Even T-Mac Thinks the Heat Suck

Tracy McGrady ripped the Miami Heat on Monday and said that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade look terrible together, according to the New York Daily News.
"When they're on the court together, they're terrible," McGrady reportedly said. "Him and D-Wade don't complement each other. They're somewhat the same type of players, 'Bron and D-Wade."
The 31-year-old went on to say that the two Heat stars are different than Ray Allen and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, explaining that James and Wade both need the ball.
"That's why they're having trouble scoring in the half court because they can't get a rhythm, because one of them is dominating the ball," the Detroit Pistons guard reportedly said. "That guy might be getting off, but the other guy (isn't)."
It was reported on Monday that the Heat players are frustrated with coach Erik Spoelstra.
The Heat have lost four of their last five games and are 9-8 overall.

Haha, I can't get enough of this Heat downfall. Eric Spoelstra seems like a good person (and good coach), but I love seeing LeCon James and these fake tough guys spiral into a .500 record. Even T-Mac, a guy who looks toast out on the court as a Detroit Piston, and is averaging less than five points per game, is pointing out the obvious.

LeBron and D-Wade are too much alike as players. Both are alpha-dogs of some sort who absolutely need the ball in their hands to be most effective. Neither is a spot-up shooter, and neither has ever been in a position where they have ever had to defer to another player. Wade carried the Heat to the championship over the Mavs, and Shaq was a great second banana. LeBron has never played with someone even worthy of being a No.2 on a championship team. I mean, who's the best teammate he's ever had? Antawn Jamison for a minute? Big Z? Larry Hughes?

It's amazing people thought they were a shoo-in for the championship. Eddie House is one of their better players, and their core underrated/gritty player - Udonis Haslem - may be out for the year. Mike Miller is still hurt, they have no depth, and can easily get out muscled by bigger teams (a la the Magic, Celtics, Lakers, etc.).

But it's not like they brought all of this negative press on themselves. Oh wait, they did. From "The Decision", to the rock star entrance before training camp even began, to the feeling of superiority and having won a championship before the season even began, the Heats pity party is completely self-motivated.

That's the difference between this Heat team, and the Celtics 07/08 Championship team. The Celtics played with a collective chip on their shoulders, knowing they hadn't won squat. The Heat? They're playing like a bunch of individuals who can't handle the pressure of knowing the high expectations they 've created.

P.S.
T-Mac looks completely washed up. I mean, he looks chubbier and slower, perhaps not a good sign for a guy known to rely on athleticism. Meanwhile, this is his highlight of the year thus far: His first points of the season.

Because I Always Need a Laugh on Monday

I know they just replay the same clip over again, but this never gets old for me. One of those special dumb Youtube videos that is very dear to my heart.

Leslie Nielsen Passed Away at 84

R.I.P. Frank, should have been Nordbert

Maine Hockey Journal

This weekend was my first taste of writing for the Maine Hockey Journal. Wrote game recaps for Bowdoin's first two games of the season, and had a blast doing it.

LeBron! Hide your mother, Delonte West is back

Tonight's Celtics/Wizards game marks the return of Delonte West from a 10 game suspension to start the season. Normally the return of a player whose career scoring average is 10ppg, and who plead guilty to carrying a concealed weapon, is not the saving grace for an NBA franchise with 17 championships. Although West's troubles should be of some concern to Celtics fans, his contributions on the court by seasons end should put to rest those concerns.

Drafted by Danny Ainge in 2004, Delonte West earned initial recognition from fans for his hustle, outside shooting, and his basketball IQ. It wasn't until his second NBA season before he put up solid all around numbers. In a mostly starting gig, West produced great percentages, low turnovers, and averaged 11.8ppg, 4.1rpg, and 4.6apg. The St. Joe's grad produced similar numbers across the board the following season, as the Celtics stumbled all the way to 24 wins, their third worst total since joining the NBA. He wasn't a pariah in the locker room, and his play on the court was one of the few positives out of a truly dreadful season (Sebastian Telfair was not). Losing brings change, and Ainge saw an opportunity to get better, and traded West, the No. 5 pick, and Wally Szczerbiak to the Seattle Sonics for a sharp-shooter and well known "Jesus Shuttlesworth" Ray Allen.

Thanks to Kevin McHale, the Celtics landed Kevin Garnett and the rest is history. Meanwhile, West toiled away on the Sonics bench before Cleveland saved him. The Cavs, looking for a solid playoff run for LeBron to have (oh, how times have changed), needed more than Boobie Gibson and Larry Hughes at the guard spots. West came in and sparked the Cavs, but were eventually put down by the Celtics in seven games. Everytime West had an open three during that game, I had to turn away. The following year, Cleveland owned the best regular season record, and were nationally revered as the team to beat. LeBron and Delonte may have been the only two Cavs who showed some guts during the Orlando series, but it wasn't enough, as the Cavs once again went home.

It was during that successful regular season With Cleveland, that West began having problems. From his time with the Celtics, it was clear that Delonte was a goofball(the guy tapes SpongeBob episodes). With the Cavs, he began showing signs of depression, and even being bipolar. Problems began before the gun incident, but that event was what pushed his troubles into the limelight. The Cavs fizzled in the playoffs once again (to Boston yet again), as LeBron infamously dogged it during at least one of those games. Not surprisingly, West appeared in all of the games. What was surprising was the fact that West totaled eight points in the final three games, and looked like a complete non-factor for most of the series.

With his problems growing, and his play appearing more average than superb, West was sent packing to Minnesota in the offseason, where it was clear he would never play for the Timberwolves. In need of depth at the guard positions, and a clear fan of his game, Danny Ainge made a late signing of Delonte West on September 2nd for the veteran's minimum.

It's clear that West's troubles are not far behind him, and there is still baggage riding the coattails of the lanky lefty. He's been diagnosed as being bipolar, and the Celtics will be monitoring everything that comes from West this season. He's also in a familiar spot, being back with Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kendrick Perkins, and Shaquille O'Neal, whom he was with last season in Cleveland and are reportedly very close.

We're not talking about an MVP caliber player joining the Green, but West's point guard abilities will allow Nate Robinson to move to the off-guard position where he is more comfortable, he's a smooth shooter who will spread the floor, and is also adept at picking up steals and even weak side blocks. God forbid anything should happen to Ray, Rondo or Pierce, West could step in in a heartbeat and fill in admirably. Heck, he could start for a handful of teams this season. Everything appears to be looking in West's favor, let's hope it stays that way.

UPDATE: Delonte broke his wrist and is out for at least three months. Hopefully he can come back and give the Celts a boost come playoff time.

So What's the Deal with Politics?

I'll spare you my Jerry Seinfeld routine, but I thought that considering the elections just took place, now would be a good time to test out my political thoughts on the Freeze. When I first started this blog I had planned for it to be a sports/politics theme. I do have more thoughts than my favorite drunk foods, or just how good the Patriots are (awesome!).

With a significant backing of many Republican candidates, the Tea Party Movement managed to bring an energy that seemed to overshadow what Democratic leaders and candidates were trying to do. I'll come out and admit that I consider myself to be liberal and a supporter of Barack Obama and many of his policies. However, the lack of recognition and communication to the American public from his administration paved the way for disgruntled Democrats and young people to bail on the polls. Weren't young people a large majority of his presidential campaign. Although I can't say for everyone, it felt as though this midterm election was lacking in participation. The Tea Party capitalized on this, and with it's propaganda-based campaign, swayed undecided and disgruntled voters to vote Republican.

