Opening Day.

Geeked.  We’ve survived another winter, and now baseball is upon us.

I’m a little heated the first game was broadcasted live at 3:30 in the morning, and I forgot to TIVO the damn game, but there is still 161 to go.  I’ll be just fine.  Thank God for Sportscenter, and Manny’s double. Here’s to back-to-back World Series wins.

Also, don’t ever forget this.

The Madness of March

So like everyone else, my bracket is a clusterfuck of wrong choices. For example, I had Georgetown in the Final 4. With the amount of upsets (WKU, Davidson, WVU etc.) it has been nearly impossible to actually have a decent looking bracket; so I’m starting over with the sweet 16.

With no further ado, here’s my picks

EAST REGIONAL (CHARLOTTE, N.C.)

UNC over Washington State
Louisville over Tennessee

MIDWEST REGIONAL (Detroit)

Wisconsin over Davidson
Kansas over Villanova

SOUTH REGIONAL (Houston)

Texas over Stanford
Memphis over Michigan State

WEST REGIONAL (Phoenix)

West Virginia over Xavier
UCLA over Western Kentucky

Check back in a few days, I’ll have my Elite 8 picks.

Current Music Obsession #4

GUILTY SIMPSON.

He’s the perfect balance of flash and content. Plus he reminds me of an artist from the 90’s, supplying that good throwback music. Peace to the Black Milk production, both artists are slept on.

LOL @ the Mavs

I know that I touched on the Shaq trade, and surprisingly they have played better than expected. However the one trade that has me truly lol’ing is Kidd to the Mavericks. After getting some insider information it has been told that the Mavs executives had nothing to do with the trade, it was all Mark Cuban. Who although richer than God, is far from a NBA General Manager. The idiot should stick to dancing with the stars, blogging and doing whatever 50 year old billionaires do.

This trade would have worked 5-7 years ago, when Kidd was in his prime, but he’s old, and can’t defend or shoot (he had 4 fg’s in last 3 games). Since Kidd became a Maverick they haven’t beat a team with a winning record. They went 0-3 last week and have lost Dirk Nowitzki for atleast two weeks.

Funny that this team won 67 games last year, and with the MVP out and Kidd in, I don’t see them making the playoffs in the unforgiving Western Conference. The rest of the Mavs schedule is brutal and the Nuggets are only 2 games back.

SUX4THEM.

“A more perfect union”

Obama once again proves why he is getting my vote.

Congratulations and thank you Barack for delivering my generations “I have a dream.”

Thank you 2007

Because of sheer laziness I did not write up my annual “yearly wrap up”, however after this weekends trip to BlockBuster, I realized just how many good movies were made in 2007. For the first times in several years there was movie after movie that I was standing in line for at the theater. For a skeptic like myself that doesn’t happen very often. So thank you 2007 for making some incredible movies and restoring my faith in Hollywood.

The list

nfl’s top 5 receivers

Last week at work, my supervisor and I got into a debate about who the best receivers in the league were after watching ESPN break the story of Larry Fitzgerald resigning for $40 million with the Cardinals. We came to an agreement for the top 5.

5) Plaxico Burress

He’s a matchup nightmare at 6′ 6″ with crazy leaping ability, strength and solid speed. Therefore he has the ability to beat linebackers going across the middle as well as one on one with a cornerback/safety due to his height, and you can forget trying to cover him on a goal line fade route. Want proof? Then look what he did to Green Bay in the playoffs this year, more specifically Al Harris.

4) Andre Johnson

Easily the most slept on superstar in the league. Andre puts up huge numbers year in and year out. Averaging nearly 100 catches and 1,000 yards per season. Only reason he’s not talked about more, is because he plays for the Texans. In addition to his team, he has also put up those monster stats with the lack of a quarterback, offensive line and receiving core (it is necessary for receivers to have people around them, a la Wes Welker and Dante Stallworth to Randy Moss). Having David Carr tossing him lame ducks for the majority of his career only goes to further prove my argument

3) TJ Houshmandzadeh

Most people will tell you that it’s Chad Johnson that is the Bengals #1 receiver. That may have been true 2 years ago, but since then TJ has developed into one of the leagues elite at the receiver position. Posting over 350 catches and nearly 4,000 yards in his last four seasons (112 catches and 1,143 yards in 2007) only goes to prove his position on this list.

2) Terell Owens

There is hardly a person in the world that I hate more than TO. With that said, he’s a phenomenal athlete and basically a bigger, stronger, faster and better version of Plaxico. If he didn’t drop so many balls he may just be #1.

