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11.11.07
Posted in AJ, JD at 11:58 pm by jd
Thanksgiving time is rapidly approaching and the Socks were sitting around discussing how much better their Turkey Weekend is than yours. Yes, we said Turkey WEEKEND. It starts with a night at the bar (don’t they all) and ends with, uhh, a night at the bar. But in between, there is a birthday (Jay’s) a football game (Turkey Bowl) and the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year (Christmas Season).
About the time we were thinking of an idea for how to write this column, Jay had just finished watching Disney movies all day. Jay walked downstairs and the following exchange took place:
Jay – Dude, how good are Disney movies?
Adam – Almost as good as Thanksgiving.
Together – DISNEY THEMED THANKSGIVING COLUMN!
And there it was, we had our plan. We will now detail our Thanksgiving itinerary in musical soundtrack form (CD available on Virgin Records). Sing the songs to the tune of your Disney Musical Favorites! (NOTED: This is funnier if you listen to the tunes while reading).
On Wednesday, Thanksgiving break starts, and the Socks go out to the beautiful bars of Amherst, Ohio for the first of three times in the next 4 days.
“We Just Can’t Wait for Drinking” (to the tune of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” – Lion King)
It’s gonna be a crazy night,
So single Mom’s beware.
Set your mind to “Shock and Awe,”
And read on if you dare.
It’s only just the first event,
We open the bar door.
We’re dressing up, we’re gettin’ down,
And drinking lots of Coors!
(Thus far we hope that we are inspiring.)
Oh we just can’t wait for drinking!
Our friends saying “Drink this.”
Our friends saying “Get here!”
No one saying “Stop that!”
Everyone shouting “Drink Beer!” (DRINK BEER!)
Free of classes for three days,
Now we’ll drink them all away.
Thursday is Turkey Day and Jay’s Birthday! It’s family with all the fixin’s.
“Legs and Breasts” (tune of “Be Our Guest” – Beauty and the Beast)
Legs and breasts, legs and breasts,
Not naughty like they’d suggest.
Stack your plate with taters and turkey
Then dig into the mess.
Dinner’s served,
Quite the bird,
30 pounds! Why, that’s absurd!
Try the gravy, it’s delicious,
Thick and creamy; not nutritious.
Got meat sweats and painful cramps,
Time to find some bigger pants,
And the dinner here is never second best!
There’s just a single menu,
At our happy venue,
Legs and breasts,
Legs and breasts,
LEGS AND BREASTS!
Friday is an event we have aptly named “Turkey Crawl.” It’s when the Socks parade around Amherst (for the 2nd time) with friends and family, hopping (or crawling) from one bar to the next in joyful exuberance. They start at an old time pizza parlor and walk the streets from there. A secondary purpose of Turkey Crawl is to ensure we are all hungover in preparation for the Saturday morning football game. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…
“Turkey Crawl-ing” (tune of “Under the Sea” – The Little Mermaid)
The pizzas are always better,
After the first few drinks,
We eat lots of pepperoni,
Then into the booze we sink.
We walk to the bars around us,
At each one we will drink more.
When wonderful friends surround us,
How could you want much more?
Turkey crawling, turkey crawling!
This night is greater as it gets later;
Take it from me.
We drink a lot of PBR,
‘Cause it’s a dollar at the bar,
Shoot Kamikazes,
Jim, Jack and Johnny,
Turkey Crawling!
It makes all the wives unhappy,
As through the streets we stroll,
The weather is always crappy,
But beer shields us from the cold.
The end of the night is lucky,
The D.D. is really great,
The crawlers are getting hungry,
And Taco Bell’s open late!
Turkey crawling, turkey crawling!
You will not beat us,
Try and out drink us,
That’s just crazy!
Back to the hot tub we will go,
Then we will pass out in the snow,
We’ll be hungover,
When it’s all over,
Turkey crawling!
Finally! Turkey Bowl Saturday is upon us; and it is glorious! This epic game between the old guys and the young guns is unathletic at its core, and entertaining to the end. It is the highlight of everyone’s weekend. Nay, it is the highlight of everyone’s year! (For more information, check out www.lcturkeybowl.org. Not to shamelessly plug one of our websites.) (Make sure you see the links on the website to the other websites such as blog.looselybasedfilms.com)
One Jump Ahead (of the Fat Guys) – (tune of “One Jump Ahead” – Aladdin)
Gotta keep,
One jump ahead of the fat guys,
I feel sick, but I’m gonna score,
I swear, I’m never gonna drink no more!
