The last two seasons have seen the St. Louis Cardinals slug their way into the post-season only to watch their title hopes slip away. What is a team to do? How about hire one of your most famous alumni to come back and help out? That sounds like a good idea! I'm sure, even though he's almost 75 years old, that Bob Gibson could definitely show the Cardinals pitchers a few tricks!
They aren't bringing in Gibson? Well, it must be Ozzie Smith then! Man, he could definitely show those infielders a thing or two about defending their position. This is an awesome idea. The fans are going to love it, the team will respond well and they should definitely be able to move past that first round of the playoffs with him helping out!
Wrong again. How about Dennis Eckersley? I know he wasn't a Cardinal for an extended amount of time but, much like Gibson, he is a Hall of Fame pitcher with great credentials to help the bullpen out. He might even be able to turn Ryan Franklin into an even better closer than he already is. Plus, Tony LaRussa LOVES Eck. This is great.
Not him either? Ok, well who could it be then? Red Schoendienst? No way. He's 85 years old and there's not much he could do to help out. Steve Carlton? Orlando Cepeda? Lou Brock? No. All these people, even Red in his old age, would make more sense than the former Cardinal who is coming back to help St. Louis reach the World Series again. Mark McGwire.
What in the world are the Cards thinking? Do you really want this tainted big leaguer who was, at one time, a first ballot Hall of Famer around your young talent? I mean, just putting this guy in the same clubhouse as Albert Pujols puts a little doubt in every fans mind that maybe, just maybe, McGwire is "helping" Pujols out. I don't want that, and I know that Major League Baseball won't want it. Pujols and Derek Jeter are the good guys, may even be the only two left. Don't give us any doubt about one of them.
Yes, I know, McGwire had a magical season a decade ago and everyone thought he was the savior of the sport at the time. But that was before Congressional Hearings, the Mitchell Report and a 103-player list that may or may not have McGwire's name on it. It was before McGwire declared that he wasn't at the hearings to talk about the past and stated that he was there because, and I quote with grammatical errors caused by nervousness of having to possibly admit his steroid use, "I'm here because...because Steroids...is bad." They are bad, Mark, but St. Louis' decision to hire you is even worse.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Review of Stalemate: Silhouettes & Syllables
About eight years ago, two friends of mine started a band, Jason Kaminski and Phil Martin. They found a drummer named Rob Schuster and Tooth Fuzz was born. For the better part of a decade, this trio from Elyria, Ohio has been playing shows all over the Midwest, opening for bands like the Starting Line and the Ataris and participating in the Vans Warped Tour with bands such as NOFX and the Transplants. In their early years they had influences ranging from the Foo Fighters to Sum 41. Now, they have outgrown pop-punk, outgrown the name Tooth Fuzz and become Stalemate. The same three guys have seen this whole thing through and have produced their best album, by far. I recently saw them perform many songs from the new album and was given a copy of the CD, Silhouettes and Syllables.
The first track, Dreams, starts with an extended intro of guitar chords seemingly played in reverse, fading to a clean instrumental opening to a song that quickly adds bass and drum to the mix. As the intro goes on, it builds to its climax which hears the guitar go to distortion for a crunching sound that leads to the first verse. This is where Kaminski really shines. His lyrical content is always full of meaningful material. This song is no different. We hear his vocals, talking about the dreams we all had at one time, with a very distinct bass line by Martin, amazing drum work by Schuster and subtle guitar plucking. The verses lead to a hard rock chorus in which Kaminski reaches for the limits of his vocal range and the angst and strain in his voice brings us to his revelation: “I don’t believe that everyone is wrong but they will never know what I’m really thinking so I can’t help to feel like I’m alone.
Ghost Town is next and it starts with a chilling open that leads directly to the first verse which is over only the guitar. The song talks about the hometown of the band and the despair and hopelessness that seems to envelope many of its citizens. A haunting acoustic guitar layered over the bass, drums and synthesizer are the focal points. Again, Kaminski breaks into a powerful chorus that is the complete opposite of the verses. A short acoustic break leads to a verse with the same extremes as the chorus. The song ends with an outro that has a faint sound of hope that things could get better sometime.
The outro from Ghost Town leads to Keep Moving On, a song about letting go of the past and being able to move past it. It starts light but you can tell it’s going to build into something much more and it does just that. Kaminski goes for his vocal peak in a strong chorus proclaiming “I won’t make the same mistake again, I’ll keep moving on.” A short bass solo by Martin leads to a perfectly placed keyboard and then Kaminski comes back with his guitar and sends our ears on a rollercoaster that reaches its highest point right before a keyboard trill fades in while the other instruments fade out.
