My New Sports Crush

With all the news on tv lately about the success of the US Women's National Team at the 2015 FIFA World Cup, I suppose it was only inevitable that my old sport's crush, Olympic Ice Dancing gold medalist Meryl Davis, would be supplanted by someone off that roster. And so it has happened.

Meet my new, new sport's crush:

Oh, Christen Press. Why have I not known about you until now?

Perhaps it's because I barely watch men's soccer, let alone women's? Except at the Olmpics, or at the FIFA World Cup, that is. And so I suppose this makes sense, then. But I only started watching this particular cup last week when the American women's team went up against China. Being that China is my second country (adopted), I was more than a little invested in this match-up. I still wanted the USA to win, of course. And win they did! But it was during that game that I learned a little about Ms. Press:






At first I tried to ignore 26 yr old, 5ft 7in, Ms. Christen Annemarie Press, one of the national team's skilled Forwards. Just another sweaty face on the team, I thought. But when they started airing interviews of her off the grass and before the game, that's when I noticed two things:

1) Just how striking she looked (longish, angular face; thin athletic build; cute mouth and wondrous smile; and -- omg, those green eyes! *swoons*); and also

2) How personable and humble she seemed.

I don't know about you, but something about that combo just gets me EVERY TIME! More so the down-to-earthness of a gal. I hate arrogant, snobbish people. And in athletics, that's pretty much anyone good enough to play on the national or world level.

But not Christen Press. Something about her is just so endearing. She captivates me! And as if to hammer the message home even more, just this past weekend I saw one of her Coppertone commercials air for the very first time. Must be due to all the hype about the World Cup. Here it is:





There? Do you see what I'm talking about? Full on CRUSH!!!

How can you even question it? Does she not just melt you all the way through to the core? Well, maybe not -- if you're not me. But still! :)

Anyway, I'll be sure to watch more women's soccer now. I'm especially excited our national team is in the semifinals and going up against Germany tonight, of all teams. It's *always* Germany, isn't it? And in the meantime, as I am wont to do, I'll leave you with more Christen Press:


CHRISTEN PRESS

Oh, and ...  ... GO USA!!!

And just for good measure, here is one last video - an interview with Christen and her World Cup teammate, Kelley O'Hara. I love this clip so much!

Living Single

This is just one of those general how-am-I-doing and current events updates rolled into one.


Love Is In The Air:

So, Valentine's Day came and went this past Friday, and the amount of F's I gave remained at an all time high of: zero. That's right, zero F's. I actually went to see the new rebooted Robocop in theaters after work. Oh, young naive me. I remember remarking to a friend earlier that day that V-Day is the perfect time to go to the movies. What with all the young couples feeling all romantic-y and googly-eyed for each other, the theater should be quite empty, right? I mean, not only is Valentine's Day when you should be out at some candle lit dinner gazing into each others' eyes, but it's a Friday to boot! I would have thought you couldn't find an empty seat at a New York City restaurant on such a night.

Bzzzz! Wrong!

"Sometimes I Dream . . ."

". . . That he is me. You've got to see that's how I dream to be!"

So, this past Sunday was Michael Jordan's 50th birthday. Whoa! What a legendary milestone for such a legendary athlete. You know, I consider myself eternally fortunate to have grown up in the "Jordan era" of American basketball. Although my hometown was always trying to play up Patrick Ewing and his revolving band of losers on the NY Knicks, for me my allegiance always resided farther out west. Yes, my heart belonged to Chicago and the Bulls during the better part of the 90s. How could it not?

So, nothing fancy this blog entry. No wordy, lengthy diatribe. His Airness is His Airness. Nothing more needs to be said by I. He is: A Champion. A Legend. An Inspiration.

However, I will leave you with two videos to commemorate this august anniversary of the Magnificent One. They're both commercials, but both are equally awesome and appropriately demonstrative of why, for a while there back in the 90s, everyone wanted to walk around with a "23" on their backs. Hell, I still do to this day!


Gatorade's 1991 "Be Like Mike" Commercial.



This is probably MJ's most famous commercial. Even 80 year old grandmas hum along to this tune and want to "be like Mike." It's so inspirational for what is essentially a sports water ad. I especially get teary-eyed at all the adorable little kiddies in this spot trying to imitate the Legend. To know that you've inspired so much of the younger generation to strive to be the best, to go for that seemingly impossible goal against seemingly impossible odds? How do you respond to something like that? Well, when you're Michael Jordan, you do it with class, grace, and not an insignificant amount of humor.


Nike's 2006 "Let Your Game Speak" XXI sneaker commercial.



I always gets goosebumps watching this. Don't you? The spot showcases everyday players from around the globe, young and older, recreating in slow motion some of MJ's most iconic moments on the basketball court. Simply amazing! Like its title, this commercial speaks for itself. No words are necessary. Just music and awesome moves. And if you want to see the original Jordan moves that the commercial was based around, simply click on this link for the video.

Happy Birthday, MJ. As David Stern put it in one of his many MVP trophy presentations to you: "You are, simply, the standard by which basketball excellence is measured."

Damn straight!

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days . . .

Well folks, it's that time of year again. When the sun sets that much earlier than it did back in June, and the temps are not quite as baking hot and unforgiving as mid-July. Yes, I'm talking about the close of my most hated season of them all--Summer! Haha, it's finally here!

