The Aqua Teens Shut Down Boston

Holy toledo, even our local ABC affiliate out of Portland just ran a local bit about the electronic signs that caused havoc in Boston today, with the shutdown of bridges and highways. The good news is no one here took those signs seriously, but it is nice to see that there is vigilance by people somewhere on the lookout for "suspicious looking" things that are out of place. Jury's still out on whether or not this is a smart or dumb move on the part of Turner Networks, the bottom line is that this is good publicity for the upcoming movie.



First heard this on the radio a couple of hours ago (KPNW Sports Talk, which has a Fox News top of the hour news break; I was kinda stunned to actually hear "Aqua Teens" and "fair and balanced" mentioned in the same breath.


EDIT AT 6:30 PM PST: Charles Gibson on ABC News called it a "stupid stunt" on his lead off story on their evening newscast, while NBC played it off a few minutes in as more harmless than anything.



FIRST STORY



BOSTON.COM

Stu Inman, R.I.P.

A sad day for all Blazermaniacs across the globe as the man responsible for putting together the lone NBA Championship title team from the city of Portland has passed away at the age of 80 at his home in Lake Oswego, OR.


In addition to the Red Hot And Rollin' Blazers of the 1976-77 season, he was also responsible for assembling the Blazer team that had perhaps the most popular players of all time, in terms of appeal to the local community, which would be the teams that played in the 1990 and 1992 NBA Finals with players such as Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, and Jerome Kersey. Those teams were also aided with some shrewd trades as well, getting the veteran Buck Williams from New Jersey and Kevin Duckworth from San Antonio, the latter coming in exchange for the disgruntled College Player Of The Year Walter "The Truth" Berry, who wouldn't work that hard upon joining and then found himself at the end of the bench wondering why he wasn't getting more playing time than Kersey.


Of course, to the general sports fan at large, he's still best known as the man who passed over Micheal Jordan to grab the fragile Sam Bowie, and it is not our place here to revisit the reasons for the decision. The rest of Inman's draft record in Portland will show that he had a good eye for spotting talent, starting off with having back to back Rookie Of The Year winners in Geoff Petrie, from the first Blazer team on 1970-12, and Sidney Wicks in 71-72. In the Wicks draft, he also selected the hard working fan favourite Larry Steele in the third round, the same round he would also select Lloyd Neal the next year, and these two players were extremely valuable components on the championship team that would be assembled in the next couple of years.


Also, he was keen enough to make sure that the Blazers got ahold of power forward Maurice Lucas and guard David Twardzik in the ABA dispersal draft of 1976, the final pieces of the championship puzzle that was coached by Jack Ramsay. Interestingly, Twardzik himself had been drafter by Inman and the Blazers back in 1972, but since Twardzik had attended college at Old Dominion, that was the reason that he stayed close to home to play for the Virgina Squires of the ABA instead of flying across the country to play for a new expansion team that wasn't very good at all. Oh yeah, I do believe that a gentlemen named Julius Erving was playing for the Squires at the time, not a bad teammate to be with I'd say.


It was sad that the championship team that Inman assembled fell apart in a haze of injuries and bad feelings in the wake of the 1977-78 season collapse, where the Blazers had blasted off to a 50-10 start, serious contenders to best the Lakers single season victory total of 69, only to be eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Supersonics in a 4-2 series.



I can still hear people going "LaRue WHO?" when Inman picked the Loyola (Chicago) center of North Carolina's Bob McAdoo in 72-73, which is still a pick that Blazer fans have puzzled over for years.


Through the good and the bad, rooting for the Blazers was always fun (at least until the Jail Blazers showed up :rolleyes: ), and Stu Inman was largely responsible for many of the excellent memories that I have today, especially in the way that being a Blazermaniac really was a communal-type activity; I know of people who normally wouldn't give much thought of sports becoming enamored of the team and quality of people who played for the franchise. Thank you for you work Stu....it was really appreciated.


STU

Oh Mama, This Really Is The End

...to be using a computer without a floppy disk in them (severe apologies to Bob Dylan for that preceding awful rhyme. :embarrassed:





This move will come as no surprise, but one more step toward the actual demise of the floppy disk, the long standing storage device in the computer world for years and years, is at hand with the announcement that PC World computer stores will no longer be selling the item once stocks on hand are gone.



Of course, no one really mourned the passing of the first really big floppy discs, so I would assume that there won't be much of an outcry, it'll just be the sole remaining task at hand for the disks still in my possession to serve as a reminder of my first days learning computing basics back in the early 80's.



BBC STORY

Eagle Carrying Deer Head Cuts Power To Thousands

Weird story out of Alaska about the hungry bald eagle, its dinner of a deer head, and a power line. Unfortunately, it ends badly for the symbol of our country.



EAGLE

You Don't Need Pants......

...for more than the victory dance, apparently. Gotta love the zany people over at Improv Everywhere. While their mission of invading a Manhattan Best Buy store with a lot of people dressed somewhat like a Best Buy employee will always be one of my all time fave events, their recently documented current mission of NoPants2k7 on the New York City subways . Nice that they picked a weekend day for the mission, I wonder how many people I know would be brave enough to engage in such an activity? I know I would.



NO PANTS

FA Cup 5th Round Draw: Spurs At Fulham

Oh joy, another chance to exhibit less than stellar road play? We'll all find out during the week of February 17/18.



FA CUP

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Trailer

Dang, with this one coming up, that'll make it, what, four movies that I'll have actually paid to sit in a theater within a 12 month period? (Those'd be Borat, Pan's Labrynith, Reno 911 and this one). Looks good to me so far.

Reno 911 Movie On February 23rd

Not just about promoting upcoming music releases, but also movies about a ridiculous television show about inept cops. Sometimes great, sometimes grating, nevertheless the Reno 911 show was one of the last things I ever made a point to catch (at least since both Insomniac and Chappelle's Show went off the air). Sorry gents, endless repeats of MadTV doesn't do anything for me, though to be fair, I'm sure endless repeats of MST3K back in the day didn't do anything for a lot of people either. Bring back the Sports Monster!


Anyways, the Reno 911 cops have a Myspace page out, I saw this in the previews before the Borat movie. A lot of ridiculousness in it........just like in real life.



MY SPACE

The Triffids: Calenture & In The Pines Released Feb. 20th

Because it's never too early to start reminding, or educating, people that the next installment of Triffids reissues for the states, released by the wonderful people at Domino Records, hits the stores in just a couple of weeks, on the 20th of February.


