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Yankee Fans Enjoy Your World Series by Gitelson

2006-08-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Now before I write this post, let me be clear. I HATE THE RED SOXS. They are the most rascist team in not only baseball, but in all of sports. I hate them as much as I hate the Yankees. When the two play each other, I root for the stadium to explode.

Ok, now that I have gotten that out of the way, enjoy todays post.

Yes Yankee fans you have just swept the Red Soxs. All I have to say is enjoy your World Series now, because it's probably not going to get better.

Gitelson have you gone crazy you ask? We've destroyed the Red Sox's and now we can fast forward to the World series you say? Well, I'm not so sure.

You see I have a good memory, and I remember the 2004 post season. The Yankees were a few outs from bitch slapping the Red Soxs and going to the World Series. Then a miracle happened. After a few karate chops, and sub par pitching performances the Yankees were on the low end of the largest collapse in not only baseball, but in all of sports history.

All the Yankees had to do was win one game. ONE GAME. Yet the Red Soxs showed up every day, and slapped the Yankees around to goto the Series. It was fun to watch a bunch of non corporate "idiots" beat up the Yanks.

So before you go for your World Series tickets remember history.

Miracles happen.

PS: I am getting ready to pay for my Mets post season plan, and the Post is reporting that Glavine will be pitching in a week. That means that next week we will probably have back a rested Pedro, and Glavine.

The "slide" Continues?

The Mets did not play last night, and the Phillies won, pushing the Mets down to only being 13 1/2 games ahead of them (the Mets are 16 games ahead of the Braves).

The Tigers beat the White Soxs, thus moving themselves back to being 6 1/2 games ahead of them.

So far, I'm not looking stupid.

VH1 World Series of Pop Culture - The Finals

2006-08-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

I wish I had jumped on this show from the beginning. I came across VH1's World Series of Pop Culture while I was in Vegas a few weeks ago. They had a marathon showing during the afternoon and my buddies and I spent a good portion of down time in the "Rain Man" suite watching show after show. We were tired, but not hungover thanks to DrWan's anti-hangover pills. Anyway, the WSOPC finals was this past week and I figured I'd utilize a good idea at least once. Here's the show in play along format. All the questions, no answers, along with my running commentary!

Our first category is Tom Cruise movies, which gets a chuckle from the audience.
They start out with a gimmie. If you think about it Tom Cruise hasn't really been the franchise film type since only one of his movies has spawned sequels. Kinda strange.

This made me think of Ben Stiller's early Tom Cruise parodies. I had to think about the title for a second...just a second though. 2 for 2 suckas!

Heh, a guy I knew used Top Gun as his closer movie with the ladies. He kept using it so I guess it worked...or he really liked Top Gun in the Tarantino way.

This one I actually had to just guess, since I've never actually seen the whole movie. I guessed right though.

The hardest question so far. I just remembered this because it starred Timothy Hutton, who was the hot young actor of the day. Strange how things turn out.

Crap!!! I missed this one. I guessed Rob Lowe. Even if I had gone Swayze with my second guess it would have been wrong too. I just figured they would have given the most entertaining toasts.

I was living in the south at this time ...so, yeah.

There was no way a teenage boy at that time would have not seen this movie because of Elizabeth Shue. Sadly I'll also admit, years before I ever set foot inside a bar, my friends and I made a "Cocktail" parody video to "Hippy Hippy Shake" where we pretty much threw bottles and glasses filled with food colored water all over the place. Once again...Thank God I didn't grow up in the YouTube generation.

I actually saw this movie in the theaters and I still had no clue! What a horrible night that was, we went to two different theaters and waited two showtimes just to get into a movie where they...kept...talking...like...this..all ...movie...long.

Missed this movie...I had no clue.

This was actually the last award winners of the last 10 years. It only went one deep in the answers. Kinda surprising, I could have done about four or five.

For those fans of the show the Boeghy Bunch won that round! The next category is TV Teen Dramas. Um...I don't know if I should be playing along now.
Okay so I got that one, but in my defense I have a younger sister who was a fan of the show.
Okay so that's two now. My sisters also liked that one. Plus it once had an episode guest starring Juliana Hatfield!
Uh...I watched the show because Katie Holmes is hot?

Aight, FINE I have no excuse for knowing this one. HATERS!

Come on, Buffy at least has some cred to it, y'all!

Finally!!! I had no clue there ;) I'm gonna go start a barfight now just to go prove something.
No apologies here...The pre-Oliver OC episodes were really great TV, yo!
I can proudly say I've never seen a Gilmore Girls episode. The category only goes 8 questions in. Awwww...I mean...El Chupacabra wins. Next category.

It's 1990's song lyrics. I'm not going to shy away from saying this is my absolute strength right here. I was totally immersed in music back then and I was still exposed to a lot of mainstream stuff at the time as well. I used to have a game I'd play with this girl I was interested in back in the day. We'd start talking completely in song lyrics and see how long we could keep it going. Our record was close to an hour once over coffee. Yes, I have a strange way of wooing women.
It's like RAYAYAIIIIN on your wedding day! Sorry, I couldn't help it.

On the list of greatest songs of all time and I'm not even a big U2 fan.

True story. I went to the wedding of a childhood friend of mine in rural Kentucky who played the country version of this song over the church speakers in the middle of the ceremony. I kind of teased him about it afterwards, he said it was his wife's idea after they said no to his suggestion. He was going to sing "Lady" by Styx as he played it on the church's baby grand piano. The patron saint of unintentional comedy wept that day for the loss.

