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.

129th Edition - 4/03/07

129 - The number of wins the Cubs will not have this year.

• Cubs: Opening day

Well, it came, it went, Zambrano complained, and now I fear that I will have to come up with 162 creative to tell you that the Cubs lost ... kidding, I'm not scared. Zambrano is bad on opening day, and the bats will get better. Derrek Lee was 2-3. That's right, he's batting .667 for the season (that's good).

• NCAA Basketball: We have a winner!

Florida beat Ohio State last night, the main reason was that Florida hit a 3-pointer anytime the Buckeyes got within 6 points. Seems like a smart plan if you want to win the national title. They are the first ever to win back-to-back titles with the same starting five. Final Score 84-75.

More Toughts:
*Ohio State finishes the season at 35-4, Florida at 35-5. I wonder if the Buckeyes consider that a moral victory.
*Billy Packer LOVES Greg Oden. I know this because Packer had the chance to talk about many other players, but last night, during the telecast, talked about Oden 80% of the time (mainly praising him for not fouling other players, and at one point Packer said he doesn't think there should be a foul limit for players, just unlimited fouls). After the first 11.5 minutes, Oden had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block. Packer had already given him the keys to the castle. Oden finished with a GOOD game, but at that time, he was on pace to get 15 points and 3 blocks. Also, someone needs to tell Oden he doesn't need to climb the hoop on every dunk. Don't get me wrong, I still think he's great. Just odd.
*Dick Enberg - I've got a hand for you, actually it's just a finger. I know he is a legend, but his halftime show was lame.
*I have no need for a car, but "I'm gonna buy me a Chevrolet." Bring back OUR COUNTRY!
*Joakim Noah needs another year in school to work on his basketball skills. Right now his main move is backing down over and over again, then throwing up an awkward shot. Also, no more after game speeches please.
*If office pools were legal, I would have finished 1, 2, and 3 in the ones I entered. Thank god I believe in ONE SHEET for all brackets.
*Everytime I hear "One Shining Moment," there is a moment where I realize it's an insanely dated song but does recapture thoughts of childhood. I would wait for that song, just so I could see the 1.5 seconds of the Iowa Hawkeye highlights ... Funny, I didn't see those this year.
*Everytime you hear "One Shining Moment," you should appreciate it, because at least it is not Pink's song for NBC Sunday Night Football.

• NCAA Basketball: We have another WINNER (the Hawkeyes)

The Iowa Hawkeys have a coach. True, he is defensive minded, which fits with the Big Ten, but makes it less exciting to watch, but he is also the NABC Coach of Year! Richard Lickliter (nothing funny about that name) was the coach of the Butler Bulldogs and got them to the Sweet 16 this year. Lickliter has a 131-61 record in six years at Butler. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Tournament in four of his six years. And in perfect Iowa tradition, the Bulldogs lost to the eventual NCAA champs, the Florida Gators. It seems Lickliter will fit right in.

• NCAA Basketball: We have yet another WINNER: Andrew Edwards

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

AE picked 50 out of 63 games correctly. He finished with 159 points, and in the 98th percentile. He is a winner.

Other Thoughts:
*I finished second, the finacee finished third, which means we are the greatest couple in the history of picking random/semi-logical things! Destiny is OURS!
*Other couples that aren't as good as us ...
Rich & Heather (13th and 12th). Throughout the tournament, Heather was looking forward to seeing her name in print. Well Heather, here it is, you're average. wa, wah! (sad music).
DP & Liz would have been a lot higher, but Liz is clearly holding DP (4th) back. Liz picked 31 out of 63 for 55 points. The only one to pick less than half. If only there was a boobie prize.
AE and Jumbo (brothers) could have done better as a team but Jumob (Elijah) is a doctor. You don't understand how busy he is. You do NOT understand.
*Highest finish with a typo in their team name: Emily's bracekt (18th)

And now the prize:
A 2 DVD pack that includes ...
Clearly, someone should have taken this man "Hostage." Because then I would have won. His penalty for not being taken "Hostage"? Having to watch "Hostage." It will hold you "Hostage" with suspense ... Hostage.

