Mooksville

Hello, These are my two Fantasy Teams...

2007-08-31T14:49:00.001-04:00

I wanted to introduce you to my two fantasy teams. Please review them carefully. They will both be in the playoffs in 3 months or so and, as always, will be competing for a Championship.

He Hate Me is probably the most consistent performer in my college fraternity league. I was in a fraternity so long ago. I know membership in Phi Delta Theta is not merely a campus interlude, membership is for life, but it's nice that the boys...err...brothers still have this league up and running.

Dante Calabria is my high school team. This team finished dead last in '06, thanks in large part to a internet connection disaster and the auto-pilot function. Drafting LenDale White and Samkon Gado in the 5th and 6th rounds tends to demoralize a team. Regardless, I kept nobody in a 2-player keeper league and it worked out for the best.

You will notice I think very highly of DeAngelo Williams. He could be the breakout star of '07. Please post questions or comments. I do offer draft consulting at a reasonable rate. The addition of my boy Sands into my fantasy realm has caused me to second guess myself several times, but his luck is due to run out this year. My boy Schaff, the leading passer in the greater Cleveland area his senior year, happened to get LDT as a keeper. Anyway, I'm gunning for 2 rings in 2K7.

He Hate Me:

QB: Drew Brees, Chad Pennington

RB: Brian Westbrook, Willis McGahee, DeAngelo Williams, Michael Turner

WR: Javon Walker, Braylon Edwards, Reggie Brown, Anthony Gonzales, Matt Jones

K: Josh Brown

Dante Calabria:

QB: Philip Rivers, JP Losman (I waited a round too long for a backup QB)

RB: Rudi Johnson, Jamal Lewis, DeAngelo Williams, Kenny Watson, Mike Bell

WR: Terrell Owens, Andre Johnson, Isaac Bruce, Chris Chambers

TE: Todd Heap

DST: Chargers

K: Matt Stover

Movie buffs, can you name these actors?

2007-08-09T17:25:00.001-04:00

VIRGIN!!!

2007-08-07T15:56:00.000-04:00

I told people I was turning 30 and going to celebrate by going to the Virgin Festival. Some recoiled in disgust (women), some said, "Awesome!" (men), and some actually knew what I was talking about. Virgin Festival, two days in the Baltimore heat at Pimlico listening to music like The Police, The Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang Clan, Interpol, Matisyahu, among many others. Let me just run through some highlights.

First off, check out the picture of me at the Wu show. Yes, that's me looking like I have a monster lipper of Skoal, standing next to the crazy billionaire Richard Branson, with the RZA in the foreground, my boy Mario to my right. The chick next to Branson was trying very hard with him. I guess being a billionaire is like being a modern day monarch. She was rubbing Branson down like he was Prince Akeem from Coming to American.

So, the Wu was off the chain. They were a little late coming on stage, probably because they were trying to finish off a huge blunt right below me. You know what? Musicians smoking weed is a good thing. Probably not a good thing for Civil Servants, Athletes in season, Politicians, but musicians, it should be encouraged. The funniest moment was right after the show when Raekwon ran off the stage while the rest walked, and he headed right for the van where there was a Styrofoam container of fried wings waiting for him. Yes, Raekwon's fat ass was hungry.

The highlight for me...The Beastie Boys. Seeing them from stage left was unreal. They put on a show. They are so good at both hip-hop and punk and can weave back and forth seamlessly. There was a song when the beat from Unk's Walk It Out came on and it was euphoric. Mixmaster Mike is also such a great DJ. Beasties live is an experience.

The Police, yes, happy to have seen them. The Smashing Pumpkins, great job. Interpol, just buy their albums and skip the show.

Some recommendations: LCD Soundsystem, do some investigative work and listen to some stuff, they are really good live. Explosions in the Sky, I've been a fan for awhile and got to see them up close (see pic above). They are terrific on guitar and really rock. Their guitarist played so hard he fell and hit his head. This is the band that did the music for the movie Friday Night Lights. Matisyahu, great energy (see pic), great to see at a festival, catchy reggae and from what I saw backstage, a gentleman and a family man. I've never been much into electronic, but Danny Tenaglia, as my DJ friend told me, is a DJ's DJ. He's also really freaky looking, but he controls the room. My friend said Tenaglia is big with the guido crowd so see him live at your own risk. Just kidding, I love Italians.

Don't Hassle...

2007-08-01T18:15:00.001-04:00

Gilbert, Oh Gilbert!

