164th Edition - 12/21/07

• The Holidays are Coming

With the end of the year it's time to reflect ...

The Bears = Their record is 5-9 and there's no reason to believe they will beat the Packers or the Saints. The future doesn't look bright. But if they can just get a new QB, RB, offensive line, and safety we should be right back in it. It looks like 2-3 years until we can dream about getting back to the Super Bowl.

The Cubs = Fukudome is coming. He's a contact-hitting left hander. It's a nice addition, but nothing amazing. He seems to be the only main difference between last year's club and the one coming to us in 2008. Mark Prior is finally gone, and Kerry Wood might compete for the closer position. Even though the Cubs won their division, I never fell in love with the club.

The Blackhawks = I haven't watching a single second this sesason, but at least they are being talked about. If I ever accidentally stumble upon one of their newly televised home games, I'll set the remote down for a while. And if you happen to have an extra ticket to one of their games, if you pick me I promist to cheer loudly and act like I know what's going on.

The Bulls = Currently the Bulls are 9-14. No player has improved compared to last year. And they have the Celtics, Rockets and Spurs coming up. They did start the season 2-10, so they are 7-4 over their last 11 games. That's good enough to eventually get into the playoffs, but not to make a dent against the improving East.

Rich's bachelor party = $. In the entire history of bachelor parties, Rich's is the only one recorded where everyone won. 13 guys equaled $3000 at the casino playing craps. The worst winner walked away with $100. So let's just hope this is the first of many bachelor parties Rich will be having.

Iowa Hawkeyes Football = Well, my prediction of the Hawks winning the national championship next year has become a little more bold. No bowl game this year is exactly the kind of motivation these boys need to play with a chip on their shoulder the entire season.

• Stuff
  

I have 8 films reviews for 12/21 up on Stuff I Wrote. It's a record. I would pop champagne, but I'm only and don't want to be the first person in recorded history to have a champagne shower alone.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are coming back on January 7. If they have to, it will be without their striking writers. I really hope we can tell the difference and this helps get the writers back, but I worry we won't.

163rd Edition - 12/14/07

I have no idea how long this will last ... but let's get to it.

*I have nothing to talk about with the Iowa Hawkeye football or basketball team.

*The Mitchell Report came out yesterday. Clemens, Pettite, Tejada and Gagne are among those named. It's good for Bonds to finally have company. Of course it should be noted, there is no proof that anyone took anything. People just say they did, or a check shows they paid for it. I assume there are more people out there, some that will never be named. The only thing that should matter is future testing. Unless of course you have always hated Roger Clemens and now you finally feel like you have a good reason to continue the hatred.

*The writers' strike should start killing you. This is what will happen, you'll be busy with the holidays fast approaching. You'll forget about TV for a while. Then, after the Bowl Games are over you'll begin to realize you haven't seen a new episode of "The Office" for 2.5 months. It won't be a good feeling. Start managing your Netflix Queue. I recommend "Freak & Geeks," "Weeds," "The Wire," and "Rescue Me."

**I voted for the CFCA (Chicago Film Critics' Association) Awards for the first time this year.
Here is a list of the winners.
Of the winners, there were seven that also received my vote:
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Diablo Cody for" Juno"
BEST ACTRESS – Ellen Page for "Juno"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Javier Bardem for "No Country for Old Men"
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova for "Once"
BEST DOCUMENTARY – "Sicko"
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER – Michael Cera for "Juno" and "Superbad"
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER – Ben Affleck for "Gone Baby Gone"

*The Golden Globe nominations are out. Here's the list ...
I will talk about who I think should win later.

And don't forget -- STUFF I WROTE -- lists all of my latest film reviews, articles and interviews. There should be much more coming soon.

135th Edition - 4/13/07

135 = (1+3+5)(1x3x5)

• Blatant Self-Promotion

Movie Reviews
"Disturbia"
"Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters"

• QOTD (Question of the Day)

Who would you be for 24 hours, and then you would go right back to being you?
My answer: Jay Leno - Because I think I could do a better job.

Give you answer down below in the comments section.

• Bears: The Schedule

There is absolutely no point in predicting the 2007 record of the Chicago Bears. They are months away, haven't even drafted yet, and it seems pointless... With that said, I am convinced they are going 10-6 and winning their division. After starting the season 1-2, that's not bad.

Here is there full schedule:
http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule/CHI

In fact, that's another thing you could comment on down below (notice a theme).

• Don Imus

I haven't spoken of this situation, mainly because the whole thing is annoying. Thankfully Jason Whitlock wrote about it this week, and once again remains one of the few sports columnists who speaks his mind with RATIONAL thought. click here to read

• Stuff

*Kurt Vonnegut died. I highly recommend reading something by this man. Here are two suggestions - "Breakfast of Champions" and a short-story collection "Welcome to the Monkey House." Vonnegut had the rare ability to make the frivolous thought provoking.

