Steven Spielberg, Tiger Woods, and Louis C.K....on CBS?!??

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Thursday, January 26th and Monday, January 30th:

- Louis C.K. is co-creating a multi-camera sitcom for CBS?!?! That's...interesting, especially considering the fact that he's still working on "Louie" and even spent time on that show making fun of the blandness of multi-camera sitcoms in an episode back in season two. Hopefully, he will be putting his money where his mouth is and actually put together a CBS comedy that isn't based on broad jokes and standard tropes. After all, the guy has had a pretty good track record in the past five years. We'll see.

- I can't really consider the SAGs to be a legitimate awards show, not when they have Patrick J. Adams and the "Dexter" casts as nominee and continue to give awards to Alec Baldwin and Betty White year after year, something that even the Emmys aren't to lazy to do.

-First "Falling Skies," then "Terra Nova," and now both "Smash" and "The River." Suddenly, the words "Executive Producer Steven Spielberg" has kind of lost its luster. Another thing that's lost its luster? The words "hit series" during ads for TV shows. It seems like networks just give it away to anything (ex: ABC promoting "Work It" as "the new hit comedy" just days before they cancelled it).

- Watching yesterday's Bulls-Heat game has made me even more excited for this May's Eastern Conference final re-match. You know it's going to happen, and it's going to make last year's showdown look like an appetizer by comparison.

- Another reason why I will remember "Chuck" fondly that I didn't include in Friday's post: it's series finale, which was excellent. Funny, sweet, some great callbacks, and an ending that (while not completely satisfying) gives us fans a good assumption that everything will work out well for everyone.

- It may not have been a win, but Tiger Wood's excellent finish in this week's tournament in Dubai is a good enough sign of what should be a very decent rebound year in 2012.

More of the RTs to come this Thursday. Until then, don't y'all stop being adorable!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15




If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

A 2011 NFL (Postseason) Predictions Special: Season Ending Awards of a Different Kind

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the site of next week's Super Bowl XLVI


Next week, the AFC champion New England Patriots take on the NFC Champion New York Giants in Indianapolis to determine the winner of Super Bowl XLVI, a game whose hype should probably be the biggest in NFL history. So, expect to see hundreds of retrospective discussions on Super Bowl XLII and the "Eli Manning playing in his older brother's stadium for the chance to get one more championship than him" topic to be beaten endlessly to the ground (Hell, it's probably already beaten to a bloody pulp at this point). In the meantime, though, we find ourselves in the dreaded Super Bowl bye week, the week between the conference championships and the big game that reminds football fans a preview of the painful truth that we're only a few days away from seven months without a single meaningless game and Sundays much as this one. Sure, there's the Pro Bowl, but that's more of a tasteless diversion than anything else.

The Super Bowl bye week also means that I essentially have no games to predict in this week's column. With that in mind, I've decided to spice things up by looking back on the past season that was with The mj15 Blog's 1st Ever Season-Ending Awards! After all, the NFL is going to give out their major end-of-the-year honors next Saturday in the inaugural NFL Honors ceremony, so why shouldn't I? The only difference, of course, is unlike the usual awards that the NFL gives out, like MVP or Rookie of the Year, I've decided on creating new awards for things that each deserve them in their own way. So, let's get right to it, shall we?

Least Valuable Player (LVP): Chad Ochocinco, WR (New England Patriots)
In a year that saw his 2011 teammate Tom Brady throw 39 touchdowns and a career best 5,235 yards on 611 attempts, it would be pretty shocking for any of the Patriot's top wide receivers, let alone someone with such star power and notoriety as Ochocinco, to not benefit stats-wise. Yet, in 2011, that was just the case for the man formerly known as Chad Johnson, who caught a career worst 15 receptions for a measly 276 yards and only one touchdown (in week 15, no less) as New England's #3 wide receiver. This coming off a career in Cincinnati that saw him gain over 800 yards in eight of the previous nine seasons (the only time he didn't get past that mark came in 2008 when he missed a few games due to injury) before being traded to New England in August. Now, all of a sudden, it appears that the man's career might be finished. But don't worry, Ocho fans! I'm sure his second career as a bull rider will work out just fine.

Most Dissapointing Fantasy Football Player: (tie) Chris Johnson, RB (Tennessee) and Desean Jackson, WR (Philadelphia)
This award is different than the LVP because it's an award given to an NFL player who many drafted highly in their fantasy football drafts only to disappoint with seasons that were the epitome of underwhelming (players who were placed in the IR before the end of the season don't count, or else Jamaal Charles would dominate this category). This year, I decided to split the award up between two members of the 2008 NFL draft class who may have given future stars a lesson of what not to do in the middle of a contract year. In the summer, both men decided to hold off of the team's training camp in order to get better deals for themselves before each receiving new deals. Then, once the season kicked off, both men had their karma working highly against them. Jackson (average draft position according to ESPN.com: #28) underacheived with only 4 touchdowns despite being healthy all year as a starting wide receiver, while Chris Johnson (ADP: #2) had a terrible first half with only one 100 yard game and just one touchdown. Luckily, Johnson was able to get back into form during the second half, finishing with yet another 1000+ yard season, but not before he helped his Titans finish with the year's second worst rushing offense. As someone who remained relatively lucky with his draft choices this year, I could only imagine what it must've been to have to deal with these guys on your team week after week.

Position of the Year: Quarterback
Like the slogan that ESPN promoted all throughout 2011, this past season was indeed the "Year of the Quarterback." Never before have we seen a season of the NFL in which quarterbacks seemed to pad the stats and dominate the league's record books with such ease. It was a season that saw the most 300+ yard games (121), the most 400+ yard games (18), the most 40 touchdown years (3), and the most net yards per game (459.4). It was a year that saw six quarterbacks throw for more than 20 touchdowns in a year, and ten with over 4,000 yards thrown in a season, and three with over 5,000 yards in a season (a startling number considering how only this had only happened twice in the previous 91 years of the league). It was a year in which two quarterbacks (Drew Brees and Tom Brady) surpassed Dan Marino's once unbreakable single season passing record, and by a mininum of 150 yards to boot. 2011 was also the year when Panthers quarterback Cam Newton made his presence known by breaking both the rookie passing record and the record for the most rushing touchdowns by a league in a single season, while in Indianapolis Peyton Manning cemented an even greater legacy for himself without even having to play as his Colts finished the season with the league's worst record (2-14) in his first full season without him after nine straight seasons of 10+ wins with him. And as offenses continue to focus more on the passing game as the rule books keep changing to make it a more QB friendly league, I have a feeling that is just the beginning of the most important position in sports becoming even more important than ever.

Play of the Year: Jerome Simpson's Front-Flip Touchdown, Week 16 vs. Arizona
There were many great runner-ups for this award, including the two 99 yard scores from both Wes Welker and Victor Cruz, Randall Cobb's 108 yard kickoff return in the season's opening game, the other notable Cruz catch from week 5 against the Seahawks, LaGarette Blount's pounding run against Green Bay, Dwayne Bowe's circus catch against the Colts, and Patrick Peterson's game winning 99 yard punt return week 9 against St. Louis. But let's face it: nothing on this list can possibly compete against a front flip past a defender for a touchdown, all while sticking the landing in the process. Congrats on that feat of athleticism, Mr. Simpson. Now let's see if you can front flip your way out of these marijuana possession charges against you.



Play of the Year That Never Counted: The Chicago Bears Act of Punt Return Trickery, Week 3 vs. Green Bay
Corey Graham is the Britta Perry of this year's Bears team.



Quickest Broken Record: Most Receiving Yards by a Tight End
On the final day of the regular season, New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham broke Kellen Winslow's 31 year old record for most yards in a single season by a tight end with over 1,290 yards. A few minutes later on the exact same day, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski surpassed Graham with 1,327 yards, seventeen more this year than what Graham finished with. Therefore, that made Gronkowski the new record holder (whether this was the best thing to happen to The Gronk this season remains in question). Graham, in response to his quickly broken record, made the best comment on the whole situation after he finished that week 17 game against the Panthers: "I guess most records are meant to be broken." Indeed.

