Straggling Comments

It's funny how a post this old still gets occasional comments.

And, for the record, Rivers seems to have never acted this way again (at least not that I've seen).

I do like the guy, too. But I doubt that this post will generate comments - certainly not three seasons out.

This Post is Brought to You by the Number 27!

My New York Yankees!

[photo source]

I *Love* Salsa!

And that's why I'm so excited about Saturday mornings!



By the way, I actually searched for a good 20 minutes to find this video. Yes, I'm really that pathetic.

NBA

Never, ever have I wished so badly that an NBA player gets leveled.  It's so very un-Christian of me.  

And yet, when I see Rondo, I just want someone to just TAKE. HIM. OUT.

Want to flop and fake a foul while playing dirty against us?  Let me show you a REAL foul.

See?  Very un-Christian.  He makes me so MAD!  And no matter how dirty he plays (or any of Boston's players, for that matter), he doesn't get suspended.  Hip check a player so hard he winds up in the locker room getting stitched up?  No suspension.  Later in the same game, grab another player by the arm and hurl him into the scorers' table?  No suspension.  More dirty play against Orlando (though no stitches or throwing involved)?  No suspension.  Perkins throws a forearm into the throat of an Orlando player?  No suspension.

Do they have to decapitate someone to get suspended or something?  

Tony Parker Should Have Been in the Castle

While watching our recorded Slam Dunk and Skills Challege shows from the All Star Weekend, I saw one of the funniest commercials I've seen in a long time.

When it started, I thought, "Oh, my gosh!  They're doing a spoof of Monty Python and the Holy Grail!"  And then the Holy Grail music came in.  I nearly died laughing!

This is a combination of all of the shorter commercials, which can also be seen here.

Dunking and Sportsmanship

We're big Orlando Magic fans around here, and just LOVED Dwight Howard's slam dunk win last year during the All Star Break.

And when asked what makes him most proud of his son - Slam Dunk Champ, top player in the NBA, Olympic Gold Medal Winner - Dwight's dad said he was most proud of his Christian faith.  How can you dislike a guy with a family like that?  This year's Slam Dunk contest was fun to watch, even if Little Girl was disappointed at the lack of birthday cupcakes.  And Dwight Howard, though he lost the contest, was still BMOC as far as I was concerned because of his sportsmanship and his assistance to Nate Robinson.  Robinson won, by the way, and Howard (despite what the announcers said) did not look all that disappointed.  It's all fun, and Howard just was all class here.

Of course, this dunk was just so jaw-dropping, we weren't sure it could be beat.  Naturally, when you are under 6 feet tall and jump over someone who is nearly 7 feet tall, you deserve to win.  (But since my girls loved it so, I wanted to include this, Howard's new Superman dunk.)

Okay, one more. A little risque, perhaps, but kind of funny.

Lewd and Lascivious Behavior

Can someone tell me why I can't watch the Super Bowl with my kids without changing the channel at every third commercial?  For example, at just after 7 EST (4 in the afternoon for West Coasters!), we had the girls cover their eyes QUICK when a Fast and Furious commercial came on.  Thank God we did: there was a very brief, but still there, lesbian kiss in the commercial.  A Doritos commercial showed a woman in black lace lingerie with garters and stockings (and quite suddenly).  An NBC spot for Chuck that aired several times from 6:30 on (and probably earlier, but we weren't watching much before kickoff) had a busty blonde crawling up a bed in lingerie.  Go Daddy ... well, we just know to turn that off as soon as we see anything with that name.  A commercial for flowers that started out funny wound up working in "No one wants to see you naked" and another reference from a co-worker that he would ... as he is told to shut up. 

And if this is a sampling of the commercials that were let through, just how bad was that PETA ad to be pulled?

And this isn't even getting into the violence in so many ads!

It isn't like this is a surprise, though.  We've found that we need remote in hand at all times when we try to watch sports with our girls.  We keep EWTN on the recall to get away quickly from the immodest, amoral, sexually-charged commercials that are now typical during sporting events.  But we are dismayed at how bad this has become.  It used to be that dads could watch the game with their kids and bond.  Now it's an exercise in quick reflexes as you try to shield your children from the Culture of Death.  