Now, officially Summer doesn't end until September 22 this year--incidentally, my wife's birthday. But here in the States the unofficial end to summer is Labor Day, which is coming up this Monday, Sept. 3rd. And how do I plan to celebrate the close of the season? Well, with a small cookout of burgers and dogs at home. We don't have a back yard or anything, but we do have a George Foreman grill and a lot of imagination. And, hey, that does count for something, you know?

Actually, my animosity toward the season hasn't always been the case. It only really started once I graduated college. Before then, summers were great! Summertime was the bestest time, because it was the time of no school. Hooray! Remember that feeling? I don't care how good of a student you were, the minute that final bell of the school year rang, you WERE excited! Don't try to deny it. Summer was a time of idyllic days playing with your friends, and eating lots and lots of ice cream. Your family went on exciting trips, and you might have even visited a big amusement park or two along the way.

To be honest, I miss that. I miss it a lot. I was just walking through the little park across the street from the house I grew up in the other day, reminiscing of how I used to play baseball there with my brother and our friends during middle school summers. Even in the South Bronx, as dangerous a town as it was to grow up in, we still had a place to run around and be kids. For the most part the adults ignored us and the other kids in the neighborhood were either locked up or too busy getting in trouble elsewhere. So that park was OUR little spot. We owned it, insomuch as a bunch of 12- and 13-year old know-nothings could own anything, let alone a piece of public property. But what did we care about such things? We would meet there by the big ole Elm tree which served as home plate and backstop. My brother and I owned the bats and gloves, another friend the balls. Someone would inevitably bring a brown paper bag or an old baseball cap to serve as third base, while a natural flagstone served as first (a half-buried rusted pipe delineated our second). The pitcher's "mound" was a worn patch of earth where nothing natural grew, and we had to imagine the baselines in our heads. Yet to us kids this might as well have been our private Yankee Stadium! We would play from dawn to dusk--and I mean that literally! Sometimes, even, we would play when the sun was almost down and we could barely see the ball leave the pitcher's hand. We never let such small things as "facts" and "physics" worry us, though. We certainly never stopped for rain or thunder or 100+ degree heatwaves, neither.

Summers were like this, except: less butterflies, more tetanus shots.

I swear, many an epic battle was waged on that makeshift baseball field those summers! We would arrive home dirty and exhausted, ravenous like West Virginian coal miners after a long day of back-breaking labor. It made us robust, hearty--strong in that way of young men just growing into the semblance of their adult bodies. We were champions!

In-between baseball matches we would also go swimming at the nearby public pool, watch movies at the newly opened cineplex a few blocks further away, and play lots and lots of video games. Those were the best days to be so young and carefree!

Yes, walking through that park the other day reminded me of all this. I remembered what it was like to once love the season I so despise now. Nowadays, summers mean unbearable heat and long, unforgiving days at the office. It means daily runs that are that much more taxing on my body than they are in the winter, or meals that are made more quickly and with less effort than I would otherwise be willing to expend in a cooler kitchen. Summers are devoid of any exciting holidays, too. The months are long and monotonous, broken up only by the brief excitement of a quick vacation if we can afford it. Otherwise, it's three months of nothingness. Ninety-odd days of life-sapping commutes in foul, sweat-smelling subway cars back and forth to offices filled with people who are likewise missing those carefree summer days of childhood.

Is it no wonder I hate Summer so much? Good riddance, I say! I welcome Labor Day and the restart of the school season with open arms. My younger self would not recognize this new me, of course; this older me. But this older me loves the coming of Autumn and its cool, crisp days ahead. Days of apple picking and baked fruit pies. Of rustling multi-hued leaves and Halloween. Ahhhhh! I can smell the roasting pumpkin seeds already! Can you?

Here's to you, Summer time. May you be on your way and not show yourself 'round these parts for another nine months. I certainly won't miss you.

Sound off below in the comments section if you, too, are happy to be putting away your white pants and shorts for more somber hued clothing this weekend. Or if summer is actually your thing, let us know why you are so sad to see it going bye-bye. I would imagine those of you living in less urban and people-choked locations of the world than here in New York City would mourn the changing of the season more than most. Heck, if I lived in Vermont like I would love to again some day, I'd probably be singing a different tune myself.

Hello, Hello!

Just a quick note to let you know that, yes, I'm very much alive--and that reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Heh, heh.

Sorry, couldn't resist paraphrasing Mark Twain there.

We flew out to Las Vegas over the weekend to attend my little brother's wedding. It was originally planned for Houston, which I was actually looking forward to visiting for the first time. But then it got changed at the last minute to that little gem of debauchery in the middle of the Nevada desert. Vegas is a great town, despite the way people seem to always put it down. But at the same time, it's a little alarming how easily folks discard their morals and personal regard while in Sin City. It's true that pretty much anything goes there, and that whatever it is must truly stay there. Because, honestly, no one would ever believe you back home if you told them the things you did or saw there.

I've been away from the blog world for quite some time. Can't really say why. I think the whole blogging idea is wearing itself thin. At least for me. Plus, I have a lot on my plate these days. Nothing worth talking about here, though.

Anyway, this was meant to be quick and I meant it. So, it's good to be back home and I'm looking forward to this hated season coming to a close and my favorite (Fall) starting up again.