HALFTIME! This is the final halftime comedy bit of the season, and we're going to end it the way it began: with a clip from a George Carlin stand-up special. Here's George talking about conservation to take us into the second half of this column. I have a feeling that these seven and a half minute should go bye without any controversy and rather light humor.



The Terrence Mallick's "The Tree of Life" Honorary Award: Tim Tebow, QB (Denver Broncos)
This is the award given to the most polarizing individual from the past season (much like people who have seen "The Tree of Life" either really like it or despise it with a passion). Without a doubt, the man who provoked the most of such responses was none of then the Broncos starting quarterback, known throughout the year for his many comebacks and terrible play when the team faced any competent opponent. There were either two sides in regards to Tebow this year. You either loved his athleticism and his leadership, or you despised him for getting the media coverage of an NFL legend despite completing only 47% of his passes and struggling for almost the entire game expect in the 4th quarter. And considering how Tebow's season ended, I have a feeling that this is just a beginning wherein this "love or hate" relationship continues for many more years to come.

Annoying Commercial During Games That I'll Ironically Miss The Most: State Farm's "Discount Double Check"
If you ask me, Rodgers should've done commercials with Allstate instead. You're in good hands with them, which is something that I can't say the Green Bay wide receiving corp. had in the divisional playoffs against the Giants.



The Luckiest Team of the Year: Indianapolis Colts
For the first time since 1997, the Colts played a full season without their 1998 #1 draft pick that has lead them to ten straight double digit win seasons and two Super Bowls (one of which they won), and they played horribly without him. They finished the season 2-14, both Curtis Painter and Kerry Collins were a mess at starting QB trying to replace Manning, Reggie Wayne and the running game were almost non-existent, the defense was atrocious, and Jim Caldwell continued to look like a zombie on the sidelines. And yet, because of their terrible season, they managed to get out of it the #1 pick in the 2012 draft, giving them a chance to draft Stanford University quarterback Andrew Luck (a player who many scouts have considered to be the best prospect to come out of college since Peyton Manning) with their pick. So now they get the chance to rejuvenate their franchise like they did in 1998, all while finding an excuse to not pay Manning $28 million next season. It appears as if Colts fans are going to come out of this with the last laugh, much like Bulls fans in 2008 when they drafted Derrick Rose in their only non-playoff season since 2004.

The Biggest Media Turnaround of the Year: The Sports Media on Rex Ryan
For the previous two years, the man was praised as a great football coach and lauded for his fearless guarantees, brash attitude and ability to lead his team to victory. Then, this season, once it became obvious that the Jets weren't going to make it to the AFC Championship game for the third year in a row, everyone piled up on Ryan, calling him a bad coach of a team with terrible locker room chemistry who should be fired despite doing rather well in 2009 and 2010. Guess that's what happens to someone who had to rely on Mark Sanchez without a decent rushing game to help him.

Speaking of the media...

The Matt Millen Award for Worst Broadcaster: Phil Simms
Speaking of the media, here's someone who was doing a pretty bad job in being part of it. In between constantly contradicting himself during games and being condescending towards the viewer this past year, Simms (CBS's top in-game analyst) continued to show just how incompetent he was in doing something as simple as making his analysis interesting. I could say more, but I believe this clip is all that you will need to further get what I'm trying to say.

The Regular Season Game of the Year: New York Giants vs. Dallas, Week 14
Because the games of the year all came in the playoffs (Saints/49ers, Ravens/Patriots, Giants/49ers, etc.), I've decided to skip all of those and choose my pick for the best game that happened before the postseason started. And in what was a tough decision, I've decided to go with the first of the two regular season showdowns between the Cowboys and the now NFC Champion Giants. Down 34-22 with five minutes left, Eli Manning helped lead the Giants to a 15 point comeback to give them the lead late in the 4th quarter. Then, as the clock expired, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul blocked the potential game tying field goal by Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey to preserve the crucial victory for his team. Because of this win (and a few other things that went in New York's favor), both teams would meet in week 17 in a showdown for the NFC East crown. The Giants would take that game as well (in a more dominating fashion, no less) and the rest is now history.
-Runner-ups: New York vs. Denver, Week 11; Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh, Week 9; Oakland vs. Buffalo, Week 2; Arizona vs. St. Louis, Week 9; Detroit vs. Dallas, Week 4; Dallas vs. New York Jets, Week 1; Dallas vs. San Francisco, Week 2; New York Giants vs. San Francisco, Week 10; Green Bay vs. New York Giants, Week 13; Chicago vs. Denver, Week 14; New England vs. Buffalo, Week 3; San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Week 4; Detroit vs. Green Bay, Week 17.


I could go on, but I'm sure that these twelve are good enough in itself. Be sure to stop by next week as I wrap up this year's installment of the NFL picks column with my prediction for Super Bowl XLVI. Considering how I got the last two games wrong, I'd consider next week's column a can't miss! Until then, enjoy watching the Pro Bowl*

(*) Couldn't type last sentence with a straight face.

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 01/22/12- 01/28/12

END OF THE WEEK:

Another week, another batch full of new stuff that we paid attention to. Let's just do this...

Death of the Week: Joe Paterno
The final weeks of his life was the exact opposite of a fond farewell, and one that has forever tarnished his one flawless resume. Nonetheless, his contributions to Penn State University both on the field (all-time winningest college football coach) and off of it (millions of dollars donated to the universities and numerous charities) are not to be forgotten.

Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: The 2012 State of the Union Address/Republican Response
Loved the part when Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels suggested that Obama was initiating class warfare mere minutes after Obama blatantly denied it. Otherwise, there's nothing much to say that hasn't already been said about the President's early campaign speech. Thought the address could've used more salmon jokes, if you ask me.
-The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Demi Moore Hospitalized After Inhaling Whip-Its Full of Nitrous Oxide
I hate to say this, but it looks like Ashton bailed just in time.

Erotic Cake of the Week: The One That Miley Cyrus Was Eating in These Pictures (NSFWish)
At this point with the racy Anne Lebowitz photos and the salvia controversy and now this, isn't it pretty much pointless for people to continue to protest about how she isn't a good role model for the kids?

Choker of the Week: Newt Gingrich
You had the momentum heading into Florida after winning the South Carolina primaries and making conservatives question Mitt Romney as Obama's potential opponent, and you blew it with two lackluster performances at this week's debates. Now ole' Mittens is in command before the big showdown this Tuesday (to the relief of Republicans that went in panic mode once the possibility of Gingrich winning increased). However, considering how last week was just the second time that you rose in the polls after your presidential future looked bleaked, I can't say that I'm counting you out just yet.

Video of the Week: "90's Megamix"
Time well spent, both for him and for me as the viewer.



Speaking of time well spent...

Person of the Week: Blogger Dominic Strain
who in a post for the blog Murk Avenue actually managed to solve one of music's greatest mystery. That's right folks, he found out the day that Ice Cube was singing about in the song "Good Day": January 20th, 1992. Here's a transcript from Strain's earth-shattering revelation:

"The ONLY day where:
Yo MTV Raps was on air
It was a clear and smogless day
Beepers were commercially sold
Lakers beat the SuperSonics
and Ice Cube had no events to attend was…

JANUARY 20 1992
National Good Day Day"

If this doesn't receive a Pullitzer Prize for investigative journalism, then the institution is officially dead to me (and I'm not even joking). Congratulations, Mr. Strain. From one blogger to another, I'd say that you made your entire profession proud. Now could you please tell me what date R.E.M. says the world will end? I've been trying to find that answer out for years!

UPDATE (03/05): Nevermind. Turns out there was never any real specific "good day" after all. Ice Cube ruins everything.


And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

R.I.P. "Chuck," The Epitome of the "Bubble Show"

Zachary Levi in a season 3 promo for "Chuck," a show whose series finale airs tonight on NBC.


If you had told me a few years ago that "Chuck" would be able to would merit good enough ratings to receive both five seasons and an end date in 2012, I wouldn't have believed you. Ever since the show premiered in September 2007, it seemed like it was constantly on the verge of cancellation. In season one, it could be argued that the only reason the show survived was due to the infamous WGA Writer's Strike that plagued the majority of the TV season. In season two, it was in a battle among NBC's other "bubble" shows as to who was going to obtain the limited number of slots the network had left once it foolishly decided to experiment with putting Jay Leno on primetime for five hours a week. And yet, with the help of a loyal fanbase that went so far as taking part in an ingenious campaign of targeting the show's main sponsor (Subway) and then buying a ton of their sandwiches, the show was able to fight off cancellation once again with a budget-cut third season.

