Yes, it has been several weeks since I last posted. My bad. I don't have any excuses other than a great football and beer man who was very close to me passed away last month and for some reason blogging just seemed to take a back seat for a while. My Uncle John was only a week shy of 56 years old when he passed away of cancer. He and I went golfing and fishing in October - he drove us to June Lake - and there was a lot of beer and football that weekend. John had been diagnosed the week before, so he held off on the beer but consumed copious amounts of football, fishing, and plain old jackassery with the rest of us.
It is strange for me to watch him go. Several of us spent the last few days of his life with him and his kids at his bedside. I even got a chance to watch his last football games with him on the Sunday before he died. He was surprised at just how bad the Eagles and Redskins were that week. As I recall, he said that both teams played like donkey dicks. That about summed it up as this was not the world's best played game - at least during the stretch that we watched. No friggin defense at all - both teams had 100+ yard runners.
Anyway, my Uncle John is now above us, with a beer in hand watching live football all day every day. Actually, I am sure he will toss in some NBA and MLB here and there, but football was #1. I miss him a lot already and will take the avuncular guidance he gave me forward and pass it on.
Now - back to The Blog
Raiders
I gotta start out with the Raiders as this was a notable week for The Nation. Since appearing in the Super Bowl in 2003 - note that date Charger homers - the Raiders have won precious few games against AFC west rivals, with the last win coming in Denver on a snowy Monday night when Ronald Curry made that spectacular catch in the end zone. SEVENTEEN straight losses to division opponents - until now. We have now won TWO STRAIGHT! Yeah now! Off the Schneid!
The Raiders may have squeaked past KC, but this was in KC, until this season a really hard place to win. The Silver and Black handed Denver their asses by 14 points and it sure was nice to run one right up ol' Shanahan's ass! Squeal like a Pig Mikey!
Another Raider development was the appearance of Jamarcus Russel - at last. Coach Kiffin may be just teasing us, but he gave the kid two series' to show his stuff and he did as well as one could hope. His passes looked confident and crisp and I have a feeling that he can throw the ball harder than Brees and Rivers put together. He is HUGE in the pocket and I hope and pray that he lives up to half of his promise.
You heard it here first - the Raiders will beat the Packers in Lambeau. Do you know why? As of today, Brett's hand is still tingling and he does not have his full grip. Aaron Rodgers, who did so well last week, injured his hammie in practice on Tuesday and is out for two weeks. They have no third QB and picked a guy up just now to fill in. I predict that Brett will start to preserve his record, but will not be effective and without Brett (and Aaron) they are sunk. The Raider D will pick off the new guy of he tries to throw and our newly energized run defense with hold off any running attack that the 30th ranked Packers rushing attack can muster.
Chargers
Looks like the Chargers are doing better. Who could have predicted that if you give the ball to #21 you will win games? Not Norv earlier this year. Rivers had a game that on paper looked good, but anyone who saw him play would disagree. Yes, he had a long TD pass, but he looks unsteady in the pocket and really should learn how to properly throw the ball away. He scares me and if I were AJ Smith I would be looking for help in this area. Of course, Aj is an idiot, so he will make more stupid decisions for the bolt fans. The bolts have the division all but locked up, but all it will take is a few bad passes by Rivers to take away the running game and the bolts are sunk.
Patriots
The pats are not invincible. Say that again to yourself and try to make yourself believe it. I think that the Pats have way more than 9 lives, because it seems like they used up a dozen or more on Monday night. Who the fuck called that time out from the Raven's bench? that cost the game. I think that the NFL should revisit that rule as it seems to be distorting games. If you give Brady and Co. enough chances they will kill you every time. The key to winning is to apply pressure to Brady, cover all the hot routes, make sure that you don't get burned in a screen, and hope that Moss has a bad game. If you get all of that Right AND score like 40 points, you have a shot.
Beer
I gotta give it up for my Uncle John on this post, as he was a Budweiser drinker. He was not so much into all the other wacky flavors of Bud (light, ice, dry, etc) and stuck to the Red White and Blue for the most part. He enjoyed many other beers and I have personally seen him drink any number of Mexican beers in our trips south of the border fishing. One of my favorite anecdotes about he and I drinking beer relates to our shared love of astronomy. his house is at about 4500 feet above Palm Desert and the sky there is very dark. From my late teens into my 30's I spent a lot of time out there with our scopes observing, photographing, and generally enjoying the heavens. We founded the Golfing Astronomer Musician's Association during these years as a way to buy more scopes and beer.
Anyway, in the winter it got quite cold out at his house and it was always new moon when we would use the scopes so it was also quite dark. We would run into problems remembering whose beer was whose as it was so dark and we devised a way to tell by turning our tabs one way or the other so that you could identify your beer by feel - even with gloves. I started turning my tab to the left (9:00 position) back in 1982 or so and still do that to each and every of the thousands of beers I have drank since. I do it as a habit that, now that John is gone, will be a silent reminder of him while I drink beer. John always took the 3:00 position and my next door neighbor, with whom I have drank quite a few beers, adopted the 3:00 position 6 or 7 years back. Of course, if you turn it all the way to 12:00, you have a chovie guard, but that's another story.
So if you see me turn my tab to 9:00, you now know where that came from.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Week 14 - Sorry for the Delay
Yes, it has been several weeks since I last posted. My bad. I don't have any excuses other than a great football and beer man who was very close to me passed away last month and for some reason blogging just seemed to take a back seat for a while. My Uncle John was only a week shy of 56 years old when he passed away of cancer. He and I went golfing and fishing in October - he drove us to June Lake - and there was a lot of beer and football that weekend. John had been diagnosed the week before, so he held off on the beer but consumed copious amounts of football, fishing, and plain old jackassery with the rest of us.
It is strange for me to watch him go. Several of us spent the last few days of his life with him and his kids at his bedside. I even got a chance to watch his last football games with him on the Sunday before he died. He was surprised at just how bad the Eagles and Redskins were that week. As I recall, he said that both teams played like donkey dicks. That about summed it up as this was not the world's best played game - at least during the stretch that we watched. No friggin defense at all - both teams had 100+ yard runners.
Anyway, my Uncle John is now above us, with a beer in hand watching live football all day every day. Actually, I am sure he will toss in some NBA and MLB here and there, but football was #1. I miss him a lot already and will take the avuncular guidance he gave me forward and pass it on.
Now - back to The Blog
Raiders
I gotta start out with the Raiders as this was a notable week for The Nation. Since appearing in the Super Bowl in 2003 - note that date Charger homers - the Raiders have won precious few games against AFC west rivals, with the last win coming in Denver on a snowy Monday night when Ronald Curry made that spectacular catch in the end zone. SEVENTEEN straight losses to division opponents - until now. We have now won TWO STRAIGHT! Yeah now! Off the Schneid!
The Raiders may have squeaked past KC, but this was in KC, until this season a really hard place to win. The Silver and Black handed Denver their asses by 14 points and it sure was nice to run one right up ol' Shanahan's ass! Squeal like a Pig Mikey!
Another Raider development was the appearance of Jamarcus Russel - at last. Coach Kiffin may be just teasing us, but he gave the kid two series' to show his stuff and he did as well as one could hope. His passes looked confident and crisp and I have a feeling that he can throw the ball harder than Brees and Rivers put together. He is HUGE in the pocket and I hope and pray that he lives up to half of his promise.
You heard it here first - the Raiders will beat the Packers in Lambeau. Do you know why? As of today, Brett's hand is still tingling and he does not have his full grip. Aaron Rodgers, who did so well last week, injured his hammie in practice on Tuesday and is out for two weeks. They have no third QB and picked a guy up just now to fill in. I predict that Brett will start to preserve his record, but will not be effective and without Brett (and Aaron) they are sunk. The Raider D will pick off the new guy of he tries to throw and our newly energized run defense with hold off any running attack that the 30th ranked Packers rushing attack can muster.
Chargers
Looks like the Chargers are doing better. Who could have predicted that if you give the ball to #21 you will win games? Not Norv earlier this year. Rivers had a game that on paper looked good, but anyone who saw him play would disagree. Yes, he had a long TD pass, but he looks unsteady in the pocket and really should learn how to properly throw the ball away. He scares me and if I were AJ Smith I would be looking for help in this area. Of course, Aj is an idiot, so he will make more stupid decisions for the bolt fans. The bolts have the division all but locked up, but all it will take is a few bad passes by Rivers to take away the running game and the bolts are sunk.