2007-08-01T18:01:00.001-04:00

Won't you come to Cleveland for a ring? Yes, Washington can offer you an extra year on the max deal. An extra year of what? Mediocrity! Why not come to Cleveland, a young but experienced team ready to take a leap to the land of rings, champagne and banners.

You can:
1) Play with one of the rare superstars who shares the ball
2) Re-unite with Larry Hughes, the Ying to your Yang
3) Save on cost of living in Cleveland. Cleveland and Washington are both cold so just spend the offseason in Arizona or Cali
4) Go to a contender that is missing exactly what you're bringing; shooting, ball pressure, someone with ice in their veins, someone with the talent to stand side by side with the King. England has a King (or will when the Queen croaks) and a Prime Minister. Hell, that could be your nickname. I like it better than Agent Zero. The King and The Prime Minister.

C'mon Gil...Gil! Ask Ray Allen and Michael Redd how their max deals turned out for them. Come to C-Town.

Big Ticket

2007-07-31T17:48:00.000-04:00

I almost feel like the NBA is turning into the WWE. First Tim Donaghy and now this. McHale, a really terrible front office guy mind you, trades Kevin Garnett to his old team for less than he was offered roughly a month ago. It reminds me of Danny Davis and some Eric Bischoff/Vince McMahon thing. Anyway, Al Jefferson and the 5 pick (either Jeff Green or Ray Allen pretty much) and now he gets Al Jefferson and about five players from one of the worst NBA teams in recent memory. Gerald Green might end up ok I guess, Gomes is from Providence and I shoudn't hate on him too much since my boy Hogan went there, but c'mon...Sebastian Telfair is a friggin perp, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract and some late 1st rounders.

Jesus, this really messes up my Cavs chances in the next year or two. I don't feel like the Cavs match up that well with the Celts. We're not deep enough to exploit their total lack of depth. Our coach is nearly as incompetent as their coach. Yikes!

Make no mistake about it though (Jesus, I sound like Stephen A.), the Celtics will NOT win a championship. I wouldn't think they'd beat the Pistons in a series. The Pistons have a deeper bench, a better coach (which is pathetic to say) and a more well rounded starting five. I think the Heat match up well against the Celts too. The Heat are definitely old, but Wade is coming back and they are deep, well-coached and if Shaq has anything left in the tank...Hell, Chicago is only going to get better in the years to come. For some reason the Cavs handle the Bulls well, but the Bulls are going to be a great team for the next 5 or 6 years at least. They're the team that the Celts won't be able to handle.

It's weird to say that the Celtics stole Garnett but might have made a mistake in doing so. I trust that Bill Simmons knows his team and having read his take on the Celts over the last two months I'm just confused. When the Celts got Ray Allen Simmons' said he's too old and about to dip, plus he had ankle operations. Now they get Garnett who has already peaked as a player and in doing so they give up Al Jefferson who is, according to Simmons, a potential franchise player. Yes the Celts will make noise next year and for a bit after that. They aren't going to win any championships unless they make more moves (maybe a veteran PG and some guys who can really bang down low because I don't think Rondo and Perkins are there yet). Are we to trust Ainge to complete this team? Simmons has been describing his incompetence in detail for a whole year now. What about Doc Rivers? How's that going to play out? What if one of the big three go down for any extended period of time?

Boston fans have to love it because they have no other choice. Would they rather be mediocre next season and keep Jefferson? They want to win and they want to matter. Accomplished. I have this gut feeling that in three years, with no rings to show for it and and old, expensive team, they're going to wish they had kept Jefferson, perhaps even Green. I really like Garnett as a player and have always rooted for him. That has to stop now that he's in the East.

Top Chef

2007-07-25T13:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a review of Top Chef Season 1 winner Harold Dieterle's restaurant Perilla by famed food critic Frank Bruni. Bruni had a pretty humorous feud with restauranteur Jeffrey Chodorow, who gained notoriety in his epic battles with Rocco DeSpirito on the show The Restaurant. Chodorow's latest venture, Kobe Club, didn't merit a single star from Bruni, much to Chodorow's chagrin. Anyway, for those culinary-inclined readers, check out these recipes from the Times.

F U Too, Ronnie Mexico!

