Last night, Best Friend and I saw the Foo Fighters. As always, when Dave Grohl is in town, you know you are going to a ROCK show.

The Venue: Quicken Loans Arena. The home of the $8 cocktail.

Dave Grohl: Grohl remains quite the entertainer. He reminded us that about 40 minutes to an hour away from here, there is a city with a street named after him. The city would be Warren, OH. He also said it wasn't really a street, but "an alley behind a Burger King. Because there is no way they are gonna name a fuckin' boulevard after Dave Grohl."

After the last song when everyone is waiting for encores, the video screen comes on. Again with the night vision backstage. People cheer. Then who do they switch to? Of course, it's Grohl. How many are they gonna play? He cups his ear to the crowd, they go crazy. It's always funny. Are they gonna do two songs? The negotiation begins. Then Tyler Hawkins gets into the act. Eventually, they decide five is enough and they come back on stage.

The Tickets: We were in Club Section 108 about 5 rows from the front. Pretty good seats which allowed us to see everything.

The Crowd: The upper section facing the stage was curtained off. The other uppers maybe half-filled. The floor was not overly packed and it looks like 10,000 were there. I gotta say the atmosphere in the clubs was way different than the last time we saw them, when we had great seats downstairs. Lesson learned.

The Sound: The Q used to really suck soundwise. Dave's screaming and cussing came through with no problems.

They had two opening acts last night and we got in a lot earlier than last time, when Supergrass was on the bill. The first was Mariachi el Bronx. Sort of disappointed we didn't see them. Rise Against was next and I thought they were very good. Really a hard driving sound.

The Stage: The setup was a bit different this time. The stage floor was lit up at times.. Grohl still has a ramp into the audience. This allows for the typical gesturing and running around with your guitar. At the end of the ramp was a stage, which later elevated maybe about 15 steps and that gave everyone at the shitty end to say they at least saw Dave Grohl, up close. Two video screens fronted the stage.

The Foos were back to a more normal number with 5 members and an ocassional keyboardist. You have four guitars, including Grohl, up front. In the back, we have the keyboards and Taylor Hawkins on drums, of course.

The Music: A consistently strong performance once again last night. All the hits were terrific, "Let It Die" "My Hero" and "Monkey Wrench". We got a solo version of "Best of You" this time. "Everlong" closed it out with the full band treatment, which was acoustic last time.

Setlist:

Bridge Burning
Rope
The Pretender
My Hero
Learn to Fly
White Limo
Arlandria
Breakout
Cold Day in the Sun
Long Road to Ruin
Stacked Actors
Walk
Monkey Wrench
Let It Die
These Days
This Is a Call
All My Life

Encore:

Wheels (Grohl solo)
Best of You (Grohl solo)
Times like These (Grohl solo)
Dear Rosemary
Breakdown (The Tom Petty song)
Everlong

Once more, a great performance by the Foo Fighters. More bang for the buck than any band out there. You get great tunes, jocularity from the band, and an adoring audience. Still impressive after all these years.

PD review is here.

Meal of Links

Albert Brooks is a revelation in "Drive". A long way from the Danny the Dummy era. Which slays me all the time. Somewhere, I see Andy Kaufmann getting inspired.

Albert Brooks with Danny the Dummy



Does Troy Davis signal the end of the death penalty? I remain a staunch opponent.

R.E.M. folds.

"Pop Song 89"/R.E.M.



Cameron Crowe dissects Pearl Jam tunes. PBS airs this on October 21.

TV's Best Characters. Sterling Archer should be on this list.

Let's talk about death, baby. Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the noncommunicable diseases that may be.

Exercise Yard

I guess we can forget about Dan Gilbert being ruined by the subprime crisis. He is one of Forbes 400 richest Americans.

Visitor

Across Down: ( letters) Answer: TEXT

I saw two movies this week. The first was "Horrible Bosses", and tonight "The Tree Of Life" made its initial appearance on the West Side. Let's talk about that one first.

"The Tree of Life", of course, is the latest from Terrence Malick. Malick and David Lynch are probably the two most unique American directors left. Lynch always jolts you with color. And Malick does, as well, but his films always shoot from different angles. Angles that most people hardly see in a movie. Close ups, framing a subject from behind, trees from the ground up, etc.

So, yeah, I've been waiting for this one for a while. And I could tell right away that we were gonna have people hit the eject button, it was only a matter of when. Old couple sits directly behind me and I hear the woman say, "I thought it would be more crowded. You know with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in the movie." OK, my Spider-sense is tingling. Also had to hear "This is weird." and "Do you want any gum?". I give 'em credit, though. They actually made it to the end. We had 15 at the start and this is your Up-To-The-Minute "The Tree Of Life" Walkout Scoreboard:

We had 2 leave before the dinosaurs.
We had 1 leave during the dinosaurs.
We had 4 leave after the dinosaurs (one guy letting us know he was asking for his money back).

That means 7 of 15 left in the first 35 minutes or so. You may be wondering why I mentioned dinosaurs. After Pitt's family suffers a loss, Malick decides to show us (sorta like 2001) his vision, at length, of how the earth was created and took us through some various early life forms. This tends to honk off the Car Chase crowd. It also points out the ignorance of today's movie crowd. Do you just open the Friday Magazine and see the picture of Pitt and Penn and say, hey, looks like a good one. Seriously, how do you not know this is a Malick film? Trust me, for its alleged offensiveness, I didn't see one person walk out of "Borat". Yet, 7 of 15 walk out on this one? Baffling.

Too bad, because the scenes that immediately follow the dinosaurs is awesome. It shows a kid growing up and makes you wonder how that happens exactly. First steps, starting to talk, etc. Amazing sequence.

Now, I'm not gonna pull a Jack Buck and say, "I don't believe what I just saw!". I understand Malick is not everyone's cup of tea. But, as a moviegoer, I think you owe it a look. But it's not exactly "Happy Days" here.

Pitt is not exactly a great father and he and his wife are constantly battling for the kids affection. And the whole house knows who wins on that front. And, for almost three hours, the characters rarely smile, although I think near the end, when Penn (Mostly a dour figure) believes he's come to grips with his life, there is a faint smile. As for the acting, Pitt and the kids have most of the dialogue. Jessica Chastain and Penn have more narration of their parts, as does the oldest son.

So, again, it's a different type of movie experience. But one you have to see.

For a movie where your brain doesn't suffer from overload, I give you "Horrible Bosses". This isn't by any means "Hangover"-funny, but there are enough laughs to keep it going.

