Before I Go, I Gotta Talk About the Greatest Post-Game Interview Ever

On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in a sloppy, back and forth 83-79 victory in the seventh and final game of the series to win their 16th NBA title in franchise history. LA trailed as many as eleven points and many factors went against them (Bryant went 6 for 24, bad turnovers, etc.), but they still found a way to do so. And you know what, I'm glad for two reasons:

1. Since this was the Lakers' 16th NBA championship, it brings them one title away from tying the Celtics for the most titles by a team in NBA history. Personally, I like the idea of two teams sharing the claim for most titles, kind of like the NFL from 2006-2009 when threes team (Dallas, San Fransico and Pittsburgh) held claim to the most Super Bowl titles. With two or more teams holding that claim, that means that no city can claim themselves to having the all-time dominant franchise, and everyone wins.

2. We got to see two of the most memorable moments in NBA finals post-game history.

a. Kobe Bryant mentioning that he has one more title than Shaq. Don't you think for a second that he has forgotten what happened from '04-'08, people!

b. One of the greatest post-game interviews ever, courtesy of Ron Artest, who was actually one of the biggest difference makers in that pivotal game seven. Take it away, Ron Ron!

So let's recap. In a fifty-five second span, Artest managed to:
- Thank his doctor, Dr. Sandeep (?)

- Thank everyone from his hood (which I think is Queens,. NY)

- Thank his wife, kids, and family

- Thank something called a World Wide Warriors

- Thank his psychiatrist, which is kind of interesting. While there are many other athletes that have psychiatrist to help them relaxed and stay calm, never have I actually heard someone thank them. So that's rare what he did.

- Promote his new single coming out

- Hug and thank Doris Burke while not answering her initial question at any point in those fifty five seconds.

- Make Kevin Garnett's "Anything is Possibleeeeeeeeeee!" moment after the '08 Finals seem like a speech from a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

What was also great about it was how much redemption Artest felt while giving that interview. Remember, Artest for years was regarded as one of the biggest thugs and most hateful players among teammates and the media. Now, after all that, he is finally an NBA champion, and he showed how grateful he was for it. Also, considering how much of a dud this seven game series was (no memorable games despite the fact that the Lakers-Celtics rivalry being renewed, at least five future Hall of Famers playing and it went all seven games. Well, maybe game seven. But even that can be argued against because of the fact that both teams played sloppy, the many turnovers and it feeling more like a regular season college game as you watched it), that may have been the best thing to come out of these Finals. So, thank you, Ron Artest, for the great soundbyte! And congrats on the title, by the way.

Now, how about a quick "End of the Week" to finish?

Video of the Week: Ron Artest's post-game interview (already shown)

Goat of the Week: Soccer WAGs, specifically the ex-girlfriend of 'Hand of Clod' goal-keeper Robert Green and the girlfriend of Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Can you women do anything right?

Story of the Week: The World Cup

Person of the Week: Everyone on the LA Lakers. Or future NBA free agents now the season is over. Either way.

Like I said earlier, I'll be back in three weeks. Try not to mess things up entirely while I'm gone.

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry (tips, perhaps?), e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Enjoy Three Weeks Off, You Crazy Kids!

Quick programming note about the short term future of this blog, so listen up: For the next twenty days, I will be going on a vacation to Europe, specifically in southern Poland to visit my family's ancestral land. This means that I probably won't have time to post my pointless dribble twice or three times a week during this period. So, the following regular segments will be suspended or cancelled from now until July 8th (when I come back):

- My random thoughts on 06/21, 06/28 and 07/05

- Every End of the Week for the next three weeks

- My End of the Month for June

- The return of my Emmy predictions column including who I think will win, should win and any other thoughts in any of the big categories. Instead of doing it the day it's announced (July 8th), it will come a few days later.

Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that I won't be completly out of sight during this time. I will still come back and make a quick post or two. Otherwise, go enjoy yourself. Take a stroll down a beach, watch some DVD of a movie or TV show you never watched, check out the archives and see how terrible I really am at writing...anything fun, to tell you the truth. It's summer after all!

