Is they can't relate to any other generation of the last 75 years.
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
Ahhhh, the good old days. I do miss being a kid. And as much as I complain about how much cool stuff kid's have these days compared to when I was their age, I wouldn't trade places. I'd much rather have been playing outside all those wacky games my friends & I invited then sitting inside having a Madden Tournament for three days.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Shark Mix VII
Now available for download, rejoice!
Sorry I haven't been posting much the last week, been busy. That'll change, I promise.
For now, enjoy 14 rockin' tunes!
Go to this link to download:
http://www.letterstoyou.org/sm7
You can also grab it out of my getfile if you'd like.
Here's the tracklisting.
1. The Fray - Over My Head
2. Joseph Arthur - Dear Lord
3. Mike Perkins - Have Fun Today (live)
4. Todd Martin - Time For Good
5. Soundrabbit - Hazel
6. Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - Green & Dumb (live)
7. O.A.R. - Heard The World
8. Soulive - Reverb
9. My Morning Jacket - Off The Record
10. Matisyahu - King Without A Crown (live)
11. Garaj Mahal - Blueberry Cave
12. The Saw Doctors - Wisdom Of Youth
13. Hothouse Flowers - Si Do Mhamo I (live)
14. The Frames - Fitzcarraldo (live)
Total Time: 72 minutes, 47 seconds
It is id4'ed, so it'll fit nicely into your iPod. Not as good as Shark Mix Six, in my opinion, but after some more listens I think it may challenge The Shark Mix (one) as my 2nd favorite.
Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Sorry I haven't been posting much the last week, been busy. That'll change, I promise.
For now, enjoy 14 rockin' tunes!
Go to this link to download:
http://www.letterstoyou.org/sm7
You can also grab it out of my getfile if you'd like.
Here's the tracklisting.
1. The Fray - Over My Head
2. Joseph Arthur - Dear Lord
3. Mike Perkins - Have Fun Today (live)
4. Todd Martin - Time For Good
5. Soundrabbit - Hazel
6. Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - Green & Dumb (live)
7. O.A.R. - Heard The World
8. Soulive - Reverb
9. My Morning Jacket - Off The Record
10. Matisyahu - King Without A Crown (live)
11. Garaj Mahal - Blueberry Cave
12. The Saw Doctors - Wisdom Of Youth
13. Hothouse Flowers - Si Do Mhamo I (live)
14. The Frames - Fitzcarraldo (live)
Total Time: 72 minutes, 47 seconds
It is id4'ed, so it'll fit nicely into your iPod. Not as good as Shark Mix Six, in my opinion, but after some more listens I think it may challenge The Shark Mix (one) as my 2nd favorite.
Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 21, 2006
NFL Playoffs Fantasy Football
Here is the week 3 breakdown, followed by everyones rosters from the entire thing so far (so you can see who is in trouble for the SB, and who has clear skies ahead).
Quarterbacks:
7 people have Matt Hasselback
7 people have Jake Plummer
5 people have Jake Delhomme
2 people have Ben Roethlisberger
Runningbacks:
6 people have Mike Anderson
6 people have Nick Goings
4 people have Shaun Alexander
4 people have Willie Parker
1 person has Jerome Bettis
Wide Receivers:
10 people have Hines ward
7 people have Darrell Jackson
2 people have Steve Smith
1 person has Rod Smith
1 person has Antwan Randel-El
Shark:
Week 1: Eli Manning 113, Rudi Johnson 120, Santana Moss 29
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Clinton Portis 52, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Willie Parker, Darrell Jackson
Total: 952
Tom:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Chad Johnson 59
Week 2: Peyton Manning 340, Shaun Alexander 9 , Hines Ward 68
Week 3: Ben Roethlisberger, Nick Goings, Steve Smith
Total: 640
Scott:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Cadillac Williams 59, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294 , Thomas Jones 120, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Shaun Alexander, Darrell Jackson
Total: 1183
Doozer:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Willie Parker 129, Santana Moss 29
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Tatum Bell 19, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 1175
Ace:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week2: Tom Brady 390, Edgerrin James 132, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Nick Goings, Hines Ward
Total: 934
Mark:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Rudi Johnson 120, Plaxico Burress 0
Week 2: Jake Plummer 255, Clinton Portis 52, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Shaun Alexander, Darrell Jackson
Total: 669
Eoin:
Week 1: Ben Roethlisberger 361, Tiki Barber 69, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Jake Plummer 255, Willie Parker 78, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Mike Anderson, Rod Smith
Total: 1113
Wizzah:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Willie Parker 78, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 886
Rudybrooks:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Tiki Barber 69, Hines Ward 60
Week 2: Peyton Manning 340, Shaun Alexander 9, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Mike Anderson, Steve Smith
Total: 890
AJ:
Week 1: Chris Simms209 , Tiki Barber 69, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Jake Plummer 255, Shaun Alexander 9, Reggie Wayne 97
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Willie Parker, Darrell Jackson
Total: 835
Tim eagle:
Week 1: Mark Brunell 47, Corey Dillon 62, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Tom Brady 390, Shaun Alexander 9, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Nick Goings, Hines Ward
Total: 858
Cityondown (chris loughman):
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Tiki Barber 69, Santana Moss 29
Week 2: Tom Brady 390, Thomas Jones 120, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Darrell Jackson
Total: 1014
Bauer:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Tiki Barber 69, Hines Ward 60
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Tatum Bell 19, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Jerome Bettis, Antawn Randel-El
Total: 662
Vols:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Matt Hasselbeck 336, Edgerrin James 132, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Shaun Alexander, Hines Ward
Total: 880
Pat:
Week 1: Mark Brunell 47, Tiki Barber 69, Joey Galloway 69
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 832
Ben Hordell:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Tiki Barber 69, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Edgerrin James 132, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Nick Goings, Darrell Jackson
Total: 1205
Weeba:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Tiki Barber 69, Chad Johnson 59
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Willie Parker, Hines Ward
Total: 1135
Chiefs:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Cadillac Williams 59, Plaxico Burress 0
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 772
Thouse:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Jerome Bettis 102, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Clinton Portis 52, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Nick Goings, Hines Ward
Total: 886
Scoots:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Willie Parker 129, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Tom Brady 390, Shaun Alexander 9, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 966
Ed:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Nick Goings, Darrell Jackson
Total: 941
Quarterbacks:
7 people have Matt Hasselback
7 people have Jake Plummer
5 people have Jake Delhomme
2 people have Ben Roethlisberger
Runningbacks:
6 people have Mike Anderson
6 people have Nick Goings
4 people have Shaun Alexander
4 people have Willie Parker
1 person has Jerome Bettis
Wide Receivers:
10 people have Hines ward
7 people have Darrell Jackson
2 people have Steve Smith
1 person has Rod Smith
1 person has Antwan Randel-El
Shark:
Week 1: Eli Manning 113, Rudi Johnson 120, Santana Moss 29
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Clinton Portis 52, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Willie Parker, Darrell Jackson
Total: 952
Tom:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Chad Johnson 59
Week 2: Peyton Manning 340, Shaun Alexander 9 , Hines Ward 68
Week 3: Ben Roethlisberger, Nick Goings, Steve Smith
Total: 640
Scott:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Cadillac Williams 59, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294 , Thomas Jones 120, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Shaun Alexander, Darrell Jackson
Total: 1183
Doozer:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Willie Parker 129, Santana Moss 29
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Tatum Bell 19, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 1175
Ace:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week2: Tom Brady 390, Edgerrin James 132, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Nick Goings, Hines Ward
Total: 934