On and on this pattern continued, with the show continuing to get good enough ratings to fight off the cancellation axe as most of the newer NBC shows in this time period tanked in the ratings (the latter part had more to do with it). Season three's thirteen episode order was bumped up for a back nine, then it got renewed again for a fourth season, then that season got a back nine, and then (with ratings dropping to an all-worst at 1.3) the show was finally renewed for a fifth and final season consisting of thirteen episodes, and placed on Friday night for it to die peacefully. And now here we are: January 27th, 2012 with NBC set to air the show's two hour series finale (the sixth different "finale" the series has had by my count) before forever pretending to ignore it's existence. If there are such things as miracles in the TV business, this would be one of them.

I've been one of those people that have enjoyed this low rated spy comedy since the very beginning. It was a show that pushed all of the right buttons of mine overtime, even though it wasn't always great. It was a both fun and light-hearted, with a good balance between the show's comedy aspect and espionage aspect, and a cast that was talented and very-likeable (and, in the case of Yvonne Strahovski, attractive). Overtime, you began to care deeply about these characters just as much as any show on TV would make you do. It had a lot of technology gags and pop culture references galore. It had some of the consistently best music playing in the background week after week, and even when it's budget was cut after season two, it's small scale action sequences still managed to be fantastic and impressively coordinated. If "The Big Bang Theory" (the highly rated CBS comedy that premiered at the same time as "Chuck" back when making shows about geeks was the hot new trend in TV) is a show that likes to poke fun at the quirkiness of its nerdy characters like Sheldon Cooper, "Chuck" was a show that embraced its nerd aspect, and made it enjoyable to all of those who stuck around.

As far as seasons go, season two would have to be my favorite. To me, there's no doubt about it. It had the best episodes ("Chuck vs. The Colonel" and "Chuck vs. The Ring" still remain two of my personal favorites), the best guest stars (Scott Bakula as Chuck's father, Chevy Chase as the evil villain Ted Roark, etc.), the best writing, the better structured-storyline, you name it. That season was so good that I remember at the time doing all I could to try to bring this show back: watching it live, watching the replays on Hulu, suggesting it to friends, taking part in the Subway campaign, you name it.

Seasons three and four were a downer compared to season two. Season three started out a bit underwhelming as I was not a fan of the Chuck-Sarah-Shaw-Hannah love quadrilateral, but I thought it rebounded in season 3.2 once Chuck and Sarah finally ended their "Will they, won't they?" phase and finally begun dating. Season four was probably the weakest that the show has ever done. Sure, it had it moments (Timothy Olyphant, the episodes "Chuck vs. The Push Mix" and "Chuck vs. Phase Three, for instance), but the acting was half-assed, the green screen was worse than usual, and the stories weren't as well thought out (the Vivian Volkoff storyline was probably the worst in the show's history). Luckily, the show has made a rebound this past season, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up later on tonight (in an interview with Alan Sepinwall, series co-creator Chris Fedak promised an ending that would be satisfying and cliff-hanger free). Hopefully the show could sneak in one last Jeffster singing montage and a few more Subway product placement before they inevitably bring everything to one, final happy conclusion.

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

The 2012 Oscar Nominations, Dwight Shrute, and Guy Fawkes Masks

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Monday, January 23rd and Thursday, January 26th:

-I know it's pretty easy to point out all the flaws and various snubs of this year's Oscar nominations (and there were quite a few, including: no Oscar nominations for any of the "Drive" actors, specifically Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks whose performances were very well-received; no nominations for Michael Fassbender's performance in "Shame"; Leonardo DiCaprio losing out on a nomination yet again despite arguably his most desperate attempt at one playing J.Edgar Hoover; "Extremely Loud and Incredible Close" being nominated for seven Oscars despite receiving the worst reviews from critics by far while the final "Harry Potter" movie only got some token technical awards; the fact that we have to forever say "Academy Award nominee, Jonah Hill," and so much more), but I'm just going to focus instead on the positive. I mean, "The Tree of Life" (arguably one of the best movies of 2011) got nominated for Best Picture despite many thinking that it would just get a token nomination for Best Director. Also, Gary Oldman got nominated, and "Rango" earned its "Best Animated Feature" nomination. Meanwhile, "Community's" Dean Pelton (a.k.a. Jim Rash) got nominated for his co-writing of "The Descendants." Sure, he'll probably lose that award to Aaron Sorkin, but at least fans of the show can take credit of knowing this Oscar-nominee when he was the quirky guy who wore a bee costume in airports.

-Speaking of "Community," everytime I've looked at the ratings and noticed that both "Whitney" and "Are You There, Chelsea?" have continued to tank on Wednesday night (from a 1.9 and a 2.3 respectively just two weeks ago to a 1.4 rating yesterday) and that "30 Rock" has had similar trouble in the same Thursday night timeslot (a 1.6 rating last week, the same rating that "Community" had just before it was put on hiatus), I can't help but feel more confident that this show is going to come back in March and later get renewed for a 4th season.

- Never in my life did I ever believe that I would live to see the day that Kevin Durant, Monty Python, "The Big Lebowski," Bugs Bunny, and David Brent from "The Office (UK)" in the same commercial. Thanks, Nike+Fuelband! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT50eLLxPco)

- Well, Colts fans, it looks like it's time to finally start saying goodbye to Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. No way does a player say that he's feeling that he's "walking on eggshells" in his own clubhouse after losing his old coach and general manager without going away along with them.

- A spinoff of "The Office" starring Dwight Shrute? And Paul Lieberstein, the worst showrunner of the series, is helping in the development of this one? Yeah, this doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. (http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/the-office-spinoff-starring-rainn-wilson-nbc-2013-new-launch/)

- I'm really getting tired of seeing all these Guy Fawkes masks in every pro-reform protest. Unless you're plan is to blow up British Parliament and restore Catholicism as the ruling body of the land, I suggest that you find some other way to express how hip and anarchic you feel. I'm sure there are plenty of Che Gueverra T-shirts still on sale.

More random thoughts to come on Monday. Until then, enjoy the start to the end of your week!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

The NFC Championship, The AFC Championship, and Other Non-Related To Sunday's Two Fantastic Games

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Thursday, January 19th and Monday, January 23rd (even though this was posted on a Tuesday):

-So, best Conference Championship Sunday ever? It was certainly the best that I could remember in my many years as a fan of the NFL. Most of the time, you would have only one instant classic from the Conference Championship games and one that isn't so great. On Sunday, though, we had two very memorable games, both of which were close, competitive contests, that each down to the very last second. There was a game that went into overtime, and that another game that came a missed kick away from going into overtime as well. It was a day of heroes (Lawrence Tynes), it was a day of tragic goats (Lee Evans, Billy Cundiff, Kyle Williams), and it was a day of many unexpected things happening (the Ravens owning the Patriots in turnovers, time possession and passing yet still losing). It was a day that ended with both the Patriots and the Giants earning a spot into the the Super Bowl, yet it could've easily ended with both the Ravens and the 49ers earning trips to Indianapolis instead had two or three plays gone differently. I don't think that anybody else can point out a Conference Championship Sunday in the last few years or so that match the thrill and entertainment factor of this one.

- Conference Championship also saw the story of two different performances of the national anthem: Steven Tyler's terrible performance before the Ravens/Pats game, followed by Kristen Chenoweth's wonderful rendition just before the Giants/49ers game.

- Hey, CBS, remind me: are you America's most watched network? I couldn't tell from the fifty different ads you aired saying so during the AFC Championship.

-Ever notice that the people who rate movies on IMDB tend to be a lot more harsh on well-received contemporary films that weren't blockbusters?

- Over the weekend, I spent some of my free time looking over the albums that I bought as a child between 1999 and 2000. As much as I hate the majority of pop songs today, the mediocrity today doesn't compare to the mediocrity of that point in time (boy bands, nu metal, Baha Men).