Charlie Day and Jason Bateman basically play themselves. Jason Sudeikis plays a horndog. And their bosses are, respectively, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell. The latter two are especially funny, while Aniston is a sex harasser. Hilarious cameo by Jamie Foxx.

The plot is the three guys want to off their bosses. Hilarity ensues. That's really about all you get here.

Meal of Links

Playhouse Square finally released their summer movie schedule. They need me to program this. I hardly see anything of note. Although, "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" and "Jaws" are the standouts. I say this every year. You want asses in the seats? Gotta be an early Tarantino selection. How 'bout a Richard Pryor comedy? "Silver Streak" would do. Have a Bond movie. "Ghostbusters", "Caddyshack". It ain't difficult.

Nick Gilbert has a Fathead. Seriously. For charity.

Alan Sepinwall talks Emmy nominations. Still baffled by "Community" being ignored.

Wal-Mart starts selling "Cheesy Poofs"next month. Yes, it is South Park-related.

Lots of Soda Pop



If the debt ceiling is not raised, which side wins? Maybe neither.

Dads on Vacation.

Exercise Yard

What is Sunday's biggest sporting event? Last round of the British Open? USA-Japan at the Women's World Cup? How about the WWE PPV?

Visitor

48 Across: "12 Angry Men" director (5 letters) Answer: Lumet

OK, I'm back. Tons of stuff happened the last few days, so let's get to it.

Went to the Happy Dog the other evening for their belated take on National Hamburger Day. The same toppings, this time on a burger. Very nicely done.

They actually found Whitey Bulger! He was the topic of one of those gangster hours on the Bio channel not too long ago. Truly a badass who became an informant and basically ran the Boston office of the FBI. He was Most Wanted #2 after Bin Laden and people were questioning if the FBI really wanted him found. Looked for him for years with no luck. The U.S. Marshals joined the hunt and within 7 months they found him. Back to Boston already. This'll be one to watch.

Was over at Paul's for the NBA Draft last night. I guess that draft class was weak. Still waiting for Dan Gilbert's pledge of excitement.

Meal of Links

Google should buy Hulu. It is up for sale and that match would be quite good.

Peter Falk died last night. He was much more than "Columbo", which is still pretty good if you catch it somewhere, but he'll always be remembered for that role. He was terrific in "The In-Laws", but my favorite Falk role was playing himself as an angel in "Wings of Desire".

Companero Scene from "Wings of Desire"



The end credits for "Rango". Great designing work.

The 6 Best Organized Burglaries. Ronnie Biggs? Still alive!

X is coming to town in October. Exene talks.

"Tree Of Life" apparently puzzles some viewers Remember, no refunds.

The films of Robert Altman. The one that is rarely shown is "California Split". I love that one.

This year's BBQ Mix. I honestly think I could do better. BTW, I just heard the other day that Level 42 has sold 30 million albums in their career. Huh? You best believe they also included this classic...

"Hot Fun In the Summertime"/Sly and the Family Stone



Judge Judy snores. Do you realize over the last year, she topped Oprah's ratings? From that mix, cue "She's A Bad Mama Jama".

Exercise Yard

Patrick Cantlay is an amateur golfer. He's been making lots of news lately. Low qualifier in Columbus for the U.S. Open. Low amateur at the U.S. Open.

He's playing in a PGA tournament this weekend, the Travelers Championship. Today, he shot a 60.

Visitor

54 Across: Valuable Ming (3 letters) Answer: Yao

Things are looking up. The Cavs got the Number 1 pick in the draft and also got the Number 4 pick, from the Baron Davis trade. So, the NBA lottery goes our way!

The ramifications of that go way beyond just the players acquired. If those two are parlayed into star players, along with the trade exception still lingering, they may be able to get back to respectability quickly. Hence, fewer empty seats, more revenues, and on and on.

Who cares if it was fixed.

Just can't have the world end this Saturday.

Meal of Links

The ESPN book comes out next week and the buzz is really high. GQ has an excerpt. The subject of the excerpt? Why, Keith Olbermann, of course. His reign of terror at ESPN was legendary. "Welcome to the end of my career." still rates as one of the best lines ever uttered on TV.

Jerry Lewis is out as the MDA Telethon host. Probably due to the fact it's only 6 hours this year.

Elaine's in New York is closing. She once threatened this guy.

Dylan and his cult. One man wants it stopped.

According to Peter Griffin on last week's "Family Guy": "1985 brought us the gayest music video of all time":



"This happened and we all let it happen." I was on the floor.

Seth Macfarlane reboots "The Flintstones". That has hit written all over it.

You hit a deer. Now what? I ain't movin' no fuckin' deer.

Earworms? Maybe "Dancin' In The Streets".

The Pearl Jam doc goes to PBS. This is the Cameron Crowe one. Should be appointment TV.

"Wires"/Red Fang



Cuddy leaves. "House" becomes a sausage fest.

Huey Lewis and the News hit Number One with "Sports". Patrick Bateman, in "American Psycho" said this: "Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when "Sports" came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far much more bitter, cynical sense of humor." Then he put "Fore" on and killed Paul Allen.

Exercise Yard

Dean Smith vs. segregation. Nice history about Dean-o pushing for his Kansas school to be desegregated on the court in the late '40s.

Visitor

66 Across: Country star Travis (5 letters) Answer: Randy

"Better Class of Losers"/Randy Travis

Well, they said the airport got 8.9 inches of snow today and I firmly believe it. Because I shoveled it for a long period of time today. I had the plow come by twice today. The first time was the small deposit, as usual, at the end of the drive.

The second time? Yikes! It was as if the guy wanted to get to the exact measure of the curbside. I can't recall a dumping well up the driveway like that. I saw it up the street where he had not earlier because of a parked car and man, it just poured over the sides like a tsunami.

All we can do now is wait for the flooding.

Meal of Links

The Cavs made some interesting moves before the NBA trade deadline. But has the NBA become the EPL? There are parallels.

This may be why the App Store and Google Apps beat RIM's App World. It is a difficult process to become a developer.

50 ads starring Oscar winners. F. Murray Abraham and Richard Dreyfuss as tough New Yorkers. Dustin Hoffman for VW! George Clooney in a rather obvious Nespresso ad. Al Pacino likes coffee.

A look back at the movie version "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Johnny Depp is perfect as Hunter S. Thompson. I thought the scene where Depp is thrashing away with the fly swatter was genius.

