Congrats to Clint Dempsey, Roy Hodgson and the rest of the Fulham Cottagers on a very productive 2008. After starting the year 19/20 on the table and barely escaping relegation on goal differential, the Whites have managed to be 9/20 at years end with the 2nd best defensive record in the Premiership. Also, kudos to Dempsey (who I regularly mock for his cheeseball existence). After a 2 goal performance in securing a draw against Chelsea, Dempsey's place in Roy's army seems secure, and Gera will remain on the bench where he should be....
"He ran, for the president of Iran we ran together to a tropical island Our love for each other’s like when atoms collide Can’t express how I feel And yo Adam let’s ride....."
Even as a Bostonian, I have the utmost respect for Yankee Stadium. It signed off last week amid much fanfare but less than they would want. In their final year in Yankee Stadium, the ol' pinstripes did not make the playoffs and sign off with at least a win against a sub-par Orioles team. Everyone that was still alive was there (except for Rocket - boo hoo). Jeter gave a blahze' farewell, and that was it. All that history and all the memories will have to live on in our minds, because the walls are coming down. Moving across the street, the stadium will likely be a parking lot with a memorial. The cover of last week's Sports Illustrated was Yankee Stadium. The story actually made me a little misty-eyed. With Wrigley and Fenway, the last of the greatest generation's memories live on. Someday, they too will find themselves staring at the face of a wrecking ball. I just can't believe or imagine Major League Baseball without those three legends. Yankee Stadium - Wrigley Field - Fenway Park - We love you all.
Sarah Palin, welcome to the fray. Sorry to see you with Desperate Housewives esque accusations. I'll take you over Brie. Loved you in Varsity Blues which leaves us with only one thing to say.... David Lee Roth, take us home!
The summer signing period has ended in the world of futbol. Crazy. The last day was especially busy! In the end the Barclays Premier League is left with some powerful 1-2 combos all over. My little Fulham is striking with new arrivals Bobby Zamora (West Ham) and Andy Johnson (Everton). The big one early on was Liverpool grabbing Robbie Keane (Tottenham) to go with my favorite player, Fernando Torres. Tottenham screwed the pooch with the official loss of Dimitar Berbatov to the evil empire of Manchester United. Now Sir Alex will have the luxury of choosing between Wayne Rooney, Berbatov, and Carlos Tevez to strike, nice! Ferguson sent the oft injured and former Fulham star Louis Saha down to Everton.
Today in the last day, Manchester City had the craziest day. Their owner is (now was) the former president of Thailand, Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, who now may be heading to jail back in his homeland. He sold out today to Abu Dhabi Emirates group (of the United Arab Emirates). If you remember from your childhood, Abu Dhabi was where Garfield always sent Yodi in a box in Jim Davis' famous comic strip. Abu Dhabi has fallen out of the limelight internationally with Dubai getting all the love. ANYWAYS, with the huge bank roll of ADE, they made offers for most of the players in Europe today. In the end, they picked up Robinho from Real Madrid for an English record 32 million pounds coming OUT OF NOWHERE to rip the hearts out of every Chelsea fan the world around (Robinho had been bartering with Chelsea all summer). Now set to match up front with Brazilian Jo, Robinho will be great for Man City.
Speaking of Brazil, my real interest was peaked with equally shocking signing of Kerlon, "Foca", from Cruzeiro in Brazil by the newly promoted Serie A team, Chievo Verona. Kerlon is known as "the seal" b/c of his famous move running around full speed with the ball bouncing on his head. He is young, super fast, with a HUGE upside. The Italian club must have paid a fortune as no Brazilian club has even given Europe the time of day in their efforts to bring him across the Atlantic. Man U was shot down hardcore on multiple attempts to bring him into their youth club. All in all, 'twas a crazy day!
Check out ol' Kerlon's patented move and the reaction it frequently draws.....
Like the Packers were going to let another NFC team have Fav-ruh! Great move by them sending him to the AFC. The Pats' world in the AFC east just got interesting. I knew I stayed up late for something. Say bye-bye, Chad Pennington!
