Daps or No Daps

This is a new column that will hopefully be continued in the future. Similar to Sports Illustrated's "Who's Hot, Who's Not" section, but in a style that makes it entirely our own. The "Daps" section will acknowledge people/events/whatever that are worthy of daps and the "No Daps" section will talk about things that are not worthy of daps. Lastly, the "Questionable" section will address controversial issues that some may believe earn daps and some believe are not worthy. So here goes.

Daps:


Kyrie Irving:

Irving is a freshman guard who plays for the Duke basketball team. Highly recruited out of college, Irving has wasted no time making a name for himself. In Wednesday night's game versus the #6 ranked Michigan State Spartans Irving dropped 31 points. He did a little bit of everything to help the defending champion Blue Devils to victory and also added 6 rebounds, 4 assists, two steals and two blocks.

Waka blocka! Irving had a huge pack on this fast break. 

Bill Clinton:

You may be surprised to see the ex-President's name up here, but Clinton is serving as the Honorary Chairman of the USA Bid Committee to bring the World Cup back to America in 2022. He is definitely deserving of daps because the World Cup in America would be great for soccer here and would "assist those less fortunate and promote environmental sustainability," according to Clinton. Not to mention, the World Cup would be tight from a spectator's point of view. When the World Cup came to the US in 1994 a game was played at Stanford stadium. I'm getting my chest paint and vuvuzelas ready.

Brian Westbrook:

Westbrook filled in nicely as Frank Gore's injury replacement Monday night against the Cardinals, rushing 23 times for 136 yards and a TD. He should be getting the rock a fair amount this week against the Green Bay Packers if he's healthy.


No Daps:


The Miami Heat:

Cmon, you guys have the Big 3 and everyone expected you to be the best team in the NBA. After off season acquisitions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh the Heat were supposed to be the team. Instead Miami has stumbled out of the gate to an 11-8 start. D Wade has been pretty garb so far, only shooting 25% for 3 point land.

The Heat have looked like the worst possible scenario when you have a bunch of superstars on one team; there's no offense and everyone stands around waiting for James, Wade or Bosh to go 1 on 1. Hmm, sounds like a lot of NBA teams. But that's another for another time.

Boise State's kicker:

I feel bad for the guy. Kyle Brotzman, who is the Broncos all-time leading scorer, missed the game winning field goal against Nevada from 26 yards out late in the 4th quarter and then missed a 29-yarder in OT to secure Boise State's 34-31 loss. Any chances Boise State had of playing in the national championship are now gone. And Brotzman's apparently been receiving rude voice messages and there have been anti-Brotzman facebook groups created, too.

It's ok, at least you're the 8th best WR in fantasy football this year.

Steve Johnson:

WR Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills dropped what would have been the game winning TD pass in overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Johnson's actually been having a breakout season, but it will be marred for some after his bout with butterfingers allowed the Steelers to prevail 19-16.

Questionable:

The fines on James Harrison:

James Harrison, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers was fined $25,000 for his helmet to chest hit on Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick last Sunday. Harrison has been fined four times this year for a total of $125,000.

There has been a lot in the news recently about concussions and head injuries in football and their crippling effects on ex-NFL players. Rick Reilly for one abhors Harrison's reckless playing style and seeming indifference towards injuring opposing players. Read his article about it here. 

Some think that Harrison is being criticized unfairly. "I'm sure if you asked 10 guys in the league, nine of them would say he's not a dirty player. He's a hard player." Harrison said. 

Steelers WR Hines Ward defended Harrison while also issuing biting remarks about the hypocrisy of the NFL's player safety policy. "They don't care about the safety of the game. If the league was so concerned about the safety, why are you adding two more games on?" 

Time to forgive?

Michael Vick:

Like him or hate him, Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles has been one of the most valuable players in the league this year. He took over the starting job after a combination of injury and ineffectiveness from Kevin Kolb and hasn't looked back since. Vick leads the NFL with a 106.0 passer rating and has only thrown 1 INT. A few weeks ago Vick had 6 total TDs versus the Washington Redskins. 

Some have forgiven Vick for his dog fighting and are impressed that the man has come so far. Jason Avant, a WR on the eagles said this of Vick. "We look up to him. As someone who's been to hell and back - and conquered it." 

Others think that Vick's crimes were too heinous for him to be forgiven. They think that he is benefitting from the sports world's short memory because of his exploits on the field and that he is not truly sorry for his actions. 