This song quite possibly kicked off one of my favorite eras in music.

The only reason I remember this song is because it started a legendary fraternity boy hissy fit in our house living room when Arsenio Hall refereed to this guy as the next James Taylor or something.

Hated this group with a passion. I'll give it away if I mention why. Just...HATE!

Sweet! This song is on one of my YouTube mixtapes. It's kinda tough when the host just reads the lyrics without the familiar cadence.

Another song that's tough without cadence. I actually had to think about this one for a sec.

I used to love to belt this song out. It's such a fun song to sing. I wonder if the karakoe bar has it...hmmmm. We only go nine in. Chupacabra takes this category as well.

We now go to fictional locales. El Chupacabra has a 2 to 1 advantage. In all serious the show is intense as shit!
Embarrassingly enough I blurted out the wrong answer. There is no such place as the Kwik-E-Stop. Damn you Kevin Smith!!!

It's questions like these, that make me really want to play, just so I could get theatrical with it. Makin' their waaaaaaayyy the only way they know how!

Sadly, that applies to this question as well. Them young girls they do get weaaaarryyyy!

We've got a pattern here! I'll choose Judge Smails...Oh Billy Billy Buh-illly.

Wow. I don't know this one. Totally drawing a blank. Wow. It saves me from doing the Elaine dance.

The cancellation of this show and "Sportsnight" led to me scorning the three big networks. With very few exceptions, like Grey's and "How I met Your Mother" I've stayed away pretty well. I'll probably add Studio 60 to that list in the fall as well.
Come on! If you don't get this one you are a total *draws shape in the air* square!
Wow I really would have lucked out on this show. A question inspired by TC and M Mt. Rushmore inhabitant Billy Dee Williams? Shoot, where's the signup for next year, yo! Okay, the dude from the Boeghy Bunch has just missed a Caddyshack, Pulp Fiction, and Empire Strikes Back question. I didn't think that was possible for any guy contestant in their late 20's early 30's. At least one of the three should have been answered by ANY guy on this show.

Just for shits and giggles I would have said syphilis. Just because I've always wanted to say syphilis on TV. I had no clue on this one.

Was there anything cooler than seeing "Angel Heart" while the Cosby Show was in it's prime? Anyway I was a fan of both Cosby and A Different World so I got this one. They both missed it and El Chupacabra wins $250,000 dollars for this yo. I'll bet it will be bigger next year. I now have a new short term goal in life. Now I just need to find two other pop culture jerks!

With Alex Rodriguez, the Mets might have won a World Series or two.

2006-08-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

"Can you imagine how different this might have turned out had Phillips marched into Fred Wilpon's office two months after the Mets were overwhelmed by the Yankees in the 2000 World Series and convinced his boss to sign A-Rod?"

Sure. I can imagine.

With a shortstop who regularly puts up 40 and 120, the Mets may have made the playoffs each of the past five seasons instead of missing the playoffs each of the past five seasons.

All the Rodriguez merch that filled Steinbrenner's coffers may have made Wilpon an even wealthier man.

The seemingly impoosible boost in attendance at Yankee Stadium may have been transferred to Shea.

"Wilpon's wallet would have tightened up like A-Rod with men on base had he committed to 10 years at $25 million per.

Consequently, no Glavine, no Pedro, neither of the Carloses and no Wagner."

Everyone knows that ARod wasn't demanding $25 mill per from the Mets.

But, as discussed above, it's an investment. You take a World Series team and you add another superstar player. You don't stop there. You get playoff money, World Series money, merch, ticket sales increase, etc.

All of this is money, money, money, money that Jeff Duncan was unable to generate.

Why no Pedro on the Mets? Over the past five years, the Mets just made more money, so they could have spent more money.

As a bonus, no Ty Wigginton at the hot corner.

Also, there's something seriously wrong with Matthews's math skills.

Let's just assume ARod was actually paid $25 million by the Mets and let's further assume that the Mets generated no additional revenue as a result of the investment. Both of these assumptions are wrong by a lot, but we'll give Matthews's attempt at an argument the benefit of the doubt.

According to USA Today's Baseball Salary database, the 2006 Mets mentioned by Matthews make the following salaries:

Glavine: $10 mill.
Pedro: $15 mill.
Beltran: $13.5 mill.
Delgado: $13.5 mill.
Wagner: $10.5 mill.

Total: $62.5 mill.

So, if the Mets had spent $25 mill on Alex Rodriguez, they wouldn't have been able to afford any of these players? What happened to the remaining $37.5 mill? Did Minaya spend the whole thing on ARod's Shea Stadium luxury box and Spring Training merchandise booth?

Do you feel lied to?

You should.

Oh, by the way, guess how well the Mets have done without Alex Rodriguez? They haven't done squat.

Was that seriously Wallace Matthews's grand plan? Stink for five years and then spend some money?

Good plan. It really worked out.

"As for Reyes and Wright? Well, because each of them plays a position also played by A-Rod, at least one, if not both of them, probably would be playing elsewhere."

Well, gee. I doubt that very much. Because even if one of them had to be moved to make room for a slouch like ARod, I doubt if both of them would have to be moved.

Because, as good as Alex Rodriguez is, he does not play two positions at the same time.

Or how about this disastrous scenario?

ARod at shortstop on his way to 800 homeruns, young Wright at 3b, Reyes and a few minor leaguers traded for Barry Zito and Nick Swisher.

That team might have two rings by now, instead of zero.