(There were exceptions.  Budweiser's Clydesdale ads, the Coke ad below where Troy Polamalu takes Mean Joe Green's place ["Is he coming?"], and the e*trade ads were all good, clean fun.  But overall, commercial breaks have become a nerve-wracking experience for concerned parents.)

That Might Explain a Few Things...

Report: Jets' Favre has torn biceps tendon (AP)

HOLY COW!!

I TOTALLY forgot to mention this last week!

Big Girl's team had their second soccer game of the season last week (September 19).  Little Girl plays with her this year, which is great because it's making her less timid when playing sports, but unfortunately, Little Girl was also running a fever last week.  (We all took turns, and Big Girl actually missed soccer practice the previous Tuesday because of it.)

My parents were there to watch the game since they were on the way to my cousin's wedding in NYC the next weekend.

And, it finally happened.

Big Girl SCORED!!!!!  This is her third or fourth year with the team, two seasons per year, and she finally got in there and pounded on into the goal!  As it went past the goalie, she thrust her fists into the air and made a sharp turnaround on the field, running with her fists up and her arms straight.  Her coach ran out onto the field and hugged her.  I restrained myself enough NOT to do that, but was definitely heard screaming as I jumped up and down on the sidelines.  And the best part is that it happened right in front of where we were seated.  We'd set our chairs down near the goal where her team would score in the second half!

It was a really, really exciting day.  I am SO proud of Big Girl!




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So Cute!

I especially love the one sister looking for the Yanks on the other sister's smock!  

As seen at CSVF Blog.

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The Boston Three Party

This might be a sin, but I took GREAT pleasure in seeing the Lakers completely humiliated last night.  I really have a strong dislike for the Lakers (in general, not because they win a lot, or I'd not like the Celtics, either), and especially for Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.  So when Paul Pierce said at halftime, "We're just going to keep the pedal to the metal in the second half," I was ecstatic!  And to see LA lose by 39 points was just plain fun!  

I don't think there's any other team I'd feel that way about, and there have been times when I've commented that there's no need to rub it in and blow them out when I see other games.  But last night, after hearing Kobe say in a previous round of the playoffs that he can "turn it on any time he wants," I just took great pleasure in seeing him demoralized in the game.  (I did have respect for Kobe before his legal problems, too.  It's not that I thought he was guilty of rape, but I was disgusted that he was cheating on his wife on a regular basis.)

About halfway through the fourth quarter, LA seemed to just plain stop trying.  Their defense, which had been struggling all night, became non-existent.  Their offense was sloppy and rushed.  No one stepped up to help Kobe, whose defenders were like white on rice with him all night long.  And when there were 3 1/2 minutes left and the Big Three (The Boston Three Party, as ESPN put it) sat down, even the Celtic reserves just had their way with the Lakers.  It was pathetic at the end.  And I loved it.

And who can't feel good for Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett, two real class acts?  Let's face it, Garnett did his time in Minnesota without complaint, has never said an unkind word about this former team (even when baited to do so about halfway through the season), and even said that his  Championship win was not only for Boston, but for his fans in Minnesota!  And Doc, congratulating the Lakers after the game, shaking hands with Kobe, standing on the sidelines with his son in the final minutes of the game?  What a really sweet man he is!  (I loved him when he coached my beloved Magic in Orlando, too.  I was sorry to see him go.)  The Celtics showed that it's not a "superstar" who wins the championship by carrying the team, it's a team who wins that championship together by being unselfish and doing what is best for the entire team.  Great numbers are one thing, but if one guy has fantastic numbers and the team loses, what good were those numbers?

Congratulations to the Boston Celtics!

[image source]

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Can Someone Explain This?

The Orlando Magic were the three-seed in the East. Third best record in the Eastern Conference. They've beat both Boston and Detroit this season.

In the first round of the playoffs, they played sixth-seeded Toronto. (The Raptors, not the Barneys - they've changed their logo a little and he looks more deadly than cuddly.) Deadly-looking or not, Orlando is the ONLY team in the East who is finished with their series. Beat the Raptors in five games. Win, win, loss, win, win.