No, Mike D, you didn't miss out on your chance for more porn. "Inside Deep Throat" is a documentary looking at the making of the most successful adult film of all time. It's a good flick. In fact, here's my review.

126th Edition - 3/29/07

126 - Nerd alert. In the massive multiplayer online role-playing game RuneScape, 126 is the highest combat level achieveable.

• NCAA Tournament: The IF's and the BUT's

OK - Let's crank up the old scenario generator and take a closer look at who could win the -
*1st Annual The Daily Score NCAA Tournament Pick'em Competition Spectacular*

IF -
If Florida wins it all, AE (Andrew Edwards) wins. Period. End of story. And I come in second. Which is good, because I do NOT want to win this prize (yes, the prize is still a secret).

IF -
If UCLA beats Ohio State, Mark Lubbat comes out of nowhere and wins the whole thing.

IF -
If UCLA beats Georgetown, AE still wins. Damn, that boy is good. Good and terrible. Hmmm, it appears that line is only funny in my head or while watching "Coming to America."

IF -
If Georgetown beats Florida, good lord, it's AE again.

IF -
Ohio State beats Flordia, you'll never guess ... The fiancee wins it. Actually, she ties with DP (Dave Pohl), and the tiebracker will actually matter. This is funny on many levels, one of which is DP and I were both in dead last after Thursday/Friday first round action.

IF -
Ohio State beats UCLA, Dave (Denver Dave, Banana Hands) wins it and the fiancee comes in 2nd.

Hmmm, I guess the only BUT is ... I could write down all the senarios, BUT it would have been easier just to say AE will probably win, or maybe not.

• The Hawkeyes: Bruce Pearl doesn't like us

After not being considered for the head coaching job when Dr. Tom Davis left, after making Tennessee a winning program and after making over $1 million a year -- Bruce Pearl has decided to stay at Tennessee and not consider the Iowa coaching position. All in all, for him, it was a good choice. Though he was my top choice mainly so I could see a Big Ten team try and score lots and lots of points.

• Cubs: Prior will be great ...

For the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. Yup, that is where Mark Prior will start the season. In the minors. I am wishing that Wood and Prior were elsewhere just so I could have something else to think about this close to opening day.

Something else to thing about ... The Cubs starting outfield for opening day - Alfonso Soriano in CF, Matt Murton in LF and Jacques Jones in RF. I am happy with these decisions.

• Peyton Manning is not Peyton Manning

The Bears fan who lost a bet and was willing to legally change his name to Peyton Manning, was denied by a judge. The judge decided it would be too confusing for the real Peyton Manning. Sounds to me like it would be too confusing for people to try and understand what kind of idiot of a Bears fan (or any human being for that matter) would be something like this, and then try and follow through on the bet.

• Stuff

I finally remembered ...

*Saturday Night Live
It was a good one. Peyton Manning's United Way commercial, the dancing coach, Manning holding a rock and the NCAA Tournament Bracket sketch which reminding EVERY man about the woman in their life ... it was all good stuff.

For the season: 9-7

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

*More SNL
I interviewed Shia LaBeouf yesterday and he was the first person I interviewed who was about to host SNL (April 14). Needless to say, we talked about sketch ideas for a couple minutes.

*Lost was great last night. It was a good stand-alone episode, and it had enough creativity will the flashbacks. LOVED the ending.

*Harry Potter - new cover

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

113th Edition - 3/12/07

113 - A French hip-hop group -- http://www.113online.com/ AND an inside joke in animation movies - A113 appears in "A Bug's Life," "Cars," and "The Simpsons." It is a reference is a CalArts classroom where many animators got their education.

• NCAA - dance

Sung by Mr. David Barrett ...

The ball is tipped and there you are
you're running for your life
you're a shooting star
And all the years no one knows
just how hard you worked
but now it shows...
ONE SHINING MOMENT,
IT'S ALL ON THE LINE
ONE SHINING MOMENT,
THERE FROZEN IN TIME

OK, now I'm in the mood... with the Iowa Hawkeyes not coming close to sniffing the punch at the dance, I have no hopes and dreams at all for the NCAA tournament, except of course for close games and upsets.

