The Juggernaut
Made the plunge and decided to get a REAL softball bat, the Demarini Juggernaut. I bought it from Kelly's Ultimate Sports. Maybe this is what our team has been missing! The reality is we've been hitting with some sub-par aluminum bats for years now. Our team is not comprised of home run hitters however we have guy that have the potential to do so. The coed league we are about to play in this summer only allows 1 home run per game. The bat is balanced as opposed to end loaded so it should be good for solid hitting no matter if it a homer or not. We shall find out soon enough if this bat makes a difference in our offense this season!
No, I don't have a problem
... with gambling. OK so maybe I do, but it is on the penny scale. Centsports.com is an awesome website that lets you gamble for free starting with dime. You can get real money at it if you are good enough. However I think it lets anyone who is tempted to gamble with large amounts of money that it is SOOOO easy to lose it all. At least with centsports, you have the safety net of it not being your money to catch you!
Its been a while
Hey look at that I uploaded some new (sort of) photos!
The Gratuitous Top 10 of '08
I will stress that these are MY favorites movies of the year not necessarily the best movies of the year. The "Oscar Buzz" movies have generally not come into theaters yet this year so my opinions may change as I am able to see some of those movies. I now present to you my gratuitous Top 10 Movies of 2008:

1. The Dark Knight

A beautifully complex screenplay that included rich characters, intense action scenes, and themes about the human condition. Does that sound like a comic book movie? Nope, but thats how good the Dark Knight is. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was disturbing and brilliant to say the least. In fact, the Joker and Harvey Dent (Two Face) were so central to the story that Batman felt like a third wheel, but that only made the movie that much greater!

2. WALL-E

The cinematography was the best I have ever seen for an animated movie. It was poignant, emotional, and hilarious all rolled into one. The lack of dialog did not detract from the film at all. The characters actions conveyed all the communication necessary to create this great movie!

3. Iron Man

Iron Man is simply one of the best comic book movies I've ever seen. I walked into the theater extremely pumped up about this movie and I walked out still extremely pumped up! Robert Downey Jr. is a great actor, but now he is a star.

4. Kung Fu Panda

The action sequences alone are worth the price of admission. Jack Black, in a toned-down role, was the perfect sarcastic voice for Po the Panda. Dreamworks took two steps closer to Pixar's story telling ability.

5. In Bruges

The scenery of Bruges was beautiful even if Colin Farrel complained about it the entier movie. This movie is a lot more complex and dark that you might think at first glance. You get a glimpse into the mind of Hitmen with a conscience.

6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

At its core, this is a love story that spans an entire life, but blossoms in the middle of both lives of the two main characters. I've seen the characters, especially Benjamin, called "cold and distant", but I think that makes the audience empathize with Benjamin in his unique, limited, and somewhat bleak future. A visually beautiful movie that will get lots of attention during awards season if for nothing else, its great special effect work.

7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Heartfelt, awkward, and hilarious! It also includes some a great puppet Dracula music number. The movie is bookended by some suprising nudity (of the male persuasion) so be warned.

8. Quantum of Solace

No, it is not as good as Casino Royale. Yes, it is the perfect compliment to Casino Royale. The previous movie was lacking in action which is something QoS will never be accused of. I had fun watching bullets, cars, and people fly by the screen while Daniel Craig continues to be the best Bond ever.

9. Son of Rambow

A charming british tale about two boys who become friends when they bond over making their own version of Rambo. Plain and simple, the movie made me smile. The kid actors were cast to perfection. They had so much charisma and emotion that made this movie great.

10. Role Models

In the Apatow mold, this movie finally lets Paul Rudd carry a movie. I think he did well. The sarcasm and crudeness were blended perfectly so that the movie still has some heart left to it. The heavy dose of KISS music doesn't hurt either.
Just Missed (Honorable Mention): Get Smart, Tropic Thunder, Traitor, Bolt, Definitely,Maybe
Yet To See: Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, Gran Torino, Frost/Nixon, Che, Blindness, The Wackness, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Synecdoche New York, Milk, Revolutionary Road, Happy-Go-Lucky
2008 Resolution #1
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Brett Is A Jet
At this moment, it's hard for me to find the right words to convey my feelings about Brett Favre being a New York Jet or rather NOT a Green Bay Packer. I became a Packer fan growing up because of Brett Favre. My grandfather, who grew up and currently resides in Mississippi, always reminded us that Brett's a Mississippi boy. When he retired, I teared up a bit. It was an emotional speech he gave. When he unretired, I was a little confused. When Brett and the Packers management battled publicly, I just couldn't watch. I didn't want Brett to come back to another team. I didn't want to hate Brett Favre. I want to be a Packers fan, but Brett and the Packers have always been synonymous....until now. Now I have to stare at the picture above (that's the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg on the left) and try not to puke. These are the trials and tribulations of being a Packers fan nowadays.
Watchmen Trailer
As a fan of the book, I geeked out quite a bit when I first saw this trailer online then the next 15 times I watched it online, then the next two times I saw it in front of the Dark Knight. Enjoy!!