Patriots
The pats are not invincible. Say that again to yourself and try to make yourself believe it. I think that the Pats have way more than 9 lives, because it seems like they used up a dozen or more on Monday night. Who the fuck called that time out from the Raven's bench? that cost the game. I think that the NFL should revisit that rule as it seems to be distorting games. If you give Brady and Co. enough chances they will kill you every time. The key to winning is to apply pressure to Brady, cover all the hot routes, make sure that you don't get burned in a screen, and hope that Moss has a bad game. If you get all of that Right AND score like 40 points, you have a shot.
Beer
I gotta give it up for my Uncle John on this post, as he was a Budweiser drinker. He was not so much into all the other wacky flavors of Bud (light, ice, dry, etc) and stuck to the Red White and Blue for the most part. He enjoyed many other beers and I have personally seen him drink any number of Mexican beers in our trips south of the border fishing. One of my favorite anecdotes about he and I drinking beer relates to our shared love of astronomy. his house is at about 4500 feet above Palm Desert and the sky there is very dark. From my late teens into my 30's I spent a lot of time out there with our scopes observing, photographing, and generally enjoying the heavens. We founded the Golfing Astronomer Musician's Association during these years as a way to buy more scopes and beer.
Anyway, in the winter it got quite cold out at his house and it was always new moon when we would use the scopes so it was also quite dark. We would run into problems remembering whose beer was whose as it was so dark and we devised a way to tell by turning our tabs one way or the other so that you could identify your beer by feel - even with gloves. I started turning my tab to the left (9:00 position) back in 1982 or so and still do that to each and every of the thousands of beers I have drank since. I do it as a habit that, now that John is gone, will be a silent reminder of him while I drink beer. John always took the 3:00 position and my next door neighbor, with whom I have drank quite a few beers, adopted the 3:00 position 6 or 7 years back. Of course, if you turn it all the way to 12:00, you have a chovie guard, but that's another story.
So if you see me turn my tab to 9:00, you now know where that came from.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Week 8 - The Big Game
It seems that San Diego is finished smoldering and considering the magnitude of the fires, it all went pretty well. This is except for those unlucky folks who lost everything - that has got to suck mightily. At least LT's running hill was spared....
This should be a somewhat interesting week, even though the focus in pretty much on one game, likely a preview of the AFC championship game. I think that the oddsmakers are being generous to Indy with only a 5 point spread for the Pats. Perhaps the networks want them to keep it close so people tune in to the game even though we all know the outcome. I predict that the Pats will win by over 10 points.
Back to week 8...
Brett Fu@#*)ng Favre - Yes, Denver sucks and Green Bay pointed that out with a W on Monday night. But how about that pass in OT? That guy still has a rocket and he dropped a perfect pass on that long TD play. The only thing that I am starting to regret is that Brett is having a good enough year to consider staying on for another. Brett, if you read my blog, and I know that you do, please take advantage of your current success to go out on top...
Running up the score - I am sure that the Colts felt pretty damn bitchin after rolling over Carolina by 24 points - not a bad display! The Bolts thought it was wimpy and kept their starters in long enough to win by 25. Wow, that's impressive! NOT! both of these teams were shown just how to run up the score by Mr. Fuck Off League, Coach Bellicheck. He won the game by FORTY FIVE POINTS! What? Wow, the 2nd string must have been in the game a while, right? WRONG! Brady played until the lead was 38 points - the 2nd string QB came in with 8 minutes left and only threw 3 of the 41 passes for NE! I think that Bill has a little chip on his shoulder and my guess is that he wants to lodge it up Tony Dungee's ass on Sunday.
The London Bog - what the fuck was the NFL thinking sending a regular season game across the pond? That game was pathetic for a couple of reasons. First, the field was shitty. It seems that bad grass goes along with bad teeth over there. And what was up with the markings on the field rubbing off on anyone who fell onto them? Somehow that does not seem to happen over here. The other shitty part of this game was the fact that the G-Men could not score any points on Miami! Miami people! The Raiders scored 5 , count them, 5 TDs on Miami - in Miami! The Giants are losers.
Daunte is DONE - I just saw on the wires that Kiffin is pulling Daunte, can't score outside of Florida, Culpepper from the starting job. He put McCown back in - hmm, that's encouraging! I agree that Daunte is a bust. He can't see farther than 5 yards downfield it seems and has a tendency to fumble. He also has thrown picks on game winning drives in the last two games. He's done. But McCown? Why not toss the kid in there and see how he does? He has to get in there sometime? I guess since the Raiders are only 2 games out of 1st place in the division, he has some delusions that we have a playoff opportunity. Insane, yes, but for a first year coach you have got to convince the boss (AD) that there is hope.
Beers
This is the time of year when seasonal beers start to appear. My wonderful wife bought some Octoberfest beers recently, apparently because it's October. The beer was passable, but unremarkable. I just don't understand seasonal beer! Do the ingredients in beer have some sort of season that requires them to be produced at certain times of the year? It's not like brewers everywhere wait for that one full moon in autumn to see if the beer flower will appear so they can harvest it's nectar or something. Last time I checked, all beer ingredients are grown whenever and can be stored until needed.
So if the production of beer is not seasonal, should the consumption of beer change seasonally? Should I change the type of beer I drink based on the month or season? Fuck no, I say! This makes not sense, almost like my favorite line when I need to get out of something and I tell the undesired inviter that I have to change the air in my tires to get all that summer air out and put in fall air. Yes, some people just stand there puzzled wondering if they too need to change the air in their tires and wondering how much their mechanic will charge them.
The point is that there are no seasons for beer drinking - every season has its advantages. Summertime begs for icechests full of beer by the pool or at the river. Fall means football, and the only concession that I could give to seasonal drinking is that consumption goes up from September to January on Sundays. Winter beer drinking is when you use the cooler cup to protect your hand, not the beer. Spring brings warmer weather and a return to drinking outside, perhaps in the cul de sac on a Friday night.
So you can keep your seasonal beers. Every season is a good beer drinking season.
This should be a somewhat interesting week, even though the focus in pretty much on one game, likely a preview of the AFC championship game. I think that the oddsmakers are being generous to Indy with only a 5 point spread for the Pats. Perhaps the networks want them to keep it close so people tune in to the game even though we all know the outcome. I predict that the Pats will win by over 10 points.
Back to week 8...
Brett Fu@#*)ng Favre - Yes, Denver sucks and Green Bay pointed that out with a W on Monday night. But how about that pass in OT? That guy still has a rocket and he dropped a perfect pass on that long TD play. The only thing that I am starting to regret is that Brett is having a good enough year to consider staying on for another. Brett, if you read my blog, and I know that you do, please take advantage of your current success to go out on top...
Running up the score - I am sure that the Colts felt pretty damn bitchin after rolling over Carolina by 24 points - not a bad display! The Bolts thought it was wimpy and kept their starters in long enough to win by 25. Wow, that's impressive! NOT! both of these teams were shown just how to run up the score by Mr. Fuck Off League, Coach Bellicheck. He won the game by FORTY FIVE POINTS! What? Wow, the 2nd string must have been in the game a while, right? WRONG! Brady played until the lead was 38 points - the 2nd string QB came in with 8 minutes left and only threw 3 of the 41 passes for NE! I think that Bill has a little chip on his shoulder and my guess is that he wants to lodge it up Tony Dungee's ass on Sunday.
The London Bog - what the fuck was the NFL thinking sending a regular season game across the pond? That game was pathetic for a couple of reasons. First, the field was shitty. It seems that bad grass goes along with bad teeth over there. And what was up with the markings on the field rubbing off on anyone who fell onto them? Somehow that does not seem to happen over here. The other shitty part of this game was the fact that the G-Men could not score any points on Miami! Miami people! The Raiders scored 5 , count them, 5 TDs on Miami - in Miami! The Giants are losers.
Daunte is DONE - I just saw on the wires that Kiffin is pulling Daunte, can't score outside of Florida, Culpepper from the starting job. He put McCown back in - hmm, that's encouraging! I agree that Daunte is a bust. He can't see farther than 5 yards downfield it seems and has a tendency to fumble. He also has thrown picks on game winning drives in the last two games. He's done. But McCown? Why not toss the kid in there and see how he does? He has to get in there sometime? I guess since the Raiders are only 2 games out of 1st place in the division, he has some delusions that we have a playoff opportunity. Insane, yes, but for a first year coach you have got to convince the boss (AD) that there is hope.