Mark:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Rudi Johnson 120, Plaxico Burress 0
Week 2: Jake Plummer 255, Clinton Portis 52, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Shaun Alexander, Darrell Jackson
Total: 669
Eoin:
Week 1: Ben Roethlisberger 361, Tiki Barber 69, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Jake Plummer 255, Willie Parker 78, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Mike Anderson, Rod Smith
Total: 1113
Wizzah:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Willie Parker 78, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 886
Rudybrooks:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Tiki Barber 69, Hines Ward 60
Week 2: Peyton Manning 340, Shaun Alexander 9, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Mike Anderson, Steve Smith
Total: 890
AJ:
Week 1: Chris Simms209 , Tiki Barber 69, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Jake Plummer 255, Shaun Alexander 9, Reggie Wayne 97
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Willie Parker, Darrell Jackson
Total: 835
Tim eagle:
Week 1: Mark Brunell 47, Corey Dillon 62, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Tom Brady 390, Shaun Alexander 9, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Nick Goings, Hines Ward
Total: 858
Cityondown (chris loughman):
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Tiki Barber 69, Santana Moss 29
Week 2: Tom Brady 390, Thomas Jones 120, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Darrell Jackson
Total: 1014
Bauer:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Tiki Barber 69, Hines Ward 60
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Tatum Bell 19, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Jerome Bettis, Antawn Randel-El
Total: 662
Vols:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Matt Hasselbeck 336, Edgerrin James 132, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Shaun Alexander, Hines Ward
Total: 880
Pat:
Week 1: Mark Brunell 47, Tiki Barber 69, Joey Galloway 69
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 832
Ben Hordell:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Tiki Barber 69, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Edgerrin James 132, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Nick Goings, Darrell Jackson
Total: 1205
Weeba:
Week 1: Tom Brady 360, Tiki Barber 69, Chad Johnson 59
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Plummer, Willie Parker, Hines Ward
Total: 1135
Chiefs:
Week 1: Carson Palmer 66, Cadillac Williams 59, Plaxico Burress 0
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Steve Smith 344
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 772
Thouse:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Jerome Bettis 102, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Clinton Portis 52, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Nick Goings, Hines Ward
Total: 886
Scoots:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Willie Parker 129, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Tom Brady 390, Shaun Alexander 9, Marvin Harrison 52
Week 3: Matt Hasselback, Mike Anderson, Hines Ward
Total: 966
Ed:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme 190, Clinton Portis 98, Steve Smith 196
Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger 294, Shaun Alexander 9, Santana Moss 154
Week 3: Jake Delhomme, Nick Goings, Darrell Jackson
Total: 941
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Coaching Carousel
What do Sean Payton, Rod Miranelli, Mike McCarthy, Brad Childress, Eric Mangini & Scott Linehan have in common?
In the past week, they've all been hired to become NFL head coaches.
What else?
As of a week ago, they all had zero head coaching experience in the NFL.
Dear Saints, Rams, Lions, Vikings, Jets & Packers. Congratulations, you've all made the right moves. Sincerely, a loyal NFL fan.
A little less than a month ago there were 9 head coaching vacancies. Mike Martz, Steve Mariucci, Mike Tice, Jim Haslett, Mike Sherman, Dom Capers, Norv Turner & Mike Mularkey were all out of jobs.
The 6 teams I mentioned before plus a few others were now all in the market for new coaches. If you went to any major website and looked at the list of candidates to fill their coaching vacancies, it read:
Mike Martz, Steve Mariucci, Mike Tice, Jim Haslett, Mike Sherman, Dom Capers, Norv Turner, & Mike Mularkey.
What?
9 teams fire coaches this season only to interview the 8 other coaches that had just been fired? What did you think, no big deal, they failed elsewhere, they'll be great for our rebuilding program! That same thinking has been going on in the NFL for the last 5 or so years now. 75% of the time, when a head coach gets hired, you can immediately say "wow I remember when he sucked in _____."
But thankfully for everyone in the league, it looks like teams are starting to break away from that. Of the 7 coaches hired so far this year (counting Herm Edwards in KC), 1 was a head coach last year, 1 was a QB coach, 1 was a defensive line coach, 1 was a defensive co-ordinator and 3 were offensive co-ordinators.
And all the teams that made those hirings are all the better for it.
In order for new good coaches to come along, they have to start somewhere. Bill Belicheck wasn't born with NFL experience. He served his time under Parcells for 20 years. Andy Reid was under Mike Holmgren. Tom Coughlin was under Bill Parcells. Romeo Crennel was under Bill Belicheck. Tony Dungy & Herm Edwards were under Dick Vermeil & Marty Schottenheimer. But then one day an NFL team came along and took a chance on all of them, and they became head coaches. And they became really good head coaches.
I'm not saying all 6 of the guys hired in the last week are going to go on to be great in the next 10 years. You have to play the percentages. One will absolutely do a horrible job. 2 more will be on the lesser side of mediocre. 2 more will be on the right side of average. And odds are one of these 6 guys will be a top of the line NFL coach within the next 5 years or so.
My money would be on either Eric Mangini or Brad Childress. In fact, I'll go against the numbers and say that these two are both going to have very good NFL head coaching careers. Very good. Linehan, Miranelli, McCarthy & Payton all have the tools to be successful as well.
These are 6 great candidates with no experience who are just what 6 struggling franchises needed to kickstart their turn-around. Now we get to watch that happen.
Hopefully the Raiders, Texans & Bills, the 3 teams with head coaching vacancies, are taking notes. Because if they were smart, they'd be going after another hotshot young coordinator who has the tools to be the next Bill Belicheck.
In the past week, they've all been hired to become NFL head coaches.
What else?
As of a week ago, they all had zero head coaching experience in the NFL.
Dear Saints, Rams, Lions, Vikings, Jets & Packers. Congratulations, you've all made the right moves. Sincerely, a loyal NFL fan.
A little less than a month ago there were 9 head coaching vacancies. Mike Martz, Steve Mariucci, Mike Tice, Jim Haslett, Mike Sherman, Dom Capers, Norv Turner & Mike Mularkey were all out of jobs.
The 6 teams I mentioned before plus a few others were now all in the market for new coaches. If you went to any major website and looked at the list of candidates to fill their coaching vacancies, it read:
Mike Martz, Steve Mariucci, Mike Tice, Jim Haslett, Mike Sherman, Dom Capers, Norv Turner, & Mike Mularkey.
What?
9 teams fire coaches this season only to interview the 8 other coaches that had just been fired? What did you think, no big deal, they failed elsewhere, they'll be great for our rebuilding program! That same thinking has been going on in the NFL for the last 5 or so years now. 75% of the time, when a head coach gets hired, you can immediately say "wow I remember when he sucked in _____."
But thankfully for everyone in the league, it looks like teams are starting to break away from that. Of the 7 coaches hired so far this year (counting Herm Edwards in KC), 1 was a head coach last year, 1 was a QB coach, 1 was a defensive line coach, 1 was a defensive co-ordinator and 3 were offensive co-ordinators.
And all the teams that made those hirings are all the better for it.
In order for new good coaches to come along, they have to start somewhere. Bill Belicheck wasn't born with NFL experience. He served his time under Parcells for 20 years. Andy Reid was under Mike Holmgren. Tom Coughlin was under Bill Parcells. Romeo Crennel was under Bill Belicheck. Tony Dungy & Herm Edwards were under Dick Vermeil & Marty Schottenheimer. But then one day an NFL team came along and took a chance on all of them, and they became head coaches. And they became really good head coaches.
I'm not saying all 6 of the guys hired in the last week are going to go on to be great in the next 10 years. You have to play the percentages. One will absolutely do a horrible job. 2 more will be on the lesser side of mediocre. 2 more will be on the right side of average. And odds are one of these 6 guys will be a top of the line NFL coach within the next 5 years or so.
