Grapple with this Collusion of Optics

By The Fillerbuster

The Cast 010419

SETTING:

THEME:  None selected yet.  That will come with the writing.

ATMOSPHERE:  On couch on a Friday night watching Mavs-Celtics in background.

MOOD:  Feisty.  Tough day at work.  Feisty usually leads to better blogs.

EDITS:  I wrote too long to edit this thing.  Sorry.

EVERGREEN (topics that don’t fade away):

EAGLES:

This Eagles QB situation is one of the oddest situations I remember in the NFL.  You have a guy in Carson Wentz hurt who has already proven his worth and was on an MVP pace before getting hurt last year.  And, now he is hurt again.  You then have a previously thought of “journeyman” QB who summoned ridiculous magic last year for the playoff run and won the Super Bowl.  Now, Mr. Journeyman has led the Eagles into the playoffs and has the keys to the car for an unlikely playoff run.  The decision after this season is already hard enough.  But, can you imagine if Foles wins a game or two in the playoffs?  Even if he doesn’t, how do you discount a guy whose teammates are building him locker room shrines?  Other teams would love to have this problem and will benefit by whoever the Eagles DON’T choose.  Personally, I think most would agree that finding a long term QB in the draft is hard enough, so letting Wentz go when he has done nothing but succeed would be shooting themselves in the foot.  But, Foles brought the Eagles their first Super Bowl ever.  Foles does nothing but win.  Foles is older.  The decision is obvious, right?  It is not, and some team will get a solid starter regardless.  Good luck, fly, Eagles, fly.

REPEATS:

Some people are glad we aren’t getting a repeat Warriors-Cavs NBA Finals this year.  Some people are presently paying low dollar amounts for the College Football Playoff title game because they must either hate the venue, or hate another Clemson-Bama game.  Why?  Why are we so bitter at repeat title games?  Why do people want parity?  Why do some people look down on two teams at the top of their Sport, or at least their conference, at the same time?  Why do people get sad about watching the two best teams AGAIN?  The sport can’t help it that no other teams can step up.  The sport can’t be blamed for the Warriors drafting brilliantly?  The sport can’t help it that the league’s best player makes the Finals every year.  The sport can’t help it that two coaches recruit the best players year after year with the same rules as everyone else.  The sport can’t help it that even with QB controversies and freshman QB’s acting like seniors, the same two teams made it again.  The Cavs beat the Warriors after being down 3-1.  The Clemson-Bama matchups, overall, have been entertaining.  Stop complaining, people.  Stop not going, people.  Embrace repeats.  They might not be as flashy as the Celtics and Lakers of the 80’s, but we sure as heck weren’t complaining then, and you should not be complaining NOW.  Embrace, embrace, enjoy, enjoy.

BOWL GAME MEANINGS:

I don’t have the answer.  Nobody else does either.  But, someone come up with SOMETHING.  Players are sitting out for the draft.  The bowl games occur after players have already signed.  Fans don’t show up.  Big conference schools can only hurt themselves and the conference by losing or playing close to a smaller school in the games.  Big schools don’t even need the exposure.  My ideas, and I am just spitballing, are the following.

• Less is more: We have too many bowl games.  In 1988, only 38 schools made bowl games.  That meant something for those schools.
• Rewards: Give the school something more for their team winning whatever game they go to.
• Rewards: Give the conferences something more.
• Rewards: Put the schools that make it from each conference in a random selection to host their conference championship game the next year.
• Draft: Give players more draft/scout access if they play in the game to up their stock.
• Once again, many flaws above, but we have to do something about fans, players, and coaches not caring about bowl games. Some of them were downright painful to watch.

SPOILED FAN BASES:

Correct.  I am in one of these groups.  My urge to write this hook came after the Steelers missed the playoffs.  I was down.  I was depressed.  I was lost.  Then, I realized I was also spoiled.  Think of someone you know who is either a Yankees, Patriots, Warriors, or Penguins fan.  I picked different cities on purpose, but these people are somewhat spoiled.  There are no rebuilding years for these teams.  People are used to shifting their night and weekend schedules each year for playoff series or games.  It is part of their way of life.  Well, I am over my dysfunctional team not making the playoffs and will fully enjoy each and every NFL playoff game this year.  I am used to being in the mix.  Maybe you are too, reader.  The point is that every team doesn’t make it every year.  So, enjoy the time in the playoffs if you are, enjoy the teams that made it if you are not, and remember for every Yankees, Patriots, Warriors, or Penguins fan, there is an Orioles, Lions, Magic, and Arizona fan out there.