Great articles by S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated and Rick Reilly of ESPN about Michael Vick. 

Yankees' hard stance towards Jeter:

This is the problem that both the Derek Jeter and the Yankees organization face. Derek Jeter is a very solid shortstop, a leader in the clubhouse, a Yankee icon and one of the most respected athletes in America. The Yankees are treading on unsteady ground here because they would look terrible if they pushed out the door the most famous Yankee since Mickey Mantle. 

Some believe the Yankees were smart though for telling Jeter to "test the market" to see if other teams offer him a better contract than what's waiting for him in NY. Jeter met with Yankee execs Tuesday night and supposedly Jeter and his agent, Casey Close, are asking for a 4-6 year deal at around $23 million/year. Honestly, does Jeter really have 5 more good years left in him? Certainly not good enough to be worth $23 million each year in my opinion. And in the end, the Yankees have less to lose than Jeter, their ultimate priority is winning championships, not loyalty. 

College Football BCS Bowl Predictions – As of 12/1

Written by Pete Foster. 


Tostitos BCS National Championship - #1 Auburn vs. #2 Oregon


Preview: The National Championship will be a matchup for the ages. Oregon and Auburn both have high scoring offenses, stellar defenses, and more speed than anyone has seen in years. Auburn QB Cam Newton has dazzled every opponent, most recently rival Alabama in Tuscaloosa, with his athleticism in space and rocket arm. Oregon hasn’t seen a dual threat QB since their Rose Bowl loss last season (Terrelle Pryor), and it will be up to defensive veterans Casey Mathews and Kenny Rowe to shut Newton down. The Auburn D also has their hands full with Oregon’s quick-paced spread offense, which has put up 50.5 points a game (1st in FBS). Speedy RB Lamichael James will test Auburn’s secondary when he finds running lanes.

Cam Newton will be the X factor in Auburn's victory.  

Verdict: This game is a complete toss-up, but ultimately Cam Newton will be the difference maker. The Heisman front-runner is one of the most gifted athletes I’ve ever watched, and his ability to make plays is unmatched. Oregon should push his team to the brink, but Auburn will somehow outscore the Ducks. 


Auburn 35 – Oregon 31

Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO - #3 TCU vs. #5 Wisconsin


Preview: Wisconsin has been playing out of its mind recently, and is arguably the hottest team in college football. Their traditional power I offense, even without bruiser RB John Clay, has put up 201 points in the past 3 weeks! TCU on the other hand is coming off of an undefeated season and hopes to justify its highest-ever ranking with a BCS victory. The Horned Frogs have a solid defense and a big-play threat in WR Jeremy Kerly, but have not been tested by any legitimate teams this season, and even came down to the wire with sub-par opponents (Oregon State, San Diego State). Wisconsin will be by far the best competition they’ve seen in years, and it’s very hard to say whether TCU can keep it close.


Verdict: Wisconsin is a better football team all around, and will prove it on January 1st. RBs John Clay and Montee Ball, behind an unstoppable offensive line, should overpower TCU all game and not let up. TCU’s passing attack could make it close, but I believe Wisconsin runs away with this one without a worry. 


Wisconsin 34 – TCU 16

Those black jerseys are pretty sick. 

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - #4 Stanford vs. #9 Oklahoma


Preview: Coming off of a historical 11 – 1 season, Stanford has been playing its best football in, well, ever! QB Andrew Luck is the best true quarterback in the country, and his offense’s balance and complicated formations keep defenses on their heels. In last year’s Sun Bowl, Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles torched Stanford’s defense for 3 touchdowns. The Cardinal D has drastically improved this season, just allowing 17.8 points against, but will need step up if they are to contain Broyles and elusive RB Demarco Murray. Expect a fantastic coaching battle as well between Jim Harbaugh and Bob Stoops.


Verdict: Stanford will get its revenge from last year’s Sun Bowl and beat OU soundly. Oklahoma’s defense is good, but not great: simply not enough to keep Andrew Luck from having a field day on a mediocre OU secondary. Stanford’s defense is improved enough to keep the Sooner’s passing game in check, and the Cardinal will enjoy a solid victory. 