The Republicans managed to gain a majority of at least 60 seats in the House of Representatives - the biggest swing since 1948. In addition, at least 62 Tea Party backed House and Senate candidates were victorious on Tuesday. With the Tea Party's blessing comes its curse. Key senate races in Nevada, Colorado, Delaware and California failed, and the Democrats remained with the majority in the senate. Perhaps some old-school Republicans didn't appreciate the circus that is the Movement, and would have preferred better candidates, such as Delaware's well-tenured Mike Castle in favor of Sarah Palin's understudy, Christine O'Donnell. The same O'Donnell who once dabbled in witchcraft and believed that masturbation was the same as adultery.

I know that one person doesn't represent a whole, but what's the saying I'm looking for? Oh, let's just call a spade a spade. Here is footage and interviews from the Tea Party's September rally in Washington D.C. Notice they don't understand that a czar is not a synonym for Russian-Commie-Bastard-Puppy Killer:

Week 9 NFL Power Rankings (I'm back from the dead)

Not dead, but I decided to take a little hiatus just for the heck of it. Funny thing is, I left off with a long post about Randy Moss and his departure from the Patriots to the Vikings. Now, I return and Moss is gone from Minnesota and on the NFL waiver wire. If you would've told me at the beginning of the season that Moss would be traded a 1/4 of the way through, Ben Jarvis-Green Ellis would be leading the team with 371 yards rushing, a guy named Danny Woodhead would be making great contributions, and Deion Branch would be back in a Pats uniform, I would have looked at you funny.

But at the same time, this is a Bill Belichick coached team, and the man/myth/genius/Greek god has performed his job differently than every other coach on the sidelines this season. He cut fan favorite Lawyer Milloy to begin the 2003 season (they won the super bowl); he traded away his best pass rusher Richard Seymour to begin the 2009 season (they own the Raiders 1st round pick this year; and he just received a 3rd round pick from the Minnesota Vikings for four games of Randy Moss (one of the best wideouts of all-time, but at this point, a complete nutcase).
Moss was cut by the Vikings on Monday after one of the greatest speeches in NFL history. To summarize: I miss the Patriots like hell, I F-ed up, Brad Childress is a moron, and Belichick is the greatest coach ever.

On to the Power Rankings

1. New England (6-1): With the NFL's best record, the Patriots still will look to improve the fluidity of their newly installed offense.

2. Pittsburgh (6-2): Passing game struggled against spotty Saints defense. James Harrison is one scary man.

3. Baltimore (5-2): Had a bye last week, but their record remains very good, and the Jets failed to make a showing at the Meadowlands.

4. New York Jets (5-2): When the offense is on, this team is scary. Likewise when Sanchez and co. struggle.

5. Indianapolis (5-2): Despite the early season fawning over Houston and Tennessee, the injury-riddled Colts remain atop the tough AFC South.

6. New York Giants (5-2): Playing great football after looking toast at the beginning of the season. Eli Manning must remain consistent for them to be contenders.

7. Atlanta (5-2): Can't get a feel for what type of team this is offensively and defensively. The next two games will be huge against Tampa for the NFC South, and on of the AFC's best with Baltimore.

8. New Orleans (5-3): Putting the Saints at eight based on the way their defense played. Getting Reggie Bush back (probably after their week 10 bye) is vital for this offense.

9. Green Bay (5-3): Hey, maybe the NFC isn't so bad after all. The Packers defense showed up big in their bagel of the Jets.

10 Kansas City (5-2): Squeaked past the pesky Bills in OT. For all of the clamoring over their offensive struggles, Matt Cassel has a 90 QB rating, and Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones combined have over 1,000 yards rushing.

11. Tennessee (5-3): Followed up their trouncing of the Eagles with a disappointing loss against a Chargers team on the ropes.

12. Philadelphia (4-3): Mike Vick is back, which is good for fans everywhere. Peyton Manning is coming to town, which is not good news for Eagles fans.

13. Miami (4-3): Field goals are good if you own Dan Carpenter on your fantasy team. They're not good for an NFL team trying to sneak into the playoffs.

14. Tampa Bay (5-2): Earned a tough victory in Arizona. If they earn a win at Atlanta, the Bucs will have to be taken seriously.

15. Houston (4-3): The defense is playing awful, and the offensive line treated Matt Schaub as if he was a pinata and they wanted some candy. They look to be in a serious funk.

16. Chicago (4-3): Have a lot of things to sort out, but at least the defense is tough.

17. Oakland (4-4): Out of all of the years this past decade that the Raiders won no more than five games, why do they have to pick the year the Patriots have their first round pick to make some moves?

18. San Diego (3-5): Obviously not as bad as their record says. The Chargers schedule is more than manageable, and Phillip Rivers is in top form.

19. Washington (4-4): What was Mike Shanahan thinking? Donovan McNabb is certainly frustrating at times, but was there a better chance to win the game with Rex Grossman behind center? Jamarcus "syzerp" Russell next week?

20. Jacksonville (4-4): Pulverized the sinking ship that is Dallas. Despite some rough games, David Garrard has a 98 QB rating and 15 TD's scored.

21. Seattle (4-3): Plain and simple: the Seahawks are a terrible road team, but a great home team that is helped out generously by the home crowd. They have five left at Qwest Field.

22. St. Louis (4-4): The Seahawks being the highest-rated NFC West team shows just how bad a division the west is. Would the Rams think about bringing in Randy Moss?

23. Minnesota (2-5): Straight Cash Homey obviously didn't pan out. This shows just how poorly ran the Vikings franchise is.

24. Cincinnati (2-5): Like the Vikings conundrum, fantasy players and great names don't always make for a good team.

25. Arizona (3-4): If they had a real QB they would be much better. Why didn't they try to land McNabb in the offseason, it's not like he has a home there or trains there in the offseason. Oh wait, he does.

26. Detroit (2-5): Their record should be better than it actually is. They look like a team that is starting to come together, especially now that Matthew Stafford is back.

27. Cleveland (2-5): Like the Lions, they are playing better than their record indicates. Will face a tough test this week against the Pats.

28. San Francisco (2-6): Coming off of a win that no one noticed in Frisco. Amazingly, they still have a good chance of winning the NFC West.

29. Denver (2-6): Have lost four straight, and appear to be finished. Wideout Brandon Lloyd has resurrected his career to a tune of 878 receiving yards in eight games.

30. Dallas (1-6): Wade Phillips has to be fired. Once the team fails to be held accountable, the coach is the first to blame. Although for the Cowboys, that was a while ago.

31. Carolina (1-6): The offense is terrible, the defense is filled with little impact players, and it's only a matter of time before Steve Smith decks someone. Probably Jimmy Clausen.

32. Buffalo (0-7): May be better than the Panthers, but the Panthers have what the Bills covet: a win.

Moss Back to Minny

I was shocked last night when I happened to turn on the channel over to ESPN for a little 11 o'clock SportsCenter before bed, and saw "Randy Moss" and "trade" in their beginning promo. In fact, my heart sank. It didn't help when Insider Adam Schefter reported that the deal wasn't imminent, but was being worked on. By Wednesday morning it was reality.

How could one of the best receivers of all-time be traded mid season for a measly third round pick? It just didn't make sense. This is like Lawyer Milloy and Richard Seymour all over again, except way worse.

From a personal standpoint, Moss has always been one of my favorite players. When he was absolutely tearing the league up in Minnesota. Even in his Oakland days I knew he was still a great player trapped in an impossible situation. I was a Moss apologist, and even now I still am.

He was saved from Al Davis by Bill Belichick, who saw the opportunity (4th round pick) to pair Tom Brady with a capable receiver (the Patriots had just lost the AFC Championship game with Reche Cadwell as its No. 1).

The match was perfect, even with Moss' checkered past in mind. The duo broke records in their first season together, as the Patriots offense operated at a never-before/never-again seen pace. When Brady went down in 2008, and untested Matt Cassel was thrown into the fire, critics and football minds alike wondered if Moss would tank or become the malcontent he once was. None of that happened as he quietly put his head down and went to work for the eager Cassel. He caught 69 balls for over 1,000 receiving yards that year, and the Pats were shut out of the playoffs despite going 11-5 (keep in mind that the Chargers at 8-8 got in; ridiculous).