The two albums are basically bookends of the Triffids styles, In The Pines was a superb collection of relaxed tracks made by the band, in a shed in the middle of nowhere basically, after they signed an international recording contract with Island Records. Calenture, the first album released by Island, is a wonderful collection of thoughtful songs enhanced by the luxury of studio time and money. (i.e. it's slick by comparison).


As always, the twenty years I've been listening to this wonderful band have not diminished my opinion of them one bit, a great thing to have in this era of "flavour of the month" type musical styles and artists, where often a career will last no more than two albums. Their mix of rock, country, pop and soul, with a bit of the avant-garde thrown in for good measure, plus non-embarrassing lyrics, has always hit the spot.


Besides, the eighth anniversary of singer David McComb's tragic passing is this Friday, February the 2nd. R.I.P. always David, and thank you for the wonderful music.





FEBRUARY 20TH

The Lost Art Of The Mixtape

A nice piece in today's Guardian by Sean O'Hagan about the mix tape, always a labour of love from the creator for various modes of consumption: as a chance to show some one new your broad musical taste, a chance to gather various songs under a single theme, as a means of communication with your friends, a way to get ahold of some songs that might otherwise be impossible to acquire, etc.


Lord knows I've got a couple of boxes of cassettes still on hand, for like most people, there are lots and lots of memories associated with these items, not to mention the aforementioned songs that I don't have on a CD anywhere, such as rare b-side single tracks or from various compilation albums that didn't find their way onto a regular issue album. In the grand scheme of things, these couple of boxes don't take up that much space, and while it's not likely I'll ever buy another Walkman in my life (I have no interest really in an Ipod), there are still loads of cassette players out there to do the job, not to mention software that will let one record the rare songs to your computer in digitized form.


Part of the charm of the tapes, especially the non-themed ones, was working on instinct on what song would follow any other song, such as one might hear on a good radio station that would have an eclectic play list, not the predetermined garbage we get from the likes of Clear Channel. If it wasn't done right, as O'Hagan notes, some of these tapes could take an average of 5 hours to compile, by which time one might lose a little patience and rush to complete the job that night.


This article is also a great companion to the book edited by Thurston Moore a couple of years ago entitle Mix Tape: The Art Of Cassette Culture.


The tape above is not mine, just for illustrative purposes only, though my titles would often have a similar title.




SEAN O'HAGAN



THURSTON MOORE


The last tape I made, with inclusion of vinyl material, was a couple of years ago:

Side One:
Nick Cave-Jack The Ripper
Leftfield-Dusted
Cabaret Voltaire-Safety Zone
The Heads-The Damage I've Done
Rage Against The Machine_Guerrilla Radio
Wyclef Jean-Bubblegoose
Mudhoney-Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown
Lyle Lovett-Sonja
Oasis-The Masterplan
The Orb-Toxygene

Side Two:
Crystal Method-Keep Hope Alive
Uncle Tupelo-Sin City
Primal Scream-Keep Your Dreams/Swastika Eyes
Smith & Mighty-No Justice
U2-Staring At The Sun (monster truck mix)
X-Burning House Of Love
That Petrol Emotion-Abandon
Dwight Yoakam-Thinking About Leaving
Alan Jackson-Pop A Top


For posterity, my all time most played tape, entitled Son Of E-Z Listening

Side One:
The Replacements-Swingin' Party
" -Here Comes A Regular
" -Skyway
Rain Parade-Carolyn's Song
" -Sad Eyes Kill
Rainy Day-I'll Keep It With Mine
" -I'll Be Your Mirror
Robbie Robertson-Broken Arrow
Rachel Sweet-New Age
Scritti Politti-Faithless
Squeeze-Black Coffee In Bed
Steve Kilbey-The Empire Mourns Her Son Without Tears


Side two:
Style Council-You're The Best Thing
Jonathan Richman-That Summer Feeling
Velvet Underground-Pale Blue Eyes
The Triffids-Trick Of The Light
School Daze soundtrack-I'm Building Me A Home
This Mortal Coil-Song To The Siren
Magazine-A Song From Under The Floorboards
Marty Willson-Piper-She's King
Tom Verlaine-Dissolve/Reveal
The Church-Disenchanted
Bruce Springsteen-I'm On Fire
Dream Syndicate-Someplace Better Than this

obviously a collection of tracks thar are more laid back.

Oregon 77 Washington State 74

The Ducks salvaged a split on their Washington road trip by beating the Cougars Saturday night at Friel Court 77 to 74. Oregon rallied in a game in which they trailed for practically the entire game to force overtime with Maarty Leunen calmly sinking two free throws with .5 seconds left, on a foul call that will surely aggravate Cougar fans for eternity.


The Ducks trailed by nine with just over 7 minutes to play, but once again Aaron Brooks led the team down the stretch with steely nerves. This team really does not show much fear or panic when things aren't going exactly as they would like to, the odd quickly launched three point shot notwithstanding. The Ducks, who were pounded on the boards in Thursday's loss to the Washington Huskies, claimed a 42-28 advantage their, which helped to limit the damage from their 19 turnovers.


Leunen was scoreless before he sank the two free throws at the end of regulation, and he also hit a three point shot early in overtime to account for this 5 points. However, he led the way with 10 rebounds and continued his stellar play on the defensive end with his hustle.


The Cougars' Derrick Low was had a terrific game, playing like his shorts were on fire, finishing with 37 points, 8 assists and just two turnovers. Some of his three point shots made were just incredible, he took them with no hesitation and lots of confidence. Also, as team the Cougars blocked 10 Duck shots in their relentless defensive scheme that didn't allow very many open looks at the basket.


The above pic of Leunen, before his two crucial free throw attempts, is one of my fave pics from this lively season.


REPORT

$7,000 Per Jumping Jack

$35,000 awarded to a Florida teen age girl after a settlement with the Pensacola City Council was reached. All of this after a city police officer ordered her to do some topless jumping jacks. Nice example of seeing what exactly a policeman thinks they can get away with these days. Sounds like a skit for a future Reno 911 episode as well.


JUMP JUMP

Spurs 3 Southend 1

Okay, so it was only Southend today in the fourth round of the FA Cup, but hey, it's the team that was on the schedule. Aaron Lennon was a joy to watch today, running up and down both sides of the pitch and creating chances for his teammates to score. Spurs took a 1-0 lead just 12 minutes in on a strike from Robbie Keane, and went further on the attack for most of the rest of the half, as the Southend defensive line looked harried all day long.


