While waiting for the new local sports talk station to arrive...

I was able to see a couple of movies recently. The first was "Captain America". This was even better than I expected and I'm not even sure what I expected, but this one was extremely well done. As far as the Marvel characters go, easily the best one since the original "Iron Man".

When I was in college, we came up with a comedy bit that superheroes had to register with the authorities. After following the likes of Superman and Spiderman, Cappy walks in and starts answering the questions. When it came to superpowers, he had to admit, "Well, all I have is this shield." Of course, everyone starts making fun of him.

And that, my friends, might be why this one is so special. It's because of that lack of a superpower, that the character has to be more human. That's why this is a throwback to the old war movies, where we shoot at Nazis, there's a guy from Brooklyn, we win the girl, and the world is a better place. I didn't think you could pull that off in 2011, but they did.

Kudos to whoever cast this picture. Chris Evans as Captain America, Haley Atwell and Tommy Lee Jones are spot-on. Dominic Cooper was outstanding as Iron-Man's father, Howard Stark. Hugo Weaving was the perfect Nazi villain. Only Stanley Tucci was a bit over-the-top as a good German scientist who developed the super-soldier serum, originally given to Weaving, turned bad, and now Evans, for the good.

Of course, Nick Fury shows up at the end (this time, pre-credits), as we prepare for next year's "The Avengers". Starting to film around here very soon. But I'd put "Captain America: The First Avenger" on the must-see of the summer list.

Next up was "Cowboys and Aliens". Much like "Snakes On A Plane", this is what you get. Sort of a weird combination of an old-timey Western transposed on a "Close Encounters"-type movie. Or maybe even a "Jeepers Creepers"-type as some of the townsfolk got snatched up by the flying aliens.

Not really sure what to make of this. I sort of liked the opening acts where Daniel Craig didn't know who he was or where he was, but he was definitely a badass. So, he has to mosey into town as the stranger. Causes a bit of a row, but then the sheriff, Keith Carradine, recognizes him from a wanted poster, and indeed, Craig is a badass.

Harrison Ford then shows up, because his son, Paul Dano, had a run in with Craig. And because he was the local rich rancher, he had to go to town and try to spring Dano. Olivia Wilde is around, I guess, because she looks hot.

Then the aliens show up and start scooping up some locals. For the most part, these are the red-shirted "Star Trek" types, except for Dano and Kenny Powers Mexican girlfriend. So, a posse is formed to find out where the aliens took them.

Then the story weakens because of that old plot drag, "This is where things need to be explained". I should probably mention I thought the aliens looked and acted kinda lame. We travel from God knows where to steal gold (WTF?) and we get attacked and can be killed by a spear? Huh?

So, the last half of the movie is where we learn:

Daniel Craig is a badass, but just may settle down.

Olivia Wilde is pretty beyond belief, and she's got a secret.

Harrison Ford is a crusty old coot with a tender side, but doesn't know Indian talk. Lemme tell ya, John Wayne always knew "Comanch" in his movies.

God can't save all preachers.

Sam Rockwell learns how to use a gun.

I don't know what it all means, but a decent start was sorta derailed halfway through. Trust me, you'll have more questions than answers after watching this one. Maybe it would be better as "Cowboys and Crusty Old Coots", or "Let's Stare At Olivia Wilde For 118 Minutes".

Meal of Links

Your Top 50 Politicos. Oddly enough, from Politico.

John Boehner actually said this on the floor of the House this evening: "A lot of people in this town can never say yes."

"Hell No, You Can't"



Billy Hunter is the head of the NBA Players Association, currently locked out by the owners. His life story reads like something from "Zelig".

Guess what? Matt Pinfield returns to MTV as host of "120 Minutes", starting tomorrow. And VH-1 salutes MTV's 30th anniversary, also tomorrow.

All about "Zodiac". One of Fincher's finest. Still have not seen the "Dragon Tattoo" trailer in the theater. Did see trailers for "Moneyball", "Contagion", "Battleship" which looked shitty for 5/12, "The Amazing Spider-Man" again for 7/12.

