165th Edition - 12/28/07

• Bears

It seems we only have one thing to be happy for with the new year looming. And here he is ...

• Bulls

Scott Skiles is gone. No official replacement is set. And the interim coach Jim Boylan is putting Chris Duhon in the starting rotation tonight against the Bucks. And they are 9-17. Rough season. So instead, let's remember the past ...

• Stuff

*Absolutely amazing link of 113 classic tv show intros. I recommend "Head of the Class," and "My Two Dads." CLICK HERE

also, this is funny.



and this is funnier.

161st Edition - 8/21/07

• Fantasy: It's all over

My two fantasy football drafts are over. In one league I had the first pick, taking Tomlinson, and therefore winning the entire league. So that's nice.

• Vick: I've been thinking

I cannot walk in Vick's shoes. Apparently he grew up with different values than I did. He didn't find his actions towards dogs he owned awful. If it was cock fighting, society wouldn't have this problem with him. I'm not saying he should walk free, but the reason everyone has a problem with this is their love for dogs. I know people who feel torturing a dog is the same or worse than doing this horrible actions to a human. Please keep in mind Pacman Jones supposedly beat up a stripper. No one seems to be shedding a tear for the stripper.

• Cubs: It was a good run

We are back to being tied for first. After winning the first two games against the Cardinals, getting one canceled, and losing the last of the series ... I feel empty. The Cubs are tied with the Brewers and 3 games ahead of the Cardinals.

• Stuff

Funny, the only reason I felt like blogging today was because I discovered this clip from the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Thanks to Mike D.

159th - 8/9/07

• Pain

Pain is the Cubs getting swept by the Astros. But if you get a tonsillectomy and your deviated septum fixed, and can barely breath ... suddenly a couple of losses make you see the bright side.

1. The Cubs are not amazing. But they can be really good. The last two months gave Cub fans the belief that every series could be swept, and losing streaks end at two games. The Cubs are a solid team, and now with the injury of Soriano, they have holes in every section of the game (such as relying on a defensive Matt Murton).

2. The Brewers are just as bad. They can't win. So we remain 1 game back in the worst streak we have had since June. Thank god the Central Division sucks. And Cardinals ... don't you dare get any ideas about making a run.

3. Pain is temporary. The Cubs will continue to fight. And after I heal up, it looks like all signs point to me being 100 percent for my fiancee on our wedding day.

• Barry - still stroking

I saw Barry Bonds live at Dodger Stadium the year after he broke the single-season home run record. He was amazing then, and he's still getting it done. He's had an amazing career, and I think the majority of his problems stem from being an arsehole, instead of tainting the record with steroids. People cheat, lots of people cheat. Everyone is pretty sure Bonds cheated along with others. But because everyone loves Hank Aaron, and nobody except for Barry Bonds likes him ... we're annoyed. I'm just glad the constant coverage is over. Between Bonds coverage and "Who's Now!" Sportscenter was rough.

• Stuff

Wow. The Piss Screen. http://www.piss-screen.de/
Every home needs one.

Harrison Ford marathon on Spike TV this Saturday.

158th Edition - 8/3/07

So, I've golfed twice recently, and both times I shot a nine on a hole ... yet I continue to play.

• Cubs: Losing and still winning

For the first time all season, the Cubs lost a game AND remained in first place. Sure they are timed with the Brewers, but still it's something.

And today marks the BIG GULP for the Cubs this season. A man by the name of Kerry Wood is off the DL and in the bullpen. I like the nickname Big Gulp for him. Though I did hear he's lost close to 40 pounds. Perhaps it's a 'to be continued'

• You know what? That's it.

I could talk about Barry Bonds not hitting no. 755, or A-Rod not hitting 500, but who cares? They will eventually.
Bill Simmons sums up the summer quite nicely ...
Welcome to the summer of discontent

• Stuff
  
  *I still like movies. And here are two new reviews to prove it ...