My money would be on either Eric Mangini or Brad Childress. In fact, I'll go against the numbers and say that these two are both going to have very good NFL head coaching careers. Very good. Linehan, Miranelli, McCarthy & Payton all have the tools to be successful as well.
These are 6 great candidates with no experience who are just what 6 struggling franchises needed to kickstart their turn-around. Now we get to watch that happen.
Hopefully the Raiders, Texans & Bills, the 3 teams with head coaching vacancies, are taking notes. Because if they were smart, they'd be going after another hotshot young coordinator who has the tools to be the next Bill Belicheck.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
The 5th Major Sport
January might be the best sports month of the year.
College bowl season, the National Championship, NFL Playoffs, College BBall starts getting interesting, and 24 begins.
What?
Yup, 24. OK, it's not a sport, even I can admit that. But I think, now in its 5th season, it's more than a TV show. There is nothing on TV that is quite like 24. Sure, 23.8 million viewers a week will tell you that Lost is better, and while I may be one of the viewers, you'll never hear me say it's a better TV show. The storyline may be smarter, and the questions and mysteries deeper, but it's not better.
24 is the best show on TV. Nothing comes close.
Why is 24 like a sport? Well, let's look.
A typical season starts in mid-January. For weeks leading up to it, there are promo spots, people begin talking about it, and the speculation begins. Who's this years bad guy? What crazy things will Jack do? Is his daughter back? Who's the love interest? Who's running CTU now? Tony? Palmer? Are they back? Seriously, if you look at the NFL & MLB, each pre-season they put out publications with all sorts of predictions and stuff for the upcoming season. "Experts" break it down for you. Why can't this happen for 24? I don't know. It could.
Then there is 24 "opening weekend." Like all the major sports have a grand opening to grab people, so does 24. A 2-night, 4-hour premiere that sets up the season perfectly. Every other show on TV premieres with just a regular episode, or sometimes a 2-hour premiere. And they're usually good. But with four hours, you get so far into the storyline (16%) that you're officially hooked. You can't stop watching now. You've met all the new characters, seen what this season is going to revolve around, found 37 subplots, and need answers asap. Diane/Jack/Audrey love triangle? Will Jack go to jail? When will Walt be called out? Is the President's wife smarter than we initially thought? And why does that President suck so damn much? What about Rudy, what's gonna happen with his character? He seemed like a dick & a cool guy. Is Tony ok? Will we see him again this season? Will Jack die and be resurrected for the 3rd time in 5 seasons this year? God, I love the subplots. That's how they catch you in opening weekend.
The regular season rolls along beautifully, making 24 a great water-cooler centerpiece. Each week you tune in. There are no offweeks. It just rolls right along for 20 straight weeks. Other TV shows will give you 22-25 episodes in a 38 week span. 24 gives you 24 in a 20 week span. They're going backwards. And it works. Like sports, it's one big ride from opening weekend to the championship.
And oh, the championship. The finale. Not one has disappointed yet. Not one has lacked its big surprise. No matter how you dissect the previous 23 episodes, there is always something in hour 24 that you don't see coming. It's like a great Super Bowl. You can watch the pre-game shows for two weeks leading up to the game and think you know exactly what will happen, and then bam, wide right. Didn't see that coming?
Then the offseason rolls around, and 24 doesn't go away. It may take a backseat to summer re-runs, the beach, and other stuff, but like a good sport, you still find it popping into the news every now and again with a "big signing" or "key departure". And it jsut makes you more and more excited for opening day. It's a never-ending cycle.
24 isn't a TV show anymore. I don't know what it is, but it's worth of thesharkey.com attention. Sorry sports fans, if you don't like the show, don't tune into this site on Tuesday mornings for the next 5 months. You'll be sorely disappointed. It won't be sports, it'll be my weekly recap of last night.
But, of course, I'm exhausted now and have taken up so many words already, that you get no recap of the first four hours. Next week I'll give you my thoughts on the first 5 hours, as we cross the 20% mark.
But I definitely can't wait for next Monday. These first four hours have been as good as any "first-four" in any of the previous four seasons, which gets you excited for what to expect from here on out.
Now back to your regularly scheduled sports rambling...
College bowl season, the National Championship, NFL Playoffs, College BBall starts getting interesting, and 24 begins.
What?
Yup, 24. OK, it's not a sport, even I can admit that. But I think, now in its 5th season, it's more than a TV show. There is nothing on TV that is quite like 24. Sure, 23.8 million viewers a week will tell you that Lost is better, and while I may be one of the viewers, you'll never hear me say it's a better TV show. The storyline may be smarter, and the questions and mysteries deeper, but it's not better.
24 is the best show on TV. Nothing comes close.
Why is 24 like a sport? Well, let's look.
A typical season starts in mid-January. For weeks leading up to it, there are promo spots, people begin talking about it, and the speculation begins. Who's this years bad guy? What crazy things will Jack do? Is his daughter back? Who's the love interest? Who's running CTU now? Tony? Palmer? Are they back? Seriously, if you look at the NFL & MLB, each pre-season they put out publications with all sorts of predictions and stuff for the upcoming season. "Experts" break it down for you. Why can't this happen for 24? I don't know. It could.
Then there is 24 "opening weekend." Like all the major sports have a grand opening to grab people, so does 24. A 2-night, 4-hour premiere that sets up the season perfectly. Every other show on TV premieres with just a regular episode, or sometimes a 2-hour premiere. And they're usually good. But with four hours, you get so far into the storyline (16%) that you're officially hooked. You can't stop watching now. You've met all the new characters, seen what this season is going to revolve around, found 37 subplots, and need answers asap. Diane/Jack/Audrey love triangle? Will Jack go to jail? When will Walt be called out? Is the President's wife smarter than we initially thought? And why does that President suck so damn much? What about Rudy, what's gonna happen with his character? He seemed like a dick & a cool guy. Is Tony ok? Will we see him again this season? Will Jack die and be resurrected for the 3rd time in 5 seasons this year? God, I love the subplots. That's how they catch you in opening weekend.
The regular season rolls along beautifully, making 24 a great water-cooler centerpiece. Each week you tune in. There are no offweeks. It just rolls right along for 20 straight weeks. Other TV shows will give you 22-25 episodes in a 38 week span. 24 gives you 24 in a 20 week span. They're going backwards. And it works. Like sports, it's one big ride from opening weekend to the championship.
And oh, the championship. The finale. Not one has disappointed yet. Not one has lacked its big surprise. No matter how you dissect the previous 23 episodes, there is always something in hour 24 that you don't see coming. It's like a great Super Bowl. You can watch the pre-game shows for two weeks leading up to the game and think you know exactly what will happen, and then bam, wide right. Didn't see that coming?
Then the offseason rolls around, and 24 doesn't go away. It may take a backseat to summer re-runs, the beach, and other stuff, but like a good sport, you still find it popping into the news every now and again with a "big signing" or "key departure". And it jsut makes you more and more excited for opening day. It's a never-ending cycle.
24 isn't a TV show anymore. I don't know what it is, but it's worth of thesharkey.com attention. Sorry sports fans, if you don't like the show, don't tune into this site on Tuesday mornings for the next 5 months. You'll be sorely disappointed. It won't be sports, it'll be my weekly recap of last night.
But, of course, I'm exhausted now and have taken up so many words already, that you get no recap of the first four hours. Next week I'll give you my thoughts on the first 5 hours, as we cross the 20% mark.
But I definitely can't wait for next Monday. These first four hours have been as good as any "first-four" in any of the previous four seasons, which gets you excited for what to expect from here on out.
Now back to your regularly scheduled sports rambling...
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Sharkey Out
Tomorrow I gotta stop into work for a few hours then I'm off to NYC for the weekend. OAR is playing a soldout Madison Square Garden Saturday Night, and I got friends coming in from all over the country for this one. Can't wait!