10 Popular Shows from the '90s that were terrible. I successfully avoided them all.

New GDP figures are out. Uh-oh.

Exercise Yard

U.S. Soccer finally did the right thing and hired Jurgen Klinsmann as men's national coach. Klinsmann has played in the World Cup many times, coached a WC semifinalist, and lived in the States for many years. Outstanding credentials. Truly a thinking man's coach who desires an attacking style of play. This is the man most fans have wanted as national coach for years.

Bob Bradley spent his time as U.S. coach rather well. But it is so difficult to have the same man in charge for multiple runs at qualifying and playing for a World Cup that a move had to be made. This year's Gold Cup Final showed it was the end of the line for Bradley.

This move is a no-brainer. But Klinsmann has to find someone, anyone, who can put the ball in the net consistently. It's a problem that has haunted the U.S. in international play forever. Right now, at age 46, Klinsmann might be the team's best striker. If he doesn't find that guy, today's holiday may not be as fondly remembered in 2014.

BTW, we are only 8 days til the Community Shield. The EPL has less of an off-season than NASCAR.

Visitor

26 Across: Rowan Atkinson character (6 letters) Answer: Mr. Bean

We officially live in Podunk. How can a simple Motivation Seminar cause major gridlock in town? You would not believe the traffic I saw this morning. The Jennings was backed up to State and it was barely moving. Then the 480 East exit ramp to 77 North was backed up onto 480, because of all the people who were not moving on the Jennings. Coupled with regular 77 North traffic that was, at one time, backed up to 82. WTF?

All that because Rudy Giuliani invited us to this seminar at, not $9.95 per person, but $9.95 for the entire office. Also on the bill were Goldie Hawn and Bill Cosby among others. I can't blame you for thinking "scam' as a description. Because they obviously oversold it.

Anyhow, our little hamlet was completely disrupted by this non-event. Incredible. Come on everyone, get motivated to arrive early next time.

Meal of Links

FCC Commissioner approves the NBC-Comcast merger. Now she steps down to take a lobbyist job. At Comcast, of course.

Weird news from last month.

Good news. More "Family Guy". For a 10th season!

Keith Olbermann is compiling his list of contributors for his new show. Now they have to let us know where Current is on the cable dial. I'm guessing Richard Lewis will be funnier than Dennis Miller on O'Reilly. BTW, you know Al Gore gets a lot of press for his Current Association, but Joel Hyatt is a bigwig there. Yes, that Joel Hyatt.

Reminders of the origins of Social Security.

The Hoff wants to remake "The Equalizer". I, subsequently, want to throw up.

Newt Gingrich for President? You have to be fucking kidding me. He's like Mikey. He hates everything. Best slogan, thus far: "Gingrich 2012: He will always love America. Unless it gets cancer."

Exercise Yard

Brazil is going to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. So, what better time to ratchet up the fear, then the present.

Visitor

16 Across: Best Supporting Actress before Paquin (5 letters) Answer: Tomei

While watching Bin Laden watching himself on TV...

Today is Kentucky Derby Day. Even if Uncle Mo had not been scratched, this was gonna be a pretty mediocre Derby. Let's face it, the favorite is probably going off at 5-1, which means you don't really have a favorite.

Regardless, I have lit upon two horses that I think have a chance. That would be:

#1 Archarcharch -and-

#17 Soldat

Archarcharch is your Arkansas derby winner. he has one of the best speed figures in the race. But he drew the dreaded #1 post. No doubt, he'll be flying late.

Soldat gagged as the Florida Derby favorite last time out. Maybe Thunder Gulch revisited? He's got the speed and class to win this. If he doesn't get to the front, does he like the dirt in his face? In Florida, that answer was a no.

Meal of Links

The other day, I visited Palookaville Chili for the first time. I had the Texas Beef Chili, Cornbread and Chili Chips. Chili and 2 sides is $9. I just wish the bowl of chili was bigger, because it was really good. I had cheese, sour cream, jalapenos and onions added. They don't add a lot of volume, but just enough for some more kick. No beans and really good beef here, so i understand the pricing. Cornbread was only so-so, the chips very good.