The World Series of Poker

2006-07-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

Mere words can't describe what I was feeling after I checked into my room at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas Sunday afternoon. I was finally here, the World Series of Poker. I went down to the poker area after I dropped off my luggage in my room, and quite frankly, I have never seen anything like it. There were hundreds of poker tables in this gigantic meeting room, and God knows how many people playing poker, milling about, and gawking at the poker royalty. Within fifteen minutes I had introduced myself and spoken with Daniel Negranu, said hello to Greg Raymer, and eyeballed almost every poker superstar I had ever seen on television. I was in nirvana, and the fact that I was going to be part of it was beyond thrilling.

After I made the final registration for the next day's tournament, my buddy and I went to the Sahara Hotel to play in a no-limit tournament there as a warm-up for the next day. The very first poker tournament I ever played in was this very same tournament at the Sahara almost two years ago, and it had a very familiar feel. I did pretty well and lasted until there were four tables left before I got knocked out. Then we went back to the Rio and joined a 4-8 limit hold em game on the WSOP floor. You see, while the actual WSOP tournament events are taking place, there are satellites and sit and go tournaments, and money games, both high and low limit, all happening at the same time. There were a couple of real arrogant big mouth buffoons at this table, and they obviously pinned me for a fish right away. I lost seventy bucks pretty quickly, but then started to catch cards, and trapped them in hands, and bluffed successfully, and check raised successfully, and I took these bozos down that night for two hundred and fifty dollars. It was sweet.

And then, the next day, yesterday to be exact, came the moment of truth, the one thousand dollar buy-in no limit event. I had a pre-determined strategy, where I was going to be ultra selective about the starting hands I was going to play, I was not going to chase, I was going to follow my gut instinct, and I was not going to let myself be put all in unless I had the nuts. The very first hand came, and I was dealt pocket 9's. You gotta be kidding me, one hand into this tournament, and I already have a tough decision to make. The big blind was 25 dollars, and the guy to my right raised it to 75. I called, several people dropped, and then a guy in late position re-raised to 375. Holy hand grenades, Batman, this is only the very first hand, and already I have a tough decision. The guy to my right folded and it was up to me. I put the raiser on either a higher pair or a hand like AK or AQ. Well, I didn't want to shove in a bunch of chips and lose right off the bat to a higher pair, or a drawing hand that may end up with a higher pair after the flop. It was just too soon for me to play a middle pair like that, at least in my mind. So, I folded it. Was that the right play? Who knows, all I know was that if the pair had been higher I would have called, but my gut instinct told me to lay it down, so I did.

Four hands later, I was dealt AQ in early position to the left of the big blind. I raised to 150. Everyone folded, except for one guy, who called. The flop came A-J-3, rainbow (meaning all different suits). I thought I was golden with a pair of Aces, and a high kicker, so I bet out 300 (mind you, everyone starts out with 1500 chips and there are no re-buys, once you're out of chips, you're done). The guy raised me 300. So I thought about it, what could he have? An ace with a higher kicker? Maybe. But I just didn't think so, I thought I had him beat and he was trying to bluff me off the pot. So I called.

The turn card was another Ace, so now I had three aces with a very high kicker. I thought again about what the other guy might have, and my gut instinct said to play it aggressively. I threw all my chips in, he called, and the son of a bitch turned over an AK. I couldn't freaking believe it, the bastard had me out-kicked. Of course, there was no help for me on the river (only a Queen could have saved me), and just like that, I was knocked out. Twenty minutes into the tournament. I felt like crying.

I ran into Chris (Jesus) Ferguson heading towards the tournament as I was heading back to my room, and I asked him if I could go over the hand with him. He agreed, and told me that there was nothing I could do, that I played it right, and I just got beat. Damn!!!

Since then, I have run the hand over and over in my mind about three hundred times, and I realize that I didn't think things through sufficiently. When the guy raised me after my bet on the flop, that should have told me that I was beaten at that point, that either he had me out-kicked, or he had AJ (which would have given him two pair), or that he had pocket jacks and had flopped a set. I should have laid the hand down at that point. The other thing to consider is that, since I was first to act after the blinds, I was out of position. Dan Harrington, in his book on no limit poker, says to be very selective from that position, and that you should not play AQ unsuited when you are first to act. Well, I learned a very expensive lesson that Harrington was right. I wish I had remembered that, and had lain the hand down.

Here was my thinking. When the second ace came out on the board, that meant three aces were accounted for (the two on the board and the one in my hand). Only a little more than half the deck had been utilized, so the chances were pretty good that the other ace was in the unused part of the deck. I thought that maybe the guy was trying to bluff me off the hand with something like KJ or QJ. I just didn't believe that he had the other ace with a better kicker. And, for once, my gut instinct failed. Part of my gut instinct said to fold, and the other part went through the analysis laid out above. The bottom line was that I was beat.

The next time I am in that spot, I won't play the hand in that position. And if I do play it, and I get raised like that, I will respect the raise and fold. Easy to say now, but very tough to do. Think about it, I had three aces with the second best kicker. How in the world do you get away from that hand? Or as Jesus Ferguson told me, "what are you gonna do?" My first experience in the World Series of Poker, and I was gone in twenty minutes. Unbelieveable.

That night, I went back to the Sahara and played in yet another no limit tournament. There were 176 players, and I survived to the final two tables and finished 17th. Not good enough to win any money, but a pretty respectable finish. The tournament was filled with players who had played in the WSOP and had been knocked out on bad beats and were licking their wounds. I felt like I was not alone. I also learned that Jennifer Tilly, the actress-turned-poker pro, who won the ladies event at the World Series last year, was the first person knocked out of the World Series event on the very first hand. I guess she played her pocket nines, or whatever marginal hand she was dealt.