With Brady back from his devastating knee injury the next year, New England was geared for great things again. The season wasn't a total loss, going 10-6 and making the playoffs, but they amassed only a 2-6 road record, were plagued with old age signings (Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs), and locker room cancers (Adalius Thomas). Meanwhile, Moss was a true professional, even as media members took unnecessary swipes at his desire while he played most of the year with badly injured ribs. That 2009 season, his last full one in Patriots blue and silver, he grabbed 83 balls for a total of 1,264 yards and 13 TDs. Little media attention was spent on another hall of fame season he dropped.

After the embarrassing playoff loss to the Ravens and the off season began, Moss seemed to revert back to his diva ways. He took swipes at the Patriots organization, calling them cheap, while also going on public record a number of times to state that the NFL is a business, and he didn't expect to be back with New England in 2011. This season was his last under his current 3 year/27$ million contract. At a team function before the season, with season ticket holders in attendance, Moss acted like a complete jerk; there's no other way around it. He sulked in the corner with his head phones on the entire time, and was rude to anyone who wanted to get a word from him. I tend to dislike the Boston media for the most part because they like to make a mountain out of a mole hill. This gave the media, whom many already had a blatant disregard for Moss, ample ammunition to trash him.

After New England opened the season with a decisive whooping of the Cincinnati Bengals, one would think everyone would have been happy. Not Moss. While he seemed excited about the victory, his post game speech was an embarrassing diatribe against all of his haters, while basically stating what was previously stated. The NFL is a business, I don't expect to be back with the Patriots, PAY ME. The biggest Moss fan couldn't even back what he did with a straight face. It took away from a great team victory. This also prompted Moss to ask for a trade.

When looking at the Patriots as an organization, it is clear just from the outside looking in that they do things differently than most NFL teams. Belichick and his staff place a value on every player, and if that player wants too much, he's gone (Deion Branch, Asante Samuel). They also place a premium on team-first guys and tend to shy away from giving too much information to the media, if any info at all. They do things behind closed doors, and if Moss had just kept quiet, the Patriots would have tried to work out a deal with him. If not, he would've walked at the end of the year and received a generous contract from another team. It's not like he was making the veteran's minimum; Moss is making 9$ million this season to play football.

After the Cincinnati post game rant, Moss was quiet (at least we know publicly), all the while the team began to shift its offensive philosophy to spreading the ball more around and using their three tight end set more often. The Patriots brought this game plan to Miami, and what a national TV audience saw was a vintage New England performance. Guys like Rob Ninkovich, Danny Woodhead, and Patrick Chung played key roles in the steamroll of the Dolphins. Moss didn't catch a pass, and was targeted only once (on a fake spike from Tom Brady). It's not like Moss was single covered the whole game. He was constantly being double-teamed, and the underneath routes became increasingly open as a result. Asked after the game about his failure to catch a pass, Moss responded, "It's called a game-plan." It didn't seem like a snide remark, but the truth. If he was going to be double-teamed constantly, naturally Tom Brady should have looked for someone else, preferably the open man.

Now with Moss back in a Vikings uniform today, reports have surfaced that Moss and Quarterbacks Coach Bill O'Brien were involved in a blowout during halftime of the Miami win. The Patriots had been in trade discussions with other teams about Moss, but this appears to be what broke the camels back. He had requested a trade, and now has his wish. Belichick must have seen this as the right time to get rid of the enigmatic star. A confidence lifting win, added with a fundamental shift in offensive philosophy and a heated exchange with a coach led Belichick to see now was the time to go through with the trade.

It really is unfortunate that Moss couldn't have played this year out to the best of his abilities. I sincerely believe that had he done this, he would have been rewarded with a new contract by the team at the end of the season. (On a side note, I may have to change most of my fantasy team names from "Straight Cash Homey" to something else). When you're young and talented, mistakes are tolerated. But when you're 33 and a veteran of 13 NFL seasons, there comes a time when you need to mature.

Much like Allen Iverson, Moss just doesn't seem to get it. He's not like T.O., who's all about promoting himself. Moss appears to have a distinct love for the game. Belichick had said on occasion that Moss was one of the smartest and most coachable players he ever had.

Randy Moss seems to be over-sensitive. It also appears that he has a large pair of rabbit ears. That's probably what pushed him to become one of the most dynamic offensive players ever; that chip that won't budge or crumble. That same drive that pushed him against all the naysayers such as the Dallas Cowboys (for lying about taking him in the draft), Notre Dame and Florida State (for revoking his scholarships), and all of the critics during the 1998 draft which saw him fall from top-five to No. 21.

Patriots fans are left scratching their heads, and Vikings fans are bringing out old Moss jerseys from their closets. Moss could have been an integral part of the Patriots offense this season. Instead, he finds himself in a new situation in an all-too familiar place.

NFL Power Rankings Week 4

With news that an 18-game schedule may become a reality sooner rather than later, and a lockout could doom every fan on Sunday's from September to February, it is important to take this season's games in slowly and with a grain of appreciation.
I have noticed a few things thus far, namely that the quality of starting quarterbacks has gone down as a whole (there is a good list of elite QB's, however), and the NFL's penchant for a lack of parody has hit full stride this season. Is there one team that absolutely petrifies you? Is there a team that you can say with full confidence will be on the field for the Super Bowl, or even the conference championships? I think not.

Without further adieu, I present my first power rankings of the 2010-11 season:

1. Pittsburgh 3-0

The Steelers are No. 1 based on the suffocating defense and the potential that looms once Ben Roethlisberger returns from his suspension. No one means more to their defense than Troy Polomalu does. Their schedule is manageable, but the division is gruesome. They also can't keep fooling teams with Chaz Batch at QB.

2. Atlanta 2-1

They would be undefeated had the offense shown up at Pittsburgh in week one. Matt Ryan led his team to victory against the Saints (did you see him rally the troops?), and rookie linebacker Sean Witherspoon already leads the team with 24 tackles. They also possess one of the best tight ends ever, as well as a No. 1 wideout that can hang with the best of them. What pushes them to elite status is their running game, with Michael Turner and Jason Snelling splitting carries.

3. New Orleans 2-1

The Saints haven't played that great of football this year. They squeaked by a Vikings team that just isn't that great this year, and they let the 49ers play their best football against them in week two. Kicker Garrett Hartley has also struggled mightily, failing on a 29-yarder that would have beat the Falcons. The running game has been non-existent, and the loss of Reggie Bush hurts more than they would like you to believe.

4. Green Bay 2-1

Despite losing to Chicago (18 penalties? Really) the Packers are overly talented offensively, and possess game-changers on the other side of the ball. A trade for Marshawn Lynch may be coming soon, as they clearly can't run the ball.

5. Chicago 3-0

The "hottest" team in the league right now. Mike Martz has reinvigorated a historically boring offense, and made Devin Hester into the player many believed he would be. Their defense is tough, the Julius Peppers signing seems to working out, it's great to see Urlacher back out on the field, and Jay Cutler actually may be finally matured. Matt Forte needs to start averaging more than 2.8 ypc.

6. Baltimore 2-1

They've only allowed 41 points. Surprisingly, 17 points were given up to the Browns. You know the defense will only get better once Ed Reed returns, but the offense needs to right its ship. Joe Flacco has thrown more picks than TD's, but he has the weapons and safety blankets to get his mojo going.

7. Houston 2-1

After falling on their face to the Cowboys, I think it is safe to assume that the Texans may not be as good as we thought, and the Cowboys may be better than we thought. The offense can throw/run on anyone, but the defense is still raw. We won't see a true mark of how they've progressed/regressed until Nov. 1 against the Colts.

