The Rainmen have started their season at 3-1, with the one loss happening last Sunday. All of the games have been close, with single digit differences in the final scores each time. The Rainmen's loss to Montreal was a direct result of Eric Crookshank, one of the Rainmen's leading players, being benched for about half the game.
On Monday, the Metro newspaper reported what seemed to be a disagreement between Coach Rick Lewis and Crookshank. It is hard to believe the team would want to air out its dirty laundry in public. Anyway, it seemed like a blip until today, when the same paper reported that Eric Crookshank is now suspended for the season, with pay! What?!?
Oh man. What a PR nightmare the Crookshank suspension will be. He is the face of the team, he is announced at the games as “Halifax’s own”, and he is a personable guy to boot.
If #20 isn’t on the court, expect new fans of this season to stay home in droves, especially kids.
Without Crookshank, I can see the Rainmen repeating last year’s record of 0.375, especially since Brian Silverhorn, the Rainmen's outside shooter, is out with a bad knee. Ugh.
Why do I feel like a Chicago Cubs fan all of a sudden?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Patriots 2008 Season Post-Mortem
Going 11-5 and not making the playoffs because of Brett Favre makes me ill. Long story short, the Pats did very well this year and could have won the division, if Favre and the Jets had beaten the Dolphins in the final week of the season, but Favre's 38-year-old arm was not up to the task. Matt Cassell ensured his multi-millionaire status with a near Brady-esque performance all season. The Pats are likely to put the franchise tag on him to make sure either a) they can keep him if Brady's off-season rehab doesn't go as well as expected, or b) they can actually get something for him if another team wants Cassell bad enough.
Injuries made it an uphill battle this year for the Pats, even after the devastating first-quarter-of-first-game end of the season for QB Tom Brady. Other notable injuries during the season included Rodney Harrison and Adalius Thomas on defence and Laurence Maroney on offence, although the backfield was plenty full with Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, and LaMont Jordan sharing the ground attack duties. Even Junior Seau came out of retirement, along with late-season replacement (and former Patriot) Roosevelt Colvin, to fill out the defence. Speaking of defence, rookie Jerod Mayo won the Defensive Rookie of the Year honours. Mayo was a bright spot on an ageing defence, that needs new life next year if they are going to keep up with opponents' offensive lines.
My man Wes Welker -- one of two Patriots who were selected for the 2009 Pro Bowl, along with kicker Stephen Gostkowski -- almost broke his receptions record from last year, falling short (no pun intended) by only one catch. If not for the 2008 Snow Bowl against Arizona and the Wind Bowl against the Bills, he certainly would have broken the Patriots receptions record that he set last season.
Speaking of weather, Bill Belichick weathered the critics who believed his success was due to Brady's greatness. True, Belichick has enjoyed coaching in the Brady era, including being named the NFL Coach of the Year for last season's 16-0 record, but I think this year showed that Bill has improved since his time with the Cleveland Browns, when his team went 36-44 over 5 seasons, with only one winning season in that period. In his 9 years at New England, Belichick has a record of 102-42, or 0.708 winning record, with a post-season record of 14-3, or 0.824, including 3 Super Bowl championships. His 11-5 record this season is 0.688, or just below his average with the Pats. Although there is talk of some of his coaching staff leaving for other opportunities, Belichick will withstand these changes and will continue to prove that he is one of the best coaches in NFL history.
It will be difficult to watch the playoffs without the Patriots, but it is still football and every game is a must-win, so it should make for some exciting games.
Injuries made it an uphill battle this year for the Pats, even after the devastating first-quarter-of-first-game end of the season for QB Tom Brady. Other notable injuries during the season included Rodney Harrison and Adalius Thomas on defence and Laurence Maroney on offence, although the backfield was plenty full with Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, and LaMont Jordan sharing the ground attack duties. Even Junior Seau came out of retirement, along with late-season replacement (and former Patriot) Roosevelt Colvin, to fill out the defence. Speaking of defence, rookie Jerod Mayo won the Defensive Rookie of the Year honours. Mayo was a bright spot on an ageing defence, that needs new life next year if they are going to keep up with opponents' offensive lines.
