A few questions to ponder...

1.) Is this really cool or pretty shitty? I am leaning in the direction of shitty.

2.) If you had to be a chick, would you choose to be a chick a.) with a busted grill and sick body or b.) a great face and marginal body, that could never be improved through exercise, etc.? I am truly stumped.

On Saturday I was channel surfing after a 6:20 round of golf (@ 1:00) and came across amazing television, which I have seen 5-6 times, but am always drawn in...Biography of Andre the Giant. I recommend Tivo'ing. The talk of his appetitte for food/drink (over 100 beers in a night without catching a buzz) is amazing. Add family interviews and stories of hyperbole in thick French accents, amazing television. No need to thank me.

FFB Draft #2

Office draft, had pick #2 (of 12).

Starting Players
Rank		Usage		Player						Fantasy Points
All	Pos	Own	Start	Pos	Player	Team	Opp	Inj	Bye	Avg	Total	Last
-	-	93%	36%	QB	Jake Plummer	DEN	@STL		4	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	99%	74%	RB	LaDainian Tomlinson	SD	@OAK		3	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	98%	54%	RB	Warrick Dunn	ATL	@CAR		5	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	44%	13%	RB	Reggie Bush(r)	NO	@CLE		7	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	99%	76%	WR	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	SF		9	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	99%	76%	WR	Torry Holt	STL	DEN		7	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	97%	51%	WR	Donald Driver	GB	CHI		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	85%	51%	TE	Jason Witten	DAL	@JAC		3	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	91%	52%	PK	Mike Vanderjagt	DAL	@JAC		3	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	50%	17%	Def	Dolphins, Team Defense	MIA	@PIT		8	0.0	0.0	0.0

Bench Players
Rank		Usage		Player						Fantasy Points
All	Pos	Own	Start	Pos	Player	Team	Opp	Inj	Bye	Avg	Total	Last
-	-	27%	1%	QB	Jon Kitna	DET	SEA		8	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	40%	1%	RB	Laurence Maroney(r)	NE	BUF		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	63%	11%	WR	Matt Jones	JAC	DAL		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	59%	5%	WR	Michael Clayton	TB	BAL		4	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	68%	29%	TE	Dallas Clark	IND	@NYG		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	40%	13%	Def	Bills, Team Defense	BUF	@NE		8	0.0	0.0	0.0

For your pleasure, Leland's team:

Rank		Usage		Player						Fantasy Points
All	Pos	Own	Start	Pos	Player	Team	Opp	Inj	Bye	Avg	Total	Last
-	-	81%	31%	QB	Kurt Warner	ARI	SF		9	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	43%	6%	QB	Chris Simms	TB	BAL		4	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	98%	63%	RB	Carnell Williams	TB	BAL		4	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	99%	67%	RB	Clinton Portis	WAS	MIN		8	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	92%	42%	RB	De'Shaun Foster	CAR	ATL		9	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	90%	25%	RB	Fred Taylor	JAC	DAL		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	76%	20%	WR	Terrell Owens	DAL	@JAC		3	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	98%	60%	WR	Reggie Wayne	IND	@NYG		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	73%	12%	WR	Nate Burleson	SEA	@DET		5	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	89%	28%	WR	Muhsin Muhammad	CHI	@GB		7	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	58%	11%	WR	Brandon Lloyd	WAS	MIN		8	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	46%	12%	TE	Ben Troupe	TEN	NYJ		7	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	65%	29%	PK	David Akers	PHI	@HOU		9	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	10%	2%	PK	Stephen Gostkowski(r)	NE	BUF		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	56%	25%	Def	Patriots, Team Defense	NE	BUF		6	0.0	0.0	0.0
-	-	21%	5%	Def	Jets, Team Defense	NYJ	@TEN		9	0.0	0.0	0.0

Open Kimono - 2006 Draft

Last night was my Fantasy Football draft. I'm in a great league, 13 outstanding guys (and one dickhead who goes by RRD), we've been doing it for three years, no one has left the league, which this year meant:

- 11 of the 14 in actual attendance
- two made the trip from NYC
- seven had today (Friday) off, after the draft
- two took of yesterday to prepare (serious much?)

The great thing about a 14 person league is every team has at least one obvious weakness, and the point of a fantasy draft is to talk shit and ridicule, which goes on non-stop from the 7th round until the end, as every pick thereafter essentially sucks. Last night's good rips included:

"Alge Crumpler is the 3rd option in Atlanta's offense, behind Roddy White and the ground."
"Jerramy Stevens has been downgraded from doubtful to dead"
...general laughing at the team named 'Baby's Arm' in the middle of the 11th round, which I blame on alcohol after the fact.
...ripping ever person who chose a kicker earlier than the 15th round, drafted two TEs, or two DEFs.