So can someone please explain THIS headline from the AP?

Underdog Magic get to rest up for Round 2 (AP) - 23 hours ago

How exactly is the three-seed the underdog? Really.





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Soccer Practice vs. Holy Father

I JUST realized that Big Girl's soccer practice interferes with my papal watching. We are supposed to be across town for a 4:15 practice, and they actually want us early today.

BOOO HISS! ;)

Well, we might be a little later than they want us to be. We're going to watch the Holy Father land, by golly. I've been waiting a long time for this moment!





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Moron

Stupid Sox Fan tries to curse the new Yankees Stadium.

Funny? Only if you're a Sox stooge on ESPN.(BTW, if you go to the YouTube site, I apologize for the language.) And the "I didn't do anything bad" stuff ... they had to DIG THROUGH THE CONCRETE to get it out! Dude, uncool. VERY uncool.

Here's a shot of the Yankees Universe shirt. (Proceeds of the sale of these shirts go to charity. Details here, from whence I snagged the picture.)

And, by the way, just because we dropped 2 out of 3 doesn't mean the Sox have our number this year. Jeter's out with an injury right now, Posada hasn't been catching (and the Sox scored one run that they wouldn't have if Posada had been able to throw), and - come on, folks - it's still April. There's plenty of time.

Just wait, Red Sox. You'll get yours.






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1-0

Big Girl's first soccer game was cancelled last Friday, and I was grateful. Even though her fever broke Wednesday night and she didn't run one all day Thursday, I was nervous about her running up and down the field on Friday. So when the county cancelled all activities on its fields Friday afternoon, I breathed a sigh of relief.

This past Tuesday, when she normally would have had a practice, the team played a makeup game. Big Girl played in the entire game, and was WAY tired, but also was REALLY fantastic!

Their team had an advantage in the first half in that the other team was missing a few kids who were running late, and so we were able to make substitutions while they were not. But the substitutions, I think, did not make too much difference.

Big Girl's team has two boys and nine girls. And Big Girl is the oldest on the team, too! (She'll be ten just around the end of the Fall season, which will be her last with this age group.) One boy is very sweet, but when he started playing about a year ago, he had to really learn to stay on his feet. He liked to slide, like in baseball. So I'll call him Slider Boy. The other boy is only eight, but is very tall. (I thought he was closer to Big Girl's age, and we wondered how he hadn't moved up yet, since boys must move up when they are nine while girls can stay until they are ten.) I'll call him Andre (like the Giant - ha ha! - he's as gentle, too). There's also a girl who is new to the team, and she's teeny tiny, but - WOW! - what defense! She's unafraid of all the bigger kids, too! She's Firecracker - little and powerful. Then there are the Powerful Katrinka twins - who are actually not twins, but are sisters. They are the coach's daughters, and are both also very teeny. Neither of them are shrinking violets, either. Katrinka 1 and Katrinka 2. There are, of course, other players, as well, but these are our key players for the week.

Slider Boy and Firecracker both helped out on defense by keeping the ball away from the goalie as much as possible (did I mention that Goalie Girl was awesome, too, in her first season as such?). They did a great job of getting it back into the other side of the field, closer to the opponents' goal. Once over there, Big Girl helped get the ball closer to the goal, and Andre and the two Katrinkas all got within shooting distance. Andre scored the first goal, then Katrinka 1 scored another, and Andre scored another, too. All in the first half! It was really an intense game, and at one point, Slider Boy gave a mighty kick and sent a ball straight into another boy's stomach! Oh! The poor kid! His father hugged him while he wailed and wailed - it practically hurt my stomach when it happened - and after a goal was scored, the boy sat on the ground with his dad (the coach) until he could breathe again. Poor boy! (He did wind up being okay, by the way.)

At the half, we were up 3-0, and the kids were pumped! Big Girl collapsed into a chair and guzzled water and scarfed down some grapes to recharge.

During the halftime break, the missing players from the other team all arrived and subsequently played in the second half. AH! Much better! There was one more goal - scored on us - in the game, and plenty of back-and-forth action and competition.

