Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Slightly Settled

Before this afternoon, I hadn't played any serious poker online in about a week and a half. My last session was fairly disastrous. I was doing everything wrong and lost about $8 playing .5/1. Just playing dumb poker. My mind wasn't right. And the time was never right. And that's just not going to work if you're serious about playing and playing well and getting better.

With that in mind, I waited. You can't make decisions like this unless you're confident and disciplined. And that's the key, that discipline. I got this idea in my head late last year that if I can dedicate myself to becoming a better poker player, and actually have it work, that I could take that discipline and apply it to improvin gother areas of my life. Like I said at the end of last year, things need to change this year.

So I fired up Party Poker and entered a $5 No-Limit SNG. Armed with a new strategy, I finished 3rd for $10, but just as important, I felt like I played my best game. I didn't chase (and I haven't actually hit a draw in about three weeks); I folded when I thought I was beaten; I made strong bets with hands and got respect for my plays. I only lost, I think, three showdowns. Unfortunately, one of them was the last one.

It was The Hammer (7-2 offsuit) that did me in. We're three-handed, and the button (the best player at the table) limps. I complete the big blind and the BB checks. Flop comes 7QQ. I bet, BB folds, button calls. Turn is a 3. I push, he thinks about it for a bit... and calls with JJ. Oh well.

Monday, January 23, 2006

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth: Final Four Edition

Here we have a team that's never lost a conference championship game at home against a team that's probably better off never hosting another conference championship game again (only Aaron Bailey dropping that Hail Mary in 96 keeps Cowher from being 0 for 5). And here go the Steelers throwing the ball to start again. But you'll notice they've stayed away from Champ for the most part, an easy decision with two rookies out there. Uh-oh, that's... that's clearly Old Plummer. It almost looks like the Broncos have been caught off guard by this. Cedrick Wilson? Really? Yeah, this is definitely Old Plummer. PROTECT THE FOOTBALL. I told you all before the season started that Ben was getting the confidence to win games when he has to, and he's been borderline great today. You figured it was over when the Bettis touchdown was called back only for Ben to find Ward on the next play. Is that snow? Big ups to the Steelers. They earned this one.

And now Johnny gets to go through all the anxiety I did last year. Is it really that loud up there? I'm sure the Seahawks won't single-cover Smith like the Bears did.And that, in fact, is four guys on him. What? Now Goings is out? He Hate Me is next, right? No? :( The Panthers are going through running backs like Spinal Tap went through drummers. They're checking his helmet for damage? Wow. I'm sort of wondering how Stevens got that open. Yeah, Smith probably should be frustrated. And as if on cue, he goes out to field the punt and runs it back! Well, that was strange, particularly the part where the referee started to announce the penalty, then stopped as if he'd forgotten what it was, then came back and said, "There was no block in the back on Number 50." I still haven't seen it, so I don't know. That... was not a good throw by Delhomme. Like I said last week, Darrell Jackson learning how to catch may have been the most underreported development of the entire season. This right here is an ass-kicking. Is it time to retire "Hasselsuck" yet?

Pittsburgh. Seattle. One For The Thumb. One. Steel. Coffee.

*kicks off shoes*

Monday, January 16, 2006

By The Pigskin of Our Teeth: The Division Bell Edition

The good people of Seattle seem... unsure of what to do with themselves. Wait, what did Alexander do there? The ball just sort of came out. That was strange. Darrell Jackson learning how to catch may be the most overlooked story of the season so far. Maybe he could give the punt returner some pointers. I see the Redskins haven't made any strides offensively. Hasselbeck's... not that fast, is he? Well, this one's over.

So just how many opportunities are the Broncos gonna squander here? Seriously, was there some sort of rule change that teams must always go for it on fourth down in the playoffs no matter the situation ever? Al Wilson's been playing big tonight and has really bailed them out. Well, that was a brutal call. So just how many opportunities are the Patriots gonna squander here? The Champ interception, for me, recalled a 2002 Raw where heel champ Undertaker said to Matt Hardy, "Why don't you come down here and I'll disrespect you again?" I never thought he or the ball got to the end zone, myself. Vinatieri MISSES? Troy Brown fumbles a punt? "They don't do this." There's a reason nobody's ever won three straight Super Bowls. It's hard.

Oh, great, I can hear the cackles starting already. But of more immediate importance is this: why are the Steelers starting out throwing the ball? The Colts cannot stop the rush, and there's no reason every AFC team shouldn't put a 3-4 in next year just for that purpose. Marvin only has one catch? Is Edge even in the building? Someone said the Steelers took their offensive game plan from the Colts and their defensive game plan from the Chargers. This thing might be over. Or not, as nobody can seem to get a hand on Dallas Clark.

