151st Edition - 6/4/07

• Cubs: Summer has begun

The Cubs area roller coaster/soap opera ... and I still have hope as they head into a three-game series against the division leading Brewers.

My dream scenario is a Carlos Zambrano for Alex Rodriguez trade (along with other names). After Zambrano lost control because Michael Barrett is a better hitter than catcher (everyone should know this by now), and tried to fight Barrett in the dug out and then succeeded fighting Barrett in the clubhouse (two black eyes and a cut lip) ... wow that sentence was as big a train wreck as the club.

Also, Lou Pinella has a huge rant on Saturday and gets kicked out, suspended indefinitely (until the meeting on Monday). I love the arguing as an amusement, but one of the most idiotic traditions continues at Wrigley ... when annoyed, fans in the bleachers throw trash on the field and delay the game. I don't believe in the death penalty, but the fans that do this have me rethinking. Ohbytheway -- anybody else notice Ozzie Guillen got kicked out of Sunday's White Sox game? Poor guy is just sniffing Pinella's fumes.

Top all this off by the Cubs winning 10-1 and I find myself right back on the bandwagon. So sad.

• Stuff

MTV Movie Awards thoughts:
*Those yahoo movie trailer spoofs were awful. Almost as bad as Dane Cook introducing them. It reminded me of the sketching during "Studio 60" -- how can there be such little talent in the world?
*Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen are comic gold and I bet most people thought Cohen was doing an accent.
*Jack Nicholson is an icon and therefore I will let whatever that was slide.
*Is constant swearing (and getting bleeped) really that cool? If I ever form a band and perform in a large venue, I can't wait to drop the F-bomb so people will worship me.
*Wow, did you hear Jerry Bruckheimer tell Johnny Depp to thank the writers when they won for best movie? HI-larious.

Box Office Review
1. Pirates: $43 (down a bunch)
2. Knocked Up: $29
3. Shrek: $26
I understand that everyone needs to see the blockbuster, just make sure you make time for "Knocked Up." It's off to a good start.

Also - think "Pirates" didn't make much sense (I agree). The screenwriters attempt to explain themselves - click to read

128th Edition - 4/02/07

128 - The total points scored in the Ohio State vs. Georgetown game ... plus one.

• Chicago Cubs - Opening Day!

Do you know what's better than opening day? Opening day and sitting in first place, with the Cardinals in last place. Yes, the St. Louis Cardinals are off to a disastrous start, losing last night to the Mets. Sure, the Cubs are tied with four other teams in the division for first, but at least the last place team is the Cardinals.

Hunches that will be wrong ... or maybe they'll be right --
Carlos Zambrano - 2nd place in Cy Young
Cubs - Division winner
Derrek Lee - 39 Home Runs
Aramis Ramierez - 47 Home Runs
Alfonso Soriano - 35 Home Runs, 39 Stolen Bases

• *1st Annual The Daily Score NCAA Tournament Pick'em Competition Spectacular*

And then there were three ...

If Florida wins, AE wins.
If Ohio State wins, it's between my fiancee and DP. I finish 2nd or 6th (plus I win money in two other brackets if Florida wins ... not that office pools are legal)

Check back tomorrow to see the winner and the prize.

• Quick Hits

*Final Four games = boring. The only reason I was excited was because I have both teams in the finals. Oden vs. Hibbard was about as lame as going to a hockey game.

*I went to a hockey game on Sunday. Blackhawks vs. Oilers. Actually, it was a good game with a Blackhawk scoring on a short-handed goal for a 2-1 win. Free tickets make close to anything good though, thanks to Bro for making it happen.

*Bulls lost in OT to the Cavs, so it looked like the #2 seed was slipping away. But then the Cavs lost to the Celtics, yes the same team that is desperately trying to lose every game they play. So the Bulls are still only .5 games out of 2nd place.

• Stuff

*Box Office Recap
1. Blades of Glory - $33 - This seems about right. I gave it a C+, which in my opinion means - there are some laughs, not tons, only one time was I in tears. It would be a good renter.
2. Meet the Robinsons - $25 - I am convinced the reason it didn't do better is because the previews COULD NOT BE WORSE - it's a good animated film.
3. 300 - $11 - $180 total.
4. TMNT - $9
5. Wild Hogs - $8 - $135 total. Yup, I just threw up in my mouth ... which is actually funnier than anything that happened in this film.

123rd Edition - 3/26/07

123 - a pretty creepy looking Web site - http://123.org/.

• NCAA Tournament: I'm not dead yet...

First off, just an amazing comeback by Georgetown. North Carolina was nailing their free-throws, but nothing else. They were 1 for 23 from the field over the last 15 minutes of the game. And I loved every minute of this simply because I had Georgetown over North Carolina in my bracket ... a brack I had left for dead, which was terribly wrong of me ... by the way Mike D - how did that feel? You still going to try and find a North Carolina National Championship hat?

