Back in Action

Yes, I know it has been a year...

Did you really think I was going to let this brilliant piece of journalism fade into the obscurity that is 90% of blogs on the interweb?

I think not.

So...let's get back into it. I will be updating once a week as opposed to my rapid pace of 3 times weekly which at one point in the dark ages I was doing.

NBA Playoffs:

Where do I begin? I obviously have a rooting interest for those who know me, but that being said, this still has to be considered the strongest the NBA playoffs have been in well over a decade.

There are legitimately 4-5 teams who could win it all and more superstars in the league than ever. I know that many of the people reading this reside in St. Louis, and yes I am aware that we are a baseball town.

I am aware that Ryan Franklin is struggling to save games, and I get that Paddie O's has been renovated and yes...it looks great.

St. Louis does not like professional basketball.

Period.

Part of me believes it is simply due to the fact that we haven't had a team since 1969, but a larger part of me thinks that we are a city that cannot get by the so called "culture" of the NBA.

If there is anytime to take a chance and watch some games, this is it.

I would not have encouraged anyone to do so back in 2001. Even 3 years ago for that matter. It was embarrassing seeing the game I grew up watching diligently every night be tortured by mediocre play, And1 inspired streetball, and a general lack of stars.

Those times are behind us.

While I'm still on this kick, my MVP rankings in order are:

1. Derrick Rose
   


2. Dwight Howard
   


3. Lebron James

No one else should receive a vote.

Since I am obviously alienating 80% of the 10 people who may read this by discussing the NBA, I will move on with some quick hits.

• Parenthood on NBC is a very good show. Very realistic, but well written. Give it a try.


• The NFL will play all 16 games. They will play them on time. It will be awesome. Relax.


• The online poker ban is silly. Why are our legislators worried about what people do with their money?


• It is time for St. Louis city and country to merge. We will never improve otherwise.


• What a horrible season for movies. Nothing has piqued my interest since "Limitless" and it was god-awful.


• How 'bout those Blues. Congrats on another great season!


• The Rams have TWO Monday night football games this year. The rest of their schedule is extremely tough. We will really see what these guys are made of.


• DA BULLS!


• ESPN is consistantly driving me away from their network. The gestapo tactics they use towards their on air personalies is disgusting. They should be allowed to endorce whatever they like.


• At Mizzou, you gotta have Haith!


• Don't know what to make of the AT&T takeover of T-Mobile. Could be a game changer. Will the T-Mobile girl in the pink move over to AT&T? Either way; Bye, bye Sprint.


• How great was that WNBA Draft? Exilarating as always!


• Dig deeper listening to Cee Lo Green and download "Bright Lights, Bigger City.


• What is with marathon's lately? I used to know one or two people who were determined enough to do it, now everyone short of Rosie O' Donnell runs in these things.


• Go download the Iphone app called Crackle. It's free. You won't regret it.


• Speaking of which, Words with Friends is taking over. If you don't know what this is, you probably have a Blackberry, if you do, play me. My name is BrettKnowles.
  
  

That's all for now. See you next week. Thanks for reading.

Madness Abound

I have decided to stage my own March Madness bracket, but only 32 matchups as opposed to 65. These are completely random but I'll update it until we have a champion. It's hard to explain but you'll get the drill pretty easily....


When We were Kids Region
1. Nintendo Entertainment System
8. Slap Bracelets
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
7. Starting Lineup
3. Double Dare
6. Fred Savage in "The Wizard"
4. Reebok Pump
5. Adidas Samba Classic


Celebrities Gone Bad Region
1. OJ Simpson
8. Charlie Sheen
2. Michael Vick
7. Chris Brown
3. Lindsay Lohan
6. Mark McGwire
4. Tiger Woods
5. Gilbert Arenas


Awful Music Region
1. Nickelback
8. Daughtry
2. Limp Bizkit
7. Celine Dion
3. Toby Keith
6. Any Artist from MTV Making the Band
4. 98 Degrees
5. Fallout Boy


Movies of the 90's Region
1. Pulp Fiction
8. Home Alone
2. Shawshank Redemption
7. Waynes World
3. Forrest Gump
6. T2: Judgement Day
4. Titanic
5. Jerry Maguire

Long Time, No Read

I know, I know, I've been brutal about updating this deal for the last few weeks (two to be exact) Well, I'm back, and much has gone on in the world during this massive period of time. I won't try to address it all, but I'll do my best.