Stanford 38 – Oklahoma 24

Allstate Sugar Bowl - #6 Ohio State vs. #7 Arkansas


Preview: Once again Jim Tressel has led his Ohio State Buckeyes to a BCS bowl, this time with one of his strongest teams. However, they face young and talented Arkansas, led by standout QB Ryan Mallet. The Razorbacks average 338.4 yards per game, and Mallet has dangerous targets in WRs Greg Childs and Joe Adams. OSU has a very experienced offense, led by RB Dan Herron, WR Dane Sanzenbacher, and QB Terrelle Pryor. Pryor possesses the speed, athleticism, and arm strength to rip up a lackluster Arkansas’ defense. 


Verdict: OSU is too experienced and too talented to lose this game. Ryan Mallet can be inconsistent at times, and if he is rattled early the Buckeyes will have no problem taking the cake. Watch out for Terrelle Pryor and his play making ability – he was the game changer in last year’s Rose Bowl, and could be just as deadly against the Razorbacks. 


Ohio State 42 – Arkansas 27

Swag out the building: Tyrod Taylor. 

Discover Orange Bowl - #15 Virginia Tech vs. #24 West Virginia


Preview: After losing to Boise State at the start of the season, Virginia Tech has really slipped out of the nation spotlight. Yes, it was painful to lose to the Broncos, and losing to James Madison brought back memories from Michigan – App. State, but the Hokies are still a good football team. QB Tyrod Taylor is a dynamic playmaker, and they have a first-rate defense. West Virginia should not be much of a challenge, as the Big East is garbage and it’s ridiculous that a team like Michigan State is left out of the BCS picture for a team like WVU. They too have a great defense, but again, that’s playing in the Big East.


Verdict: VA Tech should win in an overall boring and shameful BCS matchup. Watch out for a relatively low scoring affair; both of these talented Ds should hold the other team’s offense in check. VA Tech will only squeak out more points because, aside from WVU RB Noel Devine, they have better athletes on their sideline. 


Virginia Tech 24 – West Virginia 13

Scam Newton headlines a tragic college football season

Not so fast Cam, you're only eligible because of a stupid loophole, according to ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski.

Written by Wade Avery.

The 2010 college football season has provided some of the best football I have ever seen in my life. Future NFL star Andrew Luck and the nation’s top coach Jim Harbaugh have led Stanford in the sickest way possible to a school record 11-1 regular season and are looking to produce the Cardinal’s first BCS bowl berth since the 2000 Rose Bowl. Oregon has probably the most exciting offense to watch in college history and there have been shocking upsets aplenty. To top it all off, the teams that everybody hates (Texas, Florida, USC, Notre Dame) are having awful seasons and receiving the beat downs they deserve. 

That being said, there has been enough tragedy, corruption, and adversity to make what seems like another great year of college football a season everyone wants to forget. Here are some of the events and actions that have tainted this season:

• Rutgers defensive lineman Eric LeGrand remains paralyzed from a hit against Army
• Mississippi State defensive linemen Nick Bell lost his battle with cancer only weeks after playing in what would be his last football game
• Three Southern Mississippi players were shot outside of a night club, leaving one with severe voice damage and another in a wheelchair the rest of his life
• Agent scandals have tainted the reputations of many elite programs such as Georgia (AJ Green), UNC (everybody), and South Carolina (Wesley Saunders)
• Last but CERTAINLY not least SCAM NEWTON

If there is one thing that has made this catastrophe laced college football season devastating for me, it is Auburn QB Cam “Scam” Newton and his painful antics. I’m not going to deny that he is a phenomenal football player. He makes stout SEC defenses look like Menlo College every single week and can beat you any way he pleases. All talent and on field performance aside, I die inside when people talk about him. The first thing he taught me was that I could get kicked out of one college, get caught throwing a stolen computer out of a third floor window, and face felony charges and STILL get into Auburn. Well if Jeremiah Masoli can get into Ole Miss with every drug and theft charge in the book, why not?! But that is not the only reason he ticks me off. He has a hurricane of allegations swirling around him that has made his presence in college football questionable at best. 

For starters, Newton apparently had somebody acting as an agent during his recruitment process that tried to sell Cam to schools in return for money. In addition to the agent figure, Newton’s father, Cecil, was apparently offering schools Cam’s commitment for money in what was called a “pay-for-play” plan. It was later reported that Cam and Cecil said in separate phone conversations that the “pay-for-play” plan was their only option and his commitment would be based on how much cash the Newton’s received. How much money did the Newton family want? It is reported that Cecil wanted between $150,000 and $200,000 for Cam’s commitment. But the controversy doesn’t end there. There are also allegations that at Florida, his first school, Cam was caught cheating on three exams and turning in other peoples’ papers with is name on it, which nearly led him to expulsion at Florida. 