On one last note, I would like to say I've been greatly enjoying the Summer Olympics coverage these past couple of weeks. As always, USA represented itself extremely well on this world stage. You know, for how much other countries rib us for being so fat, we sure do win an awful lot of medals at major international sporting events, no? And against much bigger countries with far rigorous training programs to pump out machine-like athletes. Hmmmm . . . gee, I wonder to whom I could possibly be referring. Do you know?

Pictorial Of A Miracle Win

Wow, it's absolutely bananas here in New York City the day after that momentous win at Super Bowl XLVI!!!

You know, I feel bad for non-sports fans because it's like the whole damn media won't shut the hell up! I'm thrilled as all get-out that my Giants won, though, so it's hard for me to complain too loudly. But, yeah, I can see how this might be annoying to some. Were I a Pats fan, I would just refrain from watching tv or listening to the radio for the next week. It's better this way.

Anyway, the game for me was extremely good up until halftime. Then I started getting this sick feeling. I just felt . . . it was over for us! And that 3rd quarter was no help. I felt like I was on the worst roller-coaster ride of all time. Emotions all over the place!

For me, this game was more down to the wire than even 2008's Super Bowl. In that game, because of how expertly the G-Men dismantled the Pats' defense, I kinda had a feeling they were going to win. But this time? HELL NO! I came, I saw . . . I laughed, I cried, and finally I cheered!

But when all was said and done, I felt like lady luck was a NY fan on this night. I've already had heated discussions with other sports fan today who disagree with me, but I feel like we could have lost spectacularly in three key places were it not for blind, stupid luck:

1) If Mario Manningham doesn't catch that ridiculous 38-yard pass with some serious heat on his back

2) If Wes Welker--usually so clutch in situations like this--doesn't fumble that tricky, so crucial catch

3) And if, in the very last seconds of the game, Tom Brady's desperation Hail Mary connects with Aaron Hernandez

If either one of these three points had happened differently, I'd be singing a terrible song of woe, heartbreak, and despair this fine day.

But Lady Luck smiled down on us, for reasons no one will ever know. And I thank her. :) This win lifted my spirits like nothing else could, even though I usually don't let sports outcomes hold much sway over me. But this was different. I mean, this was BIG! I initially thought we had lost because I was on a DVR time delay and I didn't hear any wild cheering and carrying-on outside my windows in the streets below. It happened with the win over San Fran, after all. But I think the folks of the Bronx were simply too stunned to act out. And when I finally caught up with real time on the television, I understood why:

They did it. Those boys in blue DID IT!!! Twice in 4 years! Who the hell would have thunk it at the beginning of this season?

Anyway, tomorrow is going to be the big parade. Ugh! As much as I love this win for us, I happen to work directly on the same route these championship parades wander down. Worse, my office building is located just short of where the parade ends, so all the crowds congregate right where we are and block off any possible exits from our lobby. It's going to be a zoo out there tomorrow . . . makes a fella almost want to work from home.

Almost.

Naturally, I wouldn't miss it for the world! I'll try to take pics from the big communal corner window there if possible. It's going to be nice to hear some positive chanting and crowd demonstrations so close to Wall Street for a change.

Happy Monday, folks. I certainly couldn't have asked for a better start to the week. WOOO-HOOOOOOO!!!!!

Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL?!!!

Today is the big day, oh yes!

So here we are. I can't say I knew this would happen. I distinctly recall at the beginning of the season saying that my team didn't have a chance in hell of making it past the regular season, let alone the Big Dance. Yet here they are, and I couldn't be more stoked!

I've been avoiding social media all day so as not to run into all the too-boisterous fans of either team. Actually, I wanted to avoid the naysayers the most. I have a few of them on my friends list, all locals. Or rather, I should say, recent transplants to NYC from other locales throughout the U.S. For some reason these people--almost to the last woman--feels the need to loudly talk trash about the home team and root for that OTHER squad instead.

The hell is up with that?

I'm not saying you're required to root for my team or shut up . . . but have a little respect at least. These people always come across as extremely butt-hurt that *their* hometown team didn't make it to February. And because they know they now live among the "hated enemy" of New York sports fans, they feel the need to denigrate our collective festive spirit into vile negativity.

Well, I'm not having it today! So I've banned Facebook for the duration of the night. Maybe I'll check in tomorrow morning when the dust clears.

In the meantime, I'm about to get my 4-mile run in for the day before settling down to the game with some fresh fruit and a protein shake. Yeah, I'm sorry to say . . . but that's how I roll! :) I'm in what I call "training mode" for the past 3 months or so, whereby I have a strict workout and dietary regimen to get all lean, mean, and fit. I do this every other three months, with my off months being a more relaxed eating and exercise schedule, but still health conscious all the same. As such, I won't be pigging out on barbecue and chips during tonight's extravaganza as is traditional, but I will still enjoy myself.

And who knows, maybe the wife will sneak in a pizza when I'm not looking. And then, you know . . . who could blame me for joining in, right? I mean, you can't let a perfectly good pizza go to waste, can you? There might be buffalo wings involved, too, I hear. What's a guy s'posed to do, I ask ya?

By the way, sorry for being M.I.A. this weekend on most of your blogs (you know who you are). Unfortunately, I had to attend the funeral of a very close family member and these past two days has been a restless nightmare for me. I slept for 12 hours straight last night, I was so tired! Woke up late this morning (or early afternoon) feeling a whole lot better, but still I have this lingering sadness hanging over me. My wife, too. I've been to far too many of these in my short life, and unfortunately I know I will have to go to a lot more before my time eventually comes.