What happens when a merely distinct movie gets branded a "classic"? See "A Bronx Tale" at Cannes.

OK, I understand oil prices took a huge drop this week. But the increases at the pump lately are blamed on speculators and Bernanke.

I turn my head and Gus Johnson may be leaving CBS. I think Twitter exploded the other day.

The new era of Internet search. Answers, not just links.

"Hey, those Muslims make me uncomfortable." So, they are removed from the plane. their destination? A conference on prejudice against Muslims.

TV has officially run out of ideas. Now, it's a second sitcom based on the life of an ESPN Radio host.

They made a movie about Paul the Psychic Octopus. Seriously.

Seinfeld has his own website. Looks like a few clips per day.

Oprah should have waited to start her network. Already fired the CEO.

Catching up with D.A. Pennebaker. That guy knows how to shoot a doc.

The problems with celebrity charity. Lengthy read.

I've picked up a couple of Groupon deals. Here is their model.

This is very cool. The dogs of war.

Exercise Yard

Seve Ballesteros died today. Deserves every accolade he gets today. The most emotional golfer ever, truly an entertainer. Invented the European Tour, saved the Ryder Cup from its negligent period, and a 5-time major winner. If you think Phil Mickelson can't keep it in the fairway, you should have seen this guy. Really a big loss for golf at age 54.

Visitor

48 Down: "Tommy" rockers (6 letters) Answer: The Who

The World Cup is all fouled up. Remember the 2022 bid that went to Qatar? You know, it's kinda hot there in the summer? Well, now Sepp Blatter thinks it could be held in the winter. What the hell, we have 11 years to figure it out. We'll conveniently forget that all the submitted bids were for a summer World Cup.

And certainly the World Cup butting heads with Lord Football is not a good idea. And I certainly never imagined I'd have to wear a Santa hat to watch any matches.

Meal of Links

While we all obsess over Ted Williams, here's a look at those he left behind. Now this is a story that should be celebrated.

ESPN looks like it will pay $2 billion a year to keep Monday Night Football. And keep NFL draft coverage, as well.

Dead wrestlers? We got 'em! Includes Ron Martinez, local Channel 43 announcer.

Bidding help for Priceline. Not a bad little assistant.

Facebook will fade. Stay tuned.

Aretha Franklin says she's OK. Somewhere Luther Vandross sang that sentence out loud.

Another Republican nutjob has power. I'm in a dream, aren't I?

Who is the world's most dangerous terrorist? Looks like Pakistan is the major threat to the West.

Palin in Alaska. Looks like her frontierswoman aura is debunked.

Matt Taibbi takes down Boehner. "The ultimate beltway hack..."

Exercise Yard

CSU played its worst game of the year losing to Butler. Game comes at the worst possible time, when they were getting more eyeballs in their direction. Let's see where the bandwagon goes after this defeat.

Visitor

55 Across: Law partner (5 letters) Answer: Order

"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

I'm not naive enough to think that language never evolves and we must adhere to the old rules. Although the old rules are pretty good. Take for instance the great unwashed having difficulty with "gone" and "went" these days.

But the next person who utters something like, "That's the biggest surprise of my entire life...", I am gonna throw down with that person. Listen. your life doesn't need a descriptor. As in, "That's the biggest surprise of my life..."

I've warned you. Thanks!

Here are some recent photos.

Proof I went to Tim Hortons last week. Timmah!





















Not sure I mentioned the Petting Zoo at the Pumpkin Show. Uh, for an extra $5, you could ride a camel!





















Yes, the sky was kind of odd tonight. Started as a pumpkin color with a rainbow to the east and then wound up like this.

















Meal of Links

Want to go broke slowly? Have a kid.

God help us. This year's Rose Parade grand marshal? Paula Deen. Do they want people not to watch?

