Sunday, August 27, 2006

Nothing to say

41 - 0.  Has there ever been a worse pre-season showing.  This would be okay had it been the first or second preseason game but since the third preseason game is typically the starters longest cameo in the preseason, you expect to see something that resembles slightly what you can expect during the regular season.  Let's hope that isn't the case based on last night's performance.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Ode to Southern Football

Forwarded to me by a fellow football fan....

Subject: Football in the South

Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different from up north.
For those who are planning a football trip south, here are some helpful hints:

Women's Accessories:
NORTH: ChapStick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.
SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara,
and a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's what dates are for.

Stadium Size:
NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.
SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

Fathers:
NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath.
SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

Campus Decor:
NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.
SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

Homecoming Queen:
NORTH: Also a physics major.
SOUTH: Also Miss America.

Heroes:
NORTH: Rudy Guliani
SOUTH: Herschel Walker

Getting Tickets:
NORTH: 6 days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and purchase tickets for $25 each.
SOUTH: 6 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and put name on waiting list for tickets after paying $2500 and wait to see what seats you will get.

Friday Classes After a Thursday Night Game:
NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game, because they have classes on Friday.
SOUTH: Teachers cancel Friday classes because they don't want to see the few hungover students that might actually make it to class.

Parking:
NORTH: An hour before game time, the University opens the campus for game parking.
SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Thursday for the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Wednesday.

Game Day:
NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV.
SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over to where ESPN is broadcasting "Game Day Live" to get on camera and wave to the idiots up north who wonder why "Game Day Live" is never broadcast from their campus.

Tailgating:
NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to local radio station with truck tailgate down.
SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking accompanied by live performance by "Dave Matthews' Band," who come over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon.

Getting to the Stadium:
NORTH: You ask "Where's the stadium?" When you find it, you walk right in.
SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it becomes the state's second largest city.

Concessions:
NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup, filled to the top with soda.
SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team's mascot on it, filled less than half way with soda, to ensure enough room for bourbon.

When National Anthem is Played:
NORTH: Stands are less than half full, and less than half of them stand up.
SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

The Smell in the Air After the First Score:
NORTH: Nothing changes.
SOUTH: Fireworks, with a touch of bourbon.

Commentary (Male):
NORTH: "Nice play."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Commentary (Female):
NORTH: "My, this certainly is a violent sport."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Announcers:
NORTH: Neutral and paid.
SOUTH: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

After the Game:
NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.
SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker. While somebody goes to the nearest package store for more bourbon, planning begins for next week's game.

Nothing else in the universe comes even halfway close to the glories of Southern football!

Thursday, August 24, 2006

The Latest

The 'Skins took part in a three team trade the other night acquiring T.J. Duckett from the Falcons while sending a draft pick (3rd round I think) to the Broncos.  The Falcons received disgruntled WR Ashley Lelie.

I like the move.  Oddly, on Tuesday before the trade was announced, I told a coworker that the Redskins could use a Duckett.  Lo and behold, call me a prophet, but Duckett will get some time in the backfield against New England this weekend.  The other RB's are a bit worried, outside of Portis of course, about their roles.  I'm sure Gibbs has no intention of taking Portis, Duckett, Ladell Betts, Mike Sellers, and Rock Cartwright into the season.  Who gets traded is the million dollar question....

In other 'Skins news, Mark Brunell 'tweaked' his groin today.  He's not expected to miss significant time.  Also, Shawn Springs is looking questionable to doubtful for the opener after having abdominal surgery.

Shaq owns up . . . sort of

Shaquille O'Neal is finally maturing.
Basically, all I did with D-Wade is just have discussions. Not only that, I learned that, you know, from dealing with the first two guys, I may have made some mistakes in the way I dealt with those guys. We'll never know, but I looked at the mistakes I made with those guys and I didn't want to do it with him. Like, when I was with Penny, we were both young guys and since everybody was going to put the pressure on me, we're going to do it my way. Period. You don't like it? Forget you. The same thing when I went to L.A.

Now that I'm much older and I got a younger guy, and I see that the other two guys didn't really like the yelling and took it personal, so I never yelled at D-Wade. And it probably was the best move I ever made, because he's the first other superstar where we're best friends. The other two, we never hung out. We never talked. We just never did anything ... ever.

Read the interview in it's entirety here.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Another Stress Hurdle Leapt

Last Tuesday, as in not yesterday, we had the AFP4 ( I think that's what it's called) screening done which tests for down's syndrome and other health issues.  The test back yesterday and 'twas negative.  It's a relief.

People keep asking what gender I want but I truly want a healthy child first which in a way sounds selfish.  The child will be a blessing regardless.  If I had my pick I would have a boy and then have our next child be a girl.

I've started talking to my wife's stomach so the baby can get used to my voice.   I don't have much to say yet, things like 'your favorite teams are the Lakers, Hokies, Redskins, and IU basketball.  I sang it one of my blues songs as well...