My man Wes Welker -- one of two Patriots who were selected for the 2009 Pro Bowl, along with kicker Stephen Gostkowski -- almost broke his receptions record from last year, falling short (no pun intended) by only one catch. If not for the 2008 Snow Bowl against Arizona and the Wind Bowl against the Bills, he certainly would have broken the Patriots receptions record that he set last season.
Speaking of weather, Bill Belichick weathered the critics who believed his success was due to Brady's greatness. True, Belichick has enjoyed coaching in the Brady era, including being named the NFL Coach of the Year for last season's 16-0 record, but I think this year showed that Bill has improved since his time with the Cleveland Browns, when his team went 36-44 over 5 seasons, with only one winning season in that period. In his 9 years at New England, Belichick has a record of 102-42, or 0.708 winning record, with a post-season record of 14-3, or 0.824, including 3 Super Bowl championships. His 11-5 record this season is 0.688, or just below his average with the Pats. Although there is talk of some of his coaching staff leaving for other opportunities, Belichick will withstand these changes and will continue to prove that he is one of the best coaches in NFL history.
It will be difficult to watch the playoffs without the Patriots, but it is still football and every game is a must-win, so it should make for some exciting games.
Rainmen beat Kebs in Home Opener, 124-112
It’s good to see the Rainmen dominate Quebec, who had our number last season. The fact that we beat the Kebs in almost every area of the game augers well for the coming year.
The PBL box score is fantastic! I liked the play-by-play and the stats on turnover, second chance and bench points. So that’s what a real league is like…
Good chemistry between most of the Rainmen, it seems like some of them are actually friends. Having a double-digit lead for much of the game also helps boost team spirit.
Eric: the most obvious game changer and team leader. When Coach put Eric back on to re-capture the energy on the floor, the game changed back to the Rainmen’s favour. After the game, Eric announced that they want to bring a championship to Halifax. I think they might do just that!
Rob Sanders/”Shoulders”: just about knocked a guy out driving to the net; once he lowers that shoulder, count on him scoring.
Jimmy: the most consistent point guard we have, who also happened to score 15 points.
Dandridge: not his best game, hopefully he gets back to his former three-point draining self for Sunday.
Silverhorn: was not in his usual shooter position, but mixed it up under the net and scored from the FT line. With Dandridge as an alternate shooter, I thought this role went alright for Brian.
SirVal: OK, maybe he isn’t the second-highest scoring athlete in NCAA anymore, but I was impressed with his athleticism, in particular the grab he made of a pass that was behind him as he crossed the floor. Let’s give him some space and see how he performs before we write him off.
Hammack: up and down game for him, impressive at times but 2 flubbed passes took the air out of our sails for a bit.
Cordell “Ce n’est pas” Jeanty: like Dandridge, seemed a bit off for this game.
David Bailey: probably going to be the player to be voted Most Like KD. He makes things happen, but isn’t the superstar. Also, he is a nice guy in person.
McNeal: who knew our 7-footer could sink the long shot? However, would like to see him mix it up more around the net and use his size to back other guys off.
Ramey and Mayes: didn’t see enough of them to make an impression, sorry.
Coaching: Certainly improved from last year. Subbed in the bench when we had the game in hand but were not afraid to replace them with starters to ensure the win.
Quebec Coach: Apparently selling Benz’s didn’t work out, he was sporting a Honda shirt. The Fit is Go! hahahaha
P.S. the Quebec assistant coach looked like an extra from the Godfather movies; nice tie, buddy!
Officials: Will the officials ever give a technical for coaches being on the court will play is on? Sure doesn’t seem like they will.
Production: At half-time, the electrical cord that rose to the rafters in front of my seat was moved, thank you to whoever made that happen in my absence.
Seemed like everyone was still feeling their way, production-wise and the Weather Girls (only one veteran from last year) were pretty disappointing. They need to either be a presence or be disbanded. Why are they not shaking their pompoms under the net when the opponents are shooting? I still think they should be leading some cheers and otherwise engaging with the audience, rather than simply walking in a group everywhere like the popular girls in high school.
There were 19 people sitting at the courtside tables (PR, game officials, media types), versus about half that number last year. It looked like they were having an economic summit to try and solve the credit crisis, or something. Just seemed like a lot of people.
Paul Palmeter is no Mavs Gillis.