Lennon step up both Spurs goals in the second half, the first in the 49th minute by Jermaine Jenas, giving Spurs a 2-0 lead. Even though the final possession chart shows the visitors with a 53% possession lead, they had little to show for all of that, and they were the benefactors of a handball by Hossam Ghaly in the battle in front of the goal after Southend's only corner kick to set up a penalty kick from Freddy Eastwood in the 69th minute.


Spurs then went on the attack as the penalty kick gave the visitors a sign of life, with Spurs all it sometimes takes is one momentary lapse of concentration, and it looked like Robbie Keane was denied an obvious penalty kick one minute later after being taken down in the box, ruining an obvious scoring chance. The referee did not agree, and Keane vented for the next couple of minutes, and drew a yellow card for his efforts one minute later. At this point, I thought Spurs were quite in danger of those aforementioned lapses of direction, but thankfully Lennon was on top of his game, and tore down the right side to find a sliding Mido in front of the goal for the final tally.


Actually, my favourite play of the game was one in which Spurs didn't score, it was set up by Lennon, again, with a terrific display of running and dribbling down the left flank some 60 yards, finding Didier Zokora just outside the box. Robbie Keane, recognizing the space in the Southend defensive live, took a step back to receive Zokora's pass, but missed the wide open shot in the 61st minute.


First Spurs match I've seen in person where Paul Robinson wasn't the goalie, in this one reserve Radek Cerny did a fine job with the couple of saves when he was involved with the action, though he was fooled badly on the penalty kick.


One final note: the momentary lapse of concentration was evident again in stoppage time, at the close of the 92nd minute, when Michael Dawson, inside the goal area, kicked a ball back to Cerny with a Southend player in extremely close vicinity. That Southend player created that chance by himself out of nothing, it was three Spurs in the back against him, he saw the ball go toward Cerny and decided to see what would happen if he pressed Spurs a bit. Well, he nearly got a goal for his effort if Cerny hadn't hurried up to kick the ball away.

Some final stats to further testify for the overall Spurs domination:



Tottenham Southend
Shots (on Goal)28(16) 9(4)
Fouls 10 14
Corner Kicks 15 1
Offsides 1 0
Possession 47% 53%
Yellow Cards 2 1
Red Cards 0 0
Saves 5 8




MATCH

Dedicated Sports Fan

Bless the passion of New England sports fans; here's one talking a mile a minute after last Sunday's AFC Championship Game loss by his beloved Patriots to the Indianapolis Colts, sounding like every other guy I've been around in a bar or at a tailgate after a tough, tough loss. This clip does include language that one might not use around their parents, and it's a good thing the Pats have won three Super Bowls to ease the pain of that loss just a very little bit; God knows how he would have reacted if he had a webcast after Game Six of the 1986 World Series.

Because If It Ain't Stiff............

...........no prizes for guessing the rest, especially after I put up a pic of one of my all-time fave tees, which promptly was stolen from me, though I still have a badge of that famous saying.


Some good news in the seemingly never-ending flow of reissues designed to make consumers buy yet another copy of a work they already own. BUT (and this is big but), these titles are indeed from the vaults of the legendary Stiff Records, a linchpin of the English New Wave scene of the 70's and 80's.


These albums, of which I've never seen CD versions of before, are being done right, with the usual plethora of bonus materials composed of b-sides and live tracks. Digital remastering as well, though some people like that aspect, but some people don't.


I know for certain that I'd like a version of the Wreckless Eric and Rachel Sweet titles, I had the Any Trouble album when it came out but sold it within a couple of years. Maybe it's time to revisit that one.


STIFF RECORDS

Spurs 2 Arsenal 2

Just got home to find out the score, it wasn't on television here, so I don't know what to make of the fact that Julio Baptista of the Arse scored three goals, once an own goal for Spurs early on.


Gut feeling, once again, is that this can't be good news if Spurs go the Emirates Stadium, their road woes are certainly well documented by now. I know, I know, oh yea of little faith. :shrug:


Reaction and pics (maybe) later........for now I gotta read up on this.


CARLING CUP RESULT

Car Pinball In Portland

Even though the television station broadcasting this is from Seattle. Even though I'm sure there are just as many hilly areas up there. Hmmm.



PINBALL

What A Rip Off!!!!

Folks in North Carolina got DORITOS, "beach combers" in England get BMW motorbikes. "It's great isn't it - a cross between a bomb site and a car boot sale," said one enthusiastic man helping to clear the beach from the "unwanted" clutter after a cargo ship spilled a large part of its contents at sea. Why don't half of these people show up when there's an oil spill?



STORY

Pictures Of Walls

Not just any ol' wall mind you, it's pics of walls full of graffiti. Some lovely stuff, such as the one of Faux News above. I've seen some crude language in some of the pics, so you have been warned.


TRUE WORDS?

Hate Your Life? Want A New One?

A big thank you to the wonderful StumbleUpon extension, without which I never would've found this beauty of an offer. Now you can assume the identity of a young Aussie male and become what he once was. How irresistible is that? Does this package include all of the seller's past sins? I would imagine that the church would have an interest in such a question. Any way, the current bid for this new look on life is at AU $19,100.00.



NEW LIFE

Pan's Labyrinth In Portland

Having been captivated by Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone, which was on IFC twice yesterday, the eagerly awaited Oregon debut of his new film Pan's Labyrinth occurred last Friday at Cinema 21.


The film opens at more theaters this Friday, I'm hoping that Salem or Eugene might be amongst those cities, for shorter traveling distance, but then heading up to Portland for a day of film, food, browsing and shopping is not an unpleasant day out to be sure.


The rich mix of reality and fantasy in this new film seems to be a winner once again set during the Spanish Civil War, I was mesmerized by the beauty (and tragedy) of del Toro's work in Devil's Backbone, walking the fine line between human needs and wants delicately, aided by some stunning visual work as well.


REVIEW

Being A Good Samaritan....

...doesn't always pay. Here's an incredible story about a concerned citizen, who had watched a car go out of control crash, watch in what must've been a state of disbelief as the man got out of the wrecked car and into the truck of the would be aider. The startled citizen then jumps into the back of the truck, and you can read the rest of the story HERE

Some Velvet Morning: Lee Hazlewood At 77

An interview with the producer/musician from today's Los Angeles Times. With a new album, more than likely his last, coming out this week, the reclusive artist has been making a few appearances in the print trade, both looking ahead to the new album, and to the past, where it seems that interest in his classic solo studio work, or his productions/duets with Nancy Sinatra will never fade.