Hopefully the NFL Playoffs are better this weekend than they were last weekend.
Also just finalized Shark Mix VII. 13 songs, 69 minutes. Two 8 minute songs & another three 6 minute songs made this the shortest SM, in terms of total songs, to date. But I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I think. I haven't even given it a complete listen to yet. Gonna do that over the next week or so, make sure it flows, and that all the songs are actually good. Look for it sometime around Monday the 23rd.
Hopefully the NFL Playoffs are better this weekend than they were last weekend.
Also just finalized Shark Mix VII. 13 songs, 69 minutes. Two 8 minute songs & another three 6 minute songs made this the shortest SM, in terms of total songs, to date. But I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I think. I haven't even given it a complete listen to yet. Gonna do that over the next week or so, make sure it flows, and that all the songs are actually good. Look for it sometime around Monday the 23rd.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
I got nothing
This space was reserved for my comments on Sunday's Giants debacle. But since I can't even talk about the loss with my mom at dinner for 2 minutes, I can't imagine trying to type about it for the next 15 minutes. Screw that.
I'll say this. The game was ugly, but not an indication of the season. Once I get over the heartbreak of that loss, sometime around June 7th, I'll look back and realize in the grand scheme of things this season was a success. I mean, damn, the Giants went 11-5 and won the NFC East, one of the top 2 or 3 competitive divisions in the NFL year after year. I was hoping for 8-8 in January, and if you'd have said I could go 11-5, win the division, but would have to get manhandled in the first round of the playoffs in order for that to happen, you know what? I'd have taken it. So really, it's not that bad.
As for the rest of the playoffs, God I hope they're better than the first round was. That was one of the worst rounds of playoffs in the history of me. And that's a long history. This is my 24th playoff season. That means this was around the 90th weekend of playoff football in my life (don't remember exactly what year the NFL playoffs expanded to 6 teams, I think it was either 87 or 90). The worst of 90? THat'd a bold statement! I'm sticking to it. Not one of the games was exciting. Sure, the Bucs-Redskins game was close, but it was too ugly for enjoyment. THe Steelers-Bengals first half wsa the closest thing to exciting we saw, but did you catch the 2nd half? Not exciting.
SO here I give you my opinions on the playoffs from here on out. Most major publications will tell you why all 8 remaining teams can win the Super Bowl. Boring. I'll tell you why all 8 teams can lose this weekend.
In alphabetical order. Alphabetical according to the 3rd to last letter of each teams home.
Chicago: Did you see Carolina play last weekend? THat was a team on a mission. Their defense is (don't scream at me chicagoans) every bit as good as the Bears D when it wants to be. And their O? Much much better. If Carolina wants this game, they could turn this into another 20-0 bloodbath.
New England: The magic has to end eventually. This has been the worst Patriots season of the last 5 years, including the 9-7 season they missed the playoffs. And did you see the Patriots Saturday night? That was not the same team we watched over the last 4 Super Bowls. They did not play good at all. Going into a hostile stadium in January against a very good ground game could be what it takes to finally end the dynasty, and in turn shut up millions of annoying Boston sports fans.
Carolina: The 2005 Carolina Panthers. Great one week, not so great the next. This is a team that has been so inconsistant that I can't even think of a good analogy to end this sentence with. If last week's team shows up on Sunday, they will win. But if the other Panthers show up, Chicago will have no problem disposing of them. Remember, Steve Smith ran wild against the Bears last time (180+ yards or something crazy) and the Panthers still could only score 6 points. They need DeShaun to be where he was last week, which won't happen because the Bears linebackers are slightly better than the Giants JV squad.
Indianapolis: The last month has been insane for this team. Doesn't the talk of an undefeated season seem like forever ago? It's been way too long since this team played a meaningful game. Counter that with Peyton Manning not exactly being Tom Brady in the playoffs, and the Pittsburgh Steelers clicking like no other team in the league is right now, and we could very easily have an upset brewing here.
Pittsburgh: Crowd noise. Last time these two teams played, Ben Roethlisberger cried like a little girl that the Colts cheated and pumped in crowd noise. Obviously that wasn't the case, but if he thought the fans were loud for that mid-season Monday night game, how do you think they're going to treat him on Sunday? This is still a young QB who has been more than shaky in 2 of his 3 postseason starts. If the fans can rattle him early on Sunday, and Peyton can get his team out to quick 10 point lead, this game will get real ugly real fast.
Washington: Simply because Seattle is a much better team. I've been saying all season this Redskins team isn't very good. YOu may argue that I'm wrong because they made a playoff game & then won that game, but did you actually see the game against the Bucs on Saturday? 130 yards of offense for the Redskins? THat won't work against the Seahawks & Mike Holmgren in Seattle. Prediction, Shaun Alexander will have more yards this week than the Redskins had last week.
Seattle: When was the last time a Seahawks team won a playoff game? Not in my lifetime, I don't think. This team is no better than the teams in either of the last two seasons that lost its firstround playoff game. Only difference b/w those teams & this team was this teams schedule was weaker, so it was able to cakewalk to homefield advantage. Still, until this team proves anyone wrong, I can't take it seriously in the playoffs.
Denver: Last two playoff games? Gave up 87 combined points, scored 17. Career playoff record since John Elway retired: 0-fer. Zero wins. They've had some good teams since he retired, but none that could win in the playoffs. Is Mike Shanahan that great of a coach, or were John Elway & Terrell Davis that good of players? I don't know. But they're running into a rejuvanated, "disrespected," highly motivated bill belicheck-coached, tom brady-led two time defending superbowl champions team on Saturday night. And unless they bring their top game, like they did last time these two teams met, history will always prevail. and Belicheck & Brady are historic.
Enjoy the games!
I'll say this. The game was ugly, but not an indication of the season. Once I get over the heartbreak of that loss, sometime around June 7th, I'll look back and realize in the grand scheme of things this season was a success. I mean, damn, the Giants went 11-5 and won the NFC East, one of the top 2 or 3 competitive divisions in the NFL year after year. I was hoping for 8-8 in January, and if you'd have said I could go 11-5, win the division, but would have to get manhandled in the first round of the playoffs in order for that to happen, you know what? I'd have taken it. So really, it's not that bad.
As for the rest of the playoffs, God I hope they're better than the first round was. That was one of the worst rounds of playoffs in the history of me. And that's a long history. This is my 24th playoff season. That means this was around the 90th weekend of playoff football in my life (don't remember exactly what year the NFL playoffs expanded to 6 teams, I think it was either 87 or 90). The worst of 90? THat'd a bold statement! I'm sticking to it. Not one of the games was exciting. Sure, the Bucs-Redskins game was close, but it was too ugly for enjoyment. THe Steelers-Bengals first half wsa the closest thing to exciting we saw, but did you catch the 2nd half? Not exciting.
SO here I give you my opinions on the playoffs from here on out. Most major publications will tell you why all 8 remaining teams can win the Super Bowl. Boring. I'll tell you why all 8 teams can lose this weekend.
In alphabetical order. Alphabetical according to the 3rd to last letter of each teams home.
Chicago: Did you see Carolina play last weekend? THat was a team on a mission. Their defense is (don't scream at me chicagoans) every bit as good as the Bears D when it wants to be. And their O? Much much better. If Carolina wants this game, they could turn this into another 20-0 bloodbath.
New England: The magic has to end eventually. This has been the worst Patriots season of the last 5 years, including the 9-7 season they missed the playoffs. And did you see the Patriots Saturday night? That was not the same team we watched over the last 4 Super Bowls. They did not play good at all. Going into a hostile stadium in January against a very good ground game could be what it takes to finally end the dynasty, and in turn shut up millions of annoying Boston sports fans.