Ken Jennings is still talking about Watson. Trebek was not happy.

Sympathizing with both Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen. I expect Charlie to visit just about every radio show in existence.

Americans is stupid. Only 52% think the healthcare reform act is the law of the land. 22% of our idiots think it has been repealed.

Would you pay a congestion fee at the supermarket. If it gets you ahead at Disney, why not the Iggle?

What is the real Best Picture? I think my last pre-Oscar task is the Live Shorts on PPV.

Kathleen Parker finally leaves "Parker Spitzer". I happened to catch a snippet of a program earlier this week and it was uncomfortable to watch. Spitzer asked multiple questions of Libyan experts while Parker sat there calmly, adding nothing to the proceedings. This continued when Spitzer even took the audience to the commercial break, which I thought Parker would do, to remind people she was still there. Unwatchable.

Exercise Yard

While the owners and the NFLPA are still meeting with the mediator, what to do about that schedule? Should it be 18 games or go back to 16 game in 18 weeks?

I think we are on track for the Super Bowl to become a Presidents Day Weekend tradition. Which would supplant Black Thanksgiving and the already-moved Daytona 500.

Visitor

19 Across: Danish poker star Gus (6 letters) Answer: Hansen

Our long national nightmare is over. CAVS WIN!!!!

And then this...

Wayne Rooney Goal



I was in the midst of eating a piece of bacon when, all of a sudden, it was a goal for the ages in Manchester. My jaw dropped, but the bacon hung on my lip like a cigarette. Last view shows how great it was. Goal of a career material.

Meal of Links

I saw "Blue Valentine" on Wednesday. Terrific piece of film making, but it would be hard-pressed to find an audience, given its $6 million gross, thus far. It's such a a gut punch, but not a proverbial country record, it's like a proverbial country album, complete with a dead dog.

After watching it, here's what the demographics say:

Singles: "Thank God!"

Divorced: "Hey, I lived that."

Happily married: "Whew!"

Hardly married: "Uh-oh."

Box office is around $7 million after 7 weeks. It's a hard sell.

Acting is superb. Michelle Williams is great and Ryan Gosling, as ever, just kills it. It's the story of a couple who has been married about 5 or 6 years and their marriage is coming apart at the seams. There are some flashbacks to when they first met, seeing their relationship develop and evolve into marriage, no matter how blindly they may have got into it.

For, you see, Williams was studying to be a doctor in Western PA, while Gosling worked for a moving company in Brooklyn. All their dreams come to a grinding halt when, shortly after dating Gosling, Williams realizes she's pregnant from another guy. They decide to get married.

Eventually, she becomes a nurse and he becomes a house painter. He winds up attached to the daughter more than her, as Gosling tends to act as a child for the most part. So, Williams is, in effect, raising two kids. Gosling wants nothing more out of life then what he has, she can't stand what's happening to them both.

And you get two hours of that. As I said, extremely well done, and a great movie for winter where it's already dark and gloomy.

Boeing's next-generation intercontinental plane. Much attention to first class space, in which you will never fly.

John Hughes-inspired art. There is some good stuff here.

This critic really dislikes Martin Lawrence. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Martin Lawrence, sole owner-occupier of his own special zone of terrible."

Mubarak used most of the last three weeks to save his fortune. Seems he may have gotten ahead of the Swiss banks.

Bourdain is doing some writing for "Treme". Even scenes with the infamous Alan Richman.

From the time flies category, "Arrested Development" has been off the air five years.

Uncle Jack



Speaking of John Hughes, there has been a recent news item. They have determined the dates of the baseball game played in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

Algeria might be next.

Mark Wahlberg. Big-time producer. Another show. This time, CBS hires Rob Riggle for "Home Game".

Now this guy can fill a scorecard. It shows how personal these can be. I'm just happy someone still keeps core at the ballpark. You have a better shot at seeing a Yeti.

John Dahl has been mostly involved in TV lately, directing some episodes of "Dexter" and "Californication". Hell, he even did an episode of "Terriers". But he also directed the noir gem, "The Last Seduction".

The hardest part about giving up drinking? Dating.

Regrets? The FDA Scientist who approved LASIK surgery has some.

Porn. An industry in financial trouble.

Exercise Yard

Norris Cole was a man today. 41 points, 20 rebounds (!), 9 assists. One shy of the first triple-double in CSU history. And they needed him, too.

In perhaps the sleepiest game of the year, CSU beats the Fighting Penguins of Youngstown State, 86-76. YSU is in last place and pushed the Vikings to almost the end of the game, as the three-ball kept them in it. Cole needed to be dominant and, thankfully, he was.

Visitor

49 Across: Knighted son of King Ban (8 letters) Answer: Lancelot

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

It shocked me a few weeks ago when I heard a Pogues song used on a commercial. The times they are a changin'. But "Fairytale of New York" is the most unconventional one that gets some play around the holidays. I really enjoy this one as Shane and Kirsty do a bangup job on it. Plus you get Matt Dillon as a cop.

"Fairytale of New York"/The Pogues with Kirsty McColl



My brother and I went to the Cavs game tonight. We are streak breakers. The Cavs definitely took advantage of the Knicks having two tough games with the Celtics and the Heat and won in overtime, 109-102. Anderson Varejao proving to be the star of the game with 14 points and 17rebounds.

The Knicks could not shoot straight in the second half and the Cavs somehow scraped enough points to get this one. It appeared to be Tsingtao Beer Night, as the Tsingtao Girls danced at halftime. Yes, they were showing their Tsingtaos. I assume they sell that beer there, but I got a Bud Light from the Beer Guy.

Meal of Links

How to find better answers online. Google alternatives, that is.

Here is the easiest path to an Oscar for a woman. It's scientifically-approved.

Pitchfork has the top tracks of 2010. Well, you can't go anywhere without hearing "POWER" by Kanye West.

Best new beers. The Goose Island one with the 13% ABV looks outstanding.

DADT was repealed. Joe Lieberman deserves credit and how about President Obama who could have kicked him to the curb 2 years ago. And Voinovich was a yes. Maybe they should name a bridge after him. But this is the Senate and they are actually doing things this week? Too bad the DREAM Act went down. Next, it's the START treaty.

Turner gets it right with their Blake Edwards tribute. These are the essentials.

Remember when they turned off Niagara Falls? We have proof.

Exercise Yard

In the first of two big Cleveland basketball games today, Cleveland State visited West Virginia. They lost, 74-63. If they had won, they would have been ranked, as they would have remained unbeaten.