You just can't step on a woman's head. Has it really come to this?

Finally. A school system with some guts. No snow days! In Ohio, they have dropped the amount of snow days from five to three.

The Jon Stewart event looked like a great thing to attend. But where are the details?

Exercise Yard

Paul the Octopus died today. The world will miss him.

In honor of Paul, we take a moment for this...

Amazing Grace on a Vuvuzela



Visitor

58 Down: Archvillian Luthor (3 letters) Answer: Lex

I had one of those decisions last night that can be only decided by The Ethicist. I had to run up to the local Marc's last night and when I pulled into my space, I noticed there was a guy parked there in the spot next to me. Didn't get a good look at him, but his car was running, air was on, and his lights were on.

For some reason, I had a helluva time finding the Orlando Texas Toast that was on sale. Doh! It was near the TJ Farms Sausage Links I had tossed into my cart about 15 minutes earlier. Anyhow, when I get outside, I notice it's gotten darker, not sure it was sunset time yet.

So, I start loading things into my car and I notice the guy is sleeping (maybe?) in the car. He's been in the car now, what, at least 25 minutes (Yeah, I shucked corn at Marc's). So, do I have to tap on the window to make sure he hasn't expired or do I just go about my business and leave?

I left.

Meal of Links

OK. Let's all move to Belize. Looks like fun.

The healthiest fast food breakfasts. Just remember, it's English muffin, not bagel.

Roger Ebert on Hitch. Great writer on great writer.

Kinda glad I didn't buy tickets to the World Cup. FIFA employee sells info on 60,000 people (including passport numbers) to the Black Market. Oh, boy.

I'm already done with the JetBlue guy. First of all, his story doesn't seem to make sense. And for all of his "Take This Job And Shove It" praise heaped on him, he wants his job back. It's over! I think it was over quite early for me, when I started seeing things like, "Who Would Play Him In A Movie?" crap. When there can be only one.

This guy ended his relationship with Blackberry. Oddly enough, today I chose to continue mine with a phone upgrade.

Exercise Yard

Quick Browns thoughts while watching our future neighbors late in the game:

Loved the Invisible Monkey ad for Dodge.

Syndric Steptoe is the Browns version of "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave".

First team offense looked OK, as did Seneca Wallace. Delhomme looked sharp.

On defense, the two standouts were T.J. Ward, who impressed me and "McMahon, I don't impress that easily." Looked to be more than a hitter. Seemed to be a very good tackler (not a hitter, actually wrapped up guys) and did not really get run over on the Packers first TD. Got beat with decent coverage on the second TD for Green Bay, but he had to cover a wideout. I thought he looked very good. The other was Marcus Benard, who was playing against second and third teamers, but took advantage as he should. Joe Haden also got some props on the broadcast (and I'm wondering why), but I thought Ward outclassed everyone.

Colt McCoy looked below average. His fade that got picked off before the half was HORRIBLE. It would be charitable to call that Quinn-like.

Broken record time: Linebackers looked slow.

Phil Dawson crushed a 59-yard field goal to tie it late and then won it even later with another 46-yarder.

Browns win, 27-24.

Randy Lerner's Other Team had a coach resign this week and the team came up with a 3-0 win earlier today.

I was in soccer mode this a.m. as Tottenham and Man City had a very entertaining 0-0 battle. Then the Villa game, as their fans were singing, "There's only one Randy Lerner!". Could you imagine hearing that at the Stadium?

Villa Highlights (In French)



Tomorrow is a biggie: Liverpool and Arsenal.

Visitor

50 Across: "Mr. Television" (11 letters) Answer: Milton Berle

ESPN has released the late summer/fall schedule for "30 for 30". On paper, it's probably the best Sports Doc list you'll see.

Ron Shelton on Michael Jordan in the minors.

The unsolved murder of Tupac, the night of a Tyson championship bout in Vegas.

Evert vs. Navratilova.

Barbara Kopple on Steinbrenner!