(and that’s a lie)
One rush, an awkward tackle,
I’m down, “Hey that’s my junk!”
My God, I think that I still am drunk!
(Half back, trick pass, defense, take that!)
Just a quick smoke break, guys,
Oh my God I think I might die!
Be back in a jiff, gotta get some snacks,
And then we can start Game 2.
When all is said and done, we can look back on the weekend and the great times had by all; and that leaves us but one thing to do: start talking trash for next year. Happy Holidays!
Come Have a Drink With Me – (tune of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” – Toy Story)
Come have a drink with me,
Maybe eat some turkey.
When you’re drunk and,
Nice and fed,
And your face and your feet they are, glowing red,
Even though the weekend might be dead,
Just come have a drink with me.
Oh yeah,
One last drink with me.
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09.23.07
Posted in AJ, Life, Sports at 1:18 pm by AJ
There is nothing better than Sunday’s in the fall and winter. Being that I’m in college it’s supposed to be the day that I get caught up on all the work that I’m not doing but clearly that is not why God gave us this perfect day. Instead I spend this day with my roommates the way it was supposed to be spent…in rest. We each have our designated couch and we watch football and eat pizza. (I have papa john’s on speed dial).
The thing about these sunday’s is that it’s a non stop back and forth of delicious food and great sports. Around noon i’ll wake up and get out the chips and dip while preparing for the Browns game (usually at 1) and watch pre game shows. The first have of the game is usually reserved for finger foods and around halftime the pizza is ordered. Around 4ish the browns have ended (usually in a loss) and it’s time to turn it to Fox where some random game is on. It doesnt matter who’s playing… just that football is on.
it’s important to note that sunday’s are also usually championship days. thus we spend the afternoon’s flipping back an forth to see some magic by tiger or federer or even some random bowler. Also the indians usually play afternoon games on sunday…which is just an added bonus.
After the four o clock game (…which usually was partnered with a massive sangwhich or chipotle…) it’s time for the simpsons and family guy followed instantly by sunday night football, antacid and probably some ice cream. the evening ends with a game of poker, a few glasses of southern comfort, and probably a late night west coast baseball game.
Just like God intended… Gluttony, sloth, and alcohol…
Remember as much as you hate mondays (and everyone does minus monday night football) Sundays are just that good. so take some time once a week to do nothing at all and eat a lot. you’ll find yourself a lot happier…
“You can’t teach people to be lazy…they either have it or they don’t”
-Dagwood Bumstead
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08.09.07
Posted in AJ, Sports at 12:35 pm by AJ
As every one on planet Earth is already aware of Barry Bonds recently broke the all-time home run record of Hank Aaron. The issue has been debated and disputed by every one from congress to sports writers to drunks at the bar (I usually fall under the 3rd category). This morning I read an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about whether or not it carried any relevance and the answer without question is yes.
As I’ve stated before many times I truly hate Barry Bonds. I hate everything about him and yes I do believe he used steriods. That being said I still feel that this moment was not only relevant and important but also somewhat enjoyable. My roommate said the other day that, despite his massive hatred for Bonds, he literally got chills when the ball left his bat. Honestly, I feel the same way. From a man who shows so little emotion it was nice to see pure joy.
The thing about this moment is the fact that good, bad or illegal you will always remember it. For as long as I live I will remember that I saw Bonds hit that record breaking moon shot while sitting on a bar stool at The Big Ease in Amherst, Ohio. (Home of the Little Beer…fantastic shot) Anyway the point is that this was a night in history that will be forever remembered by everyone who saw it.
I think that this was good for baseball because whether you love Bonds or wish death upon him you were watching on that night. In this time of scandals and cheating it still brought the world’s eyes onto a baseball diamond. And as one reporter said… “Yeah it appears as though he cheated but so did hundreds of other players and they didn’t hit 756 homeruns.”
There are few moments in history that people will never forget and I have a feeling that this is a sports version of that idea. Love him or hate him it was still an amazing site to see. If nothing else, at least we no longer have to hear about “The Chase” for the first 15 minutes of sportscenter…
“A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen”
~Edward De Bono
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08.06.07
Posted in AJ, Sports at 12:35 pm by AJ
This past week Ryan Tucker of the Cleveland Browns (Aka Grizzly Adams) was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the leagues steriod policy. That policy being do not use them.