Stuff I Wrote

*Andy Samberg is a part of "Awesometown" - a failed 2005 pilot. The power of the Internet commands you to watch - click to watch

*A long time ago I passed on Lollapalooza tickets. I have some friends going, but I didn't like the idea of standing in the heat all weekend. And the forecast IS ... 95 and sunny. And now, if I really want to, I can watch Lolla from here ... click to watch

156th Edition - 8/1/07

Here I go, here I go, here I go again (now imagine a guitar just kicked in)

• Things we missed ...

Vick likes animals (but not in a good way), Sergio almost becomes the best golfer not to win a major who almost wins a major, an NBA ref makes David Stern realize he might not be the only one to control who wins the games, Devin Hester is the best wide receiver ever for the Bears, and Kevin McHale decides to make the Celtics relevant again (by giving them Garnett).

That's it, that's the whole list of July events ... oh wait, there's one more thing ...

• cubs, Cubs, CUbs, CUBs, CUBS!

Yes, that's right, I am feeling confident and comfortable with the Cubs these days, and why not? They are sitting 1 game behind the Brewers, who have lost 9 of 13. It's just a matter of time before they are in first. Then Kerry Wood can come back and seal the deal ... I just threw up a little in my mouth.

• Bulls

Well, it looks the four final teams in the Eastern Conference Playoffs will be the Heat, Cavs, Bulls and now the Celtics thanks to Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. As an NBA fan, I'm excited, but this does hurt the chances of the Bulls getting another championship ... perhaps someone should make the Kobe call ...

• Who is more NOW?

Yes, July is a slow sports month, but ESPN has made Sportscenter a NIGHTMARE because of the whole, who's more NOW. Luckily, it looks like ESPN News is doing a great job of being Sportscenter from 10 years ago. I have made the switch, and I'm feeling fine.

• Stuff

If I owned a jail, this is exactly what I would have done. Luckily, now I don't need to go down that road - click here to watch the best remake of a video by an entire jail.

Kayne West gets together with Zach Galifianakis and makes a video. It's not enjoyable, just addictive - click here to watch.

155th Edition - 7/3/07

And we're back ...

I think that was my longest break since the beginning of "The Daily Score." Sorry. I had a bachelor party and got lazy, plus the Cubs were winning and I thought it might have something to do with me not writing.

The bachelor party quickly summed up ...
I won basketball (with my 8.5-year-old nephew)
I lost dodgeball
I won slosh ball
I lost softball
Thanks to the 19 other guys that were there.

Look for another long break from me at the end of September, that's when I walk down the isle. Clearly, both situations are related to the future wife, so I assume you can see the pattern (the wife is the reason I don't write more).

I never stopped with the film reviews and now
'Transformers"
and
"License to Wed"
are up on Stuff I Wrote

• Cubs: First time in a long time

The Cubs are over .500 for the first time since they were 3-2 this season. It feels good. And they get to beat up on the Washington Nationals for three more games, then the Pirates before the All-Star Break.

I am giddy. Watching the Cubs beat the Brewers on Sunday afternoon was my second favorite moment of the season (#1 being D. Lee's pinch-hit grand slam against the Sox).

• MLB: All-Star Teams

Right now, everyone is saying who should and shouldn't be on the All-Star team, but the more important thing to discuss is HOW the teams are made and WHAT the teams fight for ...
HOW - The fans vote, and then the players vote and then the managers fill in the rest.
WHAT - They are fighting for home-field advantage in the World Series. It's a huge deal.

The problem is that fans are decided who their favorite players are, but not who the best players are and then the managers try to fill in a roster to win the game.

Why wouldn't every single AL fan (Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, White Sox, Indians) vote over and over again for the worst NL players? How is their not a web site set up for this already? They should be desperate to vote in Cesar Izturis as the NL's starting shortstop. It would be a guaranteed out and a good chance for an error. Why wouldn't a Red Sox fan show their team loyalty by screwing their opponent?

• Bears: Tank not full

That's the headline everyone is writing. Tank Johnson wasn't drunk. His blood-alcohol level was .72 and needed to be .8 in Arizona to be drunk. The Bears got rid of him, but this gives someone else the chance to believe he is a changed man.

• Stuff

*Nathan Fillion ("Serenity") is in talks to join "Desperate Housewives," sigh. I really didn't want to watch this show anymore, but he's so freaking awesome.