• So it looks like Tiger is getting closer and closer to his return...Can you say Augusta National?? This is the best news golf has had since Happy Gilmore beat Shooter McGavin to claim the 1996 US Open. I doubt that most people will be able to get past the sexual escapades of one Eldrick Woods, and that is fine. I still have some interest (the Howard Stern Tiger Woods Mistress Beauty Pagent is scheduled for next Tuesday), but in reality, I just want to see him go out and do what he does best...kick ass. I want to see him make everyone pay who might have had some critisism for him throughout this difficult time. I want to see him embarass his competition at each stop. Without him, you can count on zero hands how many golf tournaments I will watch this year, and that is likely the case for most of America.
  
  
• Has anyone else noticed that Dancing With the Stars is clearly trying to woo men to their program? How else can you explain Ocho Cinco and Erin Andrews on the same season? Though I have yet to watch this dynamic program, I feel I could create the perfect cast. I'd go with Vijay Singh, Rosie O'Donnell, Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox, Amy Winehouse, Barbara Walters, and probably round it out with Peyton Manning. Thoughts?


• The Oscars are coming up and my predictions are in. Hurt Locker will win Best Picture, Jeff Bridges - best actor, Sandra Bullock for actress, etc. etc....If I had a vote, Inglorious Bastards would dominate the awards. It will surely win supporting actor and possibly director and screen play. It was original, poignant and highly entertaining. Great all around. Go rent it if you haven't caught it yet.


• I'm amused by Tony Kornheiser's suspension from PTI on ESPN. He commented on another ESPN reporter's wardrobe and is now off the show for 2 weeks. ESPN has really become the nazi's of their own people. I feel like at night when all the shows end, each anchor, commentator, personality sleeps in a cell up in Connecticut and is released only to film their portion for television.
  
• The new etrade baby sucks.
  


• I'm beginning to have major doubts about the Rams and their draft. I have currently reduced my life by two or three years debating this, and it is likely that by April 22, I will be scheduled to live only 13 more years. As of now, I'm still with Suh, but surely Mel Kiper and Todd McShay will have talked me into Bradford by the time Kansas and Syracuse are playing for the National Championship. We'll see.


• Not a fan of Idol this year. Brutal on most counts. Ellen makes me want to gouge my eyeballs out, and Kara is getting on my nerves more and more as the show progresses. I can see maybe three or four of these people winning, and the winner will likely be relegated to the career success of Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, or the great Fantasia Barrino.
  
  
• I'm back to listening to MGMT again lately on my ipod. If you haven't gotten into this yet, please download it. Great record.
  
  

Thats it for now, I'll get back Sunday night with a new countdown and maybe some other stuff. Please check back often....

Oh when the Saints....

Congrats to the Saints and the city of New Orleans. This win was good for football. America obviously agrees. Super Bowl XLIV is now the most watched television program of all time, beating the finale of the hit show M.A.S.H. in 1980. This is quite an accomplishment. I could write much more about this, but it's time to move on until the draft in April, so here we go...

• The controversy over the recent Sports Illustrated Olympic cover featuring American downhill ski star Lindsey Vonn is nothing short of stunning to me. She is in a ski pose wearing a ski outfit. Anyone who thinks that this is in any way sexual either needs to visit the same sex clinic as Tiger Woods, or really has nothing better to talk about. It couldn't be any less sexual in my opinion.

• The new uproar over John Mayer is not shocking because he tends to over-speak his mind, but using the n-word????? Really John? His sexual deviance has been exposed over his last few interviews. He seems to have gone off the deep end. I don't know whether it's drug-induced, or he is simply insane, but before long, he and Kanye West may be playing in their own sandbox at the wrong end of the playground. If you didn't read what he had to say in this revealing interview with Playboy, here is the link (not work appropriate, by the way). http://http//www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/10/john-mayer-jessica-simpso_n_456566.html

• So, obviously being a giant Howard Stern fan, many people want to know what I think about the potential of him taking Simon's seat on American Idol next season. I have to say, I think it would be great. However, I don't think that the executives at Fox know what they might be getting into. On paper, bringing in Howard might look great. He's brash, strong-willed, and very opinionated. He also brings an enormous ego and a tendency to cross the line under any circumstance. Who knows? This could be what Idol needs to bring it into the next era, and it could just be rumors that will die quicker than the careers of Taylor Hicks and Bo Bice.