When I heard about this I wasn’t really upset but a certain question came to my mind that is not under the 5 W’s. That question is how? How in God’s name can Ryan Tucker be on steriods and still be this terrible? He can’t pass block to save his life, he’s too slow to chop block, and run blocking involves pushing someone off the ball so that is clearly out of the question.
For some reason, only known to the front office of the Browns, Tucker has been with the team since ‘02 and since then he’s let left defensive ends by him to sack such big names as Couch, Dilfer, and Garcia. However that is not my main issue with him. Every lineman who’s worn a Browns jersey since their return to Cleveland has been pretty pitiful and only this year do they finally have some hope for a sturdy O-line. My issue is the fact that Tucker jumps for often than a kangaroo on a trampoline. He literally has an inability to remain still. It’s like somebody put Michael J. Fox into an ogre’s body. (too soon?)
My hope is that in his absense the Browns will be able to find an ample replacement and let go of Tucker so he can begin his promising career as the new star of the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky “Messin with Sasquatch Commercials”. I just don’t get how a monk can remain completely still while lighting himself on fire in protest and Tucker jumps at the sound a quarterback saying Red Moon dog 7-11.
Regardless of the sitaution I’m looking at this suspension as a good thing…mainly because I hate Ryan Tucker.
“I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating” Sophocles
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07.30.07
Posted in AJ, Sports at 12:53 pm by AJ
Over the weekend as I was driving to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Stark County to work I was listening to ESPN Radio and heard a statement that simply blew my mind and got me thinking. I was listening to a Diamondbacks-Braves game (yes you can listen to westcoast stuff on ESPN radio…its fantastic) and they were talking about Randy Johnson. Most people know that he has always been a dominant pitching force (even appearing in the major motion picture Little Big League) and some people may also know that he is 12 wins shy of 300 and that he is having his 2nd back surgery in two years; effectively ending his season.
The announcers were talking about the fact that Randy is going to give it one more go next year and hopes to come back healthy for his final Hurrah. Now the part that drove me crazy is that the announcers said he’s coming back simply because he owes it to the Diamondback’s franchise. Are you kidding me? I can think of two reasons why Randy is coming back. One involves one of the most respected fraternities in all of sports (the 300 win club) and the other involves 9 million dollars. (Perhaps he should hire T.O.’s old PR woman)
When it comes down to the basics of the sport of baseball it goes like this: Yes it’s a team sport but the records are incredibly individualistic. It is so rare to see players giving it all just becuase of the team they are with. In fact we may have seen the last two selfless players in the league this weekend when Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were enshrined together in Cooperstown. Both players played their entire careers for their hometown teams and never left to chase records or rings. (Put Gwynn on the Yankees for the 2nd half of his career and he’d have enough gold to fill Fort Knox).
Side Note: You could put a guy like Craig Biggio in that group who, in his 18th year, is still performing well for the same team he started with. His 3,000th hit was well deserved and possibly the best moment in the MLB so far this year.
When it comes down to it players rarely actually care about the team they play for. All they truly care about are rings, Rolls-Royce, and records. I’ll give a few examples…
*Do you think Barry is trying to break Hank’s record for the good of San Francisco?
-A-Rod is going to be opting out of his contract this fall with the Yankees for greener pastures (Literally) somewhere else. I have a hard time believing that he signed a record deal with the Rangers because of his love of Texas Toast and I have an even more difficult time thinking that his new $30 Million a year contract that Boston will most likely give him will be becuase he wants to further his knowledge of the Irish Heritage and culture.
-C.C. Sabathia has come up through the Indians farm system and has become one of the most dominating forces in the game today under the guidance of the Tribe coaches. Something tells me team loyalty won’t be on his mind next year when he’s making $20 million-plus in pinstripes.
-Even my beloved Travis Hafner (PRONK!!) is searching for the money. Earlier this year he said he wanted to test the free agent waters and only recently signed a lucritive deal with the Indians because he’s struggled this year and wanted to make sure he didn’t lose his value.
All over the league players take more money instead of staying with the team that made them known and so often players stay way passed their prime simply to obtain records and numbers. (Ahem…Sosa) It would be refreshing if, even for one season, these guys didn’t play for the money, removed the stats and simply played the game for the reasons it should be played.