Why are the Colts challenging this? There's no way they can overturn it. *sits there stunned* Of course, I've been wrong before. Hey, Edge made it! Nice to see you, finally. Great foot drag by Wayne on the two-point conversion. I should point out here that I'm of the school that believes that 99.99% of the time, an official's bad call is never a game's deciding factor. If the Colts pull this out, the Steelers will have blown an 18-point third-quarter lead. Bettis... coughs it up? (Gary Brackett? Lookit Rutgers all up in your area.) NICK HARPER! Think he scores with two good knees? Ben was the only one who was going to catch him. Ohhhh, that was it right there. Vanderjagt... MISSES! Dear God. Peyton's going to need a shrink after this one. On the other hand, as Jason said when I got into work, Bettis didn't deserve to go out like that. I wonder who Vanderjagt is gonna play for next year. Assuming he doesn't meet with an "unfortunate accident."

I'm afraid to get close to Steve Smith. I don't know where I'd land after getting knocked away by the deflector shield that appears to surround him at all times. The Bears might want to consider, I don't know, doubling him. Or at least putting Vasher on him because he's making Tillman look foolish. How didn't the Panthers score another touchdown there? Does anyone really think a guy who's started all of one game this year is gonna bring the Bears back? Well, maybe. No, I still say no. I'm becoming a Berrian fan, though. The Kasay PAT miss brought back to mind Buck's seemingly throwaway comment in the first half about the condition of the field. Good job on the replay that showed him slip. Who would've thought the Bears would score 21 points and lose? But no more Foster? Problematic.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

The Top 15 Of 2005

Before the festivities, a confession.

I haven't really been paying attention this year.

I'm not sure why, but it probably starts with how little radio I listened to last year. So little that, when I started the list, I wasn't sure I could come up with 15 songs I liked (and the first draft, indeed, stopped at 13 or so.) What I did come up with is heavily slanted towards the beginning of the year (I go December to December. It's easier to follow than the Grammys, at any rate).

Onward.

15. Amerie - "1 Thing"
Poorly mixed drums aside, this is good stuff. But Amerie's holding out on us. She never tells us what that... thing is. Come on! Spill it! Suckas gots to know!

14. Weezer - "We Are All On Drugs"
It's not supposed to be ironic, I don't think. It just sounds like it is.

13. Ringside - "Tired Of Being Sorry"
The best song this year you never heard.

12. Jay-Z & Linkin Park - "Encore vs. Numb"
Weren't you supposed to retire, Hov? Have mash-ups become the Next Big Thing yet or did they already disappear faster than Vogue-ing? And how much higher would this be if I actually liked Linkin Park?

11. Ciara - "Oh"
I have no special place smelling of citrus and feeling like triple-ply soft to the touch to go to when this song plays. Though it's worth it just to hear a girl sing the word "crunk" and have it throw you off just a little bit.

10. Coldplay - "Speed of Sound"
How do they keep doing it?

9. T.I. - "Bring 'Em Out"
Because every list needs a club anthem and I never got into "Disco Inferno". Seems like a waste of Jay-Z, though.

8. Ludacris - "Get Back"
The man's trying to get his groove on. Don't interrupt him.

7. Usher, Lil' Jon and Ludacris - "Lovers And Friends"
Lil' Jon on a slow jam? WHAT? These three teamed up and hit a solid double with "Yeah!" last year, but the fact that this song was even conveived of, let alone that it actually happened... that's a home run. I'm still surprised this didn't end up higher.

6. Audioslave - "Be Yourself"
This -- once I realized it wasn't the Chili Peppers after the third listen or so -- doesn't sound like anything anyone in this band has ever done.

5. Rihanna - "Pon de Replay"
You just started dancing in your seat. Admit it.

4. A Perfect Circle - "Passive"
I wonder how Maynard decides what he's going to do for Tool and what he's going to do for this side project of his. Do you like anger? Do you like defiance? Do you like people who just bring it? Then here's your song.

3. Franz Ferdinand - "This Fire"
I'm sure something from the new album'll crack the list for 06. But in the meantime, here's one that sneaked in under the wire. And haven't we all had at least one someone who's driven us to feel like this?

2. The Game & 50 Cent - "Hate It or Love It"
Easily the best of their collaborations before their ugly beef and split. I think they'll both be fine on their own, but this was so damn good I feel a little cheated.

1. Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
2004's Artist of the Year coming back strong? Check. Being funny and isnightful? Check. Getting Jamie Foxx to do his Ray Charles impression on the hook? Check. Yet another GEICO reference? Are they paying him off or something? No matter.

Monday, January 9, 2006

By The Pigskin of Our Teeth: The Wild Card Edition

Two southpaw quarterbacks. I assume that's rare. PROTECT THE FOOTBALL. Young QBs in the playoffs. There's nothing like it... thank God. Actually, I always thought Simms got too much of the blame in college for Texas always losing to better Oklahoma teams. But that's me. PROTECT THE- you know what, I give up. The Redskins have about 10 yards of offense. Max, we've found the new T.O. and his name is Sean Taylor. Or maybe he's the new Bill Romanowski. Whatever. That right there is some bullshit. Can you throw it any better than that? TOUCHDO- oh, no. Well, rules are rules, I suppose.