Atlanta Hawks Takeover: The Prologue
All of us sports nerds long to run our favorite franchises at some point in our lives. It is the reason why video games have expanded waaaay beyond gameplay and let you run your own team with authority! You get to wear the Owner, General Manager, and Coach hats. What fun!!! I have always wanted to take this one step further and do some deep research into just why a bad team reached its current level of disaster. I now present you with the breakdown of the Atlanta Hawks and their painfully slow rise to mediocrity.

The History

From the 1992-1993 Season until the 1998-1999 Season, the Hawks made 7 consecutive playoff appearances. In the previous 51 years of the franchises' existence dating back to 1949, the Hawks had 36 number of playoff appearances. This includes years spent in Moline, Illinois, as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (2), in Milwaukee (4), in St. Louis (13) and in Atlanta (32). After moving to Atlanta, playoffs were enjoyed 23 out of the 32 seasons or 72% of the time! Of course after the 1998-1999 season, the Hawks have suffered through an 8 year playoff drought (until they squeaked in this year, but that shouldn't really count). So what went wrong? Why the sudden fall from grace?
The current ownership took over in 2004. The first personnel move made was to hire the current coach in Mike Woodson who matter-of-factly steered the team into an iceberg of a 13-69 record. Ouch that hurts! But lets move back farther. Not much changed for the 4 years after Time Warner bought/inherited the Hawks in 1996. Lenny Wilkens still led a talented team to the playoffs 4 consecutive times from this point. Stupid personnel moves soon followed before the 99-00 season: Steve Smith was traded for Isaiah Rider and Jim Jackson and 2 first round draft picks were traded for the perennial bust Lorenzen Wright. The franchise was doomed the next year to a 28-54 record which led to Lenny leaving after the season. So we have reached my starting point for this rebuilding of the once might and proud Atlanta Hawks.

The Starting Point

The takeover will begin at the turn of the century: the 1999-2000 Season. My primary goal will be to build from the draft. Trades will be wiped from the public's memory. Bonehead draft choices will NOT be made here! My first act as Owner/GM/Coach is back out of the Lorenzen Wright trade and get back my premium drafts picks! Year One will follow shortly.
Disclaimer: Of course I can make the better decisions with the help of knowing what the future holds for these players. The outcome of this reconstruction is show what COULD have been had the right choices been made.
References:
Spurs Win Game 1
If there is one thing that most people know about me, it is that I am passionate about my sports. I have a favorite team in nearly every sport.
  • College Football - Auburn Tigers.
  • NFL - Green Bay Packers
  • NBA - San Antonio Spurs
So the NBA Playoffs started today. The Spurs - Suns matchup tipped off at 2:00pm CST. Well it certainly didn't dissappoint. However, ABC's audio feed did. For some reason, the entire 2nd quarter of the game only had a static noise. The picture was still good, but absolutely no audio. I was not pleased. It wasn't until halftime that someone fixed that problem. So I calmed down and settled in to a spectacular 2nd half. The Spurs trailed nearly the entire game until late in the 4th quarter. After a timeout, the Spurs run a few screens for Michael Finley, who hasn't shot well in this game. Finley curls around a screen and catches a pass. He rises straight up and smoothly hits a 3 pointer to tie and send it to overtime
Now we enter overtime. The Suns look to be gaining momentum and carry it throughout the overtime, but somehow the Spurs hang in there and again find themselves down 3 with seconds to play. Manu Ginobili curls off a Tim Duncan pick towards the goal. Shaquille O'Neal decides to go with Ginobili along with the other Suns defender. This leaves Duncan standing wide open on the 3 point line. Tim hasn't hit a 3 pointer all year so this seams like a good defensive move if you're looking at it in a statistical way. Good thing this is the playoffs and stats don't freakin' matter!!! Timmy lines ups the shot and nails it! The camera switches over to Duncan running the other way pumping his fists in a show of exuberance. On to the 2nd overtime...I'm catching my breathe. This is way too much excitement.
2nd OT. Back and Forth. Back and Forth. Back and Forth. In a reversal of the end of regulation and the 1st OT, the Spurs are up by 3 this time. Nash dribbles the ball into one of the corners and takes a ridiculous 3 pointer that somehow goes in. Nash has the ability to make these shots look simple. The only problem was that he took it too early. There are now 15 seconds left and the Spurs decide not to take a timeout and continue down court. Manu gets a one on one situation and without hesitation takes it straight to the goal. He carries the ball like a running back in these kind of driving situations and this time is no different. He rises up getting separation from the defender by giving him a body bump and banks in the shot with his left hand. Game over. Spurs win. Everyone is allowed to collapse now...This is why I love the NBA Playoffs.
The Bank Job arrives at #1
...on my list at least. The Bank Job is less about the heist and more about the aftermath. Now I am a sucker for heist movies. The part of the heist that usually hooks me in is the planning. This movie really skipped over planning fairly quick. Even the actual heist portion doesn't take that long. The movie instead focuses most of its energy on what happens after the heist gets pulled off. It is hard to know who to trust in this movie as it doesn't seem to matter what the law is since everyone is looking out for themselves. Although this keeps the movie entertaining through some lulls in the story. The Bank Job is definitely not the best heist movie I have ever seen, but it is the best I have seen in a while. I give it 4 of 5 stars and place it at the #1 spot on my running list of 2008 movies which you can see on the right hand side of the page.
The Gratuitous Top 10 Movies of '07
I will stress that these are MY favorites movies of the year not necessarily the best movies of the year. It is also worth noting that I am constantly being disappointed by movie endings, but given some reflection I can usually come to terms with that if I enjoyed the majority of the movie. I now present to you my gratuitous Top 10 Movies of 2007:

1. Juno

I am always thrilled when "independent" movies go "mainstream" especially when these movies are exceptionally good. One of the reasons for the success of Juno is that it reaches a broad audience. It is a comedy with dramatic elements that kind of pulls on the "heartstrings" near the end. Another reason for success is that this movie was well written. Diablo Cody put together a script that has great quick hitting witty dialog. You those "one-liners" that you just can't get out of your head, this movie is full of them. Why does that translate into success? People can't forget the movie and want to see it again to remeber more of these unforgettable quotes. The movie combined great acting performances by Ellen Page, Michael Cera, and J.K. Simmons (Juno's dad) with folky punk rock tunes that blended marvelously with the script. I will probably see this movie again before it leaves the theater and it is definitely destined to be a member of my DVD collection.

2. Ratatouille

Pixar is a great film company. Here's the plot: "A rat who loves to cook finds himself in the position of being able to cook in a gourmet kitchen." Wow. On the basis of that statement, how do you make a rat in a kitchen cooking food lovable? IT seems impossible, but Pixar pulls it off with flying colors. I have already purchased this on DVD and have watched it numerous times. It never gets old.

3. The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Trilogy is one of my favorite action trilogies. Each movie built upon the other and Ultimatum was the perfect ending to this storyline. The movie was just as action-filled as the previous two, but we finally get a lot of answers to long-standing questions. Matt Damon owns this role and if they do continue making Bourne movies I hope that they only do it with Damon as Bourne. The movie ranks atop my all-time action movie list. In a summer full of third sequels, this one is the best by a wide margin. I already has this one on DVD and it gets played a lot.

4. No Country For Old Men

For 2/3 of this movie, my eyes were glued to the screen. Then one of the main characters appeared dead on the screen and the audience never got to experience a meeting between two characters (Lwellyen and Anton) that had been building all movie. I quickly lost interest from that point on, but as I reflected on the movie I understood why this was part of the movie. For that reason, I kept it on this list. Javier Bardem (Anton) still haunts my dreams. The cold emotionless look in his eyes made him one of the best "Villains" I have ever seen on screen. When it comes to DVD I will see it again, but probably won't buy it.

5. 300

An action packed epic of testosterone and stylized blood and guts. Sin City made this type of stylized movie mainstream, but 300 took it to a new level. It also put Gerard Butler's name on the map. He can now be seen in tons of action movies. His performance made you grit your teeth and want to die for your country. Maybe the US Armed Forces should use this as a recruiting video. I read the graphic novel before seeing the movie and I can safely say they kept very close to the book. In fact screenshots from the movie, could be mistaken for actually pages from the book.