And what do Cam and Cecil have to say about these allegations? It went from ‘I didn’t do anything’ to ‘no comment’ to not even speaking to the media. Really? You claim you did nothing wrong but at the same time you won’t talk to anyone about anything? It isn’t that hard, he just has to come out and tell us what he did and he needs to stand by that. Obviously he won’t come out and admit he did anything, he’s in the middle of a historic season. Seriously though, who won’t speak to the media because they want to hide their innocence? It’s common knowledge people, if he won’t talk there is something wrong. I will never be able to watch him play the same way I watch LaMichael James play because I don’t know if he should be on the field or not. 

Naive Auburn fans can only protect you for so long, Cam. 

LaMike was charged with assault, found guilty, accepted his penalty, and got on with his life and is still in the Heisman race. Newton won’t stand up to anything and continues to get defended by naive Auburn fans that would obviously attack him if he played for any other school. 

As if seeing him on the field was bad enough, the fact that certain Heisman voters continue to treat him like a god is what really irritates me. Did everybody totally forget about Reggie Bush?! Any one of Newton’s many allegations is just as severe as everything that Bush did and yet people think that every single one of the numerous allegations against Newton is false because anybody can make things up.  The reason I didn’t put “Heisman contender” next to Andrew Luck’s name is because Cam Newton pretty much has that award on lock, which is garbage. I can’t stand to see players with squeaky-clean records like Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore take a back seat to somebody who is up to his neck in controversy after one of the best running backs ever lost his Heisman for almost the same reason. 

I understand he was just cleared to play by the NCAA because his dad broke the rules and I guess Cam had not even the slightest idea what the man around the most in his life was doing. The other thing that people seem to forget is that Cam acknowledged that his recruitment would be decided based on payment during a phone call that was tragically unable to be recovered. I’d be very willing to bet that in five or so years it is uncovered that Newton lied to the NCAA and knew about the entire thing, but since he is long gone from the college game the only people that will be punished are the ones who had success playing by the rules. 

I will totally understand if people disagree with me and back the NCAA and Newton, but I just want to let it known that I do not trust Newton and his family. This isn’t some Michael Oher case where the player is being innocently caught in the crossfire of an investigation, Cam himself had all sorts of direct ties with the case. He just got incredibly lucky that his dad was in on it to take the blame because what dad wouldn’t take the bullet for his son that is probably going to style him with millions of dollars down the line? And if you think that making up allegations is just a new way for people to bring down the top players, why doesn’t every other amazing football player face 20 different rules violations? 

When he wins the Heisman, I just hope his portrait ends up next to OJ Simpson’s picture.

Zeitoun

pronounced "Zay-toon"

I just finished a really good book by Dave Eggers  called Zeitoun. In a nutshell, Zeitoun is a nonfiction book that documents firsthand the experiences of suffering through Hurricane Katrina and the difficulties of being a Muslim in post-9/11 America.

Here are two passages from the book showing why you should read Zeitoun: 

Later, after kissing Zachary goodnight, Kathy lay down in Nademah’s bed and the girls arranged themselves around her, a mess of overlapping limbs and pillows.

“Who wants to start?” Kathy asked. 

Safiya began a story about Pokémon. The stories, which the girls told collaboratively, were often about Pokémon. After Aisha introduced the protagonist, Safiya provided the setting and central conflict, and Nademah took it from there. They continued, taking turns advancing the plot, until Aisha was alseep and Nademah and Safiya were drifting off. Kathy looked up to find Zeitoun in the doorway, leaning against the frame, watching them all. He did this often, just watching, taking it all in. The scene was almost too much, too beautiful. It was enough to burst a man’s heart wide open. (Eggers 49)

This passage brought me back to the night when I slept over with all of my cousins at their house in San Francisco. It honestly couldn’t have been that long ago, maybe five years ago, and after some solid ice cream eating, nerf gun shooting and games of sardines everyone went to bed. It being a cousin sleepover, we all were sleeping in the same room and no one went to bed right away. 

My cousins and I played the exact same game as Safiya, Aisha and Nademah did, except we substituted disgusting stories of explosive diarrhea and pee-filled rivers for tales about Pokémon. My uncle and aunt played with us too, until eventually we petered out and everyone fell asleep. 