So now here I am, back home in Tucson, where I didn't expect to be until Thursday night. Yes, I'm licking my wounds, thinking about the beat I took, and playing it over and over again in my mind. And at this point, the only thing I know for sure is that I'll be back next year. My friend Jimmy (who also played in the tourney and lasted about an hour longer than I did) and I have already promised each other that we will try again next year. You see, we have this dream that we are both at the final table, we've knocked everyone else out, and we're going heads-up for the bracelet. Maybe it will happen next year.

Second Half Predictions

2006-07-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, we’re a couple of weeks past the halfway mark in the baseball season, but I forgot to blog about it then, so I’m doing it now.These were my predictions back on April second:American LeagueEast: New York YankeesCentral: Cleveland IndiansWest: Oakland A’sWild Card: Toronto Blue JaysNational LeagueEast: Atlanta BravesCentral: St. Louis CardinalsWest: San Francisco GiantsWild Card: New York MetsAmerican League Championship SeriesYankees vs. ClevelandNational League Championship SeriesCardinals vs. GiantsWorld SeriesYankees vs. GiantsWorld ChampionsYankees===This is how you know I don’t have the Force. I can’t predict shit. Then again, neither could the Emperor (“I have foreseen it”), Yoda (“Forever will it dominate your destiny”)... Yeah, I’m drifting off topic.Anyway, who could’ve known the suck-ass Tigers would get off to such a start? Why does Cleveland not have its shit together? How did the entire NL become the bitch of the AL, making even Tampa and KC look good (11-7 and 10-8, respectively)? Why doesn’t Boston have a 12 game lead over an injury-plagued Yankee team that boasts an outfield some days of Melky Cabrera, Bubba Crosby and Aaron Guiel?It pains me, but these are my second half predictions:American LeagueEast: New York Yankees (Fuck it. It can still happen.)Central: Chicago White Sox (I still don’t believe in Detroit.)West: Oakland A’s (I’m sticking with Oakland, but anyone can take this division. I’m tempted to pick the Angels).Wild Card: Detroit Tigers (But the Twins are impressing me with their winning streaks.)National LeagueEast: New York Mets (I don’t think they’ll end the year 13 games in front, however.)Central: St. Louis Cardinals (Sticking with my original pick.)West: San Diego Padres (This division is up for grabs, but I don’t think the Giants can recover from an ineffective Bonds and Arizona went in a tailspin after the Grimsley thing.) Wild Card: Cincinnati RedsAmerican League Championship SeriesTigers vs. White SoxNational League Championship SeriesMets vs. CardinalsWorld SeriesMets vs. White SoxWorld ChampionsWhite Sox

New York artist Luigi Cicala and How Art Made The World

2006-07-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

How Art Made The World, a documentary series hosted by Dr. Nigel Spivey, premieres this summer on PBS. With aspirations similar to the Art Of The Western World series created by Robert Hughes, each episode discusses how humans have developed our communication of ideas through visual imagery. Current concepts of beauty, spirituality, mortality and political persuasion are linked to ancient historical events, demonstrating how images have influenced the way we perceive the world.

The earliest known cave paintings have survived the centuries hidden in remote caverns. The painters must have had little concern for others to view their works, as the illustrations appear in isolated crevices that are difficult to navigate. An unusual work from this period places the images outside of the caves, making it easily accessible for others to see. This shift from personal, private creation to public display is a contextual shift transforming the purpose and meaning of visual representation.

Alexander the Great harnessed the power of public imagery for political influence. His portrait was sculpted multiple times with slight variations
in his posture and expression until the sculptor captured a peaceful and sympathetic, yet strong and vigorous quality in his face. This image of Alexander was imprinted upon coins, and currency then became an early means of mass communication, serving as a commonplace, everyday reminder of his presence to the people under his control. This concept continues today, forming the foundation of political propaganda both crude and sophisticated.

The gods and goddesses of myth and religion have provided a rich cast of characters from which to draw narratives, creating a shared dialogue that brings a culture together. Mythic personae are rooted in the human experience, but transcend mortals with their superhuman, otherworldly powers.

The tradition continues in today's pop culture superstars, the true gods and goddesses of the twenty first century.

Luigi Cicala draws upon these mythic characters as the subjects creating the dramas he portrays on canvas. Historic fables and popular culture share
equal territory on the battlefields where these confrontations take place. The sharp, surreal world of comic book heroes is not far removed from the tales of the superhuman Greco-Roman gods. Barriers between the past and the present are removed, and associations swim freely among the celebrities of ancient history and personalities of current events.

Cicala's practiced hand combines the naturalistic traditions of classical Italian painting with the highly technical practices of today. In a statement from the artist, he admits to collecting action figures, toys and the occasional odd found object to utilize as models for his rendering. He appreciates pieces that are old and worn, which brings a personality that is entirely different from the original, brand-new store-bought persona. The toys become proxies for human beings in his imagery. His paintings reshape our preconceived notions of recognizable characters, and examine how these myths and icons of our youth can act out the rich dramas of the adult world.

The final installment of How Art Made the World will air on PBS this Monday, July 24th. The rest of the series is available on DVD through PBS.

Enter the World Series of Poker for Free

2006-07-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

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My All-Star game review

2006-07-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

It figured that Fox started the broadcast by showing girls in a hot tub. Nothing says “Play Ball” better than wet bikinis.