The four #1 seeds are no surprise (Florida, North Carolina, Ohio State and Kansas), but Florida claimed the overall #1 even though Ohio State is #1 in both polls. The Big Ten snuck six schools into the tournament, and everyone has decided Drexel got screwed.

• The Big Ten: The Hawks stand alone

Step forward if you finished with a winning record overall AND are going to the post season ... not so fast Iowa. Iowa finished 9-7 in the Big Ten and 17-14 overall and they are done. No NCAA tourney and no NIT. Michigan at 8-8 and 21-12 got the only NIT bid. The lesson as always, the Hawkeyes need to find some community colleges to beat up on before the Big Ten season starts.

• Tennis: Federer can fall

Roger Federer's win streak of 41 straight matches came to an end against Guillermo Canas in the Pacific Life Open. More importantly listen to what he said ...

"It was just a normal loss, like I've had about 100 times on tour," Federer said. "That's normal to tennis. I have no problems. He played very well. I missed my chances. I think he played very well and I didn't think I was playing poorly at all. So it's OK."

I'm starting to like this guy.

• Stuff

*Box Office Recap
1. "300" - $70 million. Biggest March opening ever. It cost $65 million to make the film, but that doesn't take into account all the marketing.
2. "Wild Hogs" - $28 million. I am truly shocked. I figured the bad reviews would affect the box office a little bit, but mainly I assume word-of-mouth from people who saw it would kill this movie. Instead, "Zodiac" fell to $6.7 million.

*Comedian Richard Jeni was shot in the head and killed. Probably by himself, but that's not official yet. I will remember this guy for the rest of my life because of Lobster Claws. In college, before a movie would start in the theater, Richard Jeni would have this little comedy bit sponsored by Coca-cola. I probably saw the thing 40 times. It was NEVER funny, but became a running joke with my friends ... I just spent the past 10 minutes trying to find the bit. Can't.

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.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*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

106th Edition - 3/1/07

• Special Guest: Brian Schneckloth Hunt

This fits all too well. Brian is the biggest Hawkeye fan I know. He lives in Portland and makes sure to watch as many football and basketball games as possible. Even if it means driving 45 minutes to the one bar that is dead enough where they will let him watch anything. So, before last night the Hawks had two games left. On the road against Penn State (lost 13 in a row) and home against Illinois... That is when Brian wrote this, before the two point loss to the Nittany Lions.

How 'Bout them Hawkeyes

As a Hawkeye basketball fan since birth, I've become accustomed to the one, singular consistency with my beloved team: Preseason expectations never match up with actual performance. Essentially,whatever SHOULD happen...won't. At the beginning of the 05-06 season, Iowa was tauted as being a likely final four caliber team. They had the league's best rebounder in Greg Brunner, the best shot blocker in Erik Hanson, and Jeff Horner--the undisputed all around team leader for the last four years.

They were skilled, they were deep, and they were destined to be a disappointment. While the Hawks ended up getting 25 wins and a Big Ten Tournament title, they exited the NCAA tournament in the first round at the hands of "Who the heck is" Northwestern St, a game regarded as the biggest upset in the tournament. The 2006-2007 season began with much more promise, however. Before the first practice, Pierre Pierce was sentenced to prison; one of Iowa's more promising players and a former Mr. Basketball, Carlton Reed, quit the team; returning senior Mike Henderson and freshman Tyler Smith got busted for shoplifting, and Henderson later broke his finger.

The Hawkeyes only had 1 returning starter in Adam Haluska, who had so far underachieved in his two years at Iowa. They were picked by most publications to finish 8th or 9th in the Big Ten. I was thrilled. They SHOULD be awful. I immediately bought Directv and the season pass to watch every game. I knew this was going to be an exciting season. And it has been. They began with a 7-6 preconference record, including ridiculously embarrassing losses to UNI and Drake (the first lost to Drake since 1992). This hurt. But despite the pain in the early going, some bright spots began to emerge.