Going Through the Motions is driving from beginning to end. This song really lets Schuster shine on the drums as he is let out of his cage. Each hit and kick is done with a purpose and it definitely has Schuster in the driver’s seat of the track. Kaminski’s vocals are an excellent mix of control and strain while Martin’s bass gives us a great background. The best part of the song takes place when Kaminski exclaims “Excuses all come easy!” and holds out the final note until letting the guitar end the track.
Next, Kaminski starts with calm vocals only on Planets. Shortly after the beginning the instruments come in and Kaminski hits his upper register and stays there for most of the song. Drums and bass are evident again with Schuster hitting backbeats and snare shots that penetrate the listener and only add to a great song. A short guitar solo ends the song on a very strong note.
Buckle up for the next track, What I Want to Believe. We hear Stalemate hauntingly remind us of the Kings of Grunge, Nirvana. Kaminski’s vocals are eerily reminiscent of Kurt Cobain and the slight punk undertones of the song meld together well with the grunge sound that has been a staple of this trio since its inception. There is no let-up in this song. From the moment the song starts, you are on a ride that won’t end until the band says so. Martin’s bass plays a great role in this song and keeps your heart thumping in time with everything else going on.
Streamline starts with a complete distortion of vocals and guitar alike. Another driving track is ahead with Kaminski straining his voice, and sounding great doing it. A bass solo in the middle leads to a calmer Kaminski making us think this song has reached its denouement when in fact he’s just preparing to unleash his final chorus on our eardrums.
Next, Stalemate goes Soul Searching. A great guitar intro leads us to the first verse where the bass and drums really drive the track. After the second verse, the kick drum starts off the chorus with the bass and guitar almost as an afterthought. Kaminski hits those high end vocals again, telling us “I searched for what I needed but I can’t fight this feeling, I’m on my way, I’m leaving.” After his extreme vocal to finish, we fade to the next track.
Southern rock undertones start us on a Long Ride Home. Kaminski again starts off in a calm voice, almost conversing with the person on the other end of his musical conversation before kicking us in the gut and telling us “I don’t owe you anything except a long ride home.” The solo that comes after the second chorus is a building, driving piece of art that starts with the bass giving us a prelude to a rock-a-billy guitar followed by a great round of drumming by Schuster. Kaminski’s vocal closing is him almost a crying that really gives this song a climax.
The next track is an acoustic one; just Kaminski and his guitar. His voice is nearly soothing in this song with great plucking on his guitar. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when listening to this song. You’re waiting for a build that never comes, but in a good way. Kaminski really shows his vulnerability on this track that you would never think you would see coming from the other tracks. A lengthy outro gives the listener a feeling of calm with some mandolin mixed in for added serenity.
Our calm feeling doesn’t last for too long as Schuster takes to his tom-tom drums to start off the next track, Edge of Perception. The song builds, and builds with the bass and guitar coming in along with a synthesizer. Kaminski’s vocals build as well, leading us to a heavy chorus that tells us “Don’t let it go!” After the chorus we head back down hill only to build into the same driving chorus. Each chorus hears another layer of Kaminski vocals which sound phenomenal. A guitar solo leads us right back to a calm verse which builds right back up to the driving chorus.
The twelfth track is My Best Excuse, a song the band had recorded in the past but decided to update. Best. Idea. Ever. This version of the song is twice as good as the original. It starts off slow and clean and builds to a driving verse which features the vocals of Martin in the background and they are placed perfectly. Martin’s voice is a deep contrast to Kaminski’s which makes for a great sound. Once the chorus hits, you think the song is over but it’s just getting started. A slow build from nothing takes into a heavy guitar solo and a shouting refrain of “You don’t have me to blame!” with Kaminski and Martin shouting back and forth to each other.
The last track, Without You, is unlike anything that I’ve ever heard from this trio. A duet with Samantha Naelitz shows us the soft side of Stalemate…sort of. Kaminski starts with a verse and leads us to a harmonizing chorus with Naelitz that proclaims that “I’m doing fine without you in my life.” The first verse is a sharp contrast to this as it sounds as if he’s not doing all that well. Naelitz’ vocals on the second verse are absolutely beautiful. Her angelic voice carries us to the second chorus. A bridge with Naelitz and Kaminski going back and forth with a line each really gives us the Climax of the song, leading to a final chorus with Naelitz’ vocals drifting right over Kaminski’s to end a powerful, original album.