So, in typical fashion, the fans who may have whispered about them, perhaps be intrigued by them, maybe see them in person, will now be distracted by other things. And the crowds will remain small and then everyone will wake up when they have a shot at March Madness.

Visitor

9 Down: Plastic ___ Band (3 letters) Answer: Ono

"Please stay LeBron, we really need you..."

Well, did The Return meet everyone's expectations? I only made it to halftime before I bailed. I was rather disgusted during the 16-0 run by the Heat in the first quarter that was fueled by, I don't know, at least 6 Cavalier turnovers. Without a shot, I might add.

Buy why did the Cavs pick that particular game to lay an egg? Everyone has a theory and here's mine. In the days coming up to the game, we heard from Coach Byron Scott on numerous occasions say that he wasn't here with LeBron. I got the sense he was in John Cooper mode. Meaning he was going to treat this Return game just like any other. Hey, he knows his team better than me.

My feeling was when the Cavs actually hit the floor, it was even bigger than they had imagined. And they just weren't prepared to play. As Charles Barkley said, they'll never have a crowd behind them as they did last night. It was also their only appearance on national TV all year. To treat it as just another game seems to have resulted in the wrong approach. But listen, there should be no apology from the team or anything like that. Let's move away from this debacle as fast as we can. Besides, how many apologies can Dan Gilbert give us?

I'm not going to go crazy on the idea of player fraternization, but that was definitely dominating the airwaves today. This has been a problem of mine for a long time and was part of the reason I didn't have a problem with LeBron not shaking hands after the Orlando series loss a couple of years back. Although I see how people are upset with LeBron chatting up the Cavs bench during free throws, it doesn't bother me because these guys are all buds. Not just LeBron, all of 'em. And, if the majority of the Cavs players had not had any contact with LeBron since he left, what are they to do exactly? Hey, I'd have preferred the handshakes and hugs to take place off the court. Seemingly, Chris Jent was not enthralled with LeBron trying to engage in some talk right before tipoff. Would have been nice to see some of the players have the same reaction. Especially after the thumping they got later.

All in all, it turned out to be a big nothing. And before the game, I'd never thought it would be the Cavs who would be the ones most relieved that this game was finally behind them.

Once again, a major disappointment for Cleveland fan.

Meal of Links

Ron Santo died and Chicago weeps. It really is a mystery as to why this guy isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here, he talks about his diabetes.

Stephen King picks his Top 10 Movies of 2010. I saw "Kick-Ass", "The Social Network", "Inception" and "The Town".

Paste lists its Top 25 videos of the year. Some good stuff here.

Michael Vick is perhaps THE story in the NFL this year. Some people, like Nils Lofgren, aren't buying it.

"Faster" did no box office. So, CBS Films canned its COO.

WTF? NYC just found 200,000 votes from its past election. That's only 17% more than originally reported. Again, WTF?

Why are some Republicans still on the wrong side of DADT? Christ, McCain said today, "I will not agree to have this bill go forward. Because our economy is in the tank." And this from a guy whose chief-of-staff is gay.

Exercise Yard

The other disappointment yesterday was the announcement of the winners of the World Cup bids. We already knew Brazil has the 2014 tournament, so the bids for 2018 and 2022 were announced. Keep in mind, England was bidding for 2018 and the USA was up for 2022.

England was stunned as the 2018 World Cup goes to Russia (note: 9-hour time difference to the Eastern Time Zone). Now England has lots of items on its world sporting menu coming up. They have the 2012 Olympics, the 2011 Champions League final, the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2015 Rugby Union World Cup, and the 2019 Cricket World Cup. that's a lot. And Russia, at least, does have a respectable past in soccer. However, England has not hosted a World Cup since 1966, it's only one. They are kinda pissed.

But no one was more shocked than I when the 2022 bid went to Qatar over the USA. Qatar? Man, it's hot in the summer, drinking is hard to come by, and it's tough to get there, plus there is an 11-hour time difference with the Eastern Time Zone. Seems like three strikes right there, let alone getting consensus on its pronunciation. FIFA apparently did not want a well-run tournament that makes money by having it here. So, that makes three sites out of four (South Africa, Russia and Qatar) that are pretty shaky by normal standards. That means the earliest the World Cup could return here (the only one in the USA was 1994) is 2026.

I guess I'll be watching that at the Really Old Angle.

Visitor

29 Down: Gulager of "The Virginian" (3 letters) Answer: Clu

I just finished watching the last episode of "Terriers". If it's gotta end this way. I can live with it.

I thought they did an excellent job of tying up the loose ends. And with the appearance of the man behind all the schemes, they have something to build on for Season 2, if there is one.

If not, it all the right notes.

Meal of Links

ESPN.com has a story on Believeland. An unnamed appearance by Happy Dog and co-starring Dennis Kucinich. And Dan Gilbert is still pursuing tampering charges against LeBron and the Heat.

30 Freakiest Ads of 2010. Yes, the Better Marriage Blanket is here. And a few Skittles.

Paste has its Top 50 Albums of 2010. NME has 75 of its own. LCD Soundsystem gets a #1 and a #4.

The Republicans refuse to cooperate. As this says, "Mister President, Call Their Bluff!"

Speaking of "Terriers". Tim Goodman has an excellent piece on networks and their brands.

Your 2011 Grammy nominees are here. Black Keys with some nominations.

Exercise Yard

World Cup bids are bestowed tomorrow. England is up for 2018. The US and Qatar are duking it out for 2022.

Qatar is literally Africa hot.

Visitor

32 Down: Madison Ave. figures (5 letters) Answer: Ad Men

Thanks to all the Veterans for their service. Nice to see Veterans Day getting a much larger profile in recent years.

I started the day by listening on XM to a terrific program by Bob Edwards, "Surviving the Fallen". This was all about remembrances and descriptions of what happens to the surviving family members, when a soldier dies in combat. How they are notified, what preparations they make before they go to combat (wills, insurance forms) where to bury them (near home or Arlington), etc. Extremely poignant.

As always, there are many organizations that could use your help. Three of them that I follow are the IAVA, the USO, and The Pat Tillman Foundation.

I got an e-mail from the Tillman Foundation promoting their good work, especially the Tillman Military Scholars. Cleveland State is one of 31 participating universities, BTW, that allow Veterans to further their education. And CSU is one of only 8 university partners with the Foundation. This year, 60 Veterans were chosen nationally, and 2 of them are CSU students.