So, to repeat the title, enjoy the next few days off. And thanks for your support of this site for the past eleven months (nine months on Blogger). Now, here's some sweet, sweet music from Freddie Mercury and Queen just for the sake of it:

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15

Random Thoughts: 06/08/10- 06/14/10

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Happy Flag Day, everyone! Hope you're showing your patriotism by having your American flag erect and proud today. Now then, let's get onto the half baked thoughts, shall we? The following were on my mind between Tuesday, June 8th and Monday, June 14th:

- After a two month absence, it's time for the return of my TV top ten, my picks for the ten best shows on television. This is also the last one of the 2009-2010 TV season since we're now in summer mode. Here we go:

10. "The Simpsons" (still #10)

9. "Fringe" (position previously held by ESPN's "30 for 30")

8. "The Office" (down from #6, position previously held by "Community")

7. "American Dad" (still at #7)

6. "Treme" (position previously held by "The Office")

5. "Community" (up from #8, position previously held by "South Park")

4. "The Pacific" (still at #4)

3. "Parks and Recreations" (down from #2, position previously held by "Breaking Bad")

2. "Breaking Bad" (up from #3, position previously held by "Parks and Recreations")

1. "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (still#1)

Up from Last List (April 2010): "The Pacific," "Breaking Bad," "Fringe," "Treme," "Community"

Down from Last List (April 2010): "Chuck," "30 for 30," "Parks and Recreations," "American Dad," "The Office"

New from Last List (April 2010): "Fringe," "Treme"

Just Barely Missed List: "30 for 30," "The Colbert Report," "Modern Family," "30 Rock," "South Park"

Some notes:

a. Happy trails to "The Pacific," one of the best miniseries I have ever seen. Compelling, terrific battle sequences, good acting, and just ten hours I'm glad I spent watching this. Basically, if this doesn't win best miniseries, I would be more shocked than if the sun never rose again.

b. Despite my great loyalty to "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" might have just passed it as my favorite TV drama. Can't wait to see how Matthew Weiner counters this summer.

c. Thank the glorious "Modern Warfare" episode for jumping "Community" into the top five. Even a month after it first premiered, I still think it's the funniest half hour of humor I have seen all year. In fact, the creators could just submit this episode to the people running the Emmys and it could very well help nominate them for Best Comedy.

d. I've already said enough about how this season of "The Office" has been their worst seen season 1. Let's just pray that it doesn't get any worse next year.

e. Since this is the final top ten of the 2009-2010 TV season, I think it's time to reward "The Daily Show," "Parks and Recreations" and "South Park" as one of the most consistent shows on the list. It seemed that these were the two that were there on the longest. Now, let's hope for some Emmy nominations for all three.

f. See, I told you "Treme" would be on the list! David Simon has yet to dissapoint!

g. Haven't watched "Justified," "Glee," and "Lost" (except for the finale) to put it on the list.

h. Shows to expect on the next list sometime in August or September: "Futurama," "Rubicon" (the sneak preview looked good), "Mad Men," "Louie' (a pretty promising comedy), "Hard Knocks" (having the Rex Ryan New York Jets could make it the best season ever).

- You know your country is not big into soccer when one of your local news stations has to explain that the World Cup is soccer's biggest event.

- For goodness sakes people, please go to Docker's and buy their stupid pants. That way, the "I Wear No Pants!" campaign which they have shoved in front of our eyes since the Super Bowl can finally end.

- Screw customs and traditions, the vuvuzelas need to be DESTROYED AND BURNED. I'm tired of watching every World Cup game with the crowd sounding like millions of angry hornets.

- Okay, two more things about the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup finals before I anger you:

a. If it was Jonathan Toews getting the Stanley Cup they booed and not Gary Bettman, then the Philly fans have no class. At least admit defeat and appreciate the history making moment you're watching.

b. Though Toews is still my favorite player, Patrick Kane is now my new idol.

-This is my new favorite commercial of 2010. Saw it run a few times on ESPN during the World Cup coverage. As you can see, Nike truly lives up to its reputation of great commercials. I don't think anyone can really top it:

Well, that does it. Hate to sound like a broken record player, but I hoped you enjoyed it. Have a good week, everybody!

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry (tips, perhaps?), e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 06/06/10- 06/12/10

END OF THE WEEK:

All right, I will try to keep this as Blackhawks limited as possible. After all, there will be another city who will have a major sports championship in a few days and no one besides Blackhawks fans and Flyers fans really cared about the Stanley Cup in the first place,. Also, had Chicago not been in the Stanley Cup, I wouldn't even think about talking about it unless there was some great goals or controversial moments. With that out of the way, here are my picks for some of the week's best moments:

Scapegoat of the Week: English Goalkeeper Robert Green

Hey, the fans need to put blame on somebody for not crushing those Yanks 4-0 or more! And who would be a better goat then the guy who made the "cock-up" of the century by fumbling a soft shot (or strike as those Brits say it) into the net that made the final score a US favored 1-1 tie instead of a 1-0 victory. Besides, with that "cock-up," the tabloids could make some good puns like "Hand of Clod". So while it was handed to Green undeservedly, it's understandable. And as a Chicagoan, I know a few things about scapegoats.