- It's a shame what happened to Mark Kirk, who is one of the senators of my state of Illinois. Sure, his ideological views may be different than mine, but he was still a good job in his first year as Senator and I respect him immensely. I don't think I'm the only one who wishes the man a speedy recovery.

More random thoughts to come on Thursday. Otherwise, see you on the flip side!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 01/15/12- 01/21/12

END OF THE WEEK:

Another week, another batch full of memories, both good and bad. Without further ado, here are my selection for the best and/or most memorable people, stories and moments from the third full week of 2012:

Video of the Week: "President Obama Sings Al Green: Let's Stay Together in 2012"
It's good to see Campaign Obama makes his return from time to time. President Obama hasn't come close to matching his coolness.



Divorce of the Week: Heidi Klum and Seal
From "Kiss From a Rose" to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"...

Blackouts of the Week: The Wikipedia and Reddit Anti-SOPA/PIPA Blackout
On the one hand, the protests actually worked in helping raise awareness of the dangers of SOPA/PIPA and you can say that this was one of the many reasons why Congress indefinitely suspended the bill from being voted upon. On the other hand, millions of Americans needed to wait an extra day to find out the name of all of the Wayons brothers (that is, unless you found a way to get through it), so there was a down side.

Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: The Costa Concordia Shipwreck
And just like that, we're introduced to the world's most cowardly ship captain, Francesco Schettino.
-The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: British People Ask Refund For Buying Ticket to "The Artist" After Realizing It's a Silent Movie
So, does this mean that I can ask my money back for that one time I thought "J.Edgar" would be good?

Bad Performance of the Week: Lana Del Rey on "Saturday Night Live"
Before that performance, I had never heard of that woman. Now, apparently, she's everywhere, with hating on her being the Internet's newest pastime. Guess it just goes to show you: any publicity is still good publicity.



Person of the Week: Newt Gingrich
for proving that he is the phoenix of this Republican presidential primary. No matter how much he is down in the polls and no matter how much you try to take him down with pointless things like "logic" and "facts," he always seems to come back when you least expect. After finishing fourth in both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary earlier this month, the race for the Republican primary seemed like it was Mitt Romney's to lose, with Gingrich set to finish behind ole Mittens. But then the South Carolina primary happened, with Gingrich winning in a comfortable fashion, and just like that the battle for the GOP ticket has just gotten a lot more interesting, and a lot more uglier.

The story of how Gingrich ended up winning South Carolina is really a story of luck, manipulation and a campaign strategy well-executed. It began in the days following the New Hampshire primary when Mitt Romney's lead in the South Carolina polls began to drop as the potential voters on that state began to buy into the message spread by Gingrich (along with Rick Perry and Rick Santorum) that he "wasn't a true conservative" and that he wasn't the right man to defeat Obama because of his many similarities. Then, on Thursday, Rick Perry officially dropped out, giving Gingrich a few brand new supporters. Even when ABC News aired an interview with his ex-wife stating that he wanted an open marriage, Gingrich still ended up gaining support by slamming CNN's John King in this week's South Carolina debate for daring to bring up the story to him in both a commanding and charismatic manner. Now the former Speaker of the House is back to being one of the top contenders for the nomination, with increase speculation of the race having to be determined in September's Tampa RNC as a result (or as the Democrats would like to call it, the "best-case scenario"). And for that, Gingrich deserve this week's top mention above all else.

And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL (Postseason) Predictions: Conference Championship Sunday

Patriots QB Tom Brady will be playing his sixth career AFC Championship game this Sunday as he takes on the Ravens


After eighteen weeks, the NFL season is now officially entering its final two stops on their way to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, and each of those stops should be a treat to watch. On one end, you have a classic matchup of great offense vs. great defense as Tom Brady and the Patriots take on Ray Lewis and the Ravens. On the other, it's a rematch of week 10 as the surprising 49ers take on the Giants. With that in mind, let's cut the chit-chat and go straight to the picks that you came here to see. As always, the starting game times are based on the Central time zone.

Let's begin:

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots (-7): Sunday- 2:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New England
Of the two games being played this week, this one was probably the hardest one to choose a winner, simply because there are just as many reasons for why Baltimore will win this game as there are for why New England will win this game. For starters, unlike the Patriots (who have surprisingly only won once against a team with an over .500 record, and that was last Saturday against Denver), this Ravens team has shown time and time again this year that they are able to matchup with the other big boys in the league and beat them, too. They've defeated the Texans twice. They've defeated the Steelers twice. They've defeated the Bengals twice, and they've even defeated San Francisco. Basically, if there's any team in the league with the confidence to go to Foxboro and defeat the Patriots, it would be Baltimore.

They've got an incredible defense and the better running back in Ray Rice. They have as much of a motivation to win as New England. They want to be able to prove that they could actually lead this type of team to a Super Bowl, and for all we know they might be trying to win this for Ray Lewis, who might retire at the end of this season. The Patriots are a much better matchup than the Texans were last week, as Houston had both a better running game than New England and a better defense. In fact, you could even argue that the Baltimore we saw last week are much worse than the one we saw last week, who were a bit off their game.

And yet, I'm still sticking with New England to win this game. Not only do they have the homefield advantage in this one (the Patriots have never lost an AFC Championship game at Foxboro), but they also have Tom Brady on their side, along with the dynamic tight end duo of Gronkowski and Hernandez. They have the offensive line to stop the Ravens front seven from putting pressure on Brady, and their defense looked pretty good enough last week that I wouldn't be surprised if they pull a 2006 Colts and play better than the defense of their opponent. On the other side of the ball, Ed Reed looked pretty beat up after last week's game and I'm a bit worried of the negative effect that it might have for Baltimore in this game. Finally, under such a big stage as this one will be, I just cannot trust Joe Flacco (arguably the worst playoff quarterback in the past decade) to play efficiently enough to lead his team to victory. But then again, this is the same postseason that saw Alex Smith outplay Drew Brees and Tim Tebow stomp all over the league's top rated passing defense two weeks ago, so anything is possible tomorrow afternoon.
mj50's pick: New England

New York Giants vs. San Francisco Giants (-2.5): Sunday- 5:30 p.m.
mj50's pick: New York
For the eight time in postseason history (tied for the record of meetings by the same team in the playoffs), the Giants and the 49ers clash in a matchup that will send the victor into Indianapolis for the Super Bowl. The 49ers, one of the years most consistently great teams, are coming off an exciting, last minute victory the Saints that saw Alex Smith look like the second coming of Steve Young and Joe Montana that the franchise had been waiting years for, and now are trying to give their city its first NFC Championship victory in seventeen seasons. The Giants, meanwhile, are riding two impressive victories against the Falcons and the 2010 champion Packers and are playing great football in their quest for a second Super Bowl appearance in five years.

Unlike the Ravens and the Patriots, both teams have originally met earlier in the season (also at Candlestick Park). San Francisco would go on to defeat New York in a close one, 27-20, in a game that's most famous today for Mario Manningham's wide open drop that could've tied it all up with three minutes left to play and 49ers defensive end Justin Smith batting down Eli Manning's fourth down pass with 40 seconds left to seal the deal for his team. A few days before that first matchup occurred, I (correctly) chose San Francisco to win that game over the Giants. Now, nearly ten weeks later, I've decided to switch my pick for the rematch and choose New York instead (even with San Francisco having a much better looking offense and a healthier overall roster).

The first reason is simple: they're the hotter team that's peaking in the exact right moment. I hate to bring up the whole "2007 vibe" that this Giants team has, as I'm sure you've probably already heard it from hundreds of other sportswriters and pundits when discussing them in the past month, but it really does feel like this team has done a great job of repeating the same formula that won them the championship four seasons ago. They're pass rush is fantastic (just look at how they handled Aaron Rodgers last week), they're clutch in the right moments (the fourth down stops by the defense against Atlanta, the Hail Mary against the Packers), and they're making fewer mistakes than their opponents. Two major difference between that 2007 team and this team, however, is that they actually won the division this year and their offense is actually playing much better, averaging 431 more yards and ten more points per game (with Eli Manning throwing nearly 300 yards and officially cementing himself into the group of premier NFL quarterbacks). If they can play the same style of football that they have since week 16 against the Jets and execute it flawlessly yet again, then I feel that they should be able to have upper hand in this battle.