Anyhow, this prompted me to check (for the millionth time, I think), when and if "The Tillman Story" was going to make it into town. I have been waiting for months to see it. Lo and behold, it finally snuck into town today of all days, albeit to the Atlas Theatres in Mentor. So, I went after work and grabbed an early show. Actually, it turned out to be a private showing.

It was as good as I heard it would be. You get background on Pat and his family. And you get details on how he was killed and how his family just wanted a simple explanation on how it happened. The government originally said he had been killed in a heroic firefight and then had to backpedal when family pressure determined that was not what occurred. Congressional testimony was also included.

Can't recommend it enough. Probably in town for a week.

Meal of Links

What's happening in Pittsburgh? One thing that becomes an issue as you get older is weather. Combined with all of Pittsburgh's charms, they average about 40 inches of snow. It's not a bad place to live.

What's up with Bowie? Iman has the scoop.

25 Classic TV Title Sequences. Nice list to look at.

Jack White hints at a White Stripes reunion. He's also producing a Wanda Jackson record. Now that should be great.

Exercise Yard

Last night, Nomar Stalker and I went to the Cavs-Nets game at the Q. The Cavs did a nice job by saluting veterans throughout the evening, but when it comes to this, they still can't beat the Browns. For they have flyovers. But the Cavs still have fire coming out from the scoreboard and it's still hot.

The atmosphere has really changed down there, obviously, as we experience Life Without LeBron. Oh, Q Tube is still in effect with Oblivious Cam and the Joe Tait Sweater Cam, and Moondog is still dunking and taking off multiple shirts to get alternating cheers and boos.

Over the last several years if you attended a Cavs game, odds are they were gonna win. Now, however, when a team like New Jersey comes to town, you have your doubts. So, last night, it was the back end of an NHL-style home-and-home with the Nets here in town. The crowd really wasn't into it, because, well, it was the Nets. But they better get used to it and not take anything for granted this year.

We had club seats. Center court stuff. A really nice find I got about a month ago. Thanks, StubHub! Pretzel and a pop cost me $7.50.

The Cavs ended up losing this one. They had a double-digit lead early and were up comfortably at the half. Then the third quarter woes reared their ugly head once again and the Nets kept chipping away, eventually getting the lead late in the third quarter.

However, Mo Williams went down with an injury and even with his on-and-off shooting, they could have used him down the stretch. While the Cavs had a fairly active lineup including Varejao, Gibson, Sessions and Parker, they could not make a shot. And it irritated me that the Nets outrebounded the Cavs for the game. The Cavs had no answer fo Devin Harris and let people like Kris Humphries and Anthony Morrow provide big contributions.

Then there was the mysterious absence of J.J. Hickson in crunch time as well, as the Nets held on for the win. Curious. If Hickson is one of your best players and Williams is out, Hickson probably needs to be in there. At the very least, an inside presence is available with him in the lineup.

My take is the Cavs have a lot of work to do. They can't let up on an opponent like the Nets, who had lost 5 straight coming in and were winless on the road. Not a stunning loss, by any means, but a bit of a puzzling one, I'd say.

Cavs lose, 95-87.

Visitor

53 Across: ______ Tunes (6 letters) Answer: Looney

Hope you got to see another "30 For 30" tonight on George Steinbrenner by the great Barbara Kopple. Images of Thurman Munson abound. As usual, Kopple did not shy away from some topics (ticket prices for example) in the film. Really good stuff.

Upcoming topics include:

9/28 Terry Fox (this Steve Nash film premiered at TIFF last week).
10/5 Red Sox-Yankees 2004
10/12 Drazen Petrovic/Vlade Divac
10/19 Tim Richmond
10/26 Bartman
11/2 Marion Jones
11/9 SMU

And I think that finishes it up. Can't say enough about the series. It ranks with the best ESPN has offered over the years.

Meal of Links

Mmmmm. Peanut butter.

We haven't even seen the first episode of the new season of "Community". But we are already talking about their Christmas episode.

Leonard Skinner died. And if you have to ask, well...

Do not mess with "The King of Kong". The Wiebe-Mitchell rivalry is one of the greatest ever.

Save the gibbon! Many species are nearing extinction.

I saw a bit of "Annie Hall" last night. This scene kills me. "What am I, your son?".

"Annie Hall" Spider Scene



Lyle Lovett is returning to acting in "Castle". But, here's a look at his music. It's stuff you don't hear very often. "If I Had A Boat" gets some love. As does the terrific "L.A County". But I absolutely love his version of "Tennessee Flat Top Box".

"Tennessee Flat Top Box"/Lyle Lovett with Raul Malo and The Mavericks



"Don't Ask Don't Tell" failed today for the estimated 48,000 gays still in the military.. The WSJ had an impressive column on why conservatives should vote for repeal. Costs $42,000 to honorably discharge someone and they have booted out 14,000 gays from the military. That's a cost of almost $600 million.

This is another reason to get your dander up. Tim Geithner wins as Larry Summers announced today he is leaving his post at the White House. And that's a good thing. But President Obama's new Budget Director is Jacob Lew, Clinton's old Budget Director. Lew is part of the Summers/Robert Rubin gang who wanted the repeal Glass-Steagall, and led us into this economic mess. So, our President cannot possibly replace Summers with a Wall Street guy, can he? Let's hope not.

Exercise Yard

Mo Williams contemplated retirement after LeBron left. Wow, that's not a reaction I wanted to hear.

Visitor

10 Across: Country music pioneer Ernest (4 letters) Answer: Tubb

Carlos Santana's injury last night was mindful of a game I saw as a kid. In that game, Leron Lee scored the game-winning run in the 9th and slid home and tore up the knee of one Carlton Fisk. Fisk sat out the rest of that year, broke his arm in spring training and didn't return until late June of '75. The year he hit his famous World Series homer.

Anyhow, if you look at the box score of the Lee/Fisk game, the first thing that jumps out at you is the fact that it's a late June game and the second-place Indians drew over 33,000 against the first-place Red Sox. Eight days later, the Tribe was actually in first place for maybe the only time that late, that decade. Or was it the only time that decade period? They drew a million that year, eventually finished in 4th, but Ken Aspromonte was canned following that dismal finish.

Another reason for the turnout was Gaylord Perry. This was during the part of that year where no one could touch him. He won this game to go 14-1 with a 1.27 ERA before July! It was his 9th complete game in a row, a year in which he completed 28 of his 37 starts. Earlier that year, he had tossed a 15-inning game and went into the 11th two other times. Of course, he was traded the following year by mid-June.

