Was going through the Magic: The Gathering card collection I've been putting off selling for about a year and a half (because I finally AM going to sell it), and one of the cards (Blistering Barrier) had this riddle on it as flavor text:
"I live without food, stand without leg, wound without force, and am harder to fight than to kill. What am I?"
Any ideas?
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Monday, January 26, 2004
A Quick Trip Around Blog Nation
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Illinois-Chicago Diary (Week 11)
Polls: Well, THAT didn’t last long. Alabama fell to fourth after getting thrashed 92-66 by Mississippi on Saturday. Tennessee took over the top spot after doubling Auburn (98-49) and more than TRIPLING Vanderbilt (128-41; 55-10 at halftime). Still-unbeaten Oklahoma (18-0) moved up from No. 4 to No. 3.
Recruiting: We’ve got ’em; let’s meet ’em:
Liam Paisley (SG, 6’5”, 160, Zurich, Switzerland; Proviso East HS, Maywood, IL)
A scorer. Good size for the position. Good ballhandler as well; adds immediate depth to thin backcourt. Could play right away as incoming freshman, backing up at both guard spots if need be. Frankly, we could use him now.
PF Jared Street (6’8”, 188, Chicago; Sheridan, Wyo., JC)
JUCO transfer. Decent rebounder. Smart player. Shows flashes offensively. Will probably be in mix at SF, but will have to bulk up to play PF year after next.
SF Sean Keyes (6’7”, 206, LaPorte, IN)
Good athlete. Not much of an offensive game, but H.S. team wasn’t anything to write home about unless you wanted a good laugh.
RV’s Chris Simpson ended up at Florida State. To do what, I don’t know.
Awards:
Horizon League Player of the Week: SF #31 Chris Paulding, 6’3” senior, Loyola-Chicago (26 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Horizon League Freshman of the Week: PG #12 Chris Merton, 6’3” freshman, Wisconsin-Green Bay (18 ppg, 6 apg)
National Player of the Week: SG #11 Lionel Owens, 6’3” senior, Florida (29.5 ppg)
National Freshman of the Week: PF #22 Aaron Williamson, 6’6” freshman, Samford (42 ppg, 15 rpg)
Game 18 Report
Cleveland State (11-7, 3-3) at Illinois-Chicago (9-8, 2-3)
Thursday, January 23, 2003
The Vikings are as undermanned as we are — regular small forward Joey King is an academic casualty, as is backup center Andre Rahn. Also, reserve guard Rashad Yarbrough is out with a torn quad.
Turnovers (the bane of our existence) and our inability to make a shot put us down 6-0, then 8-3 after five minutes. Correa moved over to the point and got us back into it almost by himself — Williams helped out a little bit as well. Some good work in the paint kept us going to the free throw line, and we were only down three with eight minutes left in the half.
We took our first lead at 21-20 on a Correa dunk (!) off of a fast break with 6:42 left. He hit a jumper on the next possession to cap off a 10-2 run and force the Vikings to call time. Their response was to start playing our game and concentrate on inside shots after taking eight threes in the early going. Result: Cooper and White ended up with two fouls each, and we couldn’t pull away, allowing them to tie the game at 29 with about 2:30 left in the half. Two possessions later, two Wagner free throws would end the scoring for the first half. 31-29, Flames.
Correa had a game-high 11 at the half. Williams and Jones added six apiece. Marc Minton and Joe Wilson each had seven for the Vikings.
We started the second half with another 10-2 burst, highlighted by threes from Jones and Cooper and about four steals in the first three and a half minutes of play. The Vikings kept taking and missing three-pointers, their only offense coming on putbacks and free throws. Cooper and White quickly got to four fouls and were benched, forcing Correa to handle the brunt of the work running the offense. Some successful fast breaks helped extend our lead to 47-36 at the eight-minute mark of the second half, and we overcame some sloppy play on our part and some inspired play on Cleveland St.’s part to keep our lead at around 10 points heading into the home stretch.
We started to pull away on the strength of Jones and Williams’ play, extending our lead to 60-46 with 4:27 left. Cooper had been back on the floor for a few minutes before this, even with four fouls, as Correa was starting to suck wind. At this point, White returned as well. Back-to-back threes by Correa gave him 21 for the game and sealed it with just under three minutes left. White fouled out, and Mardis replaced him. He had a chance to score his first collegiate point, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one. No matter. We won, 69-53.
Correa had a big game for us with 22 points. Jones had 13, and Williams added 12. Freshman swingman Terence Keith led the Vikings with 10 off the bench. No other Viking scored more than eight points. That’s what happens when you shoot 30.8 percent from the field.
Game 19 Report
Illinois-Chicago (10-8, 3-3) at Detroit (11-7, 3-3)
Friday, January 24, 2003
Detroit (Detroit Mercy if you wanna go old school) features the conference’s leading scorer:
SG #11 Oliver Sanders (6’4”, 186, sophomore, St. Joseph’s H.S., South Bend, IN)
16.6 ppg (leads team and conference), 0 steals, 2.98 GPA
Sanders had 22 in their 90-76 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee last night. Detroit’s two big men, PF Martin Sanchez and C David Mason, both average double-doubles. Cycling forward in the “next game matchup” feature, I notice that they’re favored in this game, but we’re favored in the game on our home court. Interesting…
First possession, Sanchez was fouled, came down hard on his foot, and had to leave the game. Hopefully we wouldn’t get a repeat of the last time something like this happened. Sanders didn’t waste any time getting involved, draining a three the first time he touched the ball. But we were able to exploit Sanchez’s absence early on, getting some good looks inside which allowed us to work an inside-outside game. We were also able to control the boards and get some putbacks and fast break opportunities, and went on an 11-4 run to take a 19-11 lead after almost seven minutes (a lead that would be appreciably larger if we could make some damn free throws).
Detroit started getting closer as we stopped making shots, and they eventually took a 25-24 lead on a three by Sanders. Suddenly, Paris Larue, Sanchez’s replacement, had 15 points after an exchange of threes left them with a 33-29 lead. The lead grew as our ineptitude continued, and you know things are going badly when you can see the opposition is fouling you on purpose because they know you won’t score from the free throw line. Then Cooper fouls Sanders on a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer, and he hits all three foul shots, giving him 18 points already. 51-37 at the half.
We’re 5 of 12 at the line. They’re 17 of 19. That’s all you really need to know. Well, that and they’d switched to a 1-3-1, which has bottled up our forwards and kept them off the glass.