*Steve Martin sang a serious song for Diane Keaton at her Gala Tribute. Unfortunately some of the audience thought it was a joke. watch here

*Shia LaBeouf is hosting SNL this weekend. My hunch - top three episodes of the season. With that said, if there is a sketch or monologue about Joe Smith being his real name and Shia being a stage name ... that's me. If he does a sketch with the Noonies (the annoying neighbors who are insanely odd) and turned the tables of them ... that's me. If he does a sketch where he raps and has a jewish posse ... that' me. So we'll just have to see if any of my ideas made it.

*Monkey Kick Off - click to play - My personal best is 3030 (after 5 kicks)

132nd Edition - 4/06/07

132 - When counting in binary with fingers, expressing 132 as 0010000100 results in the isolation of the middle fingers of each hand, a gesture generally considered rude. The corresponding one-handed gesture is the representation of 4 ... I have no idea what this means, but I believe I just insulted computer geeks everywhere.

• Blatant Self-Promotion

Movie Review
"Grindhouse"

• BEST lazy WEEKEND EVER!

If there is a god, clearly he likes laying on the couch, sipping a beer or two, eating some chips, having the remote in one hand and the other tucked just under his belt ... I'm talking about the best lazy sports weekend of the year.

The Reasons:
1. Baseball is in full swing for the first weekend of the year. The games don't matter (still 158 to go) but you still get to check out your team and take in the new faces.

2. A tradition, unlike an other ... It's the Masters on CBS

3. Random NBA game that might matter but you don't have to start watching until the 4th quarter.

4. If your name is Mark, then you are probably spending most of the weekend gearing up for the NFL draft ... The Chicago Bears ... are on the CLOCK.

• The Masters: seriously, it's unlike anything

I was talking to a friend last night and both of us decided golf is the one sport that you really don't need/want the underdog coming through. Does anyone really want to see an unknown put on the green jacket Sunday afternoon? I want Tiger (4 shots off the lead at +1) and Phil (+4 after the first day) ... so maybe I want Sergio. So, in other words Brett Wetterich, you need to stop playing well right now.

• Cubs: too early

It's still too early to get addicted to the Cubs (1-2). But that will probably end after this weekend. Expect a Monday feature on the Cubs every week.

• Quick Hits

*Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie is the man the Kentucky Wildcats will introduce as the head coach. I'm glad I can stop attacking like I cared about this story. I am one of the few that doesn't need Kentucky to be good to enjoy College Basketball.

*Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice-K from now on) won his first game of the season for the Red Sox. Struck out ten.

*With Gilbert Arenas out for the season with a knee ... now I wish the Bulls would play the Wizards in the first round, whether it meant home court or not.

• Stuff

*I just wanted to thank "The Office" for coming back. I missed you so much. And I could listen to Dwight talk about heroes all day.

*Want to go to a summer festival? Rolling Stone is here to help - click here

*There is a new album of Joni Mitchell covers. You can listen to the original and the cover. Artists include Sufjan Stevens and Prince. click here

127th Edition - 3/30/07

127 - http://www.127band.com/

• Blatant Self-Promotion

Film Reviews
"Meet the Robinsons"
"Blades of Glory"

• NCAA Basketball: Final - Four - Predication!

Florida will beat UCLA. Both teams are breaking defensive records. Florida has held opponents under 60 points 10 of the last 14 games. UCLA is letting their tournament opponents score 50 point per game ... So with that in mind, look for Joakim Noah to get fouled in the closing seconds, and make one of two free throws giving the Gators the win 27-26.

Ohio State will lose to Georgetown. Even though I have picked the Buckeyes to beat Georgetown, I am now reversing it. Georgetown is a team of destiny. They were on TNT's NBA Halftime Show last night and gave Kenny Smith a jersey. These things don't happen, unless you make the finals. Otherwise, you just look foolish ... (this is an attempt at a reverse jinx - of course I am not changing my pick. As long as they get enough electricity pumping through Frankenstein (Oden) then the Buckeyes will win 73-66).

• Bulls: close AND a cigar

If the Chicago Bulls only played the 1st and 3rd quarter of each game, they would dominate. But rules state they must also show up for the 2nd and 4th ... so that's what they do, show up -- but just barely. The Bulls stunk, especially in the 2nd quarter where they shot 4 of 22 from the field and received technicals on separate instances (one by Hinrich, the other by Skiles -- also known as the team leaders).

After all that complaining, you might be surprised the Bulls won by two last night in Chicago against the Eastern Division leading Detriot Pistons (83-81).

It was a must win, and thanks to Hinrich drawing a foul with 2.8 seconds left, and hitting 2 of 3 free throws, the Bulls escaped with a victory.