Professional baseball players lose sight of the fact that they are one of the few who can answer questions like: Is that grass as spongey as it looks? Does red brick hurt less to slide on then that kitty litter we play on? What does a Rivera cutter look like from the plate? How far does Zito’s curveball actually drop? Do you still get chills every time you jog out to your position to a standing ovation?
Where you guys play the sun shines daily, the lights glimmer nightly and little kids worship you more with every double to the gap and barehanded play. Forget the money and records… play for the love of the game.
“You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a little boy in you, too. -Roy Campanella
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07.26.07
Posted in AJ, Life, Sports at 12:48 pm by AJ
In this time of point shaving, dog fighting and *records being broken* I think we as fans need to have a little bit of faith to keep us going despite the fact that our 3 major sports all have awful on going scandals. So without further adu… here’s a couple more beliefs…
I believe that guilty by association should apply in michael vick’s case
I believe that, despite the disgusting acts allegedly performed by vick, the the falcons will still be the most frequently picked team in madden 08 b/c people still love playing with him.
I believe that, despite the fact that he probably cheated, i hate his gut and i hope he gets hurt in a freak accident very soon, Barry Bonds is still one of the top 5 baseball players to ever walk this earth. so few people understand the difficulty involved in hitting a baseball whether your juiced or not and the fact that he’s done it so well for so long is still impressive. that being said i still hate his guts.
I believe that A-rod already hitting 500 homeruns should be near the top of the sportscenter hour but the yankees and royals highlights should never be played before at least 40 minutes into the show regardless of how many runs they score…. KC isnt even the best minor league team in the bigs (tampa bay) so beating them by 9 is expected…not impressive.
I believe Josh Barfield is, in some way, related to Omar Vizquel
I believe that the only man who truly knows how to coach in Cleveland is Romeo Crennel and that its a shame he’s going to be fired at some point this season.
along those lines….
I believe the only play Mike Brown knows how to call is 4-low
I believe that Eric Wedge doesn’t even know he’s actually at a baseball game and that if he had the sack to hit-and-run and bunt that the Indians would be the unquestioned front runner to win the world series.
After watching all of Fausto Carmona’s starts this year I believe that he will win the cy young award next year as the Indians ace
I believe that Notre Dame will be under .500 this year in football and I will love every minute of it.
-I believe USC will win the national championship again this year and win each game by an average 18 points minimun.
I believe that whatever team Jermaine Dye gets traded to will be in the world series
I believe The Simpsons Movie will live up to the hype and will win an oscar
Along those lines…other movie beliefs
-I believe “The Rules of Attraction” as the most disturbing first 20 minutes in cinematic history
-I believe Gerard Butler has the best character range in hollywood right now (He played the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera and King Leonidas in 300)
-I believe that the whole turning old comics into movies should stop (with exception to spiderman…keep making those) but the hulk, fantastic 4, iron man, etc… let them be
-I believe next years Sweeney Todd Directed by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp will win the oscar for best picture
-I believe Alan Rickman is one of the best actors of our time
-I believe JD’s right… weddings can be awesome…or not
last but not least… i believe in micro-fiber blankets… look into them
thats all for now
“Skepticism is the beginning of faith”
-oscar wilde
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06.14.07
Posted in AJ, Life, Music at 1:07 pm by AJ
Summer is upon us and with is comes music festivals, picnics, and cookouts. People tend to be outside during summer in pools, on front porches, or taking road trips and the one constant about these summer activities is music. Everywhere you go there is music playing and during the summer it all seems to be up beat and enjoyable. There are some singers who’s voices and style appear to be perfect for the those long summer months (i.e. Sinatra and the gang) and then there are bands that seem to only be around during the months of sun and leisure. Since I was a kid I have always thought of specific songs as meant for summer and so without further adieu here is my summer soundtrack… (note: these are the songs I’ve chosen. They are in no particular order and are open for discussion. I also took the liberty of adding in my favorite lyrics from the song because at my internship I have that kind of time.)
1. Centerfield- John Fogerty: Of course I’m going to start with a song about baseball. Although this song discusses the opening of a new season, which is the spring time, this song is played in ballparks and stadiums all summer long and makes us all feel as if we could make an over the shoulder Mays like catch… “So say hey willie, tell ty cobb and joe dimaggio; Don’t say “it ain’t so”, you know the time is now.”