The second reason lies in the 49ers victory last week over the Saints, their first playoff victory in over a week. That 49ers defense, one of the league's elite defenses the entire season, played terribly down the stretch. Despite intercepting the ball twice from Drew Brees, that defense still allowed the record-breaking passer to throw for 462 yards and four touchdowns, including two touchdowns in the final five minutes that would have cost their team the game had it not been for the heroics of their offense. This is not a good sign to have going up against a team that also features a great offense, yet a defense that's better and more likely to not slip up. Furthermore, Tom Coughlin has six career playoff victories on the road (second all time in NFL history behind the late, great Tom Landry). If there's any coach that is able to lead his team to a hostile environment and play their best football, he is absolutely one of them.

The weather is expected to be anything but pleasant in San Francisco tomorrow night, with a 100% chance of rain and winds expected to rise to about 20 mph. If history tells us anything, this game is poised to end up as a classic, a physical and hard fought matchup in ugly conditions between two teams equal in both their ideology and style of play. And I, for one, can't wait to see it all unfold.
mj50's pick: San Francisco

mj15 last week: 3-1 (6-2 in the postseason)
mj50 last week: 1-3 (4-4 in the postseason)
mj15 this season: 184-80
mj50 this season: 176-85

No random thoughts for me to write this week, which means that's going to do it for this week's NFL predictions column. Next week is the dreaded pre-Super Bowl bye week, which means there will be no game of importance to choose from. That said, be sure to stop by to this blog nonetheless to see what kind of fill-in column I made. Because there's no rush at all to post it next week, expect to see the column pop up a bit later than usual, by which I mean on either Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

The Wikipedia Blackout, Lana Del Rey, and Network TV Promo Ads

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Monday, January 16th and Thursday, January 19th:

- While I did support Wikipedia in their efforts to raise their protests against both the SOPA and PIPA bills making their way around Congress with a blackout yesterday, I'm so glad that it was only for one day. After all, without them, where else can I find out the name of the lady frog on "Rocko's Modern Life" at 2:30 in the morning?

- So, I was finally able to watch Lana Del Rey's terrible performance on "Saturday Night Live" last week. And yes, she was as bad as many claimed that she was (and since this was the first time I ever heard of her, it was the exact opposite of what you would call a great introduction). Also, is it a coincidence that she performed mere minutes after the "You Can Do Anything!" sketch? I say: most likely!

- If Obama really wants to see his approval ratings climb with next week's State of the Union address, he should just have Uggie, the dog from "The Artist," do tricks as he's making his speech. Not even God himself is more likeable these days than that pup!

- If Mark Wahlberg says that he really could've stopped 9/11, I wonder what would have happened had he been on board on that Italian cruise line earlier this week...

- I'm pretty sure there's no such thing anymore as an "unusually awful" Dane Cook stand-up set these days, no matter how inappropriate it may have seemed. (http://www.avclub.com/articles/so-apparently-dane-cooks-standup-set-was-unusually,67943/)

-It really does seem like the gradual fall of Facebook has slowly begun. With all the constant layout changes, it seems that there has been a backlash going on where a lot of people are starting to switch full time to Twitter. I know this to be true from personal experience with a lot of my "friends" going through that route. I bet that in a few years time, this social network would wish that it was 2010 again with the help of science and magic.

More random thoughts to come on Monday. Now if you will excuse me, I have some quality Thursday night comedies to watch. The all-new season of "Archer" beckons me so!

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

The Saints/49ers Instant Classic, Last Night's Golden Globe Awards, and "Mancession" Comedies

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Thursday, January 12th and Monday, January 16th:

- I don't wanna live in a world where Alex Smith looks like a in-his-prime Steve Young and is a more clutch quarterback late in the 4th quarter than Drew Brees!

In all seriousness, how great was that Saints/49ers matchup this past Saturday? I've been a football fan for many years, and there have very few finishes to a postseason game that were as wild and as entertaining as this one. I mean, four lead changes in the final five minutes? Are you kidding me? You really couldn't plan a more exciting finish to a non-overtime game. Also, if we're really considering a nickname for the game, how about "The Catch III," named after "The Catch" game with Dwight Clark's famous reception in the 1981 NFC Championship game, and "The Catch II," named after Terrell Owen's final seconds grab in the 1998 wild card against the Packers. This playoff game also featured a memorable last second catch by a 49ers receiver (Vernon Davis) and it gives these games kind of a trilogy vibe.

- I gotta be honest: it has been fascinating seeing the Republican party disintegrate into a civil war between pro-Romney and anti-Romney supporters since the end of the New Hampshire primary.

-Well, last night's Golden Globe Awards were a waste of time. Ricky Gervais was way too conservative as host this time around (spending the time to mostly make fun of easy targets that weren't even there like Kim Kardashian and Eddie Murphy), but having to sit through the rest of the show felt more like a task then entertainment. If it weren't for that dog from "The Artist" doing some tricks, then the main highlight of the night would've been Merryl Streep trying to find her glasses, and that's a real disappointment.

Also, Matt Leblanc is really the Best Actor in a TV Comedy, Hollywood Foreign Press Association? In the words of Seth Myers: "Really?!??" As if this awards show couldn't get any more out of touch!

- Icy Hot Patch should really get a different spokesman now that Shaquille O'Neal is retired. I think they've been pretty much running the same two commercials with Shaq for the last five years or so.

- First, CBS cancelled "How To Be a Gentleman." Then ABC cancelled both "Man Up" and "Work It." I guess among the list of "mancession" related shows that premiered this past TV season, Tim Allen really is the "Last Man Standing."

- Nice try, McDonalds, but you're not fooling me one bit with your advertisements about how your food comes from humble farmers passionate about giving your company the best that the country has to offer. I've watched "Super Size Me" too many times to believe that everything you do isn't with the best intentions.

-While I'm on the topic of advertisements, what's up with CBS airing the blatant pro-life "Focus on Family" ad during the Broncos-Patriots game Saturday night? I turned the game on to watch football, not to be preached by someone that also has the gall of having children looking cute and doing the talking. Isn't having Tim Tebow played in that game enough?

- The Washington Wizards are so bad this year that I wouldn't be surprised if they were to play a game with the Washington Generals and lose.


Enjoy the rest of your Martin Luther King Jr. day! I hope to see you again when I release my new "Random Thoughts" column this Thursday.

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 01/08/12- 01/14/12

END OF THE WEEK:

Welcome to the first "End of the Week" for 2012! We have lots to get to, from newborn children and presidential races, to pizza commercials and female liberation, so let's just get right down to it. Here are my picks for the best of the past seven days:

Prank Caller of the Week: Some Guy Named Dan
for this prank phone call he made to C-SPAN Wednesday morning following the New Hampshire primaries, asking Chairman of the state's Republican Party, Wayne MacDonald, whether Mitt Romney has a big penis.



That phone call was so wrong. After all, Romney doesn't have a big penis. He's just a big dick. Speaking of New Hampshire...

Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: Mitt Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary In Decisive Fashion
At this point, the race is basically Romney's to lose. All that's left is for Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry to disintegrate the Republican party with negative attack ads that will give Democrats ammo for November, and we should be set.
-The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Snoop Dogg Arrested For Possession of Marijuana
My whole innocence has been shattered.

Female Liberator of the Week: Judd Appatow
who single-handily freeing women comedian's oppression from not being funny after winning the Critics' Choice Award of Best Comedy for "Bridesmaids," a film in which he executive-produced, and saying "F*** you!" to Jerry Lewis for his infamous comment made in 1997 about women not being funny at all. Although, it's kind of weird to say it when you go up on a stage with only other guys. But, whatever.

Video of the Week: "Pizza Boomerang"
(This video was uploaded on YouTube in late December, but it started getting hits this week, so it counts)
I'm not sure what a failed suicide attempt and having your penis cut off has to do with pizza, but I am in no way complaining about it.



Interruption of the Week: Ringing Cellphone Disrupts New York Philharmonic Performance
Laugh all you want at the anger caused by the ringing cellphone, but in the world of symphony orchestras, you might as well just have torn apart the entire stage.