• I was happy to see that the charges of domestic assault against Rams running back Steven Jackson have been dropped. After reading through the reports, it's pretty clear that the female associated with the claims has many holes in her story. Is it not a coincidence that she came forward with these claims during Super Bowl Week? This girl has Kobe Chaser written all over her. I'm not trying to trivialize a serious issue by any means...I think that Chris Brown should be castrated; but when evidence is lacking, the accuser is less than credible, and the accused is a multi million dollar athlete, I think it best to adhere to innocent until proven guilty.

• The possibility of expanding the NCAA tournament is sickening to me. 92 teams??? That would turn the first round games into the basketball equivalent of the Little Caesars Bowl in football or the WNBA finals. 65 teams is perfect. I get the revenue angle, but overkill may set in with an entire month of the tourney. Let's keep it at 65.

• Mardi Gras is only 3 days away now. In New Orleans, this will be the culmination of two weeks of madness. I'm actually contemplating putting my liver on Craigslist New Orleans.
  
  

That's it for now. I'll be back this weekend with some Winter Olympics thoughts. I am so excited for this momentous event in world history. What a thrill!! Comments, critisism always welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

Greetings from Miami!

I think it goes without saying that Super Bowl Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I absorb all of the excess and even embrace it. Media Day is great. I love hearing the interviews with former NFL stars (and even scrubs), and most importantly, the over analysis of the big game itself. This wouldn't be a blog though if I didn't have some observations of my own.

• Chad Ochocinco, as always, is stealing the show. He couldn't have picked a better time to launch his new network OCNN. If you haven't yet, make sure you download his app for iPhone and Blackberry.

• The attention paid to Kim Kardashian is amusing and a little bit sad at the same time. She travels through South Beach with as much clout as Muhamad Ali and as much security as Pope Benedict III. Not that she's rough to look at, but it's getting to be just a bit much.


• Jay Glazer from Fox Sports is a MEATHEAD!!


• The sports radio jocks who have decended upon South Florida make the crowd who gathers for the AVN Awards in Vegas look like the crowd at a convention for Southern Baptists. These middle-age, overweight assclowns are running around from club to club like their last name is Lohan. Their sole purpose is to bring back any piece of trash that stands before them and brag about it when they return to Pittsburgh, Seattle, Kansas City, etc...
  
• Peyton Manning is the BEST quarterback ever to play. Period.


• How will the commercials be this year? Not a whole lot of buzz, but one story snuck through the cracks. I heard that CBS has vetoed Mancrunch.com (a homosexual dating site) because the network is staying away from hot button issues. Why is it then that Tim Tebow's anti-abortion ad is allowed to air? I don't care either way, it just seems like a bit of a double standard.
  
• Finally, this game has alot to live up to. The last two Super Bowls have been nothing short of phenomenal. Somehow, I am guessing that the game will be a blowout early.


• My predicion: Colts 43, Saints 27.

Despite the current Super Bowl bubble I reside in, I do realize that there is life outside of Miami so here are a few more bits from this last week that intrigue me.

• I still don't know what to make of this iPad deal. Apple has hit gold with everything it's produced in the last decade, but this seems like it might be a stretch. If it works, it will change the way we communicate; if it bombs, Apple might be headed back toward the state of hibernation it resided in for the better part of fifteen years.
  
• I don't know what to think about what has become of Facebook. All of the new weekly themes and constant updates on people's farms and sorority houses are great! I really wish I could run my own farm. It's what I have been dreaming about since I was seven.


• When are all channels going to be in HD? I might go back to watching shows like Real World again if it didn't look like it was shot during the Regan administration.


• So I've been told by the police that St. Louis now has a heroin epidemic. Fantastic!


• Mardi Gras is only a week away. Let the weather gods be in a good mood now. I'm predicting 62 degrees and sunny. Always fun regardless.
  

That's it for now. Go Colts (-5 1/2)!!

Super Sunday...and Monday???

Would America really go to hell if we had one extra national holiday on our calendar each year? Each January prior to Super Bowl Sunday, I ask this very question. Now I know that some of you may be thinking, "Brett, you are the biggest sports fan I know. Of course you would feel this way. Stop being narrow minded." Well, I can see that, but lets be honest...the Super Bowl does not cater strictly to sports fans, it has truly become a national event.

I would venture to guess that Monday, February 8th, will be the least productive work day in 2010. Would the markets collapse, the farms go dry, and tidal waves form from one extra holiday on our calendar? No, no, and no. Now, it would be frivilous of me to comment without having some type of plan. Here it is. Simple and direct.

So, it is increasingly obvious that sometime in the near future, the NFL will expand their schedule from 16 to 18 games.

