ISLE OF BLOGS

By The Fillerbuster

The Cast 090718

SETTING:

This is a combo writing, as I can’t figure out when I will have time to do this in one sitting.  So, part during Thursday Night Football, and some before binging Billions on Friday night.  I won’t write too much about the theme/ title.  I just have been waiting to see the movie to use the blog name.  I find it clever.  I feel the need…the need for speed.

Let’s turn and burn.

EVERGREEN (topics that don’t fade away):

• When Le’Veon Bell first did this whole contract thing, I understood it, and, as a diehard Steelers fan, identified the best and worse case scenarios. I broke down the RB version of Kirk Cousins contractually and hoped for the best.  But, I didn’t see a couple of things.  What I hoped for optimally was for Bell to do his very best to earn a contract, even if for the wrong reasons, get the Steelers to another Super Bowl, and be on his merry way.  It wouldn’t be something warm and fuzzy that they wrote a movie about, but it is a business, and it would get the job done.  What I blindly hid my logic from was rumors about the Steelers running him into the ground this year, teammates’ spite when he didn’t show, not even signing the franchise tag yet, and Kawhi-like silence during the whole thing.  This is all a shame, even if it is business.  Personally, I thought him asking for that much money in the first place was wrong as an aging RB, but then the Rams deal with Gurley kind of shut that line of thinking down…damn you, Rams.  Anyway, this is tampering with what most of us fans know is the last legitimate run with the current weapons and personalities in place.  And I hate it.
• I get contracts, politics, scheduling, administrations, etc.  But, WHY do schools, aching for money on all fronts, allow rivalries to end or pause in the first place.  Last weekend, Notre Dame and Michigan played in football for the first time since 2014.  Two of the most hated fan bases.  But, two of the most needed fan bases also.  Notre Dame is the school that pulled out, as termed, I believe a “controversy over cessation.”  But, HOW did either school let it happen?  And, if anything, Notre Dame needs all of the quality schools it can get on their schedule not being in a conference.  Anyway, this is bigger than personalities.  This is bigger than the present administration.  This is history.  Heck, if someone doesn’t want a rivalry anymore, make a plan for every OTHER year.  But, don’t cheat fans, the schools, or history.  Find a way.
• The NFL market is all discombobulated. First, we don’t get enough fun trades.  I get it.  Football is different with contracts, liabilities, injuries, players union demands, etc., but I have always said that more are needed.  Then, it seems, when a big trade DOES occur, it is totally out of whack.  Khalil Mack was traded from the Raiders to the Bears for their 2019 first and sixth round pick and their 2020 first and third round pick.  TWO first round picks.  If players and draft picks are so precious for teams, then why is it so easy after a rare big trade to see who got the better of the trade after the deal?  Who is making these decisions?  Obviously, they don’t have good and bad characters on each shoulder telling them why and why not to do it.  Didn’t we all learn a lot with the Herschel Walker trade?  Apparently not.  I want to see more fair trades that make sense.  I want rational thinking in more frequency.  I want more change of atmosphere for players to see who it helps.  I want logic.  Side note:  the Rams apparently tried to get Mack before he signed the new Bears deal, but I guess the Bears were really set on giving Mack NINETY million guaranteed.  Damn you, Rams, again.
• OU destroyed FAU last weekend. What does this mean?  I will tell you.  Lane Kiffin has done a remarkable job at the smaller school.  He has gotten big name transfers.  He has now gotten good new recruits.  He beat the spread most games last year (I know this for a fact because I rode along with him).  He has a stellar win-loss record in his tenure.  He has not only build something out of nothing, but actually something pretty damn good out of nothing.  No history of good football at the school.  All noted.  Then, last weekend was the time to draw the line in the dirt.  It was his time to shine nationally.  He put the mighty, historical OU Sooners on his schedule to boost schedule strength and show what FAU had become.  It is a scary place to play for ANY opponent, let alone smaller school wanna-be’s.  But, he had built everything he had done, and ALL he had to do was make a statement.  What kind of statement?  Win?    Get beat decisively?  That wouldn’t hurt either, as it is Norman.  Lots of teams get beat decisively there.  But, get totally SMOKED?  Obliterated?  Beat from the opening kickoff?  Not even show up?  That couldn’t happen.  And that did happen.  63-14.  Kiffin could literally run the table the rest of the year, and we won’t fully trust or respect his true results again any time soon.  It is a shame.  I was and am a respectful fan of the guy.  But, dude.  At least get within two touchdowns of the 20.5 spread and we will still be watching in awe.  Failure in a key moment.
• Men’s tennis is having a “heated” debate (see what I did there) about whether to reduce their matches to best of 3 sets. My firm opinion is NO.  Why?
  • Best of 5 is historical and no problems from it have existed in the past.
  • The heat that affects play has always been there in various places, and have them all play inside if you consider this a problem.
  • Best of 3 is too short and doesn’t allow for true warriors AND strategic changes to be made. It is an athletic chess match, and I want to see the WHOLE thing, with all of its hills and valleys.
  • I don’t like taking conditioning out of the mix. People don’t respect the game enough as is, let alone reduce the play in the stop and start sport it is.
  • If you are so worried about it, then change the whole format. I got an idea.  Split the field in half and make it harder to even qualify.  Play the matches with another day or two in between.  Give them more rest.
  • Bottom line. I say don’t change a thing.
• The negative reviews of the new Colin Kaepernick Nike ad are from people thinking too much about things. There have been many controversial ads over the decades.  The debate they raise means they have done their job at getting our attention.  When did an ad have to be totally on one side or the other?  When did the purpose of an ad stop being to GET OUR ATTENTION?  When did we start judging an ad like it is a company mission statement?    There are those who think Colin Kaepernick shouldn’t have kneeled and that there were better ways to get his point across.  But, here is my stance on this.  Whether you think it was right or wrong, we are here.  Where is here?
  • He started a movement.
  • He got people aware.
  • He got nixed for jobs he should have gotten.
  • He gave $1 million to the cause he was supporting, so he put his money where his mouth was.
  • People are STILL kneeling.
  • The NFL has made rules adjusting to this.
  • A court is willing to hear his case.
  • And, I thought the ad was gorgeous, well done, and effective. I loved it.  You don’t have to love it.  Just make sure you are hating it for the RIGHT reasons.