Person of the Week: Blue Ivy Carter
who began her quest for world domination this week as the first daughter as the most powerful couple in hip hop, Beyonce and Jay-Z. First, she personally given a first-class luxury birth over the weekend inside her Lennox Hill hospital room courtesy of the demands of her parents. Then, on Thursday, she made history as the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart thanks to her credited "verse" in her father's newest song "Glory" which featured her coos and cries for nearly a minute's time. Did I mention this all happened in the first five days of her existence? It should be interesting to see how she follows up to the start of her life in the years ahead.


And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, everybody!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL (Postseason) Predictions: Some Divisional Playoffs Goodness

No time to stall with another monologue of what is arguably the best weekend in all of professional football. Here are the predictions that my father, mj50, and I have for the four upcoming divisional round playoff games. As always, game times are based on the Central time zone.

Let's begin:

New Orleans Saints (-3.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers: Saturday- 3:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: San Francisco
This game was a really challenging one for me to choose because each team makes a great case as to why they should win. The Saints have, of course, that incredible offense, who last week had an NFL playoff record 662 total yards against the Lions, with Drew Brees contributing 466 yards in continuation of his already record-breaking season. They also have the playoff experience, winning the Super Bowl just two seasons before. The 49ers, meanwhile, feature in this game the better running back (Frank Gore) the much better defense (gotta love a team that gave up only one rushing TD all season), and the homefield advantage at Candlestick Park.

After careful deliberation, I've decided that it is the 49ers who will come out of this one on top. It's easy to look at what the Saints have done offensively over the past few weeks and say that they're pretty much unstoppable at the moment. And honestly, I wouldn't blame you for thinking so. But if you look at the stats throughout the season, you would see that there's a difference between the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome and the New Orleans Saints on the road. When the Saints are at home, they're pretty much unstoppable (9-0) and there ability to score points is phenomenal (a ridiculous 36.5 points per game). When they're on the road, they are a much more vulnerable team, where all three of their losses this season took place and where their scoring average is 13 points less. Playing on turf is much different than playing on actual mud and grass.

Finally, let's talk about the 49ers for a moment, without a doubt the best ever in the post-Steve Young era. This is a team that has shown multiple times that they're able to defeat anyone, anyway, whether it's an East Coast on the road in the early afternoon (kryptonite for most West Coast teams, but not for the 49ers who have done so four times, the most of any team that region in fifteen years) or at home against other good teams (see: week 10 against the Giants and week 15 against the Steelers). This is a team that's playing at home for the first time since 2002 in what should be a fired up crowd. They're hungry to finally give their fans some happiness in January after a decade that included seven losing seasons and no playoff appearances in between. They also have the defense to both pressure Drew Brees and stop the running game if the Saints find it necessary to use it, as well as the coach in Jim Harbaugh to motivate them into believing themselves and showing the entire country that they should be taken seriously for the rest of the postseason.

Add all of these factors up, and I sense a very festive mood in the Bay Area once the evening approaches.
mj50's pick: San Francisco

Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots (-13.5): Saturday- 7:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New England
After a week that saw the Broncos defeating the Steelers in an overtime thriller, with Tim Tebow throwing for a career best 316 yard (including the 80 yards game winning touchdown to Demayius Thomas win the game), the AFC West champions now travel to New England to face a Patriots team that already defeated them earlier this season, 41-23. Not to sound glib, but this game is really New England's to lose. They're at home (where they've lost once all year, and that was to the Giants in week 9), they have the better quarterback in Tom Brady, they're coming into this focused and determined to win after losing a decade-worst three straight playoff games in four seasons, and (as their first game with Denver showed) they have found the blueprint to stop Tim Tebow from working his magic once again.

Also, just look at Denver's win last week as an example as to why they won't win this game. They were facing an injured Ben Roethlisberger struggling to do what he does best (scrambling and moving outside of the pocket) with his injured leg, a defense with Ryan Clark, and they had a 20-6 lead heading into halftime at home (although it could've been larger, since the Broncos intercepted Roethlisberger twice and ended up having more possession in the red zone). And what happened? The Steelers came back, and almost won had their offense gained one or two more first downs as the fourth quarter winded down. That's not a good sign heading into a matchup with a team that's much more prepared as the Patriots are. Maybe this Broncos team will surprise us once again with another impressive performance and a valiant effort down the stretch to win. But for the life of me, I just don't see that happening.
mj50's pick: New England

HALFTIME! I'm giving the stand-up portion of this column a week off after this one since there is only going to be two games to cover and return it for one final time during the Super Bowl bye week. In the meantime, here's "Parks and Recreations" star Aziz Ansari in his "Raaaaaaaandy" character as your comedy goodness of the week. Watching this, I think it's pretty obvious where he gets a lot of his inspiration for Tom Haverford's character traits.



Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens (-7.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
This game might be more close than you might think. After all, just like the Ravens, the Texans also feature a stellar, top 5 defense and a wonderful (arguably even better) running game. Plus, Joe Flacco is still the quarterback for Baltimore, and as the last three seasons have shown us, the young man is not one that most teams would like to have under center during playoff games. That said, I still have the Ravens winning this one, pretty much for the same reason that most other people have picked the Ravens to win: homefield advantage, and their experienced and tough to beat defense in a favorable matchup against T.J. Yates. Also, because last week's win for Houston was so monumental (it was their first playoff "W" ever, after all), that I wouldn't be shocked to see that team experiencing an emotional letdown this time around.
mj50's pick: Houston

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers (-7.5): Sunday- 3:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: Green Bay
In week one of the season, I picked the Green Bay Packers to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Nineteen weeks later, and I've decided to stick with that prediction. That said, the Giants sure made a good case for me switching sides. After all, they're on a hot streak and looking like they're slowly repeating the formula they had to win in 2007. They've also got the pass rush to stop the Green Bay passing game, and they could've beaten the Packers earlier this season had it not been for some last minute heroics from Aaron Rodgers.

That said, the Packers still have as much going for them as do the Giants. They're at home, where they're undefeated this season. They're offense is not like the Falcons last week, meaning that they will score more than a safety. The Packers defense gives up a lot of yards, but they make up for it in turnovers, something that Eli Manning likes to do. The Giants are a fine team and will definitely give this Packers team a run for their money. But in the end, I see another spectacular Aaron Rodgers drive during the end giving Green Bay the edge in this one and another spot to the NFC Championship game.
mj50's pick: Green Bay

mj15 last week: 3-1 (3-1 in the postseason)
mj50 last week: 3-1 (3-1 in the postseason)
mj15 this season: 181-79
mj50 this season: 175-82

At this point, I have a six game lead over mj50 this season, with seven more games total left to play. Considering how we only have one game this week with different selections, it officially means that I have yet again won our season-long competition to see who can predict the most games correctly regarded of what happens (making me 3-for-3 since I began this column in 2009). Hooray, and with a personal best record to boot! Still, congrats to mj50 nonetheless for still sticking around and making this our closest race ever (with him also receiving a personal best record, including a startling 15-1 record in week 16, the best record any of us had ever had in a single week). If there was any example that proves that the amount of football knowledge you have has any correlation with the number of games you pick correctly, it would be this one.

Now, here's some final football-related random thoughts to close out this column:

- Let's face it, if the 49ers win against the Saints, then the winner of the Giants/Packers game is the clear front-runner to win the Super Bowl. No offense to the 49ers, but no matter how much they defeat New Orleans this week, there's no way that they will be favorited to win against either the defending champs on the road, or a red hot team on the road trying to revive their 2007 gloriness.

-Another reason why I picked the Patriots: Tebowmania. I just can't stand it anymore. I hope that the Patriots clobber the Broncos just so I can have a few months rest from the constant slobbering of the Broncos from the media and his fans.

- According to a recent poll, 43% of Americans believe that Tim Tebow's success has something to do with divine intervention. I love you, America, but sometimes your people just scare me. This is one of those examples.

- Must be nice for the Baltimore Ravens to play at home in the playoffs for a change after seven straight road games.

- Smart move by the Patriots hiring Josh McDaniel. I don't care how unfair you think it was. The fact that they brought back someone who was the offensive coordinator during their record-breaking 2007 season and someone who was the head coach of their upcoming opponent for a few years, who can give some idea of their team's strengths and weaknesses, was a very positive decision.