Sorry for the turn toward the morbid. I've been thinking about life and death and all that fun stuff these past 48 hours or so. I'll be fine, but I just need some time. Needless to say I haven't been online much since about Thursday, so please bear with me.

Tonight's game will be more for distraction and relaxation. Whatever the outcome, I intend not to take it too seriously. In fact, I find that I wouldn't be too upset if the other team wins. Not because I want my team to win any less . . . but because they are a tough opponent and have the better record. And because we kinda embarrassed them that last time 4 years ago, so there's that whole revenge undercurrent going on. As a writer, I do so much love a good revenge story!

So, good luck to the fans of both sides tonight. Either way, it plans to be a great show of athleticism and sportsmanship (one hopes). May the best team win.

Have a good one!

How Bout Them G-Men, Eh?

Well, this was an awesome night for my NY Giants. Way to go, Big Blue!!! Sucks to be a fan of any Texas-based team this Sunday, but sometimes that's just the way the cards are dealt. But at least one of your teams is still going to the playoffs, Texas. Us New York football fans--with (count 'em) THREE pro teams to root behind--are certainly no stranger to drawing all blanks come the post-season.

But not this year. Oh no, 2012 is already starting off to a promising start. What a happy New Year, indeed! :)

It's funny, because at the start of the season I had that OTHER New York team heading to the post--those Jets. I am and always will be a Giants fan, though, so in my heart of hearts I secretly wished that they would be the ones to pull it off. And boy did I get my wish!

And you can't write them off as a fluke, either. I mean, their offense is really starting to look dangerous out there, folks! I mean *really* dangerous. It's too early yet, and I don't want to jinx things . . . but, yeah. I'll just leave it at that. But you know that saying about waking the sleeping giant, right? 'Nuff said.

They face Atlanta next week. Will be a tough game, but one that will be on our home turf. The Giants are pretty confident at home, so this could end up being one for the ages. If somehow they make it through and have to face the Packers next, though, I think I might have to take the week off sick as I'm going to possibly pass out from nerves.

But in the meantime, hey -- FIRST BLOG ENTRY OF THE NEW YEAR! w00t!

Have a good night, everybody.

Sports Week Roundup

This has surely been a week for the ages in sports land. Where do I even begin?

West Coast Rattler In The MLB.

It all started with Jose Reyes leaving the Mets for the FL Marlins. Uh-oh, how low can the Mets sink now? As a dyed in the wool Yankees fan, I can only laugh at our poor miserable red-headed stepchild of a sports team we've got there across the East River. Their misfortune is my glee, and for them to lose who is arguably the "Derek Jeter" of the Mets -- well, I can only say good riddance! The Mets are a suck-ass excuse of an MLB team, and I think it's high time the local media admits it. In case some of you don't know, while the Yankees are of course the darlings here in New York, for some reason the actual news anchors who deliver the tv news are heavily slanted in favor of the Mets. I've never quite been able to get a clear explanation why this is the case, but I think it has to do with the "underdog" theory. Well, perhaps now they'll see just why the Mets deserve to continue being underdogs. They can't seem to do anything right!

Staying with the MLB, there was also news mid-week of Albert Pujols getting snatched up by the L.A. Angels. Oh great, as if that city needed MORE superstar sports stars on their local teams. I think this is going to be big trouble for the Yanks next season, as there are times I feel the Angels are a more feared rival than even the hated Boston Red Sux! Still, I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being excited about seeing Pujols on the West Coast. Too bad New York is aging pretty badly and won't really have anything to offer up next season to counter the threat from the West. Oh well, such are the whims of this sport. I still hold out hope that we can pull out some surprises of our own before Spring training begins.

NBA Losing Touch With Reality.

Or rather, Commissioner David Stern seems to be. Just when I thought L.A.'s luck couldn't possibly get any better, word came early in the week that the Lakers would be getting coveted super awesome point guard, Chris Paul. HOLY SHIT! I couldn't believe the news. Although, personally, I thought the deal stunk to high heaven from the get-go--I would never give up Gasol for ANY prospect in the entire NBA, period--I thought it was a gutsy move, and one that I could see as possibly paying off huge dividends for the Lake Show if handled properly. But then David Stern had a hissy fit and decided the league was better off without L.A. being an even bigger contender than it already was, nixing the deal in the name of fair balance to all the owners who currently have a shared stake in the N.O. Hornets. The fuck??? I've never seen more shady underhanded switcheroos going down in sports since the 1919 baseball World Series. And since I wasn't even around for that, this goes down as number 1 in my book. I mean, wow.

Still, while it's a shitty thing to have happen to Chris Paul, I guess there is nothing technically illegal with Stern stepping in. The Hornets are owned by the NBA, for all intents and purposes, and the Comish has the power to steer the NBA any way he deems necessary for the maximum revenue generation he sees fit. It still stinks, though. And I for one do not like it at all.

But on a local front, I'm pleased as punch to see our New York Knicks getting an early Christmas present this year. Tyson Chandler is now a Knick! OMG, I can't tell you how thrilled I am by this turn of events! Although it sucks if you are a Mavericks fan, eh? Damn, that must hit hard! But we get to benefit from Chandler's big-D, an area in which New York was sorely lacking. And with 'Mello and Amare already set in place, I think we're going to finally see the most dominant front court we've seen on the Knicks in what seems like AGES. And guess what? We also got veteran Mike Bibby, to boot! Holy shit! I'm a HUGE Bibby fan! Can this actually be the time for the Knicks to truly make their presence known? Christmas day is going to be extra special for me when they take on the Boston Celtics. Wow, what a game in the making!