Stories of the Week:

-The Actual Story of the Week (that isn't the BP oil spill): The Chicago Blackhawks Win the Stanley Cup
All right, I lied. I couldn't resist. Yes, I know that there are probably some way more bigger stories, like the World Cup being underway, the Korea situation, etc. But from where I was the past five days, there hasn't been a single story bigger than this. Besides, it's not like we get championships by the year.

-The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week:: 16 Year Old Sailor Abby Sunderland Is Found Alive After Being Missing And Possibly Lost

Self-appointed overprotective parents of the teen rejoice!

Video of the Week: "Wax On, F*** Off With Ralph Macchio"

Good cameos from guys like Pat O'Brien and Kevin Connelly, nice use from Arcade Fire to make it feel more like an indie documentary, and it came out at a terrific time (the new "Karate Kid" movie premiered this Friday). It's so good, I would actually consider seeing it if it was a real movie, you know, to see how many 48 year old looking like a teenager jokes there will be.

Wax On, F*ck Off with Ralph Macchio from Ralph Macchio

IT'S THE GOD DAMN APOCALYPSE! Moment of the Week: The Conference Shake-Ups in College Football

Nebraska is heading to the Big Ten and Colorado is heading to the Pac-10, meaning the Big Ten now has twelve teams and the Big 12 now has ten teams (WTF?!). Boise State has joined the Mountain West and the WAC now becomes meaningless! Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor are all considering leaving for either the Pac-10 and the SEC! Kansas is being wooed by the Mountain West, and so is Missouri (though they are also considering joining the Big Ten)! For God sakes, even Notre Dame is considering losing its independence! IT'S THE END OF TRADITIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL AS WE KNOW IT! QUE THE R.E.M. SONG, QUICK!

Person of the Week: South Carolina

Oh, South Carolina! Just when you thought the state was done giving us some terrific moments to distract us from the screwed up things going on right now, like the story of Governor Mark Sanford in June to the story of the guy arrested for having sex with the same horse he was arrested for having sex with a year before in July (still one of my favorite stories to come out during my eleven months doing this blogging stuff) to even the "You lie!" guy in September, they just come back with another juicy one. And that moment came this past week, with the news of Alvin Greene. Greene, an Army veteran, ran to be the Democratic nominee for the state's Senate seat without any advertisements or promotions of any kind. Normally, this would be a bad sign in any other state. But not in South Carolina, because it where there where this pretty much unknown Greene actually beat the competition and won! Only in South Carolina, am I right?

Runner-up: Patrick Kane

From the moment he shot that overtime goal in game six of the Stanley Cup finals that was both confusing and anti-climatic, nobody enjoyed the days after than him. Just check out these highlights of him at the parade, and you'll see what I mean:

And that's the way it is! Enjoy the final days of your celebration, Chicago! Remember that you have to move out of the way for Los Angeles's or Boston's celebration when one of them has their team win the NBA Finals.

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry, e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mail might be addressed on a future post

YYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Man, was that awesome! No, not the goal by Kane. That was actually the most anti-climatic finish to a great playoff series that I have ever seen. Though it was great that it went in and that, with it, the series didn't have to go to a game seven, I wish it could've been more thrilling.

No, I'm talking about what followed. From Toews picking up the trophy and giving it to Marian Hossa (a champion at last!), to the city-wide celebration that followed. Streets were filled with cheers. Cars were honking all around. Thousands were drunkenly singing "Chelsea Dagger". Fireworks were, well, fired. Students forgot all about their final exam studying and homework and stayed up all night watching it all unfold. And the entire city, not just part of it like when the White Sox won the World Series, were celebrating the team ending the NHL's second longest Cup drought ever (49 years, back when the Kennedy administration. Only the NY Rangers' 54 year drought from 1940-1994 was longer). Truly fantastic, and one of the best moments I have seen in my time living in the city.

So, I guess the only thing to say now is just a nice, big thank you. Thank you, Jonathan Toews, for your Conn Smythe winning playoff performance. Thank you, Patrick Kane (KANER!) for the goal and for playing the way that you have the last three year. Thank you, Antti Niemi, for all those saves you made. Thank you, Dustin Byfuglien for going from the 245th pick in the '03 Draft to one of the biggest reasons this team won. Thank you, John McDonough, for all you have done.