Oh, and the ladies may want to show their love for Lee with the following tee shirt currently on sale, though I somehow doubt any of the monies will be forwarded to Mr. Hazlewood.




LA TIMES



I LUV LEE

Vern Ruhle R.I.P.

Sorry to note the passing, from cancer, of former major league pitcher Vern Ruhle on Saturday. He wasn't one of the most dominating pitchers of his day, his best total was 88 K's in 199 innings for the 1976 Tigers, but he was one of those pitchers who managed to string together a 10 year plus career for several teams. Opening a pack of Topps baseball cards back then, and finding out that there was another card printed for the guy gave me a sense of relief, he was just one of those players I'd always be rooting for to do well, anyplace in the league, I'd always be checking out the daily newspaper box score, and the box scores from the Sporting News, to see how he was doing.



STORY



CAREER STATS

Oregon 92 California 84

Ho-hum, just another typical Pac-10 basketball game, right? The California Golden Bears played a great game, shot lights out from the field (over 54%), and out-rebounded the Ducks..........and still lost.


The Ducks overcame an eight point halftime deficit to claim the victory, sparked by the continued excellent play from senior point guard Aaron Brooks, especially at the start of the second half.

Both teams shot nearly identical percentages from the field, and both did very well from behind the three point line, with the Bears 10 for 22 and the Ducks 12 for 23, with the final overall percentage separated by only .001%. In this case, it wasn't just a case of poor defending, rather more down to excellent shooting. As Cal coach Ben Braun noted in the post game press conference, when one plays as well as the Golden Bears did, one normally wins, the Ducks just played a better game.


For the record, the Ducks win/loss record and overall ranking will not be mentioned here, at least for the forseeable future; the Pac-10 is proving to be a dog fight this year, and the Ducks embark on a four game road swing that will prove difficult, with three of the teams tied with the Ducks at the top of the league on slate (Washington State (next Saturday, and then UCLA and USC). At this point, a 2-2 slate from that trip will look good, and will show the true character of the team.

One game at a time please, gentlemen. Go Ducks!!!!





STORY


POST GAME

Fulham 1 Spurs 1

Hmmm, though I haven't seen a bit of this match, Pascal Chimbonda hits an 87th minute equalizer for Spurs to salvage a point.



Reading the Fulham account, it seems to've been a controversial match, when a Fulham player got his second yellow card of the game early on in the second half. All too typical of Spurs though to not capitalize on the numbers, tracking the GameCast earlier today I'd noticed that Spurs had the majority of possession, but had fewer shots on goal.


The Guardian reports that Spurs were clearly "uninspired", perhaps looking forward to the three cup competitions for this week. Also, another injury to contend with, this time to Teemu Tainio. Lovely, just lovely. Oh well, strap it on men, this should be a fun week *fingers and toes crossed*





FULHAM



SPURS


GUARDIAN

A Man Really Does Fall For The Nigerian Scam

Just noting this as it happened, not wishing to pile on the unfortunate individual any more than that, but as one person is quoted in the article, "What was he thinking?" . I guess people are gonna believe what they're gonna believe, and that nothing bad will ever happen to them.


STORY

Calum Davenport To West Ham

Spurs defensive stopper Calum Davenport has indeed signed a contract to go back across London to Upton Park and try to help the Hammers avoid relegation. Though not a part of the Spurs youth program, and also having played for Coventry City, Norwich and Southampton, it's still a bit sad to see him go, but with the return of Ledley King on the defensive line, his playing time was going to be reduced.

Still won't forget his cracking goal against Man City last December. I appreciate your hard work on the pitch Calum.

Oregon 66 Stanford 59

On a night when the shots weren't falling, and the overall tempo of the game was slowed down from the usual pace that the Ducks were used to, it took great free throw shooting by the Ducks to edge the Cardinal in a second half come from behind victory at MacArthur Court.


The Ducks shot a season low 28 percent from the field (15 for 53), but connected on 30 of 37 free throws for the difference. The Cardinal team will certainly rue the fact that they could only manage 14 free throw attempts (they made 11), but I will chalk that down to a combination of the Ducks driving to the lane extensively, particularly Aaron Brooks, Tajuan Porter, and Bryce Taylor, along with the excellent defense they played down the stretch against the taller Cardinal team.


One more battle in what's gonna be an exciting Pac-10 conference race, the only thing that matters now is California, on Saturday.


BOX SCORE

Art Buchwald, R.I.P.

A good bye and 'see ya on the other side' to the long time humorist, who passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 81.

I honestly can't say that I read that many of his books, but my paperback copy of Washington Is Leaking is one book that will never ever be sold, and will always remain one of those books which needs to be instantly accessible as the mood strikes.

Bought the book around the same time I was getting into the National Lampoon Magazine when I was an underclassmen in high school, and I can clearly remember giving a book report to an English class about it. Worst part of that was, I couldn't control my laughing at the satirical passages I'd picked out (I know for sure one of them was about the Indians wondering why they should celebrate the Bicentennial), so I don't know what kind of impression that made on my fellow classmates, no one really said anything as I walked back to my seat, but it sure felt good to laugh out loud like that.


Definitely not as memorable a moment as when one of our teachers was giving a speech by JFK in class, and one wiseacre got up, stood as if he had a rifle in his hands, and went BOOM!!!. Needless to say, the gales of laughter he received from his class mates was rewarded with a trip to the principals office.



Art's Obit

The Road Kill Cafe...On The Telly

You've seen the t-shirts, now watch the television show! (at least to those who can get BBC3, sadly not available in these parts of the states). Yes, some of those yummy looking animals that wind up dead alongside the roadways of the nation, can wind up as a delicious, and money saving, main course on your plate. I dunno, all I see round here for the most part is opossums or skunks, and neither of those rate on my "must-eat" list, in this or in any lifetime. It's always sad though to see all of those deer rotting away, at least the less mangled ones, at least we can know that the meat's been tenderized.



NEW TV SHOW

Sacha Baron Cohen's Golden Globes Acceptance Speech

As if I know how many award shows there are for everything under the entertainment sun, it's quite easy to lose track. Which is why I did not even notice that the Golden Globe awards were on last night. I'd prefer to wait till the next day to see the clips and highlights, knowing that every blunder and gaffe will be discussed and reviewed in the days to come. So it is with Borat's creator, Sacha Baron Cohen last night, discussing his infamous scene with Ken Davitian. Stirring speech Sacha.

The World In Only Seven Pictures

I dunno, seems to me "they" skipped parts like Africa and Europe, but the Texas and American pics are hilarious. Whaddya you think?