Adam Haluska's legit. He'd been in the shadow of Horner and Brunner and was a role player no more. With two games left in the regular season, he's the league's leading scorer, is a finalist for the Naismith award, and was just named Academic All-American of the Year by ESPN. Tyler Smith, though just a freshman, has the most talent on the team. He's the best player Iowa has had since the BJ Armstrong/Roy Marble era, and if Greg Oden had never been born, Smith would be Big Ten freshman of the year.

Other newcomers to the team have made big strides since those first13 games. This is only Kurt Looby's 3rd year ever playing basketball and he's starting to figure out that he's physically longer than everyone else on the court. Cyrus Tate was a Junior College All-American, and he's looking more comfortable playing in the Big Ten. Returning veterans Seth Gorney, Mike Henderson, and Tony Freemanhave been contributing more each game. Freeman will be a stud next year. JR Angle is the only player on the team that makes me nervous when he's on the court. Despite being one of the best high school players in Indiana 3 years ago, he just looks lost when he has the ball. Hopefully he can figure things out for next year but I don't see it happening.

So here we are with a week left in the regular season, and the Hawksare 8-6 in the Big Ten and 16-12 overall. If they win their last 2 games (scarily, 2 games they SHOULD win), they can do no worse than 3rd in the Big Ten. Alford's teams have always done well in the Big Ten tournament, and with another solid performance, they could get into the big dance. If that happens, everyone will expect them to lose in the opening round. That's when the Hawkeyes are most dangerous.

If we lose tonight, the whole conclusion to the article is worthless. Not sure what you want to do about that.

+++++++++++++

Added Thursday morning ...

so disappointed. penn st had lost like 13 in a row and they beat us.
i'll have to rewrite the ending of my thing. now the only hope is to win the big ten tournament again.
i hate that.

Poor kid. Good thing I wrote the Hawks off weeks ago, saved me the pain ... OK that's not entirely true, I thought they had a chance if they finished 3rd in the Big Ten. But I like the idea of them winning some NIT games this year.

104th Edition - 2/27/07

No idea what happened today, but my post got messed up. I had Cubs and Big Ten basketball talk - but that disappeared. Life is trying to knock me down a bit. I'm going to let it. More tomorrow...

• Update: the running diary - Oscar Style

*Here's the running diary. It (the idea) is a work in progress, it will be better next time.
click to read

*Listen to the entire Arcade Fire album here.

*Saturday Night Live
Rainn Wilson hosted. Funny. Barely. For a 1.5 hour show, there was about 30 minutes of comedy, and it was almost entirely before the news. Wilson was great to see as himself. "The Office" skit was a little too easy. The digital short was good and then there was Arcade Fire. So good. By the way, I will be seeing them in May when they are at the Chicago Theater.

For the season: 8-6
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

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.

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.

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

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

44th Edition - 11/7/06

• I have recovered

Things I have recovered from:
*The devistating loss the Hawkeyes suffered at home to Northwestern.
*Consuming way too many beers over the course of 36 hours in Iowa City.
*The embarrassing loss the Bears suffered at home to the Dolphins.

All in all, just not a good sports weekend, but I managed to have the best time possible under the circumstances. The Hawkeyes are in jeapordy of not making a bowl game with two tough games left (Wisconsin and Minnesota), it's not looking good.

The Bears have beaten one team with a winning record (Seahawks). Once Grossman begins to have a bad game, it just gets worse. I wish the Bears would consider running the ball ALOT more and, when Grossman is hopping around and throwing off his back foot they should put Griese in. It's fine if Grossman starts every game, but the rookie (plays like one) needs to be benched every once in a while. A loss to the 6-2 Giants in NY will be easier to stomach than the Dolphins game.

• The Picks (revisited)

j NCAA: 2-1 (17-8-1)
billy z NCAA: 5-3 (16-8-2)

j NFL: 1-2 (11-15-3)
mike d NFL: 1-7 (12-15-2)

• SNL

It was "The Best of Darrell Hammond" this weekend. He's good, very solid ... and forever the man who just isn't Phil Hartman.