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Venting

I don't know if it's me. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive. Maybe I'm seeing things from a one-sided perspective. But right now, everything is my fault. No matter that what I was doing was to be a favor. No matter that I simply forgot as I entertained family. Doesn't matter, it's my fault. You run out of bus passes, my fault. The cable installation doesn't activate an inactive line, my fault. The wood floors getting warped at the front door and the builders haven't returned my eighth call, my fault.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Preseason Underway

Not the best start for the 'Skins last night.  Not a panic button situation but definitely not the way we envisioned starting the 2006-2007 campaign.  Clinton Portis separated his shoulder as injuries were the norm for the 'Skins last night.
The new offensive scheme didn't look too bad...if you extract Todd Collins from the equation.  Todd's first pass? An interception.  This occurred while the commentators were commenting on how long he's been in the league and how little he has played while being in the league.  That pass, among other future mistakes, revealed exactly why his playing time is what it has been.  And you know if the interception had been downfield, or off a tipped ball, then I can overlook it.  Hey, it happens sometimes.  But the screen pass, the least intercepted pass of all passes I would imagine, never crossed the line of scrimmage.  In fact, by the time the running back had turned around to catch the pass, it had already been intercepted.

That was followed up by mistake numero dos:  intentional grounding in the end zone.  The coup de grace on this one is the 'throw away' actually bounced off an opposing player that was in the end zone.  That would be two passes 'thrown away' behind the line that only the defense could catch.

Lastly, before my attention was dispersed among my surroundings, we have a third and 1.  Given his performance so far, it's best to let Todd just hand the ball away and step out of it.  Ooops!  He trips over his own two feet pulling back from the center.  On the ground he does a fake pitch and just takes the loss.....

In good news, Jason Campbell looked pretty good.  I'm not going to be like those Falcon Fans/Vick haters saying put Matt Schaub in even though a majority of his success has been against 2nd stringers.  But I do want to see more of him.  And I want to see him as the 2nd stringer next week.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Proud Owner of XBox 360

Ok, ok, I'll admit it.  I broke down.  I talked a lot of trash to a lot of folks and now I've got to eat my words.

When the Xbox 360 came out, I formally denounced it.  'Nay I say to that monstrosity from Microsoft!'  After all, I was a loyal Playstation fan.  Nothing could change that. Playstation took me in after being orphaned by my Dreamcast and treated me as one of it's own!  The Playstation traveled with me and was none the worse for wear.   Through the ridiculously inhumane winters of Boston, to the sultry summer in Winston-Salem, like the Jackson 5, the Playstation was there!

Then it happened.  Exposure.  July 4th.  Charleston, South Carolina.  We're visiting old friends.  We arrive at their nice home and after a few minutes I notice a gaming console.  Unknown to me yet strangely familiar.  'Is that an Xbox . . . 360?', I inquire of the lady of the house.  Positivitory!  That's not what she said but that is beer influenced vocabulary.  Not really a long story short, I played that 360 for a good 60% of our waking hours in Charleston.  I was hooked.

Fast forward to August 10th, 2006.  I had told Mrs. Xpinionated that once I found a job, my congratulatory gift to myself would be the purchase of an XBox 360 and associated game and hardware.  I received an offer of employment yesterday that I have every intention of accepting.  On my way home, I called my wife to explain to her that I was getting close to an exit that provided access to a Best Buy.  I wasn't asking permission per-se, I was just informing her of possible decision making processes occurring.  In any case, my call went to her voice-mail....red team go, I repeat, red team go!!

As I'm perusing the merchandise, my cellular alerts me to communication efforts from my spouse.

"Are you still in the store", she asks.

"Uh, yeah.  How are you?", I counter smoothly.

"Are you buying it?", she inquires.

"Um, er.....yeah man I'm gonna get it" I say breaking down.

"Fine, whatever, just pay for it with your severance!  And if you get that then we have to get an entertainment center!" she demands.  Somehow, when I get something she gets something.  However, when she gets something....it's a toss up.

All this is to say I love this damn thing.  PS3...taking entirely too long to hit the market and I have been promptly scared off by the price of it.  This isn't to say the price of the 360 wasn't daunting but what Sony is estimating is ridiculous.   The graphics on the 360 are breathtaking, the operating system and Xbox Live are more than entertaining in their own right.  I'm still working on the streaming media part but overall I'm impressed..

Ohh, the wife is done playing gotta go!!!

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Surprise!

Guess who is going to be missing a game due to injury??  Former Redskins bench bouncer Lavar Arrington.  Mr. Overrated has had limited work due to a sore knee and now will miss the Giants preseason opener.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news Giants fans...okay it doesn't really bother me that much.  But don't be surprised if this becomes a common thread with your new found 'answer'.  I know the media refers to him as three-time pro bowler but those days are long behind him.....get used to referring to him as 'recently off the disabled list' or 'suiting up for the first time in n weeks'.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Disciplinary Irony

The Bengals have unveiled a hotline for fans to report bad fan behavior during games.  This from the team that has had 5 players accused of breaking the law in the past five months....perhaps the line should be for fans to report players behaving badly....