The best part of the “Mid Summer’s Classic” was being able to see a game at glorious PNC Stadium without the Pirates playing.

You have to feel sorry for the National League. This is now like kicking your dog.

Not to second guess NL skipper, Phil “I look like one of the inmates on PRISON BREAK” Garner, but he had the tying run on second with two outs and sent Carlos Lee, a .290 hitter to the plate while Normar Garciaparra, who has the league's leading average and after the 7th is batting over .400 is left sitting on the bench.

There’s a new nerd statistic called WPA (Winning Performance After) which measures how clutch each player’s performance is to his team. Nomar Garciaparra’s is through the roof. Guess who has one of the lowest in all of baseball. Yep. All-Star A-Rod.

Would anyone like to guess what color Tim McCarver’s hair is? He gave his usual performance of telling us nothing but the obvious in the most overstated way while mis-identifying or mispronouncing every player he named.

The American League team should have just been named “the Chicago White Sox and Friends”. I think every member of the Palehose made the All-Star squad except Jeff Nelson.

Why would anyone in their right mind keep score of an All-Star game? And that goes for the announcers.

I know we’re supposed to care who wins because of home field advantage in the World Series (yeah, those Tampa Ray Devil Rays and Kansas City Royals were really playing their hearts out for that prize) but truthfully, I couldn’t give a shit. Plus, I’m still so thrilled France lost the World Cup that nothing else matters.

It was fun seeing the two Yankees on the left side of the infield and two Red Sox on the right. And Big Papi played a damn good first base.

For the protection of the American public, Fox was allowed to televise the game in HD only because Randy Johnson wasn’t in it.

How come Los Angeles hasn’t hosted the All-Star game since 1980? Lasorda is no longer managing. It’s safe to come back!

Nice job by Brad Penny, throwing at 98 miles an hour. With the Dodgers he throws one pitch over 86, hurts his side and is out for the year.

Searing question by Jeannie Zelasko to David Wright’s father upon learning David was once in a food fight: “Was it colorful?” I'm sure they're grooming her for Fox News.

Just when you thought Fox coverage couldn’t get any more repugnant than that insipid animated baseball, they unveil the “Shoulders, knees, and toes” nursery rhyme. KIDS AREN’T WATCHING!! The game is on at 10 at night. Commercials are for FLOMAX to shrink enlarged prostates. Treat fans with at least a modicum of respect.

The Future’s Game is a great idea. It really gives you a preview of the big league stars of tomorrow. But why hold it on the Sunday before the All-Star game when no one is watching and it’s competing with a full slate of ML games? Wouldn’t it be better to play it on Wednesday when there is absolutely NO major sports going on?

If they wanted to make the Home Run Derby really count for something they should award the winner a year’s bye on steroid testing.

David Ortiz said the Home Run Derby would never mess up his swing because, in his own eloquent words, “I swing out of my butt all the time”.

Great not to see Barry Bonds although I always enjoy the hostile reception he receives. And he’s probably hated more in Pittsburgh than anywhere else.

Congratulations to AL skipper, Ozzie Guillan for going the entire All-Star week without calling anyone a fag. And kudos to Joe Buck for not asking what he thought of the Tony Awards.

On my best day I will never be as good a baseball announcer as Joe Buck on his worst day. Another excellent job. And his work in those Holiday Inn commercials proves he’s a better comic actor than anyone on a Fox comedy.

I love that there was a tribute to Roberto Clemente BUT NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRIGGIN’ GAME!! And has commissioner Bud Selig EVER washed his hair? I especially enjoyed when he got his foot caught in the mic cord. Had he taken a header, THAT would have been the time to play “Shoulders, knees, and toes”.

The game was pretty boring until the 9th inning. Normally I love a pitching duel but not in an All-Star game.

Great clutch hit by the All-Star most people never heard of – Michael Young. Maybe that’s because he’s on the Texas Rangers and when was the last time a Texas Rangers’ game was on national television? I think when they were in the playoffs a few years ago but even then I can’t be sure.

The MVP Award looked like the crystals Lex Luthor stole out of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.

Now that the American League has home field advantage yet again, I think to make the World Series the least bit competitive the American League would have to win 4 of 7 to become champions and the National League would have to win 2.

See you next summer in…I dunno, I’m assuming any park but Dodger Stadium.

Huh? What?? Whatdidyousay???

2006-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

I`m going to the WORLD SERIES OF POKER.... That`s what I say!!!

Why Everybody Loves Soccer

2006-07-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

FIFA World Cup 2006 has nearly reached its final countdown. Still somebody outthere wonder why everybody loves soccer or non-American football. If you like betting, which teams you'll put your money on? France, Italy for the winner and Germany, Portugal for the third place? Here is a comment by Priyadi on this post

* football is simple, all you need to play football is several players, a field and goal posts.

* football is already by far the most popular sport in the world

* football fans' loyalty is increasingly team based, rather than based on locality. but of course we are going to see a lot of locality fans if their national team is playing

*only in world cup fans will see the true identity of each national team against each other: italian strong defense, brazillian individual skill, german teamwork, etc.

* maybe only football is played from people from all over the world. if we look at big teams like chelsea, real madrid or AC milan, we are seeing players from multiple countries and ethnicity

* people don't like 'physical test games' like athletics or swimming as much as 'playing games' like football or basketball

* unlike the so called 'world series' in north america, football's world cup are actually played by teams from all over the world

* olympic winners seem to be already predetermined from population size, economic strength, and other seemingly unrelated factor . not so with world cup.