*Since I'm getting a shout-out, I figured I should return the favor ... For something that constantly is writing a huge variety of articles in the Minneapolis area - check out -- The Deets

154th Edition - 6/20/07

154 - before 1961, 154 was the number of games in an MLB season.

• Bye, Bye, Bye Barrett

Well, it appears I don't know as much as I think I do ... Michael Barrett was the problem, not Carlos Zambrano. After getting into a fight with Zambrano, exchanging words with Hill and playing his worst defense ever (which is saying a lot), Barrett is no longer a Cub.
He's been traded to the Padres for backup catcher Rob Bowen and a minor-league outfielder. In other words, they dumped him. It will be interesting to see if Barrett catches for Maddux. While teammates, Maddux was the only one in the rotation who didn't want Barrett to catch for him.

• And Bye, Bye for me as well...

Tonight I leave for the beginning of my bachelor party. Golf, basketball, slosh ball, dodgeball, softball and disc golf are all on the schedule. There will be 21 guys in attendance and we're taking over my parent's house. Hopefully a friend will document the event, I might not be sober enough.
(You, as an avid reader of the Daily Score, won't notice I'm gone at all since I haven't been writing much lately)

• Bulls: Come here Kobe

Yes, I want Kobe Bryant on the team. Ben Gordon and others can hopefully be enough.

• Stuff

*My interview with Bruce Willis.

153rd Edition - 6/13/07

• NBA: foul

I'm referring to Bowen's contact on Lebron James IN THE ACT OF SHOOTING ... and of course, the smell that the finals are letting off. James is a superstar and with superstars there comes favoritism (Wade in the Finals last year). You give him that call. You let him decide the game at the free-throw line (3 shots). You do this because it will make a bad series better, but most importantly, because it's the right call. I look forward to the day when robots are the refs.

• Cubs: equally foul

It was the eighth inning. The bases were loaded. No outs. The Cubs couldn't score. They lost in the 13th inning.

• Fantasy MLB: two no-hitters

There have been two no-hitters in baseball this year - Buerhle and now Verlander, sorry Schilling. I was first made aware of this from my friend Bro, who emailed me to brag about how he owns all the no-hitters this year in our fantasy baseball league.

• Stuff

Watch the entire first episode --
Flight of the Conchords
If I had talent, creativity, was from New Zealand and had a friend of the same make-up, this is the type of show I would have considered making if I had moved to the States ... I was that close.

Premiere Magazine did an article about movies stuck in development hell.
It sucks that most of this films were ones that I read the book and was INSANELY excited.

Speaking of Dave Eggers and movies ... This is a must read about old summer flicks

152nd Edition - 6/8/07

152 = The Post-Hardcore band Taking Back Sunday also have a use for the number 152. It appears on the cover of all their albums (most notably Tell All Your Friends), as it was the number of the turn off lead singer Adam Lazzara took on the way to/back from concerts for refreshments and a rest. The number appears in the forms of:
Tell All Your Friends:Picture of the road turning.
Where You Want To Be:The sign states 152 miles.
Louder Now:$1.52 entrance charge.

• MLB: Almost ...

Curt Schilling was one out away from a no-hitter. He shook off the sign from Jason Varitek, and chose to throw a fast ball away instead of a splitter. It was a single to right field. ONE OUT AWAY! This is the reason I don't play professional baseball, I just couldn't get over it. I would desperately be looking for the reset-button. In fact, I have taken a no-hitter in the ninth four times in fake life (video games), yet I have never done it ... So I guess I know exactly how Schilling feels.

• NBA Finals: Not Close ...

You didn't actually convince yourself the Cavs had a chance did you? LeBron didn't have a FG in the first half, and they were down by only five ... But more importantly the score was 40-35, this is why no one likes the Spurs, they actually use logic and skill to use the best strategy to kill their opponents.
The truth is, the Cavs would have been equal to the Lakers in the West. Maybe we get one great LeBron game from the series.

• Cubs: Here we go again

The Cubs have won 4 out of 5 and are putting together a nice little run. Rich Hill struck out 11 last night, winning 2-1. Such a tease. They are 6 games back, but 6 games under .500.

