Things that don't suck: Men at Work

We cleared out our entire backyard on Saturday...the Bobcat was in full effect, brother! Now we've got a place for the kids to play...P2 is due in minutes/hours/days...who knows...it's soon...I've been working o the house, and have plenty of posts coming about the experience.

This day, in particular, was the most satisfying of all the other projects combined. The entire yard was overrun by ground cover, trees, vines - you name it. It was a mess. Next thing you know, instant Wiffle yard.

Suck it, Trebek!

Backyard Makeover

Things that don't suck: The Lego Rule

As a gamer, I know the day will come when I dissuade my kids from playing videogames. However, unlike my mother, it's not going to be done by saying - "You're going to rot your brain!"
over and over again...

This article seems to take a good approach, something the author calls the "Lego Rule". I think that some of these games are actually healthy for kids to play - they thrust cognitive reasoning upon them - especially some of the new PS3 titles that are coming out, that cannot be won without true team cooperation.

Things that suck: Project A13

This dude is a bigger douchebag than A-Rod.

http://www.projecta13.com

Things that suck: These guys

Better luck next year, Coach Calhoun. You got cheated by these do-nothings. How is a team supposed to win games when A) nobody has the balls to take it to the rim, and B) you can't hit 60% of your free throws?!

Jeff Adrien has to be pissed - if these guys played with half his mental toughness, he'd be talking to an agent right now about landing a second-round selection in the NBA draft.

Dear Hasheem Thabeet: You're bigger than everyone else on the court. Just stand up straight on defense, Jake Voskhul style. And this offseason, do us all a favor and work on your footwork on offense. You're a soccer player, it should come easy to you. DUNK, DUNK, DUNK next year.

Things that suck: Devil's in the details

So, I'm sure by now you've all heard about and seen the new Topps baseball card that's generating all the buzz these days. But just in case, click on the card for a larger version - there are two things wrong with this picture:

1. President Bush doesn't have horns growing out of his head.
2. Derek Jeter's stance is reversed.
   
3. Mickey Mantle doesn't have a drink in his hand.

I want to make one comment about this card. One. I'm sorry, but I could have done a better job using PhotoShop to superimpose those two. I mean, seriously! The President has ONE ARM!

Things that suck: Sellouts

John Ashcroft, sent a letter last week to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales that blasted the upcoming merger between XM and Sirius. Which is fine, it's his right to do so if he thinks that the merger will hurt the consumer in the end. However, as is the case much of the time, there were other reasons for his passionate plea to strike the deal down:

[Ashcroft] approached XM in the days after the merger was announced offering the firm his consulting services, a spokesman for XM said, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The spokesman said XM declined Ashcroft's offer to work as a lobbyist for the company, the Journal reported.

Ashcroft was subsequently hired by the National Association of Broadcasters, which is fiercely opposed to the merger. On its behalf, he conducted a review of the effects on competition if the two satellite radio companies were allowed to merge, the Journal reported.

Sellouts! Let the eeeeagles soooar...like they've never sooooared before...

Things that suck: Being a Thurmond

This week, the Rev. Al Sharpton was contacted by geneaologists and told that he was the descendant of a slave owned by the family of Strom Thurmond. He was obviously taken by surprise by this news.

Some of Thurmond's relatives said the connection also came as a surprise to them. A niece, Ellen Senter, said she would speak with Sharpton if he were interested.

"I doubt you can find many native South Carolinians today whose family, if you traced them back far enough, didn't own slaves," said Senter, 61, of Columbia, S.C. She added: "And it is wonderful that (Sharpton) was able to become what he is in spite of what his forefather was."

Correction: what YOUR forefather was. You racist.

Things that don't suck: Being Green-er

D.J. shut down Magic in '84, hit a game-winning jumper in '85, and sank a layup in '86. Larry Bird once called him "the best I've ever played with."

"I'm a winner," he once said. "I put my heart into the game. I hate to lose. I accept it when it comes, but I still hate it. That's the way I am."

I remember playing hoops on the playground in the 7th grade - while the other guys were yelling out, "Mag-ic!" or "Bird!" and throwing a behind the back pass or shooting a fadeaway jumper, I was the one yelling "D.J.!" and driving the lane. I would miss about 80% of the time, but that's not the point. Dennis Johnson was and always will be one of my all-time favorite players. Boston would never have hung their banners in '84 and '86 without him and his tenacious overall play. RIP #3.

Things that don't suck: Being Green

For the first time in years, I'm excited about the NBA Slam Dunk contest. The panel of judges are all-time great dunkers: Michael Jordan, Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter...there's a good 15 minutes of sick clips for you...

After last year's fiasco, the NBA needs someone to really promote. Enter Gerald Green. I don't care what Kermit the Frog says - it's easy being Green when your vertical is 46". This kid is going to wow the crowd Saturday, and it's going to be fun to watch.

Gerald should come out next year wearing #17 - as in, Green 17.

Seriously, I'm starting to get really excited for next year. We need to keep losing. We need that #1 pick. We're either getting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant - maybe both if we trade Jefferson or Pierce. Oden, combined with a 20-year old Gerald Green, is a scary proposition for the other teams in the league. You heard it here first. Might not win one next year. But it's coming. We're positioned for a huge breakthrough. The dynasty will return!