As a whole, this album is absolutely phenomenal, and each track evolves into something more than it seems at its starting point. The writing, both musically and lyrically, is light years away from it was when this band started its journey eight years ago. I highly recommend fans of all kinds of music to pick up this great, local masterpiece. Make sure you check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/stalemateohio. You will NOT be disappointed.
The first track, Dreams, starts with an extended intro of guitar chords seemingly played in reverse, fading to a clean instrumental opening to a song that quickly adds bass and drum to the mix. As the intro goes on, it builds to its climax which hears the guitar go to distortion for a crunching sound that leads to the first verse. This is where Kaminski really shines. His lyrical content is always full of meaningful material. This song is no different. We hear his vocals, talking about the dreams we all had at one time, with a very distinct bass line by Martin, amazing drum work by Schuster and subtle guitar plucking. The verses lead to a hard rock chorus in which Kaminski reaches for the limits of his vocal range and the angst and strain in his voice brings us to his revelation: “I don’t believe that everyone is wrong but they will never know what I’m really thinking so I can’t help to feel like I’m alone.
Ghost Town is next and it starts with a chilling open that leads directly to the first verse which is over only the guitar. The song talks about the hometown of the band and the despair and hopelessness that seems to envelope many of its citizens. A haunting acoustic guitar layered over the bass, drums and synthesizer are the focal points. Again, Kaminski breaks into a powerful chorus that is the complete opposite of the verses. A short acoustic break leads to a verse with the same extremes as the chorus. The song ends with an outro that has a faint sound of hope that things could get better sometime.
The outro from Ghost Town leads to Keep Moving On, a song about letting go of the past and being able to move past it. It starts light but you can tell it’s going to build into something much more and it does just that. Kaminski goes for his vocal peak in a strong chorus proclaiming “I won’t make the same mistake again, I’ll keep moving on.” A short bass solo by Martin leads to a perfectly placed keyboard and then Kaminski comes back with his guitar and sends our ears on a rollercoaster that reaches its highest point right before a keyboard trill fades in while the other instruments fade out.
Going Through the Motions is driving from beginning to end. This song really lets Schuster shine on the drums as he is let out of his cage. Each hit and kick is done with a purpose and it definitely has Schuster in the driver’s seat of the track. Kaminski’s vocals are an excellent mix of control and strain while Martin’s bass gives us a great background. The best part of the song takes place when Kaminski exclaims “Excuses all come easy!” and holds out the final note until letting the guitar end the track.
Next, Kaminski starts with calm vocals only on Planets. Shortly after the beginning the instruments come in and Kaminski hits his upper register and stays there for most of the song. Drums and bass are evident again with Schuster hitting backbeats and snare shots that penetrate the listener and only add to a great song. A short guitar solo ends the song on a very strong note.
Buckle up for the next track, What I Want to Believe. We hear Stalemate hauntingly remind us of the Kings of Grunge, Nirvana. Kaminski’s vocals are eerily reminiscent of Kurt Cobain and the slight punk undertones of the song meld together well with the grunge sound that has been a staple of this trio since its inception. There is no let-up in this song. From the moment the song starts, you are on a ride that won’t end until the band says so. Martin’s bass plays a great role in this song and keeps your heart thumping in time with everything else going on.
Streamline starts with a complete distortion of vocals and guitar alike. Another driving track is ahead with Kaminski straining his voice, and sounding great doing it. A bass solo in the middle leads to a calmer Kaminski making us think this song has reached its denouement when in fact he’s just preparing to unleash his final chorus on our eardrums.
Next, Stalemate goes Soul Searching. A great guitar intro leads us to the first verse where the bass and drums really drive the track. After the second verse, the kick drum starts off the chorus with the bass and guitar almost as an afterthought. Kaminski hits those high end vocals again, telling us “I searched for what I needed but I can’t fight this feeling, I’m on my way, I’m leaving.” After his extreme vocal to finish, we fade to the next track.
Southern rock undertones start us on a Long Ride Home. Kaminski again starts off in a calm voice, almost conversing with the person on the other end of his musical conversation before kicking us in the gut and telling us “I don’t owe you anything except a long ride home.” The solo that comes after the second chorus is a building, driving piece of art that starts with the bass giving us a prelude to a rock-a-billy guitar followed by a great round of drumming by Schuster. Kaminski’s vocal closing is him almost a crying that really gives this song a climax.