They also picked Jason Vitters third in the draft ... I don't know what that means either.

• Stuff

*My Movie Reviews
"Ocean's Thirteen"
"Surf's Up"

*Isiah Washington - Dr. Burke - is not coming back on "Grey's Anatomy." I like his character, but clearly people on the set had problems with him. Remember, he's the guy who wanted to tussle with Jennifer Lopez on "Out of Sight."

*"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" comes out on DVD (both Season 1 & 2) September 4. This was mainly written for my North Carolina crowd.

*Joy Division sneakers - A pair of sneakers inspired by Joy Division are set for production. The manufacturer, New Balance, is awaiting final clearance on making the shoes, which are based on the artwork to the band's landmark 1979 album Unknown Pleasures. This is mainly written for my Atlanta crowd.

*And finally ... I'm looking forward to suing.
read this story
then read my article

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

149th Edition - 4/29/07

Wow - can you tell me heart just isn't in it lately?

I need football. Where are the pig-skin gods? If the Cubs aren't going to make any noise my summer is ruined (besides the kick-arse bachelor party that is mere weeks away).

Anyway here's some stuff to keep you entertained, because I know the Cavs-Pistons aren't doing it for you...

*Thanks to Pfil for telling me about the 'red band' "Superbad" trailer (red band means it's an 'R' rated trailer. And you can find it here -
http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/04/30/superbad-red-band-movie-trailer/
- no nudity, just language.

*And here's Michael Cera doing a little mock-up from "Knocked Up" which comes out Friday is totally worth seeing.
http://www.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=86ee661c7c98800678fa
Once again, language, no nudity. I assume this is the same type of thing that got Eric Stoltz fired from "Back to the Future."

*And one more for the road - Here's Will Ferrell in "Third Date."
http://www.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=ed11717eaec9305b2feb

*Finally, White Stripes with "Icky Thumb"
http://music.aol.com/franchise/firstview/white-stripes-new-video

*And who is joining me for the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago on my birthday (July 14)?
The Final line-up is set -

Friday, July 13:

Sonic Youth perform Daydream Nation
GZA/Genius performs Liquid Swords
Slint perform Spiderland

Saturday, July 14:

Yoko Ono
Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues (w/ members of Dirty Three, the Delta 72, and Blues Explosion)
Clipse
Mastodon
Iron and Wine
Battles
Grizzly Bear
Voxtrot
Califone
The Twilight Sad
Girl Talk
Dan Deacon
Oxford Collapse
Professor Murder
Fujiya & Miyagi
Beach House
William Parker Quartet
Ken Vandermark's Powerhouse Sound

Sunday, July 15:

De La Soul
The New Pornographers
Of Montreal
Stephen Malkmus
Jamie Lidell
The Sea and Cake
Junior Boys
Menomena
The Ponys
Deerhunter
Klaxons
The Field
Cadence Weapon
The Cool Kids
Craig Taborn's Junk Magic
Nomo
Brightblack Morning Light
Fred Lonberg-Holm's Lightbox Orchestra

148th Edition - 5/24/07

• Cubs: They call him MR. Marshall

I thought I was going to wake up and write a glowing article about the return of Mr. Sean Marshall. But then I noticed the Cubs lost 2-1. Marshall gave up a late two-run homer and now the Cubs are 20-24, and 6.5 games behind the Brewers. Marshall probably pitched well enough to stick in the rotation, which will now have three lefties in it.

It's painful right now. After watching Derek Lee hit a grand slam last Saturday to beat the Sox, I thought it was the beginning of something. It wasn't. And now neither was this.

• Bulls

Picking ninth in the draft won't happen. They will trade that pick along with either Chris Duhon, Andre Nocioni or maybe even Tyrus Thomas.

• Stuff

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" -- the review is up.

*I'll be sitting down in a group interview with Bruce Willis soon, what do I ask him?

*Saturday Night Live - The 2006/20007 Season

Zach Braff had a good start, but I will let my friend (and best man) describe the episode.