WEEK-FISH (current topics of interest in sports):

• If you are a kid wanting to be QB in the NFL, Nathan Peterman being named starter should give you MORE than hope.
• When I watched the Auburn player use the new fair catch rule, I was confused for about 30 seconds. I totally forgot about that new rule, but like it for the safety element.  It just was weird to see for the first time.
• The Auburn-Washington game was a GREAT game, but shame the constant penalties took away the flow of the game.
• Neither is out of the playoff picture. No one was blown out.
• Surprised that if targeting is such a big deal, that the BIGGEST missed call was an Auburn player targeting against Washington in a very key situation.
• AC/DC would be proud of the balls of the next Power 5 team who puts Appalachian State on their schedule in their crib.
• So, I guess Texas is NOT turning the corner. AND Tom Herman will stay away from two things.  Strip clubs and scheduling Maryland early season.
• Steelers were wrong about Bell. But they were right about Martavis Bryant.  Dude is a mess still.
• I had to read the Luol Deng article like five times to understand WHY he gave the Lakers money back. To be transparent, I still am not sure I understand how nice of a guy he is.
• That T.J. Vasher catch was something else.
• Bryson DeChambeau went from being the up and comer, to a guy who has won a couple times this year and is on the Ryder Cup team. A 180 (I just chuckled but that is because this is written in backwards order and therefore that joke is later).
• UVA football wins against Richmond. I should treasure last weekend as much as I can, because that won’t happen often most likely.
• I remember when Terrence Newman came into the league. HE was the one who was supposed to get his own island.  We will miss him.
• Jim Harbaugh is now 9-9 in his last 18 games after the big Michigan hire. The guy has so much hype follow him that sometimes we ignore the W-L element.  Not good.
• I thought Miami might lose to LSU. I didn’t ever think they would get SMOKED.  Put another notch in the SEC IS BEST belt.
• DeGrom tied an MLB mark with his 25^th straight game with 3 runs or fewer, and he might not even win the Cy Young due to run support.
• I like lists, so I am glad MLB is ok’ing batter cheat sheets, and WHY hasn’t this happened before?
• Jalen Hurts will be the most winning backup QB at a multiple championship school, have a subpar NFL career, and might end up in 20 years as the greatest trivia question on this earth.
• When I am 104 on my deathbed, just let me know if Antonio Gates just signed a one-year deal. I feel like he has been in the NFL as long as I felt like Case Keenum was in college.
• I remember when I was REALLY excited to see Canelo-GGG.
• Chip Kelly runs a hurry up offense. He wants to now hurry up to future games to forget about the Cincy loss.
• I am transparent. Why Your Team Sucks on Deadspin just did my Steelers.  Link is below.
• What is Denver sports radio going to even talk about now that Paxton Lynch has been waived? 3 talked about the Broncos situation during March Madness and the Masters.  What else is there?
• I have Ovi’s back. I believe you can do a beer bong out of the Stanley Cup anytime you want to after you win the Cup.
• Adding to a future legend. Ohtani gets the nod for Tommy John surgery and then belts two HR’s.  We really need him and Trout in the playoffs next year.  As baseball fans, and not Angels fans.
• The fact that Shaquem Griffin was named a starter for the Legion of Whom (stole that one) in Seattle should give us all hope on just about everything, and also make us feel very, very lazy in our cozy lives.