The PBL box score is fantastic! I liked the play-by-play and the stats on turnover, second chance and bench points. So that’s what a real league is like…
Good chemistry between most of the Rainmen, it seems like some of them are actually friends. Having a double-digit lead for much of the game also helps boost team spirit.
Eric: the most obvious game changer and team leader. When Coach put Eric back on to re-capture the energy on the floor, the game changed back to the Rainmen’s favour. After the game, Eric announced that they want to bring a championship to Halifax. I think they might do just that!
Rob Sanders/”Shoulders”: just about knocked a guy out driving to the net; once he lowers that shoulder, count on him scoring.
Jimmy: the most consistent point guard we have, who also happened to score 15 points.
Dandridge: not his best game, hopefully he gets back to his former three-point draining self for Sunday.
Silverhorn: was not in his usual shooter position, but mixed it up under the net and scored from the FT line. With Dandridge as an alternate shooter, I thought this role went alright for Brian.
SirVal: OK, maybe he isn’t the second-highest scoring athlete in NCAA anymore, but I was impressed with his athleticism, in particular the grab he made of a pass that was behind him as he crossed the floor. Let’s give him some space and see how he performs before we write him off.
Hammack: up and down game for him, impressive at times but 2 flubbed passes took the air out of our sails for a bit.
Cordell “Ce n’est pas” Jeanty: like Dandridge, seemed a bit off for this game.
David Bailey: probably going to be the player to be voted Most Like KD. He makes things happen, but isn’t the superstar. Also, he is a nice guy in person.
McNeal: who knew our 7-footer could sink the long shot? However, would like to see him mix it up more around the net and use his size to back other guys off.
Ramey and Mayes: didn’t see enough of them to make an impression, sorry.
Coaching: Certainly improved from last year. Subbed in the bench when we had the game in hand but were not afraid to replace them with starters to ensure the win.
Quebec Coach: Apparently selling Benz’s didn’t work out, he was sporting a Honda shirt. The Fit is Go! hahahaha
P.S. the Quebec assistant coach looked like an extra from the Godfather movies; nice tie, buddy!
Officials: Will the officials ever give a technical for coaches being on the court will play is on? Sure doesn’t seem like they will.
Production: At half-time, the electrical cord that rose to the rafters in front of my seat was moved, thank you to whoever made that happen in my absence.
Seemed like everyone was still feeling their way, production-wise and the Weather Girls (only one veteran from last year) were pretty disappointing. They need to either be a presence or be disbanded. Why are they not shaking their pompoms under the net when the opponents are shooting? I still think they should be leading some cheers and otherwise engaging with the audience, rather than simply walking in a group everywhere like the popular girls in high school.
There were 19 people sitting at the courtside tables (PR, game officials, media types), versus about half that number last year. It looked like they were having an economic summit to try and solve the credit crisis, or something. Just seemed like a lot of people.
Paul Palmeter is no Mavs Gillis.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Barack Obama makes history
Last night at 1:15 AM Atlantic Standard Time is one of those times of my life that I will probably remember for a long time, one of those "Where were you when it happened?" moments. That was the time of Barack Obama's speech in front of hundreds of thousands of people in Chicago.
Obama became the first black man to be elected president of the United States. I think this really marks a turning point in US history, given that nation's record of slavery and systemic racism against minorities.
Obama's victory makes the old adage that "anyone can become President" ring truer than ever. I think Obama's status as a black man who was not descended from people who were taken in the slave trade made it possible for him to ascend to America's highest office. He was not a direct product of colonial slavery even though he has lived with its after-effects his whole life.
My greatest fear of this election before last night was that the "shadowy men" who have run the US for the past 8 years would somehow rig this election as they have the last two, with voter fraud in 2000 and blatant fear-mongering in 2004. What last night's assembly in Chicago showed me and the rest of the world was that Obama's message resonates with Americans and his quest for the White House would not be denied.
As most people probably feel this morning, I am hopeful for the next 4 years. With Democrats in control of the executive and legislative branches of the government, they can make real progress toward repairing the debauchery of Bush Jr.'s reign.
Obama became the first black man to be elected president of the United States. I think this really marks a turning point in US history, given that nation's record of slavery and systemic racism against minorities.