Beers
This is the time of year when seasonal beers start to appear. My wonderful wife bought some Octoberfest beers recently, apparently because it's October. The beer was passable, but unremarkable. I just don't understand seasonal beer! Do the ingredients in beer have some sort of season that requires them to be produced at certain times of the year? It's not like brewers everywhere wait for that one full moon in autumn to see if the beer flower will appear so they can harvest it's nectar or something. Last time I checked, all beer ingredients are grown whenever and can be stored until needed.
So if the production of beer is not seasonal, should the consumption of beer change seasonally? Should I change the type of beer I drink based on the month or season? Fuck no, I say! This makes not sense, almost like my favorite line when I need to get out of something and I tell the undesired inviter that I have to change the air in my tires to get all that summer air out and put in fall air. Yes, some people just stand there puzzled wondering if they too need to change the air in their tires and wondering how much their mechanic will charge them.
The point is that there are no seasons for beer drinking - every season has its advantages. Summertime begs for icechests full of beer by the pool or at the river. Fall means football, and the only concession that I could give to seasonal drinking is that consumption goes up from September to January on Sundays. Winter beer drinking is when you use the cooler cup to protect your hand, not the beer. Spring brings warmer weather and a return to drinking outside, perhaps in the cul de sac on a Friday night.
So you can keep your seasonal beers. Every season is a good beer drinking season.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Week 7 - All Fired Up
It has been a strange week here in San Diego, so this week's entry will be brief. The firestorm had direct impacts on me at my work, where the agency that I work for suffered a number of losses and had about 20% of our service area turned to ash. My home was out of harm's way for the most part, although we did get an evacuation warning, but never an order. If this is going to happen every 4 years perhaps we should reschedule it for election year instead - that was the misery of the election season can be punctuated by massive devastation from fires rather than Americans electing a moron to the Oval Office as has happened twice in a row now....
On to football
4th Round Pick - the Raiders shopped and shopped Randy Moss around and the BEST offer they got was a 4th round pick. Hello? This guy is leading the league in nearly every receiving category! I guess if your QB can stand there in the pocket with nary a grass stain on his knee and hurl them up for you all day you have a better chance than on a team that gave up 72 sacks last year. Randy is showing some drive to actually go and get the ball, which was not in evidence when he wore the Silver and Black. At this point the Pats are still unbeatable.
Daunte's Inferno - while it was not all his fault, he gets a lot of the blame for the Raider's loss. It seemed that his vision was limited to 5 or 6 yards down field - every pass was to the outlet receiver from the backfield. The few times he did launch it it worked well - why not do it again, moron? One other thing, as you are driving down for the game winning FG attempt, ball security is not kind of important, it is the only fucking thing you need to focus on. That last pick was a killer.
Beers
I have spent a little time contemplating the right beer for a firestorm and there are a number of factors. How well will the beer wash the ashes out of your mouth? How will it travel with all of your belongings in the back of a truck? What is the availability of more on a moment's notice when people are making a run on the 7-11? Finally, which beer can you drink in sufficient quantity to always have a fire hose in hand, just in case the flames come too close? Based on these considerations, I have ruled out fancy beers and microbrews because they fail in items 2 &3. Bottled beer in general does not travel in as compact a space per unit volume than does cans, so they are out. And when it comes to availability, you got to select what is available at 7-11. The winner (no surprise): Bud Light. Yes, it was rigged....
On to football
4th Round Pick - the Raiders shopped and shopped Randy Moss around and the BEST offer they got was a 4th round pick. Hello? This guy is leading the league in nearly every receiving category! I guess if your QB can stand there in the pocket with nary a grass stain on his knee and hurl them up for you all day you have a better chance than on a team that gave up 72 sacks last year. Randy is showing some drive to actually go and get the ball, which was not in evidence when he wore the Silver and Black. At this point the Pats are still unbeatable.
Daunte's Inferno - while it was not all his fault, he gets a lot of the blame for the Raider's loss. It seemed that his vision was limited to 5 or 6 yards down field - every pass was to the outlet receiver from the backfield. The few times he did launch it it worked well - why not do it again, moron? One other thing, as you are driving down for the game winning FG attempt, ball security is not kind of important, it is the only fucking thing you need to focus on. That last pick was a killer.
Beers
I have spent a little time contemplating the right beer for a firestorm and there are a number of factors. How well will the beer wash the ashes out of your mouth? How will it travel with all of your belongings in the back of a truck? What is the availability of more on a moment's notice when people are making a run on the 7-11? Finally, which beer can you drink in sufficient quantity to always have a fire hose in hand, just in case the flames come too close? Based on these considerations, I have ruled out fancy beers and microbrews because they fail in items 2 &3. Bottled beer in general does not travel in as compact a space per unit volume than does cans, so they are out. And when it comes to availability, you got to select what is available at 7-11. The winner (no surprise): Bud Light. Yes, it was rigged....
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Week 6 - Just Tackle #21!
Many things occurred last week that were expected and a bunch of stuff happened that was not - oh wait a minute - it all went as expected! The only surprise was a guy older than me tossing a huge TD pass and then springing up to the arms of an O lineman! While I personally wish some things went the other way, many were perfectly awesome!
Peyton Manning - watching his femur break over and over on tape reminded me of the Theisman incident so long ago. I knew it was gross, but I had to keep watching and watching and watching! It was like that scene out of Fast Times at Ridgemont High - you know the one! It was hard not to watch it over and over and over................ uh - er - ugh - hmmm - oh, that was just a dream! Phew, Peyton is intact and was on a bye. It is strange for a Raider fan to hate the Manning family as much as Charger fans, but somehow they just grate on me. His non-stop friggin commercials don't help.
America's Team - I am not talking about the Cowboys here folks - it's new England. If you are an undefeated team and you let another team waltz into your stadium and put up 48 points you had better hand over the friggin tiara! I drove past the stadium in Arlington and from where I was looking that place is a shithole - in fact, from what I have seen of most of Texas, the whole place is a shithole! I think that it is time for America's team to move somewhere else!. Wait a minute, most of the greater Boston area is a shithole too! I think that there is room in the East Bay for America's team, since even though they suck they still outsell both the Boys and the Pats in NFL merchandise nationwide. With respect to the Patriots all I have to say is Fuck - Wow - Only several broken femurs can stop them....
Vinnie Fucking Testaverde! I bagged on him last week, or more specifically the team that chose him, and boy did he perform. I saw that long pass and it was sweet! I think he met the DB on that pass in the parking lot because he bailed on that coverage like a whore in church. Hey, a win is a win - let's see how long 43 year old bones can take the pounding!
Vikings - I never thought I would be writing about the purple menace, but I have to lay it out for Adrian Peterson. Where the heck was the much acclaimed Chicago defense? I gotta say that this guy is the best RB that I have seen come out in some time, and the last will be mentioned later. He's a rookie and he is leading the league in rushing - in Minnesota! Who would have guessed The Vikes have a losing record (take that Steve-o) but if they canput some players around this guy, they may have something.
NEWS FLASH - Cincinnati officially sucks! The only thing worse is the NFC East. Other than the Pats, the remaining 3 teams have a COMBINED TWO WINS! The Raiders have won the same number! It's no wonder the Pats get into the playoffs all the time...
The Saints - Drew Brees is dusting off his shittiness (is that a word - it fits if not) and they are starting to look like the just might have a chance at possibly coming around. I think I hedged like a presidential candidate there. Seriously, they had a nice W last week and did not look like dog shit as they had every other week. I felt so bad for them as the City was rising on their tide and it was looking like they were going to need to have some FEMA bags on their heads again....
the chargers - yeah, I am here to take it - the bolts beat the Raiders again - 8 in a row. FUCK. Did I say FUCK? Oh yeah, I did. Just tackle # 21. You got that Rob Ryan, defensive fucking genius? Just tackle # 21! Just tackle # 21. Just tackle # 21. Game over! What else do they have? Gates - perhaps. .....(sound of crickets chirping).... There's nothing but LT people! Sure , AJ brought in a new guy from Miami who drops more than he catches, but that is next week! Culpepper just fucked the dog here but Ryan and the defense should shoulder most of the blame. I gotta hand it to Norv - LT set him straight in their little talk - "give me the ball Norv or I will run your head so far up AJ's ass you will see Al Davis again"! FUCK! Asses kicked again!