8. New York (Jets) 2-1

Mark Sanchez has put together back-to-back superb games, and LT's play has me wondering what really happened the last few years in San Diego. The defense had somewhat of a letdown against Miami, but continues to be one of the top units in the league. Dustin Keller is also quietly breaking out, while the offensive line quietly remains one of the team's best strengths.

9. New England 2-1

The secondary has been burned lately, but it possesses the speed and potential ability to become a focal point for the defense. While the season-ending injuries to Leigh Bodden, Ty Warren, and Kevin Faulk may appear crippling, the offense may be the league's best, and the defense is not as bad as it appears. Aaron Hernadez leads the team with 211 receiving yards.

10. Indianapolis 2-1

The Colts were aided by the Broncos stupidity, as well as some timely defense. The offense remains at the top of its game, as the defense appears vulnerable.

11. Philadelphia 2-1

Mike Vick's energy has made a positive impact for a team that may have looked dead in the water when they opened against Green Bay. Obviously Detroit and Jacksonville aren't good measuring points, but the defense was swarming against the Jaguars, and Vick's legs present even more problems for defenses already trying to stop Jackson, McCoy, et al.

12. Miami 2-1

Chad Henne looked as good as ever against the Jets, Brandon Marshall is certainly proving his worth, and why did the Cardinals ever replace Karlos Dansby with Joey Porter. A brutal stretch of New England, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Tennessee, and Chicago awaits them.

13. Dallas 1-2

Lived up to their potential for at least one game against Houston. The pass defense may be top's in the league, and the front seven is no slouch. I also didn't realize how good Miles Austin is.

14. Tennessee 2-1

They played poorly against a great team in Pittsburgh and beat the teams they should have, in Oakland and the Giants. The defense has played masterfully this season, but none of the wide receivers seem to be any good.

15. Cincinnati 2-1

Boy, has Carson Palmer looked bad or what? He honestly looked like a third-string rookie against a Carolina team he should have shredded apart. Thankfully for TOCHO and company, the defense has played stellar (minus a bad half in New England).

16. Kansas City 3-0

The surprise team thus far, the Chiefs have benefited from an easy schedule. This year's draft class is already turning heads, and Matt Cassel finally had a good game. The AFC West can be had this year.

17. Minnesota 1-2

Heading into a bye week knowing that they're better than Detroit offers little consolation that the NFC North is going to be a dogfight this season. Without Adrian Peterson the Vikings have no shot.

18. San Diego 1-2

Losing their grip on the weak AFC West, all the while Phillip Rivers throws for 400+ yards in a loss. Losing Vincent Jackson hasn't hurt the offense. The defense and special teams coverage has underperformed.

19. Washington 1-2

I feel for Skins' fans, as this start to the season feels all too familiar. Donovan McNabb has done well despite low numbers, and the defense is better than advertised. Not enough offense, in addition to the Albert Haynseworth debacle has hurt the team.

20. Seattle 2-1

Representing the putrid NFC West, Seattle is the pesky team that will give everyone fits this season, particularly in front of their rabid home crowd. Matt Hasselbeck has been wildly inconsistent.

21. Arizona 2-1

Luckily escaped the Raiders failed game-winning field goal attempt. The defense is just not that good this season, and Derek Anderson and his 52% completion is not getting things done. Larry Fitzgerald must be praying that Kurt Warner drops the dancing shoes and comes back to play.

22. Tampa Bay 2-1

The 2-1 record is going to evaporate quickly, with games against the Bengals and Saints coming up. Josh Freeman is making similar strides to Mark Sanchez this season, and Ronde Barber astonishingly remains a top corner.

23. New York (Giants) 1-2

A shocking fall for a Tom Coughlin coached team. This team is plagued by terrible penalties, turnovers, and Brandon Jacobs' attempt to sabotage the locker room. The young wideouts are already great, but Eli Manning remains inconsistent and interception prone.

24. San Francisco 0-3

Better than their record, but that says very little. This team is a joke. It starts with the coach and trickles down to the quarterback and the rest of the players. the 49ers certainly have the talent to win their division.

25. Denver 1-2

Josh McDaniels' killed their chances of taking down the Colts with some idiotic moves in the red zone. The Kyle Orton extension was a great move, but the defense remains overmatched.

26. Oakland 1-2

Fellow AFC West bottom dweller is maddeningly inconsistent. Bruce Gradkowski provided a good spark to a team that looked non-existent with Jason Campbell at the helm. Campbell is an Al Davis favorite, while Coach Tom Cable favors Gradkowski. Darren McFadden has finally realized his potential.

27. St. Louis 1-2

Sam Bradford already looks really poised behind center, and the team looks like it will be competitive in the next few years. The defensive side of the ball is still a long way from being in the top half of the league.

28. Jacksonville 1-2

After Sunday's putrid loss to the Eagles, the Jaguars looked like a team that was mentally checked out. Even if his receivers aren't getting open David Garrard has to do a better job than a 38 QB rating. The secondary is also getting lit up.

29. Cleveland 0-3

Played well against the Ravens, and it was particularly fun watching Peyton Hillis bulldoze guys. They've lost all close games, but may find themselves at 0-9 after a tough stretch of games. At least they're competitive.

30. Detroit 0-3

The optimism that began this season has evaporated as Mathew Stafford finds himself injured again. Hopefully young play maker Jahvid Best's injury is not too serious. Detroit fans can now look forward to gaining the No. 1 pick.

31. Carolina 0-3

The Matt Moore experiment crashed and burned, and Jimmy Clausen looked like a rookie in his first start. The pass defense has looked terrible, and one has to wonder how long Steve Smith will stay sane in the midst of losing.

32. Buffalo 0-3

Trent Edwards is gone, and Bills fans again are left to wonder what has happened for the past decade. C.J. Spiller needs more than seven touches, and Marshawn Lynch could bring back a handsome draft pick. It's going to be a long and cold winter in Buffalo.

That's Why They Play the Game

As everyone in America knows by now, the Patriots are a team on a mission this season. With a complete all-around effort, the Patriots cruised by the Cincinnati Bengals 38-24. If not for Chad Ocho Cinco showing up in the second half, and the Patriots secondary moving the corners back and dropping into a softer zone, the score would have been much uglier.

When I say that this was an all-around effort, I mean it in every possible way. From what I saw, Tom Brady barely had a finger laid on him the entire game, and the offensive line seemed to manhandle whatever the Bengals D had to bring. The running backs by committee had driving lanes to maneuver through. Fred Taylor received the bulk of the carries at 14, while Kevin Faulk and Ben Jarvis-Green Ellis combined for eight carries and 45 yards on the ground. With Laurence Maroney now with McDaniels in Denver, expect to see Ellis receive around five-to-ten carries per game.

The Bengals defense didn't just look lost, they looked as lost as Rex Ryan at a salad bar. On Welker's second TD (Jacoby Ellsbury should take some advice from No. 83) the Patriots split Welker, Alge Crumpler, and Rob Gronkowski out wide to the left side in a bunched formation. Anyone watching could tell you Welker was going to get a screen pass. For some reason, the Bengals only lined up two players to cover three. Naturally, Welker scored, and naturally the Patriots won the game.

Speaking of Gronkowski, he is quickly becoming a fan favorite. At 6'6 265, with a giant pair of mittens as hands and a ferocious blocker, he is making Pats fans forget about Ben Watson. Not that that was hard to do.

The question that everyone, including myself, had about the Pats this season was of course the defense. During the first half, the Patriots D looked unflappable, getting penetration up front, and creating havoc by moving guys around pre-snap.

Gary Guyton had a beautiful pick-six and Mike Wright's pressure paved the way for Rob Ninkovich to strip Cedric Benson of the ball for a fumble recovery.