Manny Ramirez is a Dodger - PEACE! The true Bostonians, no matter the impact Manny has had in his time here, are all glad he is gone. Granted he is one of if not the best pure hitter of our generation (some say best since DiMaggio), he also is the T.O. of baseball (and much more drama than Owens). No matter the trade, there was NO WAY we were going to get our money's worth on any deal. After three teams and some spastic panic, Manny was in LA with Joe, 2 of our great back-ups and 1 so-so reliever were off to Pittsburgh, and we had 1 new left fielder, Jason Bay.....? I thought we got the short end of the stick. We will see if the child-bride GM, Theo Epstein, has pulled another wunderkid move. Last night was the big debut for everyone. Manny had some hits and did a typical "Manny being Manny" lazy run after a flyball. As the hit drifted into left center, it was a race of the worthless as Manny and Andruw "the bust" Jones lollyed it out. Let's hope that Manny doesn't lose his skills like Jones did in his move to LA. (doubtful) On the other hand, Jason Bay's debut against Oakland for the Sawx was very feel-good. He walked in his 2nd at-bat and scored their first run. After the A's tied the game up in the 9th and sent it into extra innings, Bay went on to score the winning run and in total both runs for the Red Sox. He got a standing ovation welcome during warm-ups, and another when he left the field. He's no Manny. There's only one. Let's just hope he can live up and out of the shadow. On a side note, Ken Griffey, Jr. had a decent debut for the White Sox. If only he had stayed healthy.......
Well, since this is my blog of ranting...I thought I'd share another experience. The last week we lived in our old place, I was walking to the train. Less than a hundred yards from our front door (I was already late as per usual), I looked up as I walked to see a squirrel running along the power line above me. Then the unthinkable happened. Skeet! I was hit square on the shoulder. It wreaked something awful. I was shocked. I ran home changed and was even later than usual. Of course it begged the question when I arrived, "Why are you late?". Which inevitably was followed with, "You're not going to believe this, but......."
Many thanks to Mama Sheila who swooped in like Rosie from the Jetsons to unpack boxes and make us forget our buyer's remorse. I'll post some pics soon....
Our mail order Blockbuster movie selection for tonight was The Bourne Ultimatum. Yup, still haven't seen it.....OH and I still have a hard (pronounced: hahd) time believing Matt Damon as some killer spy/super agent. Whoever the critic was that said that Jason Bourne was the role he was Bourne to play - Kill Yourself! I would say that role came and went: Will Hunting. I digress. As I opened the sleeve that clearly stated, "The Bourne Ultimatum 122 min.", I did not find what i expected. Instead of Bourne, I was holding "Leave It to Beaver" Season 2 Disc 1...... WHAT?&@^%(%
Somewhere, some loony is opening his "Leave It To Beaver" sleeve that he has been dying to get in his Blockbuster queue and finding nothing but Good Will Hunting: A Natural Bourne Killer....
We decided to take another Damon excursion out for a spin: The Departed. A flick we own, it is always fun to re-watch. It paints a lovely portrait of my current home, Boston. Too bad the movie was mainly filmed in NYC......Scorcese is making up for it by doing another movie here right now - hence Michelle Williams in Whitney's store and on her blog...
The Departed is GREAT. Leo, Jack, Sheen, Baldwin, Wahlberg, Damon, etc, etc. You know what else is great? Gone Baby Gone. It may even be better. Both are full of enough twists and turns to twist you skull right off. Take some pepto beforehand and mind your swears. To be honest, I'm surprised that so many of you have NOT seen The Departed. Do yourselves favors. This weekend, go down the street, walk in Blockbuster, tell them you want the Hub special, go home with The Departed & Gone Baby Gone, turn on your iTunes, download "Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys, do your favorite riverdance, (oxford comma) and make some nachos for your stomach. You want to have some food in it for these bad boys. Embrace Suffolk County and don't be afraid to visit. It's a happening town - Go Celtics !!!!
Thames.... I haven't given this story due credit. After winning only 4 games since the season began last August, Fulham FC (which plays in West London on the River Thames) won 4 of their last 5 to pull themselves out of the bottom 3 teams and ensure another year in the major leagues of soccer, THE Barclays Premier League. This has been heralded by pundits as one of the greatest and least likely comebacks in the history of the league. On top of playing top flight futbol next year, the team is also guaranteed TV royalties in the range of 35-50 million British lbs. Congrats to the Whites and the Americans that helped keep the team alive. Sadly, Captain America, Brian McBride, announce this week that he will not be returning to Craven Cottage next year. After 5 years with Fulham, McBride has proven to be one of the greatest and most proven American soccer players ever (even though he doesn't have the records, goals, and caps ala Landon Donovan or Eric Wynalda - who will reach the heights of McBride and never did reach them, respectively) A true artist in the air and with the header, McBride will be missed as he returns to the states to retire and ride off into the sunset in the MLS. Until next August, the soccer posts are gonna be at a minimum (I can hear your sighs of relief...) I will be enjoying the Euro 2008 tourney with the national teams of Europe - on ESPN 2 and ESPN Classic starting next week. If you're feeling frisky, check out Team USA play Spain in Madrid this Wednesday afternoon on ESPN Classic (I think?). On another side note, I finished 5th out of 13 in our Fantasy Premier League, Pabst United. Congrats to Parks on winning the Title.