There are rumblings that Dwight Howard may be coming to the Nets. If he does, this is going to be BIG, people! And I'm actually more of a Nets fan than I am of the Knicks! There's still no telling which way this rumor will turn out, but I have to admit I have my doubts. Will have to wait and see and cross my fingers in the meantime.

Let's Get Ready To RUMBLE!

The week started out huge with the fallout from the Cotto vs Margarito fight last Saturday. I was so glad to see that Mexican bum get his comeuppance, let me tell you. But it was a very good fight, nonetheless. As much as I hate the guy, Margarito does have staying power. But Cotto is the better boxer, and definitely the better man. Cheaters deserve to get punished and suffer in the worst way possible. I only wish the fight could have gone the full 10 and end in a spectacular knock-out! Though, to be honest, that was never going to happen with these two. Margarito, naturally, wanted a rematch immediately. Cotto just laughed it off for now, but personally I think there is one more bout left between these two heated rivals. Margarito's star is hugely diminished, but for the sake of closure I think there needs to be a definitive end to this saga.

HBO Sports had a big boxing event last night. Besides replaying the Cotto fight, they headlined the bout between super lightweights Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson live from Washington, D.C. But before we get to that, I have to say I was greatly entertained by the undercard heavyweight matchup between Timur Ibragimov and Seth Mitchell. The fight was over before the 2nd round even really began, but Mitchell impressed the hell out of me! Wow! The Uzbek, Ibragimov, is a respected technical fighter used to going long in the rounds -- but Mitchell absolutely put him down while barely breaking a sweat. I can't wait to see more from this guy in the future.

The main event of the night, Khan vs Peterson, was one of the better fights I've seen in a long time. I was so not expecting that! I honestly thought the bout would go long, but that Khan would come out on top in every round. Such was not the case. Peterson showed great heart out there, and really gave it as well, if not better, than he was getting. Still, I'm highly upset at the outcome. Although local boy Peterson did fight with real guts out there, there was no doubt in my mind that the fight belonged to Khan. But due to some truly bizarre officiating, the Brit ended up losing on the count of two points deducted for pushing. Pushing? PUSHING??? Are you fucking serious? That was some bullshit right there! The ref never even gave him any hard warnings. He did tell Khan to stop doing it a few times, but never a direct, hard-nosed warning like you would expect before a full deduction. And who the hell takes away points for pushing, anyway? Bizzare, I tell you!

So Peterson (right) is the new champ, and honestly it was an awesome fight. He showed great class, too, by immediately agreeing to a rematch. Really, it's the decent thing to do considering the shady circumstances surrounding the decision.

NFL Sunday Is The Place To Be.

Right now I'm watching the Kansas City Chiefs get absolutely demolished by Gang Green as I type this. It's good to see the Jets finally getting their act together, but I only wish it was against a more worthy opponent. I can't say this impending win inspires much confidence in me for where they go after this, but hey . . . one step at a time, eh?

The bigger news today, of course, is the matchup between my beloved NY Giants and that scrappy, little-known team you may have heard of, the Dallas Cowboys. HOO-BOY! I've been antsy ALL FUCKING WEEK for this game! Even today I've been a restless ball of nervous energy for the game to hurry up and BEGIN already! But, of course, the NFL wants to drag out my torture by scheduling it as the premiere lineup later tonight. Pure, unadulterated TORTURE, I tell ya! This is going to be a game to end all games. So much is on the line for the Giants. It's do or die for my team here. It's so big that I really have next to zero interest in whatever the hell else is going on in the NFL right now. I'm vaguely aware that the Pats and Redskins are involved in a major throw-down this current moment, with the Pats on top so far. And that's all good and all, but -- GO BIG BLUE!!!!

And that, as they say, is all the news that's fit to print. Sound off on your own thoughts re: the big sports week we've just had, and are still having, in the comments section below. Also, if you will (and if you follow such things), be sure to include your pick for who you think will survive tonight's big NFC East showdown. Pretty please?

Have a good Sunday, all!


EDIT @ 12:13am:   Phew! That was such a nail biter of a game. Right down to the wire. SWEET MAMMA-JAMMA, JAMBALAYA!!! I must have had a hundred heart attacks during the 4th quarter alone, plus another one when 6 seconds were left on the clock for that attempted field kick. Jesus H. Christ! But, alas, I am so thrilled the G-Men pulled it off. Wow, Eli was looking like a real QB down the stretch there. He showed heart against the Cowgirls on their own turf! It was close, but I'll take that win straight to the bank, thank you very much. WOOOOO!!! :)

I Have A Confession To Make . . .

Okay, this has been weighing heavily on me all these years. But, finally, at the start of the new baseball season, it's time for me to come clean. Yes, I'm sorry if I've hurt anybody with this terrible secret I've been harboring over the last three years I've run this blog, but today I will once and for all put all the rumors to rest.

