Winter Olympics, Vancouver Edition
I'll be honest: I love the Olympics. A lot. I sit in front of the television for hours, soaking up as much Olympic action as possible. I love it. And I can't pinpoint why. Sure, the competition is tremendous. The world's greatest athletes on the world's greatest stage. But, there's something else. I can watch skiing anytime I want. I watch a tremendous amount of hockey. I could YouTube curling videos if I really wanted to. But I don't. I don't, mostly because, outside of a couple weeks in February, I could care less about curling, or about skiing, or about bobsledding. For two weeks in February, they become the most important thing in the world.
It may have something to do with the infrequency of it. Waiting four years to see these sports may be too long. Waiting two years for any Olympics is too long. It may have something to do with the stories. Maybe you loved the Michael Phelps story. Maybe you loved seeing an underdog finish first. Maybe you love seeing someone persevere.
It may have something with the parade of nations. Seeing the United States walk side by side with Afghanistan. Seeing Korea united. It may have somethipng to do with the fact the the Olympics are the only time that these nations can come together. They may be in war, they may hate each other, but for two weeks, they are one, battling each other only athletics, not in rhetoric or with weapons.
For me, it's all of these. It's rooting for someone. It's watching an obscure sport. It's rooting for a nation, a team, a story. It's seeing nations come together. It's two weeks. Two weeks of peace. Two weeks of national pride. Two weeks where nothing else is important, where the only thing that matters is sport, and the only thing that matters is watching sports. The worries about the economy, about our national security, about our broken political system are gone. For two weeks, we can forget about it. We can forget about our troubles. We can watch sports. We can watch nations come together. That is why I love the Olympics so much.
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Thoughts On Super Bowl
-What a ballsy move by Sean Payton to open the second half with an onside kick. Don’t recover it, and you probably lose the game. I thought it was the emotional turning point of the game. Sure, after the Saints scored, the Colts came right back, but now the Saints were in it. I can’t believe Payton did it, though. An onside kick? In the Super Bowl? Unheard of, unless you’re trying to win the game in the waning seconds. Can’t believe he did, but it worked out. He looks like a genius now.
-Can we say Drew Brees is the best QB in football? Sure, Manning (Peyton) is tremendous, but Brees was masterful. Absolutely masterful. 32-39. 288 yards. Just incredible. Well deserving of the MVP
-Tracy Porter made a great play on that interception (and honestly, is there a better feeling than that? Running back that interception, to seal a Super Bowl win?), but Reggie Wayne didn’t break out of his cut fast enough. I don’t know if he got mixed up, or if he was just lazy, but he could have at least knocked it down.
-Pierre Garcon’s drop on that third down in the second quarter was huge.
-Garret Hartley has a hell of a leg.
-Time to hang it up, Matt Stover
-I was utterly convinced that Manning would tie the game up. Convinced. Sure of it. And, they were moving. But, one play, one interception, changes everything.
-Saints run defense isn’t that good. I like Joseph Addai, but he’s not that good. Saints are helped by their offense and a great pass defense.
-I watched the game with a bunch of people who don’t like football. It was an interesting experience. First, they just talked during the game. And not about football. About random things. That made it harder to concentrate. But, it was nice actually teaching football to them. I will say, it’s better to watch football with fellow football fans.
-Best Super Bowl ad? Click here
-I liked The Who. Some didn’t. I did. Laser show looked pretty sick.
Super Bowl Prediction
Saints. Colts. Brees. Manning. This is a pretty evenly matched game. Both great offenses. Pretty good defenses. However, the injury to Dwight Freeney is a huge blow to the Colts defense. If he does play, he will have a hard time getting to Drew Brees. No pressure on Brees means he’ll have time to pick apart the defense. For the Saints, they’ll have to blitz Manning like there’s no tomorrow. Make him as uncomfortable as possible, and hope the pressure affects his passes. On offense, both teams will have to keep doing what they have been doing, although, on the Saints side, I would like to see Reggie Bush play like he did against Arizona. I think, however, that the Saints won’t be able to get a consistent pass rush on Manning, which gives Indy the slight edge.
There’s the emotional factor, which gives the edge to New Orleans. They are playing for a city, not just for themselves. Is that enough to help them stop Manning? I don’t think so.
Saints are a great team, and I’ll be rooting for them. But, they just don’t have an answer for Manning. He is too good. He’s going to make that extra play to win the game.
FINAL SCORE: Colts 24, Saints 21
Crazy Heart
I just saw "Crazy Heart". The movie is about a country singer who has fallen on some hard times, and uses his experiences to help his career, and his life. It's terrific, and features an unbelievable performance from Jeff Bridges. I recommend you see it.
Being about a country singer, the music is incredible. Listen to the songs here
One more thing. When credits come along at a movie, most people tend to get up out of their chairs, and make their way towards the exit. Not this movie. No one (and I mean no one) left when the credits came on. Everyone (and I mean everyone) waited until the end of the credits to leave. To me, that's the sign of a great movie. There are only four movies that I can remember where this happened: Crazy Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, and Gran Torino. Of course, these were all great movies.
The next time you go to the movies, see how many people stay until the end of the credits. You can tell if it's a good movie or not.
Devils Win Kovalchuk Sweepstakes
NHL fans, meet your new Stanley Cup favorite: The New Jersey Devils. The Devils made a push towards the Cup yesterday, acquiring star winger Ilya Kovalchuk from the Thrashers. The Devils gave up defenseman Johnny Oduya, promising winger Niklas Bergfors, a prospect, and a future first round draft pick.
This is a hell of a move. The Devils have one of the better defenses in the league, and now the are adding a dynamic player to their offense. Between Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, the Devils now are a major offensive threat, to go along with that great defense. With Martin Broduer in goal, this team has the chance to go really far in the playoffs.