Thank you, Rocky Wirtz, for not only repairing in three years what your now dead father ruined in forty, and for finally broadcasting the home games live (can't forget that). Thank you, lady luck, for helping the team get the first pick in the 2007 NHL draft over Philadelphia that they used to get Kane (just thinking about the possibility that the Flyers would have gotten Kane just gives me the chills). Thank you, Marian Hossa, for making your free agent signing back in July all worth it (and, once again, congrats on finally winning the cup). Thank you Norris Trophy nominee Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook and Andrew Ladd and Kris Versteeg and Dave Bolland and everyone else on the team and organization that helped make this all possible. Oh, and thank you Bill Wirtz, for dropping dead in 2007 and starting this great chain reaction in the first place.

So here's to what should be an orgasmic parade tomorrow morning. Now, let's sing it one more:

"DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DADA-DO!

DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DO

DADADA-DO!

DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DADA-DO!

DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DO

DA-DA-DADA-DO!"

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry, e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mail might be addressed on a future post

Random Thoughts: 06/01/10- 06/08/10

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

What's the difference between a man's penis and their wages? Plenty of women would be willing to blow a man's wages!

Warmed up? Well then, let's get started, shall we? The following were on my mind between Tuesday, June 1st and Tuesday, June 8th:

- Go, Hawks! Just as we left them last Tuesday, they are still leading the Stanley Cup Finals, only this time it's 3-2, after losing two straight to the Flyers in Philly (one in a 4-3 overtime loss and one in a 5-3 game that was much more of a blowout then the score suggested) but bouncing back in game five. What to say about it? Well, nothing then the fact that each team did what they were supposed to do: win at their own home court. Philly did it in games three and four, despite the fact that Chicago hadn't previously lost on the road since the Vancouver series, and doing it in convincing fashion. I mean, they practically dominated them in game four.

But then, things all changed when the series went back to the United Center, when they dominated the Flyers in almost all areas. The front line stepped up (Kane and Byfuglien combined for six points), the special teams improved significantly over the last two games, they played faster and they just played in their type of game that brought them her (unlike games 3 and 4). All that was needed was a Niemi no-no that game and it would have been a masterpiece by them.

So now, here comes the final two games of the series. Personally, I think that if the Blackhawks can play the same type of game they had in game five, the series WILL be over tomorrow night. But if the Flyers can do what they did in their first two games at home, this will go to a game seven, though I still see the Blackhawks coming out on top. Also, the Flyers should keep Leighton at goaltending. He was there through the last two rounds, and I think Philly should keep him at goaltending 'till the end (besides, it's not like Boucher played any better). Oh, and my favorite moment is still Carcillo's hit on his own teammate. No doubt about it

-So, apparently, pop culture is trying to bring back the 1980s with "The A-Team," the "Thundercats" cartoon, a "Teen Wolf" spinoff, "The Karate Kid," "Hawaii Five-O", etc. And quite frankly, I am getting pretty tired of this. I mean, is there really no more good ideas around in Hollywood? Dumb question. I guess the better question would be: is there not enough new talent in the entertainment industry that movie studios and TV networks that they have to go to the last resort and bring back things from twenty years ago? Can't they do what the movie industries in the 1970s did when they scouted new college kids like Spielberg, Lucas, De Palma and Scorsese and hope that they can bring a new light? Besides Quentin Tarantino, I can't seem to think of any bright new filmmaker to come out of the last twenty years.

- I wonder what people say about me behind my back.

- Cleveland: a city with such a bad history of professional sports the last forty years that websites and news publications are calling this year's Spelling Bee winner as the end of its long championship drought. (http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20vaG9zdGVkbmV3cy9hcC9hcnRpY2xlL0FMZXFNNWgxWGY0NkFuSWMyZjhlMFNGbjBkNjNRWko1RXdEOUc0UktHRzA=)

- I wonder if Ben Roethlesberger wishes he was still back in Miami of Ohio after the news about some of their fraternities behaving very badly:

(http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vZGVhZHNwaW4uY29tLzU1MzQxNjYvbWlhbWktdW5pdmVyc2l0eS1oYWQtdGhlLXB1a2llc3QtcG9vcGllc3Qtc2V4aWVzdC1zcHJpbmctZm9ybWFsLWV2ZXI=)