Carolina: The 2005 Carolina Panthers. Great one week, not so great the next. This is a team that has been so inconsistant that I can't even think of a good analogy to end this sentence with. If last week's team shows up on Sunday, they will win. But if the other Panthers show up, Chicago will have no problem disposing of them. Remember, Steve Smith ran wild against the Bears last time (180+ yards or something crazy) and the Panthers still could only score 6 points. They need DeShaun to be where he was last week, which won't happen because the Bears linebackers are slightly better than the Giants JV squad.
Indianapolis: The last month has been insane for this team. Doesn't the talk of an undefeated season seem like forever ago? It's been way too long since this team played a meaningful game. Counter that with Peyton Manning not exactly being Tom Brady in the playoffs, and the Pittsburgh Steelers clicking like no other team in the league is right now, and we could very easily have an upset brewing here.
Pittsburgh: Crowd noise. Last time these two teams played, Ben Roethlisberger cried like a little girl that the Colts cheated and pumped in crowd noise. Obviously that wasn't the case, but if he thought the fans were loud for that mid-season Monday night game, how do you think they're going to treat him on Sunday? This is still a young QB who has been more than shaky in 2 of his 3 postseason starts. If the fans can rattle him early on Sunday, and Peyton can get his team out to quick 10 point lead, this game will get real ugly real fast.
Washington: Simply because Seattle is a much better team. I've been saying all season this Redskins team isn't very good. YOu may argue that I'm wrong because they made a playoff game & then won that game, but did you actually see the game against the Bucs on Saturday? 130 yards of offense for the Redskins? THat won't work against the Seahawks & Mike Holmgren in Seattle. Prediction, Shaun Alexander will have more yards this week than the Redskins had last week.
Seattle: When was the last time a Seahawks team won a playoff game? Not in my lifetime, I don't think. This team is no better than the teams in either of the last two seasons that lost its firstround playoff game. Only difference b/w those teams & this team was this teams schedule was weaker, so it was able to cakewalk to homefield advantage. Still, until this team proves anyone wrong, I can't take it seriously in the playoffs.
Denver: Last two playoff games? Gave up 87 combined points, scored 17. Career playoff record since John Elway retired: 0-fer. Zero wins. They've had some good teams since he retired, but none that could win in the playoffs. Is Mike Shanahan that great of a coach, or were John Elway & Terrell Davis that good of players? I don't know. But they're running into a rejuvanated, "disrespected," highly motivated bill belicheck-coached, tom brady-led two time defending superbowl champions team on Saturday night. And unless they bring their top game, like they did last time these two teams met, history will always prevail. and Belicheck & Brady are historic.
Enjoy the games!
Monday, January 09, 2006
Weekend update
Had a blast in DC, I think. Don't remember too much, was fairly intoxicated for a good portion of the time. Still, a blast.
Not even going to begin to talk about the Giants game at this point in time. Need a day or two to digest what I saw out there. Will comment on that tomorrow or Tuesday.
Need sleep, am exhausted, work in the am, boo.
Updated Playoff Challenge & Playoff Fantasy standings:
NFL Playoff Challenge Standings:
Rank-Name-Points-Possible Points Remaining
Obviously, PPR means how many points you can still score during the challenge. 34 is the highest possibility.
1. Shark-4-34
1. Pat-4-34
1. Vols-4-34
1. Logan-4-34
1. Scottponce-4-34
1. Hordell-4-34
1. Thouse-4-34
8. Telecasting-3-34
8. Ace-3-34
8. Reverend-3-34
8. AJ-3-34
12. Wizzah-3-31
13. Irishfury-2-34
13. Brooks-2-34
13. Cityondown-2-34
13. Dphew-2-34
13. Bader-2-34
13. Doozer-2-34
19. Bennett-2-31
19. Jordan-2-31
21. Scoot-2-28
21. Scott-2-28
23. Badfish-1-34
24. Tom-1-31
25. Mark-1-28
26. Schmike-1-22
Fantasy Football:
1. Eoin 626
2. Hordell 625
3. Scott 615
4. Doozer 518
5. Scoot 515
6. Brooks 489
7. Weeba 488
7. Thouse 488
9. Ed 484
10. Mrmoon 482
11. AJ 474
12. Ace 360
12. Wizzah 360
12. Vols 360
15. Bader 357
16. Mark 310
17. Timeagle 305
18. Shark 262
19. Tom 223
20. Bauer 195
21. Pat 185
22. Cityondown 164
23. Chiefs 125
Here were the player scores:
QB:
Carson Palmer: 66
Tom Brady: 360
Jake Delhomme: 190
Mark Brunell: 47
Eli Manning: 113
Ben Roethlisberger: 361
Chris Simms: 209
RBs:
Tiki Barber: 69
Clinton Portis: 98
Cadillac Williams: 59
Corey Dillon: 62
Rudi Johnson: 120
Willie Parker: 129
Jerome Bettis: 102
WRs:
Steve Smith: 196
Santana Moss: 29
Hines Ward: 60
Chad Johnson: 59
Joey Galloway: 69
Plaxico Burress: 0
Please give me your week 2 players by no later than Thursday Night. Thanks!
Not even going to begin to talk about the Giants game at this point in time. Need a day or two to digest what I saw out there. Will comment on that tomorrow or Tuesday.
Need sleep, am exhausted, work in the am, boo.
Updated Playoff Challenge & Playoff Fantasy standings:
NFL Playoff Challenge Standings:
Rank-Name-Points-Possible Points Remaining
Obviously, PPR means how many points you can still score during the challenge. 34 is the highest possibility.
1. Shark-4-34
1. Pat-4-34
1. Vols-4-34
1. Logan-4-34
1. Scottponce-4-34
1. Hordell-4-34
1. Thouse-4-34
8. Telecasting-3-34
8. Ace-3-34
8. Reverend-3-34
8. AJ-3-34
12. Wizzah-3-31
13. Irishfury-2-34
13. Brooks-2-34
13. Cityondown-2-34
13. Dphew-2-34
13. Bader-2-34
13. Doozer-2-34
19. Bennett-2-31
19. Jordan-2-31
21. Scoot-2-28
21. Scott-2-28
23. Badfish-1-34
24. Tom-1-31
25. Mark-1-28
26. Schmike-1-22
Fantasy Football:
1. Eoin 626
2. Hordell 625
3. Scott 615
4. Doozer 518
5. Scoot 515
6. Brooks 489
7. Weeba 488
7. Thouse 488
9. Ed 484
10. Mrmoon 482
11. AJ 474
12. Ace 360
12. Wizzah 360
12. Vols 360
15. Bader 357
16. Mark 310
17. Timeagle 305
18. Shark 262
19. Tom 223
20. Bauer 195
21. Pat 185
22. Cityondown 164
23. Chiefs 125
Here were the player scores:
QB:
Carson Palmer: 66
Tom Brady: 360
Jake Delhomme: 190
Mark Brunell: 47
Eli Manning: 113
Ben Roethlisberger: 361
Chris Simms: 209
RBs:
Tiki Barber: 69
Clinton Portis: 98
Cadillac Williams: 59
Corey Dillon: 62
Rudi Johnson: 120
Willie Parker: 129
Jerome Bettis: 102
WRs:
Steve Smith: 196
Santana Moss: 29
Hines Ward: 60
Chad Johnson: 59
Joey Galloway: 69
Plaxico Burress: 0
Please give me your week 2 players by no later than Thursday Night. Thanks!
Thursday, January 05, 2006
The Granddaddy of 'em all!
Nope. Not talking about the Rose Bowl with that title. Ladies & Gentlemen, may I introduce to you the most action packed post in the history of thesharkey.com. I got a little bit of everything in here for you. The Final SCS15. News on next years SCS. News on an SCS-Style poll for College Bball. And everyones entries for the NFL Playoff Challenge & the Playoffs Fantasy Football.