Look at that horrible lineup:

Speed merchant Buddy Bell led off.

Jack Brohamer was keeping second base occupied for Duane Kuiper's arrival.

John Lowenstein hit third and played first base. He should have done neither.

Charlie Spikes, "The Bogalusa Bomber" hit cleanup and homered that night.

Oscar Gamble and his hair hit fifth, his best year in Cleveland.

Leron Lee played left and had arrived from San Diego that year.

George Hendrick hit 7th. And we all know a handshake is better than an autograph.

Dave Duncan caught and hit 8th. Much better pitching coach than hitter.

Frank Duffy played here 6 seasons at shortstop. Yawn.

Getting back to Fisk. Lee was on first after a walk and Hendrick ripped a pitch to left. Lee got the wave home, and much like last night, the throw got there just as Lee was sliding into home. Fisk blocked the plate and Lee's slide just shredded Fisk's knee. The Indians won, and in those days, they didn't do a victory dance and pound each other or hop into a dogpile. I think they carried Fisk off on a stretcher and that was pretty much it.

Was a summer of highlights. Just one month later, a House committee recommended impeachment for Nixon.

Meal of Links

Kohl's is running a clearance on Majestic apparel. So, if you feel a need to grab some Tribe gear, do it. A cap is only $8.

50 amazing facts from Mental Floss. They are amazing.

Actors who were edited out of films. Kevin Costner from "The Big Chill", most notably.

Kenny Powers K-Swiss Ad



I am not meant to watch "Law and Order". So it is written.

FX can handle only 12 series at a time. Production and promotion costs are the main reasons.

How broken is the U.S. Senate? The Empty Chamber. And the only Republican House member actually outlining spending cuts.

Zach Galifianakis in "Between Two Ferns" is out-of-control hilarious. Please watch a couple.

Exercise Yard

Kenny Huang is the Chinese investor who picked up a piece of the Cavs about 15 months ago. Now, he is trying to buy Liverpool in the EPL. It's a great brand with a huge following.

But I don't think that's the major news as reported here. The thing that jumps out at me is "...he took a 15 percent stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA franchise." That seems to me to be significantly higher than I thought. It may have been reported as such, but I thought his interest bordered on more like a 5 percent interest. This lends even more credence to the Windy report during LeBron's decision that Dan Gilbert, with all of the Cavs success lately, had barely broken even the last few years.

Visitor

34 Down: "Whip It" band (4 letters) Answer: Devo

Devo Honda Scooter Ad (1984)

Time to address some local deaths:

Milt Morin died. Morin was the favorite of countless kids who were Browns fans in the late '60s and early '70s. he had soft hands, blocked well and ran over a whole slew of defenders. Too bad he predates YouTube, as some of his YAC (yards after catch) footage would be priceless.

Harvey Pekar died. Never read his comics, but Paul Giamatti was perfect in his role in "American Splendor". All about The Pekar Project.

Bourdain Meets Pekar



George Steinbrenner died. Clearly the biggest "What If?" in Cleveland sports. Knowing the history of the Indians would have been different, you wonder how different with The Boss as owner. All I know is when he took over the Yankees, they were shit. Today, they play in a $1 billion stadium, have revenues of $600 million and a TV network (YES) valued at over $1 billion. Without question, this is the funniest "Steinbrenner" appearance on "Seinfeld". Frank Costanza's actions before he confronts Steinbrenner kills me every time.

Meal of Links

Top 15 cringeworthy Tour de France crashes. there are some gems here.

This is your brain. This is your brain on caffeine.

Here is the original Outside article from January on The Barefoot Bandit. And Bob Friel is still tracking him.

Chubby Checker is still twisting. 50 years later.

It sounds disgusting. But it's Science!

One of the cool things about the Happy Dog is that every other week they have a guy spinning old country music. So, I give you, Waylon Jennings, Nashville Rebel. If you can listen to only one of the songs, pick "Luckenbach, Texas".

"True Blood" equals "The Wire". Huh?

More science.

Exercise Yard

I don't want to belabor LeBron's decision, but there are are a few loose ends. And I'm sure more to come. Didn't the Dan Gilbert interview with SI come as close to a mea culpa as we are gonna get. After ripping LeBron on how the organization "enabled" him, he comes up with this quote: "He really never did ask and go above and beyond for material things." Huh? Gilbert goes on to say they enabled him in terms of returning calls, texts, etc. (and lack thereof) and frames that as a lack of respect issue. Fine. But that's not what he implied in his first "open letter".

if you like Matt Taibbi, you'll like his thoughts on "The Decision". (Hat tip to Gale)















(Hat tip to S.)

Visitor

15 Across: Wild Australian dog (5 letters) Answer: Dingo

As I prepare to take my talents to Pennsylvania tomorrow...

Since we are not tired of LeBron yet, here are some of the better reactions I've seen.

Leitch feels stupid.

Even from KC, Joe Pos didn't see it coming either.

Bill Rhoden hears Dan Gilbert and says it validates LeBron's decision. BTW, jersey burnings are typically held when there are cameras around.

Bill Simmons blames everyone for what we "witnessed" last night. With lots of reader input, as well. Best comment: Dexter Morgan needs to take him down in Miami.

SI reviews the ESPN show. At 7, I see Bron Bron on Channel 3 biting his nails. Then, in Greenwich, Jim Gray inexplicably asks him, "Do you still bite your nails?" WTF?

Buzz Bissinger, who wrote the LeBron book, says his free agency was handled terribly.

The first draft of Dan Gilbert's missive.

Dan Gilbert holds a grudge like Khomeini.

Now is probably a good time to talk about Dan Gilbert's communique last night. Let me preface this by saying I have never lost $200 million in a few minutes. And I basically agree with what he said. But he's an ass.

His open letter reminded me of a 12-year old who got jilted and is pouring their heart out on Facebook. Current Mood: It's Complicated.

Let me backtrack a bit. Last night, around 10:30, Time Warner blew out both my cable and Internet, so I had to listen to the radio. I kept switching back between 850 and 1100 for signs of intelligent life. Around 11:40, I hear someone on 850 reading a letter from "Dan Gilbert".

It's so poorly written and verbose. God, is it lengthy. As it keeps going on and on, I say this has to be a hoax. When they get through reading it, Bob Holtzman from ESPN was their next guest and he inquires about it and they continue to read quotes from the letter. I'm screaming at the radio for them to cease, because they are gonna look like fools when the truth comes out.