Obama's victory makes the old adage that "anyone can become President" ring truer than ever. I think Obama's status as a black man who was not descended from people who were taken in the slave trade made it possible for him to ascend to America's highest office. He was not a direct product of colonial slavery even though he has lived with its after-effects his whole life.
My greatest fear of this election before last night was that the "shadowy men" who have run the US for the past 8 years would somehow rig this election as they have the last two, with voter fraud in 2000 and blatant fear-mongering in 2004. What last night's assembly in Chicago showed me and the rest of the world was that Obama's message resonates with Americans and his quest for the White House would not be denied.
As most people probably feel this morning, I am hopeful for the next 4 years. With Democrats in control of the executive and legislative branches of the government, they can make real progress toward repairing the debauchery of Bush Jr.'s reign.
Monday, November 3, 2008
From Jon Hamm's appearance on SNL
Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women
• Step 1:
When in doubt, remain absolutely silent.
• Step 2:
When asked about your past, give vague, open ended answers.
• Step 3:
Have a great name.
• Step 4:
Look fantastic in a suit.
Look fantastic in casual wear.
Look fantastic in anything.
Sound good.
Smell good.
Kiss good.
Strut around with supreme confidence.
Be uncannily successful at your job.
Blow people away everytime you say anything.
Take six hour lunches.
Disappear for weeks at a time.
Lie to everyone about everything.
Drink and smoke constantly.
…basically, be Don Draper.
Mad Men is the best show on TV. If you haven't seen it yet, try to catch up. Season 2 just ended. Unfortunately, we will probably have to wait until next summer for Season 3.
• Step 1:
When in doubt, remain absolutely silent.
• Step 2:
When asked about your past, give vague, open ended answers.
• Step 3:
Have a great name.
• Step 4:
Look fantastic in a suit.
Look fantastic in casual wear.
Look fantastic in anything.
Sound good.
Smell good.
Kiss good.
Strut around with supreme confidence.
Be uncannily successful at your job.
Blow people away everytime you say anything.
Take six hour lunches.
Disappear for weeks at a time.
Lie to everyone about everything.
Drink and smoke constantly.
…basically, be Don Draper.
Mad Men is the best show on TV. If you haven't seen it yet, try to catch up. Season 2 just ended. Unfortunately, we will probably have to wait until next summer for Season 3.
Monday, September 8, 2008
2008 NFL Season is over
for the Patriots, unless they can hire a new QB, pronto. Tom Brady's knee injury in the first quarter of yesterday's season opener was the latest in a string of injuries to key players (Giants' Osi Umenyiora, Colts' Jeff Saturday, maybe Titans' Vince Young, and just a matter of time for Chargers' Shawne Merriman), that will put this season's NFL predictions on the garbage heap, along with recently-retired Daunte Culpepper.
Culpepper's retirement letter made me think that he is gunning for the NFLPA's Executive Director's job, recently vacated by Gene Upshaw's death. Culpepper represented himself for the past two years, with pitiful results. Even though Culpepper said in his letter that representing himself was "an invaluable experience", I think it was more of a de-valuing experience. Culpepper's stock went down big-time after his 2005 knee injury. It should be mentioned that Culpepper was a go-big-or-go-home QB, with tremendous stats and athletic ability but also 94 interceptions and an amazing 93 fumbles in 92 career games. That, plus his recurring knee problem as well as his decision-making problems (interceptions and he ended his 2007 season with a hamstring injury that he incurred after challenging a teammate to a footrace during a practice midway through the season), have finished his career in the NFL.
Enough about Culpepper. Brady's absence on the field will be huge, galactic even. The pros and amateur pundits alike were thinking the Pats would go all the way this year, not 19-0 mind you, but that they would win it all in February. And why not? Almost all of their best players are back again this year, and the Kirk-Spock duo of Brady and Moss would tally another couple dozen TD's on their way to dominating the AFC East and their conference before beating whatever team the NFC could throw at them (let's say the Cowboys).
Pending Brady's MRI results, all the speculation of what could have been is blowin' in the wind. If Brady is out for the season, our predicted 13-3 season will be 10-6 at best and maybe worse than that. Brett Favre may actually bring the Jets to within striking distance of the division title, if the Bills don't have anything to say about it. As for the Dolphins, even with Pennington at QB and Parcells running the show, they are still last year's Dolphins. 'Nuff said about the Fish.