• I don’t live in Jose Abreu’s household, but I just will go to sleep hoping I never get a “strangled testicle.”
• The serve clock in tennis has become pretty irritating to me. Make it ten seconds more.  Just because there is a movement to limit the amount of sets they play, it doesn’t mean I want them rushed.
• So, Thiem played the match of his LIFE, and still lost to Nadal…amazing.
• The Madison Keys quarterfinal match had the loudest fans I have ever heard at a match. It is like everyone signed a class action suit or petition that said “do whatever you want during the points.”
• Trevor Story ALMOST made history big time. He hit three home runs in a game with one more AB.  In the words of Hall & Oates, “so close, yet so far away.”
• You are very much a clever person, Todd Frazier. The likeable baseball player pulled a fast one on the umps this week.
• I hate Cris Collinsworth. His voice, him, him being a Bengal, everything….
• But, he does know his stuff.
• Think Tigermania is going away?   I personally made sure everyone at the office knew he was seven under after ten at the BMW Championship.
• One of my favorite things in life is when NFL players say their college (or high school) in the starting lineups on a nationally televised game. I have NEVER seen the two universities who say they are THE University back to back in a lineup.  OSU and UVA.  Thursday Night Football.  I almost fell off the couch.
• Wasn’t the same result or same situation, but fun to see the Philly Special 2 run. Or the Philly Philly.  Or the failed Pats play in the Super Bowl.  Nice subtle troll on who you beat and the GOAT.
• Sometimes Richard Sherman says things to the media making me forget he is a smart Stanford guy. But, other times, I remember he is a bright lad, and believe his conviction if he predicts that there will be a strike soon.
• Not only did I feel bad for him that, at his age, he fought through a bunch of youngsters in a long US Open draw, but I feel like tennis and non-tennis fans also suffered by Nadal retiring today Friday.   We won’t get many more of these, folks.
• This was insult to injury for the US Open when Federer also bowed out in an earlier round. We can all be excited for the new up and comers, but when Nadal, Federer, and the rest of this present crew step aside, we will miss them.  Odd note is this.  Those guys have stuck around so much longer than expected that a lot of the up and comers are now kind of old.  I mean, as I watch the Nishikori-Djokovic match since lightning has delayed the TCU-SMU game, Kei is TWENTY EIGHT years old.
• I listened to the snippet of the LeBron James-Kevin Durant rap song, and thought A) it sounded OK and B) that it sounded like a couple of athletes who also can rap. Good job, guys, but I don’t think I am overly impressed.  Congrats for being good at other things.  I am sure the leak was…a leak.  But, I guess it WILL get those rumors started again that KD could go to the Lakers…because they are boys.  HATE super teams.
• Hate them or not for their scandal, it was still VERY cool that Maryland went out on the first play with only ten men, with the absence respresenting their fallen teammate. Even cooler when Texas declined the penalty.  Ah, the good things in sports…
• The Aaron McDonald holdout is now over, and the Rams paid him. This begs the obvious question of, if I am a solid NFL player close to contract year, why WOULDN’T I hold out with THESE lessons and examples in place?