* it is too easy to predict the winner of olympic . we are not going to see too many people bet on 'who is going to win olympic?'

* in olympics, football matches are not played with full fledged national team but instead with 'under 23' youngsters + only 2 or 3 senior players

Actually it is very satisfying for me to see north americans ask this kind of question over and over again, and still wondering why their sports are not popular outside their own turf, even after they did a massive popularization in the late 90's. the CNN interviewer is an american, right?

PS: Comments are welcome in any of the following languages: English, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Jawa & Madura.
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Ajax Blog blogging computer database domain Indonesia hosting job linux photo redhat RSS scholarship travel weblog wordpress.

Why Everybody Loves Soccer

2006-07-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

Why Everybody Loves Soccer

2006-07-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

Superman Returns

2006-07-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, that over the last year I have become a huge Smallville fan. The television series on the WB network is as good as any television series on air. I have the first 4 seasons on DVD and it at least once on a weekly basis, sometimes more. With the success of the television series, I expected Superman Returns would to do well at the box office.

Superman Returns is essentially a follow up to Superman 2 staring Christopher Reeve. That series, based on the DC comic did well between the years 1978 – 1987. For every generation, there has been a Superman, for those in the 1950’s it was George Reeves, In the 1990’s on television in Lois and Clark it was Dean Cain, and for the 1980’s among the favorites was the late Christopher Reeve.

Reeves took on the role and responsibility of Superman like no other. It was his appearances on Smallville in season two and season three that had many thinking that he had passed along the mantra to Tom Welling, Clark Kent of the Smallville series. With Superman Returns, Brandon Routh proves that Superman is more than any actor, he is goes beyond the expectations of fans to the heart and dreams of those wanting more.

I won’t say Superman Returns is the best of the Superman series. It is quite good though. I especially enjoyed the soul searching done with the characters. We see the struggle of decisions made in the past, and the consequences of living with those decisions. We see Clark Kent, the alter ego of Superman, struggle with those issues. One of the beautiful things about the character is his willingness to move on and move ahead, despite the disappointments.

This action packed story is infused with just that, story. While the action and special effects abound, Superman always has been, and thankfully still is, about story. The story of a Savior sent from the Heavens above to provide salvation to mankind. Those stories are more than coincidental in the plot of this and virtually every other Superman. Many will recall that it was Hollywood Jesus that first drew attention to this theme some years ago. If you want an analogy of the film thought about and processed over the years you have to look no further than this web site.

There is a great deal of spiritual commentary in the film. Many have processed that; I could as well, but will simply say the sacrificial, crucifixion scene in the movie was as touching and well played as in any Superman movie ever. We genuinely care about the Savior who would sacrifice himself because of the love he has for others. While we know the outcome, we know that Superman must live; we still feel the pain of the punishment he took for those he loved.

Superman’s ability to execute justice, yet at the same time, love those around him are attributes about the man that we appreciate. We realize that he is so much more than us, but he is still one of us. We realize he has unexplainable powers, yet he is tender, caring and loving. He goes out of his way to love and be kind to children, even taking the time to help a small child get her kitty out of a tree when battling the injustices of the world around her. Superman is truly a Savior, Messiah Character; one many can relate to and hope for.

Technically, the story is very good, this movie flows well and the direction by Bryan Singer is top notch. There is a very good cast. Brandon Routh will satisfy the desire of many, even the Tom Welling fans in his portrayal. Kate Bosworth is a beautiful Lois Lane who has matured from the character on Superman II, and I especially enjoyed Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. I was concerned how the character of Richard White would be portrayed, but was even pleased with the direction of the film here. James Marsden did a great job, and provides a character that we can sympathize with and care about.

Superman is a story we desire. It is a story we need, it is a story we want. Superman is the story of a power greater than us, caring for us, and ultimately, even though some like Lois Lane, think they don’t need it, provides salvation for us. Superman is in essence the story of a Messiah, a Savior. It is a story that has been told before, some say some 2,000 years before. It still has meaning, and it still has purpose. Thank God the story lives.

To become a part of The Virtual Pew, visit, http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ To learn more about me visit http://www.furches.org/ I am also active on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/mikefurches I have another blog at http://blog.myspace.com/mikefurches To visit the Hollywood Jesus group at MySpace with membership by numerous Hollywood Jesus reviewers visit: http://groups.myspace.com/hollywoodjesus For a more indepth weekly study and conversation you an visit: http://virtualpewsermon.blogspot.com/ where you can access deeper teaching and ultimately videos for viewing and teaching. You can contact me via email at mike@furches.org or mike@thevirtualpew.com For those interested in knowing more about my own story, contact me for a free e-copy of my book The Keystone Kid in pre-edit form.

World Series

2006-05-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

The first two games of the series are played in the home ballpark of the team awarded home-field advantage; the next three are in the other team's ballpark, and the final two, if necessary, are back in the first team's ballpark. That has been the pattern since 1924, with the exception of World War II, when travel restrictions were in place. Until 2003, the team given the home-field advantage was switched every year between the American League and the National League. Starting with the 2003 World Series, the league that wins the mid-season All-Star Game has been awarded home-field advantage.

2006-04-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

fmarlins new articles for Sunday, April 16, 2006Game 6 of the 1986 World Series reenacted in RBI baseball
This is strangely compelling and highly entertaining, especially if you're a baseball or RBI fan (I spent many lunch hours at the donut shop by my high school playing RBI).