We started to chip away ever so slightly at the lead, closing to within seven at one point. It seemed to stick at 10 for the longest time, but the good news was that Sanders hadn’t scored in about eight minutes. Muhammad hit another one of his trademarked threes with nine minutes to go to get us to within six at 65-59. Another one two minutes later made it a 67-62 game! Detroit had been mostly laying bricks during this stretch, and we were doing this with mainly reserves.
A dumb foul by White on a three-point attempt led to two of three from the line and a 69-62 lead with over five minutes left to play. But he made up for it somewhat by hitting a jumper at the 5:00 mark to make it 69-66, then he came down and made another basket to make it a one-point game. WOW. Detroit got a bucket at their end and led 71-69 with 3:41 left.
Sanders finally got back on the board with a putback tip-in on the next possession. With 2:06 left, Detroit commits its 10th foul, putting us in the double bonus, not that that would help us the way we’ve been shooting free throws tonight. Time was called with 1:53 left and trailing 75-73 to finally get Cooper back on the floor. But more missed free throws and bumbling ballhandling doomed us at the end, and we eventually fell, 79-74.
Sanders lived up to his billing with a game-high 26. LaRue, after a horrible start filling in for Sanchez (who’s out a month after aggravating a stress fracture in his foot; PG Adonis Harris also bruised his shoulder in the game), finished with 17. Williams led the Flames with 14, while White and Jones each added 11. But the most telling stat was our 13 of 27 “performance” at the free throw line. It’d be a joke if anyone was laughing.
Recruiting: We’ve got ’em; let’s meet ’em:
Liam Paisley (SG, 6’5”, 160, Zurich, Switzerland; Proviso East HS, Maywood, IL)
A scorer. Good size for the position. Good ballhandler as well; adds immediate depth to thin backcourt. Could play right away as incoming freshman, backing up at both guard spots if need be. Frankly, we could use him now.
PF Jared Street (6’8”, 188, Chicago; Sheridan, Wyo., JC)
JUCO transfer. Decent rebounder. Smart player. Shows flashes offensively. Will probably be in mix at SF, but will have to bulk up to play PF year after next.
SF Sean Keyes (6’7”, 206, LaPorte, IN)
Good athlete. Not much of an offensive game, but H.S. team wasn’t anything to write home about unless you wanted a good laugh.
RV’s Chris Simpson ended up at Florida State. To do what, I don’t know.
Awards:
Horizon League Player of the Week: SF #31 Chris Paulding, 6’3” senior, Loyola-Chicago (26 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Horizon League Freshman of the Week: PG #12 Chris Merton, 6’3” freshman, Wisconsin-Green Bay (18 ppg, 6 apg)
National Player of the Week: SG #11 Lionel Owens, 6’3” senior, Florida (29.5 ppg)
National Freshman of the Week: PF #22 Aaron Williamson, 6’6” freshman, Samford (42 ppg, 15 rpg)
Game 18 Report
Cleveland State (11-7, 3-3) at Illinois-Chicago (9-8, 2-3)
Thursday, January 23, 2003
The Vikings are as undermanned as we are — regular small forward Joey King is an academic casualty, as is backup center Andre Rahn. Also, reserve guard Rashad Yarbrough is out with a torn quad.
Turnovers (the bane of our existence) and our inability to make a shot put us down 6-0, then 8-3 after five minutes. Correa moved over to the point and got us back into it almost by himself — Williams helped out a little bit as well. Some good work in the paint kept us going to the free throw line, and we were only down three with eight minutes left in the half.
We took our first lead at 21-20 on a Correa dunk (!) off of a fast break with 6:42 left. He hit a jumper on the next possession to cap off a 10-2 run and force the Vikings to call time. Their response was to start playing our game and concentrate on inside shots after taking eight threes in the early going. Result: Cooper and White ended up with two fouls each, and we couldn’t pull away, allowing them to tie the game at 29 with about 2:30 left in the half. Two possessions later, two Wagner free throws would end the scoring for the first half. 31-29, Flames.
Correa had a game-high 11 at the half. Williams and Jones added six apiece. Marc Minton and Joe Wilson each had seven for the Vikings.
We started the second half with another 10-2 burst, highlighted by threes from Jones and Cooper and about four steals in the first three and a half minutes of play. The Vikings kept taking and missing three-pointers, their only offense coming on putbacks and free throws. Cooper and White quickly got to four fouls and were benched, forcing Correa to handle the brunt of the work running the offense. Some successful fast breaks helped extend our lead to 47-36 at the eight-minute mark of the second half, and we overcame some sloppy play on our part and some inspired play on Cleveland St.’s part to keep our lead at around 10 points heading into the home stretch.
We started to pull away on the strength of Jones and Williams’ play, extending our lead to 60-46 with 4:27 left. Cooper had been back on the floor for a few minutes before this, even with four fouls, as Correa was starting to suck wind. At this point, White returned as well. Back-to-back threes by Correa gave him 21 for the game and sealed it with just under three minutes left. White fouled out, and Mardis replaced him. He had a chance to score his first collegiate point, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one. No matter. We won, 69-53.
Correa had a big game for us with 22 points. Jones had 13, and Williams added 12. Freshman swingman Terence Keith led the Vikings with 10 off the bench. No other Viking scored more than eight points. That’s what happens when you shoot 30.8 percent from the field.
Game 19 Report
Illinois-Chicago (10-8, 3-3) at Detroit (11-7, 3-3)
Friday, January 24, 2003
Detroit (Detroit Mercy if you wanna go old school) features the conference’s leading scorer:
SG #11 Oliver Sanders (6’4”, 186, sophomore, St. Joseph’s H.S., South Bend, IN)
16.6 ppg (leads team and conference), 0 steals, 2.98 GPA
Sanders had 22 in their 90-76 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee last night. Detroit’s two big men, PF Martin Sanchez and C David Mason, both average double-doubles. Cycling forward in the “next game matchup” feature, I notice that they’re favored in this game, but we’re favored in the game on our home court. Interesting…
First possession, Sanchez was fouled, came down hard on his foot, and had to leave the game. Hopefully we wouldn’t get a repeat of the last time something like this happened. Sanders didn’t waste any time getting involved, draining a three the first time he touched the ball. But we were able to exploit Sanchez’s absence early on, getting some good looks inside which allowed us to work an inside-outside game. We were also able to control the boards and get some putbacks and fast break opportunities, and went on an 11-4 run to take a 19-11 lead after almost seven minutes (a lead that would be appreciably larger if we could make some damn free throws).