7 PICS

No Love From Kevin To Basketball Backboard

Shaky amateur footage from his father Stan. This occurred last Friday, didn't watch any local news this weekend.



SLAM!!!

Why Woodpeckers Don't Get Headaches

An answer to one of two not-so-burning questions in my mind about birds: so why don't woodpeckers get headaches? An explanation is found HERE



The other question, related in a manner, is why don't hummingbirds wings get overly tired after beating their wings constantly?

Oregon 79 Arizona 77

Aaron Brooks hit a running jump shot between two defenders, with two seconds left, to lead the Oregon Ducks to a 79-77 over the Arizona Wildcats in an exciting Pac-10 basketball game.

It was a well played game with few turnovers, sparked by both teams point guards as Brooks finished with 21 points, 6 assists, and just one turnover. Arizona guard Mustafa Shakur had a nearly identical line with 21 points, five assists, and two turnovers. For the game, the Ducks finished with 9 and the Wildcats with 10, a testament to the smart, in control nature of much of the game, when both teams could never manage to stake more than a six point lead.

Wildcat forward Marcus Williams was actually the big scorer for the game, with 34 points on 11 for 20 shooting plus a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line, snaring 12 rebounds in the game.

For the Ducks, Bryce Taylor also tallied 21, Malik Hairston with 18, and Maarty Leunen with 14 for the bulk of the Ducks offense. Leunen also led the way defensively with 14 rebounds and two blocked shots, one critical one late when the Ducks were trailing by one.


The one aspect that doomed the Wildcats was their inability to defend the Ducks on the three point line. In the second half, the Ducks hit five of six on wide open looks, most of them early on, to stretch the Wildcat defense and allow a bit more movement inside. For the game, the Ducks finished shooting a more than respectable 50% on 13-26.


STORY

Spurs 2 Newcastle 3

"One pass to many" That's what the commentators said about Spurs effort in the second half as the home side, cruising with a 2-1 lead at the 70 minute mark, gave up a couple of goals in the next four minutes to find themselves on the wrong side of a 3-2 score. Spurs had many, many chances to put the game away, as the final 17 to 7 shots on goal tally will attest to, but a combination of both great goalkeeping by Shay Given and hesitancy and sheer unluckiness by any number of Spurs players in the box doomed Spurs to defeat.


Spurs had the better offensive chances for the majority of the game, but once again, the failure to finish those chances has cost them. All of the credit to Newcastle, mind you, even when they were getting battered on defense their youngsters held firm, and the equalizing goal to make it 2-2 by Obafemi Martins, well defended, was created on his own, leaving Paul Robinson no chance on a great strike from the left side of the box, and Nicky Butt slotted one past Robinson two minutes later that left the home team (and crowd) stunned and disappointed.

The first Newcastle goal was a typical one allowed by Spurs this season.........a 16th minute shot Paul Huntington that went through Robinson's leg, a great response to the goal by Jermaine Defoe just two minutes before.

The only bit of luck that went Spurs way in terms of getting something out of the many opportunities was their second, scored by Dimitar Berbatov on a rebound from a missed shot of Teemu Tainio. As the match time waned, Defoe hit the woodwork on the left side on a great shot that summed up the total result of the effort today.


Still cannot believe that Spurs lost this one today; as of this moment, it's a good signal that this side is still not quite ready for the Champions League. Of course, the absence of Ledley King on the back line might've made a difference today, but congratulations to the Geordies all the same.


GAME MATCH

Calvin And Hobbes: Box In

A game styled a bit after checkers, the object is to complete a box by adding a side before the opposition, in this case the baby sitter Rosalyn, does. When you complete a box, you get another move.




BOX IN

Just Because It's Cold Outside.....

.............and because Yamila Diaz Rahi is very hot.

Some Things You Never Get Used To

Which, for fans of the old Baltimore Colts ( and most likely fans of the current Baltimore Ravens) has to do with all things associated with Robert Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts, the franchise famous for packing up a couple of Mayflower trucks in the middle of the night and moving toward the greener pastures of the American midwest. The fact that the old franchise that bolted Baltimore is now visiting today for an NFL playoff game has rekindled some of the old emotions and stories about that sudden and unexpected departure over twenty years ago.

After reading some of the messages in a discussion of the topic in the Baltimore newspaper HERE
, I have to also agree that it is not for me to tell the residents of Baltimore to "get over it", as I have no particular interest in their team, though Jim O'Brien's winning field goal in the waning moments of Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys was one of my first vivid NFL memories, being a Vikings fan back then insured that I would indeed root for the blue and white on that day. All I do know is that I would feel aggravated if someone tried to move the only professional sports team in Oregon, the NBA's Trail Blazers, in a similar manner. I can't lie and say that if such a move had happened a couple of years ago, when they were populated with a bunch of underachieving knuckleheads, I would've been as upset, but now that they've turned the corner by fielding a team that actually seems like it cares about the game and not just a paycheck, that indifference has passed.



Of course, there are other factors that might be considered here: the fact that Baltimore also received a franchise moved straight from another city; that team,the Browns from Cleveland, at least got a new name and colors in their new home, which didn't happen with Indy's move, plus the falling attendance that led to the Colts' move in the first place.


A good story about the move and the subsequent anger, from today's Los Angeles Times, is HERE

Coastal Snow (Dang, They Got More Than We Did)

Because snow on the Oregon Coast is always a wondrous thing to behold. From the Ocean Point Inn at Cannon Beach. We barely got an inch here in the valley, and they wind up with 3 to 6 inches. Go figure. At least there wasn't much in the way of black ice this morning, and the clear afternoon dried up all of the moisture on the road. A good thing, cause it's gonna get chilly for the next couple of days.




SNOW PATROL

Where's Your Beckham Gone? Los Angeles

In a move that probably failed to shock anybody, Real Madrid's David Beckham is indeed heading toward the United States to likely finish his career with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the Major Soccer League, in a reported $250 million dollar, five year contract.

The move is also expected to bolster the international reputation of the MLS, much as the old North American Soccer League did back in the 1970's by signing the likes of Franz Beckenbauer.


Presumably shopping mall owners will now be able to recognize the celebrated couple and extend to them the same courtesies that we bestow, as a society, to all of our larger than life entertainment heroes.


At least the weather will be a bit warmer for wife Victoria (aka Posh Spice).





ESPN STORY

Video Montage From Monday "Loser"

Watching the (unexpectedly) lopsided BCS title game Monday night, I was a bit taken aback by all of the weepy Buckeye fans being given screen time (typical Fox work for that type of game, I dunno?).