The next track is an acoustic one; just Kaminski and his guitar. His voice is nearly soothing in this song with great plucking on his guitar. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when listening to this song. You’re waiting for a build that never comes, but in a good way. Kaminski really shows his vulnerability on this track that you would never think you would see coming from the other tracks. A lengthy outro gives the listener a feeling of calm with some mandolin mixed in for added serenity.
Our calm feeling doesn’t last for too long as Schuster takes to his tom-tom drums to start off the next track, Edge of Perception. The song builds, and builds with the bass and guitar coming in along with a synthesizer. Kaminski’s vocals build as well, leading us to a heavy chorus that tells us “Don’t let it go!” After the chorus we head back down hill only to build into the same driving chorus. Each chorus hears another layer of Kaminski vocals which sound phenomenal. A guitar solo leads us right back to a calm verse which builds right back up to the driving chorus.
The twelfth track is My Best Excuse, a song the band had recorded in the past but decided to update. Best. Idea. Ever. This version of the song is twice as good as the original. It starts off slow and clean and builds to a driving verse which features the vocals of Martin in the background and they are placed perfectly. Martin’s voice is a deep contrast to Kaminski’s which makes for a great sound. Once the chorus hits, you think the song is over but it’s just getting started. A slow build from nothing takes into a heavy guitar solo and a shouting refrain of “You don’t have me to blame!” with Kaminski and Martin shouting back and forth to each other.
The last track, Without You, is unlike anything that I’ve ever heard from this trio. A duet with Samantha Naelitz shows us the soft side of Stalemate…sort of. Kaminski starts with a verse and leads us to a harmonizing chorus with Naelitz that proclaims that “I’m doing fine without you in my life.” The first verse is a sharp contrast to this as it sounds as if he’s not doing all that well. Naelitz’ vocals on the second verse are absolutely beautiful. Her angelic voice carries us to the second chorus. A bridge with Naelitz and Kaminski going back and forth with a line each really gives us the Climax of the song, leading to a final chorus with Naelitz’ vocals drifting right over Kaminski’s to end a powerful, original album.
As a whole, this album is absolutely phenomenal, and each track evolves into something more than it seems at its starting point. The writing, both musically and lyrically, is light years away from it was when this band started its journey eight years ago. I highly recommend fans of all kinds of music to pick up this great, local masterpiece. Make sure you check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/stalemateohio. You will NOT be disappointed.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Mark Shapiro...You Are an IDIOT!
If you haven't heard by now, the Cleveland Indians are looking for a new manager. This is great. That is, until you read the list of candidates that are listed as "Finalists" for the position. The four finalists, according to General Manager Mark Shapiro are Manny Acta, Bobby Valentine, Don Mattingly and Torey Luvello. Let's look at these so-called "candidates" one at a time.
First, we've got Manny Acta. Apparently Shapiro thinks that this would be a good hire because Acta was born in the Dominican Republic and thinks he'll be able to pass along his experience to the young Latin players in the Indians organization. Why shouldn't he be hired? Oh, I don't know. Let's start with his .385 winning percentage in three years of managing the Natinals. You know what? We can pretty much end there too.
Then there's Don Mattingly, a guy with NO PREVIOUS MANAGING EXPERIENCE!!! RED FLAG! RED FLAG!!! I know, I know, at some point no one had managing experience. But he doesn't even have Minor League managing experience. His only real work in the Majors is as Joe Torre's hitting coach in New York and now in Los Angeles.
Torey Luvello is currently the manager of the Indians Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. You know who else was a manager in the Indians farm system? Eric Wedge and you all know my feelings about him. If you want the next seven years to be exactly like the last seven years, then yes, go right ahead and hire Torey Luvello.
Last, and certainly not least, Bobby Valentine. This is the only candidate that has had success in the Majors. He took the Mets to the World Series in 2000 but his accolades kind of end there. He has over 1,000 Major League victories between his time as the Texas Rangers manager and the Mets skipper but his biggest successes came in his time as the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. There, he won a Japan Series Championship as well as the Inaugural Asia Series Championship.
Lost in all this is the fact that Mike Hargrove has expressed interest in managing the Indians once again. Let me repeat that: MIKE HARGROVE WANTS TO MANAGE THE INDIANS! Not only would this be an AWESOME public relations move but even if the team is a sub .500 team, there will be people in the seats because Hargrove is only nine wins away from becoming the all-time winningest manager in Cleveland Indians history. People want to be a part of history. They will come see the man who led the Indians to two American League pennants and did so without ever having a true #1 pitcher to compete with the likes of the Braves, Yankees and Marlins of the '90's.