Beers
Wheat Beer Sucks. Yes, you heard it first here - wheat beer sucks. Please see my earlier posts on (1) fruit in beer and (2) filtering beer and you can only deduce that wheat beer sucks. Let's review: It's cloudy. That means that it is not properly filtered. It is generally served with a fucking lemon wedge which violates the fruit in beer rule. Two strikes and you are close to out, but you still have some pitches coming your way. the third strike is the fact that it is made of wheat. Wheat? Isn't that for bread and Wheaties? beer is made of Barley, Hops and for us Bud drinkers, a bit of rice. Wheat is not part of it. I appreciate the fine folks that have only wheat to make some beer, and in this I refer to home brewed African beers that use pots of water, old wheat, and wild yeasts to make something, anything, to get a buzz from. I will give it up to someone who has no choice but to make beer from wheat to consume wheat beer, but those of you with a choice should know better...
On another note, I would like to give a shout out to my wife who, despite the fact that only one male Charger fan in my neighborhood was man enough to attend, she put out a spread for the aforementioned game and even had a girlfriend over to watch my Raiders get their asses handed to them, again. I was not the cheeriest guy during the game as you may predict, and their recitals of passages from People Magazine during the game did not help. Anyway, I have two more games left on my contract this year, so contact me with games you think would be good for a football party. Thanks Sheri!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Week 5 - Raiders in 1st Place!
Yeah, it is a cheaply won title, due in large part to our bye week, but mostly to the stupid play of the Doncos. But it has been a few years since us Raider fans have been able to say that and depending on what happens on Sunday, it may be a while again. You know, you don't have to come in first in your division to win a Super Bowl as the Silver and Black have proven in the past.
I spent the weekend drinking beer and fishing in the Sierras and our TV coverage was weak, so I did not even watch a single complete game - shocking isn't it. It was pointed out to me by others in attendance that I could watch any game on the NFL network during the week, but could not get back out on that boat on June Lake from Escondido. We got periodic updates, but essentially missed most of the games completely. I am certain that this won't happen again this year.
Here's my recap of selected games:
Cowboys - This game I actually did see most of and I have to say that the friggin 'boys are about as big a pretender as any team that has ever stumbled their way to 5-0. How many complete fuck ups can your QB do and you still win the game? Granted, if you play a team whose offense could not get past the Escondido High School JV team, perhaps you have a chance. the worst thing was the friggin MNF announcers who had their lips planted so tightly on the Bill's collective sphincters that they really looked stupid when Buffalo lost, because they had already anointed the Bill's rookie QB as the next coming. Granted, he did OK for a newb but get your tongue out of his ass Kornheiser, or is that why you got that name?
Carolina - OK, you are 3-2 but you are killing off QBs faster than Ricky Williams snaps bong loads. This is the team that brought David Carr on board from the Texans where he was sacked like one BILLION times and now he gets injured? Has Carolina taken QB abuse to a new level? OK, fine, you need a new backup....let's see, who should we look for. I know, how about Vinnie Fucking Testaverde? There are people who can legally drink in all states that were born AFTER he left college! The guy was drafted in 1987! He is older than me! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over? I heard that Marino said he could still chuck a ball, and since he is now on Weight Watchers he may be a better choice!
Chargers - It seems that LT had a little sit down with the Norvinator and told him how the dog wags the tail, or at least that is how it was reported in the SD Union tribune. I don't know about you, but any time your RB needs to get the Coach into a closed room to tell him to give the ball to the NFL MVP all I can say is it's time for a new Coach! Even though I had wished for a tie game, I would have taken some satisfaction watching Shanahan squirm on the sidelines getting kick after kick to his balls (if I could get only one shot - I would prefer to put shortie on a stool so I could get proper extension as I sent his prostate a little gift from his scrotum). Sorry, I digress, but that guy pisses me off in a big way! I hope to see his season go down in ruin.
I know some of your Raider Haters who read this are looking forward to this weekend as you expect the FIRST PLACE Raiders to lose big to the Chargers, but get a grip. Last week was an anomaly - you got lucky with a bad Denver team. Let's take a closer look: The first drive I will concede - not too shabby, but the second touchdown was a gift on a special teams play. At that point Jay Cutler had to Throw and you got a pick and it was all downhill from there. Good win for you, but when you add that to the collapse - at home - against KC, I don't see this as a trend.
The Raiders are coming in a bit hobbled as two defensive linemen, Gerrard and Burgess, will not play. But Dominic Rhodes will be there and Culpepper will certainly look to hit some slants as Donnie Edwards is not there to tackle anyone. Some dumbass on my football pool posted a poll wondering how big the point differential will be and the lowest number is 21 - I can assure you that if the Raiders do not win, and I think that they will, the will certainly cover the spread which varies between 9.5 and 10 at this point.
Beers
Something happened the other day that surprised me. I know that I like Bud Light and that it is generally better than Coors Light and Miller Lite, but I never really expected the lesser two beer brands to throw in the towel and merge! When you get down to it, are these beers really that different? Sure Bud Light is best, but Miller Lite has more taste....oh yeah, more BAD taste. OK, I will give you that - Miller Lite tastes bad, but certainly their advertising campaigns could make up for that - you know the ones with the More Taste League commissioner appearing as people try to drink? Oh yeah, that was stupid too. Well you would think that Coors Light would do better, even though it is not as good as Bud Light, right? C'mon, how about some marketing to overcome the foul taste of beer that should be refrigerated at all times that the 7-11 clerk left out in the heat? How about the SECOND year of stupid jokes on coaches by fake spliced in hecklers from the press corps - now that's funny - once - last year.
You have read here on a number of occasions how I prefer Bud Light over all for day to day consumption, but I thought I was just a guy with a preference, not predicting the need for all other major brands to gang together because they just can't compete. I think that this is bad overall, because without competition the commercials can only get worse......
I spent the weekend drinking beer and fishing in the Sierras and our TV coverage was weak, so I did not even watch a single complete game - shocking isn't it. It was pointed out to me by others in attendance that I could watch any game on the NFL network during the week, but could not get back out on that boat on June Lake from Escondido. We got periodic updates, but essentially missed most of the games completely. I am certain that this won't happen again this year.
Here's my recap of selected games:
Cowboys - This game I actually did see most of and I have to say that the friggin 'boys are about as big a pretender as any team that has ever stumbled their way to 5-0. How many complete fuck ups can your QB do and you still win the game? Granted, if you play a team whose offense could not get past the Escondido High School JV team, perhaps you have a chance. the worst thing was the friggin MNF announcers who had their lips planted so tightly on the Bill's collective sphincters that they really looked stupid when Buffalo lost, because they had already anointed the Bill's rookie QB as the next coming. Granted, he did OK for a newb but get your tongue out of his ass Kornheiser, or is that why you got that name?
Carolina - OK, you are 3-2 but you are killing off QBs faster than Ricky Williams snaps bong loads. This is the team that brought David Carr on board from the Texans where he was sacked like one BILLION times and now he gets injured? Has Carolina taken QB abuse to a new level? OK, fine, you need a new backup....let's see, who should we look for. I know, how about Vinnie Fucking Testaverde? There are people who can legally drink in all states that were born AFTER he left college! The guy was drafted in 1987! He is older than me! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over? I heard that Marino said he could still chuck a ball, and since he is now on Weight Watchers he may be a better choice!
Chargers - It seems that LT had a little sit down with the Norvinator and told him how the dog wags the tail, or at least that is how it was reported in the SD Union tribune. I don't know about you, but any time your RB needs to get the Coach into a closed room to tell him to give the ball to the NFL MVP all I can say is it's time for a new Coach! Even though I had wished for a tie game, I would have taken some satisfaction watching Shanahan squirm on the sidelines getting kick after kick to his balls (if I could get only one shot - I would prefer to put shortie on a stool so I could get proper extension as I sent his prostate a little gift from his scrotum). Sorry, I digress, but that guy pisses me off in a big way! I hope to see his season go down in ruin.