Patrick Chung showed us why he was worthy of the early second-round pick the Pats spent on him last draft - as well as sending Mike Vrabel/Matt Cassel to the Chiefs for that pick - recording 16 tackles (nearly half of his total from last season). He closed on the ball with ferocity and seemed to be making plays all over the field.

I was a little surprised to see so little of Brandon Spikes and in seeing Brandon Meriweather not in the starting lineup. They seemed to rotate out Spikes in favor of Guyton during obvious passing situations and vice versa when it came to the obvious run situations. From what I have read, Belichick and the coaching staff view James Sanders, and Chung and Meriweather as being on equal footing. Meriweather still came in and provided seven tackles, while covering centerfield, as the Pats went into their softer zone.

Devin McCourty and Darius Butler looked great against the self-love affair that is Ocho and TO. They were asked to man-up on the two, and came away victorious. I was especially impressed with Butler, who's reads looked faster and more decisive than last season.

Now......Bring on the Jets and their new Meadowlands Stadium. Haha.

Straight $ Homey

The Itch is Getting Stronger. Football is Less than 2 Weeks Away.

P.S. The Patriots offense is going to be the best in the league this season. Mark it down.

Jolly John No More?

Maine automobile marketing icon John Pulsifer, who began selling cars in 1958, is selling his Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership in Saco. The dealership is being purchased by Bill Waldron, owner of Portland Volvo and Portland Saab in Scarborough. Waldron will take over Wednesday, Pulsifer said, although he expects to stay on until the transfer is authorized by Chrysler later this fall. Pulsifer said Waldron made a proposal in July, and after considering it, he decided to sell. The purchase price wasn't disclosed. Pulsifer is widely known as Jolly John, an advertising persona he assumed in media ads nearly 30 years ago. Now 73, Pulsifer said he's not sure what he'll be doing after leaving the car dealership. "A new chapter in my life is about to open," he said.

Wow, so this is the end uh? For those of you not familiar with the jolly one, he was a polarizing figure, who's commercials provided incessant entertainment for nearly 30 years. A Southern Maine staple, I figured John would've kept his gig until the day he died. Or, perhaps he would've passed on the Jolly torch to one of his son's, assuming he has one with the charisma like his old man. I like how Jolly John says, "A new chapter in my life is about to open." Nothing can live up to thrill of being the jolliest S.O.B in town. I can picture him playing bingo, recounting all of his crazy stories to the other elders, getting mad and then screaming, 'If you wanna pay more, that's youuur business, if you wanna pay less, that's aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh business!'

Best Drunk Food's

We've all been there. Two a.m. after the bars are letting out, and you're gone. Not totally gone, but let's just say tomorrow is going to be a day full of water, ginger ale, and maybe some greasy food. Speaking of greasy food, that is what your stomach is undoubtedly craving by the time last call rolls around. People will pay top dollar for a big piece of pizza or a McDonald's cheeseburger by this time. Hell, where I went to school there was a bagel shop that was open till real late, and because it was on the walk back to campus and the only thing open, kids would flock to it. This was a bagel shop. Repeat. Bagels. I can eat two bagels in the morning. The owner would naturally charge whatever he wanted for the bagel and the trouble you were probably causing. $5, $10 maybe. I may have even been a victim. They weren't even that good bagels. Again, people will shell out some serious dough for drunk munchies. Without further adieu, here is my list of favorite drunk foods (Discretion: this list is subject to change at any time):

1. Pizza: In terms of price/tastiness/reliability/easy handling, pizza is my favorite drunk food. Nothing beats a good slice. At $3 a pop, and often somewhat filling, pizza is always on my mind. The greasiness, cheese, and sauce mixture is a mix of ecstasy for any drunkard, and a topping only adds to the tastiness. It's hard to screw up a slice of pizza (somehow Dominos doesn't yet understand this), which makes it my top pick.

2. Burgers: A pizza burger would be even better, but a cheeseburger is something I have a hard time turning down. Like pizza, it is easy to avoid getting it all over you, and like pizza, it is greasy goodness. It's grilled ground beef, topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and maybe bacon if you're lucky. MMMM BACON.

3. Wings: Chicken wings are great for football, so they're naturally great for drunk eating. Not only are they delicious, but they come in multiple flavors, with multiple dipping sauces as well. My preference - old bay wings with blue cheese dipping sauce.

4. Burritos: One of my favorite foods, but a food that requires a lot of attention. Hopefully you are able to sit down, or otherwise you may find your burrito on the ground or all over yourself. The combination of meat, beans, veggies, and cheese is bound to even help sober John Daly up.

5. Absolutely Anything: Let's face it, after pounding down a dozen brews and some jaeger bombs, all anyone wants is something to munch on (or water if you like that). That's probably why you see some people eat dog treats at parties. It's not because they're getting tricked or are completely smashed, it's because they're starved. Anything in the fridge (store) will do, and anything is fair game. The lesson when drinking, of course is, bring plenty of cash for food.

Papel-boner No More

What the hell happened to Jonathan Pabelbon's elite closer status. Don't get me wrong, he was never on the level of Mo Rivera, but if his stats from previous years look pretty dominant. Even last season, when he didn't look the same, he put up an ERA of 1.85 with 38 saves in 41 chances. He did, however, blow game three against the Angels to eliminate the Sox from the playoffs.

It is clearly evident that hitters aren't as afraid of Papelbon as they once were. The fact that his splitter isn't always reliable makes his fastball that much more hittable. He can still crank it back to 97-98mph at times, but typically settles into the 95mph range. Even if you hit 100mph, once major league hitters have seen it a number of times, they can hit it out of the yard.

Because hitters have seemingly caught on to Papelbon this season, it would be safe to assume that he is becoming more aware of this. He is, to the tune of 19 walks in 49 innings already this season. His previous high in walks came last year in fact, when he recorded 24 walks. His SO/BB ratio is at a career low 2.37, while last year it was just at 3.17. That is quite alarming considering his previous low (not inluding when he started a handful of games in 2005) was 5.60 when his ERA was 1.85 in 2007.

Papelbon, like the rest of us, realizes that his time in Boston is coming to an end (if not after this season, then sometime thereafter). Daniel Bard is ready to take over right now, he is much younger than Papelbon, and his stuff is absolutely filthy. To say that Papelbon is awful and needs to be shipped out of town is 100% wrong. The guy still has great stuff and is a top-half of the league closer. He won a world series and has closed out meaningful games for the Sox. Closing in baseball is one of the toughest jobs to do. It is amazing how many times a closer is an All-Star one year, and the next year he's out of his closer role by May. The position is so important, however, and team's that expect to go deep in the postseason need to have a top-end closer (an underrated part of the Yankees dominance has been Rivera).

I don't what Terry Francona should do this season. Keep Papelbon as closer and lose a couple more heartbreak's, or establish Bard as the closer for the rest of the season and risk losing Papelbon's confidence entirely. I'm glad I'm not in the position to decide.

Tim Roth Heads Up Vicious Bro-stitution Ring

http://www.asylum.com/2010/07/20/tim-roth-heads-up-vicious-brostitution-ring-funny-or-die/

Here is the link to Tim Roth's next bid for an Oscar. Love the part at the end where he pimp slaps one of his bro's.

Cold-Blooded Brotha!!!

Courtesy of Barstool Sports Boston

What Happened?

It's understandably been awhile since I last posted. The Celtics broke my heart (hey, if your team was up 13 points in the fourth of a game 7 championship - and lost - you would have to take a breather from sports too). Since the Lakers stole game 7 away, a lot has happened around the NBA.