So, I switch to 1100. Shit, Andre Knott is now reading the same letter. I pull out my 1G phone and a few minutes later realize it is posted on cavs.com. Jeezy creezy. My cable returns 15 minutes later and now Galeti is reading it on STO.

Good God! I picture Gilbert, after several drinks, wearing a bathrobe in front of his computer, deciding to write a letter to the fans. Conveniently avoiding his PR staff and sending it out unedited and obviously unfiltered.

Outside of making himself feel good and elevating the mood of Cavs fans everywhere, I'm not sure what he accomplished with the letter. The former King did a lot to increase the worth of Dan's team. If the Cavs "covered up" things for LeBron, let's not forget it's Gilbert or his minions who performed those acts. So, to accuse someone of being narcissistic and self-promotional and then doing it in a completely narcissistic and self-promotional way seems a bit disingenuous to me.

And this line: "Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there." I have no idea what the hell that means. But it sounds like something you type when you're drunk. Then you grunt, self-satisfied, and move on to some other edits.

Again, I agree with most of the things he said. If you're from here or dislike LeBron, Gilbert is probably now your favorite owner. That's how unprecedented of a smack at a superstar athlete this is. The line, "Mr. May", can't even dare to compete with this. If you like LeBron, well, you'll defend his right to go anywhere he can, as he's earned the right.

But if you're a player, gee, I can't see this helping. We have a lot of strikes against us when trying to attract top talent, so to add "Batshit Crazy and Underappreciative Owner" to the list doesn't seem like good business. However, as the Oakland Raiders field a full roster each season, you can get players to show up, if you pay them enough.

It looks like Dan Gilbert is going to have to overpay for a mistake again. This one of his own commission.

Meal of Links

How Jim Gray, nail fancier, got involved in that ESPN production. A network that dumped him years ago. They must have misremembered that.

LeBron once stated how he wanted to win a title with the Cavs. Now in Miami, it seems he misremembered his ringchasing comment.

Sarah Palin once advocated the airborne shooting of "Mama Grizzlies". I guess she misremembered, as well.

Exercise Yard

Fairly accurate analysis of Dutch football. Johann Cruyff, a la Lebron, picks Spain!

Hirsh picks 10 items we should take away from World Cup 2010. Excellent point: Where are all the Hispanics on the US squad?

Visitor

20 Across: Role for Harrison (3 letters) Answer: Han

OK, I admit it. I was wrong about Bron Bron. I should have known.

Everyone has their price and they all leave.





















But then our owner went off and took some crazy pills. Then he took some more.

Can you believe Bron Bron stole my idea? I have advocated for months that LeBron should hold a one-hour pay-per-view special where he could announce where he he was going to ply his basketball trade for the next few years.

It was going to be set up much like a college recruit who holds a news conference to reveal his choice. Remember, he didn't get to do that coming out of high school. All of his suitors would be represented by their baseball caps. Over the course of the hour, several of the teams would be eliminated. The Clippers, then the Nets, then the Bulls, then the Heat. His final two choices would be the Knicks and the Cavs. Finally, at the end of the hour, he would make his choice by putting on the Cavs cap. I was convinced there was enough of an audience to do that and I guess I was sorta right.

I'll be damned if they didn't come up with something similar. The only thing I didn't see was the charitable aspect (the ad proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Clubs) to take the edge off any charges of ego or conceit. The only change I see is that after he makes his choice, I am predicting a Nike ad with the "Welcome Home" slogan (or something similar) attached.

So, tune in tomorrow at 9. I am sensing record ratings for ESPN (even with all the bitching about it) and I still maintain LeBron stays here.

Well, ESPN claims "The Decision" takes place in the first 15 minutes. We'll see.

Meal of Links

What really happens in women's restrooms. Pretty much what I expected.

Today's controversial topic. Why parents hate parenting.

Remember the woman with the burned face in London's 7/7 bombing a few years ago? She is now showing off her new face. Incredible.

Don Johnson cashes in. On a "Nash Bridges" lawsuit.

If you play in the NFL and are a vintner, you have a problem. You can't promote your wine.

The plot thickens around Henry Kissinger and assassinations in Chile. Seems his hands may have been all over it.

Exercise Yard

Today's World Cup match had:


















against the:
























The group headed over to the Old Angle this afternoon for Germany-Spain. Again, a butt in almost every chair there, a great month for them. And not so bad for me, as I love those Jameson Highballs. Not the best of games from the Germans. It's interesting that the Germans, up to this point, were one of the most entertaining offensive units in this year's World Cup. But today, they seemed to adopt a defensive stance, similar to Paraguay, against Spain.

Fan On Pitch (Note Vuvuzela)



















Sort of puzzling. Outside of David Villa, no one had really scored for the Spaniards. Oh, they are always a threat to score, but really hadn't put it all together yet. The Germans, minus the suspended Muller, were really having trouble in midfield.

So, we ended up with a match that had Spain getting a multitude of scoring chances and whiffing on them all. Germany's best chance came in the 69th minute on a cross from Lukas Podolski. Toni Kroos steered it on goal, but Iker Casillas made the save. That was it for Der Mannschaft.

Germany's Lone Chance (WARNING: ANNOYING SONG)



Several minutes later, Carlos Puyol, who missed one earlier, headed one in off a corner by Xavi and that made it 1-0, Spain. Really, the only bad defensive error Germany made all day. That is how it ended. The Germans now could potentially end up with 3 losses in the tournament.

Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland



It's all about possession. And that damn psychic octopus.

That sets up a NATO final between Spain and Holland. See you there Sunday.

Visitor

19 Across: Revolutionary Pancho (5 letters) Answer: Villa

Happy 4th of July
























The World Cup finished up the quarterfinals yesterday and now takes a break until Tuesday. Yesterday's matches were fairly entertaining once again.

In the first match, it was Germany and Argentina. The Germans stepped up the trash talking before this match. They have been at each other soccer-wise for a while now and last time they met, it ended with a fight.

But it was a total dismantling this time by the Germans, As many Argentine critics have pointed out, if they ever ran into an opponent where they would have to play some defense, it could get ugly. And it certainly did. Score it, 4-nil to the Germans.

Argentina Gone. Should We Cry For Her?




















But we bid adieu to Diego Maradona. Who certainly livened things up during his stay.