Eggers’s writing in this passage recalled a flood of heart-warming memories and his ability to make me empathize made Abdulrahman Zeitoun’s struggles that much more meaningful. I also really like the writing in the last two sentences of the paragraph; Eggers does a good job of concision. 

Next passage:

In the end, Zeitoun spent ten years as a sailor. Aboard a ship called the Star Castor he saw the Persian Gulf, Japan, Australia, and Baltimore. Aboard the Capitan Elias, he saw Holland and Norway. He saw herds of humpbacks, breaching grey whales, schools of dolphins leading the ships to port. He saw the aurora borealis, meteor showers over tumbling black waves, night skies so clear the stars seemed within reach, hung from a ceiling by fishing wire. He served on the Nitsa, the Andromeda, he sailed all the way until 1988, when he landed in Houston and decided to explore inland. That brought him to Baton Rouge, and Baton Rouge brought him to Kathy, and Kathy brought him to Zachary and Nademah and Safiya and Aisha. (146)

This passage is an example of descriptive writing at its finest. Dave Eggers employs repetition, “he saw,” to emphasize the broad scope of his travels and elevates his already amazing nautical adventures to a surreal level. 

My favorite phrase is “meteor showers over tumbling black waves.” Eggers’s description in the middle of the passage reminds me of Tobias Wolff’s writing style. Wolff is one of my favorite authors and part of the reason why his writing is exceptional is that his descriptive writing is very “in the moment,” just like Eggers’s. 

Eggers again uses repetition in his writing to convey a sense of destiny. His repeated use of the word “and,” in the last sentence, suggests that Zeitoun’s nights on the open sea were not aimless and wandering but that he was on a predestined path towards his wife and beloved kids. 

10 Reasons Why Fantasy Football is the Greatest

The annual draft. 

1. The draft

The fantasy football draft is probably the single most fun day in the fantasy season. Everyone gathers at a friend's house before the season starts to draft their team. We all pressure Pete Foster to host the draft, and he reluctantly agrees (Pete, you know you like hosting) to have us all over. There's pizza, sodas, fantasy cheat sheets, ping-pong and touch football aplenty. And if you do an online draft then you're lame, because they suck.

2. Mock drafts

Not really, though. Mock drafts are when you do a pretend draft with other strangers online to prepare yourself for the "real" fantasy draft. That's kind of ironic.

This is the first year I've done mock drafts because before I always thought they were unnecessary and time consuming. And they are. You stare at your computer screen as faceless strangers discuss their various fantasy strategies and imply how they are the next Matthew Berry. But I'll admit that I stayed up until about 12:30 the night before the draft doing three mock drafts.

Arian Foster, the reason why I am still alive in fantasy this year. 

3. The sleeper pick that busts out

Anyone can draft Adrian Peterson and watch him put up big week after big week (Wade and Kyle!). It's not difficult to know that Aaron Rodgers was going to be money. It's so satisfactory though to have scouted an under the radar fella, draft him and then have him bust out for you. Arian Foster has been that guy for me this year; I took him in the 5th round and he is the #1 fantasy RB this season.

4. Dominating your friends / Smack talk

I lump these two together because they go hand in hand as the best reasons to play fantasy football. Your friends may be cooler, smarter, better looking or more athletic than you, but if you're fantasy team scrapes that's a legitimate claim to fame. And when you blow them out in your match-up the smack talk the next day at school is so nice. I think fantasy football is similar to ping-pong in this regard. If you take a step back to ponder, you realize that they're kind of stupid, are pointlessly time-consuming and don't prove anything, but to guys, both are very important in the alpha male culture.

5. Sausage fest central

Fantasy football is nice, too, because it is mostly a dudes-only activity. Just a lot of good guys sharing a common interest with bewildered girls puzzling over why we find fantasy football remotely interesting. And that's totally fine with me.

Child please! Chad Ochocinco appeared in the premiere of the second season of The League. 

6. The League 


To prove that fantasy football is not just a nerdy guy thing, I give you The League. The League is a comedy tv show that is based around guys and their hyper-competitive fantasy football league. It's really funny, very inappropriate, and is on FX on Thursdays at 7:30.

7. Wasted time

The time I waste each week on fantasy football is funny.

Mon: Repeatedly check our league's scoreboard to check on who won and who lost. Watch the Monday night game if players on my team are playing. (10 min.)