I know you didn't see it, b/c no one cares.... Regardless, check out Beck's bomb of a goal this past weekend. It was like something out of a hockey match. Pull the Goalie!
Well, last weekend was eventful for all the wrong reasons....Dr. Hugh Douglas Holliday, Jr. is getting married this summer (mahzeltov!). His bachelor extravaganza was planned for the 3rd weekend in May. Hellbent on escaping New England, I feverishly checked flight prices as they fluctuated up and down never leaving the $500-600 range.....yikes. As we all know, it's who NOT what you know. 2nd lieutenant (or whatever his title is...) Lee Miller, a pilot for Delta Connection, offered up the golden ticket (so I thought). The infamous "buddy" pass. Whitney has twice used these to make her way to the southland with no trouble. Essentially, you are flying standby to wherever you want as long as you eventually return to where you came from (Lee's girlfriend buddy passed all the way to India and back). You get up early and try try try. Don't leave the gate until they push back. Even when it looks bleak, there is always that last minute seat. Unless of course you plan to fly to Florida, and your name is ME.
On my maiden buddy voyage, Murphy's Law was put to the test. Leaving Thursday, I made it to Atlanta - NO PROBLEM! I even got out of Beantown on an earlier flight. Upon arriving in Atlanta, I found out that the flight before mine to the panhandle had been canceled due to a malfunctioning (insert part here). Now 65 randoms were trying to get anywhere on the panhandle from P'Cola to Panama City. Mind you, these later flights were at capacity. Did I mention that these jokers get priority over me? Why? They actually paid for their tickets. Go figure. Long story short, the closest I could get was Dothan, AL. Classy...the Hertz car rental gal stayed late to get me a car to make the 2hr drive to Destin at midnight. Like OJ said, Hertz will get you to the airport with an hour to KILL....
Anyways, the weekend was fine - Golf, drinks, junk food, and Russ Renfro's tales of the finer points of Fayette (pronounced "FAT"), AL. As I set to make my return Sunday, Lee called. "Getting out of FL is not looking good..." OH, JOY! I then began a tour of all of Bama's airports. My tour guide was Jeb. Stopping in Montgomery, I found out that my flight had been canceled! (applause) Thank goodness the boys were not far down the road...On to Birmingham where I came 1 seat and 30sec from getting onto a flight to Cincinnati. After not getting on the 1st flight to Atl., the 2nd got a flat tire and was grounded...The final flight of the day got me out with free cocktails to boot! (and across the aisle was Joy from My Name Is Earl who was giving her number/opinion to anyone who wanted it on our little RJ airplane).
Upon arriving in Atl., I scurried to make the next to last flight out. Along the way to the gate, I saw Sam Beam (you may know him as Iron & Wine). His look is unmistakable (then again if I had been overserved I can see how you may think he was Zach Galifianakis). With all that hair on his face/head, I couldn't believe how skinny he was. As we passed, I locked onto him with the ol eyeballs, and he noticed said tractor beams - we stopped. In all my celebrity encounter glory, I said...."You're Sam Beam!" and then took off to my gate. Surely, he was confused....Much like the Kings of Leon when seen by me on a bathroom break at the Green Hills Regal - I mustered up, "Hey Guys! The New Album is great......yeah, great.....!" Pretty good if you're a caveman....(Back on point, Greg!) I didn't make it on that flight. I didn't make it on the last flight (but an entire Guatamalan family did). I was stuck in the ATL. Thank God, Lee was in town that night. I woke at 4:30 the next morning to take MARTA (insert acronym here) to the airport. As my run of luck continued, MARTA got stuck, my ticket had to be rebooked via customer service when I got there (20min wait), and I did not get out on the 1st two flights.....I did make it back around Noon, and I was ready to go postal on anyone who so much as looked at me funny......what a whirlwind! Arriving (very late) at school, my classmates said, "What's wrong with you? You're not yourself lately."
All I could wonder was....."How am I not myself ?"
Here's some Zach Galifianakis for our funny bones - everyone take a deep breath (read: me)