No one I know of, save for Rudy the bartender at a local watering hole, gave much chance for the Gators to win, I personally had told a Buckeye friend the final would be 24-14 for the Bucks, which is why I don't bet in Vegas that often.


Of course, with a Michigan grad in our family, I always hear about the Buckeye fans, etc., as I expect I would hear about in any type of rivalry. Which is why the video created over at NBX.COM....the agony of defeat video would make her smile, as well as any of those who are continually put off by the attitude of Buckeye fans around the nation. They've compiled a clever edit of all of the best hard hits from the game, along with a healthy mix of the weepy Buckeye nation crowd shots given large amounts of air time, all to an edit of Beck's Loser (love the bit of Urban Meyer pumping his fists in sync with the beat).


The video is also on another excellent sports blog, WITH LEATHER.........SUCKS TO BE OHIO STATE


In the third quarter, I'd started thinking about using a pic of one of those weepy Buck fans in a post, but then the pic of the crying kid at the end of the third quarter made me stop and think to myself "I can't use that one!". Well, other people have decided that they could, it's the opening shot of the video.


P.S. Sorry 'bout that Butch...................and congrats to Rudy :)




VIDEO LINK

Most Obvious Fave Moment From Last Night

That'd be Gator linebacker Earl Everett running across the field, sans helmet, chasing down Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, with little regard for his immediate safety and welfare. Photo is by Stephen Dunn of Getty Images.


Second fave play would be Gator defensive end Jarviss Moss running untouched into the Buckeye backfield to blast Smith for the Gators, once again, with the gent who was supposed to be blocking him, Alex Boone, a sophomore, looking around confused by what was happening.


Oh yeah, couldn't quite believe the time of possession stats for the game, with the Gators holding the ball for over 40 minutes, holding the Buckeyes to under 20.

Sascha Baron-Cohen On Borat

An interview with the creator of Borat, Ali G, and Bruno. From today's LA Times, an interesting look at some of the views behind the insanity. I can still feel the sorority girls sitting next to me in the theater cringing in their seats during the wrestling scene. Can't get that experience watching a DVD at home.



OUT OF CHARACTER

Aaron Lennon: Spur Till 2012

Very good news for Spurs fans in solidifying the core group of the current team: the 19-year old has inked a new 5 and a half year deal which will keep him at White Hart Lane. One less thing to worry about..............now if they could have only persuaded Micheal Carrick to the same thing earlier last year.





LENNON

Florida 41 Ohio State 14

Okay, not many people I knew gave the Gators any chance against the Buckeyes, myself included, and I told my Buckeye friend I expected a score of something like 28-20 in favor of the Buckeyes. What has transpired in the first half has undoubtedly left Gator fans in delirium, Buckeye fans in shock, and everybody in disbelief.

Some random notes from the first half: dumb personal foul penalties on the Buckeyes give the Gators excellent field position on their first two drives, big aids in overcoming the electrifying 93 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Buckeyes Ted Ginn, Jr.

11 yards total offense for the Buckeyes, and one first down in the first quarter, compared to the 151 and 9 put up by Florida.


Very curious play calling by Jim Tressel: having pulled to within 21-14, three straight incomplete passes kill whatever momentum was created by the quick, fine drive put together by Troy Smith (the Gators scored on the first play of the second quarter to make it 21-7, and the Buckeyes respond in less than two minutes, and then force Florida to punt for their only time in the first half). Florida scored on six of its seven possessions in the first half, and four of those started in Buckeye territory.


Down by 24-14, Tressel, apparently looking for some kind of spark, elects to go for it on his own 29, facing a 4th and 1. The play fails, Florida manages to eke out enough yards for another field goal, and this makes it 27-14 with less than two minutes to go.

Next offensive possession for the Buckeyes, Troy Smith is stripped of the ball behind the line of scrimmage, Florida recovers and runs the ball to the five, setting up an easy final score for the 34-14 halftime advantage.


Chris Leak, the quarterback of the Gators, had a brilliant start to the game, completing his first 9 passes for 99 yards, to several receivers as well. He finished the half 16 of 24, and I counted 4 passes thrown away to avoid a loss.

More later.........



9:00 pm PST edit: third quarter was a battle for field position that the Buckeyes won; it's too bad they couldn't do a damn thing with it, even after forcing a 3 and out plus a 20 yard punt from the Gators right off the bat.


Gotta give Earl Everett credit for making that helmet less tackle on Troy Smith, I'm sure he knew he wasn't gonna be hurting too much after that.

The sack of Smith at the beginning of the fourth quarter was the final nail in the coffin: #94 blowing around the end while #75 for the Bucks just kinda slowly turned around, couldn't believe that he'd already been beaten bad.

84 yards total offense for the Bucks through three, even though Ted Ginn Jr. sprained his foot on the first Buckeyes series on offense, his presence wouldn't have made a difference to the O-Line, who hardly gave Smith any time at all to do anything. The final score would not be any different than it is now.

R.I.P. Sneaky Pete Kleinow

Pete, lower left


Being a big Gram Parsons fan, it is sad to note the passing of "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, the steel guitar player who added the perfect complement of steel guitar playing to Gram's Cosmic American Music vision with the Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, in addition to many other artists and records.


He was also well known in the animation industry, having worked on a variety of things ranging from Gumby to The Terminator movies.


A nice coincidence that I've been spinning Gram a lot lately, mostly due to catching a showing of Gram Theft Parsons on IFC this past week.

Thank you for your outstanding contributions to music and animation Pete, you will indeed be missed.



PETE

The Move List: A Fire Sale For Ice

Working with perishable commodities, I'm always aware of things such as sell-by, freeze-by, best-by, or expiration dates on products. One things I wasn't aware of is that bagged ice is considered in the same way.


One of the results of a lack of hurricanes in the state of Florida last season is how to move nearly 9 million pounds of ice sitting in warehouses, ready to be shipped to areas that needed it after storms.

This ice needs to be moved well before the next hurricane season starts at the beginning of June, so the word has gone out in an effort to move the frozen inventory. One caveat for buyers though: There are strings attached, though. The ice is packaged in plastic-wrapped pallets of 360 bags each, so that is the minimum amount the state will part with. Delivery is included, but only if the recipient will take a whole truckload of 22 pallets, or almost 40,000 pounds.



Obviously storage of the purchased ice would then be a priority for the buyer. Good luck on that front, though it appears that the state government has another idea in line if the ice isn't sold in time.




