The Opposite

The Cast

Date: 10/19/2019

FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN

BACKGROUND:  This started as a long-winded numbered blog.  It transformed into an organized long-winded category blog.  Now, it is a quick-hitter to ease your pain.  I lack time.  So, the preparation of the blog actually made me procrastinate from writing the thing.  Let’s see who makes the cut.  Barely edited as usual unfortunately, so please excuse any mistakes during my stream of consciousness.  I feel the need…the need for speed.  Let’s turn and burn.

SETTING:  This is written during OU game on Saturday morning.  I just wrote about “cadence” two blogs ago, and what do I do?  Take too much time in between blogs and have too much to say.  So, this will be compressed.  I have 90 minutes, door to door, to write this.  Theme came after writing, so I guess instead of writing a book, I did the opposite.  Let’s do this.

(very much unedited this week-sorry)

1. EVERGREEN: I have been to Avs games in their glory days, Joe Louis Arena during a Final Four trip, and now a Vegas Golden Knights home game, as of my work trip to LV last week.  It was AMAZING.  We caught the beginning, so we could see all of the prelim stuff for the game, and the energy was storybook.  Man, those fans do it right.  Weeknight game, and the place was packed.  Everything from the energy of the fans sitting around you to them yelling out “Knights” during the appropriate lyrics in the national anthem was so spot on.  They lost the game against a very high quality and title contender in Nashville, but the experience is one I won’t forget anytime soon.  If you are in Las Vegas, there is an overload of things to do, as we know.  Says here my two go to things are the Absinthe show and a Vegas Knights game.
2. EVERGREEN 2: As I sit here and watch the OU-WVU game, I pinch myself on the possible story that is being told this football season.  I won’t look up his stats, but the ballpark figures are Jalen Hurts as a starter are two losses total, saving the Bama season when having to come in late in the game during a key game, national champion, and now a Heisman front runner at OU.  He works out after games.  He talks intelligently and thoughtfully about his chip on his shoulder.  He has a resume that literally is one single bad half of football in his career.  And he is now on a collision course for whichever sad team gets in his way for the rest of the Big 12 season and then the college football playoff.  Nick Saban made a masterful stroke by replacing Hurts in the championship game years ago.  And, he still has a Heisman and possible #1 draft pick in Tua.  But, man, is there a pissed off guy wanting to take the Crimson Tide down in 2019…or 2020 should it be in the title game.  Whether you married into a Sooner family like I did, or just like college football stories, it is very hard to NOT root for the guy.  You go, Jalen.  Keep doing exactly what you are doing and saying exactly what you are saying.
3. NFL (in compressed, one sentence fluid style): With QB’s going down right and left, WHY doesn’t Colin Kaepernick at least get a call or have a workout?  Props to Baker Mayfield last week, who busted out the humble line “But that’s the one time a camera and something recording me has gone in my favor.”  You are allowed to challenge non-calls for pass interference this season, but yet challenges thus far are 1 for 21. The Skins kept up their excitement again this week, announcing that Keenum will start.  There are weird rumors about Mike Tomlin being brought on by the Skins, but says here I will streak the block if Tomlin goes anywhere in the next five years…he loves Pittsburgh.  Lamar Jackson rushed for 100 yards in the first half last week, and that is really cool and record breaking, but at some point someone is going to hit him in an unfortunate way and he will be lost to injury.  It said here, if you recall, that I smelled an upset in the water with the Jets against the favored Cowboys, and that proved to be correct.  And, I also had the Cardinals and Steelers winning, and a parlay to boot, and if the Rams would have just simply won at home, it would have been a stellar bet.  The Chargers have such a subpar home field advantage that someone didn’t research that the song Renegade, played in the second half of the Steelers game, is a cult Steelers SONG.  I didn’t see the Broncos-Chiefs game as I was in the air Thursday night, but it looked painful all across the stat sheet.  Glad the Mahomes prognosis is best case, as not only would Chiefs fans be sad, but football fans overall.  Jalen Ramsey got traded to the Rams, so now we have another player who tells the media he doesn’t like his team, wants to get traded, and now is on a Super Bowl contender…ugghhh. 
4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL (in compressed, one sentence style):  I think we might be seeing Texas-OU play again this year, so don’t be mad if you missed the Red River game.  If you haven’t watched LSU play the spread, and don’t understand how tough it is to make that drastic change (personnel) from your historically pro style offense, you need to check out a game…they are really good. Houston coach Dana Holgorsen has players sitting out mysteriously after making a very lateral move from West Virginia, and now is oddly being accused of tanking…in college football. BYU started its first black QB last week, and that, folks, is historically awesome to finally have that day.  UVA’s last drive last week was horrific to watch, and my optimism of them winning the weak division they are in is now put away for another football year.  No one thought that South Carolina would beat Georgia, and that is why college football is the best.  It is not as crazy that Wisconsin is so good, but very crazy that their starting QB transferred before this year FROM that great team, and isn’t starting where he transferred to.  Finally, this has to be the last season for Lee Corso on GameDay, right?  Dude sounds as confused as Lou Holtz did his last few years on TV.  I am heavier on Oregon today at Washington, so…go Oregon.  And as I am watching this game, the Boomer Sooner wagon just fell and it was scary.  And it jacked up the field.
5. COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Michigan might not be the most lovable school to root for in college sports.  We all have our Michigan fans that we have met that make us almost root against them for no reason.  Probably not as bad as Ohio State, but that is neither here nor there.  Anyway, they have a new basketball coach.  Juwan Howard was part of the famed Fab Five, and is now leading those kids.  This week, he scored his first five start recruit.  I was happy for him and the program.  He has his first part of the foundation of the house he is building, and I wish him luck on snagging some more.
6. NHL: Ever hear of the Taylor Swift curse?  Probably not.  The LA Kings haven’t done anything since they gave her a banner in their arena.  They have started covering this banner during home games.  Before you say “You need to calm down,” just know their “style” is such that they should just “shake it off” and maybe take down the banner and leave a “blank space” in its place.  Also, I said the Avs will win the Cup this year, even though I am just the unbiased Flyers fan living in Denver.  The Avs are 6-0-1 at press time.
7. MLB (in compressed, one sentence fluid style): The Dodgers are out, and although I am not sad about their exit, I am sad that A) the National League lost its one big time contender against the AL to guarantee a great World Series and B) the final Clayton Kershaw playoff memory hopefully will not be THAT memory.  The National League had one team that won 100 games, and the American League had THREE, and now the National League has no teams left with 100 wins.  My Phils fired Gabe Kapler, and his tenure will be more about him with his shirt off showing off abs then putting together and integrating the above average talent he had on that team.  The Astros are about to eliminate the Yankees, and there is no more complete team, with young and old talent, than them in recent memory.  The Cardinals are always known for postseason magic, but a 33 pitch inning will not evoke any magic in any baseball game anywhere.  It is indeed Bryceless that Bryce Harper says he is not jealous of the Nationals, and either he is lying, or maybe he really doesn’t care about anything but money and stats.  Finally, Adam Eaton said his big hit was because of channeling George Costanza’s The Opposite approach, and that couldn’t have made my week any better. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27834957/washington-nationals-adam-eaton-says-seinfeld-key-big-hit
8. MISCELLANEOUS:  Three quick things.  Simone Biles won her 5^th world title by 2.1 overall, which is a lot in gymnastics against the best competition in the world.  Second, Landry Jones is now with the XFL, and being coached by his college coach (if you lost track of where this guy was at), Bob Stoops.  Finally, remember when Cardale Jones was the third string QB for Ohio State and led them to glory?  Well, he is also in the XFL as of this week.
9. THIS AND THAT (always in fluid style): Denver had a 64 degree drop in one day.  Carlsberg Beer is making bottles made of paper, but not sure how you get a rush crushing or breaking them.  They are making a new Bourne movie, and it may or may not have ties into the new show I am about to start watching, and it may or may not have Damon and/ or Renner in it.  USA Today ranked the best Shark Tank deals of all time, and although Daymond had the top one, Lori had NINE of the top 20.  Saints fans can now say the POPE likes them.  I watched the beginning of John Wick 3 on a flight, and now need to see the rest.  Not only is it still about the dog, but Taylor from Billions makes an appearance, which I didn’t know before.  I rode in a driverless Lyft in Vegas, and just know it is not what it seems.  Until they work out all the kinks, there was not one but TWO people in the car, making sure it didn’t do anything funky.  The SNL with Hopper from Stranger Things was enjoyable.  I find it amazing what people have the time to write on NextDoor.  And, I went and watched Joker last night.  I am on a speed write, but will summarize as follows.  I didn’t hate the movie, but won’t be seeing it again either.  I expected a dark movie throughout and got one for about 2/3 of the movie.  Then, I feel like the writers sold out to cheese and comic book stuff.  And Ledger probably still can say he was the best Joker.  The beginning was fantastic though.  I was sad to see it go the easy way out for the resolution.
10. THE FILLERBUSTER: This will be very much shortened, thankfully for you.  We went and saw an illusionist a week and a half ago, and it was amazing.  I preferred the guy in the smaller setting as he was last time, but it was still mindblowing.  Ivan Amodei is the guy’s name.  He throws such impossible choice related (by crowd) randomness, that you HAVE to buy in.  Highly recommend.  We went to Bird because it was in our Passbook.  Don’t recommend.  Save your money for Max’s Wine Dive (better chicken).  We went to Dallas for the big game last week, and it was one of our favorite sporting days together ever.  The town oozes the rivalry, and the game and fair and everything else is just off the hook.  We seem to keep going to Texas during cold fronts, as Austin was frigid for us on NYE also.  Go to Post Oak on Tennyson for great BBQ.  Solid place, decent prices, friendly staff.  I have started putting BBQ sauce in mac and cheese and it is magical.  As far as Dallas, I am not retyping this all out.  Here was my list:

1. 11.  PICS BY MY PIXEL (pictures from my phone):

From Dallas at the OU-Texas game:

ALTERNATE CATEGORIES

• THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK (because the best song this week IS the best song ever…for now):
• QUOTE OF THE WEEK
• LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE
• TRAVEL
• THIS WEEK’S LIST
• MY NUMBERS
• GONE FISHING (the riddle for money):
• LIFEGUARD ENTRY:
• NBA
• TWEET OF THE WEEK

The theme?  I lacked ideas for some reason.  Dallas was a week ago.  Vegas was just a work trip.  Joker wasn’t good enough to prop it.  So, we go with the ringer when mentioned.  Seinfeld.  I had other theme ideas, but did the opposite.  For you weirdos who don’t know the reference.  Thanks, Adam Eaton.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y_6fZGSOQI

And our weekly reminder of the greatest sequel ever made coming out next summer… Top Gun 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSqVVswa420

I head to Montreal for work on Tuesday, and then have our work conference in Denver late in week. Talk to you after most likely, unless I get some time on the brutal one stop flights I have to Montreal and back.

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.  As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let’s get the flock out of here.

Zion injured

Kamara injury

Harper not jealous about nats, makes sense

Yanks fans ejected taunting greinke

Buddy hield doesn’t feel wanted