Annie Duke : How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and ...
So, you move up to the harder stuff, particularly the hardcore World Poker Tour. Then, you want to try something a little bit different, so you watch the World Series of Poker. Next thing you know, you’re looking for poker hits all over ...

Remediating Baseball
The video, created by Lastowka, depicts the ninth inning of the 1986 World Series, in which the Red Sox, just one out away from winning the World series, saw their Series hopes dashed on Bill Buckner's tenth inning error. ...

Is Poker Losing Its First Flush?
ESPN showcases the “World Series of Poker,” in June, and this year’s entry list is expected to briskly outpace last year’s roster of about 5600. And the Bravo network continues to play the glamour card on “Celebrity Poker Showdown” (Ben ...

RIDING THE HORSES
Sure, there will be happy talk about the possibility of Roger Clemens' return to Boston, riding in on his white horse to pitch the team back to the World Series. But at this point, that's all just speculation. And Clemens, like Wells, ...

The Fight That Benched Dusty
As part of the celebration commemorating the 1981 World Series win, Dusty Baker will be honored at Dodger Stadium on Monday night prior to the game. ... That's one of the reasons I want to get back to the World Series so bad. ...

2006 World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker for 2006 is only sixty days away. The mother of all poker tournaments, the WSOP, will start the '06 run of almost fifty days of continuous major tournament poker action. As in 2005, the big event will be held at ...

1986 World Series As Told By RBI Baseball
The '86 World Series final game re-enacted in RBI Baseball in which the New York Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox, thanks to dumb luck and a lengthy curse. By final game, we mean the last inning of Game Six, pitch-for-pitch. ...

History of Poker
The pinnacle of the poker world, The World Series of Poker, attracts players from all over the world every year to compete for money and titles as the world's top Poker players. Poker will always be around and will continue to grow and ...

The Chicago White Sox: 2005 World Series
Quote: "Okay, so just why am I revisiting the success of the Chicago White Sox 2005 team that won their first World Series after an almost 90 year wait? Because I care, by crikey. As the lords of baseball unleash another regular season ...

Replay of ‘86 World Series Game Six
This is great. Game six of the 1986 world series re-enacted in the old RBI Baseball video game. I wonder if they'll re-enact this movie next.

[Video] Game 6 of the 1986 World Series re-enacted in "RBI ...

I'm talking as slowly as I can
Remember, most people in the world have little or no interest in the World Series or the Super Bowl. What we call "soccer" is football everywhere else. And it's the most popular sport on the planet.) • Slow down. ...

1986 World Series as realized on a Nintendo
San Diego Serenade's 1986 World Series re-enacted on RBI Baseball. It's oh so good. Oh so good. Found it on Deadspin though I can't help but think that I should've found it myself considering San Diego Serenade's local and all. ...

US STATE DEPARTMENT TO TEACH AMERICANS TRAVELLING ABROAD... HOW ...
Remember, most people in the world have little or no interest in the World Series or the Super Bowl. What we call "soccer" is football everywhere else. And it's the most popular sport on the planet.) • Speak lower and slower. ...

victory is mine!
The second most obvious is that I get to play in a few big tournaments each year, most notably the World Series of Poker and the World Championship of Online Poker, while flying the Team PokerStars flag. ...

Now Batting For Wally Pipp
You see, Wally was replaced by a rookie by the name of Lou "Iron Horse" Gehrig, who went on to play sixteen seasons with the pinstripes, setting a consecutive-games record that stood for seven decades, playing in seven World Series and ...

If only Dubya could learn this....
Remember, most people in the world have little or no interest in the World Series or the Super Bowl. What we call "soccer" is football everywhere else. And it's the most popular sport on the planet. Slow down We talk fast, eat fast, ...

Do our collections reflect ourselves?
I also had a bunch of action games, some shooter titles, nearly all of the Treasure games (I'm missing Rakugaki Showtime), a few sports titles (I actually popped in Major League Baseball 2K5: World Series Edition last night after I ...

1986 World Series, Game Six: Nintendo Style
Done by some old-school gaming genius in RBI Baseball, a Nintendo game released in 1987. If you don't remember this classic (Red Sox vs. Mets), you should catch up on your baseball history... (Link stolen from waxy.org)

2006-04-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

fmarlins new articles for Tuesday, April 11, 2006[Video] Game 6 of the 1986 World Series re-enacted in "RBI ...

Game 6 of the 1986 World Series Re-Enacted in 8-Bit Glory on ...
You remember Game 6 of the 1986 World Series? The Boston Red Sox up two against the New York Mets in the top of the 10th with two outs, before Bill Buckner lets a slow roller from Mookie Wilson go right between his legs? ...

DC SCENE MONDAY
DICK HELLER, WASHINGTON TIMES - The best professional baseball team in the District's history probably wasn't the original Washington Senators, whose generally unfortunate 60-year history was punctuated by a World Series championship in ...

ChiSox, former players receive World Series rings
The White Sox received their World Series rings in a pregame ceremony.

Search for The Magic Bullet (5th in a series): One Planet Living
The results leave open the possibility that there may come a time when the balance of power between nations of the world may revolve around disparities between ecological debtor nations and ecological lender nations, and a new economics ...

1986 World Series Game 6 Re-Enacted in RBI Baseball
I decided that I wanted to enter this YouTube Cybersmack contest and 2in $25000 for creating the best internet viral video, so I decided to re-enact Game Six of the 1986 World Series in RBI Baseball, my favorite video game of all time. ...