ICE ICE BABY

"Natural" Mekons Album Ths Fall

Ye gads! A new Mekons studio album, the first since 2002's Out Of Our Heads, is currently being mastered. Tour plans for this fall, including some U.S. dates in September/October. Lovely, just lovely.

Why the Mekons, after all of these years?

Because the show I saw on the 25th anniversary tour was one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen.

Because of their shambolic approach to their recording career with regards to the capriciousness of major labels in terms of trying to become the next big thing.

Because they have fun onstage.

Because the music is still great.


Just because there is no better alternative.


NEWS

Cardiff 0 Spurs 0

A third round FA Cup match from the Ninian Stadium in Cardiff, Wales ends in a 0-0 draw. Sometimes these scoreless draws can be exciting memorable affairs; sadly this was not one of the those. Both teams had a small handful of chances that they failed to capitalize upon, and most of those were created by mistakes from the defense, particularly the first chance for the Bluebirds on a errant back pass from Young-Pyo Lee to goalie Paul Robinson, leaving the goalie high and dry as the attacking Cardiff player shot wide right on an open goal in the 15th minute.

Jermaine Defoe had the best shots on goal for the visitors, I still can't believe the chip shot he missed, on a beautiful pass from Steed Malbranque in the 49th minute, although the Cardiff goalie Neil Alexander made a terrific save in the 62nd minute when it looked like Spurs were ready to break though finally.


Can't say this one was as boring as watching paint dry (there was a steady rain all match long, creating a slick pitch that lead to some slips here and there), but all too often entry passes into the midfield went astray, and most of the action was played between the boxes. There were a few organized attempts off of the corners for both sides, but nothing threatening resulted from those actions. Hats off to the crowd, 20,376 in a packed house, for a lively atmosphere, lots of singing to try and inspire both sides, it looked as though Spurs had a large contingent in the Grange End of the stadium.

Ah well, a rematch with Cardiff in 10 days time at the Lane, where the fortunes of Spurs have been considerably better, although adding another fixture to a crowded lineup probably wasn't high on the "To Do" list of Martin Jol.


MATCH STATS

USC 91 OSU 46

The Beavers rallied to end the game on a 7-2 run to make the score more "respectable" against the Trojans, giving them a grand total of 20 points for the second half. What a train-wreck to watch, especially in the second half. The Beavs shot 30% for the game, and you know that things are going bad, really, really bad when Angelo Tsagarakis, who didn't even get off the bench in the game against the Oregon Ducks last Saturday, was the leading scorer. With a grand total of 10 points. Just remember, Oregon State is a basketball school with a rich tradition. What?






BOX SCORE

I Wanna Create (My Own Pet Cemetary)

Not if the law in Tennessee has anything to do about it, apparently. A Murfreesboro man is suing the state for emotional distress three years after 114 frozen cat carcasses, along with a number of live animals, were removed, and later destroyed, from his property. More weird details below.








FULL STORY

Colorado Avalanche

Not the hockey team, unfortunate news out of Colorado this morning tells of a 100 foot wide avalanche that swept down and forced authorities to close U.S. 40 after cars were knocked off the highway. Eight people were able to be rescued and taken to a Denver hospital, the good news so far is that there are no reported deaths so far, and according to a representative from the Colorado Department Of Transportation, If it would've happened just a couple of hours earlier, this would've been a very different situation.", referring to the fact that the avalanche occurred late in the morning.



NEWS

Oregon 68 UCLA 66

Russell Westbrook, Aaron Brooks, and Josh Shipp fight for possession.



Maybe an early tip-off time (11 a.m. PST) is what the Ducks need. After an awful shooting performance against USC in the first half in Thursday night's loss to the Trojans, the Ducks hit their first seven shots of the game, and finished the first half shooting 70%, en route to a 40-34 lead against the top ranked UCLA Bruins.

Aaron Brooks hit the winning jumper with 13 seconds to play, breaking a 66 all deadlock, and Maarty Leunen provided some rock solid defending on the final Bruin shot attempt from outside to seal the win.


I'm not totally surprised by this result, coming as it did after the Trojan loss. The bad taste of last season's mediocre performance is still around, albeit as a small reminder of what can happen if one doesn't play as a team, and rebound from the usual array of injuries and unluckiness that most basketball teams find themselves in during a game. Malik Hairston is still out of the lineup with a heel injury, and the absence of a true big man lead to some easy Bruin baskets, especially early on when the Ducks were getting used to the Bruins quickness (boy, do they get back and play defense in a hurry, limiting the number of Duck fast break options). That's not to say that the Ducks are a slow team either, both Brooks and Tajuan Porter were still relentless in pushing the ball up the court, and once the defense began to focus more , both Leunen and Bryce Taylor came up big with their hands knocking away passes to the inside. One of the more surprising stats of the game was that Bruin star Aaron Afflalo was held scoreless in the first half, on five shot attempts, though he did wind up with 14 for the game.


RECAP

Hogzilla Part Two

They grow 'em big in Georgia, apparently. A lot of my television viewing time is largely devoted to the block of channels that run from the National Geographic, Science Channel, Discovery/Times Channel, etc. (part of it derives from the fact that I like to at least to pretend to learn something while watching it). One of the most intriguing programs I viewed was one on the National Geographic channel about the search for a report 12 foot, 1,000 giant wild hog that was shot in the wilds back in 2004. The beast was given the name Hogzilla, and the National Geographic report of their findings is HERE



There are now reports, seen on the ESPN Hunting page, about a new contender for the Hogzilla throne, once again in Georgia. The newest trophy is being reported at weighing in at a cool 1,100 pounds.


PART TWO

Car Rental Adventure Ends

Update for the car rental from the gentleman from Florida who had has car stuck in the Olympic National Park in Washington state after the fierce November weather that struck the Northwest this past November and washed out part of the only road into the area where he was at the time.


First story HERE




Reading the details between the man and Thrifty Car Rental proved to be a fair solution in a highly unusual circumstance.


UPDATE

"Manos" The Hands Of Fate

I'm always pleased to revisit things that've brought me pleasure and entertainment in the past (it's definitely a bonus if they still bring me the same joy years later). Having been a MST3K fan for over a decade (I think it appeared on the Salem-area cable somewhere in their season two, which is when I became aware of it via Comedy Central of course), I came across this article detailing the "plot" of one of the worst movies ever to be panned by Joel and the bots.


