99th Edition - 2/16/07

I can't decide if I should party like it is the year 1999, in honor of my 99th post, or instead blow up 99 red balloons. After all, those balloons auf ihrem weg zum horizont, would be beautiful.

• Cubs: Getting my Cubbie sigh on ...

Lou Pinella has talked about a "Cubbie swagger" that he hopes to impart on the team. Pinella, meet the drama known as Kerry Wood. Wood is out four to six days because he slipped getting out of the hot tub and bruised his ribs. THIS is the reason letting Wood go in the offseason would have been a good idea. He is a distraction. Now, I like the contract, and I like that we don't expect anything out of him, but it is hard hearing anything about "Wood" and "injury." The man should be in bubble wrap 24/7.

• Bulls: Well, he used to be ...

Scottie Pippen will be at the All-Star game with one thing on his mind ... Call it a comeback, he's been gone for three years ... He used to be rocking his peers and putting suckas in fears.

Pippen, at the age of 41, says he is in great health and wants to be a point forward for some playoff team. I hope he makes a squad. You see, I loved Pippen. Him guarding Magic Johnson for the first Bulls championship, and the year he should have been MVP of the league (Michael Jordan's first retired year) were highlights of NBA watching life. Yes, I know he has had his moments, and is supposed to be the worst tipper in the world, but on the court he was something to marvel at.

• NBA: Hardaway, Gay

Tim Hardaway actually said, "I hate gay people."

ESPN has the full story on why this is a story. click here to read

I am always amazed by the stupidity of individuals. Hardaway, on a radio show, didn't think his comments would be a problem.

It is good that this happens, because even though the majority of discussion will be pointless media blather, but there is a chance some quality dialogue will be had because of it. I feel sorry for Hardaway and his ignorance, and every person that had to listen to his comments.

• NBA: All-Star: Vegas and VD have never been so close before.

While thousands of ladies go to Las Vegas to find a baby's daddy, the NBA All-Star game will also be happening...

*The Rookie Challenge: Look for the Rookies to upset the Sophomores. And as always, take the over.

*Celebrity Game: Carrot Top is on one of the teams, so this is a no-brainer. Not Carrot Top's team, so I have to go with Jamie Foxx and Jonathan Silverman (the West).

*Dunk Competition: Nate Robinson will win. Tyrus Thomas will have the best single dunk.

*3-Point Shoot-out: Dirk Nowitzki will successfully repeat as the champ. If only Steve Kerr would come out of retirement ... and Craig Hodges.

*Skills Challenge: The only one who thinks he has something to prove is Chris Paul. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant will barely show up.

*Shooting Stars: Now that Pippen is looking to unretire, he's going to take this game WAY too seriously. Team Chicago wins.

*All-Star Game: Since the West is clearly better, I will use reverse logic and go with the East.

• Stuff

*Rotten Tomatoes has a "Best of All-Time List" -- I have a problem with most of the top ten choices. click here to review

*The Arcade Fire will be joining Rainn Wilson on SNL ... Feb 24. Best SNL ever? Perhaps, but more likely is me actually breaking social plans to sit home and watch it "live" instead of on tivo, and then being insanely disappointed.

*Here's a little kid singing Akon's "Lonely" - It really gets good around the 2:10 mark. click here

*"The Dark Knight" - the sequel to "Batman Begins" is going to be top-notch. Aaron Eckhart is now set to play Two Face. Heath Ledger is already playing The Joker.

*Mr. Belding gets on stage and sings. His beer gut is along for the ride. click here

98th Edition - 2/14/07

• The Weekly Bull: All we need is love (29-24, 5 games behind Detroit)

The Bulls wore their red uniforms as a Valentine's Day tribute. It didn't work ... or maybe it did. They gave the Toronto Raptors a one-point victory last night, 112-111. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 30, but Chris Bosh had 25 points, 14 rebounds and hit two free-throws with two seconds left. The Bulls had gone on a 13-0 run to take the lead 111-110, but perhaps being in the loving spirit decided to hand the game back.

Tyson Chandler is having a better season than Ben Wallace. This is not a sentence I would have believed during the off season.
Chandler: 4.1 offensive rebounds per game, 12.1 total, 8.0 ppg
Wallace: 3.9 offensive, 10.3 total, 6.2 ppg

• Cubs: Zambrano loves Zambrano

Carlos Zambrano said Carlos Zambrano wants a new deal. My only problem with this is the use of third person. Zambrano will be a free agent at the end of this year, and he has now said if he doesn't have a new contract before the season starts, he's walking. It's a bluff people. If the Cubs offer more money or more years than any other club at any time before/during/after the season, Zambrano will stay a Cub. Headcases are great. I wish there was someone keeping track of who uses third person, it's always amusing to listen to ... amusing in the kind of way that makes you want to shake the person uncontrollably.

• Quick Hits

*Ron Rivera will interview for the San Diego Chargers head coach position. I don't care. As long as the Bears replace him with coordinator that is one of those mean, yelling types, to help offset Lovie Smith.

*My intermural basketball team has now hit two game-winning three-pointers at the buzzer the last two games. The best part? Because of the insane snow storm in Chicago, we played with only 4 people versus a full squad ... and they were the other undefeated team in the league.

*Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer, Jason Kidd and Allen Iverson are out of the All-star game with injuries. Now the world with finally get to know Mehmet Okur. Ray Allen's also been added ... shouldn't he be embarassed and decline?

*I can't explain it exactly, but I like following Bobby Knight's Texas Tech team. I don't like Knight, but I always seem to root for him to win. Loved them beating #6 Texas A&M at the buzzer last night.

*If you have the time, Gregg Easterbrook is probably the most intelligent football writer out there, here's his latest Tuesday Morning Quarterback column.

• Stuff

*Make your own candy Valentine - click here

*J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Alias") might be getting ready to direct the Dark Towers adaptation by Stephen King.

*This weeks' "The Office" is directed by Joss Whedon.

*Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller look to be doing a movie about the grown up Hardy Boys.

*Rainn Wilson (Dwight from "The Office") will host SNL on February 24.

97th Edition - 2/12/07

• Blatant Self-Promotion

They are here ...

Beep's Scorecard Movie Awards (formally known as "The j Awards")

Register, Vote, and Forward it Along. Plus you can actually win prizes this year.

• The Pro Bowl

It doesn't matter. Really it doesn't. But I really thought the game was going to be played on Sunday. I would have made my bet Sunday morning while watching "SNL." But no, suddenly I am confronted with an image of Devin Hester returning a kickoff in a hideous uniform. It couldn't be a highlight, it had to be the Pro Bowl. And of course that meant the NFC would cover and the under would hit. I could have retired ... bought a new car ... bought my fiancee that ring ... taken her out to dinner on Valentine's Day ... or maybe I would have just had a little more money to gamble next time. Ah, Gamblor (the God of Gambling) you have bested me again. But luckily, I won't give up.

• NBA: I actually watched

Nothing like an NBA tripleheader to make you start realizing the NFL is finally over. Kobe vs. LeBron was good, though King James looks like he is just coasting right now. And the Bulls finished their seven game road trip with a record of 3-4 because they beat the Nashless Suns. One other thing that happens when you watch an NBA tripleheader, you start thinking "It's not about the hat," is one of the funniest lines ever. Thanks, Sir Charles.

• Saturday Night Live

Too much music. Forrest Whitaker broke into song about three times too many. There was some potential with the Man vs. Beast, but Whitaker is an awkward man, a great actor, but an awkward man.

For the season: 7-6

Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore
Not Funny: Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Matthew Fox, Annette Bening, Jeremy Piven, Forest Whitaker