2. Slow Ride - FogHat- This is one for all of the classic rock lovers out there or, if your like me, lovers of the movie Dazed and Confused. This is the quintessential movie about school letting out and enjoying a day in the life of a summer time high schooler. It shows that all of the problems of sports, girls and class seem to melt away. This soundtrack is chalk full of summer classic rock from Skynyrd to ZZ Top but Slow Ride will forever stick in my mind because of the end of the movie. The main characters head off to get Aerosmith tickets (”Top priotrity of the summer”) and are driving down the road as Foghat plays in the background…priceless “Slow down, go down, got to get your lovin’ one more time Hold me, roll me, slow ridin’ woman you’re so fine.”
3. Summertime -Bachelor Number One- This song is from the American Pie soundtrack and is the first of a few with the word “summer” actually in the title. Since 7th grade I’ve listened to this song on the last day of school and before the first day of school with my brother to remind us how perfect summer time is. It has classic lyrics such as “kick off your shoes, the booze, and use anything but your mind…cause this is the summer time…” This song is as close to summer perfection as I can possibly imagine and reminds me of the high school adolescence that we all miss from time to time.
4. Black Rock- O.A.R.- Of A Revolution or OAR as they are better known is one of those bands that I’m pretty sure hibernates from October til may only to resurface with catchy songs to be played at rib cook offs around the country (See: Crazy Game of Poker). This specific song is a great little diddy about sitting out on the rocks near a lake. It’s a peaceful and easy going work that reminds us that sometimes you just have to get away and listen to the waves. “On the black rock is where i spend my time writing a memory or writing a rhyme thinking about what is right or wrong”
5. Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay- Otis Redding- This may be more of a vacation song than summer but much like Black Rock it shows that sitting around watching the tide roll in can be one of the best ways to spend a summer day. “Look like nothing’s gonna change. Everything still remains the same. I can’t do what ten people tell me to do. So I guess I’ll remain the same”
6. Boys of Summer - Don Henley- Another with the word summer in the title, this is one of those timeless classics that will forever be loved (and remade…ahem -ataris). It talks about a man who loves a girl and how his love will still be strong after she’s finished with all of her summer flings. This man is either truly in love or retarded. “I never will forget those nights, i wonder if it was a dream. Remember how you drove me crazy? remember how i made you scream?”
7. Up All Night- Unwritten Law- This is an unusual pick but it was one that was played in my car on trips to Cedar Point throughout my teenage years. Its best line “Cuz we’re alright, we’re up all night ,To see the sun come up again now. Just one more time no reason why. To see the sun come up again” Is a reminder that you don’t need a reason to stay up all night… It’s summer, why not? Side note: it also talks about smoking pot on the front porch…if you’re into that kind of thing
8. Holiday From Real - Jack’s Mannequin- Everything In Transit, Jack’s first album, may just be the best cd every created period let alone for the summer and so picking just one song from it was tough. I Choose Holiday because of one line “California in the Summer, Ah, and my hair is growin’ long, Fuck yeah, we can live like this”… poetry. Who doesn’t want to live like that? Andrew McMahon… you are a gift from God.
9. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince You can’t have a summer cd without having this song on it. Everyone born in the 80’s grew up with this song and is reminded of that final day of 6th grade running home from school to jump in a pool and kick it big willy style. “Summa, Summa, Summatime…Time to sit back and unwind.”
10. Just Cruisin’ - Will Smith- yes a 2nd Will Smith song… This one is all about drivin’ around by yourself on a nice day just listenin’ to music and not having a care in the world. The only difference is that Will is cruising in an Aston Martin and we were in a 1991 Buick park avenue… style. “Just Cruisin’…where baby? I don’t care”
11. Esta Vida - Grasshopper Takeover- “Esta Vida is Life…” That’s not just a translation, it’s the songs most used lyric. This song defines summer. It talks of cheap nights at bars and a girl he loves. This is another band like OAR where every song just reminds you of summer. (also listen to: Forever Young) “Everything is gonna be okay, when the day turns to night or the night turns into day. I’d fall apart but for the melody in my view.”