THIS AND THAT (pop culture, Fillerbuster thoughts, and whatever else I feel like talking about):

ISLE OF DOGS:

• Pay attention to the opening credits. “Produced by the guys who killed John Wick’s dog.”
• Dark.
• Weird.
• Not sure if they wanted it funny or serious primarily.
• Watchable, but not exactly egging you on.
• But we all like dogs, so watch it.
• It is no Eight Below.
• I watched Diehard right after because it was normal.
• Loved the Haiku reference, as I love Haiku poems.
• The plot actually was something you needed resolution on, so I gues it had that going for it.
• My cat, Jackson, REALLY liked the movie oddly and kept staring at the screen, as it is very apparent when he cares about anything.
• Watch it under the influence of something, because it surely can’t hurt the overall review.
• When I read a few reviews that were positive about the movie, I really doubted some things I understood in life.

BILLIONS (things that I love about it, quotes, or what I have learned):

• I am halfway through the three seasons, knocking out the remaining episodes on a quiet weekend with football and this show.
• It has constant references to chess, the greatest game ever.
• “The aquarium is not a barrier, but a lense.”
• It has a poker scene that gets within 30% of the Rounders one. Since the Rounders scene is the ultimate movie scene or up there, that is a good, solid percentage.
• “Do a 180.” (see, there is the earlier joke-not ha ha funny, but on point)
• “Unless it is broken plates and steak knives, you power through it.”
• The Conversation at the end of Season 1 is indeed THE CONVERSATION.   You will spend the next few minutes trying to rank your overall one on one movie conversations in history.
• It has horse racing.
• It has someone playing one of the best and most random guitar songs of all time, Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. I used to LOVE Cliffs of Dover.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiRn3Zlw3Rw
• Mark Cuban makes an appearance.
• Axe drives a Porsche 911, black, which is my favorite car ever.
• “The best way to bond is not doing a favor, but asking a favor.”
• It has a casino involved.   In the middle of nowhere.
• It has an NFL tie in.
• No signature theme song except for repeating keyboard over the NYC skyline, but PERFECTLY timed random songs DURING the show.
• Hunting references.
• “Block that chip at the bottom.”
• Monologues and dialogues are gold.
• Billiards references and scenes.
• “Take a sauna and focus. That’s an order.”
• I hunch over and stare at screen when watching…not on the PC.
• Billions characters never raise their voice when saying something really important.

DEADPOOL 2:

• 80’s references galore.
• The John Connor reference was gold.
• The Say Anything boombox scene almost made me fall off the couch laughing.
• Sweep the leg is referenced.
• The soundtrack is awesome.
• VERY, very good movie overall.