-If there was any week that showed many people's fears when the league decided to push the kickoff from the 30 to the 35 yard line, it was last week. So. Much. Touchbacks!

- Last week's missed fourth and short opportunity in the third quarter for the Falcons was probably the finest example of how one little paly can shape the entire momentum of a football game. Once Eli Manning threw that long TD pass to Hakeem Nicks a few minutes later and the Falcons sidelines grew self-loathing and desperate, you just knew then and there that this game was already won, no matter what else happened.


Be sure to stop by next week for a recap of how well both mj50 and I did this week as well as my conference championship week breakdown. Until then, have a nice weekend, and here's hoping to an outstanding week of playoff football.

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

"Downton Abbey," Tebowmania, and the People's Choice Awards

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Monday, January 9th and Thursday, January 12th:

- Another thought about "Downton Abbey": Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess of Grantham character is a master of the snarky remarks. I'm pretty she could go toe-to-toe with Don Rickles in a roast-off is necessary.

- Talking about Tim Tebow has apparently just apparently entered the same level of politics and religions among topics to not discuss at a party. There's almost always a chance that the conversation turns heated.

- I've finally started checking out "Terriers" on Netflix Instant. In essence, I now know why TV critics were disappointed of this one-and-done show's cancellation back in 2010. Just a fun drama with an old school feel and a refreshing take on the tired out cop dramas that you see on TV these days. Plus, the characters between lead actors Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James is tremendous and is one of the best things about watching each episode. It sounds weird, but I'm actually glad that I didn't watch this show when it aired on FX back in 2010. At that point in time, I was already a fan of another low-rated cable drama (R.I.P. "Rubicon"), so seeing that and this show cancelled in the same timespan would've been too much to handle.

- After reading the recap of the infamous "2 Broke Girls" session at the TCAs this past week, I think Michael Patrick King may have just passed Veena Sud on my list of TV's worst showrunners.

- At this point, does anyone actually take the People's Choice Awards seriously?

- Looks like Spain is trying to give Japan a run for it's money for the most surreal yet awesome food advertisements. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrKSWocbbdw)

- Rick Perry got only 1% of the vote in the New Hampshire primaries. I'm guessing he's just sticking around at this point for the free muffins given out after every debate.


More RTs to come this Monday! Until then, enjoy the rest of your week.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

The NFL Wild Card, "The Tree of Life," and a 5.23% Increase in ALL CAPS to Kick Start 2012

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

After three weeks off, the "Random Thoughts" is finally back, well rested and ready to kick off its fourth year as a feature of this blog with more fresh new batches of blabbering goodness! So, without further interruption, let's just proceed with everything that I've wanted to say for the past eighteen days:

- Well, folks. It looks like Tebowmania has been ressurected for at least one week.

- Speaking of the Steelers/Broncos game this past Sunday, I don't know what I was more legitimately angry about: the poor officiating of that game that screwed both teams over multiple times, or the game announcing of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. Good God, were they horrible. Maybe it's because they've been calling the last five Denver games, but I could swear that they were totally biased towards the Broncos in that game more than they were with the Steelers. Also, I just positively enjoyed this gem from Phil Simms while explaining the intricacies of a forward pass:

"Remember, for it to be a forward pass, it's gotta go FORWARD"

May I remind you that this analyst gets paid millions of dollars a season to provide such compelling commentary as this one?

-These upcoming divisional playoffs in the NFL look very interesting. On Saturday, you have the explosive Saints offense taking on the great 49ers defense, followed by a re-match between Brady and Jesusback (and in Foxboro this time).Then on Sunday, you have the Texans and the Ravens in a matchup of teams with similar styles of play, followed by the Giants and the Packers in a game that New York most certainly has a chance of getting the upset. Thank God we got all of the playoff dead weight (i.e. the Bengals, the Falcons, and the Lions) eliminated this past weekend.

-Everytime I watch "Downton Abbey" these days, I just get the urge to put on a monocle, eats crumpets with tea and faint while screaming "Oh my!" like the fancy Victorian lady from "The Simpsons" whenever the latest soapy plot twist inevitably occurs.

-One thing I don't get about Geico commercials are all the different mascots it uses. One moment, it uses the traditional Geico gecko. Then, they use the cavemen. Now they're using a pig that literally goes "wee wee wee" all the way home, and a fiddler player in their "Answer a Question About Geico With Another Question That Means Yes" ad campaign. And a few years back, they also had that strange money with the cash on top. Why is it so hard for them to just stick with one mascot? Do they feel that they have yet to find their own Flo from Progressive?

-It's been FOUR YEARS now. I think it's about time for another Chris Rock stand-up tour.

-I really don't blame the head coach of the New York Rangers for believing that there was a conspiracy among NBC, HBO (home to the awesome "24/7" series), and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to stage a penalty in the final moments of the period that gave the Philadelphia Flyers a chance to tie the game late in this year's Winter Classic with a penalty shot. I'm not saying he's right, I'm just saying that the convenience and the additional drama added because of this made the whole thing look as if it was scripted or something.

-That Ryan Braun positive test story has felt a bit under-the-radar in recent weeks, hasn't it? So far, there's been very little media attention to it with the exception of the days following the breaking of the story by ESPN, and basically no action from the league with regards to the positive test. The only thing new development from the story has been the story from TMZ that Braun's positive tests was a result of pills taken for some private medical issue, but that's it. Looks like we'll have to wait for spring training to actually see the true consequences of Braun's action. From the looks of it, a suspension seems imminent.

-My review of Terrence Mallick's "The Tree of Life" (a.k.a. the most polarizing great film of the year) in 12 words: "What the hell was that? I'm gonna watch it six more times."

-Great to hear that "Mad Men" finally has a premiere date set for season 5 (it's March 25th, just over 16 months after the last episode aired). I don't think I would have wanted Christina Hendricks away from my television for much longer. Also, it's a good show and whatnot.

-LSU should really protest the BCS if they lose the National Championship game to Alabama and don't finish at least tied on top of the polls. I just don't see why a team who has beaten a record eight ranked teams in the regular season, including Alabama, should get punished and just lose the #1 spot all because they got beat for the first time this season nearly six weeks after their last game.

-Finding out that Snoop Dogg had been arrested over the weekend for marijuana possession is like finding out that Snooki was in the news for passing out drunk on the Jersey boardwalk.

And...that's all that I have for you on this Monday. Be sure to stop by again this Thursday for a brand new installment of the RTs. Oherwise, have a wonderful start to your week!

Sincerely,

Your pal: mj15

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL (Postseason) Predictions: Wild Card Round, and Why Aaron Rodgers Deserves the MVP Trophy

Saints QB Drew Brees, coming off a record-breaking regular season, is set to take on the Detroit Lions this Saturday to start leading his team's quest to a second Super Bowl.


It's playoff time, y'all! Time to finally put awful teams like the Rams and the Dolphins aside for the next nine months and finally start focusing on what's important: the twelve best football teams in the regular season playing eleven matchups to decide next month's Super Bowl winner in Indianapolis. And we begin with four interesting Wild Card matchups to kick it off (yes, even the Bengals and the Texans, which could be sneaky good).

This week, I've decided to get straight into business. No monologue, no update on the season standings for mj50 and myself and no playoff random thoughts until the very end, no stalling period. Here it is, without any further interruption, our picks for the four upcoming playoff games this weekend. Game times, as always, are based on the Central time zone.

Let's begin:

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans (-4): Saturday- 3:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: Houston
The last time these two teams met, it was a close battle in which the Texans defeated the Bengals on the final play of the game with a touchdown in Cincinnati. Now these two teams reunite in Houston, with the stakes far more greater than when they played four weeks ago. The Bengals in this game have two big things in their favor: the rookie combination extraordinaire of Andy Dalton to A.J. Green, and the fact that the Texans still have plenty of significant injuries. Although everyone on Houston's injury report is listed as either probable or questionable, you still can't ignore the fact that Andre Johnson still has some lingering issues to his hamstring, that half of their secondary is experiencing some kind of leg related injury, and that T.J. Yates (the first rookie quarterback selected in the 5th round or later to start in the postseason since the common draft era began in '67) has a left shoulder injury that makes the presence of Jake Delholmme in the game even greater. A playoff game with Jake Delholmme having to decide your team's future? And with his last playoff performance against the Cardinals in the 2008 season still fresh in everyone's mind? Yeah, that's not a good thing to have.