Ben Wallace had 19 rebounds and Tyrus Thomas (and his oodles of energy) had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

• The shoes: Wallace's feet are worth $15

Ben Wallace is helping friend Stephon Marbury promote his new sneaker, the Starbury. It's not another story about a selfish athlete. Starbury's come out April 1, and are being sold for $14.98, and Marbury isn't making millions in this deal. http://www.starbury.com/

"Kids don't really understand what it takes to go out and buy a pair of $300 pair of shoes," Wallace said at a news conference on Tuesday. "We don't understand the pressure we put on our parents when we're growing up. This is one of the things where I think the parents will appreciate it a lot more than the kids right now because it eliminates so much stress from the parents. All parents want to see their kids have nice things."

I am looking forward to putting on a pair and seeing if they are worth it. This is the best story to come out of the NBA this season, it deserves TONS of coverage. Everyone should appreciate this ...

LeBron James doesn't appreciate this ...
James took a little shot at Marbury's $14.98 kicks, saying he couldn't imagine endorsing a sneaker that cheap. "No, I don't think so," James said. "Me being with Nike, we hold our standards high."

• Stuff

*Just a very interesting story -- http://www.friendlyatheist.com/
I just received a copy of his book - "I Sold My Soul On Ebay" and interviewed him.

*Chris Farley for an ESPN commercial - recreating the shot that Christian Laetnner had against Kentucky (while he was still alive). click here

*The best kissing cam of all time ... even if there is one scene that HAS to be staged ... make sure to stay until the end and watch Wade and Shaq. click here

*The Spider-Man 3 soundtrack will feature songs by The Flaming Lips, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snow Patrol and more.

*April Fools is Sunday - this might help you get in the mood- http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/

122nd Edition - 3/23/07

122 - The oldest age any person is known to have lived to (Jeanne Calment was born in 1875 and died in 1997).

• Blatant Self-Promotion

Reviews of "TMNT," "Shooter," "Reign Over Me," and "Pride."
Also, an interview with Chicago's own, Bernie Mac.
All on Stuff I Wrote.

• NCAA Basketball: 3 out of 4 is good enough for me

Last night, three games game down to the final seconds. And it is starting to be standard for Ohio State to be apart of one of them.

The Buckeyes were down 20 at one point in the first half. In fact, the most important play was probably the 3-point play they got at the buzzer at the end of the first half, decreasing the lead to 17. Tennessee can look at the free-throw line to figure out where they blew this one, and Oden's big paw. Tennessee went 8-17 from the line, and Oden (only scoring 9 points) had a block on the final Tennessee shot. Ohio State won 85-84.

Southern Illinois couldn't hold on against Kansas, but as soon as I saw Jim Belushi in the crowd I knew they were a goner. Can anything this guy attaches himself to be great? So. Ill. played some amazing man-to-man defense but had to heave a half-courter to try and tie it. Kansas wins 61-58.

Memphis squeaked by Texas A&M and UCLA won pretty easy over Pitt.

• Hawkeyes: Alford out

Steve Alford is done coaching the Iowa Hawkeyes. And we didn't have to fire him (which would have cost millions). Alford is headed to New Mexico because he wants to be at a school where basketball comes first. Well, ideally academics comes first - then whatever program is winning comes next. Alford came to Iowa the same time as Kirk Ferentz. Everyone I remember thought Alford was a brilliant hire, and no one knew who Ferentz was (we were still upset about not getting Bob Stoops).

Time has shown Alford can't do anything great. He isn't a fantastic recruiter. His coaching is sub-par, and when the Hawkeyes had off-the-court problems, he never inspired.

Here's what my friends had to say about his departure -
*I'm all broken up about it. (sarcasm)
*Yeah I saw that this morning.... What a shame. (sarcasm)
*He clearly was not a fit for Iowa. If we were supposed to be bad, we were. If we showed some promise, we drastically underperformed when it mattered (e.g., biggest upset of the tourney last year).
*At least with Dr. Tom we would make it to the second round.
*I'm just happy I'm a Tarheel now. I can't wait to get my 2007 NCAA champions hat. (This last one was from Mike D - the NFL picker who moved to Chapel Hill last week)

• Chicago Bulls - Tip-Doh!

It looked ugly with seconds left last night against the Nuggets. A loose ball, a bad shot from Gordon, a tip between Deng and Carmelo Anthony, then Tyrus Thomas tips in the game winner. Anthony said he would have rather lost by 100. Twelve games left. Bulls are 40-30.

• Cubs: Prior to this...

I was almost done with Prior. Then he went and pitched 4 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 run. It's like I'm George and he's Lizzy. I need to forget yesterday every happened. I mean, I married to a big, rich girl. I need to forget the past, and move forward even though Lizzy/Prior has been amazing before. OK, that's the last time I compare the Cubs with "Grey's Anatomy," I swear.