Tue: Evaluate last week's performance and scour the internet for this week's pick-ups. Spend way too much time obsessing over pretty scrubby bye week fill-ins like James Jones and Danny Woodhead. Make claims on players on waivers. (30 min.)

Wed: Check to see if I got the players I claimed. Add anyone else that I was interested in. Change roster.  (5 min.)

Thu-Sat: While I'm bored and on the Internet, check my fantasy team. Read any "breaking news" on the health of Andre Johnson's ankle. Check out my team's scoring projections and make any last minute roster adjustments (10 min.)

Sun: Game time baby. Every half an hour or so while I take breaks from homework, check my fantasy league's scoreboard and see how my team is doing. Berate Reggie Wayne for not having scored a TD since Week 4 and hope upon hope that this is the week that my scrub tight end Tony Moeaki decides to bust out. Hang out in the family room and watch Red Zone HD. Check fantasy scoring updates that get texted to my phone. Watch the Sunday night football game and continue to fret over my team. Check the fantasy thread on facebook. (2.5 hrs)

Altogether about 3.5 hours each week spent on fantasy football. That's time well spent right there.

8. The cash

Our league's unoffical motto is "We don't f*** around." This is demonstrated by our hefty entrance fee. It's $35/person and multiply that by 12 teams is $420 in the pot. The winner takes home about $300. A man's gotta make his living in this tough economy, and if it's by fantasy football, so be it.

9. Arian Foster, Brandon Lloyd, Peyton Hillis, Kyle Orton and Terrell Owens. 

Enough said.

Scrubville central aka Matthew Berry aka The Talented Mr. Roto. Honestly, who gives themself their own nickname?

10. Matthew Berry

Haha, sike! He sucks and thinks he's a huge deal but for some reason I always read his stuff.

Cam Meekins

Download Cam Meekins Day Off here. 

Download Dancing With the Stars here. 

I'm obsessed with Cam Meekins right now.

He's this white, teenage rapper who grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. What I like so much about him is that his music is really smooth and isn't as obnoxious as most hip-hop and rap. I'm more of a smooth music sort of guy and his beats are tight and pretty relaxing. He doesn't sing about typical rap stuff like how much he gets, how rich he is, how high he gets or how he's from the hood. I respect that.  And I also like how he seems like just a normal guy, because he kind of is.

Paying my dues to the Will Petit Swagger Blog and Colum Coyne. They knew about him before I did. And check out Super Tracks, too. It's a hella dope music website by Mac Osborne. and Kyle Hutchinson

Here are my favorite songs by Cam Meekins.

"Shoot Your Love" (on the albums Dancing With the Stars and Cam Meekins Day Off): My favorite song by Cam Meekins, hands down. It's really calming, has a sweet beat and a real nice, non-obnoxious cowbell in the song. (on iTunes)

"Just Like You" (Cam Meekins Day Off): I first heard of Cam Meekins when my sister showed me this song. It's more of a chick song since he's singing about his ideal girl but the beat is really smooth. (on iTunes)

"On My Own" (Dancing With the Stars): This song is really growing on me. It's a slow song and is kind of sad but is amazing. Plus it has this real nice jazz sax part at the end of the song.

"Fast Lane" featuring Chris Webby (Cam Meekins Day Off): This song kind of has a Lupe Fiasco feel to it.

"Taken Off" (Cam Meekins Day Off): Singing about his career taking off. (on iTunes)

"Lost" (Dancing With the Stars): Really cool chorus.

"I'm Just Me" (Dancing With the Stars): Same beat as Travie McCoy's (feat. Bruno Mars) song, "Billionaire." Just better, more chill and less annoying. (on iTunes)

Cam Meekins also takes a lot of beats from popular songs to make his own songs. Here are the names of the songs and the original song it's from:

"I'm Just Me": "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars
"Teach Me How to Dougie Remix": "Teach Me How to Dougie" by Cali Swag District
"What I Got Remix": "What I Got" by Sublime
"Make Em Say": "Make Her Say" by Kid Cudi ft. Kanye West and Common
"Still Cam": "Still D.R.E" by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg

Broin it up.

Game 1 Thoughts

Uuuuuuribe! God I love that thing he does with his arms after he goes deep. 

Things that came to mind while watching Game 1 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers. 