(http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vZGVhZHNwaW4uY29tLzU1NTI5OTkveWV0LWFub3RoZXItbWlhbWktc29yb3JpdHktZm9ybWFsLWVuZHMtaW4tZHJ1bmtlbi1wdWtleS1hbmFyY2h5)

-While I'm at it, here are my quick predictions for the World Cup:

Group Stage (numbers next to team indicate how many points I think they'll get)

-Group A

1. Uruguay: 6

2. Mexico: 5

3. France: 2

4. South Africa: 2

- Group B

1. Argentina: 9

2. South Korea: 6

3. Nigeria: 3

4. Greece: 0

-Group C

1. England: 7

2. United States: 5

3. Algeria: 4

4. Slovenia: 0

-Group D

1. Germany: 7

2. Australia: 5

3. Serbia: 4

4. Ghana: 0

-Group E

1. Netherlands: 7

2. Cameroon: 7

3. Denmark: 1

4. Japan: 1

-Group F

1. Paraguay: 7

2. Italy: 5

3. Slovakia: 4

4. New Zealand: 1

-Group G

1. Brazil: 9

2. Portugal: 6

3. Ivory Coast: 3

4. North Korea: 0

- Group H

1. Spain: 9

2. Honduras: 5

3. Switzerland: 2

4. Chile: 1

Knockout Stage

-2nd Round

Uruguay defeats South Korea

England defeats Australia

Netherlands defeat Italy

Brazil defeats Honduras

Argentina defeats Mexico

Germany defeats United States

Paraguay defeats Cameroon

Spain defeats Portugal

-Quarterfinals

England defeats Uruguay

Brazil defeats Honduras

Germany defeats Argentina

Spain defeats Paraguay

-Semifinals

England defeats Brazil

Spain defeats Germany

-Championship Game

England defeats Spain (2-1 in extra time)

It's hard to believe that its been forty-four years siince England won the World Cup, back when the gave out the U-10 wheelbarrow trophy and not the cool one they have now. But, that has just been the case thanks to some bad luck and missed opportunities. Next month, however, I think that it should change. First of all, they have an easy road to at least the semifinals with a group that only one team (the US) will challenge them, and two possible matchups in the knockout stage. The only problems should be a possible semifinal match with Brazil and a tough finals that will most likely be against Spain or Germany, but I think they will go pass them both on a gut feeling. They also have a good coach, one of the world's best players (Wayne Rooney), a good style of game played, and some good playing conditions for them in South Africa. But then again, this is the same guy who picked the Colts to win SB XLIV because of CBS broadcasting the game, so what do I know!

And that's gonna do it for now. Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone!

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry, e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mail might be addressed on a future post

This Will Never Happen Again: A Delayed Edition of End of the Week (05/30/10- 06/05/10)

END OF THE WEEK:

Big apologies, everyone on this overdue Monday edition. But unlike previous weeks, I had a ton of things to do. From schoolwork to work work, it was busy from top to bottom. Plus, with the Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals, the MTV Movie Awards and the Belmont Stakes all on this weekend, there simply no time for me to take two hours telling you why (SPOILER) Armando Galarraga's near perfect game was the biggest thing to happen this week (END SPOILER).

So let's just pretend for a moment that it's still Saturday. Let's just pretend that the Celtics win in game two of the NBA finals and the Blackhawks victory in game five of the Stanley Cup Finals have yet to take place. The return of Les Grossman at the MTV Movie Awards and the news that Helen Thomas is retiring? Well, since it's still Saturday, we have no knowledge of this. Ready? OK!

As per usual, here are my picks for some of the week's biggest moments:

Video of the Week: troyfromwestvirginia's "Armando Galarraga Loses Perfect Game Thanks to Umpire Jim Joyce"

Around the same time the ninth inning of this game took place, this west Virginia man stood and watched it all unfold on TV. Soon, other little joined in on the action. What follows is some gripping and intriguing eight minutes. By the way, if four little kids from West Virginia thinks that Jim Joyce was an idiot making that call, shouldn't it be time for MLB to add whether a runner was out to instant replay?

