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