6. Transformers

Action packed from beginning to end with some very funny dialog spread throughout. I enjoyed Shia LeBouf's performance. I like movies that I don't have to think about and this was one of them. It was just a fun movie that I thouroughly enjoyed. DVD-Worthy.

7. Reign Over Me

Adam Sandler should give up crap like "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" and stick to movies like "Punch Drunk Love", "Spanglish", and "Reign Over Me". His performance was remarkable. It's rare that a movie makes me cry, but this one did and I commend it on it's heartbreaking story.

8. Waitress

It's a shame this movie did not get a wide release. It never made it to Huntsville so I never got to see it on the big screen. It is a very unique script for a romantic comedy which seems like it would make a lot of money, but oh well. Keri Russell gives a great performance. Nathan Fillion is amazingly funny as always. Andy Griffith plays a dirty old man to perfection. The "hook" of this movie was that Keri's character would make a pie and the ingredients and name were a reflection of her mood. It is just a charming movie that I really liked. DVD-Worthy.

9. Mr. Brooks

Kevin Costner makes this movie good. Another actor might have pulled it off, but Costner calm demeanor made his character creepy yet likable. I'd almost compare him to a more conflicted Dexter (of the tv series Dexter). Dane Cook was still annoying. The ending caught me completely off guard and that is something I loved about this movie.

10. Charlie Wilson's War

When I got to the ending of this movie, I felt like it abruptly ended on a sad note. I didn't walk out of the theater loving it. My biggest problem is that Mike Nichols tried to make you feel sympathy for the Afghan people at the very end of the movie, but only gives a few minutes of screen time in the middle of the film toward addressing this. The ending fit the actual story and it served to make a point but I wasn't terribly happy with it. After saying all of that, I still enjoyed this movie immensely. Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymore Hoffman are brilliant. The parts seem tailored just for them. Julia Roberts could have been replaced by any actress. The story is well worth watching and checking it out multiple times will hopefully make you see all the good points of the movie.
Just Missed (Honorable Mention): Knocked Up, Stardust, The Simpsons Movie, 3:10 to Yuma, Eastern Promises, Gone Baby Gone, The Lookout
Yet To See: Once, Sweeney Todd, Atonement, Enchanted, Michael Clayton, Into the Wild, There Will Be Blood, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Phil Jackson, The Master of Words
Oh Phil, you make me laugh. You're not only a master of Zen, but also a master of words (especially those of a comedic nature). After getting beaten badly by the Spurs last Tuesday, Phil had this to say about his team's performance:
"We call this a Brokeback Mountain game, because there's so much penetration and kickouts, It was one of those games."
I'm not sure how "kickouts" refer to the movie, but I still laughed when I heard him say this. The NBA of course intervened to fine him. The next day Phil apologized for his remarks and his response may have been even funnier that the first remarks.
"If I've offended any horses, Texans, cowboys or gays, I apologize"
I just hope the horses forgive him. They are notorious for holding a grudge. You can read the AP story here
The Aftermath: Auburn vs Florida
Before this game started, I saw the 18 point spread (where Auburn was the underdog). I heard the commentators and experts say we were going to lose big to Florida. My biggest concern was that we didn't get creamed. That was really all I wanted. BUT In the back of my mind, I knew that we were a good road team (winners of 12 of our last 13 SEC road games), we play better against better competition (Tubberville is 3-0 again AP Top 5 teams) and we always play Florida close (2 of those 3 Top 5 wins were against Florida). In my mind, I thought we had a chance, but I held my excitement until the very end. Here are my quick thoughts that I scribbled down during the game:

1st Quarter

  • What is the difference between "running into" and "roughing" the kicker?
  • Auburn just gave Florida the Leak/Tebow treatment of the 2006 Gators. Of course, we would call it Cox/Burns. That sounds painful. And it was since we just scored.
  • The 2005 Brandon Cox has somehow appeared in this game. He's is making quick decisions and sharp passes, something he has NOT done so far this season. As soon as I make that remark though, he held on to the ball way too long and got his helmet knocked off.
  • Apparently King Dunlap, our only returning starter from last year, is injured and not playing. That leaves 3 true freshmen and 2 un-heard of juniors in the lineup. They just keep naming O-Linemen that I've never heard of. At least they are playing a lot better than there experience would dictate.