The World's Most Meaningless Term
"That's when my public school principal (in Orange, CA) decreed that the '69 World Series would be played over the school PA system. With the games starting at 10 AM local time, I could hear most of the game at recesses and lunch. ...

Cubs 1-0, on way to World Series
Steven:. Yeah, I wish. But it wasn'ta shabby start by any means. 16-7? Let's keep it going I say. Meanwhile, the current champs are getting theirs handed to them by the team they barely held off at the end of last year, Cleveland. ...

Am I The Only One? By Alan Granoff
Gee whiz, you win one World Series every 3 centuries and you get an attitude. At least I stopped reminding you about Buckner and 1986, didn’tI? Oops, sorry, good buddy, guess old habits are hard to break!!!

My Favorite Baseball Moment Re-Enacted
A guy at the site San Diego Serenade re-enacted Game 6 of the 1986 World Series using RBI Baseball. This is the coolest thing ever. Go check it out.

Network-centric Warfare and the Next World Order
Part I of the Next World Order series explored the issues involved with calculating a 21st century American military force planning strategy. Part II addresses the failed efforts of Donald Rumsfeld and others to "transform" the force to ...

Okay, sports fans. I’ve been given the green light by the co-host ...
Today, the Tigers have their home opener against the World Series champion White Sox. To my supreme satisfaction, the Sox have started the season 2-4, losing 2 of 3 to both the Tribe and the Royals. Tee hee. The Royals. ...

Record Crowd on Hand as Tigers Fall to ChiSox
Despite falling to the 2005 World Series Champions today, there is no doubt that the citizens of Detroit are prepared for plenty of Tigers baseball this summer. Standing at 5-2, the Tigers are still off to a promising start. ...

Brilliant Use of RBI Baseball
San Diego Serenade, a music blog with an impressive tinge of sports knowledge that I plugged here last week re-enacted the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series using the old RBI Baseball video game . It's a bit lengthy, ...

Sorry about that last post, ladies and gentlemen. It's time for ...
I tore off a couple of feet when he tried to jump back over the fence, and planted it in my parent's backyard. We returned for game 3 of the World Series. No, I wasn't there for the post Series riot. I was also there with the woman who ...

Tutorials for Google Earth and GE Community
... to placemarks - steps for adding pictures/web links and text. Check out some other contributions by 'Up_the_Spurs': US Medals of Honor Recipients, MLB World Series Winners, Victoria Cross Recipients, and Heavy Weight Boxing Champions.

Change of Scenery for Jen Leo
I moved to Vegas last year to watch the World Series of Poker. Met a great guy and followed him to LA-- Burbank, actually. Well, we've just rented a cute house a few miles from Old Pasadena. I love Pasadena. And I'm looking to start a ...

The Bill Buckner Shuffle I'm not a Mets fan, but I'm fast becoming ...
Some guy managed to sync up audio from Game 6 of the 1986 Mets/Red Sox World Series with footage reenacted on RBI Baseball for the NES. Truly epic. Link from San Diego Serenade. Returning to music (in a sense), a great Mets post with ...

2006-04-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

fmarlins new articles for Sunday, April 02, 2006White Sox begin defense of World Series title against Indians (The Sports Network)
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox begin defense of their first World Series championship in 88 years this evening, as they kick off the 2006 Major League Baseball season against their American League Central rival Cleveland Indians in the opener of a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field.

White Sox Celebrate World Series Title (AP via Yahoo! News)
Fans cheered as soon as the White Sox emerged from the dugout to warm up Sunday night. Ready to celebrate? You bet, especially after a five-month wait.

White Sox defend World Series crown, Bonds chases HR record (Detroit News)
Now that baseball has a true world champion for the first time, it's time for the Chicago White Sox to defend their World Series title.

Stark: Count on a 27th world title landing in the Bronx (ESPN)
The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2000, but that'll end in '06 when they have a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.

Big Unit returns to site of World Series success (MSNBC)
PHOENIX - Randy Johnson walked in from the Arizona bullpen for the ninth inning of Game 7 in the 2001 World Series for perhaps the biggest victory of his amazing career.

$13,000 for Marge's World Series trophy (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Marge Schott's 1990 World Series trophy sold for $13,000 today at auction.

Yanks punch up attack in race for World Series (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
The New York Yankees have punched up their attack in the hope of winning the World Series for the first time in six years.

White Sox Celebrate World Series Title (AP via Yahoo! Asia News)
Fans cheered as soon as the White Sox emerged from the dugout to warm up Sunday night.

Odds to Win 2006 World Series From PinnacleSports.com (SYS-CON Media)
This Sunday, the curtain rises on the 2006 Major League Baseball season with the boys of summer returning for the sport's 137th season. With the first pitch of the baseball season coming this weekend, PinnacleSports.com today announced updated odds to win the 2006 World Series.

2006 MLB/ World Series champion White Sox on the move (Asahi.com)
CHICAGO--Success has not spoiled the Chicago White Sox. Standing pat and turning up their noses at the other 29 teams in major league baseball might have been expected from a White Sox team that led the American League's Central division from wire-to-wire last year.

World Series

2006-02-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada, the culmination of the sport's postseason each October. It is played between the pennant winner of the American League and the pennant winner of the National League. The Series winner is determined through a best-of-seven playoff (except in 1903, 1919, 1920 and 1921 when the winner was determined through a best-of-nine playoff) and is awarded the World Series Trophy, as well as World Series rings. Baseball has employed various championship formulas since the 1850s. The modern World Series has been an annual event since 1903, with the exceptions of 1904 and 1994.