In this simple scheduling change lies a solution. Start the season one week early (pre-Labor Day) and finish one week later (roughly the second weekend in February).

This would land the Monday following the Super Bowl on what is now Presidents' Day. Why not simply combine the two holidays and a day off work to not only include banks, government jobs, and schools, but also the business world as well?

I contend that this would not hurt our economy, but actually boost it. Think about the extra money that could potentially be pumped into Super Bowl Sunday if the majority of America was aware they would be free of labor duties the following day.

Secondly, Americans (as I stated before) are in general, not productive the day after the Super Bowl for any number of reasons including lack of sleep, being overserved; or living in Cleveland, St. Louis or Oakland, and knowing that next season will be worse than the previous. Going back to work on Tuesday would rejuvinate each of these segments of the population.

This may not be a reaslistic proposition, but in my opinion, it is something practical that could raise America's morale, and boost its economy all at the same time. Anyways, who doesn't take a moment each year to celebrate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington? Presidents' Day reborn!

Drama in TV Land

So the last week or so has been absolutly nuts in the world of television. There have been many developments, and I'll keep my takes limited, but overall, it's real simple. NBC=Fail, Leno=Lucky, Conan=Ouch. Simon=Genius.

No matter what happens, the biggest loser in the whole played out soap opera is clearly NBC. Just think...this is the network that featured Cheers, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Friends, ER, and Law and Order...what happened? First of all, NBC lacks patience. No one is talking about how it took Jay "The Savior" Leno almost 3 years to pass David Letterman when they both started in 1992. Conan only gets 7 months? Something doesn't gel. Secondly, many predicted the demise of Leno's early show before it even hit the air in September. This is not a surprise by any means. Hopefully when the dust settles over the next few months, Conan will be at FOX and Leno will still be getting pummeled by Letterman.

There's also the departure of Simon Cowell from American Idol. For Simon, this makes perfect sense. Leave while you are on top! Why wait for Idol to become less relevant and have a tough time launching your next endeavor? X-Factor will work, FOX will throw tons of support behind it, and Idol will move on at a minor league level. I don't blame him in the slightest for this transition.

This McGwire situation is getting to be obnoxious. I've been saying the same thing f0r 10 years now. McGwire is a coward! This brilliant PR work of Ari Fleisher doesn't make him look any better. If you are going to come out and admit that you were cheating for the better part of a decade, at the very least, don't compound this fact by lying more. Don't say you took steroids to stay healthy and then appologize to Roger Maris' family for breaking his record while cheating! This will be the last you hear from me on anything involving this worthless scum. He isn't worth my type.

Speaking of the Cardinals, does St. Louis really have the best baseball fans, or do we just have nothing else to talk about? If you've been in St. Louis this past week, you may have thought that the Cardinals were playing in the World Series. But no...it was actually just the Winter Warm-Up. I've been in the past, and it's nothing to call home about. Sports talk radio is still talking it up though. Enough already!

Can't wait for both the championship games in the NFL. Lots of great story lines. I think a Super Bowl match-up between any of the four teams will draw big ratings. Either way, it's a win-win for CBS because of the star power on both sides.

Is anyone else intrigued by all of the coaching changes in pro and college football? All of it should be turned into a reality show hosted by Lee Corso. I'd watch religiously.

Finally, as I mentioned a few weeks ago regarding The Hangover, please stop quoting Jersey Shore on Facebook, Twitter, etc...even if you really are going to the gym, tanning salon and doing laundry - nobody cares!

That's it for now....I'll probably be back later this week with a countdown. For now though, make sure to vote in this week's poll. I guess my take on technology was off since a whopping twelve people voted in total, agreeing that text messaging is the most important inovation of the last decade - not itunes or the ipod.

Top 5 innovations of the last decade

This is a list that doesn't neccesarily include inventions (although some of them are) but more just innovations that have changed our life since the tramatic time period of Y2K. Some are for fun, some convinience, but I think it should be stated that technology clearly advanced more in this important 10 year time span than it had in the last 50.

1. i-pod/i-tunes--Although remedial MP3 devices existed in niche form prior to the ipod's 2001 release, Apple's original ipod, although now drastically flawed, changed the way the music industry will opperate forever. It's clean interface, sleek design, and large (for the time anyways) storage capability made cd's more irrevlevant as each year passed. Although upgrades have now put the line into its own stratosphere, the original still weilds its influence everytime someone downloads a song today.
   