I know some of your Raider Haters who read this are looking forward to this weekend as you expect the FIRST PLACE Raiders to lose big to the Chargers, but get a grip. Last week was an anomaly - you got lucky with a bad Denver team. Let's take a closer look: The first drive I will concede - not too shabby, but the second touchdown was a gift on a special teams play. At that point Jay Cutler had to Throw and you got a pick and it was all downhill from there. Good win for you, but when you add that to the collapse - at home - against KC, I don't see this as a trend.
The Raiders are coming in a bit hobbled as two defensive linemen, Gerrard and Burgess, will not play. But Dominic Rhodes will be there and Culpepper will certainly look to hit some slants as Donnie Edwards is not there to tackle anyone. Some dumbass on my football pool posted a poll wondering how big the point differential will be and the lowest number is 21 - I can assure you that if the Raiders do not win, and I think that they will, the will certainly cover the spread which varies between 9.5 and 10 at this point.
Beers
Something happened the other day that surprised me. I know that I like Bud Light and that it is generally better than Coors Light and Miller Lite, but I never really expected the lesser two beer brands to throw in the towel and merge! When you get down to it, are these beers really that different? Sure Bud Light is best, but Miller Lite has more taste....oh yeah, more BAD taste. OK, I will give you that - Miller Lite tastes bad, but certainly their advertising campaigns could make up for that - you know the ones with the More Taste League commissioner appearing as people try to drink? Oh yeah, that was stupid too. Well you would think that Coors Light would do better, even though it is not as good as Bud Light, right? C'mon, how about some marketing to overcome the foul taste of beer that should be refrigerated at all times that the 7-11 clerk left out in the heat? How about the SECOND year of stupid jokes on coaches by fake spliced in hecklers from the press corps - now that's funny - once - last year.
You have read here on a number of occasions how I prefer Bud Light over all for day to day consumption, but I thought I was just a guy with a preference, not predicting the need for all other major brands to gang together because they just can't compete. I think that this is bad overall, because without competition the commercials can only get worse......
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Week 4 - Well What Do You Know?
We are at the quarter pole folks and things are getting interesting. Certain things that seemed to be plain out of place are starting to solidify into trends. Some of us are pleased while others are left to scratch their heads. All in all it makes for some good entertainment! Some of my thoughts on the week:
Patriots - while they kept it close initially, the Pats did what they always do and adjusted their game to take it to their opponents in the 2nd half. This is what you call coaching - start off with a game plan, make adjustments based on your opponent's reaction to your plan, and kick some ass! (Norv Turner has no idea how to do this, but that is no surprise). These guys are 4-0 and have outscored their opponents 148 to 48 - a difference of 100 points! This is incredible as the next highest total difference is the Cowboys at 79 and nobody else is even close. The Chargers you ask? they are -34, having been outscored handily by powerhouses such as KC.
Packers - I really must take a moment to make a retraction of a post that I did last year about Brett Favre where I told him to retire. He ignored me as he always does (he never returns my calls!) and has shown that he still has some game left in him. Crap, that guy can deliver a ball fast. I mean, one second the ball is in his hand at his side and the next it is 30 yards down filed stinging someone's hands. Fast, decisive action is needed to get the ball where it needs to be in this league and Brett certainly has it. Whether the Pack can continue beyond 4-0 is uncertain, but they are a scrappy team.
The Eagles - Hmmm, eggs in a carton, jurors in a room, months in a year, sacks of McNabb last week. What do all of these have in common? the number 12! Twelve fucking sacks? And one guy got 6??? I have not seen pass coverage this bad since the Charger line basically gave Ryan Leaf up to the wolves because they did not like him. Perhaps Donavan has pissed off his O-line or something because I don't think that the Giant's defense is that good as they now have a grand total of 16 sacks for the year. Hmmm, Donavan spouts off, has a good game, and then gets crushed. I am not sure what to make of it, but I am sure that time will tell on this one. One thing for sure, the Eagles will not see the postseason.
The Raiders - You knew it was coming, and here it is! The Silver and black have now equaled last year's win total at the quarter pole mark with a nice ass kicking in Miami. Little Layne Kiffin finally started Culpepper and he showed that he is a winner. He did not have to throw much as the Raiders #1 ranked running game took care of Miami's weak defense handily. He did show that his knee is fine and made sure that the fans in Miami knew it after his second of three rushing TDs. It was nice to see Jerry Porter haul in a few scores as well because if he is on he will rival Moss in talent (if someone simply throws the ball to him accurately). From where I sit, I think that the odds when the Raiders come into SD in two weeks will be much closer than bolt fans would like.
Chargers - Wow- what a fucking disaster! I knew the the norvinator was bad, but this is pathetic! His inept play calling has highlighted the weakness of San Diego's offense. What weakness you say? The glaring weakness that is the fact that unless LT has his hands directly on the ball you are screwed. Period. The facts for this argument are present in abundance. Even before Norv inexplicably withheld the ball from LT in the second half the Bolts only managed a meager offensive output - at home - against fucking KC! Watch out when Dominic Rhodes rolls down there with the Raiders, hungry for yards after a little league mandated vacation. I think that we may even see a little pissy slap fight on the sidelines between LT and Rivers if this keeps up! I also have one more prediction: At some point on Sunday, the TV cameras will pan over to Turner and he will have a look on his face like he is trying to remember where he left his car keys, or whether he wanted to order tofurkey or salmon for his thanksgiving day dinner.
Beers
I got a bit of feedback from last weeks comments about yeast in beer. Most agreed with me that it made the experience of drinking the beer less than agreeable if not totally fucked. One commented that it increased his flatulence, sometimes to uncomfortable levels. A few however, challenged my manhood and one went so far as to say that Sierra Nevada is meant to be drank straight from the bottle and those who decant it are wimps. All I have to say to that is go right ahead dumbass and suck up that yeast - just keep your gassy self away from me!
I will be fishing in the Sierras with some other jackasses this weekend and will probably have one or two beers - okay, maybe more than two! It will be nearly freezing the entire time, so in addition to the copious quantities of Bud Light, I think that some Guinness will be in order. Guinness is something that I really came to love during my 10 day stay in Ireland in 2005. When poured correctly, there may be no better beer. People think it is heavy, but it only has 10 more calories than a bud Light per serving. And it is so fucking good. Some people think that you can't drink it as an all day (night) beer, but millions of Irish can't be wrong. I can attest that you certainly can drink it just like an American "light" beer, but you need to be at a keg to do it. The Guinness that they sell in bottles ought to be thrown back into the sea and the stuff in the tall cans, while passable, cannot rival a properly poured pint from the tap. Most places don't do it right as it takes two passes to fill a pint and about 2-3 minutes of time. Can you say "Car Bomb"?
Patriots - while they kept it close initially, the Pats did what they always do and adjusted their game to take it to their opponents in the 2nd half. This is what you call coaching - start off with a game plan, make adjustments based on your opponent's reaction to your plan, and kick some ass! (Norv Turner has no idea how to do this, but that is no surprise). These guys are 4-0 and have outscored their opponents 148 to 48 - a difference of 100 points! This is incredible as the next highest total difference is the Cowboys at 79 and nobody else is even close. The Chargers you ask? they are -34, having been outscored handily by powerhouses such as KC.
Packers - I really must take a moment to make a retraction of a post that I did last year about Brett Favre where I told him to retire. He ignored me as he always does (he never returns my calls!) and has shown that he still has some game left in him. Crap, that guy can deliver a ball fast. I mean, one second the ball is in his hand at his side and the next it is 30 yards down filed stinging someone's hands. Fast, decisive action is needed to get the ball where it needs to be in this league and Brett certainly has it. Whether the Pack can continue beyond 4-0 is uncertain, but they are a scrappy team.
The Eagles - Hmmm, eggs in a carton, jurors in a room, months in a year, sacks of McNabb last week. What do all of these have in common? the number 12! Twelve fucking sacks? And one guy got 6??? I have not seen pass coverage this bad since the Charger line basically gave Ryan Leaf up to the wolves because they did not like him. Perhaps Donavan has pissed off his O-line or something because I don't think that the Giant's defense is that good as they now have a grand total of 16 sacks for the year. Hmmm, Donavan spouts off, has a good game, and then gets crushed. I am not sure what to make of it, but I am sure that time will tell on this one. One thing for sure, the Eagles will not see the postseason.