Before we get to the madness, two things. One, I was very wrong about Notre Dame, as a few of my friends have consistantly reminded me. I said in October they would win a BCS game no matter who they played. Clearly, that wasn't the case. And I was also very wrong about Texas. If you're expecting me to sit here and say I was wrong about USC, you're crazy, because I still think they're the best team in the country. But last night they sure as hell weren't. Vince Young is like nothing I've ever seen, I'll admit that.
Now that I got that off my chest, the final SCS top 15:
7 people participated, so 105 was the highest possible score...
1. Texas 105
2. USC 96
3. Penn State 90
4. Ohio State 87
5. West Virginia 73
6. LSU 72
7. Virginia Tech 55
8. Alabama 49
9. TCU 47
10. Notre Dame 44
11. Georgia 38
12. Florida 25
13. UCLA 18
14. Oregon 14
15. Auburn 13
Also receiving votes: Miami, Florida State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin.
As is obvious, Texas is the 2005 SCS Champion. And to everyone who blasted me for ND constantly being too high, happy now? 10th, that ain't too bad. Just remember, I had them at 12 in my final poll, so maybe it wasn't me who constantly boosted them up.
Next year, the SCS will be a bit different. Instead of a free-for-all with anyone helping any given week, there will be set people each week, and they'll be the only ones who help. This will get rid of the bogus polls. It will also help with even-diversity, a term I just made up. So far I have myself (Notre Dame), Logan (Rutgers), Matt (Tennessee), Pat (Ohio State) & Tom (BC) as 5 of the 10 people in next years SCS. Can't say they'll all lean heavily towards one school, cause we all like different teams. If interested, IM me and I'll see if you make the grade.
Also, details to follow, but sometime in the next two weeks will be the debut of the Sharkey 16. Kind of like the Sweet 16, but more aquatic-wildlife friendly. Basically, it'll be like this years SCS, where it will be a free-for-all, whoever wants to vote can vote. Instead of a 1-16 format, it will be like the ESPN Power Rankings, where we'll have four #1 seeds, four #2, four #3 & four #4 seeds. Should be a good way to pass the boredom of February, which is the worst sports month in the history of the world.
Now, onto the good stuff.
We'll start with the NFL Playoff Challenge.
26 people joined this! A much better turnout than the bowl challenge, which only had 10. So many people infact that I don't know everyones names. Some of them I only know as their screen name (or message board name). Here's who they picked.
I'll present it in a simply format:
Person
Round One winners
Round Two winners
Conference Champions
Superbowl winner, total score (tiebreaker)
Thesharkey:
Redskins, Patriots, Panthers, Steelers
Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Broncos
Seahawks, Colts
Colts, 57
Mark:
Bucs, Giants, Bengals, Patriots
Giants, Bears, Colts, Bengals
Bears, Colts
Colts, 40
cityondown36 (chris):
Patriots, Jaguars, Panthers, Bucs
Colts, Broncos, Panthers, Bears
Colts, Bears
Bears, 31
Bennett:
Bucs, Panthers, Jags, Steelers
Panthers, Bucs, Colts, Broncos
Colts, Seahawks
Colts, 47
Tom:
Bucs, Patriots, Giants, Bengals
Seahawks, Bucs, Colts, Broncos
Seahawks, Colts
Colts, 54
Scott:
Redskins, Giants, Patriots, Bengals
Seahawks, Giants, Colts, Bengals
Seahawks, Colts
Seahawks, 61
Pat:
Steelers, Redskins, Panthers, Patriots
Colts, Broncos, Seahawks, Bears
Colts, Seahawks
Colts, 48
Logan:
Redskins, Panthers, Patriots, Steelers
Seahawks, Bears, Patriots, Steelers
Steelers, Seahawks
Steelers, 58
JordanTUGG:
Bengals, Jags, Panthers, Redskins
Bengals, Colts, Seahawks, Panthers
Colts, Panthers
Colts, 55
Vols:
Patriots, Steelers, Panthers, Redskins
Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Panthers
Patriots, Seahawks
Seahawks, 58
Riley (dphew):
Pats, Bengals, Panthers, Bucs
Pats, Broncos, Seahawks, Bears
Pats, Seahawks
Pats, 44
Bader:
Bengals, Patriots, Redskins, Giants
Broncos, Colts, Seahawks, Bears
Broncos, Seahawks
Broncos, 45
Ace:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Patriots
Seahawks, Patriots
Patriots, 51
The reverend:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Bears, Seahawks, Colts, patriots
Seahawks, Patriots
Seahawks, 48
Irishfury:
Bucs, Giants, Patriots, Steelers
Bears, Seahawks, Patriots, Colts
Bears, Patriots
Bears, 36
Scott Ponce:
Patriots, Steelers, Redskins, Panthers
Patriots, Colts, Panthers, Seahawks
Patriots, Seahawks
Patriots, 43
Telecasting:
Bengals, Patriots, Redskins, Panthers
Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Panthers
Colts, Panthers
Colts, 51
Brooks:
Bengals, Patriots, Bucs, Panthers
Broncos, Colts, Seahawks, Bears
Colts, Seahawks
Seahawks (tiebreaker needed)
Scoot:
Redskins, Giants, Patriots, Bengals
Seahawks, Giants, Patriots, Bengals
Seahawks, Patriots
Patriots, 56
Ben Hordell:
Patriots, Steelers, Redskins, Panthers
Broncos, Steelers, Bears, Seahawks
Broncos, Seahawks
Broncos, 56
Doozer:
Bengals, Patriots, Redskins, Giants
Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Bears
Patriots, Bears
Patriots, 31
Schmike:
Bucs, Patriots, Giants, Bengals
Bengals, Bears, Giants, Colts
Colts, Giants
Colts, 44
Thouse:
Patriots, Steelers, Panthers, Redskins
Patriots, Colts, Seahwks, Panthers
Colts, Panthers,
Colts, 52
Wizzah:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Sehawks, Bucs, Colts, Broncos
Colts, Seahawks
Colts, 47
AJ:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Broncos
Seahawks, Colts
Colts, 58
Badfish:
Bengals, patriots, bucs, giants
Colts, broncos, bears, seahawks
Broncos, seahawks
Seahawks, 45
For those keeping score at home:
11 chose the Colts as Champs
5 chose the Patriots as Champs
5 chose the Seahawks as Champs
2 chose the Bears as Champs
2 chose the Broncos as Champs
1 chose the Steelers as Champs
Now for the Fantasy Football:
22 people joined this. Not sure why there are some that joined the challenge that didn't join this, or vice versa, but to each his own.
Here's everyone:
Shark:
Week 1: Eli Manning, Rudi Johnson, Santana Moss
Tom:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Chad Johnson
Scott:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Cadillac Williams, Steve Smith
Doozer:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Willie Parker, Santana Moss
Ace:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Steve Smith
Mark:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Rudi Johnson, Plaxico Burress
Eoin:
Week 1: Ben Roethlisberger, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith
Wizzah:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Steve Smith
Rudy:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Tiki Barber, Hines Ward
Bader:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Clinton Portis, Joey Galloway
AJ:
Week 1: Chris Simms, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith
Tim eagle:
Week 1: Mark Brunell, Corey Dillon, Steve Smith
Chris (cityondown)
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Tiki Barber, Santana Moss
Bauer:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Tiki Barber, Hines Ward
Vols:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Steve Smith
Pat:
Week 1: Mark Brunell, Tiki Barber, Joey Galloway
Ben Hordell:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith
Weeba:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Tiki Barber, Chad Johnson
Chiefs:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Cadillac Williams, Plaxico Burress
Thouse:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Jerome Bettis, Steve Smith
Chris (mrmoon):
Week 1: Tom Brady, Corey Dillon, Hines Ward
Scoots:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Willie Parker, Steve Smith
So, for those keeping score at home:
QBs:
7 people have Carson Palmer
6 people have Tom Brady
4 people have Jake Delhomme
2 people have Mark Brunell
1 person has Eli Manning
1 person has Ben Roethlisberger
1 person has Chris Simms
RBs:
7 people have Tiki Barber
5 people have Clinton Portis
3 people have Corey Dillon
2 people have Corey Dillon
2 people have Rudi Johnson
2 people have Willie Parker
1 person has Jerome Bettis
WRs:
10 people have Steve Smith
3 people have Santana Moss
3 people have Hines Ward
2 people have Chad Johnson
2 people have Joey Galloway
2 people have Plaxico Burress
There you have it. Longest entry ever! I'm exhausted, time for bed, DC in the morning!