2007-07-21T00:26:00.001-04:00

Kyle Lograsso

2007-07-17T22:51:00.001-04:00

If you can try to check out the most recent Real Sports on HBO. There's a feature on Kyle Lograsso, a 5-year old golf prodigy. I put up a clip of him in the video section. This kid has a best score of 41 for 9 holes. His swing compares quite well to Tiger. What's amazing is that Kyle has never had a lesson. He learned by watching golf on TV. As amazing as all that sounds, what's even more remarkable is that he has done this after losing an eye to a rare form of cancer. He has recovered very well after surgery and radiation. Anyway, check out that piece on HBO.

Damnit Brady!

2007-07-17T21:13:00.001-04:00

Some people apparently hadn't seen the Brady ball grabbing fest picture. Well here it is in all its glory. He needs to look deep within himself and ask whether he has was it takes to be a Cleveland Brown. This is not Cincinnati or Pittsburgh, and ball grabbing is not accepted by Browns quarterbacks. If we wanted this kind of activity, we would've kept Jeff Garcia around, or just signed Kordell Stewart.

Gregg Valentino

2007-07-17T20:48:00.001-04:00

Valentino was featured in "The Man Whose Arms Exploded", a TLC documentary highlighting the use and abuse of steroids. In the documentary he recalls his misuse of steroids, namely not taking precautions necessary to prevent infection. Consequently he eventually came down with a very serious infection of his right biceps. After failed attempts to drain the hematoma himself, using the same needles he used to inject his steroids, and "filling two glasses with blood and puss" he sought emergency medical treatment. -WIKIPEDIA

I need to check that documentary out. It can't be as good as the Fabio E! True Hollywood Story, but I bet it's pretty good.

Deadspin Links

2007-07-17T18:55:00.001-04:00

Deadspin is great. Check out some of their content and links to other good sites. Apparently Tommy Morrison does not like black people. Someone had a very random Jeff George sighting. Derek Jeter is not black enough for Gary Sheffield.

Notsomuch Iron Mike

2007-07-17T18:37:00.000-04:00

Mooksville's Iron Mike is letting himself go. I heard he's on a lot of anti-depressants. I still think he should go into the UFC. How about Mike Tyson vs. Kimbo Slice? Tell me you wouldn't pay to see that!

Happy Belated 30th Birthday

2007-07-16T21:46:00.001-04:00

To my boy, Todd. The Little Red Corvette. You're still as handsome as ever.

Cool Music Shite

2007-07-16T21:40:00.000-04:00

Hey, check out djlobsterdust on the web. He mashes pop/r&b/hip-hop with classic rock/indie, etc. There are free downloads on the website. Some of my favorites are Luniz vs. Bloc Party (I Got 5 Helicopters), Mike Jones, Paul Wall vs. Bloc Party (Texas Tension), Queen, David Bowie vs. Bubba Sparxx, Ying Yang Twins (Booty Pressure), Biggie vs. The The (Skyline Operator). Some of these are good tunes for working out or parties. Enjoy.

Cavs PG

2007-07-16T21:03:00.000-04:00

There's been a bunch of speculation regarding the off-season search for a PG. Recently, the Mike Bibby rumors have resurfaced, this deal would be Mike Bibby (possibly another King) to the Cavs for Drew Gooden and Damon Jones. I can't say I'd be crazy about this deal considering Bibby's hefty contract and the fact that he's my age and considering how my body feels when I wake up, I can't imagine Bibby's best years are ahead of him.

Steve Blake has signed with the Blazers, Atkins went to the Nuggets, Mo Williams, probably the best option, resigned with the Bucks (hey, at least he didn't go the the heat).

The Cavs biggest need from the PG position, judging from last year, is a guard who can knock down jumpers, and can keep his body in front of quicker guards on defense. I think Cleveland Central Catholic product Earl Boykins is the best option out there for us. Plus, I think he would have a desire to play in C-Town. Now, Nicky Caserio (fellow US alumnus and current New England Patriots receivers coach, also a Dante Calabria fan) did put up close to 40 against Earl in high school, but I still think he can overcome that mental obstacle. James Posey, another HS foe, who was aces against my buddy Jimmy in our HS matchup, also rumored to be a possible Cav, seems like an odd fit. Basically I just wanted to mention Posey dominated Jimmy in HS. He didn't get into Jimmy's head like Felipe Lopez, or say Gabe Zelwin or Matt Noble did, but dominate he did.

Wouldn't mind Earl for a 2-year contract. Let's get it done. Also, Roger Brown, the Page Six/Perez Hilton of Cleveland sports, is back with the News Herald and, to my astonishment, I actually agreed with his take on the Cleveland PG position.

Stay Away From the Camera!