12. Summer of ‘69 - Bryan Adams- “The Canadian government has apologized numerous times for Bryan Adams” but they don’t need to apologize for this tasty lick. It speaks of a better time when all there was to worry about was summer crushes and a smooth playin’ 6-string. “Standin’ on your mama’s porch, You told me it would last forever. Oh the way you held my hand I knew that it was now or never. Those were the best days of my life”
13. Summer ‘79- The Ataris- They took a high risk shot by trying their own version of the Canadian classic but they did rather well. They sing about roller rinks, drive ins and laying on the roof watching the stars. Not a bad summer day. “We Are the Champions” playing out on the radio station. Everyone sing along with these anthems of our generation. Cruisin’ down Pacific Coast Highway, Put the top down, crawl into the back seat. Let’s create anthems of our own tonight.”
14. Loner - Ekoostik Hookah- Another less known song…This hippie band sings of the beaches and a freedom in life that seems only possible under the warmth of summer. Sometimes we all just need to get away from it all. “And they’re askin’ me where’d you get that tan boy and I’ll say out on the beaches of life…”
15. Where Summer B? - Ben Folds Five- Sadly the only time Ben will be on this list. This song is compliments of JD and is another one I enjoy listening to on the first day of summer. “They’re asking where you been like I know where ya been. hey Summer, where ya been?”
16. Constellations - Jack Johnson Much like OAR, Jack’s and Ben; Jack Johnson is a guy who could have any number of songs on this list. I choose Constellations because its a slower song and perhaps his most beautiful. “It was just another night With the sun set And the moon rise not so far behind, To give us just enough light, To lay down underneath the stars. Listen to all the translations Of the stories across the sky. We drew our own constellations”
17. Standard Lines (I Hope You’re Happy) - Dashboard Confessional- This is yet another band that seems perfect for summer although their often times depressing songs fit well in the winter as well. But with songs and albums with names like Dusk and Summer and So Long Sweet Summer it’s no wonder why they made the list. This specific song makes the cut specifically because it is in the very first episode of Clone High; the greatest show no one has ever heard of. “But your taste still lingers on my lips, Like I just placed them upon yours And i starve… I starve for you”
18. Hook - Blue’s Traveler- One of only 3 bands that will make the winter song list as well (Ben Folds, and Jack’s) Blue’s Traveler has a few hits and every one of them sticks to your head like glue (special thanks to sean paul for that line). “Suck it in suck it in suck it in If you’re Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn…” (the rest of this lyrics is far too long to put in but you all know how it goes)
19. Fly - Sugar Ray- This tune is another that will stick in your head and never leave but it’s quite catchy and actually was the start of Suagr Ray becoming moderately successful…I know I’m shocked too… “Dance a little stranger show me where you’ve been. say what? Love can make you hostage, wanna do it again?”
20. The Way - Fastball- The list comes to an end with a one hit wonder that I absolutely love. I placed this one hit special on the list for all the other’s I left out such as Summer Girls by LFO, Flagpoll sita by Harvey Danger (which I do love), and all the others which I’m sure I’m forgetting. “Anyone could see the road that they walk on is paved in gold, And its always summer, they’ll never get cold.”
So there is my summer play list…I hope you all enjoyed it. Feel free to add your two cents. go out and get some sun.
that’s all for now
If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance. -Bern Williams
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06.13.07
Posted in AJ, Sports at 10:18 am by AJ
As I’ve been watching the NBA Finals this past week I’ve noticed that something’s been missing. Other than a cavs win, scoring, and general excitement, the one major difference between this series and every other series during this month and a half marathon called the playoffs is the fact that the crowd is not uniformly dressed. For Cleveland it was the all red “Beat Detroit!” shirts, Utah had those hideous baby blues, and in Golden State- All Yellow “We Believe” shirts that powered them past the best underachieving team in the league… the Mavs. In the NBA this trend was started last year by the Miami Heat. They had their crowd wear eerily creepy all white shirts at every single game. It was ghastly and terrifying and it worked. I’ve been having trouble deciding whether or not i like the idea of every member in the crowd wearing the same shirt and I’ve finally come to the conclusion that its a pretty cool fad even if thats all that it is. There’s something pretty interesting about seeing a multimillion dollar actress and a family of four, who had to take out a second mortgage just to attend the game, wearing the same outfit. I thought to myself that it was pretty impressive that a organization could pull off a stunt involving the entire crowd but then I started to think about the origin of this trend: College athletics.