Fox announcers blow


I think everyone agrees with me on this one. The TV announcers for Fox, the channel that broadcasted the NLCS and broadcasts the World Series, are the worst. Just a bunch of really boring observations with absolutely no analysis. It's tough having to switch from Kruk and Kuip, arguably the best TV guys in all of baseball, to these scrubs.

Another thing. I'm sick of hearing the Fox announcers repeat the same stuff about the Giants over and over again. I understand that 95% of the nation doesn't know much about the Giants but as a Giants fan, it's just annoying to hear Joe Buck repeat himself. If I hear anything more from the Fox announcers about Aubrey Huff's positive influence on the Giants clubhouse, how Pat the Bat was out of a job after the Rays released him or B Dubs's beard, I may have to shoot myself.

Also, if you're hispanic, Tim McCarver is guaranteed to butcher your name. You don't pronounce it Freddy San-Chehz, with the accent on the second syllable. Either he thinks he's all cultured and believes he's pronouncing the name correctly or else he just speaks the English language weird because most people would pronounce it correctly.

Cliff Lee is hittable


Man, shoot. I don't wanna hear no of this booha about Lee being the best playoff pitcher of all time, how's he's got a 7-0 record in the playoffs, how he never walks anyone blah, blah, blah. Sure, he's been legit, but that doesn't mean anything to the Giants. San Francisco is smackin' his ass around. He just got taken out after only 4 2/3 innings and allowed 7 runs (6 earned). Yeah, that's right, you jog off that mound, I like the hustle bud.

-----

If I hear anything more from the Fox announcers about Aubrey Huff's positive influence on the Giants clubhouse, how Pat the Bat was out of a job after the Rays released him or B Dubs's beard, I may have to shoot myself. 

-----

Freddy Sanchez is wet


Shout out to my friend Jackson on this one. Yacks reps Freddy as his favorite player. He's 3 for 3 with 3 doubles, 2 RBI and a run right now.

And Peter Tight thinks I'm Freddy Sanchez, even though he's hispanic and i'm Asian. But whatevs.

Sorry, as of now, he has 3 doubles, a single and 3 RBI.

And, in case you're curious, here's a totally unnecessary stat that is not all that important... Freddy Sanchez is the first player ever to hit 3 doubles in his first 3 World Series at-bats.

And Uribe, too


This one's for Kev Dogg Marren. Kevin hates on Uribe's fielding, saying that he sucks in the field and his hitting doesn't make up for it. I know he likes Uribe deep down, but c'mon, how can you hate on someone who swags as much he does, and who has a sweet Uuuuuuuribe nickname. He just went deep off of Texas's relief pitcher for a 3-run jack to give Big Time Timmy Jim more than enough run support. And he made a really nice play in the field.

Sorry that part of the video is cut off. 

Fans, calm down a little


Yes, I know you're pumped up that the Giants may win their first World Series since 1954 but calm down. You guys jump out of your seats every time a Giants player hits a fly ball, mistakenly thinking it's a home run. Or you jump the gun and cheer when you think a Rangers hitter struck out, only to realize he hit a dribbler foul.

No more Directv commercials please


It's the Directv commercial where a scene with Russel Crowe from The Gladiator plays in the background when an assassin dude blow darts a guy and then takes his movies. I've seen that commercial at least 20 times. It's annoying by now. And kinda scary. The first time I saw it the guy with the blow dart was silhouetted in the doorway and was very intimidating. When he missed the guy I thought, oh, he'll be the bumbling hero who somehow avoid death. But no, he gets a blow dart in the neck the second time around and then gets his movie tapes jacked. Scary and surprising. (Pete Foster plagiarized)

Another thing about commercials. Budweiser's "Grab Some Buds" commercial could be my favorite commercial ever. It just makes me love baseball even more, makes me love the camaraderie of watching baseball with your friends and there are a few segments that keep men particularly interested (Peter Tight plagiarized). There are two of these "Grab Some Buds" commercials; the one I posted is actually the non-baseball one, but it's still really good. I couldn't find the one that focuses mostly on baseball.

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Vlady won't have to play RF when the Rangers play at home, but his shoddy defensive play could hamper Texas in the games at AT&T. 

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Vlady is struggling


Vladimir Guerrero has made two errors in the bottom of the 8th. They won't matter since the Giants were up by so much anyway, but I can see why he only played about 17 games in the field during the regular season. Vlady won't have to play RF when the Rangers play at home, but his shoddy defensive play could hamper Texas in the games at AT&T.