Steve Nash on Terry Fox, who was in the spotlight again at the Vancouver Olympics (get the Kleenex out for that one).

One on the all-but-forgotten Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac.

The race car driver Tim Richmond, which should be an emotional roller coaster.

Alex Gibney on Bartman!

John Singleton on Marion Jones!

The rise of SMU football and the Pony Express.

And the final one on Marcus Dupree, the next Herschel Walker.

I don't think there's one you could skip in the whole bunch.

Meal of Links

First, it was the letter. Now, it's the death of the phone call.

Some ex-Brown is singing opera this week at Tanglewood. Never heard of him.

An homage to Paul Rudd. I like him, but this person really likes him.

Joe Queenan asks if this is the worst movie year ever. I say no, but it is unfair to include a picture from "Grown-Ups" right off the bat.

Kim Jong-Il is the new Steinbrenner. The World Cup coach is now working on a building crew.

Remember that remake of "The Rockford Files"? Dermot Mulroney is out.

Exercise Yard

Joe Pos visits his old home. And he doesn't like what he's hearing. The bad memory, "Fat Guy Eating Beer Cans", gets a mention!

Visitor

26 Across: Rahm Emanuel's talent agent brother (3 letters) Answer: Ari

I thought we had a pact.

On the way home today, I saw a semi pull a randy Johnson. It obliterated a pigeon right before the I-77 exit. There were so may feathers in the air, it looked like a swarm of bees. When I passed the ex-pigeon, it reminded me of when Sylvester used to be burned to a crisp. The body was shorn clean.

Then on 77, some guy in a convertible was acting like "The Maestro". He was conducting music as he was driving. Very strange.

"The Maestro".

Meal of Links

More Stieg Larsson news, one of the most popular dead guys around this year. The sequel to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" opens up this weekend, both east and west. That movie is called, "The Girl Who Played With Fire". The American version of the original is starting to take shape. In the hands of David Fincher, I know it will be good. He will film it in Sweden and has signed Daniel Craig as the male lead. The girl has not been cast yet.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seemingly with nothing better to do, attacks Paul the Octopus. Paul has apparently spread "western propaganda and superstition". Maybe Mahmoud bet on Germany.

The best magazine articles ever. There are some classics here. Lots of David Foster Wallace.

If you have some time. It's what's going on with James Franco.

How can you lose $9 billion? Ask the Pentagon.

Chicago Lightning Strikes



Another visit to Nashville. The running gag is "still no Townes', but this week, it's Roy Acuff.

Bob Barker disses Drew Carey. Somewhere, where there is a camera, a man from Cleveland is now burning his old TV Guides.

TNR has an Afghanistan symposium. Current life expectancy: 44 years.

Exercise Yard

"Caddyshack" turns 30? Whatever happened to Bushwood Country Club?

OK, this beats the Cavs Family Photo by a mile. Check out the guy playing the fish. And it doesn't take that long to accomplish.

Best Goal Celebration



Visitor

34 Across: Demi of "G.I. Jane" (5 letters) Answer: Moore

World Cup 2010 finished up today. We made it over to the Old Angle for the Final. Spain wins, 1-0, as the Dutch decided to play a physical brand of soccer which prevented the game from having any kind of a flow. However, both teams had some chances and it was tension-filled as we had to go to Extra Time before the Spanish got the game-winner.

Before the match, an anti-racism guy tried to put a red hat on the actual World Cup.

Jimmy Jump Almost Touched The World Cup



The Dutch yellow cards came fast and furious. Eventually John Heitinga got a red card late and they had to play with 10 men. This is an early foul by de Jong that should have resulted in a red card. Uh, he is not playing the ball.

They Were Kung-Fu Fighting



Spain kept trying and trying. And, thankfully, to spare us from Penalty Kicks to decide another World Cup, Andres Iniesta got the trophy-winner in the 128th minute.

Iniesta Wins It For Espana



Fun facts to know and tell:

The octopus picked every game it was asked to, correctly.

The Dutch tie Germany with three second-place finishes.