2007-07-16T20:25:00.000-04:00

Brady, for the love of Christ. Between this and the shots of you grabbin your boys' garbage, I'm not sure I want you winning the starting job. Seems like Derek Anderson might have the inside track for now.

Quotes from my boy Flo

2007-07-03T16:51:00.000-04:00

I was just checking some old emails and came across a list of quotes we had kept during our senior year of college, from our boy, Flo.

*************************************************************************

"I kind of wish I was a whale." -Flo, on not wanting to wait another week to see his girl.

"I can't tell you who won the Superbowl two years ago, but I can tell you who the King of England is."

"That guy with the ruler has a really tough job." -referring to the computer-generated first down line for NFL games.

"The Shawshank Shedemption." -referring to one of his favorite movies

"Whale beef." -Flo talking about a dish that he's never had.

"I wasn't really growing as a person." --referring to his relationship with Molly

"If a girl ever talked to me in that accent, I'd immediately drop 'trow' and..." --referring to Nicole Kidman in 'Days of Thunder'

"Yeah, my dad got it for me for Chrismas. I didn't like it, but I like him, so..." --referring to his cell phone

"It's the moms I care most about." -Flo, not wanting the Elizabeth "X." story to get out.

"Did someone slip a Viagra pill in my drink last night, because I CANNOT get rid of this morning wood." (2:30 PM)

"I'm so glad I'm not addicted to crack." -random

"Open your eyes, you crack whore." --referring to a lady trying to explain the Florida recount

"I think I have a spider in my ass."

"Hey Cronin, I got a third!" --Flo finding a third person to play tennis with

"Crack-a-foo" --trying to impersonate what he thought was Mr. T's famous "pity" line.

"Hey, what happens when you inhale a lot of Raid?"

"You know what's sweet? We can party with whoever girls we want on this campus. Please don't write that." (the "whoever" is no mistake)

"I don't say stupid things."

Quick Plug For My Boy, Bob

2007-07-03T16:38:00.000-04:00

My friend works in advertising and he recently worked on something for Mentos. Check out this website, MentosIntern. If you're having a bad day then log on and make him dance for you. He can also prank people for you, edit a paper, basically whatever you can think of.

I Love You Guys

2007-07-03T16:12:00.001-04:00

GAME 2...I hate you too Bowen, more than Mikki

2007-06-10T18:21:00.000-04:00

I've been derelict writing about the Cavs. What's the point? I'm not impartial. I'm a fan first. I can't look at these games objectively.

For game 2, I would bet heavily on the Cavs. I think the line was 7. I can't see Lebron having two bad games in a row. I'm not saying the Cavs will win, although I like their chances, but I think they'll keep it close and beat the spread.

Yes, they should play Boobie more. They need to go small more, as mentioned by some Cleveland sportswriters. I think they really need to go under every on the ball screen set for Tony Parker. It's pretty obvious. If Parker was a consistent outside shooter, he'd be mentioned in the same breath as Nash or Kidd. He's so fast, penetrates so easily and finishes around the hoop like a big, and the way to guard him is to duck under the screen to be sure you stop his penetration with your guard. Z, Gooden, Varejao will pick up ticky-tack calls bumping him, or let Duncan get good looks close to the hoop when they show to try to stop the ball. Lebron did the best job at this in game 1.

We need to push the ball offensively with a small lineup as much as possible. The Spurs aren't young. Parker Ginobili and Duncan were great in game 1. If they are contained a little more this should be a game.

GO CAVS!

Recommendations

2007-06-10T18:01:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of recommendations to kill some time.

The movie Knocked Up. It's hilarious. I think it's better than 40-Year Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers. Here is a funny link of a deleted scene. Go see it.

Three books:

The Brotherhoods, about Caracappa and Eppolito, the NYPD mafia cops. The book is astounding. It takes you through the background, crimes, investigation and trial of the two most corrupt cops ever.

The Ville, about Mooksville! The book follows the tumultuous high school years of a talented, charismatic teenage man, trying to make something of himself in one of America's most violent neighborhoods. It also follows tragic events at his school. The book illustrates how bad life was and still is in the projects. You can also witness the events through the eyes of a rookie housing cop.

The Things They Carried, ok, a lot of us have read this book in high school or college. I think this book is more relevant now, with what's happening in Iraq. Whatever side of the table you're sitting on as far as Iraq goes, the book takes you through the hearts and minds of soldiers (this is set in Vietnam). The soldiers are barely adult age, but through their experiences you witness the horrors of war and how they face these challenges. The book is brilliantly written by one of the best American writers in the last 40 years, Tim O'Brien. You can also read In the Lake of the Woods.