Detroit started getting closer as we stopped making shots, and they eventually took a 25-24 lead on a three by Sanders. Suddenly, Paris Larue, Sanchez’s replacement, had 15 points after an exchange of threes left them with a 33-29 lead. The lead grew as our ineptitude continued, and you know things are going badly when you can see the opposition is fouling you on purpose because they know you won’t score from the free throw line. Then Cooper fouls Sanders on a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer, and he hits all three foul shots, giving him 18 points already. 51-37 at the half.
We’re 5 of 12 at the line. They’re 17 of 19. That’s all you really need to know. Well, that and they’d switched to a 1-3-1, which has bottled up our forwards and kept them off the glass.
We started to chip away ever so slightly at the lead, closing to within seven at one point. It seemed to stick at 10 for the longest time, but the good news was that Sanders hadn’t scored in about eight minutes. Muhammad hit another one of his trademarked threes with nine minutes to go to get us to within six at 65-59. Another one two minutes later made it a 67-62 game! Detroit had been mostly laying bricks during this stretch, and we were doing this with mainly reserves.
A dumb foul by White on a three-point attempt led to two of three from the line and a 69-62 lead with over five minutes left to play. But he made up for it somewhat by hitting a jumper at the 5:00 mark to make it 69-66, then he came down and made another basket to make it a one-point game. WOW. Detroit got a bucket at their end and led 71-69 with 3:41 left.
Sanders finally got back on the board with a putback tip-in on the next possession. With 2:06 left, Detroit commits its 10th foul, putting us in the double bonus, not that that would help us the way we’ve been shooting free throws tonight. Time was called with 1:53 left and trailing 75-73 to finally get Cooper back on the floor. But more missed free throws and bumbling ballhandling doomed us at the end, and we eventually fell, 79-74.
Sanders lived up to his billing with a game-high 26. LaRue, after a horrible start filling in for Sanchez (who’s out a month after aggravating a stress fracture in his foot; PG Adonis Harris also bruised his shoulder in the game), finished with 17. Williams led the Flames with 14, while White and Jones each added 11. But the most telling stat was our 13 of 27 “performance” at the free throw line. It’d be a joke if anyone was laughing.
Monday, January 19, 2004
By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth: The Conference Championship Edition
Brought To You By The Letters J, A, and M, And By The Number 24
Wow it's coming down in Foxboro, further ensuring that the Colts will lose. And letting the Pats walk down the field and score on the first drive won't help matters. Someone should get Hunter Smith one of those "Hello My Name Is" tags. Well... the punt unit has been rusty. What's gotten into Peyton? This doesn't happen to him. Speaking of things that don't happen to people, Brady just got picked off. That's an odd way to get to 21. What's the term for a five-card hand in blackjack? Is it Five-Card Charlie? That sounds right but I don't remember. Is it just me or does Ty Law get better every year? The announcers were talking about how Antowain Smith actually runs the ball well in the playoffs - he's like Claude Lemieux without the destructive tendencies. Still, let's not open the parking lot gates just yet. Why are the Patriots throwing the ball? I was listening to the end of this game on the Fan and it's weird to hear Marv Albert calling football games again. Did we bring in ECW refs at the end and not tell anybody? Not that the Pats didn't deserve the win, but Pollard was held at least once on those last two throws.
Jesus H. Christ.
For perspective, I must first refer you to Bill Simmons' 13 Levels Of Losing. The game two years ago in St. Louis was a "Princeton Principle", while last year's loss to Tampa was probably a "This Can't Be Happening" game.
On the surface, this was a "Rabbit's Foot" game, starting off with the first touchdown off the same pass that Favre threw LAST week, then continuing with the Manning interception on the ball that got knocked out of Thrash's hands. And it just went from there. I never believed the Birds had a chance to win after that. McNabb going down just sealed it. Maybe it's a Pennsylvania thing; the Steelers have done their share of folding in home conference championship games also.
I have a bad feeling that this may turn into an "Achilles' Heel" game five years from now. Put it this way: when a dozen catchable balls hit the ground, you NEED to lose. Congratulations. They're now the Tony Dungy Buccaneers. Think about the parallels; I'm more right than you realize.
Oh, well. Pitchers and catchers report in 31 days.
Wow it's coming down in Foxboro, further ensuring that the Colts will lose. And letting the Pats walk down the field and score on the first drive won't help matters. Someone should get Hunter Smith one of those "Hello My Name Is" tags. Well... the punt unit has been rusty. What's gotten into Peyton? This doesn't happen to him. Speaking of things that don't happen to people, Brady just got picked off. That's an odd way to get to 21. What's the term for a five-card hand in blackjack? Is it Five-Card Charlie? That sounds right but I don't remember. Is it just me or does Ty Law get better every year? The announcers were talking about how Antowain Smith actually runs the ball well in the playoffs - he's like Claude Lemieux without the destructive tendencies. Still, let's not open the parking lot gates just yet. Why are the Patriots throwing the ball? I was listening to the end of this game on the Fan and it's weird to hear Marv Albert calling football games again. Did we bring in ECW refs at the end and not tell anybody? Not that the Pats didn't deserve the win, but Pollard was held at least once on those last two throws.
**********
Jesus H. Christ.
For perspective, I must first refer you to Bill Simmons' 13 Levels Of Losing. The game two years ago in St. Louis was a "Princeton Principle", while last year's loss to Tampa was probably a "This Can't Be Happening" game.
On the surface, this was a "Rabbit's Foot" game, starting off with the first touchdown off the same pass that Favre threw LAST week, then continuing with the Manning interception on the ball that got knocked out of Thrash's hands. And it just went from there. I never believed the Birds had a chance to win after that. McNabb going down just sealed it. Maybe it's a Pennsylvania thing; the Steelers have done their share of folding in home conference championship games also.
I have a bad feeling that this may turn into an "Achilles' Heel" game five years from now. Put it this way: when a dozen catchable balls hit the ground, you NEED to lose. Congratulations. They're now the Tony Dungy Buccaneers. Think about the parallels; I'm more right than you realize.
Oh, well. Pitchers and catchers report in 31 days.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
The Top 20 Of 2003
I do this every year.
Usually I keep it to 15 and do some random honorable mentions here and there, but this year I'm going to 20 mostly because of the disturbing and possibly appalling lack of across-the-board quality. There's more hip-hop than ever on this list, which is either a statement about my evolving tastes or a statement about the condition of the rock scene. In an odd set of circumstances, the beginning and end of the year were goldmines, while the middle, especially the summer, was almost a wasteland. Gah.