"i was pretty disappointed overall. the
opening skit was one of the funnier openers i'd seen in awhile, but
then the zach skits were just kind of blah. it seems like there are
some indicators of a less than strong show--any time they do the house
party skit (kind of funny, but the special guests always seem
uncomfortable). and then whenever the special guests play themselves
a lot in the skits. just not a lot you can do with that. finally,
there seemed to be a lot about garden state. i loved the movie, but
isn't this a couple years late? was this the season finale from 2
years ago?"

For the season: 11-9

Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Rainn Wilson, Shia LaBeuof, Molly Shannon

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

*Other Season Finales:

Scrubs: Good, but they're back where they started and I'm kind of getting bored with the show.

Grey's: Depressing. I was wrong with every hunch I had, mainly because I was thinking positive.

Hereo's: Really? That's it? Compared to a great first season, it was flat.

The Office: They can't do anything wrong. It's the best show on TV.

Lost: I hope to watch this weekend.

*Michale Moore's "Sicko" trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/sicko/26778/trailer

147th Edition - 5/18/07

• Bulls: Done and done

It was a good run. The team should be proud. They're still a young team. It's a good step forward ... Whatever. I am disappointed. I wanted a Game 7.

The Bulls were ahead by five points at half time, because of P.J. Brown's 20 points. He also finished with 20 points and barely played the second half for no apparent reason. Ben Wallace's contract had back spasms and he saw limited action. When he played, there was no enthusiasm. I have a bad feeling this will be the case for the next four years.

The final score was 85-95 and the Bulls shot terrible. If the Bulls can't shoot, they lose. It's that simple, though their inability to rebound hurt last night as well.

It will be a very interesting off-season. I am putting Hinrich, Gordon, and maybe Thomas and the draft pick on the market. One of them can go. I would love to say good-bye to Wallace, but that won't happen.

Speaking of the draft pick, we find out our order on Tuesday night. I love that we have the option of taking the Knicks pick. Like there is some sort of chance of us turning it down.

• Cubs vs Sox: part 1

Inter-league play is starting and that means the players have to act like this series means something. I understand these games are for the fans, I was on the verge of REALLY getting into the Cubs, but then they decided to go 2-5 on their road trip. Now a sweep is all they need to do to get back to .500.

• Stuff

I still have "The Office," "Lost," "Scrubs," and "Grey's" to watch this weekend. Plus Zach Braff is hosting Saturday Night Live. It almost sucks that I have a full social wknd of parties, plus the weather is perfect.

The concert is The Arcade Fire at the Chicago Theater. Highly anticipated.

Robert De Niro and Al Pacino will be in "Righteous Kill" together. They play cops tracking down a serial killer.

And don't forget to read my review of
"Shrek the Third"

146th Edition - 5/17/07

• Bulls: Just when I think I'm out ...

The Bulls don't feel like losing anymore ... And I love it. Two games ago I was ready to start my campaign to get Tyrus Thomas and a draft pick traded for Jermaine O'Neal. Now I'm ready to watch the Bulls mature before my eyes, perhaps this season, definitely next.

The Bulls have Game 6 tonight at home. The Pistons still have the home court advantage. So far, the only people who have suffered from this series are the NBA fans. Piston fans assume they will still win, Bulls fans think they have a chance ... but NBA fans have been left with 5 games that have all been pretty painful to watch. Lopsided. Let's hope that continues (in the Bulls favor) for Game 6.

• Where are the Cubs?

The Riot (Theriot) has been a treat to watch, but Soriano has been playing hurt (from what I hear) and Lee now has neck spasms. It's still early, but we can't say that forever and with the way the Brewers are playing, the Cubs need to start picking it up a notch.

• NBA: David Stern

I love David Stern. He was on every sports talk show on Wednesday. Mainly giving one word answers. He constantly pointed the finger at Amare and Boris for leaving the bench of the Suns during the Robert Horry hip check. I agree. If players can't learn and coaches (six per team typically) can't keep a player near the bench, then their idiocy should cost them a game. The only problem is, I want the Suns to advance. Let's hope that still happens. Though last night they had the game in their hands, leading the whole way. Then they scored 6 points in the last five minutes and lost 85-88.