That said, I'm still picking the Texans to win. While their quarterback position isn't solid, they still have two of the key ingredients that brought them this far: their strong rushing game and their top five defense. Also, they have the homefield advantage going, and with this team playing not only their first home game in franchise history but their first playoff game period, I believe that they will play extra hard in what should be a pretty emotional game for them as a team. Also, and I've said this for the past ten or so weeks and I will continue to say it until they prove me wrong (which I suppose will be with a win this afternoon), the Bengals HAVE NOT BEEN GOOD AGAINST OVER .500 TEAMS THIS SEASON!

You know how many games the Bengals have played against teams that finished with a .500 record or better in the regular season? Nine. You know what was their overall record this year in these nine games? 2-7. That's right, folks. All of the Bengals seven losses have come against teams with a record similar to them or better (ironically, one of their two wins came against the Titans, which became one of the main reasons why the Bengals made it to the postseason in the first place). On the other side of the spectrum, the Texans are 5-2 in similar circumstance (including wins against the Steelers and the Falcons). I've used the method of finding out the record of Bengals opponents to determine whether the Bengals would win or not many times, and all of those times my predictions ended up being correct. And now, I have a good feeling that this trend will continue against later today for one last time.
mj50's pick: Houston

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints (-10.5): Saturday- 7:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New Orleans
On paper, this should be a pretty exciting game, as this is the first time in playoff history where two 5,000 yards passer meet in the same game. And yes, this game should be pretty high scoring. But in the end, I believe the outcome is going to be the least surprising, with Drew Brees and the Saints defeating Matthew Stafford and the Lions to earn a matchup next week with San Francisco. The Saints have been unstoppable at home, winning all eighth of their regular season games in the Superdome and averaging 41 points in those victories. Second, the Lions don't have a strong running game(which is one of the reasons why Stafford threw for over 5,000 yards anyway, because he would usually throw the ball for a league leading 663 times), while the Saints have a triple threat with Darren Sproles, Marc Ingram and Pierre Thomas if they were to ever decide on slowing the game down and waste plenty of time on the clock. Finally, if you want to really know why I don't like the Lions defense to match up against Drew Brees this week, just look at last week as a prime example when they allowed Packers back-up Matt Flynn to throw for 480 yards and 6 TDs in a game where they were playing for seeding while Green Bay had nothing to lose. That performance by the defense is not a good sign when you're about to take on one of the most explosive passing games in NFL history.
mj50's pick: Detroit

HALFTIME! Last Saturday during New Year's Eve, TCM was airing a marathon of some of the best movies from the legendary Marx Brothers. "Duck Soup," "Night at the Opera," you name it. They likely showed it. So, with this in mind, I've decided on kick starting this first predictions column of the 2011 postseason with one of the comedy group's best bits. Ladies and gentleman, from "Night at the Opera" here's the movie's famous hotel scene, still funny after over eighty years. Enjoy!



Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
Consider the Falcons to be kind of like the Bengals of the NFC. When they've played bad teams, they won and usually won big. Just look at their blowout 41-14 win against the Jaguars week 15, or their 45-24 blowout win against the Buccaneers last week as two examples. And yet when they had a chance of playing teams on their level, they almost always lose. They lost to the Jay Cutler lead Bears in week one (and, yes, I'm including that Bears team as a legitimately good one as opposed to the one that played at the end of the season without him), they lost to the Packers, they lost to the Texans, and they got swept by the Saints. The only win they've had this season against another playoff team? Week 7 against the Lions (who, as I just mentioned, won't make it out of this week alive either).

But enough about why the Falcons are overrated, let's talk about why the Giants will win this thing. For starters, they have Eli Manning. Even though he has had a history of being underwhelming in critical game, he's still coming off one of his best regular seasons ever, and he has the postseason experience that the opposing starting QB Matt Ryan (who's 0-2 in two tries) doesn't. Second, they're defensive line is still one of the best of the league, and with Osi Umenyiora now back, I expect them to give that Falcons offensive line (who I'm sure will be playing a lot more cautiously than they would like thanks to the special attention the referees will have on them following the Giants accusations of their dirtiness) plenty of trouble. They've also got the momentum of winning two critical regular season games in a row (including last week's NFC East championship against Dallas), the electrifying Victor Cruz at wide receiver, and homefield advantage (in the first playoff game in the history of Met Life Stadium, by the way). In other words, everything is coming up Giants, and all these things will result in their first playoff victory since Super Bowl XLII.
mj50's pick: New York

Pittsburgh Steelers (-8.5) vs. Denver Broncos: Sunday- 3:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: Pittsburgh
This game was a pretty tough one for me to pick. On the one hand, Denver has lost three in a row and it looks like defenses have figured out how to shut down Tim Tebow throughout the game, and not just in the game's first fifty minutes. On the other hand, Pittsburgh is pretty depleted heading into this game, with an injured Ben Roethlisberger and safety Ryan Clark out for the game because playing in the Denver altitude might very well kill him. Plus, you know, "Tebow Magic" and all that brouhaha. I guess I chose Pittsburgh in the end because of their solid defense despite the loss of Clark, because of their playoff experience (something which the Broncos don't have...as much), and because I have a strange feeling that the Steelers running game will shine under the postseason pressure to match Denver's running game. But then again, if there's any predictions this week to be apprehensive about, it's this one.
mj50's pick: Denver

mj15 last week: 12-4
mj50 last week: 9-7
mj15 this season: 178-78 (a regular season personal best!)
mj50 this season: 172-81 (six games back; order has been temporarily restored)

And just for good measure (and because I have 75% less games to pick) here are some NFL related random thoughts to close out this column:

-So nice of the NFL to have all the #6/#3 seed games placed on Saturday. Makes it much more convenient for the four teams with a bye this week getting a better idea early as to who they're going to face next week.

- I've already mentioned this quite a few times on this blog, but I will say it again: for the 2011 regular season, if a tie weren't an option, then Aaron Rodgers deserves the MVP trophy over Drew Brees. Sure, Drew Brees threw for more yards in a single season than anyone in the history of the league. And, sure, Matt Flynn's 6 touchdown performance Sunday against the Lions didn't make a great case that, without Rodgers, the Packers would be terrible (like when Peyton Manning got injured this season). But you simply can't just deny the Packers QB and his very consistent play throughout the year the award just because Brees was more impressive towards the end of the season. Not only did Rodgers help lead his Packers team to a 13-0 record to start the season, he did so with statistics that were just as impressive as Brees's, including the NFL record in passer rating as well as 45 TDs and 4,643 yards on 155 fewer throwing attempts and with 8 less interceptions. If he was able to get 650 chances at throwing the ball this year instead of his 507, who know how much better of a year he would have had!

-Speaking of Matt Flynn, congratulations to Flynn for his performance this tremendous performance Sunday against the Lions. Expect to see a contract from the Redskins worth $20 million-$30 million more than you deserve this upcoming offseason.

-I think the path has been fully edged in stone for Peyton Manning departure from Indianapolis. Not only do the Colts now have the #1 pick to draft Andrew Luck and move on with the future, owner Jim Irsay has officially fired the Pollian family from the organization (a changing of the old guard for the franchise). Besides, there's no way that they're going to spend $28 million on Manning for 2012 and another $20 million or so for Luck. That's just too much damn money for one position on a team with many flaws outside of the QB position. At this point, it's just a matter of when they're going to give up Manning and to which team they're going to give him to.

-No matter what happens to the Jets following their late season collapse, one thing is for certain: Mark Sanchez's days are numbered on that team. At this point, you could just get a sense that the team is starting to create an alternative plan to win a Super Bowl, and they've begun to realize that his inconsistent play is not part of the puzzle.


And that's going to do it for my wild card weekend picks! Be sure to stop by next week for our picks for the always exciting divisional round. In the meantime, enjoy the playoffs!

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.