While Matt Cassel had the game of his (second-banana) career and proved himself competent enough to hold off the Chiefs, his success said more for the supporting cast than for his own ability. His bomb to Randy Moss from inside his own end zone was a good play, but watch the tape and you will see Moss slow down for at least 10 yards to make the catch. Ditto for the TD pass to Moss at the back of the Chiefs' end zone. Anyone but the 6'4" Moss with his golden hands would not have been able to pull down that pass to score.
The next scoring drive showed that Sammy Morris still has what it takes and that Laurence Maroney is one of the best jukers out there. I was surprised that Maroney's normally-effective straight arm, even applied twice to the Chiefs' Safety Jarrad Page, failed to get him to the end zone.
The defensive stand at the end of the game, when Belichick actually called plays from the sideline to save the game showed that Bill is not just a pretty face.
Moss, Maroney, and Morris, along with Wes Welker and the aging defensive and offensive lines, will have to step up enormously to salvage the Pats' season, especially with such a big question mark in the QB spot.
Culpepper's retirement letter made me think that he is gunning for the NFLPA's Executive Director's job, recently vacated by Gene Upshaw's death. Culpepper represented himself for the past two years, with pitiful results. Even though Culpepper said in his letter that representing himself was "an invaluable experience", I think it was more of a de-valuing experience. Culpepper's stock went down big-time after his 2005 knee injury. It should be mentioned that Culpepper was a go-big-or-go-home QB, with tremendous stats and athletic ability but also 94 interceptions and an amazing 93 fumbles in 92 career games. That, plus his recurring knee problem as well as his decision-making problems (interceptions and he ended his 2007 season with a hamstring injury that he incurred after challenging a teammate to a footrace during a practice midway through the season), have finished his career in the NFL.
Enough about Culpepper. Brady's absence on the field will be huge, galactic even. The pros and amateur pundits alike were thinking the Pats would go all the way this year, not 19-0 mind you, but that they would win it all in February. And why not? Almost all of their best players are back again this year, and the Kirk-Spock duo of Brady and Moss would tally another couple dozen TD's on their way to dominating the AFC East and their conference before beating whatever team the NFC could throw at them (let's say the Cowboys).
Pending Brady's MRI results, all the speculation of what could have been is blowin' in the wind. If Brady is out for the season, our predicted 13-3 season will be 10-6 at best and maybe worse than that. Brett Favre may actually bring the Jets to within striking distance of the division title, if the Bills don't have anything to say about it. As for the Dolphins, even with Pennington at QB and Parcells running the show, they are still last year's Dolphins. 'Nuff said about the Fish.
While Matt Cassel had the game of his (second-banana) career and proved himself competent enough to hold off the Chiefs, his success said more for the supporting cast than for his own ability. His bomb to Randy Moss from inside his own end zone was a good play, but watch the tape and you will see Moss slow down for at least 10 yards to make the catch. Ditto for the TD pass to Moss at the back of the Chiefs' end zone. Anyone but the 6'4" Moss with his golden hands would not have been able to pull down that pass to score.
The next scoring drive showed that Sammy Morris still has what it takes and that Laurence Maroney is one of the best jukers out there. I was surprised that Maroney's normally-effective straight arm, even applied twice to the Chiefs' Safety Jarrad Page, failed to get him to the end zone.
The defensive stand at the end of the game, when Belichick actually called plays from the sideline to save the game showed that Bill is not just a pretty face.
Moss, Maroney, and Morris, along with Wes Welker and the aging defensive and offensive lines, will have to step up enormously to salvage the Pats' season, especially with such a big question mark in the QB spot.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Doctor Hot Tub
So I was sitting at the Mic Mac Bar & Grill with my friend Dave, relaxing after working on the house that I am renovating. Dave was telling me about this recent experience when he was sitting in a hot tub in Calgary. Two young women get into the hot tub and one starts complaining about her boyfriend. After a while, Dave offers some advice. The women thank him, and then a married woman gets into the hot tub (how big is this thing, anyway?). She gives the young woman the same advice as Dave did. I thought this would be a great idea for a show, "Doctor Hot Tub", like Dr. Phil, but in a hot tub. I am publishing this now, in case someone else wants to take this idea. You read it here first!
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