• Stuff

*Star Wars movies, for fans, by fans. The winner is picked by George Lucas. click to watch

*And as always, watch where you break dance ...

145th Edition - 5/15/07

• Saturday Night Live: It's all me

So Molly Shannon hosted ... and on my previous post I wrote about interviewing her and discussing four ideas for sketches ... two of them happened.

The first was Jeannie Darcy (Molly Shannon), an awful stand-up comedian who was on during the Weekend Update section. This was a character I knew mainly because of Shannon's DVD (it was on the extras I think). Anyway, I praised that character during my interview with her and asked her to do it. Perhaps that is the reason it happened. It was a very small character of hers (compared with Sally O'Mally and Mary Catherine Gallagher) and I like to think I had something to do with it.
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#cat=new&sec=1a&mea=103581

The next sketch was hyper-active Katlin (Amy Poehler). This is all me. The character hasn't been done all season (with the absence of RICK RICK RICK - Horatio Sanz). I begged for this character to come back with Molly Shannon adding herself into the mix somehow (ended up being her mom).
That's all. I'm happy.

For the season: 11-8 (guaranteed to finish over .500)

Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Rainn Wilson, Shia LaBeuof, Molly Shannon

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

• Bulls win

If only, that's what we can be talking about when the Bulls play the Pistons on Tuesday night. If only the Bulls could have won after having a 19 point lead in Game 3. I am not confident this roller coaster is going to continue.

• Stuff

*Officially, "Studio 60" is done. Not coming back next eyar. But "Scrubs" is coming back.

144th Edition - 5/11/07

• Bulls: Wow. Awesome.

I just woke up, but I can't wait to read the paper and watch all the Bulls highlights. I ended up going to sleep at halftime. I bet the Bulls probably ended up winning by 40 points! They dominated the first half, holding the Pistons to 28 points. Looks like this thing has a change to go seven ... Just awesome.

• Stuff

*Molly Shannon is hosting SNL this weekend. I interviewed her and we talked about ideas for a couple of minutes. I'm not getting too excited, but I have hope. The Dakota Fanning Show, RICK-RICK-RICK, Bill Hader doing Al Pacino, and Jeannie Darcy.

*Film Reviews by me -
"The Ex"
"28 Weeks Later"

*New Order is done - click to read
I had a friend pratically drag me to see "New Order" in concert. It remains one of my favorites of all time.

*Here's a story back when the Bulls and Pistons fought in 88-91. click to read

*"Friday Night Lights" is officially coming back next year.

*These boys are good...

143rd Edition - 5/8/07

• Bulls: Beat Down

The Bulls lost 87-108. The Bulls are down 0-2. The Pistons were having a good time relaxing on the bench during the 1st quarter. There is no reason to think the Bulls can win four of the next five games, even if three will be at home. It's sad. The Bulls look like a completely different team compared to the domination of the Heat.

Perhaps the Pistons were just playing possum this season. If so, nicely done.

• Cubs: Things are looking up

The Cubs are above .500. I took in my first ever roof-top game on Sunday and had a great time. I attempted to hit for the cycle (one of every meat). After a hot dog, then hamburger, then Italian beef, then chicken breast ... I stopped. I couldn't do the Italian sausage. The crowd seemed to take it hard.

• Stuff

*Mario: Game Over - click to watch

142nd Edition - 5/3/07

• NBA: Done and Done
  

Lakers = Done. Kobe is complaining about needed a better team. Poor Kobe. Suns advance.
Nuggets = Done. Carmelo now has an off-season to complain about Iverson. Spurs advance.

The Suns will take on the Spurs. Classic match up. Love the match up, based on how the Mavs are playing (after the season went 1-1, I assumed they would walk) I just wish it was the Western Conference Finals.

The Pistons will take on the Bulls starting Saturday. Classic match up. Love the match up, I just wish it was the Eastern Conference Finals.

• Cubs: Take Two

The Cubs finished up Tuesday's delay, won, and then won the next game to win two on Wednesday against the Pirates. They are 12-14, and getting close to .500. Soriano has also hit a home run in each of the last two games. Yes, I am starting to get giddy.