It's extremely clear to me who SHOULD be the Indians next manager but unfortunately our current management doesn't think that Mike Hargrove is the right move for the Indians to take. Well guess what? Neither are the four other moves you want to make, Mark. Please, just do what's right for the team AND the city.
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
First, we've got Manny Acta. Apparently Shapiro thinks that this would be a good hire because Acta was born in the Dominican Republic and thinks he'll be able to pass along his experience to the young Latin players in the Indians organization. Why shouldn't he be hired? Oh, I don't know. Let's start with his .385 winning percentage in three years of managing the Natinals. You know what? We can pretty much end there too.
Then there's Don Mattingly, a guy with NO PREVIOUS MANAGING EXPERIENCE!!! RED FLAG! RED FLAG!!! I know, I know, at some point no one had managing experience. But he doesn't even have Minor League managing experience. His only real work in the Majors is as Joe Torre's hitting coach in New York and now in Los Angeles.
Torey Luvello is currently the manager of the Indians Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. You know who else was a manager in the Indians farm system? Eric Wedge and you all know my feelings about him. If you want the next seven years to be exactly like the last seven years, then yes, go right ahead and hire Torey Luvello.
Last, and certainly not least, Bobby Valentine. This is the only candidate that has had success in the Majors. He took the Mets to the World Series in 2000 but his accolades kind of end there. He has over 1,000 Major League victories between his time as the Texas Rangers manager and the Mets skipper but his biggest successes came in his time as the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. There, he won a Japan Series Championship as well as the Inaugural Asia Series Championship.
Lost in all this is the fact that Mike Hargrove has expressed interest in managing the Indians once again. Let me repeat that: MIKE HARGROVE WANTS TO MANAGE THE INDIANS! Not only would this be an AWESOME public relations move but even if the team is a sub .500 team, there will be people in the seats because Hargrove is only nine wins away from becoming the all-time winningest manager in Cleveland Indians history. People want to be a part of history. They will come see the man who led the Indians to two American League pennants and did so without ever having a true #1 pitcher to compete with the likes of the Braves, Yankees and Marlins of the '90's.
It's extremely clear to me who SHOULD be the Indians next manager but unfortunately our current management doesn't think that Mike Hargrove is the right move for the Indians to take. Well guess what? Neither are the four other moves you want to make, Mark. Please, just do what's right for the team AND the city.
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Quick Hits IV
Here I am, back for another edition of my Quick Hits...and away we go...
44 for 63, 505 yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown.
22 receptions, 278 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Those are the lines for Bowling Green Quarterback, Tyler Sheehan, and receiver Freddie Barnes, respectively. Are you effing kidding me??? Those numbers are absolutely sick in every sense of the word. The Falcons won, 36-35 on Sheehan's rushing Touchdown with five seconds left, and ended an awful four game losing streak. Barnes ended up winning the MAC East Player of the week award for his ridonkulous performance.
THE BROWNS WON A GAME!!! In an offensive slugfest...the Browns took down the Buffalo Bills by the astronomical...score of 6-3. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I'll tell you what, while the offense was absolutely anemic, the defense looked like a force to be reckoned with. I'm not saying it's going to lead to more victories but the thoughts of the Browns going winless this season are gone, thank God! Derek Anderson threw about eight times as many incompletions as completions, but to be fair, his receivers dropped a lot of balls. Now, it's being reported that Brady Quinn's house is up for sale in Avon Lake. Hey, as long as they get a good Right-Side lineman for him and maybe a draft pick or 2, I'm all for it.
So, Braylon got traded and what does he do in his first game as a Jet? Just 65 yards and a touchdown. Good thing I made the only plausible move in Fantasy Football concerning Braylon Edwards...I traded FOR him. Worked out too. He got me 12 fantasy points and I think he'll be right around that total every week. I may have lost this week but I have a feeling he's going to help me win a couple games.
Michael Crabtree FINALLY signed his contract with the 49ers. He "settled" for a mere $16 million guaranteed which is an amount of money that I will never see in my life. You see that Michael? You just got $16 million just for signing your name. Must be a shame that you couldn't get a few million more. Jackass.
The NBA Pre-Season is underway and LeBron and Shaq are looking great together. They don't look like they've been playing together for ten years, but they also look a whole lot better than a duo who has been playing together for just two months of practice. I am very excited about the Cavaliers this season and I am really under the impression that this could be the year that the city of Cleveland has its Championship drought ended. LeBron is on a mission and he will be successful. The NBA regular season starts in just a few weeks so I'll probably do some sort of season preview, pick my playoff teams and whatnot. We'll see.