14 were the most yellow cards ever in a final.

Spain won all of its matches by a 1-0 score.

Spain is the first European team to win away from Europe.

Diego Forlan of Uruguay wins the Golden Ball as MVP.

Germany's Thomas Mueller gets the Golden Boot as leading scorer and Best Young Player, as well.

Iker Casillas of Spain wins the Golden Glove as Best Goalkeeper.

Next Stop, Brazil 2014


















Meal of Links

Today is the 50th anniversary of the publication of "To Kill A Mockingbird". On the trail of Harper Lee.

Check out how Bob Probert was transported to his final resting place. That is all kinds of cool. And the service was quite poignant. Look at all the luminaries: Yzerman, Gilmour, Ciccarelli, Domi, Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan. What a sendoff.

How to save money. On just about anything.

How laws are made in California. Wow.

Exercise Yard

Spain wins the World Cup. But what about the politics that continually divide its regions.

Visitor

None, on a warm Sunday.

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

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

Lindsay Lohan goes off to jail in 2 weeks. There are consequences, young lady.






















It looks like she is wondering what kind of a lawyer would not be able to get her out of this mess.

Meal of Links

Girls give away lemonade at a stand. Columnist decides this is an example of what's wrong with America.

Most of the summer TV debuts don't really standout. But I like "Louie" on FX. This is a much better effort from Louis CK this time around. Tuesdays at 11.

All about friendship.

Exercise Yard

The Netherlands beat Uruguay, 3-2 today and effectively ended my chances of winning the pool. I still have Germany and, of course, Uruguay, in the Third Place Game, but I think I'm done. Gonna get my work done early at the mill and watch Germany-Spain tomorrow afternoon. So, it's on to a NATO final, completely debunking my theory of power shifting east and west. Plus, Europe wins in a non-European country.

Uh-oh. Paul the Octopus picked Spain. He hasn't picked incorrectly yet.

In honor of Holland's win, it was either "Pass The Dutchie" or this:

"Double Dutch Bus"/Frankie Smith



Visitor

20 Across: Five-time "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit cover model (14 letters) Answer: Elle MacPherson

Hirsh picks the best 11 of the World Cup.

Have you noticed how risky it has been for an athlete to appear in a high-profile ad? The World Cup has only Fabregas that I see remaining.

Nike World Cup Ad



Then we have this epic FAIL.

Gillette Ad



But good news. Andres Cantor appeared in a GEICO ad that made me laugh.

Andres Cantor GEICO Ad



Meal of Links

The Meadowlands is now officially torn down. No sign of Hoffa.

They have exhumed the body of Bobby Fischer to determine paternity. I'm betting he's still angry.

Here is the first picture from the new Planck telescope. Pretty awesome, it's of the universe.

One of the all-time baddies in hockey died today. Bob Probert was 45.

Exercise Yard

If you were blowing up things this weekend, you may not have realized the Tour de France started. Tomorrow promises to be a fun day. Why? Cobblestones!

Visitor

11 Down: "Shaft" star Richard (9 letters) Answer: Roundtree

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 World Cup moved onto the quarterfinals today with two matches. And what a two matches they were.

In the first, Brazil self-implodes like no other Brazil team ever. Their opponents, the Dutch, are normally the ones to freak out and now they are in the semifinals. Their first in 12 years. Needless to say, with Brazil gone, lots of brackets got blown up.

In the first half, Robinho puts Brazil up, 1-0. Then, in the second half, major confusion gives Holland the equalizer. I'd hate to be in the meeting to explain this one.

Uh...That's A Howler



So, with the score 1-1, what a beautiful goal by the Dutch. Arjen Robben with the corner to the near post. Dirk Kuyt, with page 6 of the Spalding Guide, flicks on a header to the rear and Wesley Sneijder heads it in. World Cup Soccer is Fa-a-a-n-tastic.

Sneijder Gamewinner



With Brazil trailing now, 2-1, Felipe Melo gets himself sent off with this nonsense. Not a good day for Melo. He had an own goal, got beat by the gamewinner, and then stomped on Robben. See ya!