• Quick Hits

*Kobe Bryant - The man had 60 last night in a win over the Grizzlies. That is three 50-point games in a row, and he is one of three to have 4 or more 60-point games. I love watching this offense right now, but I find I am still in the stage of thinking half the shots (that end up going in) are bad ideas. He is the most fun train wreck to watch in sports right now.

*Coach Tubby Smith just made the Big Ten a little tougher ... I think, although he could simply be burnt out at Kentucky and looking to retire. Minnesota seems like the type of program where he could still earn his millions but not worry about pesky things like wins, and NCAA tournaments.

*Jonathan Papelbon is back as a closer for the Red Sox. He said he was losing sleep thinking about wanting to be back in the bullpen as the closer. This would have been good information before my baseball draft.

*Tony La Russa is an idiot. If you are rich, and like to drink far away from where you live ... Get someone else to drive you. It's that simple.

• Stuff

"Trapped in the Drive-Thru" - Another Weird Al gem ... 11 minutes long. Do you have what it takes to get through the whole thing? click here to watch

118th Edition - 3/19/07

118 - This is the most interesting thing I could find - 118 ways to save money for college. Wow, hope this isn't an indication of how boring today can be.

• Other things (Quick Hits)

*Kobe Bryant is good. He went for 65 points on Friday night and followed it up with 50 points last night. He and Wilt Chamberlin are the only ones to do that.

*50 is also the number of points the 76ers got beat by last night. The Rockets won 124-74.

• NCAA Basketball

*Our Leader (in the 1st Annual The Daily Score NCAA Tournament Pick'em Competition Spectacular) is Kevin Sketch (aka Plausible Deniability). He has picked 38 out of 48 for 50 points. Two girls are tied for 3rd and I am 16th.

*Of the 16 teams in the sweetness, UNLV (7) and Vanderbilt (6) are the lowest seeds remaining.

• Stuff

*Monday Box Office
People still like Sandra Bullock, but more people like blood.
1. 300 - $31 million - a solid B.
2. Wild Hogs - $19 - yup, i still hate this film.
3. Premonition - $18 - Roeper called it one of the worst endings ever.
4. Dead Silence - $8 - heard awful, awful things about this film.
5. I Think I Love My Wife - $6 - I thought this film would do better. It's not awful, but the subject isn't fun. I assume there were alot of women out there telling their men, "No, I don't want to see a movie about a man wanting to cheat on his wife."

*Saturday Night Live
Not good enough Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In fact, I can't remember laughing out loud once. The Italian sketch was OK. Never a good sign when both musical performances are the best parts (Snow Patrol). And yes, Chris Rock showed up for the opener, and then talked about black men getting hung back in the day ... not his best stuff.

For the season: 8-7
Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Rainn Wilson

Not Funny: Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Matthew Fox, Annette Bening, Jeremy Piven, Forest Whitaker, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

*New Shows
Raines - Jeff Goldblum. It's fine. I just don't know why I would watch it. I already have enough and it didn't give me anything mindblowing.
Andy Barker, P.I. - wow, this guy is destined to be someone I always give the benefit of the doubt to ... and he NEVER delivers. The show is weak.

117th Edition -- 3/15-3/18

OK - here is the plan ... I will update this one entry (117th Edition) throughout the next 4 days. I will always put the newest entry at the top, so if you are just joining, you might want to scroll down and read that first.

Also - Movie Review - "I Think I Love My Wife"

• 6:45 p.m. - Sunday - over

The games aren't over. I am. Done. I can't believe Texas is done and I didn't get to see a dominant Durant game. Just said. Now I have to wait five years before he can dominant for a season in the NBA. Three if I am lucky.

"Cold Case." I never have seen an edisode, and now that I have been shown the same damn two seconds of someone pulling a gun on someone else -- I want the show cancelled. Tonight. Before it airs. Just awful.

Ohio State was the game of the weekend. Mainly because I found myself rooting against an underdog (which I rarely do) because they were beating up on the Buckeyes so bad. Plus, it was one of those cases where Xavier didn't blow it, Ohio State just played amazing down the stretch. Plus, it was the first really good game of the tournament and it started an amazing day of basketball.

Now I need to start preparing for my Fantasy Baseball Draft. Yes people, the REAL excitement is about to begin.

• 4:03 p.m. - Sunday - close

Virginia was close. Purdue was close. I am watching the games on tivo and it looks like I am about 45 minutes behind. Florida just pulled away and won by seven, but the game was much closer than that. I wish there was a stat to show close games during the regular season. Like, if a game is ever within 4 points with 3 minutes left, that's a close game. So far, I think every Saturday and Sunday game has qualified for that. Though Southern Illinois and Oregon are trying to erase that fact.