43rd Edition - 11/3/06

• The I.C. is coming

Tailgating. It's why god invented football. Or at least that will be my excuse for being bloated and a bit tipsy at 10:30 tomorrow morning. We're going to Iowa City and so is Northwestern (where my fiancee went--though she doesn't really care about their football team). It's the annual road trip to Iowa City!

Things to do in Iowa City
Drink Beer
Throw darts atThe Que
Eat Wig 'n Pen
Tailgate
Eat wings at the Vine
Watch Iowa win
Drink Sparks
Enjoy ample tom-foolery to the point where the women begin to wonder why they are with us
Hope for no hangover
Consider purchasing an Iowa sweatshirt and then remind myself that I'm not that guy
Eat Hamburg Inn

• The Picks

j NCAA: 15-7-1
billy z NCAA: 11-5-2
j NFL: 10-13-3
mike d NFL: 11-9-2

j NCAA:
Army +6 over Air Force
Ball State +33.5 over Michigan
Northwestern +20 over Iowa

j NFL:
Rams -3 over Chiefs
Bengals +3 over Ravens
Texans +13 over Giants

The boys are going to play catch-up this weekend so we can all be on pace for the same amount of games picked. I am going to try and pull my head out of my arse and get back some pride in the NFL.

• NFL : Whitlock's truths

A couple weeks ago, I was talking about Whitlock being one of the sport writers worth reading. Here's why.

• Stuff

Stephen Colbert is funny.
Here are two examples of why this is true -
Steagle Colbeagle the Eagle
America's Anchors -- This is the cover story of the lastest Rolling Stone

Quick Film Reviews

"Borat" - It is the funniest, most offensive, nervous comedy I have seen. I say nervous because I was actually scared for some people that would be interviewed by Borat. But was thrilled when the film exposed the prejudices that run rampant in this country. This film is a must see, so I will leave it at that.
A-

"Babel" - Communication and cultural barriers are plentiful in this film starring Bard Pitt, Cate Blanchett and a host of others. It is an international "Crash," showing how complicating and confusing the world can be. Unfortunately, it seems to just show the absoulute worst case scenario for traveling overseas or dealing with U.S.-Mexico border issues. It's visually dazzling, but the story lines are more aggrevating than interesting. Perhaps that's the point. The story of the Japanese girl could/should have been it's own art-house film, but didn't need to be the third story line.
C+

42nd Edition - 11/2/06

• The Bulls - what a difference a day makes

The undefeated streak is over. After crushing the Heat last night, the Bulls lost by 15 to the Magic. The roller coaster has officially begun.
Ben Gordon led the team with 24 points. Clearly an indisputable theory stands out: Gordon shoots well, we lose. Gordon shoot terrible, we win.

• Hawkeyes: Did this announcer go to high school with me?

The reason I ask, is because "that's gay" used to be said by my friends every other minute.

Click here to watch the video

The Des Moines Register had this report --

ESPNU announcer sidelined for comments in Iowa game
By ANDREW LOGUE
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 30, 2006
An announcer for ESPNU has been taken off the air due to a comment he made during Saturday’s telecast of the Iowa-Northern Illinois football game.Brian Kinchen, a color commentator, will not work a game this weekend, according to Josh Krulewitz, ESPN’s vice-president of public relations.
Krulewitz told The Des Moines Register Monday night that the network made its decision after an internal review.On Saturday, Kinchen was explaining to a television audience that receivers need to make catches with their hands because they are “tender” and can “caress” the ball.
He then paused and said, “that’s kind of gay, but hey…”
“The comments were inappropriate and we apologize,” Krulewitz said Monday. “He will not appear on our air this weekend and his future appearance schedule is under review.”Kinchen, a former tight end who played in the NFL from 1988-00, issued a statement through ESPN: “I sincerely apologize for my extremely poor choice of words.
“They were completely inappropriate and not at all a reflection of who I am or of the way I perform my work,” Kinchen was quoted.
“I have learned from my mistake and look forward to continuing my broadcasting career.”ESPNU, a cable channel which was launched last year, has the potential to reach nearly 8 million viewers, Krulewitz said.
There was a pause after Kinchen’s remark before the play-by-play announcer turned the conversation back to the game.
Iowa won 24-14.