Let's start with the biggest douche in maybe all of professional sports - LeBron James. Not only did he, "take his talents to South Beach," but he also tore the city of Cleveland's collective heart right out of its chest and stomped on it for good measure. By creating the circus of LeBron mania, he made me like Kobe Bryant more than him (which is hard to do). He disrespected the game, his peer's, and the legends of the past by conducting "The Decision". ESPN also deserves equal blame. Seriously though, can you imagine Larry Bird doing something like this. I can't even see Michael Jordan or Kobe staging something so asinine. In wrestling terms, it was like Hulk Hogan joining the NWO, with D-Wade and Bosh as Razor Ramon and Kevin Nash, only, this is real. One thing's for certain, LeBron has become the ultimate villain in the NBA.

Thankfully the LeBron sweepstakes is over. The Celtics remained contenders next year (and mind you, they're still the Eastern Conference Champs) by signing Jermaine O'Neal to a favorable contract, and re-signing Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Nate Robinson. They also lost defensive whiz Tony Allen. The Knicks continued being the Knicks with their signing of Amare Stoudemire and Ray Felton. Let's see how much Stoudemire likes playing with Felton. At least Knicks fans won't have to see Chris Duhon shoot anymore jumpers.

Like the Knicks, the Bulls were unable to land any of the "Three Amigos", but came away with a top power forward in Carlos Boozer. A very solid signing from a team with a good core, also adding in Boozer's old Jazz teammates in Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. I don't even wanna touch the Cavs with a ten-foot pole - they're toxic right now.

The Hawks, meanwhile, made a terrible decision (even for their standards), not by resigning Joe Johnson, but for resigning Joe Johnson to a six-year $119 million deal. Not only did Johnson disappear in the playoffs almost completely, he has peaked as a player. Since his 25 ppg outburst in 2006-07, his ppg has declined to where he is a 21 ppg scorer - which is fine. His assists have gone down, and he only attempted 3.5 free throws per game last season in 38 minutes of action. In comparison, Paul Pierce averaged 6.1 free throw attempts per game during 34 minutes of action during a season where he focused more on his outside shot. Johnson is a fine player and would have commanded a lot of money from an outside team had the Hawks not signed him. The problem is, they handcuffed themselves and appear to have the same "no defense" core intact.

Out West, Kevin Durant quietly inked a long extension for himself to stay in OKC through the 2015-16 season. Kobe also signed a modest 3-year $90 million extension to stay in LA through the 2013-14 season. The Jazz lost one power forward, but gained another by trading for Minnesota's Al Jefferson. Jefferson should fit right in with point guard extraordinaire Deron Williams. The Warriors also made one of my favorite deals in the offseason by trading for David Lee. Lee on the Warriors is the perfect fit. Expect many 20-20 nights from the lefty power forward. Golden State has also been reported that the team has been sold to new owner Joe Lacob, a Sillicon Valley venture capitalist. He is also a minority owner of the Celtics, and in the case that the NBA approves the deal, will have to get rid of his stake with Boston. Hopefully David Stern allows the deal to go through, and Lacob finally puts a winner in such a good basketball city.

Top Remaining Free Agents:

PG's

Allen Iverson

C.J. Watson

Jason Williams

Earl Watson

SG's

Shannon Brown

Larry Hughes

Roger Mason

SF's

Josh Howard

Tracy McGrady

Richard Jefferson

Rasual Butler

PF's

Craig Smith

Kurt Thomas

Louis Amundson

Juwan Howard

C's

Brad Miller

Shaquille O'Neal

Some suspicious calls from NBA FInals game 1

The officiating has been downright awful, and unfortunately, it is taking away the spotlight from what should be an amazing series. Doc Rivers called out the officiating after game three's frustrating loss. Here is a video of game one's (an amazingly bad game) egregious calls.

Let's Get It On

As the NBA Playoffs finally come to a close after practically two months of playing, the Eastern and Western Conference's best square off tonight at 9 p.m.

We all know about the rich history and rivalry that the matchup presents (although some may argue against the rivalry part since Boston owns the head-to-head comparison 9-2). What is being downplayed is the sheer talent on both sides, and the juicy matchups that wait. One thing is clear, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers don't like each other. That is they way it should be.

Here is a look at the starting lineups for both squads and who has the edge at each position:

PG
LAL Derek Fisher
BOS Rajon Rando

To begin the season, Rondo, despite his performance from last year's playoffs, was almost viewed as an afterthought behind the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. What he ended up doing was earning his first trip to the All-Star game, and cementing himself as the Celtics most important player (and most exciting). The Celtics season was, to put it lightly, a slight dissapointment. Rondo's play during the season, along with his gutsy performance against Cleveland, has put him on the national radar as one of the game's premier floor generals.
It has been mentioned before, but Fisher has made it through the gauntlet of tough point guards this postseason. He matched up with Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook in the first round (his play is similar to Rondo's), before dispatching Utah's Deron Williams and Phoenix's Steve Nash (whose play differs from Rondo's). Despite his "dismantling" of those elite point guards, he was aided greatly by his teammates, and Rondo is oozing with confidence right now. Fisher still, and always will scare me in the clutch because the guy is made of nails.
Fisher probably won't be guarding Rondo a lot, but Rondo gets the nod here.
EDGE: Celtics

SG
LAL Kobe Bryant
BOS Ray Allen
Kobe Bean Bryant is one of the game's best, and perhaps its best competitor. That does not stop me from hating him. Teammates walk a thin line with him, and a bad shot or a poor turnover may result in one of Kobe's death stares. His play can lift the Lakers, but it can also end up being the team's downfall. One thing is clear: he is the best player in the series. Some of the shots he made to cap off the Phoenix series were incredible. The Celtics defense, however, is not like the Suns.
Allen came to the Celtics with questions concerning his knees and his ankles, and the fact that great jump shooters tend to slow down when these things happen (He's turning 35 in July). "Jesus Shuttlesworth" is no typical jump shooter though. He has attacked the rim with a smooth ferocity since coming to Boston, and the shots are still falling. When he's on fire look out. His play can absolutely bury teams. Fisher will probably get the brunt of the work on Allen, while Kobe will have to keep up with Rondo.
EDGE: Lakers

SF
LAL Ron Artest
BOS Paul Pierce
With all of the mounting injuries from this season, people tend to forget that Paul Pierce was injured earlier this season. The "Truth" never truly regained his rythm until the Orlando series, where he was guarded by the enigma Vince Carter. Pierce will not have that luxury this series, as he will be guarded mainly by the physical Ron Artest. Pierce has shown that he is not afraid of the spotlight, and has made a living out of nailing fourth quarter shots.
Ron Artest was brought over this offseason for situations like this. The Lakers don't want him shooting 16 times per game (Lakers fans collectively gasp when he lines up a three). He did a superb job covering Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant in the first round, and won't have to concentrate on his offense too much this series. Pierce and Artest's head-to-head matchups have been going on for awhile, and this one should be a physical affair. If Pierce is tasked with carrying the Celtics offensive burden, this series could be a tough one for Beantown.
Slight EDGE: BOS

PF
LAL Pau Gasol
BOS Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett looked old and on the decline during the regular season. There is no doubt he is on the decline (even Tim Duncan is slowing down a little), but his regular season was somewhat disheartening. This postseason, Garnett has been hooked up to some sort of rejuvination machine, destroying Antawn Jamison in the Cleveland series, and looking a bit more spry. While he won't be putting up 25-15-8 lines anymore, he is still one of the top power forwards in the game, and certainly one of the best competitors.
During the 2008 NBA Finals, Pau Gasol was battered by a collection of Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, P.J. Brown, Glen Davis, and Leon Powe. After the Celtics won, Gasol was branded as being soft (the worst description any player can have). He has played at an all-world level this season and during the playoffs this year. He is one of the best passing big men around, has an incredibly soft touch, and somehow always finds himself under the rim for an offensive putback. This will be a key marquee matchup for the series, as Garnett will have his hands full with the Euro-flopper.
EDGE: LAL (what a douche though)