Nearly every major college stadium, regardless of sport, is unicolored for games. Ohio State has a sea of red, Nebraska and Alabama have the same altho ‘Bame calls theirs a sea or crimson (so picky) , Clemson has their orange crush, Texas A&M has their maroon clad 12th Man, Duke has their always blue and white Camron Crazies and the list goes on. Each and every game these fans come completely decked out in their colleges colors to support their beloved athletes and each time it’s equally as impressive. Perhaps the most impressive was Penn State’s “White Out” a couple years back which ended up costing the Buckeyes a shot at another national title. 110,000 screaming fans wearing nothing but white. Pretty impressive. I believe that this game was the inpsiration for the NBA teams and until now it’s been quite successful. Cleveland didn’t have a promotion like this last year against Detroit and they lost in 7, this year we had “Beat Detroit” and “Rise up!” and we did. Now in the finals even those annoying Rise Up shirts have been abandoned. (Maybe fans think if they dress up with some class they’ll have a shot at Eva Longoria… ) It’s too late to create new shirts for game 4 but I fully believe if the entire crowd comes clad in Rise up shirts that we will take this series back to San Antonio. What the Hell I say everyone in the crowd wears their Beat Detroit! shirts again. If nothing else perhaps it’ll cause confusion in Duncan and Co. and we can steal a game… Hey at this point I’ll try anything.
thats all for now…
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” -Truman Capote
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06.11.07
Posted in AJ, Life, Sports at 12:46 pm by AJ
I’ve been flipping through the site searching for an idea for my first blog and as expected…big brother jd had something for me. this is convenient because now i can pretend to be creative while stealing an idea from someone who isn’t allowed to get mad at me for it. A while back (easter ish i think) jd wrote a list of things worth having some faith in… well i’d like to steal that and come up with a list of my own… so lets give this blogging thing a shot-
I believe that weddings are not overrated and that anyone who elope will be missing out on the greatest party in the world- a wedding reception
that being said, I believe that Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi and Paradise by the Dashboard light by meatloaf may just be the two greatest songs ever composed and i say composed because works of art like those aren’t simply written
-i believe that Southern Comfort and Vernor’s is the best alcoholic drink one can imbibe
-i believe reality tv is the worse thing to ever happen to television
-i believe that The Simpsons is the most intelligent show ever to be television.
-I believe that The Sopranos contains the worst acting of all time and is further proof that anything with violence can be successful in this company.
-I believe that Vincent Chase and company have the greatest lives ever…even if it is made up
-I fully believe that NPH is not gay (i don’t care if he publicly admitted it)… if you’ve ever seen Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle then you’d agree
-I believe that deep frying vegetables is morally and ethically wrong and county fairs are the work of the devil
-SPORTS
-As a baseball purist I believe that a ball off a wooden bat is the most beautiful sound a man can ever here
-I also believe that aluminum bats are the worst thing to ever happen to sports
-I believe in Kentucky Blue grass and crushed red brick
-I believe that being able to put a soccer ball in the upper 90 from outside the 18 on a dead sprint is the single most impressive ability in all of sports
-I believe Lord Stanley’s cup is the best named trophy for any championship.
-I believe that bowl games should have names like the Orange and Rose bowl and and that corporate sponsorships ruin bowl week.
-I believe that when Roger Federer is finally able beat Rafael Nadal consistently on clay he should be consider one of the greatest athletes of all time.
-I believe that any food off of a grill at a tailgate party before a football games tastes exponentially better.
-I believe that baseball games are for purists and that that is unfortunate
-I believe high school basketball coaches are treated like royalty in their communities and that many of them deserve it
-I believe that it is every human beings right to hate the Yankees but it should be required that you respect derek jeter regardless.
-I believe the cavs are one player away, if the Indians can get by the red sox they will win the world series, and the browns will be a title contender in 3 years.
side note- i also believe in optimism
RANDOM
-I believe that the movies that no one sees or even heard of are often times the best. IE- Pan’s Labyrinth, Capote, 21 Grams, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
-I believe mel gibson is clinically insane
-I believe PETA has some of the best advertising on the planet
-I believe the Discovery Channel series Planet Earth was visually breathtaking
-I believe Morgan Freeman has the most soothing voice around and that he was perhaps the only actor alive who could get away with playing God without causing a societal backlash.
-I believe Jon Stewart is the smartest man in America
-I believe that life is what you make and you can control your own destiny.
-I believe the best advise in the world comes through two things: older siblings and personal experience.
-I believe that if one had the time they could make an entire novel out of these sorts of lists…
thats all for now
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” -Oscar Wilde
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