I am screwed, as I really like how my team shaped up. I think my weakness is obvious, but I can't complain about the outcome. I avoided a number of miserable potentyial platoon situations (Texas, Denver RB) and good decent quality in the late rounds (White/Givens)

I'm Balls Deep

Have at it.

Ryder Cup 2006

US Captain Tom Lehman has chosen Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank as the 11th and 12th additions to the US Ryder Cup squad.

Truthfully, the choices are solid, not great, and will be met with mixed emotions, but allow for numerous subplots.

The picks don't really drive at greater team chemistry (Pavin, Funk), and don't try to capture the best players (Love III, easily open for debate).

What comes to mind when viewing the picks? Consistency, putting, boring (in the sense of watching the Champion's Tour, not golf-ball trajectory)

I don't necessarily see boring golfers as being a terrible thing. The Love IIIs of the world could easily have their cages rattled at the K Club by a raucous crowd and exuberant opponents, which won't be the case with SC/SV. Additionally, the picks are your "normal guy" kind of pros (much in the same fashion as Lehman) and will go a long way to bridge the gap in the team between the superstars and the rookies. If I were Brett Wetterich, I would be at greater ease in the Ryder Cup if paired with Scott Verplank over Love/Couples.

European captain Woosnam has sworn to negate the supposed US length factor, which is balanced by the picks. I give CAPT Lehman a B+ for the choices.

Thursday

Been messing around with my Pandora profiles and have come across some good bands, in the mold of DBT, Slobberbone, Black Crowes that I recommend:

Lucero - Raspy vocals, upbeat, very pseudo-hillbilly
Magnolia Electric Co. - Melodic, pensive, thought-provoking sound

Billy Mayfair is -6 thru 12 at the PGA, how cool is that?

Impressive

This is the first I heard of Billy Mayfair having cancer. Seems pretty remarkable he would be back on the course so quickly. BM seems to be a great guy, always affable and good for a quote, so I am glad to see something as serious as testicular cancer doesn't sideline him for too long. I hope he has a good week at the PGA.

The story provides a bit too much information, however, in my opinion.

Not too Smart

Just keep this tucked in your back pocket for when George Allen stages another campaign, be it for Senator, or higher.

The guy is a loser, much like other the Virginia Republicans (Jerry Kilgore, I'm looking in your direction) and only makes me happy my latest votes have gone with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

The Next Tee

Looking forward to the PGA at Medinah next weekend (do you get the impression I am a fan of the majors?).

Watching old PGA highlights on The Golf Channel, I must pay homage to Raymond Floyd in his prime:

- His swing was unconventional, and successful
- Fantastic putting stroke, the absolute of normal
- Made the concept of chipping from the fringe popular

- The cap tip has become a part of my normal mannerisms

What I never picked up on is the Floyd 'hole out and walk to the next tee, leaving the ball in the hole for the caddie to retreive'. He would do it from both inside two feet (when he could have reached over and picked the ball out of the hole) and when others still had to putt!

What a fantastic move.

1,2,3,4

1.) I don't agree with RR's assessment that the Little League coach was self-absorbed. It was a split second decision, that really probably had no thought involved, that he now has to repeatedly justify in the face of criticism. How difficult would it be to have to explain why you picked the socks you wore to work in the morning, and the pat "I just did it because it is what I normally do." wouldn't cut it. If anything, he wasn't going through the mental adulation RR describes, although he may have been thinking about his kid, and the kids of his friends, on the team he selflessly volunteered to coach, when he could have been on the couch watching TV, with his kid whittling away at a Playstation. The extreme minority of egomaniac youth coaches has let us forget the overwhelming majority of outstanding youth coaches who volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts. Give this guy a break.

2.) As an FYI, in hot weather it is common practice for graphite shafts to strain and partially melt (I did not realize), so leaving your bag in the trunk isn't the best of ideas.

3.) I started listening to classical music on the morning drive to the office. It is extremely relaxing and I recommend. I am surprised by the number of pieces that I recognize (maybe 1 in 10). It proves how classical music floats on the borders of our everyday lives (in elevators, restaurants, etc.).

4.) There is a guy on our client site who is named Dusty Rhodes. I can't see his name on a Cc: list without snickering.

Time Flies

I remember I used to listen to '1999' and think how far off it is, and how things would be in the future. Crazy to think the song was written in the mid-1980s (85?), seemed so far away, but is now seven years past 1999.