GROUPS OF PEOPLE:

Groups of random people compressed into one area really intrigue me in many ways.  In Austin, my wife and I did a “noon years” cruise on the river.  It was a large group of people on a tight boat with food, drink, and music.  These people were assigned to either eat a lot, drink a lot, dance a lot, mingle a lot, be by themselves and stare at the river, take pictures, be awkward, stay in the bathroom, pretend like they were having fun, actually have fun, and maybe know a few names of other passengers by the end of the seemingly short two hours.  Meanwhile, a DJ played music designed for people already two hours INTO the cruise.  Interesting to say the least.  When the boat leaves, everyone is finding their spot and their mood.  By the time the boat is pulling into the pier, everyone is complaining about the fun ending.  I always think of it from the employee perspective.  Think about it.  They see multiple cruises a hundred times a year.  They could make a list of the most boring ones, the most fun ones, the highest tipping ones, the weirdest ones, the ones with an injury, and the ones with someone falling out of the boat (or jumping-inside joke).  It is hard making random people do their thing in a timeframe.  The next time you are in a compressed area designed to have fun with a bunch of strangers in a limited amount of time, people watch more.  It is fun.  And remember, they are watching you too.

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

NFL:

• I assume Chris Boswell is using the playoff season to have a couple of beers with Rick Ankiel.
• Is Black Monday called such because teams can begin “shopping” coaches or just because it is bleak, dark, and depressing for the fired coaches?
• It looks like Keith Butler game planning for the ghost of Tyler Eifert worked, but just barely.
• I personally am happy that Baker Mayfield is still doing some lewd gestures in the NFL.
• Julian Edelman pulled a rare trifecta for unsportsmanlike calls in one game, and that is impressive for an undersized receiver.
• I look at the Jets roster and am not so sure Bowles was the problem.
• I find it amazing that the SO close Vikings gave up the QB who got them there, found their dream one in free agency, and then didn’t make the playoffs.
• I feel like DeSean Jackson and Jimmy Butler would get along well. They could be sounding boards for each other.
• It was weird not laying any bets on the final week of NFL games, but I am scared of messing with games with mixed motivations from teams.
• I assume that when the Bucs announced that they will bring back Jameis Winston that they hired him a tall, manly, burly personal driver.
• I have said this before, but as amazed I am with technology these days, I think ESPN Gamecast simply exists to make you find your DirecTV password and drain your phone battery. It is ridiculous in keeping up with a game, but the only means available.
• Considering the amazingly don’t need a QB with their three wins, I assume Quinnen Williams and Nick Bosa are using down time to look up things to do in Phoenix.
• I am spending my down time figuring out how Cincinnati sells anything about their team to possible coaches except “well, we kind of have a QB!”
• Local radio talking heads aren’t impressed with the Broncos interviews being conducted, and I think they would be simply happy about someone coming in and not saying they had good practices this past week.
• The only excitement each year about Steve Sarkisian is keeping track of whether he is getting fired from pro or college football.
• I feel like more and more situations are resembling the weird Kawhi Leonard saga, and I feel like the Antonio Brown situation is just a really loud, abrasive version of that with masks.
• With all of my talk in previous talks about my confusion over what The Masked Singer actually WAS, I am surprised I didn’t see the mask come off LIVE. How did I miss that?
• We had Ben happen and kept him. We had Bell happen and let him go.  We now have AB happening, and I say find a way, ANY way, to keep that guy.  We can’t keep doing this next man up crap with Ben’s limited time left.  AB is not in his WINDOW.  He is an incredible receiver and will remain that way.
• Concussions can put the league down. Trump can put the league down.    The NFL ratings were up from last year.
• Anyone who dislikes DeAndre Hopkins to ANY degree should Google what he just did for that 7 year old’s family.
• The Ravens will be dangerous in the playoffs. They are now a running team, both RB’s and QB’s.  In my opinion though, that is not sustainable and I would have more faith in Flacco.  But, that is me.  They might get a run with Lamar, but cry me a river when he doesn’t play 16 games next season due to injury.
• NFL predictions:
  • I love all of these people on the Colts bandwagon, and it is exciting, but did we forget suddenly that the Texans did what they did after starting 0-3? The Texans have a D, have a franchise QB, and are at home.  They win 23-20.
  • The Chargers have been awesome on the road this year, and why wouldn’t you when you really don’t have a good home field advantage? I think Rivers finds a way in one ugly game.  Chargers win 27-17.
  • I am buying into it just like I haven’t’ bought into the Bears all year long. Nick Foles does some magical stuff.  Eagles win 28-23.
  • The Cowboys are ecstatic to be in the playoffs. They are hosting a team that has won recently, and has a coach who won’t be unprepared.  The Seahawks take down the Cowboys 23-10.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