C
LAL Andrew Bynum
BOS Kendrick Perkins
Although he just 22 years old, Andrew Bynum right now is running up and down the court like Patrick Ewing at the end of his career (not a compliment). He has been having knee trouble all of his young career, and recently had his knee drained. If healthy or capable, Bynum is a lethal offensive weapon who possesses nice post moves and incredible length to go along with Gasol's own length.
After having a technical rescinded from the infamous game five from the Orlando series, Kendrick Perkins is playing on thin ice. One more technical foul and he must sit out a game during the series. When playing, Perkins is a key anchor to the Celtics team defense. Un-athletic and incredibly slow, Perkins uses his IQ and physical presence in being a factor in the game. This matchup is full of if's: If Bynum is healthy; if Perkins can stay out of foul/technical foul trouble; if Doc Rivers chooses to attack Bynum on the defensive end.
EDGE: PUSH

Bench
LAL Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton
BOS Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, Tony Allen, Nate Robinson, Michael Finley
Lamar Odom is often considered the x-factor for the Lakers. If he shows up they win; if he doesn't they lose. He can stretch the floor, penetrate against slower big men, and is a great passer. During the regular season, the Lakers bench (aside from Odom) struggled mightily to find any sort of consistency. During the playoffs, however, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown have come back to life, and provided a much needed spark off the pine. Farmar will hit threes and be a stabilizing presence, while Brown provides an incredible athleticism that the Lakers need. Vujacic (my least favorite player in the NBA) has received some minutes lately. He is tasked with knocking down three's and hounding whomever he is guarding. Walton has gotten around five minutes per game this postseason.
Like Artest, Rasheed Wallace was brought in for the big picture. After frustrating me to no end during the regular season and some of the playoffs, Wallace turned his game around in the Cleveland series, and played magnificent defense on Dwight Howard during the Orlando series. He is starting to hit his outside shot again, and now that he is in the finals, you can expect Sheed to put it all out on the line. Glen Davis had an up and down season, but his hustle can be credited to helping keep this season alive for Boston. After getting a concussion via Howard, it was unkown whether the big man could play again for a little bit (Davis is already an oddball). He showed up for the game six win, and his team defense has been incredible this postseason. Tony Allen played much of the regular season in Doc River's doghouse, but regained a spot in the rotation during the final stretch of the regular season, and has been a key cog off the bench ever since. Allen will never be confused with Ray Allen (Tony can't shoot at all), but his one-on-one defense has been an enormous lift to the Celtics' chances. Brought over in the Eddie House trade, Nate Robinson's play eventually earned him a spot out of Doc River's rotation. After Rondo took a hard spill in game six against Orlando, it was Robinson's play that helped propel Boston to victory. While he may take some ill-advised shots at times, Robinson will have a say during this series. Once a fixture at all-star games, Michael Finley's game has been restricted to straight jump shooting. Naturally, he doesn't receive a whole lot of minutes.
EDGE: BOS

Coaches
LAL Phil Jackson
BOS Doc Rivers
I will start off by saying that Phil Jackson is arguably the greatest coach in NBA history. With that said, he is still an arrogant, pompous, mind playing genius who has had the great fortune of coaching some incredible teams. He knows how to push the right buttons and has generally been great at making adjustments.
Doc Rivers has seen some of the worst of times and some of the best of times during his tenure as coach of the Celtics. After a difficult season, Rivers, along with Tom Thibodeau, have coached this team to perfection. Rivers has made the right adjustments, continually motivates his team to excel, and has perfected his playoff rotation.
EDGE: LAL

EDGE: Boston wins in seven games.

Will Singularity Eat Me?

Considered the brainchild of futurist Ray Kurzweil, technological singularity (or singularity) is the merger between human intelligence and machine intelligence that will make the future of technology utterly predictable. Sounds kookie, right?

To say that human's are complacent and will settle with what we have now is foolish, as evidenced by Blu-Ray, the IPad, and 3D HDTV's. In the future, Kurzweil believes machines could possess more smarts and abilities than an actual human. Has that already taken place though?

If singularity progresses to the levels that Kurzweil's sublime visions, than I will certainly come to hate it, not embrace it. As of now, I have a hard time knowing that four-and-five year olds are playing on IPhones and laptops, instead of writing in pencil and playing four-square (one of my favorites).

Kurzweil's idea is that human's will build machines more capable than what we are able to accomplish. In turn, those machines will build smarter machines, and those machines will build even smarter machines. Sounds a bit like Terminator 2 (the best one of the series).

If technology progresses at the rate it has been for the previous decade, by the time I am in my 50's (scary thought) the technological landscape will be unpredictable. There will most certainly be flying cars, IPhones will be lame, all music will sound like autotune (T-Pain's "voice"), and Brett Favre will still be playing quarterback.

In all honesty, whatever innovations and revolutions take place, the best thing for anyone to do is embrace it. There have been fad's that have faded into obscurity such as: Napster, overalls, ripped jeans, and the XFL, but technology this accelerated and cutting edge is, for the most part, here to stay. Who knows, maybe flying cars will come true.

Not first life

Before taking the course New Media, I had little to know knowledge of this thing called Second Life. I knew a computer had to be used to have access to it, but other than that, you could have told me pretty much anything and I would have believed it.

Second Life was certainly an experience, and something that blew me away. I think it is unbelievable how the availability and access of communications has evolved from just 10 years ago. Employees in Brazil can hook up with a business partner in Vancouver simply by logging onto a computer. Deal's can be made from different ends of the world.

With that said, I am not fan of Second Life. Maybe I'm not "nerd" enough, but it just does not appeal to me. I don't see why someone would pay to be on there, unless it was for business reasons. While there are advertising and other marketing opportunities associated with the program, I see Second Life mostly as a waste of time.

I understand that there are a large number of people who enjoy Second Life as more than just an outlet for work, but I am not one of them.

What's Wrong With Using My Computer?

The over-use of computers has never really been questioned. But with just about everything, there is such thing as too much. Although they aren't as clear-cut as you might think, there are disadvantages to using the computer:

• Become glued to the screen




• Not everyone/everything on the internet is friendly/trustworthy/safe/clean




• Too easy of access to information




• Viruses




• Personal information too available




• Not good for the eyes, hand (carpal tunnel), and posture




• Expensive to buy/repair




• Gets people sidetracked




• Laziness




• Become unsocial/depressed

While some things (viruses and porn) will always be a part of the internet, there are ways for people to overcome these obstacles.

As a whole, computers are becoming less and less expensive by the day. There is a greater need, and with the advancement of technology, it is now normal to have at least one computer in every household, not an exception. We need to realize that, while computer's do serve an overall good purpose, using them too much and for prolonged periods of time is simply not healthy. Just as we should not eat five cheeseburgers at McDonald's, or smoke cigarettes, we should learn to modify our usage of the computer.

When someone can go onto the Internet and find out your personal information, that would make me tend to believe that our privacy has gone missing. That, unfortunately, is what the public is dealing with today: privacy issues.

At some point, you are going to have to give up some private information, whether you like it or not. It's what you choose to share, and whom you choose to share it with that matters. In the matter of less privacy in exchange for increased security, it all depends on what information I am giving up, where it is going, and what security I am receiving in return.

I don't like letting people know my social security number. That is the last straw, the key that unlocks my life's door. At least that is what it feels like to me. I understand the government already has files about me, and for better or worse, I don't care if they do. I get concerned about wackos and thieves getting a hold of my identity. The government has a job: protect us. For a little less privacy, I will gladly take the government stopping disasters.