Melo's Stomp



So, Brazil, a major threat to win the whole thing...Gone!

Hard to explain the second match. But let's keep it in perspective. I needed Uruguay to win to keep my hopes of winning the pool alive. I was dismayed when after 90 minutes, it was Uruguay 1, Ghana 1. They were obviously moving toward Penalty Kicks, when Ghana got a free kick that would surely end extra time in a tie, if only Uruguay defended the play. Then all hell breaks loose. We have a Ghana shot on goal, then another, then I see an intentional handball by Uruguay to stop another shot and you know what that means. An automatic red card. All Ghana needs is to ram the Penalty Kick in and it's over. Did you hear me yell this?

"He Missed It!"



I am still alive in the pool and so is Uruguay in the match! Quickly, we go to Penalty Kicks. Uruguay makes its first 3 PKs and Ghana has made their first two. Then John Mensah steps up...for this...

Worst PK, Perhaps Ever



After a Uruguay miss and another Ghana miss, it all comes down to the fifth player for the win. The sub, Sebastian Abreu. Can you believe Abreu's touch on the gamewinning PK? As Jerry Caesar would say, "Reverend, you got balls as big as church bells."

You Cheeky Bastard



Today's Results:

Brazil 1, Holland 2

Uruguay 1, Ghana 1 (Uruguay through on PKs)

Meal of Links

This weekend's TV marathons. "A-Team" on a channel I don't think I get.

18 things you should know when you are 18. I'd like to think Number 9 is the most important.

Pre-existing conditions? Thing of the past.

The worst thing about the current jobs situation is it seems the government's attention is meandering elsewhere. Oddly enough, if Sen. Byrd hadn't died, the latest extension would have passed.

Hitch has cancer. But he seems to be taking it well. "I have been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me."

The Dems should be even more worried about the mid-terms. At least, Charlie Cook thinks so.

While I have been absorbed with the World Cup (Concludes 7/11, bear with me), an old topic seems to have been making a comeback. Sarah Palin's Pregnancy with Trig.

Aw, geez. Here comes the metric system. Again.

Food courts.

Exercise Yard

Kreskin thinks he can save the Pittsburgh Pirates. Think about it, shouldn't he have made this offer in 1993?

Visitor

1 Down: Rich kid in "Nancy" comics (5 letters) Answer: Rollo

Fred vs. Rollo

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

Today's England-Germany match had us back at the Rusty Barrel in Westlake. Check this out. You pick a team at the start of the match and get 50% off your bill if they win. I was the only one of our group to pick "the Germans". Danke schoen.

Best Fraulein Today





























The English basically crapped the bed in this one. Yes, history will show that Frank Lampard got hosed, when his obvious goal, was not called correctly in the first half. It would have tied the score at 2. Coach Capello is now able to say his tactics would have been different if it had been called a goal. Perhaps.

Ball Over Line = Goal



But it doesn't excuse their absolutely horrid giveaway on Germany's first goal. And it doesn't excuse their second half effort as the Germans took it to them and beat them into submission, 4-1. One of England's worst World Cup losses, and maybe one of their worst World Cups period. In a very clean game with few fouls and yellow cards, the Germans exposed every one of England's weaknesses. It completely destroyed the pre-game template of Germany's youth vs. England's experience.

As Thomas Muller, who scored twice, said after the match, "We are Germany. We are a tournament team." Take that, you oil spillers.

In the second game. Argentina used another incorrect goal call, to start a romp of Mexico. The Mexicans had barely deciphered that bad call when another giveaway led to another Argentine goal. They made it 3-0 on a cracker from Carlos Tevez (reported by Baghdad Dave on Channel 3 as "Carlo Tavis"). Hernandez scored on a beauty late for Mexico, and it was a 3-1 final.