2. Text messaging--Appropriately, at the close of the 2000's, text messaging use, suprassed traditional phone calls in December of 2009. Texting spawned a new language, legislation to prevent it while driving, and an entire culture of neo-communication. Dilemas revolving around long converstations for simple matters are now irreleavant, and while some argue that texting has ruined converstion, there is no doubt that its impact is spread far and wide.


3. HD Television--It's hard to remember that only 10 years ago, everyone's televisions were huge, bulky, low resolution sets that challenged interior designers and rabid sports fans alike with its dull picture, and obtruce design. HD television became popular early in the 2000' s, although until recently it was still a fringe commodity. Broadcasts are now clearer, sound better, and are far more enjoyable. With the recent anouncement of 3D television debuting this year, its hard to imagine what we may be viewing in 2020.


4. iphone/Blackberry--It is too hard choose one over the other, but both of them have been enormously infuential over the past decade. Email, video, internet, all at the tip of your fingertips. Wow, what would we do if we couldn't read restraunt reviews, get detailed directions or most importantly check your favorite teams scores in real time? It seems so trivial now to think about, and we often take these devices for granted, but again, what is still possible seems mind boggling.


5. GPS--This technology was first developed in the early 90's to ease our troops battle through rough terrain in the first Gulf War. It came to be used by the masses about 10 years ago and has become an institution ever since. The original Garmin was large, and difficult for the amatuer to figure out, but what followed was the convinience of knowing you will never be lost again. Including it in phones and other mobile devices only strenghtened GPS's grip on our culture.

**Honorable Mention

• 2nd Generation Toyota Prius (2004)
• Tivo (2000)
• Red Box (2002)
• Facebook/Twitter (2003, 2006)
• Nintendo Wii (2006)

Here and There

• So, everyone seems to have an opinion on the Matt Holliday signing. St. Louis truely is and always will be a baseball obsessed city. I did a little bit of sampling of different national and local talk shows today, and the Holliday coverage was 180 degrees. NFL only on ESPN radio - Holliday only on Team 1380. Interesting. First off, I am resigned to the fact they overpaid for him, especially in years (7) and more importantly with the FULL no trade clause. I am also happy they did so. If we had let him go, a dark cloud would hang over the Cards going into Spring Training...Oh wait, that cloud has a name, and it's Mark McGwire...




• Congrats to Andre "The Hawk" Dawson on his induction into the baseball Hall of Fame. It is strange seeing these players in their prime throughout my childhood being enshrined in Cooperstown. One of the many reasons that makes me feel as if I am aging quickly.



• NEWS BULLETIN!! NEWS BULLETIN!! IT'S SNOWING IN ST. LOUIS!! RAID YOUR LOCAL GROCER AND BOARD UP YOUR WINDOWS IMMEDIATELY!!

• Can the Rams please just draft Ndamukong Suh? I already have the Jersey on the way. If they don't, I'm out $88.00.





• Watch the trailer for Iron Man 2...Downey Jr. is tough, and the rest of the cast should be good as well.http://http//www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2308178969



• So I saw that the new Athletic Director at the Univesity of Michigan is none other than David Brandon....The former CEO of Dominos Pizza. This makes perfect sense if you ask me. It's actually the first person there involved in athletics who they didn't steal from West Virginia.
  


• Speaking of Dominos, I hear they have an entirely new recipe. New Crust, new sauce, new cheese, probably same old garbage...I doubt it could get much worse. I am intrigued either way. I'll report back with the new taste within the month.
  
  

Couldn't end this thing though without at least commenting on Gilbert Arenas. This guy has become a grade A knucklehead. Who jokes about gun violence in Washington DC? Who pulls guns over a small bet ($60,000)? Another great story. Deadspin.com has by far the most witty coverage of this shining moment for the NBA.

That's all I got. Keep the hits coming and don't forget to vote in the poll...There's only 4 days left. I've got a good one ready for next week too.

St. Louis...We Have a Problem

Let me be the first to say that St. Louis does not compare in size or cosmopolitan nature to New York, LA, Chicago or many other cities in the U.S. That is fine, and I think everyone accepts this for fact. I do however, have a huge problem with the fact that hailing a taxi in our fine city is about as easy as finding a good looking girl at any bar on The Landing. Over the last month or so, I have witnessed at least 4 good examples of myself, or friends of mind calling for a cab, and waiting anywhere from 1- 2.5 hours!!! This would never happen in many major U.S. cities. I am very anti drunk driving, but I believe that the fact cabs are so damned hard to procure definitely plays a part in peoples willingness to push the boundaries of the breathalizer scale. I can see being in a far outlying area such as Wentzville, Festus, or Waterloo IL, and not being able to get a cab. It's probably not easy in the far reaching suburbs of the forementioned major cities either. Not being able to get a cab from Kirkwood, Dogtown, and Brentwood is simply not acceptable. Until this city has either a great mass transit system, or a far more reliable means for paid fare rides, we will continue to hear of drunk driving incidents every weekend.