I have 3 of 4 teams left, and though I can't win, when Florida meets Ohio State in the championship, I will finish in the top 5 and respectability will be MINE!!! Plus, I've seen the prize and I'm kind of glad I am not winning.

The driver's seat belongs to Andrew Edwards (AE, bad shoulder, Elijah's little brother, UFC Fan, Sondre Lerche fan). Later this week I will crank up the senario generator and get WAY too involved in over-analysis.

• NCAA Tournament: The Final Four

Georgetown vs. Ohio State. Florida vs. UCLA. Big men are the key to three of these teams.

• Quick Hits

*Kobe Bryant is off his game, only getting 43 points last night, and ending his streak of 50-point games are 4. Let the embarrassing comparisons to Ricky Davis begin, this guy has clearly lost a step.

*Tiger Woods is good. He won at Doral for the sixth time. Again, logic says to take him against the field for the Masters.

*Joe Thiesmann is gone on Monday Night Football. In all likihood, Ron Jaworski will replace him.

*Anthony Adams is a Bear. The DT from the San Francisco 49ers just signed with the Bears for 4 years. ESPN.com had him ranked 25 on the list of free-agent veterans. Until he plays I really have no feelings about this. Though I do like that Tank Johnson can now rest comfortably in jail, knowing his position is taken care of.

• Stuff

*I haven't finished watching Peyton Manning on SNL, but so far, it looks like a thumbs up. The United Way commercial was just amazing. Click here to watch

*Monday Box Office
1. TMNT - $25 million - the top three seem about right. Lots of action at the box-office.
2. 300 - $20
3. Shooter - $14 - I gave it a C-, but I am starting to think I want to watch it again ... so I can laugh at it.
4. Wild Hogs - $14 - if you people make me go see a sequel I will KILL. Stop spending money on this movie!
5. The Last Mimzy -$10

*Premiere Magazine just released their list of the best 25 movie posters of all time. And only "Silence of the Lambs" came out in my lifetime. Click here to read

108th Edition - 3/5/07

108 - The number of stitches on a baseball AND what the numbers on "Lost" add up to (it's your fun little facts for the day)

• Bulls: Game of the Year

The Bulls swept the Bucks this season, the first time since 97-98, but that is not what makes this game special. Ben Gordon and Michael Redd combined for 100 points in this game, with Redd getting more (52) and the loss (121-126 in OT). Both men shot 18-32 from the field, Gordon poured in 20 points in the 4th quarter to help the Bulls come back from 18 down.

• Hawkeyes: of course they did...

The Iowa Hawkeyes lost to Penn State and essentially told everyone, "we're not good." Then on Saturday, they beat the Illini and told everyone, "we have no idea what kind of team we are." Adam Haluska led all scores with 21 points. They will face the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday.

The Hawks finished 9-7 in the Big Ten, 17-13 Overall. And probably need a win over Purdue, then Ohio State (the #1 seed) to be considered for the NCAA Tournament, and even then it might not happen.

• Bears: Lance Briggs, please don't go.

Don't go away, Don't go, Don't go away, Please don't go, Don't go, I'm begging you to stay.

Briggs has said he wants to be traded. I hope the Bears (who have salary cap room money) pay the man and get him to stay. Brian Urlacher can be great, but he needs another good/great linebacker playing next to him. Briggs is currently franchised.

• Baseball: I don't care

The White Sox beat the Cubs 13-2. It doesn't matter.

• Stuff

Confession:
I have not had cable for three years. Yet, through the Internet and radio and bars and friend's houses I have stayed atop of the sports/pop culture knowledge and never let on that I was a man without ESPN/E!/MTV and Comedy Central. Well, no more my friends ... The Dish Network was installed Friday night and now the world is my oyster... or something like that. Watched A LOT of TV this weekend, yet somehow a show called "Flip That House" came out the winner. In fact, I think my fiancee and I watched 5 episodes (10 houses) get flipped (and yes, it now has a season pass) ... She let's me still hold the remote though, which is nice.

Box Office Review:
1. Wild Hogs - $38 million
2. Zodiac - $13 million

Dear people of America -
I'm not going to talk about the dumbing down of this United States of America, but instead I want to talk about the good you people can now do... You "Wild Hogs" idiots need to explain the error in your ways. Talk to everyone you know and explain how awful that movie was ... and "Zodiac" people, your job is the exact opposite. I don't want to say the fate of America is in your hands, that would be too dramatic ... But, the fate of producers making more movies like "Wild Hogs" and less like "Zodiac" is in your wallet, so choose wisely.

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*Coldplay is working on a new album and has a job for us before we die. click here

*There is beginning talk about a sequel to "L.A. Confidential." click here