I LOVE YOU... JUST NOT QUITE LIKE A FAT KID LOVES CAKE
Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why"
Killer Mike - "AKshun (Yeah!)", "A.D.I.D.A.S."
Beyonce feat. Jay-Z - "Crazy In Love"
DMX - "X Gonna Give It To You"
The White Stripes - "The Hardest Button to Button"
Outkast - "Bust"
Foo Fighters - "Times Like These"
Chingy feat. Snoop Dogg & Ludacris - "Holidae Inn"
AWAY WE GO
#20 - OutKast (feat. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown), "The Way You Move"
Here's what kind of year 2003 was music-wise: Two groups have two songs in this year's countdown (one has three), and two others easily could have joined them. Here's one now. This was a hard pick just because it's the last one and there were several other songs that could've gone here. I guess making a used car lot look like a fun, hip place got it the nod. Plus, I like the way it moves. :)
#19 - Jet, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"
It's the iPod anthem! This sounds like something you?d expect to be played by a garage band. Sometimes that's a good thing.
#18 - Snoop Dogg (feat. Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson), "Beautiful"
If nothing else, 2003 will be remembered as the year the unthinkable happened - Snoop went mainstream. This song never would have happened 10 years ago. Hell, five years ago. From celebrating an illicit house party with loose women, tight weed, and flowing booze to singing the praises of a longtime love. The Dogg's come a long way.
#17 - t.A.t.U., "All The Things She Said"
Some of us were first introduced to this allegedly-lesbian Russian duo through wrestling, of all things - remixed, it is the entrance theme for Victoria, a psychotic, obsessive female grappler. The band's since broken up, but she's still using the song. Hey, maybe this is why she's NUTS.
#16 - Eminem, Obie Trice & DMX, "Go To Sleep"
Last year's #1 teams up here with one of his boys from Detroit and a New York rap legend. Full of vitriol and defiance, these are not three guys I want to meet in a dark alley after pissing them off. Em KILLS on this.
#15 - Queens of the Stone Age, "Go With The Flow"
Dave Grohl's endorsement (and drumming on their first single) put this group on the map. They were good enough on their own to take it from there.
#14 - Radiohead, "There There"
These Brits have a habit of sneaking up on people, and they've been doing it for a decade. I like this song because of the way the music layers and builds behind and with the lyrics until it explodes... then settles down as if nothing happened.
#13 - Coldplay, "The Scientist"
I'm gonna save my words because I'm just getting started with this group. This right here is one of those "roll down sleeve, put heart on it" songs that they do so well.
#12 - Evanescence, "Bring Me To Life"
It was about 25 years ago when soundtracks or "music from the motion picture" albums started evolving from collections of throwaway singles to a way for popular artists to crank out the occasional new song between albums. They also became ways for new bands to break out. Case in point. I can't listen to Amy Lee's voice enough.
#11 - Staind, "Price To Play"
Why can the WWE only pick good theme songs for Vengeance and none of its other PPVs? Regardless, this group turned up the tempo and broadened its palette, and found more and different things to say as a result, turning this song from a departure to the beginning of an evolution. You'd think more rock bands would, y'know, try that.
#10 - Coldplay, "Clocks"
One of the most musically melodic songs of recent years. I dare you to get it out of your head.
#9 - Outkast (feat. Andre 3000), "Hey Ya"
The other half of this Southern hip-hop outfit's half of their double disc took a risky trip off the hip-hop path, creating a sound that was completely unique this year. Bonus points for the Lyric of the Year.
#8 - Foo Fighters, "All My Life"
At the other end of the spectrum, these guys know what works for them, and they do it well enough that they can stick to it and still be successful. I always liked that drummer Nirvana had. I wonder whatever happened to him?
#7 - The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
Are they brother and sister? Are they ex-husband and wife? Are they possibly certifiable? Does it matter when they can keep putting out such offbeat yet clever songs?
#6 - Coldplay, "Moses (live)"
Yeah, they're Band of the Year. I'm out of words.
#5 - 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
Typical story: boy grows up in Queens, boy aspires to be a rapper, boy gets shot nine times, boy survives getting shot nine times, boy goes on to simultaneously counter and enhance gangsta image with club anthem that'll be bumping 40 years from now. Like I said, typical story.
#4 - Fountains of Wayne, "Stacy's Mom"
The band took its name from a New Jersey statuary shop, this album's name from a hotel billboard, and the idea for the song from THE ENTIRETY OF TEENAGE MALE EXISTENCE. I don't remember who had the hot mom among my group of friends. The next unattractive Stac(e)y I meet, however, will be the first. The song single-handedly saved a barren summer, while the video single-handedly revived the career of Rachel Hunter, both of which are Good Things.
#3 - The Roots (feat. Cody Chesnutt), "The Seed [2.0]"
This revolutionary Philadelphia rap band (Yes, a band. With instruments and everything) either dug up or stole a flat-out unreal rock hook and do their best Stones impression while making infidelity sound funky and not quite so bad. The lesson: USE PROTECTION. Unless, of course, you're trying to be a baby daddy like this guy.
#2 - Jason Mraz, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)"
Probably the best song this year you never heard. Proof that "pop" isn't always a four-letter word, this well-crafted, complex yet catchy piece actually has a very simple theme.
#1 - Talib Kweli, "Get By"
He has been at the forefront of the New York hip-hop underground for years. His collaborations with Hi-Tek and Mos Def have played to critical acclaim. In 2003 he struck out on his own and brought a thoughtful consciousness to the game, a brutal honesty without the brashness.
THAT'S IT! THAT'S the list!
Usually I keep it to 15 and do some random honorable mentions here and there, but this year I'm going to 20 mostly because of the disturbing and possibly appalling lack of across-the-board quality. There's more hip-hop than ever on this list, which is either a statement about my evolving tastes or a statement about the condition of the rock scene. In an odd set of circumstances, the beginning and end of the year were goldmines, while the middle, especially the summer, was almost a wasteland. Gah.
I LOVE YOU... JUST NOT QUITE LIKE A FAT KID LOVES CAKE
Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why"
Killer Mike - "AKshun (Yeah!)", "A.D.I.D.A.S."