Source: Kovalchuk Heading To Boston or LA
Just talked to a source, who said Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk is heading to either Boston or LA, before the trade deadline. The deal may happen before the Olympic break. No word on who would be going back to Atlanta in a deal.
Top 10 Super Bowl Foods
In honor of the upcoming Super Bowl, I thought I would share with you one of my other favorite pastimes: Eating. Yes, I love food, and the Super Bowl food is one of the best. So, here is my list of the Top 10 Super Bowl Foods. And yes, you must eat all of these on Super Bowl Sunday (just kidding.)
10. Vegetables and Dip
I'm not a big vegetable guy, but if you give me some ranch dressing, I'll eat it up. My favorite is carrots with ranch dip. Tip to newbies: Don't fill up on vegetables. I've made that mistake more than once. Eat a few, but save room for the better stuff.
9. Sushi
Sushi may be not be typical, but one year, when my house had a leak, sushi was the most convenient. It's easy to eat, and it tastes very good.
8. Popcorn
Popcorn may be more of a movie food, but it serves its purpose well. Easy to eat, easy to fill up on as well. Be wary of eating too much.
7. Nachos
I'm not a big nacho fan in general, but I make an exception for Super Bowl Sunday. This is a halftime food; too messy to eat while watching the game on the couch. Devour it during halftime.
6. Chips and Salsa
I'm not big into spicy food, so the salsa has to be mild, or else I won't eat it. I tend to fill up on chips and salsa, which doesn't leave room for much else. I prefer the Tostitos "Hint of Lime" chips.
5. Peanuts
Has to be the salted, roasted kind. But, I devour these. Almost too much. They are very addicting.
4. Buffalo Wings
Yes, Buffalo wings are a bit low on the list. But, like I said, I don't like things too spicy. Buffalo wings tend to be very spicy. But, one or two and I'm okay. They are tasty.
3. Chex Mix
I love Chex Mix, and always have. I'm not exactly sure what's in it, but I know it's good. Really good
2. Chips and Guacamole.
I love guacamole. A lot. Use Rotel for a more authentic taste.
1. Fried Chicken
The Must-Have at all Super Bowl parties. Can be homemade, from a local deli, or from KFC. I don't care. I just want it. A lot of it.
What are your Super Bowl must have foods?
The Hurt Locker
I saw The Hurt Locker yesterday afternoon. If you see one movie all year, see this one.
The movie is set in Iraq, in the middle of the Iraq war, following three guys, whose job it is to disarm improvised explosive devices. Pretty tough stuff, right? Very tough. While not based on a true story, these guys exist. They disarm bombs for a living.
The movie is intense, gripping. It stays with you long after. It's still with me. It's a movie that makes you think: What's important? What do you really love? Trust me, I've been thinking.
I'm not giving away a lot on purpose. It's because I want you to see it.
Avatar and The Hurt Locker are supposed to be the front runners for an Oscar. I saw both. And I can tell you, without hesitation, that The Hurt Locker should win Best Picture. Avatar was great, but The Hurt Locker was one of the best movies I've ever seen. It's that good.
The iPad
Apple's latest invention--the iPad--came out today. It is billing itself as a new category: between an iPhone and a laptop. From the looks of it, it could be awesome. Here's the demo video:
My birthday is coming up in March. Device comes out in April. I'd be willing to wait a month. Anyone feeling generous?
Paul Shirley Does Not Know What He’s Talking About; Or, Why Haiti Matters
You may know Paul Shirley. Journeyman NBA player. Wrote a book about his playing days. Probably a nice guy. But, he has absolutely no idea what he's talking about. You see, Shirley wrote an article about why he's not donating money to the Haiti relief efforts.
Shouldn’t much of the responsibility for the disaster lie with the victims of that disaster?
Before the reader reaches for his or her blood pressure medication, he should allow me to explain. I don’t mean in any way that the Haitians deserved their collective fate. And I understand that it is difficult to plan for the aftermath of an earthquake. However, it is not outside the realm of imagination to think that the citizens of a country might be able to: A) avoid putting themselves into a situation that might result in such catastrophic loss of life. And B) provide for their own aid, in the event of such a catastrophe.
So, if Shirley's argument is correct, than we would've built better levees for New Orleans. We would have fixed the San Andreas Fault line. We would've stopped the tsunami. Natural disasters are unavoidable. You can't control weather. You can't control when disaster strikes.
Dear Haitians –
First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.
As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?
Sincerely,
The Rest of the World
Yes, Shirley is right when he says that Haiti needs to be rebuilt correctly. That's why we're donating the money. For infrastructure. But, we're donating the money to save lives. We're donating the money for food. For water. For medicine. For clothing. For shelter. Things that we take for granted on a daily basis are so hard to come by for Haitians. So, we're supposed to sit back while they struggle? We're supposed to watch them struggle? And we're supposed to ensure this happens again? No, Mr. Shirley. You couldn't be more wrong. Your moral compass seems to be pointing due-asshole.
And, Mr. Shirley, here's why Haiti matters: They are suffering. They are struggling for things we take for granted. They need money. They need our support. And they are right in our backyard! They are our neighbors. Helping Haiti become a viable economic partner is crucial for our national interests. A viable economic partner in our backyard is something we want.
So, Mr. Shirley, I hope you go to bed at night knowing what an asshole you are. I hope you go to bed at night with the images of people in Haiti burned in your mind. I hope you never forget the images. Because one day, Mr. Shirley, karma will find you. And, from what I hear, karma is a bitch.
(P.S. As commenter Mike said on the site where the article appeared: "Too bad Mr. Shirley’s dad didn’t use a condom." Ah, karma really is a bitch. )