Major League Baseball is down to the League Championship Series and both of them are Coast-to-Coast affairs. In the National League, we've got the Phillies and the Dodgers in a rematch of last year's NLCS. I think this is the Dodgers year. They've got the players, the pitching and the bullpen to take down the defending Champs. In the AL, I like the Yankees to beat the Angels with their 3-man rotation of Sabathia, Burnett and Pettite. With C.C. and A.J., I think Andy Pettite is going to have to start going by initials. So, according to me, the World Series will be Yankees and Dodgers. I. Am. Pumped.
The Indians are on the hunt for a new manager (THANK GOD!!!) and it appears that one of the candidates is none other than Bobby Freaking Valentine! I think this would be absolutely great. I feel like he could bring a great combination of discipline and fun to the Cleveland clubhouse. The only other person I think would be better for the job is Mike Hargrove and from the sounds of it, he's enjoying retirement way too much to rebuild a franchise...again.
The NHL is underway and my teams already look awful. Minnesota and Toronto have both had slow starts but hopefully they can get things figured out and make a push for the playoffs. I think we're probably headed for another Eastern Conference Final which pits Alexander Ovechkin against Sidney Crosby, but it's WAY too early to tell if that's what is going to happen.
I'm going to be doing something a little different for my next blog. A band I know is coming out with a new album this week so I am going to be a doing a review for it. The name of the band is Stalemate and they are having a CD Release show this Friday at the Hi-Fi in Lakewood. Check out Stalemate from Elyria, Ohio on MySpace for more info!
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
44 for 63, 505 yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown.
22 receptions, 278 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Those are the lines for Bowling Green Quarterback, Tyler Sheehan, and receiver Freddie Barnes, respectively. Are you effing kidding me??? Those numbers are absolutely sick in every sense of the word. The Falcons won, 36-35 on Sheehan's rushing Touchdown with five seconds left, and ended an awful four game losing streak. Barnes ended up winning the MAC East Player of the week award for his ridonkulous performance.
THE BROWNS WON A GAME!!! In an offensive slugfest...the Browns took down the Buffalo Bills by the astronomical...score of 6-3. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I'll tell you what, while the offense was absolutely anemic, the defense looked like a force to be reckoned with. I'm not saying it's going to lead to more victories but the thoughts of the Browns going winless this season are gone, thank God! Derek Anderson threw about eight times as many incompletions as completions, but to be fair, his receivers dropped a lot of balls. Now, it's being reported that Brady Quinn's house is up for sale in Avon Lake. Hey, as long as they get a good Right-Side lineman for him and maybe a draft pick or 2, I'm all for it.
So, Braylon got traded and what does he do in his first game as a Jet? Just 65 yards and a touchdown. Good thing I made the only plausible move in Fantasy Football concerning Braylon Edwards...I traded FOR him. Worked out too. He got me 12 fantasy points and I think he'll be right around that total every week. I may have lost this week but I have a feeling he's going to help me win a couple games.
Michael Crabtree FINALLY signed his contract with the 49ers. He "settled" for a mere $16 million guaranteed which is an amount of money that I will never see in my life. You see that Michael? You just got $16 million just for signing your name. Must be a shame that you couldn't get a few million more. Jackass.
The NBA Pre-Season is underway and LeBron and Shaq are looking great together. They don't look like they've been playing together for ten years, but they also look a whole lot better than a duo who has been playing together for just two months of practice. I am very excited about the Cavaliers this season and I am really under the impression that this could be the year that the city of Cleveland has its Championship drought ended. LeBron is on a mission and he will be successful. The NBA regular season starts in just a few weeks so I'll probably do some sort of season preview, pick my playoff teams and whatnot. We'll see.
Major League Baseball is down to the League Championship Series and both of them are Coast-to-Coast affairs. In the National League, we've got the Phillies and the Dodgers in a rematch of last year's NLCS. I think this is the Dodgers year. They've got the players, the pitching and the bullpen to take down the defending Champs. In the AL, I like the Yankees to beat the Angels with their 3-man rotation of Sabathia, Burnett and Pettite. With C.C. and A.J., I think Andy Pettite is going to have to start going by initials. So, according to me, the World Series will be Yankees and Dodgers. I. Am. Pumped.