Beyonce feat. Jay-Z - "Crazy In Love"
DMX - "X Gonna Give It To You"
The White Stripes - "The Hardest Button to Button"
Outkast - "Bust"
Foo Fighters - "Times Like These"
Chingy feat. Snoop Dogg & Ludacris - "Holidae Inn"
AWAY WE GO
#20 - OutKast (feat. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown), "The Way You Move"
Here's what kind of year 2003 was music-wise: Two groups have two songs in this year's countdown (one has three), and two others easily could have joined them. Here's one now. This was a hard pick just because it's the last one and there were several other songs that could've gone here. I guess making a used car lot look like a fun, hip place got it the nod. Plus, I like the way it moves. :)
#19 - Jet, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"
It's the iPod anthem! This sounds like something you?d expect to be played by a garage band. Sometimes that's a good thing.
#18 - Snoop Dogg (feat. Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson), "Beautiful"
If nothing else, 2003 will be remembered as the year the unthinkable happened - Snoop went mainstream. This song never would have happened 10 years ago. Hell, five years ago. From celebrating an illicit house party with loose women, tight weed, and flowing booze to singing the praises of a longtime love. The Dogg's come a long way.
#17 - t.A.t.U., "All The Things She Said"
Some of us were first introduced to this allegedly-lesbian Russian duo through wrestling, of all things - remixed, it is the entrance theme for Victoria, a psychotic, obsessive female grappler. The band's since broken up, but she's still using the song. Hey, maybe this is why she's NUTS.
#16 - Eminem, Obie Trice & DMX, "Go To Sleep"
Last year's #1 teams up here with one of his boys from Detroit and a New York rap legend. Full of vitriol and defiance, these are not three guys I want to meet in a dark alley after pissing them off. Em KILLS on this.
#15 - Queens of the Stone Age, "Go With The Flow"
Dave Grohl's endorsement (and drumming on their first single) put this group on the map. They were good enough on their own to take it from there.
#14 - Radiohead, "There There"
These Brits have a habit of sneaking up on people, and they've been doing it for a decade. I like this song because of the way the music layers and builds behind and with the lyrics until it explodes... then settles down as if nothing happened.
#13 - Coldplay, "The Scientist"
I'm gonna save my words because I'm just getting started with this group. This right here is one of those "roll down sleeve, put heart on it" songs that they do so well.
#12 - Evanescence, "Bring Me To Life"
It was about 25 years ago when soundtracks or "music from the motion picture" albums started evolving from collections of throwaway singles to a way for popular artists to crank out the occasional new song between albums. They also became ways for new bands to break out. Case in point. I can't listen to Amy Lee's voice enough.
#11 - Staind, "Price To Play"
Why can the WWE only pick good theme songs for Vengeance and none of its other PPVs? Regardless, this group turned up the tempo and broadened its palette, and found more and different things to say as a result, turning this song from a departure to the beginning of an evolution. You'd think more rock bands would, y'know, try that.
#10 - Coldplay, "Clocks"
One of the most musically melodic songs of recent years. I dare you to get it out of your head.
#9 - Outkast (feat. Andre 3000), "Hey Ya"
The other half of this Southern hip-hop outfit's half of their double disc took a risky trip off the hip-hop path, creating a sound that was completely unique this year. Bonus points for the Lyric of the Year.
#8 - Foo Fighters, "All My Life"
At the other end of the spectrum, these guys know what works for them, and they do it well enough that they can stick to it and still be successful. I always liked that drummer Nirvana had. I wonder whatever happened to him?
#7 - The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
Are they brother and sister? Are they ex-husband and wife? Are they possibly certifiable? Does it matter when they can keep putting out such offbeat yet clever songs?
#6 - Coldplay, "Moses (live)"
Yeah, they're Band of the Year. I'm out of words.
#5 - 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
Typical story: boy grows up in Queens, boy aspires to be a rapper, boy gets shot nine times, boy survives getting shot nine times, boy goes on to simultaneously counter and enhance gangsta image with club anthem that'll be bumping 40 years from now. Like I said, typical story.
#4 - Fountains of Wayne, "Stacy's Mom"
The band took its name from a New Jersey statuary shop, this album's name from a hotel billboard, and the idea for the song from THE ENTIRETY OF TEENAGE MALE EXISTENCE. I don't remember who had the hot mom among my group of friends. The next unattractive Stac(e)y I meet, however, will be the first. The song single-handedly saved a barren summer, while the video single-handedly revived the career of Rachel Hunter, both of which are Good Things.
#3 - The Roots (feat. Cody Chesnutt), "The Seed [2.0]"
This revolutionary Philadelphia rap band (Yes, a band. With instruments and everything) either dug up or stole a flat-out unreal rock hook and do their best Stones impression while making infidelity sound funky and not quite so bad. The lesson: USE PROTECTION. Unless, of course, you're trying to be a baby daddy like this guy.
#2 - Jason Mraz, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)"
Probably the best song this year you never heard. Proof that "pop" isn't always a four-letter word, this well-crafted, complex yet catchy piece actually has a very simple theme.
#1 - Talib Kweli, "Get By"
He has been at the forefront of the New York hip-hop underground for years. His collaborations with Hi-Tek and Mos Def have played to critical acclaim. In 2003 he struck out on his own and brought a thoughtful consciousness to the game, a brutal honesty without the brashness.
THAT'S IT! THAT'S the list!
Monday, January 12, 2004
By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth: The Divisional Playoff Edition
It was among the best playoff weekends ever. The four games were decided by a total of 19 points, the lowest since The Merger. Three overtimes were played, and a fourth would not have been out of the question. But how to make sense of it all? In these times of great chaos and heart-stopping excitement, where does one turn to find meaning and understanding of this madness?
Where else?
The sacred texts of Wu-Tang.
"Scared money don't make money; get your guns in." - Method Man, "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)"
If you're the Rams, and you're inside your opponents' 10, you need to get six. Really. The Muhammad fumble recovery touchdown was the first clue as to what kind of weirdness we were in for, though nobody could have been that presented at the time. Davis going down hurt, but not as much as it would have earlier in the year, as Foster has now proven himself as at least a viable option.
Good thing Bruce came back because Holt had an awful game, highlighted by that drop that would've ben six had he held on. Did anyone else get the feeling after the fourth Wilkins FG that this just wasn't going to be the Rams' day?
Then Faulk tried to make up for the five games he missed all on one drive. Touchdown! We're not done yet! Wait... Wilkins got the onside kick? How do you let anybody sneak through, much less the kicker, in that situation? More Isaac Bruce. Oh, man... the Rams are gonna pull this out in spite of themselves.