• Notre Dame made it interesting for a quarter before the clearly better team took over. Most thought this game would go this way outside of Domer Nation or whatever they call themselves, and it did.
• My notes on the OU-Bama game are below.
• Prediction for the title game? I think Dexter Lawrence and friends being absent didn’t hurt Clemson in the Notre Dame game, but will in the Bama game.  We also might finally see Trevor Lawrence look like a freshman against the Bama coaching and D.  I think it is interesting, but have Bama winning 31-20.
• I bet you Auburn was glad OU tightened up a little on Bama, or all the records they set against Purdue might go away before the end of the bowl season.
• Syracuse beat West Virginia and earned their tenth win. Nice season, as at Pittsburgh, Clemson, and Notre Dame are NOT bad losses at ALL.
• Mike Leach DID know the spread against Iowa State was THREE, right?
• Just when I expected to be let down in Virginia football hope in a bowl game, they not only beat an SEC team, but destroyed them. New Hope.  Like Star Wars.
• Well, at least Michigan proved it isn’t just Notre Dame and Ohio State that can beat them badly.
• I agree that Houston should have fired Applewhite. There was too much talent on that roster to underachieve that much, and badly in some of those games.
• I feel like Mark Richt didn’t even coach long enough to retire.
• I am kind of glad I was busy during that Oregon-MSU game. I hope you were too.  So does everyone who watched or was at or within any contact of that game.
• Pretty good season for Pittsburgh and a 14-13 loss to Stanford is not a bad ending.
• Northwestern beat a very solid Utah team in the bowl game and also had one fine season with a nice ending.
• NC State probably won’t be excited to play an SEC next year in any bowl game.
• That huge Midwest wind from last week originated in OK when Lincoln Riley said he wasn’t going anywhere (by that I mean they SIGHED all at the same time).
• I know you knew you might lose against LSU, UCF, but did you really have to finish .5 points outside of the spread?
• It is literally like Chris Petersen remembered he had money on the spread against Ohio State and I thank him for remembering that and giving the world one of the bad beats of the bowl games, but wish he would have remembered a little earlier for my heart’s sake. I was on the right side of that coin.
• I watched that Texas-Georgia game. In a game where we wondered the effort level of the Bulldogs after barely missing the playoff, they made it VERY clear that they planned on laying an egg.
• I guess everyone should have waited to bet on that game until AFTER Bevo announced their intentions by attacking their bulldog. Because that is pretty much how the game went.
• I think if you add in the Kentucky bowl game loss, Penn State had one of the most confusing seasons for any decent college football team outside of Houston.
• Really, really sad story that Tyler Trent passed away. What a story he was though…
• Lateral movement is defined as going from one school to a similar school in stature. I have not decided what moving from West Virginia to Houston means or is called yet.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL (OU-BAMA SPEED NOTES/JOURNAL):

• I went to an adorable OU watch party in a suburb of Austin. Small room hidden from all of the Texas fans in the city.
• Why did they defer the kickoff when they know and we know they have no defense?
• Cheese tots are delicious and definitely not low-fat.
• Goal line Bama fumble! Exciting!    Not as much.  Score.
• Three and out by OU.
• Another big call! Bama control catch in end zone!  Not so much.
• Riley goes for it on 4^th and 4! Exciting!  Wow!  Doesn’t get it.
• Kyler looks extremely nervous for some reason, even before the scores.
• Already stopping game notes and finishing my cheese tots.
• OU good drive! Score!  But it is still 28-7.
• Me talking wife into staying after halftime.
• Three and out by Bama. FG by OU.  28-10.
• Bama getting lots of penalties. OU still in game because of them.
• Saban throwing headset. Incredible and worth the price of admission.
• 31-10 halftime, and we will stay for first drive.
• Dave Matthews Band halftime…my college band. Yay.
• Long drive, off throws, penalties, FG by OU.
• OU is not pressuring or taking ANY chances.
• Long pass by OU. Wife runs through bar and dances with OU stranger!  Hope!
• Bama TD.   Wife back at seat.
• Fillerbuster still cares about game but can’t say why. He has a parlay going.  We leave.  OU scores late TD to BEAT THE SPREAD!  YAY!