• Stuff

*My SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW is up.

*I don't get it. How is Bingo a TV show?

*If you live in Atlanta, perhaps you should get off your arse and go to the Coke Museum to see the Andy Warhol exhibit ... John, I'm looking in your direction.

*The WORST 100 COVER SONGS EVER

141st Edition - 5/2/07

• The Special Guest: Mark Lubbat

Officially, Mark is the biggest Bears fan I know. Season tickets, jerseys, reworking vacations to watch the games, and an undying hatred of Bret Farve ... he's a big fan. So there was no one else that should speak on the Bears' draft besides him. Mark, the floor is yours ...

Chicago Bears 2007 NFL Draft thoughts

Heading into the 2007 Draft, the Bears were fortunate to not have any glaring holes to fill in their roster. The main concerns were adding youth to an aging offensive line, adding linebacker depth or a possible replacement to Lance Briggs, getting a 3^rd RB and adding depth at DB and WR. Jerry Angelo, Greg Gabriel and the rest of the scouting department have a proven track record of uncovering talent and making prudent personnel decisions as shown by the results of previous drafts. Only time will tell how well the current draftees will fare, here is a brief analysis.

#1 – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (#31 overall)

In many mock drafts, Olsen was projected to go in the mid- to high-teens. The Bears were fortunate that he was available at #31. Olsen should be able to contribute immediately this year as a receiving TE, though he will have to work on his blocking if he wants to play full-time. Olsen is fast (4.5 in the 40), athletic and has great hands. His ability to stretch the field and create mismatches will benefit the offense, especially slot receiver Rashied Davis, who should see more room on his quick crossing patterns and skinny-post routes. Olsen can also be another viable deep threat for Rex Grossman which should help Bernard Berrian get more single coverage. Overall, an excellent pick that should be able to contribute immediately.

#2 – Dan Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan (#62 overall)

The Bears had the #37 overall pick in the Thomas Jones trade with the Jets (Bears traded Thomas Jones and the #63 pick for the Jets #37 pick). At the time, the trade looked rather lopsided in the Jets favor, but if we analyze the trade after the draft, it ended up being quite advantageous for the Bears. We ended up trading this pick to San Diego for an additional 4 draft picks (3 in 2007 and one in 2008). So, the Thomas Jones trade netted us 3 additional picks, and allowed us to move up one slot in the 2^nd round of this year’s draft. In addition, the trade also netted us two back-to-back picks, which can be quite advantageous. That Jerry Angelo can be pretty crafty.

Bazuin has been labeled as a “reach” for the Bears at this point in the draft. Hopefully he will be as much as a reach as Devin Hester was tabbed as last year. Bazuin is a little undersized and his production his senior year was down a little from his junior year, but he was dealing with an injury and the death of his younger brother. Bazuin should be able to get into our DE rotation and possibly allow us to deal one of our 5 DE’s if necessary. It never hurts to have too many good defensive linemen in the cover-2 defense.

#3 – Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois (#93 overall)

Very fast RB (4.4 in the 40), though small (5’7”, 186 lbs), Speed, speed and more speed is a common philosophy for the Bears when seeking out players. Wolfe should be able to contribute as a 3^rd RB, and could possibly push for the 2^nd RB slot which would allow Adrian Peterson to play on all our special teams units. Hopefully he will produce like other RB’s that have been “too small” such as Warrick Dunn and Emmit Smith. In reality, Wolfe should be a nice change-of-pace back and a good receiver out of the backfield. Let’s hope Ron Turner can utilize his speed to create mismatches when splitting him out as a receiver. He can also contribute as a returner if we choose to have two deep backs on the kickoff return team.

#4 – Michael Okwo, LB, Stanford (#94 overall)

Okwo played well on a bad team, and according to Greg Gabriel, stood out when you watched the film. Okwo and last year’s 4^th round choice, Jamar Williams (ASU, #120 overall) will provide depth and a possible replacement for Lance Briggs after this season. Williams was on IR for the majority of last year with a chest injury, so more getting another LB does not hurt in this case. We’ll see what Okwo can do at 5’11” and 232 lbs. He should fit our cover-2 defense well though he is not as fast as Lance Briggs. Briggs tends to miss a few tackles in space, so hopefully Okwo or Williams will be a better open-field defender. Either way, Okwo should contribute on special teams at worst, and be a quality replacement at the Will LB sport at best.