The Raiders - You knew it was coming, and here it is! The Silver and black have now equaled last year's win total at the quarter pole mark with a nice ass kicking in Miami. Little Layne Kiffin finally started Culpepper and he showed that he is a winner. He did not have to throw much as the Raiders #1 ranked running game took care of Miami's weak defense handily. He did show that his knee is fine and made sure that the fans in Miami knew it after his second of three rushing TDs. It was nice to see Jerry Porter haul in a few scores as well because if he is on he will rival Moss in talent (if someone simply throws the ball to him accurately). From where I sit, I think that the odds when the Raiders come into SD in two weeks will be much closer than bolt fans would like.
Chargers - Wow- what a fucking disaster! I knew the the norvinator was bad, but this is pathetic! His inept play calling has highlighted the weakness of San Diego's offense. What weakness you say? The glaring weakness that is the fact that unless LT has his hands directly on the ball you are screwed. Period. The facts for this argument are present in abundance. Even before Norv inexplicably withheld the ball from LT in the second half the Bolts only managed a meager offensive output - at home - against fucking KC! Watch out when Dominic Rhodes rolls down there with the Raiders, hungry for yards after a little league mandated vacation. I think that we may even see a little pissy slap fight on the sidelines between LT and Rivers if this keeps up! I also have one more prediction: At some point on Sunday, the TV cameras will pan over to Turner and he will have a look on his face like he is trying to remember where he left his car keys, or whether he wanted to order tofurkey or salmon for his thanksgiving day dinner.
Beers
I got a bit of feedback from last weeks comments about yeast in beer. Most agreed with me that it made the experience of drinking the beer less than agreeable if not totally fucked. One commented that it increased his flatulence, sometimes to uncomfortable levels. A few however, challenged my manhood and one went so far as to say that Sierra Nevada is meant to be drank straight from the bottle and those who decant it are wimps. All I have to say to that is go right ahead dumbass and suck up that yeast - just keep your gassy self away from me!
I will be fishing in the Sierras with some other jackasses this weekend and will probably have one or two beers - okay, maybe more than two! It will be nearly freezing the entire time, so in addition to the copious quantities of Bud Light, I think that some Guinness will be in order. Guinness is something that I really came to love during my 10 day stay in Ireland in 2005. When poured correctly, there may be no better beer. People think it is heavy, but it only has 10 more calories than a bud Light per serving. And it is so fucking good. Some people think that you can't drink it as an all day (night) beer, but millions of Irish can't be wrong. I can attest that you certainly can drink it just like an American "light" beer, but you need to be at a keg to do it. The Guinness that they sell in bottles ought to be thrown back into the sea and the stuff in the tall cans, while passable, cannot rival a properly poured pint from the tap. Most places don't do it right as it takes two passes to fill a pint and about 2-3 minutes of time. Can you say "Car Bomb"?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Week 3 - That yeasty taste
Another interesting week in the NFL. Some things change and others stay the same, but the things that are changing - OY! Alas, gentle reader, you may get an impression that I somehow favor one team over another in this blog. If this is the case, how right you are. It is, after all, my stinking blog!
Poured a clear, light copper color with a good amount of carbonation and off-white head. Decent lacing. Aroma was rich and malty with a fair amount of biscuit and caramel. Hops were definitely secondary. Fruity, plum-like scent. Medium body. Spicy fruit flavor with plenty of sweet malt. Floral hops were in the background. Mouthfeel was about average. Well balanced. Could use a little more pizazz. Quite drinkable, though, and could be a good session beer, particularly at restaurants with limited beer selections.
Patriots - impressive again. I am not sure what can be done to stop them besides the cruel fate of injuries. I seem to recall LT getting bruised ribs at the bottom of a pile a few years back - perhaps some of this could be applied to the Pats....
Eagles - and here I was writing off Mr. Piss and Moan Because I Am Black McNabb. His comments are stupid and proves that he was frustrated by his shitty play. Frustrated enough to shake it off and throw for a bunch in a 56 point outburst! Nice game, to be sure, but here is a prediction: He will get banged up and won't finish the season in this form. At that point he will become embittered and become a racist. Again.
Indy - Yes they are 3-0 but not in the same way as the Pats. A bunch of 2 point wins against people that they "should" kill does not impress me. These guys are beatable and we will see how they do against the AFC West. Oh yeah, I hate friggin anyone named Manning. Even nuns named Manning, actually especially them because they get a chance to take a new name once they take their vows!
San Diego - What can you say about this. Hmmm, how about looking back at my post from this spring about the dumbasses named Spanos and Smith. I watched that play that won the game for the Packers and knew right away that had Donie Edwards been in the play it would have gained 10 yards max. It seems that Smith and Co. complained that his tackles (that led the team for 5 years) were too far off the line. Hello shithead - at least he tackled them! Now it seems that the Bolts will do without tackling at all. Boy that sure works good! Once Donnie works over the bolts this weekend (I predict 5 solo tackles and an pick), the Bolts will have been beat up by Edwards, Harrison, and Seau - all of whom were considered to be expendable. I'll save the stuff on Norvenstein for another post as that is much funnier.
Oakland - first off the Raiders are tied with the Chargers - take that! It seems that young Lane Kiffin learned a few things in Denver when Shanafuck stole the game. He learned how to steal a game using a bogus time out AND he finally pulled shithead McCown out! For God's sake - why did he wait so long? What did Daunte do to him? McCown has small yardage numbers, few TDs, and boatloads of picks PLUS two bum feet. Yet - it was a W - the first since late October of LAST YEAR! We can only go up from here and look for an upset in Miami!
Beer
Charger fans - do you know that shitty taste in your mouth? Well that is the taste that you get from a boatload of yeast in your beer. Yes, yeast is indispensable in the making of beer. I have used it to great effect in my own brewing efforts. But it belongs in the brewing process and not in your beer. I LOVE Sierra Nevada - LOVE - but I will not drink it from the bottle because these purist fuckheads can't bring themselves to filter that yeast out because they want to finish the beer in the bottle. Please - save it for the beer snobs. You know the type - the ones who write shit like this into Beeradvocate.com describing Fat Tire Ale:
Poured a clear, light copper color with a good amount of carbonation and off-white head. Decent lacing. Aroma was rich and malty with a fair amount of biscuit and caramel. Hops were definitely secondary. Fruity, plum-like scent. Medium body. Spicy fruit flavor with plenty of sweet malt. Floral hops were in the background. Mouthfeel was about average. Well balanced. Could use a little more pizazz. Quite drinkable, though, and could be a good session beer, particularly at restaurants with limited beer selections.
What the fuck is that? Is this queer describing beer or flavored condoms? C'mon, "Mouthfeel"? "Gee Frank your crotch smells lovely, like biscuits and caramel - are you using a new wax?" What is a session beer? To me a session needs about 20 beers!
Beer should be filtered of the yeast before being presented to the drinker. Period.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Week 2 roundup - of mice and men (and beer)
Wow - now that was an interesting week. You think that you have this game figured out and then, wham, everything goes upside down (except the Patriots - more on that later). There are a lot of 2-0 teams that nobody would have predicted: Green Bay, San Francisco, heck even Washington! How about these at 0-2: Eagles, Giants, Rams, and Saints! This could be getting good... here's a recap of some of the games:
New Orleans/Tampa Bay - Boy Drews Brees looked crappy again! To get your ass handed to you by Chuckie and the gang (who probably last put up 31 points sometime in the last century) is embarassing for a supposed NFC contender. Drew Brees looked so bad that he rivaled Philip Rivers in offensive futility. It might be time to get a new stock of paper bags, Saints fans...
Oakland/Denver - All I have to say is that it's good to be the home team and have the ref in your pocket. Damn - the Raiders WON this friggin game and then lost it. My 20 seconds of joy was worth it, though because Oakland came into a tough place to win and performed well - Lamont Jordan rushed for almost 160 yards! I think that young Lane Kiffin finally got an offensive line together in Oakland! McCown threw some stinkers that could have sealed a win - I think he has to go but apparently Daunte called Kiffin a cracker or something so he is stuck on the pine.
Washington/Philidelphia - I think that the days of McNabb are coming to an end. He threw so poorly last night that he could give Brees and Rivers a run for their money in bad passes. If you are an NFC contender, you DON"T LOSE YOUR HOME OPENER! At least not to fucking Washington. Brett Farve may have to lead the NFC to their eventual ass kicking in the Super Bowl.