Yes, for today I reveal that I am not David Batista. I am, in fact, this man:

Yup . . . I am really Carlos Beltran, center fielder for the NY Mets! Some of my more savvy followers have remarked upon the resemblance on more than one occasion here. Needless to say I had to quickly edit those comments out before the secret got out of the bag. But alas, you guys were right. All along, you knew the truth. The secret is too much for me to bear, I'm afraid, and now I can finally breathe with a sigh of relief.

Phew! That feels good.

:)

Okay, okay . . . that was my very lame attempt at an April Fool's Day prank. Seeing as how it's rather late in the day (against the rules in some countries, in fact), it's probably not a very effective prank now.

But on a serious note I thought I'd use this opportunity to address an issue that's been bugging me. Which is: that I'm getting so f'ing tired of people telling me that I look "JUST LIKE" this dude Carlos Beltran for the Mets. Sometimes people think I *am* him. But most of the time they just wonder if we're related.

Ick! As if. In case it wasn't made clear before, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Yankees fan. Born, raised, and still residing in the Bronx. I've lived only a long home run away in the very shadow of Yankee Stadium for most of my life. Hell, I can see into the place from my windows:

That's the old Yankee Stadium on the left; the current one on the right.

So it goes without saying that the last team I'd want to be associated with are the NY Mets. Damn! Why couldn't Beltran be a Bronx Bomber? You know, it's probably only the fact that I wear a NY Yankees fitted cap so often that people don't think I'm him outright most of the time. You should see the double takes thrown my way whenever I walk around my block during game time at the stadium. Hil-lar-ious!

To be honest, though, I really don't think I look that much like this guy. Okay, maybe a little bit. But not enough. Here's a side-by-side comparison:

So what do you guys think? Were we separated at birth?

I'm actually one year older than Beltran, however. And he was born in Puerto Rico, whereas I was born here in New York City. Also, the portion of my father's family (including my pops himself) that hails from that part of the world is from the Dominican Republic, staunch enemy of the "Ricans."

Still, if only I could parlay this resemblance into some VIP treatment here in the city. Unfortunately, the Mets suck donkey balls. Always have. Just look at their season opener earlier today. They were left drawing blanks against the Marlins for 7 freaking innings, to eventually end up losing 6-2!!! SMH.

Oh well, at least New York has more than one baseball team. That's our saving grace right there. Can you New Yorkers imagine a world where the Mets are our only hope? I shudder to think . . .

Oh, and YAY to the official start of baseball! I'm very excited for the new season. I have to decide how many games I'll get to go to this year, though. I need to scale back a bit because tix at the House That Steinbrenner Built are obscenely expensive. Damn tourists! But since it only takes me 5 minutes to walk from my house to the front gate at Yankee Stadium, I feel kind of guilty not taking advantage of that convenience.

Anyway, Happy April Fool's Day to everybody! Hope's it's been a good one.

How Many Bites?

No, not: "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop?"

But rather . . .

How many bites into this does it take to kill a man? I say about two and a half, how 'bout you?

In case you need further elaboration, this is the famed Carnegie Deli's brand new addition to the menu -- the "Melo" sandwich! Yes, in honor of the monster trade that just transpired two days ago which brought the talented Denver Nuggets' baller here to NYC, the owner of the deli created a sandwich in Carmelo Anthony's name. Aww, isn't that sweet?

The Carnegie Deli--located near Carnegie Hall on 7th Avenue and famous worldwide for its pastrami sandwiches--is a favorite of both tourists and locals alike here in the Big Apple. I've been there twice when I was younger and have to say that, even though the proportions are truly too much, I really enjoy their sandwiches.

This Melo Sandwich has potential. I would never eat this on a regular basis (it does look rather gross, doesn't it?) but I have to admit the novelty factor intrigues me. The sandwich is made up of four different and artery-clogging cured meats: pastrami, corned beef, salami, AND bacon.

I mean--whoa!

I know some of you are resisiting the urge to hurl now. It's okay, I understand. If you want, you can read up some more on the breaking news here. Or not.

Personally I think it's a fun and uniquely New York way to show our appreciation and expectations for this new addition to NY sports. Plus, it's nice to see the Knicks get some good news for a change. Maybe now with the complete trifecta going on--Stoudemire, Anthony, and Billups--they can actually start winning some games!

Yeah, I know I'm asking for too much.

My Top 5 Favorite Super Bowl Ads of 2011 -- Plus, The First Avenger!

Personally, I find the whole concept of the million-dollar Super Bowl commercial spot way overblown. I mean, they're good . . . but they're not that good. Still, every year I do something very un-Batista like when I'm watching the big Sunday game, and that's: not using the Tivo buffer to fast-forward past all the commercials. Fast-forwarding through the commercials is a time-honored tradition in the Batista household. It's been going on since we got our first Tivo box back in 2001. This is up there as one of the best inventions of all time! And ever since I've been unable to watch normal, un-DVR'd tv again.

But on Super Bowl Sunday I revert back to the prehistoric agony of the 1990s. I actually force myself to watch every single commercial break. Like I said, it's not because I think that Super Bowl ads are God's gift to television or anything. No, I do it just so I can stay abreast and relevant of pop culture. Because, invariably, some of these commercials will be the talk of the office for the next week or so.

Now, with all that in mind then, allow me to present what I personally thought were the Top 5 commercials that aired last night. That's 5 out of a whopping 68 unique commercial spots! Some of these aired for the first time in America, while others were leaked onto the Net a few days prior. The top spot, for instance, was released an entire week before the big game. Wow, talk about impatient! Or maybe they just knew they had hit a home run out the park with this one, and realized that it wouldn't hurt to generate a little pre-game buzz?