There are limits, though, to what the government should know about our private lives. They don't need to know the intricate details, and the deepest, darkest fears that plague us. They don't need to know when my last bowel movement was, or what my first pet's name was, or how many baseball cards I have. They only need to possess the information that will help make this county a safer place.

Some may say that they are nearly the same thing, but corporations and the government are not identical. I know corporations will need to gather some private information, considering that most corporations have clients. Corporations, however, should possess even less personal information than our government. They may need to know your bank account number, but I wouldn't even feel comfortable with that happening. They already know more than we think they do.

Personal information is, and will always be readily available to the government, corporations, and Internet stalkers. It is how you limit and hide personal information that will determine whether you're easily accessible and vulnerable to a threat.

Cell Phones and Driving

There has been a recent upswing in the prohibition of the use of cell phones while driving. While only a handful of states have outright banned it, 10 others have enacted legislation restricting the use of electronics by teenage drivers. To this I say, "Thank God".

I do not know if this is a true statement, but I have heard from a number of people that texting while driving is worse than drunk driving. At least with drunk driving, your eyes (while not clear) are on the road ahead. If you're texting and driving, your eyes probably aren't completely on the road, and your mind is thinking about what to text back, not about the driver in your blind side or what exit to get off of.

Right now in the state of Pennsylvania, there is a bill that is currently in the state's senate that would ban both talking and texting while driving. If the bill makes its way into becoming a law, a $50 fine would be assessed to the driver. The bill excludes calls made in an emergency situation. Hand free phones and GPS's would still be legal.

The National Safety Council, a nonprofit, nongovernmental public service organization, is looking to ban all use of mobile phones while driving. Even hands-free devices should be banned, according to the group, as they do not make driving any safer.

A study from the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that cellphone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes. President and Executive Officer of The National Safety Council, Janet Froetscher says that translates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths in the United States each year.

"When you're on a call, even if both hands are on the wheel, your head is in the call, and not on your driving," Froetscher said. "Unlike the passenger sitting next to you, the person on the other end of the call is oblivious to your driving conditions. The passenger provides another pair of eyes on the road."

The reason people don't turn off their cell phones or wait until they get home is simple; we live in a connected, information addicted society. From the television shows fed to us (reality tv is geared toward keeping us entertained), to the devices we use on a daily basis (a phone with internet and more), we are a set of people who constantly need something to fill our lives. These bills limiting cell phone use will help us in the long run. These days, everyone has a cell phone, and I mean everyone. Limiting our use can only be a good thing.

Is society going the way of Star Trek?

As society becomes more advanced with technology on a daily basis, new innovations and techniques are being presented to help improve society. There is widespread thinking that by improving technology, we will become ultra-efficient individuals.

Are we getting to the point where telecommuting to work will become a normal occurrence? I sure hope not.

While businesses may save money, and it may be considered more efficient, I believe that you should be obligated to physically go into work. The only circumstance in which telecommuting seems acceptable is in gathering people around the world, or if an employee is deathly sick and an assignment or meeting must be completed.

Technology is both a blessing and a curse. Kids and adults alike are both becoming integrated with the future of our society. It is, however, extremely alarming when seeing 10-year old's sit inside on their laptops or video game consoles. Although technology is expanding rapidly around the world, America is still the leader when it comes to establishing what's new and what's yesterdays news.

If you've ever seen the movie, "Wall-E", planet earth is no longer livable and all humans live in outer space aboard a gigantic ship. The humans are all obese, as all they do is sit and their chairs and do things virtually (like golf). Well, eventually the ships captain realizes that the ship has taken a hold of everyone on board, subsequently not letting them leave their exercise-lacking lives.

Great movie. Nevertheless, I worry about society in general terms. If we become so accustomed to technology, could it eventually take control of our lives?

Spring Break 2010

As I enter the final weeks (not sure how many, but I know it's not a whole lot) of my Susquehanna career, I still cannot wait for Spring Break. Even if I was driving home for the eight-hour ride to Maine, I still would be overjoyed to get away from class and get away from Selinsgrove. It's not that Selinsgrove is a terrible place - it is safe, grassy, and warmer than Maine - but it can just get way to repetitive and boring.

Nevertheless, in a few days I will be across the country in Clayton, CA. Where is Clayton? It is about 35 or so minutes from San Francisco and a bit closer to Oakland. Why Clayton? My girlfriend lives out there. Her family moved there a few years ago from Downingtown, PA. A couple summer's ago I went out there and it was gorgeous. During the summer the temperature regularly reaches the upper 90's and low 100's. Unfortunately, Spring Break doesn't fall during this time, and the weather will be a bit colder. After checking weather.com, it looks like the temperature will be high 50's, low 60's, and sunny. I'd take it in a heartbeat.

While on break, there are few things we have planned. I would love to go to a Golden State Warriors game (I'm an NBA junkie), we're going into San Francisco at least once, eating at In-N-Out Burger (it's amazing), going hiking a few days as they live right next to a mountain, and go golfing. Her dad also has business in Lake Tahoe, where we are staying at the Harrahs Casino , so we'll go skiing one day and maybe utilize the casino the next. On a side note, my great-grandparents loved gambling, as do my grandparents, so I may have that in my blood too. I don't have a lot of money right now, but I do love Texas Hold'em, Blackjack, Roulette, and especially gambling on sports.

I hope I don't go broke, and plan on having a great time away from reality for a week. California is truly different from anything on the East Coast, it just is. All I want is some nice weather and a fun time, and I will be truly pleased.

Are We Beating Ourselves?

The new feature popping up in supermarkets and grocery stores around the country is the self-scanning checkout option. A great invention, and something that significantly saves time and speeds up the shopping experience, this sped up option is a feature that has been a long time coming.


While it is indeed revolutionary, there is an aura of too much too soon, in my opinion. There are still workers working many of the checkout lines, but I worry that soon enough they will be replaced by machines. Are we really going the way of Terminator? Highly doubtful. But it is bothersome when you see how our technology is hurting our economy.



I have not personally cheated the self-scanning checkout station, but from looking at how it is layed out and how one uses the machine, it looks fairly easy to "forget" to check out the sweet potatoes you just bought. What do stores do if there is no bar code on the food you just bought? There is a way for people to type in their food and weigh it, but what's stopping them from taking a small piece of produce?



I fear that we are maxing ourselves out. That our technology is moving too fast, and the jobs that once filled the country, are now being lost to a cheaper more accurate option. Not just with the self-scanning checkout option, but with other things as well. Record stores and book stores are becoming rapidly extinct due to IPods, legal/illegal downloading, Amazon/Ebay/Half.com, and the Kindle/Nook. Personally, I do not like the idea of owning an ebook reader over a solid book. Book's were made to be read on binded paper, not an electronic screen.



On a personal note, my grandparents own a pharmacy in Bangor, ME. It has been the best independently owned pharmacy since they first started in 1957. A few years ago they purchased a robot to assist in counting large quantities of pills to fill orders. They still have a large staff, who many are still instructed to count pills for orders. The robot, however, has saved money and time. Our economy has obviously hit a snag, and there is a legitimate claim to worry about maxing our technology out, and taking away people's jobs.



We are entering a time where certain tools are becoming necessities, not just for the wealthy, but for every member of society. I consider credit cards to be rather essential, and I consider having a computer and knowing how to work its basic functions as being an absolute necessity. Everyone should have a computer in today's world. There are too many everyday functions that are being used on computers, and they make life simpler (despite how frustrating they are at times).



There are, and will always be problems with the self-scanning checkout lines. Machines were made to be perfect and fast, but also have been known to collapse or falter. Some stores don't keep enough cash registers open, so having the self-checkout option is rather necessary. I wouldn't mind seeing more registers being open, with actual people working behind them. We should recommit ourselves as a whole to protecting jobs and limiting technologies stranglehold upon us.