NBA:

• Have you SEEN DeAndre Jordan’s new shooting routine at the free throw line?
• John Wall is out for the season. Given their season and past underachieving seasons, I would simply say “Tree.    Sound.”
• Steph Curry delivered the shoes to the girl for Christmas and she was probably ALMOST as excited as the viral video of the girl getting a Taco Bell gift card for Xmas.
• I loved reading the line “Iguadola hostile ball throw.”
• I feel like Jamal Murray could score zero or 40 plus in any given night.
• Do you REALIZE that Derrick Rose is being voted as a first teamer on the NBA All Stars presently, and Harden and Davis are not even on the starter list?
• Harden is just doing amazing things right now. Down twenty AT Golden State and they WIN, and this was AFTER he had four straight games with 40 points plus.
• Klay Thompson talking to his hand after a made three, welcoming it back, was epic.
• Joel Embiid had 30 and 14 the other night…in the first HALF.
• Kawhi’s career high is only 45? Seems odd.
• Spurs fans are polite stereotypically, but they outlandishly cheered Danny Green in his return and booed emphatically Kawhi, which made it very confusing in a video with both of them in it.
• I am still watching this Celtics game, and them cheering loudly for Dirk to make a shot in the fourth was worth my viewing experience alone. I LOVE Boston fans.  Aggressive?    Knowledgeable and classy in the oddest situations?  Yes.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL:

• And then there were four. Unbeatens, folks.  My guys, UVA, and then Michigan, Nevada, and Houston.
• The state of Pac-12 hoops is amazingly sad. First, UCLA fires Steve Alford.  Second, Bol Bol is out for the season before people even got to enjoy him.  Third, they just lose to really odd teams even before they lose to each other in conference play.
• Speaking of UCLA, I don’t need a whacko family jewel who went to UCLA for one season telling me and the media who should be the next UCLA coach. I would much rather hear Bill Walton tell me in an eternal loop.
• OU lost at Kansas, but MAN did they put up a fight and impress the heck out of me (I watched the game ending because I had them and the points).
• Nebraska lost at Maryland, but you better watch out wherever they are in your bracket. Nebraska is experienced and will hit stride right before March.
• Memphis took out Wichita State, and that place is going to be electric next year when they are a contender.

MLB:

• Machado and Harper are still planning their same team signings in my opinion.  They would be perfect for each other.  Both are a-holes…and very good.
• I feel like Tulo and the Yanks is a good marriage. I would have signed Tulo if I was someone and they always are in the hunt for sleepers that they can overpay for.

NHL:

• I used to call this thing “The Rant,” and maybe I should have the Dallas Stars CEO write a guest blog.
• I think the Winter Classic is one of the best ideas in sports and still sad that I was on the road this year and missed it.
• Sid the Kid signing a stick for the best heckler he had heard in a while was awesome.

MISCELLANEOUS:

• We have an American signed for $73 million in the world sport.  Can’t wait to blow it in the World Cup in a couple of years.
• We all know Lindsey Vonn is the most famous women’s skier. Shiffrin is actually the winningest now…at least in her event.
• We had Rousey. We lost Rousey.  We had Cyborg.  We lost Cyborg.  If there is any sport that needs another dynasty or unstoppable force, it is women’s MMA.
• Larry Brown parted ways with his Italian team, meaning he will rebuild some other random college or pro team next. He will be rebuilding teams in his grave.
• Jon Jones wins, after they relocated the event for him, and talked smack to Cormier? Just be glad you are allowed to do anything, man.
• Mayweather won against a dude we have never heard of in an event no one watched with training no one saw.
• Baylor not only beat UCONN for their first loss in the regular season since 2014, but it was relatively decisive.