I had to go watch "TMNT" this morning. It's what they have decided to call "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

I still can't believe we are close to finishing four days of college ball without one buzzer beater.

Hmmm, I wonder if I get the UNLV pick right I will officially be in the top half of the bracket.

• 7:45 p.m. - Saturday - Buzzer? Beater?

Wash St vs Vandy. Tie game. 60 to 60. Damn. OOOOOvertime. Both teams are making great shots in OT. James Brown says 5, 8, 5 on the game clock, 8 on the shot clock ... then he gets it right. Vanderbilt ball, seconds remain ... I hate Mencia's Bud Light commercial. I want that little guy at the end to break the bottle over his head, and now back to the game... Our first double OT of the tourney.

Somehow VCU is tied with Pitt (the one game I was calling a blowout). Insane day. A 35-16 run by VCU to get back into it. 1:00 left. Wow, free throws. Two seconds left. Fields misses the first. The crowd is cheering. Misses them both. OT.

Wash St is slipping. Vandy up by four ... YOU GOT TO FOUL ... nope, Vandy wins by 4 and will play Georgetown. Georgetown won thanks to Patrick Ewing Jr's reverse dunk in the final minute.

Back to VCU vs. Pitt ... VCU down three with 19 seconds left because Pitt didn't want to make free throws. Damn, missed the three. Pitt should finish this off now. Argh, hate the huge comeback that doesn't produce. Still no buzzer beaters today.

• 7:05 p.m. - Saturday - Best. Day. Ever.

I'm not going to say this is the greatest day in the history of college basketball, but ... This Is The Greatest Day In College Basketball. If there is one buzzer beater then everyone else will agree with me.
Butler won. Sosa decided to miss two free throws after making his first 15 and Louisville lost. Vanderbilt and Wash St are tied late. The only game that is not amazing is Pitt killing VCU. So far, six games, all but one close. I've stood on the couch once already during the Ohio State game, and it just might happen again.

Side note - I'm really tired and only had one green beer today ... wow, writing that sentence just made me hungry for more beer ... And YES! The F is not at the grocery store yet after working out, Guinness will be MINE!

• 2:40 p.m. - Saturday - It's over

I believe I said that about six times during the Xavier/Ohio State game. Most of the times I said that I assumed Xavier was going to win. Clearly the best game of the tourney. Just an amazing comeback by the Buckeyes. I assume most of the country wanted the comeback to happen since NO ONE had them losing this early.

• 1:05 p.m. - Saturday - good morning

I have had my omelet, biscuit, homefries and french toast. And now it's halftime with Ohio State leading Xavier 29-25.

More P.O.T.T. (player of the tournament):
Reynolds from Virginia - 28 pts, 7 reb
Kemp from Nevada - 27 pts, 12 reb, 4 assists

• 8:40 p.m. - Friday - classic

Nope, I'm not talking about the games. The F (fiancee) just went to "get ready." This is after the last 20 minutes, when I kept saying, "Do you need to get ready?" And her saying, "I am ready." And yes, her bracket is killing mine.

P.O.T.T. watch - Durant - a quiet 25 points and 8 rebounds.

Illinois decided not to score in the 2nd half and lost by two. 54-52. I will make a post before I sleep. I swear.

• 6:50 p.m. - Friday - it's racial!

"Oh, yeah ... Fight the Power!"

"He's got that farmboy look."

Can you guess the color of the players that were referred to in the above quotes by the announcers? Neither can I ... neither can I.

Illinois is looking good, up by six close to the half. Listening to Billy Packer call the Kansas/Niagara game is just awful. He's picking on Niagara every chance he can get as they slowly slip away from a superior team. "Kansas makes sure Niagara falls," yup, that's going to be the headline.

OHHHHHHH!!!!!! Carter just hit a 3 for Illinois ... and was fouled. Let's see if he converts the four point play ... an it counts! Illinois up by 10. It's that easy.

• 4:40 p.m. - Friday - overtime. OVERTIME!?!

Just annoying. Creighton falls in overtime to Nevada. I had it right there, the amazing comeback was within my grasp. But now, all is lost. I will officially now just root for good games, I swear. No more thinking I have a chance.

On a side note - the Shia LaBeauf movie was pretty good. Though I had no idea what I was walking into, so I had no expectations.

At least I had Winthrop. The only thing I can currently hang my imaginary hat on.

Also - it couldn't be more disturbing to finish watching a basketball game and then be taken to a Dr. Phil, already in progress.

• 11:26 a.m. - Friday - embarrassing

So, I just went to check my bracket ... Yup, I have Albany (read below). Just embarrassing. Albany just chucks it up. I have already seen one 3 hit the side of the backboard. My other upsets sure to go wrong today ... Creighton and Winthrop.