There is a statement by the author, drawn by the views from some of his friends, that that particular episode of MST3K, which he hasn't seen, wasn't a particularly funny one, but I think that it is indeed some good work by the SOL crew, though the author is right when it comes down, as always, to a matter of personal taste. Personally, I'd always been drawn in by the awfulness of the film, which is one reason I've watched that episode several times, but as Mary Jo Pehl notes in the Episode Guide book, it definitely wasn't easy work. This movie was like watching a train wreck----we couldn't bear to watch it but we couldn't look away. There were many times during the writing process when we simply couldn't make comments, so caught up in the wretchedness of this movie were we.


Both versions of the movie are available via Amazon and other retailers, but if you've never seen "Manos", check out the I-Mockery link for the full rundown. The other two links are for more history and MST views of the movie.



I-MOCKERY



MANOS


AGONY BOOTH

Complaints About Muslim Taxi Drivers In Minnesota

Specifically, complaints about Muslim taxi drivers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport refusing to carry passengers who have alcohol, apparently in their luggage, or are using a service dog, in their taxi cab.


Public hearings are now underway to help solve the growing problem in the Twin Cities area, with a possible outcome being the suspension of licenses of drivers who refuse any customer for anything other than for personal safety reasons.

Presumably the drivers are asking prospective customers before being engaged if they are in possession of alcohol; it's not like they'll be cracking open a fifth in the back seat and passing the bottle back and forth, cause the luggage will be in the trunk, so the absolute denial of service on this issue is a bit puzzling to me.

The refusal of service dogs is also baffling, I should imagine helping a person in need would transcend religious boundaries, a basic tenet of all religions regardless of one's belief. This denial of service obviously has a negative impact, especially if one is eager to show the good side of Islam toward a skeptical American public.




STORY

Benayoun: We Played Like Drunks

Reading have done a wonderful job in their first season of the English Premiership, especially at home at the Madejski Stadium, where they've won 6 and drew one in the 11 EPL matches so far. The draw was a 1-1 affair with Manchester United, and the only lopsided loss on the sheet is a 4-0 drubbing at the hands, unfortunately, of the Arse. The latest victim was West Ham on Monday, being blasted to the tune of 6-0. All of the joy of Hammer fans in Upton Park when new manager Alan Curbishley guided them to an amazing 1-0 victory over the aforementioned Man U in his debut, replacing the deposed Alan Pardew, has long since been forgotten. They've scored just 1 goal in the three matches since, and the Hammers do lead the EPL with the largest number of scoreless efforts, 12 matches all told.


An explanation has now come from Hammers midfielder Yossi Benayoun, who has stated that "we played like a bunch of drunks" in their woeful effort on New Year's Day. Sometimes, these things just happen right, even to the best teams, and Curbs is one of the most talented managers around.............oh wait, it's the Hammers.....never mind. Hope you enjoyed your stay in the Premiership this year.






DRUNK

Garrison Keillor On Robert Altman

Some memories from Keillor on the late director, about the final project of his life. From the Guardian today. Still R.I.P. Robert..........and I need to go find a copy of the film A Prairie Home Companion ASAP.




HELLO LOVE

Spurs Sign Sunderland Keeper Alnwick

The long-term replacement to England's Number One keeper Paul Robinson? At any rate, the people who operate Sunderland have seen fit to deal away the 20 year old Ben Alnwick to White Hart Lane, and the reaction I've seen to the deal has been of "it's a very good deal, he's young and can only get better" type of attitude.

Basically the deal works out to a swap with Sunderland, seeing as how another goalie from Spurs, Marton Fulop, has been playing at the Stadium Of Light since November.


Hope it cheers those miserable bastards up, the knuckleheadedness of some of their fans that I met in Seattle a couple of years ago made me an instant hater of the Black Cats, one who reveled in their misfortune of being relegated a couple of years ago. The appointment of Roy Keane is a step in the right direction I suppose, but all things considered I'd still rather be a Newcastle fan, if I had to support a team from that area.



BEN

Best Of The Lists For 2006

Just about everybody's got a "Best-Of" list of some kind about some subject from last year, much like just about everybody's got a blog these days it seems. The lovely people at YesButNoButYes have done us all a great service by weeding through many of those, and then sharing their findings with the rest of us.




This page would definitely rate in the top ten list of ways to kill time at work while looking productive. .





LISTS

Boise State 43 Oklahoma 42

Early turnover that gives the underdog a bigger lead and more confidence? Check.


The underdog giving points back due to turnovers as well? Check.


Combination of conservative play calling (never mind the "prevent" defense"), late in the fourth quarter, by the underdog and aggressive defense by the favourite that allows the latter to get back into the game? Check.


Total misread of a coverage, resulting in a touchdown from a pick, by the underdog's quarterback that gives the favourite a one touchdown lead with a minute to play? Check.


On a fourth & 18, the ol' hook and ladder on a long pass play to rescue the underdog and send the game into overtime? Check.


Allowing perhaps the best running back in the land to run in for a touchdown on the favourite's first play in OT? Check.


On a fourth and two, the underdog responds with the tying touchdown on an option pass by a wide receiver? Check.



Saying "the hell with this" and going for two points on the PAT while you have momentum on your side? Check.


Running a variation of the Statue Of Liberty play for the two point conversion, totally faking everybody out on the defensive side? Check.


Proposing to your cheerleader girlfriend on national television after scoring the winning points? Check.




Think I've seen just about everything, except the ol' fumblerooski, in a very exciting football game. Well done to the Boise State Broncos and their victory over the Oklahoma Sooners.





LATER SOONERS

Portsmouth 1 Spurs 1

Checked this one out via Gametracker cause I didn't wanna watch Man City/Everton live.



Just ended from Fratton Park, where Spurs grab a much needed point on the road against Pompey with a 1-1 draw. Spurs road performance this season, of course, hasn't been adequate, especially when the other team draws first blood, so it was nice to see the boys respond in the second half with an equalizer and the point.


For the home side, Benjani Mwaruwari had a long shot apparently deflect off of Calum Davenport in the 29th minute for a 1-0 lead. Steed Malbranque got the Spurs goal with a lovely header in from the right side of the box in the 50th minute, which sent the visitors to an attacking mode for much of the rest of the game. The tracker gives time of possession to Pompey 55% to 45%, but the home side made 9 saves versus the 2 for Spurs goalie Paul Robinson.


Stories later...........



7:30 PM edit: BBC TAKE



GUARDIAN

Happy New Year

Champagne wishes to everybody for a wonderful new year for 2007 (we can only live in hope, right?)