The "Good" Tevez Goal



So, even though there was lots of good soccer played today, the question remains. When will FIFA embrace technology to correct bad refereeing decisions? They should have had it already. If we are sitting in a bar and know within seconds there was a bad offside call or a goal that should have been allowed, why doesn't FIFA go along with it. Jeezy creezy, while a guy is dancing around with his teammates, a quick replay won't affect game action.

Blind Refs



























It's beyond dumb they don't have it.

The next two afternoons offers some cool matchups. Brazil and Chile have a go tomorrow, while Spain and Portugal meet on Tuesday.

Meal of Links

Dave Weigel, who had been making many appearances on MSNBC the last few months, had to resign from The Washington Post. Seems some of his past anti-conservative online comments became an issue.

"Airplane" is now 30.

"Oh, stewardess. I speak jive..."



77 Unforgettable Movie Songs. I wish I could forget some of these.

Exercise Yard

The good news? Russell Branyan is now a former Indian. The not-so-good news? Arthur Rhodes, yes, that former Indian Arthur Rhodes, has now gone 33 appearances without giving up a run.

We last had him 5 years ago. He left the team for a month late that year under some odd circumstances labelled a "family issue". Then he left in mid-September for good.

Visitor

None, on a tropical Sunday.

Well, it was back to the Old Angle for today's USA-Ghana match in the World Cup. Love that Jameson's Highball with Gosling's Ginger Beer. Anyway, the day started like this:

"House Party"/J. Geils Band



And it ended like this...

"Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me"/Hee-Haw



Going in, there was talk about the Home-Continent advantage for Ghana. I'm not really sure what that means. Are North Americans going to root Mexico now that the USA is eliminated, regardless of where the World Cup is played? I don't know about that.

But there was even more talk about how the US keeps allowing early goals. Well, they obliged Ghana by letting in a goal in the 5th minute. Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has a brother playing for Germany, BTW, knocked a shot past Tim Howard, that quite frankly, he should have stopped. Immediately after the game, I hear Radio Sports Guy talk about a lack of passion, etc, at the start of these games as a reason for early goals.

Another Early Goal



No, it's about possession, execution and tactics that keeps putting the US behind. The problem in the first half was possession. Mainly the USA's lack of such. Also, Coach Bradley's yanking of Clark after only 30 minutes is sure to buoy his detractors. Seems that he can't find a lineup he's comfortable with and appears to be reaching at times. Edson Buddle in the lineup? Anyone?

In the second half, the boys really dominated possession for the first 20 minutes or so. Clint Dempsey got knocked about for a penalty and Landon Donovan made the Penalty Kick for a 1-1 tie. That was in the 62nd minute.

Landycakes Penalty



I thought as early as the 70-minute mark that Ghana was ready to play for a Shoot-Out. But in the 4th minute of Extra Time, Gyan hit one in for the gamewinner. It was a beauty. Howard had no chance on that one. One of the problems with the US team is its strength up the middle and it burned them on both goals today.

The Gamewinner for Ghana



Very disappointing result. Certainly it was a winnable match.

In the earlier match today, Uruguay finally gave up a goal, but still beat Korea, 2-1. Uruguay scored early, not really a lack of passion by the Koreans, just a terrible play by their keeper. But they tied it in the second half, then this beautiful goal from Suarez was the late gamewinner for Uruguay.

Suarez Goal #2 for Uruguay



Friday afternoon's matchup is Uruguay-Ghana. Until then, I'll be having nightmares about this guy.




















Meal of Links

Iceland comic runs for mayor of Reykjavik as a joke. Then he wins.

These cities should know this will happen each time you host the G20. The riots have begun. Uh-oh. Pizza Pizza got it. Please do not wreck any Tim Horton's. Oh no, they didn't make it.

I happen to like Olivia Munn. But some women think she's too hot.

Exercise Yard

Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs had an epic meltdown yesterday. You can't really yell at your teammates in the dugout, but he did. So, the Cubs suspended him. Now they are stuck with an out-of control pitcher and his fat contract.

Visitor

20 Across: Einstein and Planck, e.g. (7 letters) Answer: Germans

I Couldn't Resist