In other news, I received a follow up from Urban Spoon reacting to the letter I sent them on the Araka worm incident 2 weeks ago. Here is what it said...

"Thanks for writing. Incidents like this are impossible for a restaurant to defend (or disprove) and can profoundly affect their reputation, so we don't include them. We certainly allow (and encourage) negative reviews where they're deserved, but this particular subject is really more appropriate for the health department."

I am OK with this response, but still feel strongly about the fact that someone from Araka brought this up to Urban Spoon as libelous. I don't see how this is possible seeing as how it is fact, but whatever the case may be, I feel I've cost the restraunt enough potential business simply by spreading the word far and wide.

Thanks for reading, comments, critique always welcome.

First Random Observations of the new Decade

Happy New Year everyone. I don't really do New Years resolutions, but I did promise myself I would update this more often per some requests. Look for updates every 2-3 days as opposed to ever 2-3 weeks. Here is just some of what is going on right now.

• Don't get me wrong, loved The Hangover, but for the love of god, if 1 more person makes their Facebook status a quote from the movie, I am going to drink antifreeze
• Has anyone ever seen any females working at Taco Bell that are as attractive as the 2 girls in the current T-Bell commercial with the $89 5 Layer Burito??
• I have gotten off the fence and I am fully supporting Mizzou joining the Big 10. Yes, we would lose 1 rivalry with Nebraska, but after doing some reading, the financial windfall is very attractive. My one major concern would be the impact of recruiting in the lucrative football state of Texas.
• I don't know why I continue to watch Bowl Games. For one, I am a steadfast opponent of the current system, and secondly, I would never watch Northern Illinois play South Florida during the regular season, why the hell would I watch them play for the International Bowl title in Toronto, Canada?
• I have been addicted to the ESPN 30 for 30 series. If you haven't seen any of them, please check it out. It also made me realize how important it is for the Cardinals to re-sign Albert. Edmonton losing Gretzty was a good reminder of what 1 players impact on a city is.
• Some of you have heard about my recent incident at the Clayton restraunt "Arkaka." In case you didn't, some short details; Very expensive restraunt, Courtney finds live worm in her fish, very smug appology, bill is still $90. Everyone in the restraunt ignores us afterward. So I put a very honest review on Urban Spoon. The review is removed in less than 24 hours. That website is obviously paid off by certain restraunts. Don't believe anything you read on there, and for the love of god, please never waste your money at Araka!
• Seen a few movies lately, and surprisingly liked them all in different ways. Up in the Air, Avatar, and Sherlock Holmes are all definitely worth watching. Very entertaining and thought provoking on all accounts.
• Is it me or is there a huge lull in new music right now. I am getting very bored of my current I-phone playlist. New music please!
• I don't know where I stand on the Mike Leach, Texas Tech incident. It does sound like the kid was a slacker, but at the same time, this isn't the days of Bear Bryant, and Woody Hayes. It's 2010 and you cannot physically or mentally abuse players. It's very easy in today's "right now" reporting trend to get caught.
• Finally, some predictions for 2010: Manning will win his 4th MVP and, 2nd Superbowl. 'Bama wins the National Title, the next-gen iPhone makes time travel possible (and Verizon claims it can make you get superhuman powers)

Top 10 BIGGEST songs of the Decade from Hell

So I covered movies already a few weeks ago, and let me specify that these are not my FAVORITE songs of the 2000's, but what I feel are the most popular. I base this on research from Billboard Magazine, airplay throughout the last 10 years, and overall cultural impact. This isn't written in stone, but they are all up there for sure. One thing I will say is that Don't Stop Believing by Journey is probably the most played song over the last decade, but it was released 28 years ago so it doesn't count. I have put together a full list of the top 100, but this is not the forum for that much detail (and most people don't have the attention span.) If you really want that much insight, let me know and I'll email it to ya.