Stories of the Week:

- The Actual Story of the Week (that isn't the BP oil spill): Armando Galarraga's Perfect Game is Ruined By Incorrect Call From Umpire

Before Wednesday, most casual baseball fans would have never know the names Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce. But after that one fateful night in Comerica Park, those two names will be connected together throughout baseball history, like Milt Pappas and Bruce Froemming, or A.J. Pierzynski and Doug Eddings.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Galarraga, making just his third start of the season after having a previous record of 1-1 with an era in the low 4.00s, was one out away from pitching a perfect game against the Cleveland Indians . If the Detroit Tigers pitcher can get this final out, SS Jason Donald, he would become only the 21st pitcher in MLB history to do so and the third (!) pitcher to do so this month. And then, on the 1-1 pitch, Donald swung a groundball near 1B Miguel Cabrera and 2B Ramon Santiago. What follows next would become one of the most infamous moments in baseball history:

As you can see, the defensive play was executioned perfectly. Sure Miguel Cabrera was located way to far away from first base and Santiago should have gotten it instead. But Cabrera still grabbed the ball in time, and Galarraga was there in time to tag the base before Donald reached first. I guess Joyce must have thought before the at-bat that if it was close, the call was going to go to the batter. Still though, umpire Jim Joyce, who soon became a household name within minutes of that call, BLEW WHAT COULD'VE BEEN THE 21st PERFECT GAME IN MLB HISTORY, no doubt about it! But since no other umpire overturned that call and because there is no such thing in MLB that you use challenge the call using instant replay (MLB only allows instant replay challenges of calls on home run balls only), the call stood and Galarraga will never be able to have that terrific performance of his counted in the history books (although this will be considered a perfect game in the minds of millions).

So, what was the result of the outcome? Well, Joyce did admit after watching that moment again that it should have been an out, which at least proves that he agrees with everyone else who saw it. That moment will also forever be known as one of the worst officiated calls of all-time based on the circumstances and joining Joyce along the likes of Don Denkinger, who made a terrible call at first base in the ninth inning during game 6 of the '85 World Series eventually costing the St. Louis Cardinals the title. Austin Jackson's great catch earlier in the inning will never be immortalized like DeWayne Wise's catch in Buehrle's perfect game. Commisioner Bud Selig says he will look into expanding the use of instant replay (translation: I really won't do it, but at least I thought about it!), but will not overturn the call or make the two teams re-do that moment again. And for Galarraga? Well, he probably won't get another opportunity to do so, but at least he got an awesome Corvette from GM for almost getting one, and a pretty well made Wikipedia page!

- The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Citi-bank Clerk Debralee Lorenzana Claims To Be Fired From Work For Being Too Good-Looking

If this really did happen, then those people operating the bank are idiots. I mean, do they know how many people came into the bank just to be able to see her, and how much cleavage can make men willing to make deposits? Also, those people in the office who complained about her being too distracting are morons as well. Enjoy working your boring workday without your best distraction, morons!

Person of the Week: Jim Joyce

There are really two reasons an umpire can become as big of a name as Jim Joyce did this past week:

1. Being an attention grabbing whore like Joe West

2. Make a terrible, Denkinger like blown call.

Well, on Tuesday, Joyce did the latter and made arguably the worst regular season call in baseball history, calling SS Jason Donald safe when he should have been out in what would have been the final out of Armando Galarraga's perfect-o. But at least he did what a normal gentleman would after the game he saw the replay of his blown call. He went to Galarraga and apologized for the call. He even tearfully admitted to the press that he was wrong, and how he really felt bad for ruining the perfect game. If it had been a douche like Joe West, he probably would have denied it being safe until his deathbed while ejecting anyone who disagreed with it like Cabrera or Leyland. And that is at least one thing to like about the game of baseball.

Let's also not forget the next day, when Joyce cried on the mound as he was being introduced to the Comerica Park crowd the next day with mostly applause and when Galarraga gave him the line-up card for the next day's game. Also, big props to Galarraga for how he reacted to the call. Instead of pouting Rasheed Wallace, he simply accepted it, gave a smile, and went back to the mound silentl, and then forgiving Joyce for his error. A truly class act of sportsmanship and grace from both.

And that's the way it is with this Armando Galarraga themed installment! Be sure to check out the next edition, only on Saturday this time (I promise!). Enjoy the rest of your weekend*!

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry, e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mail might be addressed on a future post

The BP Oil Spill, TV Show Finales, a Smoking Baby and Other Stuff From May (a.k.a Blog #142)

END OF THE MONTH:

Quite a few things to cover from this month. So much, in fact, that I didn't even bother to waste even more writing some type of monologue, which has been customary since the very beginning. So let's get straight into it, shall we? From oil companies to perfect pitchers, from car bombings to eels, and so on, the following are my picks for some of the biggest, best and most memorable moments from the month of May, 2010. Enjoy:

Deaths of the Month: Actors Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper

Videos of the Month (and there were plenty of good ones in May):

- The Best Rant: Cleveland Indians Announcer Bruce Drenman

Terrific. Now, if only Ken Harrelson could be the same man as he is and talk about this year's White Sox the same way. Alas!Speaking of Cleveland...