Now my favorite - San Diego/New England - There were some that placed the bolts at the highest echelons of the AFC - right up there with Tom and Peyton's team. Well you can put that one to bed. the Chargers stunk it up on both sides of the ball and Rivers was pathetic. Add to that the abysmal performance of the running game - LT is ranked 39th in rushing so far this year - note that there are only 32 teams so more than one team have TWO players that have run for more than LT! Heck, Lamont Jordan is #4! I remember with great pain the days when the Silver and Black had dumbshit Norv Turner plodding on the sidelines. He got outcoached so badly that even with the other team's playbook in hand he would have gotten beat!
Beers
A day like Sunday was a day for Bud Light. Yes, I know it is a recurring theme, but for a sustained day of football and beer that extends into the night game, it is the best choice. I did toss in a nice Newcastle Brown between the afternoon and evening game, savoring the near victory of the Raiders - hey at least we didn't get blown out.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Week One roundup and Fruity Beer
So it turns out that some things change and others remain the same. I guess that is a maxim to live by and it certainly applies in the NFL. Here are some things that have apparently changed:
- Drew Brees - WTF happened here? He went from stud last year to looking like a deer in headlights rookie! He threw some of the worst passes I have ever seen! Perhaps his lakc of skill was magnified because right after another Brees groaner we would see Peyton whip out a missile right on target, but seriously - he looked BAD. I hope for his sake that this is just opening day jitters....
- The Chiefs - We knew that they would not be as good as last year, but losing to Houston, like that? You saw it on my earlier blog where I pout them at 7-9 and I think that this was being generous! I think that if they keep this up they could give the Raiders a run for their money for last place!
Some things that have not changed:
- Peyton and Tom - man these guys looked good. It is hard to imagine how any AFC team (all of whom could beat any given NFC team) could beat these guys. I pity the fool that has to play these teams. I guess the only thing that the rest of the league could hope for are injuries because otherwise this is a lock!
- The Raiders - yes, as it turns out they still stink, losing at home to the Lions. Hey, but Kitna was hot right? It was sad - why did they start McCown rather than Culpepper? The offense did have a pretty good day (if you ignore the turnovers that killed the game) - McCown was # 3 in passing in the league and the Raiders lead the AFC West in points scored (and points given up). Jamarcus has agreed to a deal so when the Raiders are 1-8, he may get a touch or two...
Fruit in beer
I recently came across some Miller concoction that has lime juice already squirted in the bottle of beer. I can think of no abomination greater than this, well maybe a few: warm Coors, Guiness in a bottle, etc. First off - DONT PUT FUCKING FRUIT IN YOUR BEER! I mean, it's beer people, not some sort of springtime fruit platter! So if adding fresh lime to your beer isn't bad enough, this beer has some sort of premanufactured lime concentrate squirted into the bottle on the assembly line. Nice touch! Thanks for that refreshing squirt of Citric Acid and sodium benzoate friend! Can you toss in a little dog shit while you are at it!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
It's the MOST wonderful time of the year......
Greetings!
It's that time again and football is right around the corner! The long wait is nearly over - God I hate baseball (except in October). Why can't they just move right to the playoffs in baseball for Pete's sake!
I would like to make my predictions on the AFC West at this time. We can all look back at this prediction in January to see how close I got.
Chargers
Norv Turner will find it hard to repeat the 12-4 record of a year ago. Even though the AFC West is pitted against the very weak NFC North in interconference play this year, I still think that a record of 10-6 is about as good as they will do this year. Sure, Phillip Rivers is maturing and the offense is solid, but I think that Jammer and company will let too many big plays down the field and they will lose a few games over this.
Kansas City
With a respectable 9-7 finish last year, I see the Chiefs losing a step this year. Priest Holmes is gone, and they are being led by Damon Huard of all people with another unknown backing him up. One injury and this is a team that is heading downhill, regardless of Herm's efforts. This is an 8-8 team at best.
Denver
these guys could be the real deal this year if Cutler lives up to his promise. I think that they have shown the ability to get it done over the last few years and may just come out on top. Mike Bell will be a guy to watch. I predict that they go 11-5.
Raiders
This is a big question mark, but with the easy NFC North the Raiders should get more than the two wins of a year ago. Perhaps bringing in another new young coach will make the difference like it did when Chucky came in and took the Raiders all the way to the Super Bowl (one season after he left). Jamarcus will not play a snap until at least November at this rate but Culpepper looks good from his play in the preseason. the Raiders defense will continue to dominate and if they can get any offense at all, they will win some games that they lost last year. I predict at least 2 wins in conference and a record that will be about 7-9. Take THAT!
Beers
We are having a Labor Day block party today and it is around 100 out and the humidity is uncharacteristically high. On a day like this there is only one answer - ice cold Bud Light and lots of it. There is no other beer that I know of that will keep you cool in these situations as well. Coors light and Miller Lite are just bad and this can be proven by checking the ice chest that was equally stocked with each at the end of the day. Invariably the Bud Light is all gone and you are left with the swill.
Cheers!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Spring Musings - WTF Spanos?
Greetings patient readers!
After taking a few months off, I am back in gear. No stories to tell of my failure to post new material - I would attribute it to a combination of laziness on my part and the fact that football season was over!
Over the last few months there have been a few interesting football developments:
1. Chargers Management Implodes - Seriously, could this have been handled any worse by Spanos/Smith? I understand that even though he brought a team from 1-15 to 14-2, Marty had to go. Don't ask me why, but the Chargers, like most San Diego teams, have a need to implode when faced with success. So you decide to get rid of Marty, but have two excellent candidates in the assistant coach positions. In most places, the smart money keeps as much of the coaching team intact and promotes one of the assistants to head coach. Makes sense to you and I but Smith/Spanos decided to do the stupidest shit possible and screw the whole thing up. First they dis Marty with a 1 year deal, sending the message that his time is limited but also letting the assistants know that they would need to look elsewhere for a promotion. Then by the time these dumbasses figure it out and can Marty, its too late - most of the coaching staff is off to greener pastures. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!
To make it even worse they hire Norv Friggin Turner as Marty's replacement! What? This guy has an awful head coaching record - take it from me he SUCKED in Oakland! Sure he did some OK stuff with Dallas - about 15 years ago! I just can't see how these series of moves by Smith/Spanos does anything but destroy team morale and will certainly lead to worse on field performance this season. I think that 10-6 would be lucky this year for the bolts in their new, even dumber uniforms.
2. Al Davis Still Can't Hire an Experienced Coach - I've got underwear almost as old as Lane Kiffin! 31 years old for Christ's sake - he was born in the 1975! Al just can't attract coaches that are any good - look at the last few - Shell, Turner, Calahan - not the A list there! I think that the lack of a GM hurts the team when the Good Humor Man is at the reigns.
With that said - the kid does present some interesting experience at USC. He may be the right kind of coach to get the best out of Jamarcus Russell - we'll see.
3. Randy Moss goes for a 4th Round Pick - I guess this smug golden boy is not so golden when all the Raiders could get for him is a 4th round pick. That is pathetic! Good riddance I say - that guy is a cancer on a team.
4. Ricky Williams Can't Back Away from the Bong - Ricky, Ricky, RICKY! What the F*** are you thinking you idiot? Let's see here...millions of dollars OR bong hits? Hmmm, tough question - NOT! This guy is so stupid that he can't even figure out how to use a masking agent for his tests. What a moron! I think that the NFL should ban him not for drugs but for sheer stupidity.
Beers
Good neighbor Pat came by yesterday (yes we were drinking beer on Mother's Day). He stopped in with one of the best beers anywhere but certainly the best that is brewed here in North County San Diego - Stone Brewing's Ruination Ale IPA. This stuff is so friggin good it is ridiculous! Nicely hoppy and satisfying, I recommend this beer to anyone but Coors Light drinkers as they like piss more than beer. For those of you who want insane hop quantities, go for Stone's Arrogant Bastard - you are not worthy!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Of Playoffs, weddings, and beer
Well, it was a wild weekend here in San Diego County! Regrettably, I had to follow the game on my cell phone during a wedding service. That's right, my wife's brother decided to get married on a Sunday, in football playoff season! When I arrived at the location for the wedding, I found that there was a TV upstairs that we could use and notified my brother in law that I may or may not be there for the service. He granted me this as apparently the date was not his idea.