Things that don't suck: Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams announced today that in 3 weeks, a new beer glass will become available to the general public via the samueladams.com store. 4 glasses for $30. Samuel Adams claims to have spared no expense on R&D for the new glass design - it's considered "a full-sensory experience" for beer enthusiasts.

As you can see, the glass features a keg-like belly, and a big mouth, just like me.

Even though I think it's pretty cool, I think I'll pass - it looks delicious, but with such a wide opening at the top, you're going to inevitably end up with beer froth on the nose after your second or third sip. Beer belongs in zee mouth.

Either way, Samuel Adams is a pretty cool company in my book - they're really passionate about what they do, and taking the time to care about the little things is what makes customers happy. They get it. I really like that about them.

Things that suck: StubHub

So, I just received an email from the Boston Red Sox - it informed me that unfortunately, I hadn't been selected to receive an opportunity to purchase tickets to Opening Day, Patriots Day, or any of the Yankees games for the upcoming 2007 season.

The biggest reason why I'm not able to attempt to go to a game this year? StubHub. StubHub is an online ticket broker. They're one of Inc. Magazine's Top 10 growing businesses. And they're scalpers. Why doesn't the federal government intervene? I mean, at least uphold existing laws that say that you can't profit more than 10% on tickets you have purchased for yourself!

It's gotten so bad that StubHub is selling Monster Seat tickets for $2300 - that's a 2000% increase - that's not a misprint - and they're not even on sale yet: http://www.stubhub.com/boston-red-sox-tickets/?ticket_id=81677572

StubHub must be stopped. The government needs to intervene and figure out a way to fairly distribute tickets to fans. Screw the steroids scandal at this point - this is worse.

UPDATE: Read the comments section for a rather large "clarification"

Things that don't suck: Calling in sick

Cough! Cough!

Paul Pierce is calling in sick today...and something tells me that he might have to go on short-term disability in the very near future. If the Celtics ever want to win an NBA Championship with Paul Pierce, they're going to have to secure a #1 overall pick, then trade it for a veteran stud.

Personally, I like Paul Pierce. I think he's exemplified what it means to be a Boston Celtic, and he genuinely likes playing here. Earlier this season, I said to trade him, sell high. Lose some games, get Oden at #1 overall by trading Pierce for even more ping pong balls.

Now? I've changed my tune. I say we let Paul ride the pine for the rest of the year, recouperate to 100%, then make some major moves with that #1 overall pick. Green 17, here we come.

Things that don't suck: Nice surprises

Hey, at least we get to know the ending to these shows - too bad they couldn't have done this for Invasion.

While at TCA, [ABC Entertainment President] Mr. McPherson also said that freshman dramas "The Nine" and "Six Degrees," which were pulled from the schedule earlier this season, will likely return to finish their runs before May. But "Day Break" will only be available ABC.com.

For anyone interested, Day Break was a great show. Taye Diggs should be an action star, he was great in that.

Things that suck: Stirring the pot

Brian McGrory is a moron. He's crying like a little baby today, making something out of nothing. All year long, Bill Belichick has endured a lot of unseemly media attention - his kid's smoking pot, he's committing adultery, he's feuding with Eric Mangini....so at the end of the game, when he pushed the camera guy out of his way...could anyone blame him? Of course, McGrory looks at this a bit differently:

Belichick, in that brief instant in Foxborough, went after a guy's livelihood. He shoved a piece of metal equipment perilously close to Davis's eye. There's not a single member of the Globe's star-studded stable of photographers who hasn't been jostled while doing the job, but usually it's by some self-important minion, not by the big man himself.

All he did was push the guy out of his way. Quit making it out to be more than it was, you sissy.

Things that don't suck: Grudge matches

Week 2: New England 24, New York 17
Week 10: New York 17, New England 14
Week 18: ?

This is going to be a great football game, even if my Jets lose. I know one thing: regardless of the outcome, I'm making chili, and I'm drinking cold beer on Sunday.

Things that don't suck: David slaying Goliath

I love Boise State this morning.

For those who haven't seen it - last night's Fiesta Bowl - Boise State (12-0) vs. Oklahoma (11-3) - was the greatest football game ever played.

Boise State, a huge underdog coming into the game, took a 14-0 lead after the first 94 seconds - basically telling the Sooners, okay, we're for real, let's tango. OU comes back in the second half, ties up the game at 28-28, and with a minute to go in the game, they intercept a pass and take it in for the lead, 35-28. Everyone in the stadium is deflated...then with 14 seconds to go in the game, Boise comes back out and runs a 55-yard hook & ladder play - WR catches, starts cutting across the field, dishes to another WR running the opposite direction. Tie game, 35-35.

So that brings us to OT. Each team gets a shot at the endzone from the 25. OU unleashes The Freak, Adrian Peterson, who scores on a 25-yard TD run. Extra point: good. OU up 42-35. Boise comes out and runs a play on 4th and 2 - they put the QB in motion as a WR, and the RB throws the TD - making it 42-41. And instead of taking the chip shot, an automatic extra point to send it to 2OT...David finds the stone to slay Goliath:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmy1jQRaqGw

It was by far the best football game I've ever seen, college, pro, or otherwise.