This one isn't gonna be a cakewalk by any means... the Jags' defense is better than people realize. No snow? Disappointing. No Tedy? Strange. No Dillon? Problem. But the Jaguars aren't helping themselves by not even attempting to run the ball. TROY BROWN LIVES!! Seriously, where's he been all year? The Jaguars weren't even trying on the Watson touchdown; they'd given up at that point. I'll tell you this: the Pats play that first half next week and they'll lose by 17.

Here's the thing: There are Panthers that can stop Tiki. There are no Giants that can stop Steve Smith. See? And Tiki being bottled up like he has been isn't helping Eli's growing pains any. Foster's running like a crazy man. I see it's time for Plaxico's yearly playoff vanishing act. Ouch. That's a mild surprise. The zero, that is.

Blood hatred~~~~ Oh no. That can't be good. Although you can do a hell of a lot worse than Jon Kitna for a backup (trust me). What's going on out there? Was the field indiscriminately booby-trapped before the game? Now you start to worry about the inevitable breakdown and hope Ben doesn't get his shit together in time. Whoops, too late. All right, let's tick them off: the Parker touchdown? Too easy. Polamalu almost repeating history? Not good. The field goal mishap? Regression. The direct snap to Randle-El followed by the bomb to Wilson? Sweet.

Monday, January 2, 2006

By The Pigskin of Our Teeth, Week 17: Beggars Banquet

It's great to have you with us.

Ah, what could have been. Has Tomlinson slowed down in the last month or is it just me? He must still be hurt. Prepare to ask "Who the hell is THAT?" a lot this weekend. Philip Rivers lives! And after that safety, he probably wishes he wasn't. Letting Brees go would be a colossal mistake.

New Year's Eve in the Black Hole? Like they're not drunk enough. The Giants are down to about 12 guys. I'm not kidding. In contrast to LDT, Tiki's been on fire the last few weeks. See? Hey, a Randy Moss sighting! Where's he been all year? The review of Kerry's would-be touchdown dive was strange -- I was convinced he didn't make it at first, then Tirico and Sharpe (who are actually very good together) convinced me he did and were then shocked when the ruling stood. The Sunday Night guys would've gotten it right.

View Finder: CAR @ ATL, WSH @ PHI

You can't not love Herman Edwards. "We're unbeaten in two-oh-six!"

What exactly has happened to the Falcons' defense? Hell, what happened to the Falcons period? The second half of this season (2-6) was Vikings-esque.

That's like a record or something, isn't it? I don't know if this is the end for Favre but you can sure see it from here.

Why isn't Grossman playing? He needs reps. I'm not a fan of this move. Wow. THAT was quick.

The Colts really need to win this game for a multitude of reasons. And apparently they never had the ball because they only ran it 10 times. When Jim Sorgi throws for 209 on you, you've got problems. I didn't even know either Boldin or Fitzgerald was near 100 catches, let alone both of them. How they got the McCown fumble call wrong in the first place boggles my mind.

The drop kick~~~~~~~ And ESPN had footage of the last one! Who'd they have to pay off to get that dug up?

Tony Banks is in? Did Carr finally get killed? You realize that if the Texans win, the Saints most likely get the No. 1 pick and it's no longer Bush, right? Touchdown Alex Smith! It's about time. The Texans might want to get somebody who can freaking kick. This is ridiculous. Can't anybody in the state of Texas kick? So that's where Joe Nedney ended up.

I'm torn. If we lose, we take the Cowboys down with us, and yet... PROTECT THE FOOTBALL. I don't know if Reggie Brown's going to be great, but I do think he's going to be at least good. Do the Redskins know what's at stake? They might have to bring Darrell Green out of retirement with all the DBs they're losing tonight. When Chad rescusciated the football, did he give it mouth-to-mouth? I don't remember. PROTECT THE FOOTBALL. Apparently something happened after the McMahon fumble but nobody knows what it was and suddenly Koy's in the game. PROTECT THE FOOTBALL. Hey, you win five in a row, you probably deserve a playoff spot.

Goodnight, Dick Vermeil! We love you!

RANKINGS

TOP 3:

1. Indianapolis (14-2) - Time to take a deep breath or two
2. Denver (13-3) - Now can they win one?
3. Seattle (13-3) - No cause for alarm

BOTTOM 3:
29. (tie) Green Bay (4-12) - The road ahead is treacherous, and littered with cheese
29. (tie) Detroit (5-11) - The new Bengals
31. New Orleans (3-13) - In a perfect world, this would be the end of several eras
32. Houston (2-14) - This is going to be very interesting