It was at this point that somebody cut Mike Martz's balls off.
You've just scored. You're at home with the crowd rocking by your side. Your kicker has just recovered the onside kick. You've got all the momentum and the opposition is on the run. It's first and 10 at the Panthers' 15-yard line. There are 25 seconds left. Even discounting ALL of that, you KNOW that the Panthers are 7-0 in games decided by three points or less, and 3-1 in overtime this year... all on the road.
You have to go for the win. You have to. And the one guy who you'd put money on going for the win didn't. This should never have happened.
Little did we know that they were just getting started. Moose theorized that the guards should've been watching the play clock on the first Kasay field goal. Charles called the miss on the followup kick, and sure enough, he pulled it. Then Wilkins came up short on his try, although he was probably still coming down from recovering the onside kick. I still don't know how that happened. Steve Smith! Remember when this guy was Public Enemy No. 3 or 4? Now he's creating overtime heroics. Remember "Alcoa Presents Faaaaan-tastic Finishes!"? Somebody really needs to bring that back.
"Pass the bone, kid pass the bone / Let's get on this mission like Indiana Jones" - GZA, "Clan In Da Front"
And we switched channels just in time to see the Pats score. True: The first 10,000 fans got free hand warmers. This is what football in January oughta be like. Maybe just a tad warmer. What I like about both of these teams is you pretty much know what you're gonna get every week - workmanlike efforts from the quarterbacks, enough decent running to keep everybody in line, solid coaching, and a key play from somebody who doesn't look like they'd be the guy to make one. I was convinced this game was going OT also, but didn't want to say anything and risk the wrath of my colleagues :)
Vinatieri JUST made that kick... in baseball, that's a great curveball that'll get the batter tossed for arguing balls and strikes. Bennett was a quarterback at UCLA, so you know he knows how to use his hands... well, except for that last one. Thirteen wins in a row. Wrap your heads around that if you can.
Godspeed, Gary Anderson. You too, Neil O'Donnell (even though you won a Super Bowl for the Cowboys)
"We dismantle any adversary / Them niggaz all thumbs and can't handle my flurry" - Method Man, "The Projects"
Remember, this is an outdoor stadium that's so damn loud. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Sensing a pattern, anyone? This is nuts, what we're seeing Manning and Co. do here. Just nuts. It's like the Rams in 2001. Chiefs don't even know where to begin to try to stop these guys. Tom Lopienski? Are you kidding me? When the, like, third-string fullback is beating your guys to the end zone, it's time to go. It really is. There's your offensive pass interference call of the day. Remember, only one allowed per day. Then Morten missed the field goal at the end of the half and I decided it was over.
How about that fumble by Priest after that long run? Disastrous. And OF COURSE the Colts went back down and scored. Welcome back, Dante Hall! Wow, a fourth down. Maybe NOW they'll pu... oh, wait, another flag. Jason's been at the paper for about six months now. He works on the news desk and is a Chiefs fan from Kansas, and he thinks defensive coordinator Greg Robinson should validate Vermiel's loyalty to him... and resign. Both Missouri teams were unbeaten at home during the regular season. Today, that and ten cents won't buy you jack.
You know who's got a good gig is Hunter Smith.
"We were at the same table when the chips were checked / A gamblin' Rebel who Inspects the Deck / Just when you thought we would fold our hand / Against all odds we raised the bet like we changed the plans." - GZA, "Back In the Game"
All week I'd had a bad feeling about this, and Donovan dropping the ball on the first drive didn't help matters. That only happens against the Rams. Have I mentioned yet that Eagles fans boo Aikman even now? I'm surprised Brown started over Sheppard at the other corner, and it already looks like a Bad Decision. Favre seemed off all game - his wideouts had to jump for a lot of his balls, but they were still catching them. The second TD to Ferguson could have been cut-and-pasted from the Oakland game.
McNabb running~~~ I thought he was gonna score on that first long one. I didn't even look at the TV for most of the middle of the game for fear of either depressing myself too much . Sherman then went and pulled a reverse Martz: up seven, on the road, at the 2, you kick the field goal. As it was, Green ran into his own man and it slowed him down just enough.
Then McNabb orchestrated Philly's version of The Drive, doing practically everything himself. He added some muscle mass last offseason, and while it slowed him down a bit, it also made him harder to bring down, as you saw on that drive and especially on the pass to Pinkston at the end, which drew eerie similarities to Randall bouncing off Carl Banks on MNF. And how about Pinkston being patient enough to wait around and smart enough to not go out of bounds? To say nothing of his footwork. Wow. Just... wow. What happened to our pass protection? Is it 1989 again? And, needless to say, "Fourth and 26" will go in next to Wilbert Montgomery's touchdown against the Cowboys in '80 and Tug striking out Willie Wilson as all-timers. For the record, they did get a good spot, but Mitchell was at the line. "Get there!" And if you get beaten on fourth and 26, you NEED to lose.
I'd love to see an overhead view of the interception because I'm convinced there was a breakdown somewhere; I just don't know where. One of our readers actually called this exact finish the day before. Mitchell, afterwards, on McNabb: "He was born to lead." Amen. And somewhere, Rush Limbaugh is having withdrawal spasms.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go home and have a heart attack." - Vincent Vega (John Travolta), Pulp Fiction
Where else?
The sacred texts of Wu-Tang.
"Scared money don't make money; get your guns in." - Method Man, "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)"
If you're the Rams, and you're inside your opponents' 10, you need to get six. Really. The Muhammad fumble recovery touchdown was the first clue as to what kind of weirdness we were in for, though nobody could have been that presented at the time. Davis going down hurt, but not as much as it would have earlier in the year, as Foster has now proven himself as at least a viable option.
Good thing Bruce came back because Holt had an awful game, highlighted by that drop that would've ben six had he held on. Did anyone else get the feeling after the fourth Wilkins FG that this just wasn't going to be the Rams' day?
Then Faulk tried to make up for the five games he missed all on one drive. Touchdown! We're not done yet! Wait... Wilkins got the onside kick? How do you let anybody sneak through, much less the kicker, in that situation? More Isaac Bruce. Oh, man... the Rams are gonna pull this out in spite of themselves.
It was at this point that somebody cut Mike Martz's balls off.
You've just scored. You're at home with the crowd rocking by your side. Your kicker has just recovered the onside kick. You've got all the momentum and the opposition is on the run. It's first and 10 at the Panthers' 15-yard line. There are 25 seconds left. Even discounting ALL of that, you KNOW that the Panthers are 7-0 in games decided by three points or less, and 3-1 in overtime this year... all on the road.