Even the scrubs are gettin' their reps!


You know the Giants are ahead when both Travis Ishikawa and Nate Schierholtz get in the ballgame. Ishikawa usually is a pinch hitter in big situations and Nate is a defensive replacement for Pat Burrell in left field. And you know the Giants are playing out of their mind when they both get hits. Ishikawa hit an RBI double in the 8th inning and Nate followed it up later with an RBI single. Title idea taken from Kev Dogg.

Brian Wilson conspiracy theory

Is it really necessary for all of these pitching changes made by Bochy? The Giants are winning by a mile, and Bochy decides he needs to take out Sergio after 2/3 of an inning and Ramon Ramirez and Jeremy Affeldt got taken out in the 9th after shaky starts. Even though it's the postseason and managers don't want to take any chances, it's still a stretch to call in Wilson when the Giants were up 11-4. My conspiracy theory is that B Willy just pumps up the fans too much for Bochy not to put him in.

Death by College Tour - Notes and Observations

Over the 4-day weekend I traveled to New England with my dad to look at colleges. Here are some things I learned on my first college trip. 

Tufts

Don’t be “that guy”

Don’t be the annoying know-it-all kid who is way too excited and way too try-hard. 

Don’t sit in the front row of the info session unless there are no extra seats. 

Don’t wear a really nice leather jacket that pisses me off. 

Don’t have a Mom who makes it a point to let everyone in the room know that she is an alum of the school. 

Don’t answer questions about the school that the tour guide doesn’t even know the answer to. 

Don’t inquire about a random club to show off that you have legit extracurriculars. 

And lastly, don’t be really funny-looking and have eyes that are spread so far apart that you look like a fish. 

Checkin' out a BC football practice.

Info Session and College Tour Clichés

When talking about financial aid, “We are completely need blind.” 

We are a “diverse” community. 

“We want to see you do well in the most challenging courses at your school.” 

“We send about 50% of our students abroad during their junior year.” 

“Our library has over a million volumes, if that means anything to you.”

If the college is out in the middle of nowhere, (Amherst, Williams, Middlebury) “There’s actually a lot to do in the town, I’ve never been bored here.”

Brown

Lack of Dimes at Ivy/NESCAC Schools

I’m not implying anything here but it’s just an observation I made. The small, schools I visited just did not have the abundance of attractive girls that bigger schools have. Even David Lee confirmed this about Williams, saying that there is just a smaller concentration of dimes at his school. On that topic, the girls at Boston College were off the charts. I’m sure Tim Hoag is having fun there. 

Amherst

Is Any Tour Guide Just a Regular Guy?

Hi, my name is William and I’m a psychology and economics double major, I’m part of the academic initiative here, sing in an a cappella group and write for the school newspaper

Hi, my name is Susie and I am a senior here. I’m on the varsity lacrosse team, work on organizing the trips that freshman go on in the fall and spring and am a Resident Advisor in my dorm. 

Hi, my name is John and I am a senior here. I  am currently writing my thesis on agricultural patterns in the Amazon using satellite data and have a minor in geography. I started a community service program, play club rugby and am also a DJ here on campus. 

I know that schools want to give off the best possible image by having its top students give tours, but it can be intimidating. I’m sure the parents love it, but most students are not these tour guides. I would rather just get a tour with an average student who isn’t involved in five different things on campus. 

Dartmouth

Info Sessions Suck

Every school has it set up the same way. You go to an hour long information session where an admissions officer talks up the school and then you go on a tour around campus. Each info sesh says the same thing: quality of its academics, accessibility of the professors, the opportunities to travel abroad, the “feel” of the school, financial aid program, alumni network, career center, how you can either submit the SAT w/ two SAT 2s or the ACT with writing and on and on. Not to mention the room is really warm and the seat is cozy and you’re sitting in the back so no one would see you fall asleep...

Dunkin’ Donuts Galore!

If you visit schools on the east coast, you will pass by scores of Dunkin’ Donuts. For some reason they’re way bigger on the east coast than on the west coast. Even if you normally scorn fast food places, you have make a stop for Dunkin’ Ds. Apparently it has the best coffee. Besides, where else would you find a teenage girl with a huge stain on her shirt working the counter, a guy behind you singing along to the old song on the radio, a bunch of fat people, more pick-up trucks than sedans outside and a portable french fry car next door?