• I am getting comments that my “playoff goatee” looks good. My wife will be sad.
• With wife gone and no microwave, my life is McDonald’s, Snarf’s, and pizza.
• I have decided I need a pool table in house. Can’t wait to inform my wife.
• Lindsey’s brother found where Chris Toler is playing in Key West, and that makes ALL of us happy. She has talked about him (and I back he was really, really good) since the Key West trip constantly.    
• Binge watching can be healthy for the soul if you accept fully what you are doing and that there is no way to speed up time. You can’t successfully be lazy if you have any percentage of guilty thoughts.  Let it go.  If I think about that I will have spent three full days of my life watching Billions when Lindsey was gone, then I defeat the glory of the excitement I had WATCHING the show.  A lot of the house projects have, of course, suffered.
• I caught some of Con-Air last weekend. I worked a movie back in the day (Virus) and got VIP viewing of that.
• “Put the bunny back in the box.”
• Aside from Matchstick Men, it is Cage’s best achievement. Joking, of course.  The Rock, Gone in 60 Seconds, Lord of War, Raising Arizona are more in the mix for that title.  Matchstick Men was excellent.  Unless, we can throw in Fast Times, as that would easily win.
• I have a colleague, Chill, who runs the entire golf outing behind his cart and that really intrigues me.
• I ripped up the golf course last week, but did my usual. I became a “normal” looking player on the back nine, and carded a par 4 birdie with a 12 foot putt on the 10^th  Keeps me coming back.
• My colleague and I are the same level of player (and time to play) and we were considering going out BOTH days this weekend.
• I live two miles from downtown. I used to live less than a mile from downtown.  I did not go to the Taste of Colorado because it seemed like it was far away.  That is pretty damn lazy.  But, Billions was my fallback plan.
• I successfully just fought off (again, this is written in inverse order) watching a Billions during halftime of the TNF game.
• I get sad these days because mainly I found Breaking Benjamin like 10-15 years after they got together. I had no idea that the radio songs were their WORST songs.
• The Voice is coming back again, and that is my favorite compromise show with my wife. We both think Blake Shelton is the bomb for different reasons.
• Somehow, my wife is in Europe and has knocked out two new Ozarks episodes. I am on none.    I thought we were supposed to wait for each other on that one, and thought I was pretty safe considering she is in Croatia I think when she watched them.
• I just realized that the old guy in Ozark is the same guy from the last season of Westworld. He is one of those guys who goes out to eat, and people yell “it is THAT guy from that SHOW.”
• My friend’s cat broke his leg. I had to ask a lot of questions figuring out how a cat hurts itself.
• Old Major is the best burger in Denver, but you HAVE to get the actual Double Double one to get the good stuff. The breakfast one was just normal.
• I think cream cheese should be pretty much on everything. Just like the Breaking Benjamin sadness, I am happy I found the experience on pizza, but sad I found it so late in life.
• I have heard this thing is too long.   Limited bandwidth, limited time, dedicated times of week to write, I like to get on a roll, and I have a LOT to say.
• I would like to thank Bovada and my internet for not letting me bet more on FSU this past Sunday.

FANTASY NOTES:

• For fantasy, I drafted one league in the middle of the pack and one at the beginning. One is irritating because you have like 12 minutes between picks, but the middle one is bad because there ARE no breaks.
• I don’t look at byes, and you can book me for a loss in week 7 in one, and week 9 in the other, as I might not even field a full team.
• Keeping to my standards of not having fantasy football change the way I watch football and my team, I have ONE Steelers player (Ben) on both teams, aside from the defense (as that is just rooting for winning), in BOTH leagues. I hate the guy who wants the RB to get a carry on 3^rd and 17.
• I think you have priorities in the wrong place if you don’t draft players you LIKE. The dues aren’t that much, and I do not want to root for players I don’t like.  I stay away from Steelers, rival teams, unlikeable players, etc.
• Not sure if I am in a time warp, stubborn, or just dumb, but somehow I have Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Peterson on BOTH fantasy teams. The scary thing is I truly believe they were a good pick in that particular round.  Listen, look at depth charts.  I concern myself with possible touches.  P. might be older, but in later rounds, and in this era of less RB touches, he still IS a first stringer.
• I am favored to win both fantasy matchups, and that must be depressing for my opponent considering my selection methods.
• I seem to have Green Bay and Arizona as closet teams. MANY players from their teams.
• I seem to believe this is a great comeback year for Jimmy Graham (which I do).
• I love having Stafford as my QB in fantasy for some reason.
• Fantasy drafts are VERY important. You put a dollar amount down (and pride) for the foundation for the next 18 weeks.    90 minutes that dictate your enjoyment in fantasy for over four months.
• I excel on picks 8-12 because of natural football knowledge. I don’t need the cheat sheets by then.
• I always get the lowest grade after the draft. I don’t care.  I get beat in March Madness brackets by people who pick their favorite animals and colors.  Let’s have fun.
• I LOVE the new ad by Serena with the LL Cool J song.
• I lost sleep time on Tuesday because I turned on the TV and saw Nadal had lost the first set 6-0. That just doesn’t ever happen.  There was no football on anyway.  But, I STILL had to go to sleep before the end.    Or Catch-22.  Whatever.  I always mess up clichés.
• They couldn’t replace the “b” with a “d” and make the new hurricane name Hurricane Jedi? The weather people could talk about the “force” of the hurricane.
• Not to be outdone by Apple, Amazon also hits a trillion dollar value.
• I am sure there are much funnier stories than a Cosby Show actor working at Trader Joe’s, but I think his agent could have invested his royalties a little better. Eight years ago, I lived next to a guy who got $233 every time a Seinfeld was on the tube.  This guy.  Right down the hall.   
• Somehow, the biggest pizza eater in the nation did not have a piece of pizza ON National Pizza Day.
• Forgot I moved near one of my favorite co-workers. Instead of catching up on our lives, we decided to venture directly into what movies and show we had seen lately like we just talked yesterday.  Much love, Brett.  You are the man.
• I love how these Bird and Lime scooters are bringing back QR codes, recently thought as ancient in technology.
• Detroit Tigers announcers who had worked for SEVENTEEN years in a row together got into a physical brawl after an away game, and had to travel home separately.
• I feel like watching Smoky and the Bandit tonight. We will miss you, Burt.  Happy trails.
• The Boyz II Men national anthem tonight was off the hook. Not quite as good as Whitney, and not near as bad as Carl, but still epic in my opinion.
• Sometimes I feel in the loop. Sometimes I feel out of the loop.  Sometimes we all make assumptions.  Well, when I read Starbucks is just NOT putting their first store in Italy, I realize that my American bias kicked in subconsciously again, and that I just assumed they were all over the place globally.
• I think that the cop who filled the woman’s gas tank when she only had $3 and inspired $7,000 of donations should have gotten MUCH more pub to balance the knee-jerk reactions we give cops on bad stories. Nice gesture.

TWEET OF THE WEEK:

HOW does she look exactly the same as 15 years ago?

THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK:

Unanimous #1.  Not even close.  Read my last blog.  You knew it was coming.  I feel like throwing weights and running through walls when I am listening to it.  Perfect balance of simple guitar, beautiful harmonies, that angry guy yelling, and brief and to the point.  I listened to it 9 times straight Thursday working out.

FEED THE WOLF-BREAKING BENJAMIN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTuNRW8Zens

MEDICATED-SEVENDUST:

Still in the mix.  The breakdown 2/3 of the way through is everything I want in a Song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLKp7bG–os

THE DEVIL INSIDE-LIKE A STORM:

Glad I read Octane’s top plays each week.  Found this gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ew708RI_k

HONORABLE MENTION:

Infra-red-Three Days Grace, Torn In Two-Breaking Benjamin, Breaking the Silence-Breaking Benjamin, a couple of Parkway Drive songs

LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE:

CLOSING:

• I thought that Isle of Dogs sounds better than “College Footblog.” I am still a little torn actually.
• I thought that “Blogions” or “Busterions” sounded forced, even though my life is Billions right now.

That’s it for today.  Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Will I blog again?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.  Oh.  One more thing.  Feed yourself.  Feed the family.  Feed the homeless if you want.  But, always, ALWAYS, feed the wolf.

PICS:

I can’t wait to be a dog person again.  These cats need hobbies while Linds is gone.  Plus, just including this because it is a dog theme and these are their enemies.

I am writing a blog watching football, and my wife is in Croatia in one of the coolest spots…fancy.

And, in case you care about what I threw back in the pond, here you go…

white sox michael kopech out for season tommy john