• 11:18 a.m. - Friday - "working"

I'll do my best to keep notes and update at about 12:30 then late afternoon, then late late night. We'll see how that goes. There is a going away party tonight. Mike D (NFL picker) is moving.

I am in NCCA On Demand no problem this morning. In fact, this thing is great. Plus, next year when I get VIP status I can look down at all you people and laugh.

So - today, once again, I have to miss some afternoon games. At 2:30 I need to see a Shia LaBeauof (I try to spell his last name different every time) movie. He's the kid from "The Battle of Shaker Heights" and "Holes" and "Constantine." If you don't know him yet, you will, he also scored the (human) lead in "Transformers." I will be interviewing him in the coming weeks.

Anyway, it's Virginia 8, Albany 2. Clearly this is a version of the bigger school just being better, taller, quicker. No way Albany keeps up with them.

I'll do my best to keep notes and update at about 12:30 then late afternoon, then late late night. We'll see how that goes. There is a going away party tonight. Mike D (NFL picker) is moving.

• 9:56 a.m. - Friday - the comeback!!!

I am in last place, tied with a girl -- out of 24 people. Three individuals currently have 14 points each. My West bracket is horrendous and my East is barely holding on ... BUT there is no way I can finish last. I am the letter j! So I am on the comeback trail and my goal is to finish middle of the pack. I want to be the guy that no one pays attention to, that is just glanced over while their eyes make their way up the leaderboard.

• 10:46 p.m. - Thursday - I rue

I rue the day I picked Gonzaga based on the logic of them playing Indiana (overrated) and them playing a tough regular season and them not having good luck in previous tournaments (so I thought they were due). Rough night all around, "Scrubs" wasn't even that funny.

• 9:37 p.m. - Thursday - And we're BACK!!!!

Sorry. I "had" to go watch Shooter for "work." Am I using these "" correctly? Any way, Oh course Duke lost. My reverse logic never works. My bracket is busted, so now I can go about my business and just enjoy the games. Glad that nonsense is over with ... though, it Gonzaga could beat Indiana, UCLA and not Duke, then I'm right back in it ... sigh.

P.O.T.T. (player of the tournament) watch: Can't be Curry (scored 30) from Davidson because they lost. Greg Oden started strong with 19 pts and 10 boards. Rice from B.C. scored 26 points.

• 4:00 p.m. - Thursday - No upsets.
  

Good, god, Vanderbilt is off to a quick 7-0 lead. Is there no upsets planned today? This is unreal. It's the opposite of real.

As soon as I was done complaining about the Butler game, Old Do hits a 3 and then that is followed by Butler hitting five 3s in a row. Butler takes a big lead and doesn't look back.

Georgetown was down 11-4, then they went on a 76 - 44 run. At what amount do we have to cap a run? Perhaps when one team scores over 40 it is too much.

Some quick STUFF -
*David Duchovny will be in a sitcom on Showtime. About ten years ago I declared Duchovny would be one of the biggest comedy stars of our time ... can I still get credit for this?
*My favorite - Ben Folds - will be opening for John Mayer this summer ... So apparently, Ben doesn't want me to see him anytime soon.

• 3:20 p.m. - Thursday - slow...

It's 29-29 with 12 minutes left in the Old Dominion vs. Butler game. Apparently they are choosing to only shoot with two seconds left on the shot clock. Slow game. I have Butler, in fact I have all #5 seeds winning, which, in it's self, is an upset. Wash State ended up winning by 16, there should be a rule that teams make keep it close in the first half unless they promise to keep it close in the second. I had dreams of Oral. I wanted Oral. I could feel Oral ... winning the game and me looking super smart. But no, I'm just the moron who thought I'd get Oral all the way to the second round ... and I knew it the entire second half.

Also - I just got an interview with Molly Shannon lined up. I think this is my first SNL actor that I get to interview ... I just hope she's ready to talk about "Don't get me started, Don't EVEN get me started," for 30 minutes.

• 2:34 p.m. - Thursday - Yeah! I mean Oops... I mean YEAH!!!

OK, so I thought I had Oral Roberts beating Washington State. I was sitting here cheering like an idiot as Oral played tough and took it to half with a 28-26 lead. Well, then I was updating my bracket and noticed I have #3 Wash State winning. So, I quickly change sides, and BAM! They go on a 9-0 lead to start the half and my favorite team in the world, Washington State, is in control of the game ... Wow, nope, I am right, I did have Oral Roberts. So my positive vibes clearly have kicked me square in the arse. Is it possible to be drunk on basketball?

• 1:21 p.m. - Thursday - Wow. Ohhhh for Two.
  

Texas Tech lost by nine. Maryland hit a huge 3 with two minutes left, and held on to beat Davidson. Two games are done and I am 0-2. If this keeps up I will have the worst bracket in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Actually, I would be pretty cool to miss every single one.