Whatever the case may be, listed below in descending order from great to superior are my Top 5 picks.

The World Series That Wasn't

Congrats to the San Francisco Giants for winning their first World Series in around 56 years or so! It sucked that my Yankees weren't in it this year, but hey -- you can't win them all. To be honest, I'm still basking in the glow from last year's win, so I think it's rather gracious of us that we allowed someone else to win this year. Don't you? :)

Seriously, though, it was a special treat watching the high and mighty Texas Rangers get their asses handed to them -- and in their own home, too! Even more priceless was seeing that sorry sad monkey face on George W. Bush as the pride of Texas went down in flames right before his eyes. Ah, Cliff Lee . . . I like you as a person, but your team's fans deserved to see you bomb not just once but twice in the series. Kudos! I've always found you to be a humble and generally deserving of all your praise. But Rangers fans were getting way too full of themselves, pinning all their hopes on just one man like that. I hope they learned a lesson, and I hope you stick it out with the team for at least another year. As a Yankees fan, I know I'm supposed to root for you to come over to our team. But, honestly, you have a good fit where you are now. Let's see if you can make it happen next year, 'kay?

Of course, I'm hoping to have a rematch between the Rangers and Yanks next year. I get the feeling things won't pan out quite the same way then as they did this year. But we'll see.

But, yes . . . Giants FTW!!! As a former big time New York team, you do us proud!

Newbie Pick: Tombstone vs The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Got another vlog up. Discussin Blu-ray Westerns, more warm and fuzzy 80s movies . . . and another Yankees game!

God of War III . . . And More

In which I talk about The Yanks vs. White Sox game today, the Lakers' series win last night and . . . more importantly, God of War 3!!!

My Top 5 Super Bowl Commercials

I'm a little late with this. Guess you can say I'm still celebrating the New Orleans Saints win against the hated Colts. Not that I was ever a big fan of the Saints, but I really did not want to see Peyton Manning win. I really don't want to see any Manning win, although that's sort of blasphemy since his brother, Eli, is the QB for my Giants. And I definitely want to see the Giants win again in the near future. Still, the Saints win was like a win for all of America, considering how beleaguered their home city has been ever since Katrina hit.

They deserved the win, and I have to say that was a pretty good game all around. The intercept catch and TD that sealed Indiana's doom in the 4th was just the sweet icing on the cake, though. I could (and have) watch that play over and over until the cows come home.

But, all that being said, I think I would be remiss in not mentioning a favorite SB pastime. And that would be catching all the creative and often-times hilarious commercials that air during the game.

There were a lot to choose from, but I was able to pretty handily narrow my picks down to just 5. These are the 5 company ads that resonated most with me, for various reasons which I shall briefly explain after each individual commercial.

Click on each video to see the full commercials as they appeared on Super Bowl Sunday. Then comment below on what you think about my picks, or what your own picks might be.

Here we go:

5) GOOGLE



This is a powerful commercial, for obvious reasons. I mean, I know it's kind of on the cheesy side, but hey . . . sometimes cheese works! Lisa and I loved it because, as I mentioned earlier in this entry, we're planning to head back to Paris. And like in this ad, we'll be booking our flight out of JFK airport and landing in Charles de Gaulle (CDG), too! It's scary, because believe it or not this is like the tenth time in the past 2 weeks that we've seen references in tv to Paris. There's even a John Travolta movie out set in our favorite city. Hey, do you think it's a sign? I haven't finalized the plans yet, but now we all but HAVE to go, it seems. I can think of worse mandates to carry out, can't you?


4) SNICKERS



This one received some controversy from PC asshats who labeled it "sexist" and degrading to women because it's implying that low sports acumen is equivalent to a man "playing like a woman". To which I say: WTF? Did you watch the same commercial I just watched? This ad is saying that if you don't eat Snickers, you'll play football like an ELDERLY person. Not just a woman, either. Abe Vigoda is not an old woman. I'm guessing the media never bothered watching the end of the commercial. Sexist my ass! Ageist is more like it.


3) DORITOS



This was a lot of folks' number 1 pick of the night. And I agree that it is hilarious. However--and I'm not one to normally jump on this particular brand of soap box--it does alarm me that for the commercial depicting a single mother going on a date, they chose to use a black woman. Now you might not think this was deliberate. After all, Doritos commercials do generally tend to trend more toward multi-cultural casts due to the demographics of Doritos eaters. However, if you stop and think about it: do you really believe they would ever have used a strawberry-blond caucasian woman as the single (unwed) mother? Hmm, probably not. Still, stepping off my conspiracy theory platform now, it was pretty funny. I'm not that little boy's daddy, but I would have to dish out some retaliation for that. You don't hit grown folk unless they hit you, son!


2) E*TRADE



Lisa and I got a huge kick out of this! This was definitely Lisa's favorite, and perhaps mine, too. I'm a sucker for these E*Trade talking baby ads. I just think they're done so well, which I can appreciate. But this one takes the cake. This is probably their best one yet, and now Lisa and I are forever walking around the house shouting "Milk-a whaaaaat?" to each other. LOL! How could you not like this?