You have to go for the win. You have to. And the one guy who you'd put money on going for the win didn't. This should never have happened.
Little did we know that they were just getting started. Moose theorized that the guards should've been watching the play clock on the first Kasay field goal. Charles called the miss on the followup kick, and sure enough, he pulled it. Then Wilkins came up short on his try, although he was probably still coming down from recovering the onside kick. I still don't know how that happened. Steve Smith! Remember when this guy was Public Enemy No. 3 or 4? Now he's creating overtime heroics. Remember "Alcoa Presents Faaaaan-tastic Finishes!"? Somebody really needs to bring that back.
"Pass the bone, kid pass the bone / Let's get on this mission like Indiana Jones" - GZA, "Clan In Da Front"
And we switched channels just in time to see the Pats score. True: The first 10,000 fans got free hand warmers. This is what football in January oughta be like. Maybe just a tad warmer. What I like about both of these teams is you pretty much know what you're gonna get every week - workmanlike efforts from the quarterbacks, enough decent running to keep everybody in line, solid coaching, and a key play from somebody who doesn't look like they'd be the guy to make one. I was convinced this game was going OT also, but didn't want to say anything and risk the wrath of my colleagues :)
Vinatieri JUST made that kick... in baseball, that's a great curveball that'll get the batter tossed for arguing balls and strikes. Bennett was a quarterback at UCLA, so you know he knows how to use his hands... well, except for that last one. Thirteen wins in a row. Wrap your heads around that if you can.
Godspeed, Gary Anderson. You too, Neil O'Donnell (even though you won a Super Bowl for the Cowboys)
"We dismantle any adversary / Them niggaz all thumbs and can't handle my flurry" - Method Man, "The Projects"
Remember, this is an outdoor stadium that's so damn loud. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Sensing a pattern, anyone? This is nuts, what we're seeing Manning and Co. do here. Just nuts. It's like the Rams in 2001. Chiefs don't even know where to begin to try to stop these guys. Tom Lopienski? Are you kidding me? When the, like, third-string fullback is beating your guys to the end zone, it's time to go. It really is. There's your offensive pass interference call of the day. Remember, only one allowed per day. Then Morten missed the field goal at the end of the half and I decided it was over.
How about that fumble by Priest after that long run? Disastrous. And OF COURSE the Colts went back down and scored. Welcome back, Dante Hall! Wow, a fourth down. Maybe NOW they'll pu... oh, wait, another flag. Jason's been at the paper for about six months now. He works on the news desk and is a Chiefs fan from Kansas, and he thinks defensive coordinator Greg Robinson should validate Vermiel's loyalty to him... and resign. Both Missouri teams were unbeaten at home during the regular season. Today, that and ten cents won't buy you jack.
You know who's got a good gig is Hunter Smith.
"We were at the same table when the chips were checked / A gamblin' Rebel who Inspects the Deck / Just when you thought we would fold our hand / Against all odds we raised the bet like we changed the plans." - GZA, "Back In the Game"
All week I'd had a bad feeling about this, and Donovan dropping the ball on the first drive didn't help matters. That only happens against the Rams. Have I mentioned yet that Eagles fans boo Aikman even now? I'm surprised Brown started over Sheppard at the other corner, and it already looks like a Bad Decision. Favre seemed off all game - his wideouts had to jump for a lot of his balls, but they were still catching them. The second TD to Ferguson could have been cut-and-pasted from the Oakland game.
McNabb running~~~ I thought he was gonna score on that first long one. I didn't even look at the TV for most of the middle of the game for fear of either depressing myself too much . Sherman then went and pulled a reverse Martz: up seven, on the road, at the 2, you kick the field goal. As it was, Green ran into his own man and it slowed him down just enough.
Then McNabb orchestrated Philly's version of The Drive, doing practically everything himself. He added some muscle mass last offseason, and while it slowed him down a bit, it also made him harder to bring down, as you saw on that drive and especially on the pass to Pinkston at the end, which drew eerie similarities to Randall bouncing off Carl Banks on MNF. And how about Pinkston being patient enough to wait around and smart enough to not go out of bounds? To say nothing of his footwork. Wow. Just... wow. What happened to our pass protection? Is it 1989 again? And, needless to say, "Fourth and 26" will go in next to Wilbert Montgomery's touchdown against the Cowboys in '80 and Tug striking out Willie Wilson as all-timers. For the record, they did get a good spot, but Mitchell was at the line. "Get there!" And if you get beaten on fourth and 26, you NEED to lose.
I'd love to see an overhead view of the interception because I'm convinced there was a breakdown somewhere; I just don't know where. One of our readers actually called this exact finish the day before. Mitchell, afterwards, on McNabb: "He was born to lead." Amen. And somewhere, Rush Limbaugh is having withdrawal spasms.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go home and have a heart attack." - Vincent Vega (John Travolta), Pulp Fiction
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Johnny's Not Gonna Like This
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040109/us_nm/life_stress_dc_3
Tacoma Ranks as Most Stressful U.S. City
Fri Jan 9, 4:57 PM ET
By Reed Stevenson
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Move over New York, take a hike Miami, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Dallas and Detroit. You may have stress but none of you have that rare combination of suicide, unemployment, theft and gloomy weather that Tacoma, Washington, has.
The city of 195,000 just 30 miles east of Seattle was named America's most stressful city in a survey published on Friday.
Tacoma ranked at the top of 100 large metro areas surveyed by the BestPlaces ranking researcher, which also took into account other factors such as commute times, alcohol consumption and self-reported mental health.
"America leads the world in stressful living," said Bert Sperling, who runs Portland, Oregon, based BestPlaces, "The average vacation time in Europe is five weeks a year but our attitude is almost 'Thank God it's Monday'. "
The city where convicted Washington, D.C. area sniper John Muhammad lived is home to large blue-collar and military populations. "On a brighter note, Tacomans can feel safe from bodily harm thanks to the low violent crime rate," Sperling wrote in his report.
High violent crime put Miami second on the list of most stressful cities, in addition to high property crime, long commutes, high unemployment and a high divorce rate.
The third most stressful U.S. city was New Orleans, despite being known as the "Big Easy," followed by Las Vegas, which had the highest suicide and divorce rates in the study, and New York, which boasted the longest commute times.
The sixth most stressful city was Portland, followed by Mobile, Alabama, Stockton-Lodi in California, Detroit and Dallas.