The Indians are on the hunt for a new manager (THANK GOD!!!) and it appears that one of the candidates is none other than Bobby Freaking Valentine! I think this would be absolutely great. I feel like he could bring a great combination of discipline and fun to the Cleveland clubhouse. The only other person I think would be better for the job is Mike Hargrove and from the sounds of it, he's enjoying retirement way too much to rebuild a franchise...again.
The NHL is underway and my teams already look awful. Minnesota and Toronto have both had slow starts but hopefully they can get things figured out and make a push for the playoffs. I think we're probably headed for another Eastern Conference Final which pits Alexander Ovechkin against Sidney Crosby, but it's WAY too early to tell if that's what is going to happen.
I'm going to be doing something a little different for my next blog. A band I know is coming out with a new album this week so I am going to be a doing a review for it. The name of the band is Stalemate and they are having a CD Release show this Friday at the Hi-Fi in Lakewood. Check out Stalemate from Elyria, Ohio on MySpace for more info!
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
B-B-B-Braylon and the Jets
On Sunday night, Braylon Edwards went to a night-club in Cleveland. While there, he hit a member of LeBron James' crew and gave him a black eye and a bloody lip...Allegedly. Now, whether Braylon was goaded into hitting this gentleman, allegedly, or not is not the question. The question is, why would you, allegedly, hit a member of the crew of the biggest sports star the city of Cleveland has ever seen? So, when LeBron heard about this, he was pissed and said that Braylon acted "childish." Did anyone honestly think that this would be the end of the story? If so, there are some nice nurses here who would like to get you fitted for these nice white suits!
Fast forward to this morning. I'm driving to work and hear the news on "Mike & Mike in the Morning." Braylon Edwards has been traded to the New York Jets for two players and two draft picks. If you didn't see this coming, you are completely blind in the eyes. When the King of Cleveland says he doesn't like someone, that person is going to get shipped right out of Cleveland. The sports owners in this city aren't dumb. They know that keeping LeBron here is vital to the city and if there is anything that threatens that, it will be taken care of.
Now, back to the trade. I like this trade. I think, in the long-run, it will be great for all parties involved. Braylon gets out of Cleveland, the Browns don't have to worry about Braylon being a malcontent, Mohamed Massoquoi and Brian Robiskie, along with Joshua Cribbs get to be the stars of the show and the Browns don't lose Braylon for absolutely nothing. Most importantly, LeBron is happy. Whether or not Braylon gets suspended for the alleged punch he threw is still up in the air.
How about the players we got in return? Well, we get Chansi Stuckey who was the Jets number two receiver behind Jerricho Cotchery. Stuckey's numbers aren't overwhelming but he, like Edwards, could do well due to the change of scenery. Another player coming to Cleveland is Jason Trusnik, who the Jets describe as a "key special teams player." Trusnik has six tackles this season and either one or two forced fumbles depending on which stats you look at. The draft picks coming Cleveland's way are conditional so we won't know exactly where those stand until the end of the season. All in all, I think this is a good trade and it really shows how much pull LeBron really has in Cleveland.
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
Fast forward to this morning. I'm driving to work and hear the news on "Mike & Mike in the Morning." Braylon Edwards has been traded to the New York Jets for two players and two draft picks. If you didn't see this coming, you are completely blind in the eyes. When the King of Cleveland says he doesn't like someone, that person is going to get shipped right out of Cleveland. The sports owners in this city aren't dumb. They know that keeping LeBron here is vital to the city and if there is anything that threatens that, it will be taken care of.
Now, back to the trade. I like this trade. I think, in the long-run, it will be great for all parties involved. Braylon gets out of Cleveland, the Browns don't have to worry about Braylon being a malcontent, Mohamed Massoquoi and Brian Robiskie, along with Joshua Cribbs get to be the stars of the show and the Browns don't lose Braylon for absolutely nothing. Most importantly, LeBron is happy. Whether or not Braylon gets suspended for the alleged punch he threw is still up in the air.
How about the players we got in return? Well, we get Chansi Stuckey who was the Jets number two receiver behind Jerricho Cotchery. Stuckey's numbers aren't overwhelming but he, like Edwards, could do well due to the change of scenery. Another player coming to Cleveland is Jason Trusnik, who the Jets describe as a "key special teams player." Trusnik has six tackles this season and either one or two forced fumbles depending on which stats you look at. The draft picks coming Cleveland's way are conditional so we won't know exactly where those stand until the end of the season. All in all, I think this is a good trade and it really shows how much pull LeBron really has in Cleveland.