• Stuff

*Best Halloween costume? Click here

*Cracked gives a list of the top ten Borat skits. Click here (and go see the movie this weekend)

33th Edition - 10/20/06

• His Mets (Cause they are no longer mine)

It's seems just a couple weeks ago readers voted for me to jump on the Mets' Bandwagon. Well, it was a bumpy ride that has come to an end.

Cardinals 3, Mets 1 (Cardinals win the series 4-3)
The Cardinals will move on to play the Detriot Tigers in the World Series. I want the Tigers to win, mainly because the Cardinals don't do anything for me, there is no story, the team is boring, and they weren't that good this season.

Anyway, I said His Mets because one of the readers is Miko Mendoza, a Mets lifer, so he gets to give the final word on the Mets...
++++++++++++++++
I love the amazin’s. I always tell myself that you gotta believe. But it is not easy. Because as you’re entering the playoffs, your pitching staff dwindles down to the arm of a 40-year-old veteran. Somehow, they pull off a sweep of the Dodgers with an improbable double play-at-the –plate (how do you score that 9-6-2-2 unassisted?) their bats seemed to be in full swing during that series. Then they come up against St. Louis, who on paper don’t have a chance against the Mets. But it’s the postseason and unlikely heroes like Weaver and Suppan pitched like they’ve been there before and Maine and Perez made some gritty performances. After a roller coaster of emotions this past week, the series came down to a fantastic game 7 again with unlikely heroes – Endy Chavez and Yadier Molina … but when I was about to believe, the Mets mighty offense let them down… It’s never easy being a Met fan. So I’ll hang up my Mets cap until next year and now I can go on with my regularly scheduled life…
++++++++++++++++++++

Well, it's back to the Cubs for me.

• The Hawkeyes

I will watch. I will cheer. I will not be expected a victory. Everything the Hawkeyes have shown me this year involves the word mediocre. They play the Wolverines in Ann Arbor at 2:30. I had thoughts of going to this game, since I have never been to the campus, but a lot can change when you lose to a Hoosier.

• The Problem

Right now, the top 4 headlines on ESPN involve criminal actions involving athletics. A Celtic might have been involved with shooting a rapper. The NFL is not going to be bombed this weekend ... I don't want to deal with any of this stuff. The more things that happen like this, the less sports become an escape.

• The Picks

j NCAA: 1-2 (Season 11-6-1)
billy z NCAA: 2-1 (Season 11-5-2)

j NFL: 0-3 (Season 9-7-2)
mike d NFL: 2-1 (Season 10-7-2)

j NCAA picks
Illinois (+17.5) over Penn State
Wisconsin (-6.5) over Purdue
Texas (-5) over Nebraska

j NFL picks
Chargers (-5.5) over Chiefs
Panthers (+3) over Bengals
Broncos (-4.5) over Browns
Under of the Colts/Redskins (48.5)

• Stuff

I am seeing a movie with my fiance on opening day! I missed the screening of the "Prestige," and have heard nothing but good things. So we are doing dinner and a movie. Just like a real couple.

John C. Reily is hosting SNL and I've heard a couple rumors that Will Ferrell will be making an appearance. I might actually laugh.

"Flags of our Fathers"
Wow. Just not good.
If you are going to watch this film, bring a team with you. Everyone should be in charge of one actor, and every time you are able to make the connection of recognizing them on-screen, your job will be to stand up and scream their name. Just impossible to keep these guys straight through the first half of the film. Plus, they add a naration in at the end out of nowhere, cause Clint Eastwood couldn't figure out how to end the film. It's a mess, though I did find it interesting to learn the history of the famous pose. The only good thing is that Eastwood's next film is the Japanese point of view during WWII, a story we Americans don't really hear about.
C