Sperling, whose BestPlaces ranking is published yearly by Money magazine, said he used publicly available census, crime, weather and health data to create a "stress index" in order to rank the cities.
"One of the key factors was the unemployment rate, but we also used the suicide rate -- that's the ultimate unhappiness factor," Sperling said.
The study also produced the least stressful cities in the United States, which all share low unemployment rates, as well as short commutes, lower divorce rates, less crime and lower suicide rates.
The multiple-city enclaves of Albany-Schenectady-Troy in New York and Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle in Pennsylvania tied for the least stressful metropolitan areas.
Other metro areas with less stress included Orange County, California, Nassau-Suffolk in New York, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.
Tacoma Ranks as Most Stressful U.S. City
Fri Jan 9, 4:57 PM ET
By Reed Stevenson
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Move over New York, take a hike Miami, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Dallas and Detroit. You may have stress but none of you have that rare combination of suicide, unemployment, theft and gloomy weather that Tacoma, Washington, has.
The city of 195,000 just 30 miles east of Seattle was named America's most stressful city in a survey published on Friday.
Tacoma ranked at the top of 100 large metro areas surveyed by the BestPlaces ranking researcher, which also took into account other factors such as commute times, alcohol consumption and self-reported mental health.
"America leads the world in stressful living," said Bert Sperling, who runs Portland, Oregon, based BestPlaces, "The average vacation time in Europe is five weeks a year but our attitude is almost 'Thank God it's Monday'. "
The city where convicted Washington, D.C. area sniper John Muhammad lived is home to large blue-collar and military populations. "On a brighter note, Tacomans can feel safe from bodily harm thanks to the low violent crime rate," Sperling wrote in his report.
High violent crime put Miami second on the list of most stressful cities, in addition to high property crime, long commutes, high unemployment and a high divorce rate.
The third most stressful U.S. city was New Orleans, despite being known as the "Big Easy," followed by Las Vegas, which had the highest suicide and divorce rates in the study, and New York, which boasted the longest commute times.
The sixth most stressful city was Portland, followed by Mobile, Alabama, Stockton-Lodi in California, Detroit and Dallas.
Sperling, whose BestPlaces ranking is published yearly by Money magazine, said he used publicly available census, crime, weather and health data to create a "stress index" in order to rank the cities.
"One of the key factors was the unemployment rate, but we also used the suicide rate -- that's the ultimate unhappiness factor," Sperling said.
The study also produced the least stressful cities in the United States, which all share low unemployment rates, as well as short commutes, lower divorce rates, less crime and lower suicide rates.
The multiple-city enclaves of Albany-Schenectady-Troy in New York and Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle in Pennsylvania tied for the least stressful metropolitan areas.
Other metro areas with less stress included Orange County, California, Nassau-Suffolk in New York, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.
Monday, January 5, 2004
By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth: The Wild Card Edition
Hey, here's another team the Ravens have a "We Just Plain Don't Like Each Other" deal with. They must just do that to people. Once again, Billick confounds me by not putting the offense on Jamal's back, unless he figured the Titans were going to force them to go to the pass anyway. I wonder how Marcus Robinson feels about Marty Booker basically having what was supposed to be his career. Well, what do you know... Todd Heap IS better than Jeremy Shockey. I'd be interested in seeing the shoulder harness they strapped on George - his jersey didn't look any different. Gary Anderson! Hi! Soon he won't be able to outkick his age.
I've decided that Quincy would've been better off had he had the opportunity to go the Pennington/Hasselbeck career route - sit for a couple years as the No. 2 guy before stepping in with an idea of how the game looks. As it was, he ended up starting by default and, well, we get this. Mario Edwards: the new Kevin Mathis? Discuss. I feel like I should have known that Jerry Richardson played, but I didn't. It's telling when a back "barely" gains 1000 yards and everybody wants to upgrade the position. Not that that's wrong in this case.
Wooooo this was a damn fun time. I'm going to agree with Chris and say that Hasselbeck did deserve to go to the Pro Bowl. Linemen catching the football~~~ Matt, you don't have the cachet to say something like that yet. Leave that to the guy on the other side. Harris was a feast-or-famine guy when he was here - the guy had talent, but gambled a bit too much and got burned or flagged just as much as not. Anyone see the hat he was wearing during the postgame interviews on the field? They could've played the next game in that thing. Since you're probably wondering... yes, I'm now officially terrified.
I'm not sure how much of this was the Broncos' defense just not being that good or how much was the Colts learning and wanting revenge for two weeks ago. I am, however, convinced that a LOT of this was Manning saying he's had enough, please turn that fucking radio off (which I said might happen after he went off on Vanderjagt at the Pro Bowl last year) and laying the smack down on ALLLLLL their candy asses. At one point they showed a graphic for Walls, I think it was, and he'd had six of six passes thrown on him completed, including two scores. "And now it's 41 to 9!" I don't think the Chiefs can stop this train. I really don't.
I've decided that Quincy would've been better off had he had the opportunity to go the Pennington/Hasselbeck career route - sit for a couple years as the No. 2 guy before stepping in with an idea of how the game looks. As it was, he ended up starting by default and, well, we get this. Mario Edwards: the new Kevin Mathis? Discuss. I feel like I should have known that Jerry Richardson played, but I didn't. It's telling when a back "barely" gains 1000 yards and everybody wants to upgrade the position. Not that that's wrong in this case.
Wooooo this was a damn fun time. I'm going to agree with Chris and say that Hasselbeck did deserve to go to the Pro Bowl. Linemen catching the football~~~ Matt, you don't have the cachet to say something like that yet. Leave that to the guy on the other side. Harris was a feast-or-famine guy when he was here - the guy had talent, but gambled a bit too much and got burned or flagged just as much as not. Anyone see the hat he was wearing during the postgame interviews on the field? They could've played the next game in that thing. Since you're probably wondering... yes, I'm now officially terrified.
I'm not sure how much of this was the Broncos' defense just not being that good or how much was the Colts learning and wanting revenge for two weeks ago. I am, however, convinced that a LOT of this was Manning saying he's had enough, please turn that fucking radio off (which I said might happen after he went off on Vanderjagt at the Pro Bowl last year) and laying the smack down on ALLLLLL their candy asses. At one point they showed a graphic for Walls, I think it was, and he'd had six of six passes thrown on him completed, including two scores. "And now it's 41 to 9!" I don't think the Chiefs can stop this train. I really don't.
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