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Maybe There is Hope After All
The Cleveland Browns played, by far, their best game of the season yesterday. They played great defense, performed very well on offense, got the running game going and even made a couple big plays. Unfortunately, they still lost to a very good, nearly undefeated (Ugh, that was tough to type) Bengals team. I think what we saw for sure though is that Derek Anderson should be the Quarterback of this team. He made just a few mistakes, the biggest one being an interception at the goal line. From what I saw, Derek looked more like his 2007-self rather than his 2008-self. He even figured out how to make the short passes that help open up the deep ball.
I was most impressed with the defense. They really made it tough on the Bengals. Other than the first quarter and the final drive of regulation, they kept the Bengals offense out of the end zone. The Browns kept the Bengals from getting a first down on seven straight drives. Six of those were Three-&-Outs and one was an interception. Also, for those of you that didn't know it before, Shaun Rogers is a kick-blocking machine! What a day he had! He blocked a field goal early that would have given Cinci a three point lead and then the extra point that would have put them ahead by one point with a little over a minute to play. Unfortunately, he didn't have a third block in him for the overtime attempt by Shayne Graham.
Get Joshua Cribbs some more money! He is a flat-out animal! I only wish they could find a way to use him more in the offense because he could be a great weapon. He had over 100 yards on kick returns, 120 yards on punt returns, 15 yards on one run, and five yards on a catch. I'll take those numbers any day of the week! The man is a weapon that not a lot of teams have and if we're not careful, soon we won't have him either. It's no secret he wants a new contract, and what makes me optimistic is that he's not holding out. He's going on the field and proving that he deserves more. Hey Crabtree, are you still sitting at home? Well, I hope you're watching Cribbs do his thing and EARN every single penny.
Mercifully, the Indians season is FINALLY over. Thank God. No more Wedge, no more Derek Shelton, no more Carl Willis, no more LOSING, at least until April. It's going to take a lot to turn this club around. I'm picturing a Lou Brown, Willie Hayes, Pedro Cerrano and Rick Vaughn type change. How did the Indians go from the glory years of the 90's to the horrid years that have been the 2000's? I'll tell you how, an owner who doesn't want to spend money to make money. Dick Jacobs had it right. He spent quite a bit of money putting those teams of the 90's together and he reaped the rewards ten or 20-fold. I'll have a playoff preview as soon as the picture is in focus. (Go Twins!)
Also, coming soon, I'll be trying something a little different. I'm going to be writing a review for an album by a local Cleveland-area band, Stalemate. Stay Tuned!
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
I was most impressed with the defense. They really made it tough on the Bengals. Other than the first quarter and the final drive of regulation, they kept the Bengals offense out of the end zone. The Browns kept the Bengals from getting a first down on seven straight drives. Six of those were Three-&-Outs and one was an interception. Also, for those of you that didn't know it before, Shaun Rogers is a kick-blocking machine! What a day he had! He blocked a field goal early that would have given Cinci a three point lead and then the extra point that would have put them ahead by one point with a little over a minute to play. Unfortunately, he didn't have a third block in him for the overtime attempt by Shayne Graham.
Get Joshua Cribbs some more money! He is a flat-out animal! I only wish they could find a way to use him more in the offense because he could be a great weapon. He had over 100 yards on kick returns, 120 yards on punt returns, 15 yards on one run, and five yards on a catch. I'll take those numbers any day of the week! The man is a weapon that not a lot of teams have and if we're not careful, soon we won't have him either. It's no secret he wants a new contract, and what makes me optimistic is that he's not holding out. He's going on the field and proving that he deserves more. Hey Crabtree, are you still sitting at home? Well, I hope you're watching Cribbs do his thing and EARN every single penny.
Mercifully, the Indians season is FINALLY over. Thank God. No more Wedge, no more Derek Shelton, no more Carl Willis, no more LOSING, at least until April. It's going to take a lot to turn this club around. I'm picturing a Lou Brown, Willie Hayes, Pedro Cerrano and Rick Vaughn type change. How did the Indians go from the glory years of the 90's to the horrid years that have been the 2000's? I'll tell you how, an owner who doesn't want to spend money to make money. Dick Jacobs had it right. He spent quite a bit of money putting those teams of the 90's together and he reaped the rewards ten or 20-fold. I'll have a playoff preview as soon as the picture is in focus. (Go Twins!)
Also, coming soon, I'll be trying something a little different. I'm going to be writing a review for an album by a local Cleveland-area band, Stalemate. Stay Tuned!
Fire Shapiro. Get a New Owner.
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