Enjoy wildcard weekend. Don't forget starting Sunday night those of you in FF can give me your week 2 rosters.
Before we get to the madness, two things. One, I was very wrong about Notre Dame, as a few of my friends have consistantly reminded me. I said in October they would win a BCS game no matter who they played. Clearly, that wasn't the case. And I was also very wrong about Texas. If you're expecting me to sit here and say I was wrong about USC, you're crazy, because I still think they're the best team in the country. But last night they sure as hell weren't. Vince Young is like nothing I've ever seen, I'll admit that.
Now that I got that off my chest, the final SCS top 15:
7 people participated, so 105 was the highest possible score...
1. Texas 105
2. USC 96
3. Penn State 90
4. Ohio State 87
5. West Virginia 73
6. LSU 72
7. Virginia Tech 55
8. Alabama 49
9. TCU 47
10. Notre Dame 44
11. Georgia 38
12. Florida 25
13. UCLA 18
14. Oregon 14
15. Auburn 13
Also receiving votes: Miami, Florida State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin.
As is obvious, Texas is the 2005 SCS Champion. And to everyone who blasted me for ND constantly being too high, happy now? 10th, that ain't too bad. Just remember, I had them at 12 in my final poll, so maybe it wasn't me who constantly boosted them up.
Next year, the SCS will be a bit different. Instead of a free-for-all with anyone helping any given week, there will be set people each week, and they'll be the only ones who help. This will get rid of the bogus polls. It will also help with even-diversity, a term I just made up. So far I have myself (Notre Dame), Logan (Rutgers), Matt (Tennessee), Pat (Ohio State) & Tom (BC) as 5 of the 10 people in next years SCS. Can't say they'll all lean heavily towards one school, cause we all like different teams. If interested, IM me and I'll see if you make the grade.
Also, details to follow, but sometime in the next two weeks will be the debut of the Sharkey 16. Kind of like the Sweet 16, but more aquatic-wildlife friendly. Basically, it'll be like this years SCS, where it will be a free-for-all, whoever wants to vote can vote. Instead of a 1-16 format, it will be like the ESPN Power Rankings, where we'll have four #1 seeds, four #2, four #3 & four #4 seeds. Should be a good way to pass the boredom of February, which is the worst sports month in the history of the world.
Now, onto the good stuff.
We'll start with the NFL Playoff Challenge.
26 people joined this! A much better turnout than the bowl challenge, which only had 10. So many people infact that I don't know everyones names. Some of them I only know as their screen name (or message board name). Here's who they picked.
I'll present it in a simply format:
Person
Round One winners
Round Two winners
Conference Champions
Superbowl winner, total score (tiebreaker)
Thesharkey:
Redskins, Patriots, Panthers, Steelers
Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Broncos
Seahawks, Colts
Colts, 57
Mark:
Bucs, Giants, Bengals, Patriots
Giants, Bears, Colts, Bengals
Bears, Colts
Colts, 40
cityondown36 (chris):
Patriots, Jaguars, Panthers, Bucs
Colts, Broncos, Panthers, Bears
Colts, Bears
Bears, 31
Bennett:
Bucs, Panthers, Jags, Steelers
Panthers, Bucs, Colts, Broncos
Colts, Seahawks
Colts, 47
Tom:
Bucs, Patriots, Giants, Bengals
Seahawks, Bucs, Colts, Broncos
Seahawks, Colts
Colts, 54
Scott:
Redskins, Giants, Patriots, Bengals
Seahawks, Giants, Colts, Bengals
Seahawks, Colts
Seahawks, 61
Pat:
Steelers, Redskins, Panthers, Patriots
Colts, Broncos, Seahawks, Bears
Colts, Seahawks
Colts, 48
Logan:
Redskins, Panthers, Patriots, Steelers
Seahawks, Bears, Patriots, Steelers
Steelers, Seahawks
Steelers, 58
JordanTUGG:
Bengals, Jags, Panthers, Redskins
Bengals, Colts, Seahawks, Panthers
Colts, Panthers
Colts, 55
Vols:
Patriots, Steelers, Panthers, Redskins
Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Panthers
Patriots, Seahawks
Seahawks, 58
Riley (dphew):
Pats, Bengals, Panthers, Bucs
Pats, Broncos, Seahawks, Bears
Pats, Seahawks
Pats, 44
Bader:
Bengals, Patriots, Redskins, Giants
Broncos, Colts, Seahawks, Bears
Broncos, Seahawks
Broncos, 45
Ace:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Patriots
Seahawks, Patriots
Patriots, 51
The reverend:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Bears, Seahawks, Colts, patriots
Seahawks, Patriots
Seahawks, 48
Irishfury:
Bucs, Giants, Patriots, Steelers
Bears, Seahawks, Patriots, Colts
Bears, Patriots
Bears, 36
Scott Ponce:
Patriots, Steelers, Redskins, Panthers
Patriots, Colts, Panthers, Seahawks
Patriots, Seahawks
Patriots, 43
Telecasting:
Bengals, Patriots, Redskins, Panthers
Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Panthers
Colts, Panthers
Colts, 51
Brooks:
Bengals, Patriots, Bucs, Panthers
Broncos, Colts, Seahawks, Bears
Colts, Seahawks
Seahawks (tiebreaker needed)
Scoot:
Redskins, Giants, Patriots, Bengals
Seahawks, Giants, Patriots, Bengals
Seahawks, Patriots
Patriots, 56
Ben Hordell:
Patriots, Steelers, Redskins, Panthers
Broncos, Steelers, Bears, Seahawks
Broncos, Seahawks
Broncos, 56
Doozer:
Bengals, Patriots, Redskins, Giants
Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Bears
Patriots, Bears
Patriots, 31
Schmike:
Bucs, Patriots, Giants, Bengals
Bengals, Bears, Giants, Colts
Colts, Giants
Colts, 44
Thouse:
Patriots, Steelers, Panthers, Redskins
Patriots, Colts, Seahwks, Panthers
Colts, Panthers,
Colts, 52
Wizzah:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Sehawks, Bucs, Colts, Broncos
Colts, Seahawks
Colts, 47
AJ:
Bucs, Panthers, Steelers, Patriots
Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Broncos
Seahawks, Colts
Colts, 58
Badfish:
Bengals, patriots, bucs, giants
Colts, broncos, bears, seahawks
Broncos, seahawks
Seahawks, 45
For those keeping score at home:
11 chose the Colts as Champs
5 chose the Patriots as Champs
5 chose the Seahawks as Champs
2 chose the Bears as Champs
2 chose the Broncos as Champs
1 chose the Steelers as Champs
Now for the Fantasy Football:
22 people joined this. Not sure why there are some that joined the challenge that didn't join this, or vice versa, but to each his own.