On a side note, I highly recommend Lean Cuisine Brick Oven-Style Pizza (BBQ). As far as microwaved individual pizzas are concerned, this is my favorite. Lean Cuisine ... It's not just for middle aged women who pretend to eat healthy.

This afternoon I will be watching one game on TV and another on the Web.

Just got an email asking if I want to interview Jamie Kennedy for his new movie "Kickin' It Old Skool." Wow, I've got some thinking to do.

• 11:54 a.m. - Thursday - God Lord, It's WORKING!

Currently at work, watching Davidson vs Maryland (I have Davidson). This was exhausting. It wouldn't work for the last 20 minutes. I now I get to see Davidson leading by 5. Joy. I won't be updating until I get home and eat some lunch.

• 11:08 a.m. - Thursday - The Waiting Room & The Brackets

I am currently in the NCAA March Madness On Demand Waiting Room. It's as exciting as you think it is ... I started at 92,000th in line, and now I am at 35,000 ... but I've been at this number for a while and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. On the plus side (sarcasm), if I was a VIP I would be 11,000th in line. I can't be VIP this year, but I could next year, so really they are just rubbing it in. Just like that little curtain that seperates me from first class. Wow, it just changed. Now I could be 6,300 for VIP ... and 34,800 is my current position.

And it looks like we have 24 players in the 1st Annual The Daily Score NCAA Tournament Pick'em Competition Spectacular!

I am most curious about a few of them...
1. The Sports Guy - I read him all the time and think if cat's wore pajamas, he would be those pajamas. So I read his picks and filled out a bracket for him.
2. Girls - We have 5 women participating. I watched my fiancee fill out her bracket and it was a real treat. I think she had Oregon winning because we want to live there one day. She got lucky with Kansas winning some games because she has a friend that lives there. I believe the standard woman is just as capable of picking as the standard guy, I just love the thought process.
3. Me - I really hate some of the picks I made. But I threw in some reverse logic and suddenly, Duke was winning two games.

112th Edition - 3/09/07

112 - The emergency phone number in Europe. Deal with that! 9-1-1. And also, an R& B group from Atlanta that I have never heard of.

• Bulls - They roller, my coaster

One day after the Bulls got pounded by the Miami Heat, they bounced back and crushed the Orlando Magic, 100-76. They outscored the Magic 49-29 in the first half. Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich went 7-9 from 3pt range. I wish someone on the team would say, "yeah, we decided we probably wouldn't win both games on the road, so we didn't really try against the Heat, saving our strength for the Magic." Please someone, anyone.

• Cubs - who will go 10-10 for the Cubbies?

Carlos Zambrano is the #1. Ted Lilly is the #2 because the Cubs pay him as much as they do. Jason Marquis needs a spot cause otherwise there was no point in getting him from the Cardinals. After that ... who knows... Mark Prior, Sean Marshall, Rich Hill, Wade Miller, Juan Mateo, Carlos Marmol, Angel Guzman and Neal Cotts all have a shot. Marshall pitched great for the Cubs last year and Hill finally turned it on. Miller is having a good spring and Prior is Prior. Clearly, the Cubs should go to a seven-man rotation, with Zambrano and Lilly getting normal rest. And yes, I am being very generous with the #4 and #5 starters going .500 for the Cubs.

• Hockey - yes, Hockey

Good old hockey (I've been to one Blackhawks game in my life). This would be on every front page in America if it was football or basketball, but hockey can't get front page press, even if it is bad press. Damn that's violent.

• Quick Hits

*Willis McGahee is now a Baltimore Raven. But to put it in better terms for most of us ... he's the 4th pick in your fantasy league.

*Prediction for the Iowa vs. Purdue game (now at 1:00 central)... Iowa wins, 62 - 57.

*Doug Gottlieb, a college basketball analyst for ESPN thinks Steve Alford (Iowa's coach) is out for next year and Dana Altman from Creighton is in. Alford disagrees.

• Stuff

The movie reviews for this weekend...

"300"

and

"Gray Matters"

The dark side... When a friend (let's call him B. Albertson ... no that's too obvious, how about Bryan A.) says, "You should put this on your blog." There are some things you should consider...

1. Your friend, do you trust him?
2. Is it something you should look at during work hours?
3. Did your friend seem to snicker a lot while saying you should put this on your blog?
4. Could unseemly pop-ups flash on your screen as a result of said Web site?

Thus, a link rating the toe of a camel will not be making an appearance today. Though if someone was so inclined they could figure out the name of the Web site by using this puzzle -- www dot rate my camel toe dot com -- happy hunting.

107th Edition - 3/2/07

• Bears: Love Lovie, even if it's hard to show

Like an old married couple, staying together for the kids, Chicago Bears president Ted Phillips resigned Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo to multi-year deals. The press conference was by-the-book boring. No excitement. No love. It appears Smith is just content. He got what he deserved. Good thing these guys just work together.