And so Big Girl's team is 1-0 so far this season - a better start than last year - with another game on Friday evening. Instead of my original plan of tuna casserole Friday, I've decided we need to stop for a pizza on the way home. MUCH easier. I just wish fried chicken was meatless! LOL! I have a hankerin' for some KFC. (Actually, I have a hankerin' for some Roy Rogers' chicken, but there aren't any here - phooey!)







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Restoring Order to the Universe

**

I have been meaning to post this all week, but I kept forgetting. This quote by Hank Steinbrenner just made my day. And I heard it on SportsCenter, too.

“Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of [expletive] that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans. Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We’re going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.”

Restore the universe to order. Yes, I look forward to that very much.

Just like I love the reason behind Joe Girardi's number. It has to do with the number of championships the Yanks have.

[image sources: Hank, Joe]

**Try as I might, I could not find a smiling picture of Hank. I really didn't want to use such a mug-shot-looking photograph, but I didn't have a lot of choice. If someone has taken a picture of the man in full-blown smile, I couldn't find it.

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U-G-L-Y! You Ain't Got No Alibi!

While I'm ranting, could someone tell me who the genius is that came up with the uniforms for the NBA All Star Game?

Whoever it was ought to be taken out back and shot. Or at least fired. It was the most confusing game to try to watch.

I'd rather everyone wear his own uniform in home or away colors than the horrible unis they had on Sunday.

Oh, did you miss it? Let me show you what I'm talking about:

As you can see, the front isn't too bad. Blue for East, White for West.

But can you see the backs a little here?

Here's a better view of the backs. White for East, Gold for West.

So if you have a guy from the East facing away from the camera and a guy from the West facing towards the camera, they are both in white.

Brilliant, eh?

/sarcasm

Whoever thought that up should be fired from the costume department.

[all images from NBA.com]

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Love Those Mannings!

This is the funniest commercial featuring back-to-back Super Bowl MVP Quarterbacks I've ever seen.

That's a lot of qualifications, but I really think this commercial is hysterical. I especially love Olivia Manning clapping happily as Archie hides his face in shame.



"This is our life. It's what we do." ROFL!

And here's the theme song.



Great graphics, huh? ;)

Honestly, I can't get enough of the Mannings. They're so funny.



Here they are, touring the ESPN Digital Center:



You'll have to click through on this, but it's very cute. Peyton interviews his baby brother just after he is picked nubmer one in the draft.

And, if for no other reason but to watch the looks on the Patriots' fans' faces (the ones who were taunting Eli at the beginning of the drive), the final Giants drive, flimed at the Super Bowl. (I'm sure this won't stay up long, since I'm not completely sure it's legal to videotape the game while you're there.) The big TD comes in at 3:23.



Last one, I promise. Peyton gives a pep talk for the dads stuck driving the minivan around.






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This Information Made Me Sad

Every year, a bunch of guys from the 1972 Dolphins have champagne after the Super Bowl to celebrate that they are still the only team to go undefeated for an entire season.

It's been 35 years, guys.

Think it might be time to let go of the past and move on?

Let's look at a few of the quotes from the '72 Dolphins:

• "If the Patriots can do all that, my hat is off to them," [guard Bob] Kuechenberg said. "They will have earned the right to join us in the ranks of the immortals."
• "I have to embrace the fact there's a possibility we may have company," [Mercury] Morris said. "But it doesn't change anything about who we are. We'll always have the pole, and they'll have the outside pole." (last two quotes from here)
• ''I'm happy for the New York Giants,'' said Mercury Morris, the former running back who previously had been among the most negative of the '72 Dolphins in addressing the Patriots' run at perfection. ''They were the ones who [won], and they deserve to win because they did what it took to win; which is exactly what we did 17 times in 1972. (source)

Plus there's that "any given Sunday, except in 1972" comment Morris had.

Puh-leeze. Nothing is worse than someone who just can't get past their glory days from 35 years ago.

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Oh, Ed! If Only You Were Working on Sunday!

Rats. I was hoping I could root for penalties during the Super Bowl. Phooey.

And I'd LOVE a plan like the one this guy talks about.




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