1) BUDWEISER



In lieu of the more humorous slant their Bud Light ads often take, Budweiser as usual went the sentimental route for their regular beer. And, boy, do they really pull at the heartstrings here! This, for me, was the best commercial of the night. I get goosebumps each time I watch it. I know, I know, it's just a commercial about a baby Clydesdale and his bovine pal . . . but darn it! I can't help but get a little misty eyed. I love the message: Friends don't let fences get in the way. Awwww!

So there you have it. My top 5 favorite Super Bowl commercials of 2010. Any opinions?

Hilarity Ensues . . .

Last night's World Series game proved rather LOL-worthy, I must say. Especially this one play by the Yankees' Johnny Damon, who took advantage of the Phillies' defense abandoning 3rd base to steal it by way of 2nd base from 1st. Confused yet? You have to see it for yourself:

The play goes down in the history books as the first time any player has ever stolen 2 bases on 1 pitch during the World Series.

What were the Phillies thinking? It hurts even more that, because of this one gaffe, the Yanks ended up taking advantage of the pitcher, Lidge, and going on to take the lead for good that night.

Well, it hurts for Phillies fans, I should say. (haha!)

As a Yankee fan, I'm in the envious catch-22 position of wanting my team to close out this series as fast as possible (tonight), but at the same time desiring that they close it out at home (Wednesday night). Honestly, either one will do at this point. If they do it on the road, we'll have a great parade down the Canyon of Heroes in which to celebrate! Since I work right smack dab in the middle of said Canyon, this will be quite an enjoyable experience for me this year if they pull it off.

LET'S GO YANKEES!!!

Feeling A Tad Inadequate, Are We?

*sigh*

When are people going to learn: when you don't got it, you don't got it?

I'm getting sick and tired of this whole gender "debate" over Caster Semenya, the South African 800 meter world champion who's been in the news a lot lately over stupid people claiming that she won only because she's really a man. Or at the very least, that she has male sex genes.

Are you serious? Really? Is that how lame international sports has become? Because a black woman is dominating a given field, she obviously must be a man or some sort of freak of nature? Let's get real, people, and face the truth: your country's runners just can't cut it any more.

I mean, just look at the above photo. Does nothing look more pathetic than that one white woman trying so desperately not to let the master race down?

Okay, okay . . . I'm being snarky now and I apologize. After all, Semenya isn't just dominating flabby white women the world over, she's dominating the sport of running period! No matter which country you hail from -- Denmark or Kenya -- Caster Semenya is going to make you look stupid. But at least, as this article demonstrates, she seems to have a good attitude about it all. She knows she has nothing to prove to anyone else beyond the evidence her feet provide out on that track.

So instead of celebrating this young phenom, why are we wasting time with nonsense about her gender? What, because she doesn't fit some people's Westernized ideals of "beauty" she's suddenly a man? Well, who asked you? To me the very fact she kicks ass in her profession makes her ultimately beautiful in my eyes. Nothing's more sexy than a champion, as they say.

And with today comes new images taken from an upcoming issue of You magazine, showing Caster out of her usual track gear and wearing what her detractors would consider more appealing feminine garb. You is definitely trying to make a point, but personally I don't see why this much was even necessary. Only paranoid white people seem to be getting up in arms over her gender. Not South Africans, the magazine's intended readership, that's for sure.

As for the rest of us . . . she looks just fine. Just fine indeed.

So keep up the good work, Ms. Semenya. I look forward to seeing you embarrass more European and American nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics. You've got my cheers.

This Commercial Always Gives Me Goosebumps

I was just thinking about Michael Jordan this morning, the GREATEST athlete of all time. Not just basketball, but all sports PERIOD. And I immediately had to find and watch what I consider to be the best Nike commercial of all time. These street ballers give Mike the biggest respect, recreating his most memorable moments on the court. It's truly uncanny how well they recreated these moments, right down to the body language and facial expressions -- it's sick! Click on the space below to watch for yourself.



The title of this commercial is "Let Your Game Speak," and yes, it speaks for itself. :) Tell me this doesn't give you goosebumps. At the :30 second mark, this was perhaps the greatest dunk ever seen at the Slam Dunk Contest, and was in fact voted as such by the fans. At :40, of course, is Jordan's picture-perfect last shot of his career as a Chicago Bull. The Bulls were trailing in this crucial game, but Jordan's shot brought them over and won his team their sixth championship in eight years. How's that for a capper to an already superlative-laden career?

Here's a comparison of the commercial up against the original Jordan footage:



Simply amazing.

A Tale of Two Stadiums

This is the view of the two Yankee Stadiums from my 10th floor window. Few people realize just how close I live to the house of Yanks, or how I can hear every game broadcast live in real surround sound from my living room. It makes watching home games through my TiVO a pain, since I can hear the crowd react (favorably or, more recently, unfavorably) seconds before the DVR's buffer catches up. I didn't have a wide enough camera lens to fit both stadiums completely in the same frame, or to use zoom at all. But below are two separate pictures of first the old, then the new stadium:

The house that Ruth built is starting to fill up for today's game against the Blue Jays. At night, those large stadium lights on top come right into my bedroom. Good thing for window blinds!

The house that Steinbrenner built is still under construction, though the basic shell and main levels have been completed. As you can tell, I won't have as good a view when the Yanks move to their new location in April of 2009. Worse yet, the buildings between me and the new stadium won't block out the lights -- so it might actually be *brighter* in my apartment this time. Argh!!!