Anyway, I was able to get one or two beers in before the actual wedding and was not able to stay upstairs for the service as doing so would have caused me much more grief back at home. I sent a text message to one of my neighbors who kept me posted on the game via text message during the ceremony. I had my phone on vibrate so nobody saw the score updates, although my wife gave me the stinkeye until her phone blared right before the bride said "I do" with a loud Austin Powers ringtone! My ability to receive messages was not in question after that!
After the ceremony we had to go take pictures - and the game was still on! We went to a waterfall on the grounds of the development for the shots but I guess nobody checked in advance because it had huge icicles on it and the little pond was frozen over! I lobbied hard to get our shots done quickly and then literally ran back to the car and made it back to the venue with 3 minutes left in the game.
I don't know what the friggin Chargers were thinking, but they blew this one badly. I had continued to receive updates on the score so I knew it was tied, but when I got there and saw Brady with the ball I knew it was over. I think that he is the second coming of Joe Montana; not the best arm and mediocre stats, but he can sure win a fucking game when he wants to. If you let them stay close he will roll you over and give you the high hard one every time.
The worst thing was watching Rivers try his 2 minute drill (1:05 drill actually). What is up with a few short passes over the middle? Hello! No time outs left folks. Either throw it outside and get out of bounds or throw it away. They probably would have done better on a draw play to LT - seriously! The Pats were hanging back there looking for these passes outside and gave them 5 yarders over the middle - and Rivers bit on it! I am here to tell you that if Drew Brees was back there this game would have played out differently and the bolts may still be in it. Thank you AJ Smith!
If I were a Charger fan, I would be bitter. As a Raider fan, I had no expectations this year - I knew that I would be out of it all the way. But for the bolts to put together such a great record and then fold in their first game - at home - it is quite a sting! C'mon Chargers, what the fuck? You only gave the rock to LT 8 or 9 times in the SECOND HALF! Hello? Did they not see his stats all year?
So I would like to recommend to my Charger fan brethren the bitterest beer in America - Buffalo Bill Brewing's Alimony Ale. It is not actively being brewed anymore, but apparently if you look hard enough you can find a bottle here and there. It is musty and old, just like the last Charger playoff win, so it fits the bill nicely here. It will leave a bad taste in your mouth...
Anyway, I was able to get one or two beers in before the actual wedding and was not able to stay upstairs for the service as doing so would have caused me much more grief back at home. I sent a text message to one of my neighbors who kept me posted on the game via text message during the ceremony. I had my phone on vibrate so nobody saw the score updates, although my wife gave me the stinkeye until her phone blared right before the bride said "I do" with a loud Austin Powers ringtone! My ability to receive messages was not in question after that!
After the ceremony we had to go take pictures - and the game was still on! We went to a waterfall on the grounds of the development for the shots but I guess nobody checked in advance because it had huge icicles on it and the little pond was frozen over! I lobbied hard to get our shots done quickly and then literally ran back to the car and made it back to the venue with 3 minutes left in the game.
I don't know what the friggin Chargers were thinking, but they blew this one badly. I had continued to receive updates on the score so I knew it was tied, but when I got there and saw Brady with the ball I knew it was over. I think that he is the second coming of Joe Montana; not the best arm and mediocre stats, but he can sure win a fucking game when he wants to. If you let them stay close he will roll you over and give you the high hard one every time.
The worst thing was watching Rivers try his 2 minute drill (1:05 drill actually). What is up with a few short passes over the middle? Hello! No time outs left folks. Either throw it outside and get out of bounds or throw it away. They probably would have done better on a draw play to LT - seriously! The Pats were hanging back there looking for these passes outside and gave them 5 yarders over the middle - and Rivers bit on it! I am here to tell you that if Drew Brees was back there this game would have played out differently and the bolts may still be in it. Thank you AJ Smith!
If I were a Charger fan, I would be bitter. As a Raider fan, I had no expectations this year - I knew that I would be out of it all the way. But for the bolts to put together such a great record and then fold in their first game - at home - it is quite a sting! C'mon Chargers, what the fuck? You only gave the rock to LT 8 or 9 times in the SECOND HALF! Hello? Did they not see his stats all year?
So I would like to recommend to my Charger fan brethren the bitterest beer in America - Buffalo Bill Brewing's Alimony Ale. It is not actively being brewed anymore, but apparently if you look hard enough you can find a bottle here and there. It is musty and old, just like the last Charger playoff win, so it fits the bill nicely here. It will leave a bad taste in your mouth...
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Nothing Good Happens at 3 AM - Red Drak
Well another NFL player has tragically proven this adage to be true, with his life being taken in the wee hours of the night. Sadly, he apparently did the right thing and left the scene of an altercation but ended up dead anyway. This is in contrast to idiots like Foley who careen about hammered out of their heads and cause trouble.
I just don't know why these guys, with all of their money, need to take their posse and go out on the town acting like morons. From Ray Lewis to friggin Seabass, there is a long list of NFL players who just can't seem to stay away from trouble, especially in the middle of the night. I guess if someone plopped a few million in my lap when I was 23 years old I would go a bit off the deep end, but back then a bad altercation was a short fist fight. Now these hoodlums have machine guns! The stakes certainly have changed.
Perhaps I am getting older, but I am having an increasingly hard time thinking of anything really good that happens well after midnight. Here's a list of bad things that generally occur:
- Hangovers - bad ones
- Damaged vehicles, homes, etc
- Ill thought out comments
- Lost possessions
- Pissing off the wrong guy (or girl - ouch)
- Arrest
- Sleeping in unfamiliar places
- Strange injury that you just can't recall receiving
Perhaps some of you have some other fuzzy recollections of things that have happened to you in the wee hours.
Now for some beer talk. There is one beer that I had last year that will definitely get you into trouble. There is a brewer in the Czech Republic called Starobno that brews this stuff called Cerveney Drak, or what we called Red Drak. This stuff comes in a bottle that has a bottle cap that you open will a pull ring. The bottle cap splits down the middle. It is really strange. My father in law brought over a case a while back as I am not sure where you can get this stuff.
This beer is not especially strong at 6%, but it seems to have some sort of psycho-tropic qualities. My neighbors and I each had a few and noticed a particularly different buzz for some reason. I continued to drink the stuff and later that night I checked off a few of the items on my list above. Needless to say my wife has asked her father never to bring that stuff around.
With that said, I do think that you should try it if you find it. Just be warned in advance that it may cause mayhem later. After all, if it weren't for the potential for mayhem, much of the fun of drinking beer would be lost....
I just don't know why these guys, with all of their money, need to take their posse and go out on the town acting like morons. From Ray Lewis to friggin Seabass, there is a long list of NFL players who just can't seem to stay away from trouble, especially in the middle of the night. I guess if someone plopped a few million in my lap when I was 23 years old I would go a bit off the deep end, but back then a bad altercation was a short fist fight. Now these hoodlums have machine guns! The stakes certainly have changed.
Perhaps I am getting older, but I am having an increasingly hard time thinking of anything really good that happens well after midnight. Here's a list of bad things that generally occur:
- Hangovers - bad ones
- Damaged vehicles, homes, etc
- Ill thought out comments
- Lost possessions
- Pissing off the wrong guy (or girl - ouch)
- Arrest
- Sleeping in unfamiliar places
- Strange injury that you just can't recall receiving
Perhaps some of you have some other fuzzy recollections of things that have happened to you in the wee hours.
Now for some beer talk. There is one beer that I had last year that will definitely get you into trouble. There is a brewer in the Czech Republic called Starobno that brews this stuff called Cerveney Drak, or what we called Red Drak. This stuff comes in a bottle that has a bottle cap that you open will a pull ring. The bottle cap splits down the middle. It is really strange. My father in law brought over a case a while back as I am not sure where you can get this stuff.
This beer is not especially strong at 6%, but it seems to have some sort of psycho-tropic qualities. My neighbors and I each had a few and noticed a particularly different buzz for some reason. I continued to drink the stuff and later that night I checked off a few of the items on my list above. Needless to say my wife has asked her father never to bring that stuff around.
With that said, I do think that you should try it if you find it. Just be warned in advance that it may cause mayhem later. After all, if it weren't for the potential for mayhem, much of the fun of drinking beer would be lost....
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