103rd Edition - 2/23/07

• Cubs: a virtual pain in the arse

Sorry for the delay. I have many very important things going on, and haven't had a chance to write until now (almost noon). The most important thing on my list? Attempting to buy Chicago Cubs tickets. I have now been in a virtual waiting room for two hours and 11 minutes. Yet I have not had one opportunity to buy tickets. What's insane is, I just want a couple late season (September) games. Everyone else is after Cubs/Sox, Cubs/Cardinals tickets. And so I wait...

• Bulls: Wallace is amazing

I was hoping that I would get to write that headline a lot earlier than February. The Wallace I hoped for finally showed up last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and yes, the Bulls won.
His stat line: 14 points, 19 rebounds, 7 blocks, 5 assists.
I am now at the point where I just want him to stay healthy and then show up and give me these kinds of nights in the playoffs.

• Quick Reads

Since I am intelligent enough to realize the extend of my talent ... Instead of talking about these things, I will just link to better writers than myself...

Bill Simmons on the death of Dennis Johnson

Scoop Jackson on Tim Hardaway

Jason Whitlock on the aftermath of the NBA All-Star Game

• Stuff

Throughout the day, I will be updating Stuff I Wrote. There will be reviews of "The Astronaut Farmer" and "The Number 23," as well as an interview with Virginia Madsen.

Here is a link to a new debate -
Should the Oscars have a comedy category?
I said yes. click to read

Monday I will have a tons of Oscar talk. Deal with it ... Or be insanely excited, you decide.

There is talk that Jimmy Fallon might be replacing Conan O'Brien when Conan replaces Jay Leno.

Last day to vote on the Scorecard Movie Awards - results will be up on Monday.

102nd Edition - 2/21/07

• The Weekly Bull (30-25)

The Bulls held the Atlanta Hawks to ZERO FG in the 3rd quarter. The Hawks managed just eight points off of free throws. Needless to say, the Bulls went on to win 106-81 in their first game back after the All-Star break.

Speaking of the Las Vegas excursion - click here - to read about Bill Simmon's impressions.

The Bulls next three games are going to prove what the team is made of, with an away game at Cleveland, home vs. the Washington Wizards and then at Detroit. Finishing those three games 2-1 would be a great step toward climbing up the division rankings.

Chris Duhon came off the bench and led the Bulls with 17 points, he was one of six to have double digits, three of which were Malik Allen, P.J. Brown, Adrian Griffin.

• Cubs: Zambrano gets paid ... for now.

Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs agreed on a one-year, $12.4 million deal. This avoided arbitration and Zambrano has also declined to refer to himself in the third person, instead opting to call himself "me." J is sure disappointed that J doesn't get to listen to Carlos Zambrano call himself Carlos Zambrano.

• Big Ten Basketball: We're #1 ... for one day

The Michigan St. Spartans, coming off a blowout victory versus my Iowa Hawkeyes, took that momentum and went ahead and beat the Wisconsin Badgers as well. Final Score, 64-55. The Badgers shot just 36 percent from the field. Now Ohio State is in the driver seat for the Big Ten title, and will likely be the new #1 in both polls.

• Stuff

I love the muppets. Here are five reasons brought to you by "10 Zen Monkeys" that you too, should love the muppets. click here

How to win an Oscar - by Cracked. click here

Want to see the 10 Oscar-nominated shorts in a theater near you? - here's a list of locations

87th Edition - 1/23/07

• Super Bowl Hype: Two Coaches

Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy have become the first story that we are going to hear a lot about for the next two weeks. They are good friends (Monday morning phone calls every week) and the first black head coaches to make it to the Super Bowl. It's a great story and one day, probably years from now, it will be a non-story.

Here's the interesting thing, they REALLY like each other. It seems the other will be almost content when one of them wins the Super Bowl. In an atmosphere of killer instinct, locker room quotes, and constantly feeling you are being disrespected by someone, Smith and Dungy have nothing but respect for the other, and you know what? It won't hurt the game, the players won't try less, and after the game, women everything will think it's so nice that one coach is happy for the other.

• Another coach: He Gone

Bill Parcells is gone. Everyone will talk about how Terrell Owens was the downfall of a legend, but really I never liked the man. Parcells helped crush the would be Bears dynasty in the late 80s. The more important question for me is, does he get to choose his wardrobe when he is in one of the studios? I hope I get to see shorts that come up to his boobs for a long, long time.

• NBA: Slow down

After one game, yes only ONE GAME, ESPN has four stories on the Denver Nuggets new marriage of Carmelo Anthony (back from fighting) and his new teammate Allen Iverson. They beat the Vancover Grizzles. That is all they have done as teammates. Don't we have a Super Bowl that needs more coverage?

• Stuff

OK, I tried to talk about sports as long as I could, but really, all I care about this morning is the Academy Award nominations. Well, let's take a look and seee what they got wrong ...

Best Picture
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed - I am clearly pulling for this movie to win
Letter from Iwo Jima - most thought it would be a foreign film nominee
The Queen

Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond" - wrong choice, he was better in "The Departed"
Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"
Peter O'Toole, "Venus" - after seeing him on Letterman, I want him to win for the speech
Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness" - wow, suddenly I want Will Smith to win
Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland" - he'll win

Actress:
Penelope Cruz, "Volver"
Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal" - For me, it's either Cruz or Dench
Helen Mirren, "The Queen" - she'll win
Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"
Kate Winslet, "Little Children" - didn't see it yet

Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Jackie Earle Haley, "Little Children"
Djimon Hounsou, "Blood Diamond"
Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls" - Now it's a no-brainer.
Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed" - No Jack Nicholson? Starting to get upset!

Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza, "Babel"
Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal"
Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine" - glad she finally got noticed
Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls" - winner
Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel"

Directing:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"
Martin Scorsese, "The Departed" - it's the only award I care about now
Clint Eastwood, "Letters From Iwo Jima"
Stephen Frears, "The Queen"
Paul Greengrass, "United 93"

Foreign Language Film:
"After the Wedding," Denmark
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)," Algeria
"The Lives of Others," Germany
"Pan's Labyrinth," Mexico - I am starting to like this film more and more
"Water," Canada

Adapted Screenplay:
Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, "Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" -- Adapted because it is based on a TV show? Seemed original to me.
Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, "Children of Men" - I hate that I want Borat to beat this film just because of the potential speech.
William Monahan, "The Departed"
Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, "Little Children"
Patrick Marber, "Notes on a Scandal"

Original Screenplay:
Guillermo Arriaga, "Babel"
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, "Letters From Iwo Jima"
Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Guillermo del Toro, "Pan's Labyrinth"
Peter Morgan, "The Queen"

Animated Feature Film:
Couldn't they nominate "A Scanner Darkly" just for something different?
"Cars"
"Happy Feet"
"Monster House"

If you want to see the rest of the list - Click here

At some point, I will create my own list of nominations just to put my mind at ease.