THIS AND THAT (pop culture, Fillerbuster thoughts in speed/one sentence or so style):

• I wanted to hear more street stories when the NYC transformer lit the city up.
• I still feel like we are all on some reality show with this border wall/Trump thing.
• Austin was fun, and next is Miami for work for a brief trip.
• My brother passed along THIS fun song and you should take a listen.   Catchy.  Fun.  Edgy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVAxr__SF3g
• I just spent a lot of money on my car heater and some other fixings. But, it was different spending that money after the torture of owning my money sucking Jeep…sort of like paying a mortgage this time with the 4Runner, or rent with my Jeep.
• Hedging is common in betting parlays, but because I made a napkin pact to never ever bet against the Sooners, I couldn’t’ hedge (luckily I won).
• I am already tired of the “just ok” ATT commercials.
• The new True Detective looks good, and if you haven’t watched the original first season, then stop reading this and go watch that instead.
• I have decided that Mountain time is definitely the best for all of sports viewing.
• I feel like with the movie studios running out of ideas, we should have expected Escape Room much earlier and surprised it took them this long.
• Josh Norman says he wants one ring and will be done, and aside from the fact that we all could use a break from him, glad to know one is enough and his goals are limited.
• I am hereby moving forward adopting in my normal day to day language Josh Blue’s “remember from earlier” and “hahahahaha” bits.
• As a 13 year bartender, I am sad to see some of the contraptions they have these days, especially the one push fruit slicer.
• I went to the 25^th Anniversary Woodstock, so of course I am tossing around the idea of heading up there again in April.
• Full strength beer is now a go in grocery stores in Colorado, meaning high people desperate for a 6 pack can now pee less.
• Is there a limit to how far away a Lyft or Uber driver can be? I had to accept one that was 17 minutes away the other morning.
• Luckily, the Lyft driver had massage chairs built into his car and old school video games on the back of the seats.
• I felt bad for the toddler and the rhino, but the toddler went INTO the rhino cage…everyone go watch Jurassic Park and stay away from large animals.
• I find it awesome that my mom is sending me competitor photos from cruise ships. Absolutely AWESOME.
• I am still scared of automated home systems controlling everything, and choose to just watch Terminator and fight off the urges of ease.
• I will be entering a fantasy football playoff pool, and that works, because my draining interest during the season won’t effect the outcome as I just have to pick once and focus for 20 minutes.
• For those who follow me or my wife on Facebook, her story on my signing in Austin is a little different than me just jumping up on stage. There was a band.  He asked the audience for help in singing a song.  No one went up.  I therefore volunteered.  I didn’t force the issue, but definitely am NOT going to turn down singing on a stage unjudged.
• Anyone want to start a rock band with me? Let’s start a shitty rock band that plays 80’s and 90’s music.  Call me.
• My wife is hooked on Outlander, and damn if that show is just dumb enough for me not to change my schedule, but just interesting enough to make me look up from my PC…so I kind of know what is going on against my will.
• I went to a grocery store for the first time in my life and they were out of ALL sizes of regular Cheerios. How is that possible?
• For all of you people about to start working out after the holidays, don’t.   Just lay on your couch.  We love you there.
• A girl got flagged for possible cheating for having a significant raise in her SAT score. She just dreams of going to Florida State.  Just let her roll with that.
• The words that are supposedly being banished in some annual release: optics, collusion, grapple, ghosting, and many others.  I LIKE those words.  Link below.
• https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/us/2019-banished-words-trnd/index.html
• I wish out POTUS could just be banished.
• I have learned to do TAGS on my site finally. Look out.  More people might not LIKE my writing, but they will read it once.
• My wife won a pool where she guessed a baby’s “length.” Baby’s are measured in length and not height?  I didn’t know that.
• I suddenly seem to like rock singers doing duets with chicks. Two examples with Threering and Bad Wolves.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKUnt7JMUG8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M38aWHxwtXE
• Why do songs need to be “released?”
• Does iTunes have a true rival or is it kind of a monopoly?
• Los Angeles residents can now download an earthquake app that will give them a few seconds to run to the basement.
• Lindsey and I learned on our Austin trip at a photobooth that making an interesting GIF is tougher than you might think.
• How do you pronounce Bruschetta? I heard a “k” sound this week.
• I hid the little plug-in piece of my wireless mouse one night in a top secret spot that I can’t locate.
• I am golfing tomorrow, and that is why Denver weather is great. Snow earlier this week, 60 today and tomorrow.
• I got stuck watching the last 40 minutes of Karate Kid this week for the 1,349^th time in my life.
• I turned down a karaoke get together to write this ironically.
• The new long Google commercial is amazing.
• I didn’t put together that the sheriff in Dr. Pepper commercials was the Boz.