In the second match, it was Paraguay and one of the pre-tournament favorites, Spain. Spain finally got a late goal by who else, David Villa. In the middle of the second half, it went from a missed penalty at one end to a made then recalled penalty at the other end, followed by a miss on the rekick. Insane.

Paraguay Missed Penalty



Spain Missed Penalty



Villa Goal (with Eminem vocals)



Next up:

Holland-Uruguay on Tuesday.
Germany-Spain on Wednesday.

Our Shaun




















Yes, that's our Shaun, on the right, being a productive member of society. I must admit, "I have LeBron's pajamas" is a very funny sign.

Meal of Links

Eat broccoli. Although, is it nutritious as it once was.

The real story of the Boston Tea Party. You Morans!

Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Well, maybe not in NYC. Cigs are now $14.50 a pack.

My brother and I saw Brave Combo at the venerable Beachland Ballroom last night. They have a new CD and played a lot of the old faves, as well. Always a good time.

This guy speaks up. Vampires are annoying.

Exercise Yard

Not really much happening. So, kill some time with Hawk, the Dead Wrestler of the Week at Deadspin.

Visitor

None, on a hot Independence Day

The men in my family went to the Indians-Blue Jays game on Tuesday. Thanks to the good people at StubHub, we got some late tickets in the 3rd row of Section 158. It had been a while since I had sat that close, but it gives you a really good view.

The good? We got to see Matt LaPorta drill a homer that was gone the instant he hit it. Fausto Carmona looked pretty good for the win. Carlos Santana looks like the real deal.

The bad? Shin-Soo Choo dropped a popup. Santana had a passed ball with a runner on third. Kerry Wood hit a guy with an 0-2 count, but still got the save. We heard Shelley Duncan yell "Dammit!" and "Fuck!" on successive late strikeouts.

The Tribe won their 4th straight tonight.

Meal of Links

Bittman brings out more grilling recipes. And, of course, it looks like a great weekend to grill.

Amazon buys Woot! No changes.

From The World Moves Fast Department. A $500 video card today (with 1.5 teraflops) is faster than the world's fastest supercomputer in 1998 or the 500 fastest supercomputers combined in 1993.

An interview with Gerald Casale. Yes, Devo is back.

More Rolling Stone discussion. Matt Taibbi doesn't like Lara Logan very much.

Cat Lassie Doesn't Give A Shit



I guess I was wrong. Ghana may have indeed had a home continent advantage.

Exercise Yard

What happens at 12:01 tonight? As Chuck Galeti said on his Bottom 9 tonight: "A guy in a vampire suit shows up 24 hours late to the Midnight showing of "Twilight".

Besides that, NBA free agency starts. As I've said all along, I think LeBron stays. What the team looks like beyond that, I have no idea. Now it appears Byron Scott is the new Cavs coach, after all. What kills me about this is how the media seems to place so much importance on who will be the new Cavs coach, but the untested Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls new coach, apparently is no factor if Lebron chooses Chicago. Can't have it both ways.

Visitor

22 Across: "Bad Moon Rising" band, familiarly (3 letters) Answer: CCR

"Bad Moon Rising"/CCR

Well, it's like Christmas Eve in June. For the World Cup starts tomorrow. I wonder of Desmond Tutu pays for his tickets.

Anyhow, Shakira is shakin' her assets in South Africa. She has the official World Cup song. Or is it R. Kelly? Anyhow, she has a song she's singing.

















































As usual, the host country kicks things off tomorrow. South Africa takes on Mexico at 10 a.m.

ESPN has interviews with most of the players who have scored a goal in a World Cup Final. It is incredible. They got everyone except the dead, the infirmed and Zidane. I have particular interest in the 1986 final, which I attended. Lucky for me, there were 5 goals. Excellent interview with Rudi Voeller. Never count the Germans out on the pitch.

Get used to the vuvuzelas. They only sold a million of 'em.

The Likability Rankings of the 2010 World Cup. We're Number One! North Korea is just the worst, man.

Start the excuses! Messi is tired.

Knowing Canada as we do, I hesitate to use the headline. Anyhow, a company from Manitoba is supplying grass for the World Cup.

Africa has come a long way from when Zaire didn't know the rules in 1974.



The Bluffer's Guide to the 2010 World Cup.

One day to go.

Meal of Links

53% of all viewers watch TV alone. It doesn't stop me from talking to the TV.

The real names of 22 fictional characters. Shaggy is Norville Rogers.

That Google background honked me off today. I didn't ask for it, I didn't want it and I absolutely hated the default image. After 14 hours of a 24-hour deal, Google bagged it, conveniently sticking to the story that a bug prevented people from removing it.

BP Spills Coffee



Exercise Yard

If you thought a strong coach would help LeBron James leave Cleveland, think again. Of all the teams that could afford him, several were looking for new coaches. Avery Johnson went to the Nets, after he interviewed THREE times with Atlanta. Chicago has hired Boston assistant, Tom Thibodeau.

The Clippers haven't named a coach. Mike D'Antoni is still with the Knicks. I guess the shadow of Pat Riley still looms in Miami.

But the sweepstakes between Tom Izzo and Byron Scott for the Cavs job certianly doesn't hurt the chances of LeBron staying.

Visitor

52 Across: Skater Babilonia (3 letters) Answer: Tai

As I'm watching the live feed of the pipe in the BP oil spill, is that fire I see?

It looks like the shit will be hitting the fan shortly for the NCAA and its major conferences. Nebraska is joining the Big Ten. They hate how Texas rules the Big 12, so no surprise there.

That means the Big 12 implodes immediately, with six teams running to the Pac-10. Those six: Colorado, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech (Guns up!). The Big East probably loses some schools or implodes themselves. As the Big 10 undoubtedly prowls for more schools.

This excellent piece by Dan Wetzel from Yahoo! Sports is a must-read to find out how we ended up here.

Meal of Links

iPhone vs. Android. I still have neither.

You can catch Bonnaroo live this weekend on YouTube and also on NPR.com, of all places. Much more accessible than last year.

Daniel Lanois recently had a motorcycle accident. Mainly famous for his production work, the guy has had some terrific albums of his own.

"Glee" is the new "Twin Peaks". Huh?

Jimmy Fallon imitates Glenn Beck. His ratings have dropped 20 percent.

More ugly photos from the oil spill. They have collected 874 dead animals and another well-oiled 466. We'll never know how many will go unaccounted.

Exercise Yard

Rick Pitino has a message for Tom Izzo. Forget the NBA.

Visitor

52 Across: Soccer star Mia (4 letters) Answer: Hamm