2nd Quarter

  • Will Muschamp makes me laugh. After the blocked FG, he gave some player a nice forearm of congrats to the head.
  • Somehow Gabe MacKenzie turned upfield while still bobbling the ball and held on to it. It wasn't like he turned upfield too quick. It was more like he followed the ball upfield.
  • Ben Tate's knee was definitely down before the ball crossed the goal line. There were some really clear instant replays for the replay officials to view. I don't know how they didn't overturn it, but I'm not complaining.

3rd Quarter

  • Our RBs just cannot hold onto the ball this year. Although that fumble of Tate's was really just a good play by the Florida defender.
  • Auburn's Defense just stood Tebow up twice on the goal line. It is amazing how much Timmy looks like a fullback. He reminds me of Jared "Hefty Lefty" Lorenzen with a little less hefty.

4th Quarter

  • All of the good things that Auburn's D did on that drive were just nullified by Mr. Tebow TD pass. AND Quentin Groves got hurt on the previous play and was shown walking on crutches into the locker room. I'm now a little sick to my stomach!
  • Rodgerique Smith looks like a true #1 WR in this game.
  • Cox has to look to his right at some point, doesn't he?
  • STUPID PENALTIES!!!
  • The Officials officially SUCK! If he caught the ball before any contact with the returner was made, how, tell me how, could he have been interfered with!!!!?!??!!?!?
  • Tebow is starting to look dominate. We look tired and he is just mowing us over. And now he has single-handedly tied the game.
  • At least Wes Byrum is no Sebastion Janikowskie. Mike Shanahan did the same thing Urban Meyer did in a game against Oakland a few weeks ago by calling a last second timeout. The only difference is that on Byrum's second try he made it again whereas SeaBass did not.
  • LONG LIVE THE AUBURN TIGERS!!! BASK IN YOUR GLORIOUS VICTORY!!!!
  • PS...Don't forget about Vandy next week.
A Tweak In The Design
I have tweaked the colors of the website to some brighter more vivid colors. I also changed the header to show a nice headshot of Mr Hank Scorpio instead of the photo of Homer that has been there since the inception of this website.
Sharkman and Tonic Immobility
(From Yahoo!) "Because sharks have taken the life and limbs of numerous humans, they are hunted, killed and labeled as people's enemies. Michael Rutzen is determined to turn that notion upside down and people's attitudes right side up. (Watch an exclusive preview clip.) His goal is to inspire people to want to protect, rather than destroy these incredible apex ocean dwellers. To fulfill this mission, Michael attempts to hypnotize a great white shark in open water. He's been working with sharks for many years to study their body language and believes if he can put sharks into a sleeplike state called tonic immobility, he will be able to reveal an entirely different nature of the shark. Will Michael be able to complete this unbelievable quest?"
"Hypnotize" is a terrible word to use in this description. It makes think that he is using some kind of mind control technique and that is not the case.
What is Tonic Immobility?
(From Wikipedia)Tonic immobility is a natural state of paralysis that animals enter, in most cases when presented with a threat.Sharks can be placed in a tonic immobility state by inverting them. The shark remains in this state of paralysis for an average of fifteen minutes before it recovers. Scientists have exploited this phenomenon to study shark behavior.
What is not explained in the previous definition is the technique Rutzen used. smaller sharks can enter this state when inverted, but larger sharks can also enter this state when the tip of their nose is touched. in tiger sharks the sensory glands are on the side of the shark's nose.
It was a nice change to see a Shark Week special that didn't try to scare the public from going into the ocean. This is one of those rare shows that tries to paint the "nicer" side of sharks. You could truly see that Rutzen felt a connection with these sharks. You could also see that once he "put" a shark in tonic immobility that the shark definitely came back wanting more. Some of the sharks even seemed gentle and playful, well as gentle as a 2 ton animal can be. Rutzen's main goal was to accomplish putting a great white shark into this state. He started by learning from others who had experienced using tonic immobility with smaller sharks. I really liked his approach to this. Most people who get Discovery Channel specials are nutjobs with no sense of fear at all whereas Rutzen was displayed as calm but nervous every time he got in the water with these sharks. He also didn't try to work with the great whites without first learning from others and "practicing" on the smaller sharks. His approach was very diligent. It was a surreal sight to see these sharks, these massive animals, in this tonic immobility state. At one point, when he was experimenting with the smaller reef sharks, multiple sharks would come to him vying for his attention. In this regard, the sharks reminded me of dogs. The whole 2 hour show is definitely worth watching if you catch it.