MY AUSTIN NOTES:

• Do NOT select the very cheap version for United flights.
• They have a Chick Fil’a in the B Terminal at DIA now, and the line was long enough that I hid my love of that place and got food elsewhere.
• It might have been there for a while. I don’t fly United very often.
• I had nonfat yogurt at TCBY and I had Seinfeld flashbacks the entire time.
• Checking bags sucks.
• The Hyatt House was nice in Austin, but most deficiencies in any room are overcome when I see a walk-in shower.
• Seriously though, it was nice and walking distance to all of the action.
• Austin is dirtier than I expected and has more homeless people than I thought they would, although the homeless people somehow are kept away from the state capitol, unlike in Denver.
• Franklin’s is the place you are supposed to go, but we did a bunch of research and lines were said to be up to five hours.
• People waited five hours and wrote about it.
• Go for the second ranked one. Terry Black’s.  We waited 30 minutes and I can’t imagine ever having that good of BBQ ever again.
• There are more scooters than people I think in Austin. It is obviously a hub or the original city or something.
• Austin fluctuates in weather like Denver evidently, as we had everything from 35 to 62 while there for three days. Check the forecast when packing.
• Stash IPA, a local brew, was my favorite IPA. Hopadillo was a fun one also.
• They had an Aussie Bar that made non-Aussie people park on the street.
• There were more foreigners than I expected, but I guess visiting Texas when in the States is expected. Just surprised me.
• The capitol building was impressive, but just another capitol building to me. Plan to go there, but don’t plan a whole afternoon for it.
• We did Doc’s Motoworks for the OU watch party, and don’t put that in your plans.
• It was cold enough that I noticed I had three teams represented in my outfit: OU, UVA, and Steelers.
• There is dirty 6^th and west 6^th. Dirty 6^th is like Bourbon Street at night, and West 6^th is where you go for casual bars.
• I felt like people at Jackalope were waiting for me to eat my pizza and leave (they were all very much younger).
• We went to the dueling piano bar across the street and it was awesome.
• There is a bar every ten feet on dirty 6^th, and we checked out a saloon which was fun also. Guy had a voice that should have been ON The Voice.
• We went to a cool speakeasy, and we kind of stood out there for a different reason…but we don’t care.
• The Moonshine Grill might indicate only drinking, but it had literally the best brunch I have had since the Sterling Brunch in Vegas.   MUST go to.  It was magical.
• Or you can try Bangers for brunch (the #1 one), but that wait was too long.
• Rainey Street is a must do experience. It is a short road of houses with bars and clubs in it.  We spent NYE there also.  I recommend Lucille’s and Clive.
• We also listened to blue grass music at some Indian place on Rainey.
• If you care, The Shiner Saloon is where Steelers watch games in Austin. Cool place with downstairs, upstairs, and games.
• Regees was a fun arcade bar kind of like 2-Up on dirty 6^th.
• We did various other places on dirty 6^th
• The Bat Bar is where I sang Simple Man and was cool with live music.
• There was as much live music during the night as I expected for the town, but during the day not NEAR as much as I expected. Dirty 6^th was a ghost town in the morning and afternoon.  Nothing like wandering around Nashville at the same time.
• We did the cruise for two hours on NYE day. Fun time and great visuals of the city.
• West 6^th has a sports bar called Bufords that is massive and looks amazing to watch a sporting event.
• The Grove on west 6^th had bad service, but was an AMAZING meal for dinner. Highly recommend, and ground floor of a hotel.
• We went to the park near Stevie Ray Vaughn’s statue, but had to go to the bridge to see the fireworks, so I never saw Stevie.
• The fireworks were very Texas. They were nonstop, amazing, large, right in front of the beautiful skyline, and mind blowing in force.
• There was a silent disco at Bunglalow’s on Rainey and I LOVE silent discos these days.
• Hoboken Pizza near the hotel had OK pizza, and has about 50 people as train wrecks if you go and get you and your wife pizza at 145am. I put my wallet in my front pocket.
• We did brunch at Irene’s on New Years Day, and it was awesome. But, know that is it very popular, and fight for a bar seat in the back area as you won’t stand a chance in the front.
• There is a floppy disk repair shop in Austin if you need one.
• Not sure of the connection, but Winter Park, CO is advertised ALL over the place in Austin.
• Overall, I loved the town, and I would go back and would better enjoy strategically.  I would go back for the Moonshine Grill’s brunch alone to be honest.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK:

THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK:

 (got a new one…maybe a new favorite workout band)

One more from Veer Union:

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Runnin’ this shit with both legs broke…”

Creed II ASAP Rocky

“Bad day…f-it”

Stephen Baldwin (Usual Suspects)

 

LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25626559/10-things-like-including-luka-lebron-dimes-nba

https://deadspin.com/please-stop-using-baseball-to-describe-football-1831365410

https://deadspin.com/steelers-coordinator-says-his-defense-will-have-a-prob-1831362806

https://deadspin.com/the-cotton-bowl-pregame-eagle-went-rogue-all-over-jerry-1831380667

https://deadspin.com/everything-that-should-die-in-2019-1831390722

https://deadspin.com/high-school-basketball-team-caught-swapping-out-triplet-1831465625

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25679396/10-things-like-including-james-harden-kobe-jordan-territory-nba

BY THE NUMBERS:

362

201

2

1002

48

1:21 

THIS WEEK’S LIST:

I didn’t think of anything off hand, so let’s do my worst songs ever, all time:

1. Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey (too many times hearing it as a bartender during karaoke)
2. Hotel California by The Eagles (basically the same reason)
3. Love Shack by the B-52’s (because it is horrible)
4. Zombie by the Cranberries (I like the Bad Wolves version, the original is the devil)
5. 1,2,3 by Gloria Estefan (everything by her should be on this list)
6. The Sign by Ace of Base (I don’t understand the masses at all)

THE RIDDLE:

No riddle answers for last time as I ducked out on giving one.

This week I was randomly thinking about movie sequels.  Therefore, let’s do this.

$20 Venmo/Paypal goes to winner:

Pick the number of the movie that I think was the best of each movie series.  I will tell you my answers and why next time, so I won’t fudge the number.  I am pretty solid on these.  Add the digits and give me a number.  Just the sum.  Don’t re-add the digits or anything.

• Star Wars (Episode Number)
• Diehard
• Bourne
• Indiana Jones
• Lethal Weapon
• Rocky (two parter and do not include Creed in your selection)
  • What is the best one quality-wise in my opinion?
  • But, what is MY favorite one when all is said and done?
• Nightmare on Elm Street (got to make it a little tougher since I am giving out money)

Some notable fun ones I left out that would make the question too hard:

• Superman (mixed trilogies)
• Batman (mixed trilogies)
• James Bond (by year-too hard)
• Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (because I have no clue)
• American Pie (All were humorous, I think we all would pick the first one)
• Friday the 13th (I can’t double you up on bad horror movies)
• Saw (The first one rocked, then my enthusiasm dropped off, so I have no idea)
• Matrix (they all just got worse)

ON THE CUSP BLOG CATEGORY IDEAS:

• Things I miss about glam rock from the 80’s
• Odd things and normal things

CLOSING:

The theme?  Banished words, folks.  Read the whole blog.  Like Prego’s old school phrase, it’s in there…

That’s it for today.  Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Remember two things.  First, feed yourself, feed your family, but always, always remember to…feed the wolf.  Second,  if you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.  Will I blog again?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.

PICS:

Here is Dirty 6th at night:

This is the guy I sang Simple Man with at Bat Bar, who played the acoustic guitar like Van Halen (Lindsey’s FB has the video):

Lindsey on the cruise, where the theme was GOLD:

Still the cruise:

Lindsey has beaten me twice at pool in our relationship (besides scratches and such) and this would be that day:

The fireworks were off the hook:

The silent disco on Rainey Street:

A “house” on Rainey Street:

The state capitol:

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

THROW IT BACK

rondo to have surgery out a month

nba sends anti-tampering messages to teams

bills kyle williams to retire

cormier relinquishes title

Bridgewater tosses 1st td in 3 years

Wiggins fans boos

koetter fired by bucs

prater throws first td

M’s kikuchi

james said warriors f’d up after game 6 in 2016