- The Most Pitiful: "We Are Lebron"

So, a few days before the Cavs just gave up in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in what might have very well have been the last game for Lebron James in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform, some of Cleveland's biggest "stars" all came to make a "We Are the World" parody in which they plead James to stay in Cleveland. It's sad to watch, seems poorly made and just appears to be too desperate. But hey, anytime you can get Gov. Charles Strickland, Carl Monday (sitting at 1:56) and "Big Dawg" on the same stage is something truly historic.

- The Most Inappropriate: "Worst Wedding DJ Ever"

Big props to the girl. Her no-reaction to the moment easily made the video better and rose this video in the Unintentional Comedy Scale to great heights.

- Best Promotional Video...NOT: "We Built Sioux City"

So awful, it just makes Sioux Falls even better. In their defense, what were they supposed to do? Last time I checked, there wasn't a great advertising agency within miles of the area.

- The Funniest: "SNL Digital Short: Great Day"

Oh, Andy Samberg! Just when I start doubting you, you come up with these two and a half glorious minutes. Well done.

- The Most Awesome: "Greyson Michael Chance Performing Lady Gaga's 'Paparazzi'"

It just goes to show you how easy it is to be famous. Before the video, this thirteen year old was a nobody. Now, tens of millions of hits later, he's signed to a record deal and has become one of the Internet's newest web sensation. By the way, a seperate should go to the emotionless girls watching Chance perform. It's priceless, and confusing because you can't tell if they're shocked how good he is or just not interested.

Comeback of the Week (Possibly of the Ages, Too):

During the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the NHL Playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers came back down three games to none in the series and even 3-0 in game seven to win the final four games over the Boston Bruins to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That makes them only the third NHL team in history to come back and win a series down three games to none earlier, and just the fourth in all of the four major proffesional sports (NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL). Not only that, but it also provided some great schadenfreude watching the Boston sports fans react to the loss and have advanced as far as the Stanley Cup Finals because of this. Wow.

Stories of the Month:

- The Most Terrorist-ing (made word up on the spot): Car Bombing Attempt in Times Square Fails

- The Weirdest: Chinese Man Dies After Terrible Practical Joke Gone Wrong

So what did we learn? Well, first off, if you're going a man in his near sixties try not to hang out with guys who thinks putting a live eel in your pants while drunk would be funny. That's number one. Number two: if you have a strong urge to put a live eel in someone's pants, don't do it. And the most important: DON'T DO ANYTHING INVOLVING LIVE EELS AND BOWELS!

- Most Likely to Start a War, or At Least Create Bigger Tensions: South Korean Ship Sunk by North Korean Submarine, Over 100 People Die

Yeah, let's just say that the already tense conflict between the two nations will not ease because of this.

- The Funniest: The Story of Yo-Yo "Master" K-Strass

Shame on him! As if the credibility of small market news stations weren't already bad, this guys shows up and makes them look even worse! THE GALL.

- The One With the Best Headline: Guy Dressed as Captain America With Burrito In Pants Arrested For Groping Woman

That must have been a great police report to fill!

- The "I Can't Believe This Is Still Going On" Story of the Month: The BP Oil Spill

45 Days. That's how long it has been since the first drops f oil were let out from that oil rig near the Gulf of Mexico. And in this nearly two month span, we have had two or three failed attempts to fix it, the credibility of an oil company and the concept of offshore drilling ruined (and yet BP stocks have risen 3%. Whodathunkit?), any type of oil production in the area suspended until further notice, President Obama's popularity ruined even more because of this, and at least two failed attempts two stop it (Operation "Top Kill" and one with an insersion tube) with another one on the way and also looking like ti won't be able to stop it. Oh yeah, and it has also passed the Exxon Valdez spill of the eighties as the worst oil spill in US history, so there you go! And now, well the oil is still leaking constantly (you can even watch it happen if you'd like with this live feed) and there are reports that this could continue up to August. August!

In conclusion, it's a tragedy. Now, let's just hope that this doesn't at least continue on for another month because, believe me, the thought of this story continuing on as I'm posting June's "End of the Month" is just scary.

Fact of the Month: In the 130 year history of MLB, only 18 perfect games were able to be recorded. In the last three weeks? Two, one by Dallas Braden bak in Mother's Day and one by Roy Halladay on Saturday (though, most of us can agree that it should've been three). Add in Mark Buehrle's back in July, and that makes three in ten months. Talk about random, am I right?