• Quick hits

**John Daly was distracted, halfway through a golf swing, by a camera clicking. So he stopped his backswing. That injured ribs and he withdrew from the Honda Classic. The woman who took the picture didn't know she wasn't allowed to have a camera, security missed it.

**The Saints released WR Joe Horn. The Bears should consider looking his way, even if he referred to himself in the third person...
"I just don't think [coach] Sean Payton wanted me back. I asked to be released because I felt betrayed by a head coach who wanted to prove he could win without Joe Horn."

**LeBron James had a great game against the Mavs last night... until the end. The Mavs won 95-92 because James missed two free throws and two 3s. Let's just hope this keeps up for the playoffs (right now, the Bulls are their projected first-round opponent).

**I'm starting my push for "LUKE WALTON SHOULD BE A BULL." He'll be a free-agent at the end of the year. Since the Bulls did nothing for the trade deadline, this would at least be something, and they can't afford a Vince Carter (thank god) or Rashard Lewis.

• Stuff

It's finally happening!!! Kids, dreams come true.
It's Friday, and that means ... real live movie previews by ME!

Wild Hogs

Zodiac

*I can't decide what hurt more, watching "Wild Hogs" or this clip of Travolta on the "Ellen" show. click here

*Trying to figure out what to have for lunch? Check this out - Wheel of Food. Simply enter your zip code and give the wheel a spin. I discovered this from one of my new favorite blogs - The Deets - give them some love too.

*This could be one of the most uncomfortable things ever. It's the Fonz and friends teaching kids about inappropriate touching. This is a must watch. click here

*The Cat in the Hat is 50-years-old today. It's not my favortie from Dr. Suess (Lorax), but I did find a Rich Auchion's tribute to The Cat in the Hat. He has synched his music with it and you can watch it. click here

105th Edition - 2/28/07

• The Weekly Bull (32-27, 6 games out of first)

This was an insane roller coaster for a Bull's fan. First, a win in Cleveland, then a win at home against the Wizards. Then a two point loss in Detriot and finally a seven point loss at home to the Orlando Magic. All of this plus no trades. I was feeling OK about no trades until I read Bill Simmons and realized he has some pretty good logic.

When the media guide for the No Balls Association is released, I demand that John Paxson appears on the cover. At some point, you have to roll the dice, right? Not landing Gasol was inexcusable; the Bulls could have made the Finals with him (and if it meant sacrificing Luol Deng, Ty Thomas and the Knicks' pick, so be it). Instead, they did nothing ... which means they overpaid Ben Wallace when they already had a younger version of him for two-thirds the money (Tyson Chandler), gave away Chandler AND J.R. Smith for an expiring contract (P.J. Brown) because they wanted a trading piece for the deadline, then never ended up making a freaking trade.
I mean ...
Where does that rank among the most bizarre/inexplicable/head-scratching game plans in recent NBA history? Near the top, right? And if that's not bad enough, Paxson should have sold high on the Knicks' pick in December -- once the Celtics, Bucks, Hawks and Nets started getting crushed by injuries and the Iverson/Philly situation fell apart, everyone and their brother could see a 35-win season for the Knicks coming. What was the purpose of holding on to that pick? Are we even sure Paxson is alive? Has anyone seen him in the past three months? If he's missing or dead, I apologize for the last three paragraphs.

But here's the thing, Simmons entire logic is based on what had happened. Now, keeping Chandler made sense, but he had underperformed, was often injured and was not a leader. Based on the team this second, Deng has the most potential. So ideally, you don't get rid of him. Keeping P.J. Brown is the oddity here, but even more odd is the numbers he put up against the Pistons. He had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks, easily outshining Ben Wallace's return to Detriot.

The real problem right now is Andres Nocioni. In fact, this could be the reason no trade was made. He might miss the rest of the regular season. So if the trade would have happened, the Bulls would have been without a good small forward for the rest of the season, then team chemistry would have had to come together for the playoffs. Rolling the dice with this team seems to be the better option right now.

This week's schdule: WED - Warriors, FRI - Hornets, SUN - at Bucks.

• Cubs: Ron Santo is still not loved enough

I just don't understand why he can't get into the Hall of Fame. He has numbers, he is loved (at least in Chicago) and it clearly would make his life. The veteran's committee has been around for three years and still hasn't voted anyone in. It's high school popularity all over again.

• Ouch

Clipper's guard Shaun Livingston is done for the season. Just an awful knee injury. You can read and watch it here.

• Stuff

A little late, but here are some articles of mine... (yup, blatant self-promotion)

*Scorecard Review of "The Number 23"

*Quickcard Review of "The Astronaunt Farmer"

*Interview with Billy Bob Thornton

*Interview with Virginia Madsen