1. Usher- Yeah! (2004) This song could be heard everywhere. Usher was the next Michael...And then he wasn't. Song is still great.
2. Eminem- Lose Yourself (2002) How do you listen to this son and not get jacked up? Best movie theme since Eye of the Tiger from Rocky.
3. Beyonce- Single Ladies (2008) One of the true anthems for this decade. Bachelorette Party's will never be the same.
4. 50 Cent- In Da Club (2003) This movie had everyone from tweens to housewives sayin, "go shawty it's your birthday, we gonna party like its yo birthday."
5. Black Eyed Peas- I Got a Feeling (2009) This song will be heard for years to come everytime a 17 year old girl gets ready for a night out at the movies.
6. Outkast- Hey Ya! (2003) Had biggest catchphrase from a song in the lyrics "shake it like a Polaroid picture." You cannot do that anymore, Polaroid stopped selling the camera 4 years after the song was released. Ouch.
7. Rihanna feat. Jay Z- Umbrella (2007) Before Chris Brown, there was Umbrella. Great track, will not sound dated for many years.
8. Kelly Clarkson- Since U Been Gone (2004) Another anthem. I can tell you there are many, many men who have sang this in their car on the way home from the bars.
9. R. Kelly- Ignition Remix (2004) Great party song. Unfortunately probably will sound dated by 2015.
10. Justin Timberlake- Sexyback (2006) Song took a few listens to warm up to, but American warmed up fast. Sexyback became a pop culture term for the masses.

Too much to cover, too little time

Weekly Observations Dec. 7-13

• I don't know where to begin with Tiger. For some reason, I hate that he got exposed, but love hearing about it. At first, I thought it would be easy to come back from (i.e. Kobe 2003), but the more and more details that emerge, the tougher that is going to be. Awesome.
• Mizzou to the Texas Bowl???For everyone who is bitching about this, stop. Yes, we are better than Iowa State, but we lost at HOME to BAYLOR. We were their only win in the Big XII. What is the difference anyways? Unless you are in the title game, all bowls are the same.
• Yes, the new highway 40 is nice, spacious, and I have seen too many damn news stories on it this week. 'Nuff Said.
• I am surpirsed by some recent album sales. I am typically good at forcasting this stuff, b ut Rihanna's album tanking, and Susan Boyle tearing it up is quite shocking. I say that the"middle america" phenomenon is responsible for this anomoly.
• The Rams have work to do. There is no sure shot this year at QB (or any year really) and I don't know which direction I would go yet. Bring on Mel Kiper and Todd McShay already please.
• Peter Gammons leaving ESPN for MLB network is like Derek Jeter signing with the BoSox.
• Getting excited for a few movies. Up in the Air (for more reasons than just that it was shot in StL), Invictis with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, and who isn't curious about Avatar. James Cameron has alot to prove
• Again....Watch "The League" on FX Thursday's at 10.
• Buy Eastbound and Down: Season 1 on DVD before season 2 premiers in February.
• Does anyone go to InsideSTL.com regularly? They desperately need a mobile site.
• If you are on Twitter and like sports, follow: Adam Schefter, Ochocinco, Chris Mortensen, Joe Sports Fan (Local gone nationwide) and Bernie Miklasz.
• Watch out for your car if you live in the StL.....Car break-ins are at their highest level ever these last 2 weeks.
• Is it me, or does Quiktrip get better every single day. I will never use another gas station to buy my Diet Mountain Dew, and Chicken Taquitos.
• Finally, watch out these next few weeks for some crazy lists I am putting together to honor the end of the decade from hell. As always let me know what you think.

Random Observations for the week...

• Why is it that every commercial on ESPN Radio is for debt consolidation or quitting smoking? I feel like a derelict each time an ad. comes on.
• I've been reading on this Northside Re-devolopement project that is gaining steam for city approval. Looks to me like a great idea on paper. Read up on it at Stltoday.com.
• Check out Mizzou being one of the teams that was chosen by Nike to test their new Pro Combat uniforms. They look great. Here is the link to all of them.http://friendsoftheprogram.net/2009/11/10/nike-pro-combat-the-complete-collection-with-slogans/
• Go see "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock. Whether you like football or not, it's a good flick. Better than most inspirational sports movies.
• Congrats to Ford....Fusion is Motor Trend 2010 car of the year. I had one for a company car for a few months. Really liked it. This is big for the American car industry.
• If you are not watching "The League" yet on FX and you are a male, something is wrong with you. Check it out On Demand or watch it each Thursday night at 9:30.
• As far as updates on the St. Louis County/City smoking ban, it does not take effect until January 1, 2011. Also, a loophole in the law. If your bar is smaller than 2,000 square feet (i.e. Kilkenny's, Barristers, Red Lion, etc...) you do not have to comply until 2015. This whole thing has been nothing short of a disaster.
• Check out news on Mizzou basketball's phenomenal 2010 recruting class at Powermizzou.com

Now....For the worst movies

So, I did my Top 10 movies of the last decade a week or so ago. I feel pretty good about it looking back. (My Wife does not). Now, I figured why not go the opposite dirrection and give you my LEAST favorited movies of the last 10 years.