Monday, August 07, 2006

Life can be simple

Sometimes amid the hustle and bustle of life, you have one of those days where simplicity smiles on you.  Things don't necessarily go right or wrong, they just go and you're no better or worse off than when you woke up.  And sometimes that's the best....

Good friends, funny conversation, and getting to know just an inkling more about folks can make your day.  With Mrs. Xpinionated busting her arse in New York, I spent the evening at my local watering hole, as you faithful readers know I sometimes tend to do.  Saw some folks I hadn't seen in a while and others that will be moving on shortly to the next phase of their life.  This combination of life's transitions made me feel good.  Kinda like realizing that no matter what life will go on in it's own little way.

Two friends of mine who waitress at my watering hole worked their last shift.   It was  bittersweet because they have really grown on me but at the same time I'm very proud of them.  They renew my faith in life about truly good people.  On the flip side, I saw someone who used to work at my local watering hole (I really like that 'watering hole' phrase especially since no one seems to drink water at their watering hole).  She had been through some rough circumstances but it hadn't, or at least didn't appear to, change her personality.  She was just as sweet as she was the last time I saw her.  O dear readers, that is what life is about.  Being who you are regardless of the hurdles and roadblocks.  Taking what life throws at you, catching it, and running for the first down (yeah, I'm so ready for football season).

But I feel as if I'm rambling without spitting true knowledge....so I guess what I'm trying to say is friends are hard to come by and you'll know true friends when they've left and come back yet the absence hasn't changed your friendship.  I understand that sometimes friends grow apart but true friends just grow together.....

Scout.com Report

Last week, Scout.com told you that big things could be happening for the Virginia Tech Hokies after the commitment of Hampton quarterback Tyrod Taylor and it looks like that has come to fruition. The Hokies have garnered nine verbal pledges in a span of six days, since Taylor started the ball rolling.

Offensive lineman Greg Nosal, 6-7, 255 pounds from Floyd Kellam High in Virginia Beach, Va
Defensive end Justin Young, 6-4 253 pounds from Northwest High in Germantown, Md.





 
Tyrod Taylor


Safety Davon Morgan, 6-0, 186 pounds from Varina High in Richmond, Va.
Offensive lineman Kyle Nunn, 6-6, 280 pounds from Sumter, S.C.
Offensive lineman Jaymes Brooks, 6-3, 296 pounds, from Denbigh High in Newport News, Va.
Tight end Rhett Ellison, 6-5, 225 pounds from St. Francis High in Mountain View, Calif.
Safety Alonzo Tweedy, 6-1, 180 pounds from Heritage High in Richmond, Va.
Offensive lineman Khalil Latif, 6-2, 276 pounds from Manchester High in Midlothian, Va.
Defensive tackle Courtney Prince, 6-2, 265 pounds

All followed the lead of the five-star prospect Taylor and issued verbal pledges to Frank Beamer and his Hokie staff.

Saturday Night

Saturday night I spent massaging my wife's feet and painting her toes.  Oddly enough, I kind of enjoyed it....probably shouldn't let her know that but it's true.

I think she's starting to show a little bit now.  We will be 17 weeks tomorrow.  Some days I don't think it's set in to me yet that I'll be a father.  Other days, it scares the living feces out of me.  I don't know how we're going to afford a baby.  I don't know how to take care of a baby.  Do they come with instructions?  Day care alone will run us $600 a month.  I don't recall us ever having an extra $600 bucks at the end of the month.  Not to mention diapers, baby food, wetnaps, and whatever else we'll be needing.  I think we are going to have to make some pretty severe changes to our lifestyle now.  I think we will need to start doing that now.

With all that said, I am excited about the baby though I probably don't share enough of that excitement with Mrs. Xpinionated.  I don't know why I don't express it.  Like I said, I think I'm worrying about all that could go wrong and it's kind of taking it's toll on the excitement.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

And then there was 1

Devean George has left the Los Angeles Lakers leaving Kobe Bryant the lone player from the championship years.  Good luck to Devean, except when he's playing against the Lakers.

The magic of NBA scheduling has the Lakers starting their 06/07 campaign against the same team that ended their 05/06 campaign -- the 'officially hated' Phoenix Suns.  I officially hate them only because of Raja 'Just another Bitch' Bell.  The other players, though they were a thorn during the Lakers collapse (and let's not fool ourselves, that was much more a Lakers collapse than a Phoenix comeback), are not as annoying, overrated, or simply intolerable as Bell.

Also, got another Christmas game against the Heat on Christmas once again taking my holiday joy and turning into a nervously competitve wreck.  Now I'll be yelling and carrying on Christmas evening instead of relaxing with an esophagus-burning, yet soothing eggnog.