1) Randy Moss

I’ll be the first to say that I was as skeptical as the next man when Moss went to Patriots but I was wrong to have ever doubted the man. Perhaps the best athlete the NFL has ever seen (he’s in his 30’s and still has 4.3 speed) Moss proved his doubters foolish this last year and once again gained his rightful place at the top. It’s hard to doubt 98 catches for 1,400+ yards and an NFL record 23 tds.

*HONORABLE MENTIONS
Steve Smith (he would have made the list if he could stay healthy)

Chad Johnson

Larry Fitzgerald

Marvin Harrison

Roy Williams

Current Music Obsession Part 3

Today you get another double dose.

First, Chrisette Michelle. I got introduced to her when she sung the hooks for Jay’s “Lost One’s” and then followed by Nas’s “Can’t Forget About You”. She to me is what the game’s been missing; the super soulful, powerful voice (I compare it Aretha), and the dexterity to go past the simple r&b that dominates the market right now. She to me is a bit like Amy Winehouse, in the sense that she is somewhat of a throwback artist, reminding me of artists from the Motown era. Nevertheless, she’s fantastic. I picked up her album a few months ago, and it gets weekly rotation.

Secondly, Citizen Cope. The homies Ballcklub sampled his song “Sideways” for their album Ha/f Ti/t which really opened my eyes to him. Very few artists have the ability to cross genres the way he does. Cope is able to transcend categories and fuse together blues, reggae, soul, rock and hip-hop into his own creation. I’ve been bumpin’ “Sideways” for a while now, and I can’t get tired of it. There’s something about blues that just get me. It’s such a slept on form of music, and in a way I hope it stays that way.

*Note – this is not the original version of the song, however it is the better version. Citizen Cope with Santana on the guitar. There’s hardly a better combination out there right now.

1985: The year of the ox

After reading my girlfriends blog I saw that she posted information about her chinese zodiac sign. Me being the “copycat” that I  am, I decided to post the same for my own. Interestlingly enough I share many of the characteristics explained in the summary. Coincedence? I think not. See not only do the Chinese have better technology, their Zodiac calendar is also more accurate, up-to-date, efficient, and can fit in the palm of your hand (jokes, stupid.)

Enjoy.

The Ox

Oxes may appear docile, but watch out! They also have quite a temper. They are extremely determined and work tirelessly to get what they want. Step by step and piece by piece, they move steadily toward their goals. People born under the sign of the Ox are dependable and stick to a routine until the job is done. They are fair-minded and good listeners, but they can also be extremely stubborn. Because of their trustworthy character, Oxes will often hold positions of authority and responsibility. They always get ahead in the world. They must be careful not to become slaves to their jobs or profession. Oxes can be forceful leaders and eloquent speakers when the occasion arises. In troubled times they will have great presence of mind and will never be intimidated. They are very proud souls. Oxes are systematic and respect traditions. They mistrust things they don’t understand,and they hate loose ends.They can also be vulnerable in romance. They are so straightforward that they don’t relate to the love games others play. Since it takes a long time to develop intimate relationships, Oxes like long courtships. Once they have made up their minds, they are loyal and giving-almost to a fault.

Ox people are neat and punctual, honest and hard working. Oxes make ideal mates since they always do more than their share. They have a long memory and remember the little details others miss. Once Oxes are angry with you, they will carry their grievance a long way. When they are unhappy or upset, they will bury themselves in their work until they feel better. Oxes always pay their debts. If they owe you anything, they will never forgive themselves until the debt is paid. They always remember a favor, and though they don’t use flowery words,they will show their appreciation in other ways. Their actions speak louder than words.

When Oxes lose their temper, they really lose it! There will be no reasoning with them, so get out of their way until they cool off. Always appeal to the head rather than to the heart of the Oxes. They quickly understand the pros and cons to the situation. Oxes seldom get sick and are not tolerant of weaker people. They should learn how to relax more.

Oxes hate to ask for help. If it takes them twice as long to accomplish something, they still prefer working alone. They want things to last and build them with care. Oxes love their home and family and provide well for them. They do well at long term investments with stability and firm foundations. They are definitely not gamblers. Oxes earn their success by their own merits and don’t expect any free rides.

Biggie Smalls is the Illest!

“The greatest rapper of all time died on March 9th”

R.I.P. to the only and only Biggie Smalls.