you Plaxico, sometimes NFL players need to feel "disrespected" to get motivated. I am liking the Bears chances against the Giants on Sunday night a little more.

• The Bull (2-3)

Bulls 94, Cavs 113
LeBron James only scored 19 points = good. James getting 12 assists = bad. The Cavs went on an 11-2 run and put the game out of reach in the 4th. I'll look forward to the day when they aren't under .500 anymore for the rest of the season. Hopefully that's in two games.

• NBA: That was quick

The undefeateds: none
The defeateds: Nuggets at 0-3. Though some teams have already played 6 games.

• The Picks

j NCAA: 17-8-1
billy z NCAA: 16-8-2
j NFL: 11-15-3
mike d NFL: 12-15-2

It's insane how close I am to these two guys. This is the weekend where I create a gap. Then after that, I shall widen that gap.

j NCAA
Wisconsin -1.5 over Iowa
Temple +36.5 over Penn State
Notre Dame -11.5 over Air Force

j NFL
Cheifs over Dolphins (no points)
Chargers -1.5 over Bengals
Saints +4.5 over Steelers

• Stuff

Quick Movie Reviews

Stranger Than Fiction: Will Ferrell is great as Harold Crick. I needed the reserved, toned down Ferrell and I am a sucker for any film that attempts something new. Having Harold hear the voice of a narrator (Emma Thompson) might be too much for some people, but the film is very nice. And it's good to see Dustin Hoffman steal the show as a literary professor trying to help Harold discover if he's in a comedy or tragedy. B+

A Good Year: Just not worth seeing. Russell Crowe doesn't fit as the lead, and the film actually comes off as a failed physical comedy. The best part of the film should be the wine but even that gets overlooked for most of the film. There is no heart, just a businessman releasing there might me more to life. And we've seen that before. D+

Come Early Morning: Simple. And it works. Ashely Judd gives a great performance about a woman from a small town in Arkansas struggling. The most powerful, uncomfortable scene is when Judd's character tries to have sex without being drunk. The film is written and directed by Joey Lauren Adams, who I happened to interview (click here to read). B

Studio 60 has been picked up for a full season (click here to read)

Do you like Johnny Cash? Well, maybe you like these people more - Kanye West, Johnny Depp, Justin Timberlake, Sheryl Crow, Chris Martin, Keith Richards, Kate Moss, Chris Rock, Iggy Pop, Bono. They all appear in Cash's new video "God's Gonna Cut You Down."
click here to watch