Smoking Baby of the Month: Ardi Rizal

Actual quote from the mother: "He's totally addicted. If he doesn't get cigarettes, he gets angry and screams and batters his head against the wall. He tells me he feels dizzy and sick." So don't worry about those "Am I the terrible parent?" debate in your head, folks!

TV Finales of the Month: "Lost," "24," and "Law and Order"

One left with a heavily debated and talked about finale, one left at a time when most of their fans probably thought was a couple of years too late, and one just ended quietly without much fanfare despite being one of the longest running TV dramas ever. However they ended, all three contributed to television in a big way the last twenty years and will be missed by their fans.

Person of the Month: BP

Yeah, I think I don't need to repeat the things I've mentioned earlier to state my case with this one.

Runners-up: President Obama, "Lost" fans, the Gulf of Mexico, Summer

And that's the way it was! So with May out of the way, it now looks to be a very promising June. As mentioned before, you have summer underway as well as the NBA Finals, the final games of the Stanley Cup Finals, the World Cup (especially looking forward to it), good blockbuster movies like "Toy Story 3" and more like the oil spill possibly, you know, possibly be stopped (finally). So enjoy it, and have fun not commemorating the Tiananmen Square protests today, China!

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or
if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry, e-mail him
at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mail might be addressed on a future
post

Random Thoughts: 05/24/10- 06/01/10

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Hoped you enjoyed your Memorial Day! And now, to kick this week and the month of June off, here's a short and sweet edition of the RTs. The following were on my mind between Monday, May 24th and Tuesday, June 1st:

- All right, Blackhawks! Despite playing the first two games without their key guys like Toews, Kane and Byfuglien not producing anything except for one assist (Byfuglien to Eager in game two), the rest of the team stepped up tremendously ( I mean, Ben Eager and Tomas Kopecky scored a goal!) with great offense in game one and some hard-working defense in game two to lead the Stanley Cup Finals 2-0 in the series! I got to give it up to Philadelphia, though. Leighton did bounce back in game two after giving up five goals in game one, and there you could argue that they played better than Chicago the first two games in everything except for goaltending and the goal count.

Also, while I do see the Blackhawks hoisting the cup by the end of the series and Marian Hossa ending that "curse" of his, I do see Philadelphia making this series last for a little longer. That is, if they can continue stopping any production from Kane/Toews while playing as aggressive and in their tempo like last night. I would also like to add the fact that they're playing the next two games at home, but I won't since Chicago hasn't lost a road playoff game since the first round. Oh, and if I were to pick my favorite moment right now, it would definetly be Flyers coach Peter Laviolette putting in Dan 'The Goon' Carcillo into the game simply to hit and antagonize Blackhawks players only to have his biggest hit on teammate Jeff Carter. Classic.

- I'm a little worried about "Toy Story 3." Yes, I know pretty much every movie Pixar makes turns to gold and that the previous two films were great (so great, in fact, that according to Rottentomatoes.com, the movies are the 7th and 1st highest rated films of all time respectively). However, after seeing the trailers and clips of the film, I fear that it will be like many other movie franchises that had a ten year gap or more between the last two movies, not as good and just a caricature of its former self. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

- I love it whenever something truly amazing happens in MLB, Tim Kurkijan is there to provide us with some facts to back up how big of a feat this is, despite how pointless they are for you to know. A good example of this is when Roy Halladay pitched the perfect game (another reason why I'm such an idiot for accidentally accepting that Halladay for Sabathia trade back in April), and Kurkijan was talking about how this was the first perfect game on a Saturday in thirty-something years, how this is the first time ever two perfect games were recorded in the same month ever, first Phillies perfect game since Jim Bunning, etc. And it's not just perfect games. Unassisted triple plays, comparing players to others throughout history, minor moments that never occured to anyone else besides him and a few others how awesome it was that some moment just happened during a game, and on and on. It's as if he was a walking baseball fun facts book.

- Every movie theater should be able to show 3-D movies by 2012, not just select ones. After all, this should be the effect for we're living in a time where movie tickets can cost up to $20, electronic companies are making 3-D TVs and 3-D Blue Rays, and almost all animated studios like Pixar and Dreamworks are making all movies in 3-D.

New random thoughts to come next Monday! Enjoy these first few days of June, everyone!

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry, e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mail might be addressed on a future post