Here's everyone:
Shark:
Week 1: Eli Manning, Rudi Johnson, Santana Moss
Tom:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Chad Johnson
Scott:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Cadillac Williams, Steve Smith
Doozer:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Willie Parker, Santana Moss
Ace:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Steve Smith
Mark:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Rudi Johnson, Plaxico Burress
Eoin:
Week 1: Ben Roethlisberger, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith
Wizzah:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Steve Smith
Rudy:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Tiki Barber, Hines Ward
Bader:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Clinton Portis, Joey Galloway
AJ:
Week 1: Chris Simms, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith
Tim eagle:
Week 1: Mark Brunell, Corey Dillon, Steve Smith
Chris (cityondown)
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Tiki Barber, Santana Moss
Bauer:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Tiki Barber, Hines Ward
Vols:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis, Steve Smith
Pat:
Week 1: Mark Brunell, Tiki Barber, Joey Galloway
Ben Hordell:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith
Weeba:
Week 1: Tom Brady, Tiki Barber, Chad Johnson
Chiefs:
Week 1: Carson Palmer, Cadillac Williams, Plaxico Burress
Thouse:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Jerome Bettis, Steve Smith
Chris (mrmoon):
Week 1: Tom Brady, Corey Dillon, Hines Ward
Scoots:
Week 1: Jake Delhomme, Willie Parker, Steve Smith
So, for those keeping score at home:
QBs:
7 people have Carson Palmer
6 people have Tom Brady
4 people have Jake Delhomme
2 people have Mark Brunell
1 person has Eli Manning
1 person has Ben Roethlisberger
1 person has Chris Simms
RBs:
7 people have Tiki Barber
5 people have Clinton Portis
3 people have Corey Dillon
2 people have Corey Dillon
2 people have Rudi Johnson
2 people have Willie Parker
1 person has Jerome Bettis
WRs:
10 people have Steve Smith
3 people have Santana Moss
3 people have Hines Ward
2 people have Chad Johnson
2 people have Joey Galloway
2 people have Plaxico Burress
There you have it. Longest entry ever! I'm exhausted, time for bed, DC in the morning!
Enjoy wildcard weekend. Don't forget starting Sunday night those of you in FF can give me your week 2 rosters.
End of the SharkeyBowl
Remember the Bowl Challenge? Yea, it wasn't as big of a hit as I would have liked, or as big of a hit as the other two thesharkey.com challenges currently are (both are looking at having over 25 contestants in each). But nonetheless, there were 10 people in it, and they deserve to know where they finished.
The final standings:
1. Scott 72
2. Doozer 71
3. Tom 70
4. Pat 68
5. Ryan 64
6. Shark 57
6. Meza 57
8. Vols 49
9. Mark 48
10. Hadgie 47
The next two days are exciting days here at the headquarters. Tomorrow night is the unveiling of the final SCS Top 15 Poll. With it comes news on next years SCS, which will be completely different, and much more accurate in the world of the Top15 (meaning, not so much Notre Dame favoritism). And on Friday morning I will put up notices on the NFL Playoff Challenge & the Playoffs Fantasy Football. You'll see who's in each, and what they picked.
Good times had by all. Congrats Longhorns, great win. USC is still better.
The final standings:
1. Scott 72
2. Doozer 71
3. Tom 70
4. Pat 68
5. Ryan 64
6. Shark 57
6. Meza 57
8. Vols 49
9. Mark 48
10. Hadgie 47
The next two days are exciting days here at the headquarters. Tomorrow night is the unveiling of the final SCS Top 15 Poll. With it comes news on next years SCS, which will be completely different, and much more accurate in the world of the Top15 (meaning, not so much Notre Dame favoritism). And on Friday morning I will put up notices on the NFL Playoff Challenge & the Playoffs Fantasy Football. You'll see who's in each, and what they picked.
Good times had by all. Congrats Longhorns, great win. USC is still better.
Monday, January 02, 2006
NFL Playoffs Fantasy Football
Quick & easy. My very own (stolen from TSN) playoffs Fantasy Football!
Each week you will choose three players (1 QB, 1 Wr, 1 Rb). Catch is, once you use a player one week, you can't use him again for the rest of the playoffs. Easy, but not as easy as it sounds.
Scoring is also very easy. Each player uses the same scoring.
Total Yards + (Total TDs x 50).
Total Yards include passing, rushing, receiving & returning.
So, for example, a player has 125 yards rushing, 35 yards receiving & 2 TDs. They just got you 260 points.
To join, just IM me your three week 1 players by Thursday night.
Each week you will choose three players (1 QB, 1 Wr, 1 Rb). Catch is, once you use a player one week, you can't use him again for the rest of the playoffs. Easy, but not as easy as it sounds.
Scoring is also very easy. Each player uses the same scoring.
Total Yards + (Total TDs x 50).
Total Yards include passing, rushing, receiving & returning.
So, for example, a player has 125 yards rushing, 35 yards receiving & 2 TDs. They just got you 260 points.
To join, just IM me your three week 1 players by Thursday night.
Thesharkey Playoff Challenge
IM or email me your picks. Due by midnight Thursday night.
Rules:
Pick the winner of all 4 first round games (TB-Wsh, NE-Jax, NYG-Car, Cin-Pit).
Then pick the winner of the 2nd round games (pitting your first round predicted winners against the 4 bye teams). Then pick the two conference champions. Then the Super Bowl winner.
Remember the two #1 seeds (Indy & Seattle) will play the lowest remaining seed in the second round.
In the NFC, the seedings are:
1. Seattle
2. Chicago
3. Tampa Bay
4. New York
5. Carolina
6. Washington
AFC:
1. Indianapolis
2. Denver
3. Cincinnati
4. New England
5. Jacksonville
6. Pittsburgh
An easy way to remember this (for those not so smart people among us) is that if Cincy wins, they play Denver, and the winner of the NE-Jax game plays Indy. If Pit wins, they play Indy, and the winner of the NE-Jax game plays Denver. Likewise in the NFC. If TB wins, they play Chicago. If Was wins, they play Seattle.
So you must get to me predictions for 11 games. Four first round winners. Four second round winners. Two conference champions. And a super bowl winner. As a tiebreaker, also give me your predicted total score of the Super Bowl (a 24-21 game is 45 points).
Scoring goes as follows:
First round: One point per game
Second round: Three points per game
Conference championships: Six points per game
Super Bowl: Ten points
Good luck, and go Giants!
Rules:
Pick the winner of all 4 first round games (TB-Wsh, NE-Jax, NYG-Car, Cin-Pit).
Then pick the winner of the 2nd round games (pitting your first round predicted winners against the 4 bye teams). Then pick the two conference champions. Then the Super Bowl winner.
Remember the two #1 seeds (Indy & Seattle) will play the lowest remaining seed in the second round.
In the NFC, the seedings are:
1. Seattle
2. Chicago
3. Tampa Bay
4. New York
5. Carolina
6. Washington
AFC:
1. Indianapolis
2. Denver
3. Cincinnati
4. New England
5. Jacksonville
6. Pittsburgh
An easy way to remember this (for those not so smart people among us) is that if Cincy wins, they play Denver, and the winner of the NE-Jax game plays Indy. If Pit wins, they play Indy, and the winner of the NE-Jax game plays Denver. Likewise in the NFC. If TB wins, they play Chicago. If Was wins, they play Seattle.
So you must get to me predictions for 11 games. Four first round winners. Four second round winners. Two conference champions. And a super bowl winner. As a tiebreaker, also give me your predicted total score of the Super Bowl (a 24-21 game is 45 points).
Scoring goes as follows:
First round: One point per game
Second round: Three points per game
Conference championships: Six points per game
Super Bowl: Ten points
Good luck, and go Giants!
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