#5 – Josh Beekman, G/C, Boston College (#130 overall)

Beekman should add much needed depth to our guard rotation as Reuben Brown may call it a career soon. Beekman can also play center which adds a lot of value to this pick. Boston College has produced some quality lineman in the past so hopefully Beekman will follow that tradition. He’s a big man (6’2”, 313 lbs) and should only get stronger/bigger with Rusty Jones’ workouts.

#6 – Kevin Payne, S, Louisiana-Monroe (#167 overall)

Big hitter that converted to Safety from RB after Chris Harris graduated. Plays well in the box and will backup Archuleta and Harris at Strong Safety. Will contribute on special teams as well.

#7 – Corey Graham, CB, New Hampshire (#168 overall)

He is coming off an injury, but will be ready by the time training camp starts. Went to the same school as former Bear Jerry Azumah. We needed to get some CB’s as both Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher will be free-agents after this season and it is doubtful that we will be able to keep both of them. You Northwestern fans may recognize him as he had a solid game against NU this past season.

#8 – Trumaine McBride, CB, Ole Miss (#221 overall)

More CB depth. Played in the SEC against solid competition, will have to make the team as a special teams contributor.

#9 – Aaron Brant, T, Iowa State (#241 overall)

As much as it sucks to have players from Iowa State on the Bears, we needed to address our OT depth. Both John Tait and Fred Miller have a lot of mileage on them, though Brant will not be targeted as an immediate replacement. Most likely, Brant will compete with Mark LeVoir (undrafted free-agent from 2006, Notre Dame) for a spot on our practice squad.

Undrafted FA’s:

The Bears made some nice moves (on paper, that is) by adding Florida QB Chris Leak and WR Dave Ball (New Hampshire, Div 1-AA). Ball broke Jerry Rice’s 1-AA record for career touchdown catches. They also added some other stiffs from the undrafted crop, though it should be note that about 20% of the NFL’s rosters are undrafted FA’s. All these guys are a long shot to make the team. Their best chance is to make our practice squad and possibly develop in NFL Europa.

After analyzing the picks, the Bears took the “best player available” with their first and second picks, then were able to address the 3^rd RB, DB depth, LB depth and some offensive line depth. Hopefully we drafted a couple of future Pro-bowl players, but if most of these players can contribute as starters or solid reserves, then we can consider this a quality draft class.

• Stuff ( j is back in the driving seat )

*John Cusack just signed on to star in "Stopping Power," where he will star as a test pilot who sets off on a series of high-speed chases to save his kidnapped daughter from an escaped thief. Prepare to be underwhelmed a year or so from now.

*Visit Shel Silverstein today and feel like a kid. http://www.shelsilverstein.com/html/home.html

*Your guide to season finales... funny, I don't see "Studio 60" anywhere. Click here

*The cow wins.

140th Edition - 4/27/07

140 - http://www.maison140beverlyhills.com/ - rooms start at just $207.

• NBA: things change

*The Lakers had a team effort AND Kobe Bryant had 45 points. Nice to see. Suns lead 2-1.
*The Rockets scored 25 pointed in the entire second half. No surprise, the lost. Rockets lead 2-1 over the JAzz.
*The Pistons are still killing the Magic. They lead 3-0.

• A-Rod: my future Cub

Batting Average = .378 (1st)
Home Runs = 14 (1st, 2nd has 8)
RBI = 34 (1st, 2nd has 20)
Runs = 26 (1st, 2nd has 23)
OPS = 1.412 (1st, 2nd has 1,253)

• Stuff

Stuff I Wrote
Steve Austin Review
"The Condemned" Movie Review

*From the AV Club - 15 Thing Kurt Vonnegut Said Better Than Anyone Else Ever Has Or Will

*http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/