10. Men in Black II (2002) Does anyone remember 1 thing from this movie?
9. The Replacements (2000) Keanu at his best
8. Gigli (2003) I think the name says it all
7. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) Louder than a Pantera concert
6. Oceans 12 (2003) Messsing with a good thing is not a good thing
5. Meet the Fockers (2006) Ben Stiller=Lame
4. Ali (2001) Booorrriiiinngggggg
3. Troy (2003) See Above
2. Four Christmas' (2008) Comedy at it's worst
1. Pearl Harbor (2001) It truely hurt to watch this entire movie

Monday Evening Nose Tackle

Peter King of Sports Illustrated writes a much ready, highly influential football column each Monday morning called Monday Morning Quarterback (or MMQB). While his column is very well written, and we get the fact that he knows EVERYONE ever associated with the NFL, I thought the weekend re-cap needs a change of pace. I will write this each monday night and it's nothing more than my observations for the past week in the NFL....

-----First off, the refs are really, really making the popular phrase "No Fun League" a reality this year. This week showed some perfect example. Ochocinco "bribing" the ref was hysterical, and it looks like instead of $1, it may cost him a few extra zero's....4 to be exact. Is it really that big of a deal? Not really.
-----In the world of Fantasy Football, my proven theory that drafting a QB over a RB is being highlighted almost each weekend this year. For every Chris Johnson 200 yard game, there are 3-4 terrific fantasy weeks from Brees, Brady, Rodgers, Rivers, Manning etc. etc....I will ALWAYS take a great QB over a great RB in FFBL.
-----New Orleans has 11 defensive TD's this season. Cleveland has 9....ON OFFENSE.
-----Congrats to Vinny Testaverte, Eric Rhett, Sam Wyche and the rest of the Buccanneers on winning their first contest of the season. Wait, I don't think it was 1994. I might be off be a few decades.
-----Brandon Marshall's shoes, nuff said.
-----Is it me, or are there less Peyton Manning commercials this season? And why doesn't he host SNL again?
-----John Gruden should seriously consider staying in the booth and becoming the next John Madden. He is that good.
-----No Radiers, Browns, or Rams this week. What a shame.
-----Let's not over-do throwbacks in 1 season.
-----Finally, my midseason awards.
Nothing groundbreaking, but here they are, MVP--Peyton, Defensive Player of the Year--Darren Sharper, Coach of the year--Josh McDaniels, Offensive Rookie of the Year--Percy Harvin, Defensive Rookie of the year--Brian Cushing, Superbowl Prediction (call me un-original) Colts over Saints.

The Countdowns begin

For one, I am going to put a different countdown up on here at least a few times a week. For some reason, Americans love countdowns. I don't know why, but they seem to legitimize things that are otherwise simply one persons opinion. I am certainly no exception. I will read anything that involves counting something down. To start, it's a simple one. The top 10 movies of this decade. With the decade coming to an end, its about time for this one. This is also just my opinion, so nowhere will you find any Lord of the Rings, The Notebook, or Gigli.

10. Traffic (2000) Classic Soderberg, underrated.
9. Almost Famous (2000) "I am the golden god."
8. The Departed (2006) "Don't stop until you're numb."
7. The Hangover (2009) "OMG, have you seen The Hangover yet?!!"
6. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Brilliant Storytelling, great ending.
5. Boiler Room (2000) Wall Street on HGH.
4. Oceans 11 (2001) Brad Pitt was eating something in each scene.
3. There Will Be Blood (2007) "I drink your milkshake!!"
2. Miracle (2003) When do the Olympics start?
1. American Psycho (2000) Don't just stare at it, eat it."

...Because the World Series is a bore

So people are always saying to me, "Why the hell do you know that?" I don't know where I obtain much information, but for some reason it's just there. For a while, I've been thinking...How can I put any of this junk to use. This seems to be a good place for it. This blog really will serve no purpose. You will not see me spewing on the world things from my personal life such as work, home, or even the weekends. I don't post my status on Facebook, or Twitter, so why on here? I really would like to get any kind of ideas that could make this somewhere people visit just to stop by. Well, here goes nothing.