Boxing

2007-06-10T17:48:00.000-04:00

First off, last night, just in time for the Puerto Rican Parade in NYC, at Madison Square Garden, Miguel Cotto, one of my favorite young fighters, ko'd Mooksville native, Zab Judah. I didn't catch the fight but will check it out on the HBO replay.

The UFC is great, but everybody is so down on boxing, especially after De La Hoya/Mayweather fight. There's still a lot of great fighters out there. Check out Andre Berto (pictured), he's a future Champ. Dude's got a neck like you wouldn't believe. Check him out.

KING

2007-06-01T13:47:00.000-04:00

Work has me missing a lot of basketball right now, but I was able to make it home at about the 6:00 minute mark in the 4th quarter last night. I had no idea I was in for another 20 or so points from Lebron. The biggest game in Cavaliers history. The best performance of Lebron's career. There's not much you can say or write to relate the will he exerted in that game.

Up until Webber's 3 point play in the 2nd OT, I was thinking to myself, thank God, Lebron does have that killer instinct in him, thank God, he's reached a new level in his game that he will always be able to build on. Perhaps outsiders came to this conclusion earlier in the game, but we're Clevelanders, and we are always optimistic about the future and pessimistic about the present.

After he hit that 3 pointer I realized that the Cavs were going to win game 5 and that Lebron was going to hit the game winner. He just kept answering. In my lifetime, it is, second to Jordan, the most dominating performance I've seen in a playoff game. Tayshaun Prince is a very good player, especially defensively, and Lebron is so thoroughly dominating him that you can see the look of hopelessness on Prince's face every time Lebron drives by him and dunks it.

A lot of people in the media seem to forget that Lebron is in his 4th season and is 22 years old. They can point to Wade and say he won, but Wade had Shaq, along with Toine, Payton, Mourning. How much easier is it for him? C'mon. At this point, Jordan was a rook with the Bulls team that was sub .500 (he was shooting 18% for 3pt). Kobe was a superstar, but like Wade, he had Shaq, among others, and Magic had Kareem. Lebron is doing this much like Jordan had to do it, with little help, so it's easier to compare the two at similar ages. At this point in their lives, Lebron is ahead of Jordan. That's not to say he's going to top out higher than Jordan did, but it's frustrating to see him get hammered by pundits at such a young age.

I'm still absorbing the win and this performance. I can't wait for Saturday's game.

CAVS WIN! Bring on the Pistons

2007-05-19T19:09:00.001-04:00

What a great night for the franchise. I couldn't be happier for Donyell. A friend of mine told me that his son goes to school with Donyell's son and Donyell knows my friend's kid is a huge Steve Nash fan, so at the All-Star game he got the kid an autographed Steve Nash jersey. He just seems like a real nice guy and despite his lack of playing time, he came into a pressure situation and delivered.

Lebron looked so dominant in the first half and that bodes well for him against Detroit. He's too strong for Tayshaun and should be able to score down low. Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals is a huge accomplishment and they have a real solid chance to beat the Pistons. This takes a ton of pressure off Lebron and with each playoff game and series win, he's learning what it takes to become a champion.

Great quote that Windhorst had on his blog from Damon Jones:

Before the game, Damon Jones was being interviewed by two beautiful Italian female journalists. The English was broken and I'm not sure all message was getting through, but Damon was engrossed and trying his best. He must've felt good about his performance, because once they were gone he proclaimed: "I can talk a cat off a fish wagon with my cool lyrics."

We learned some things against the Pistons last year. Rasheed has a hard time scoring on the low post. Also, with Big Ben gone, and Webber and McDyess taking his minutes, their big men are even more susceptible to the high screen and roll and to our big men flashing in the lane. Rip isn't the best defender in the world but I'm curious to see who Brown puts on him. I'm guessing Sasha initially and then perhaps Snow and Hughes, depending on personnel. Gooden has a real chance to use his mobility and youth to score. Z wasn't much of a factor last year but I think he'll produce this series with Wallace bodying him up.

Lastly, I think it's a huge deal that the series starts on Monday. This gives us 2 full days of rest. Last year, if I'm not mistaken, we only had 1 full day to rest/prepare, and the Pistons were rested, prepared and waiting. We got killed. I think we have a chance to be competitive from the get go and we won't spot them 2 games like last year.