The Only Way to Save Jacksonville Football

Rumor has it that the Jags will be the 'team' to go to London....The only way to save Jacksonville is bring in Florida's savior for next season and draft Tim Tebow.

One movie to look forward to in 3 months

Happy Anniversary Pete!

Has it been twenty years. On this day twenty years ago, I was being interviewed by Jeff Fox from channel 3 news in CT about the banning of Pete Rose from baseball. Didn't know much about it then and looked like a fool on television. But, knowing what I know now about Pete it's hard not to have a feeling that things could have been much different if this man just admitted what he did instead of trying to lie his way out of situations. I can't see him being allowed back any time soon, even when Bud Selig goes.

Insane Bolt!

After posting a new World Record in the 100 M. Usain Bolt broke his 200 M World Record today. Is he the most exciting athlete in the world right now? I think I would have to say yes!!!

Random Thoughts Today

Yes! I'm Back! Lots to get to little time. Sorry for the delay but it is what it is, my Internet connection took a little longer than I first thought and now my life is in tact. Man, have I missed my computer. Let's get right to some thoughts for the day.

Doorbell...$2.00. Bar Stools...$17.00 each. Refrigerator...$699.00. Buying your own house...priceless. I can't even begin to describe the feeling that I have had doing things to my own place. My parents, God bless them, have gone above and beyond straightening out the crib while I've been at work. But, my greatest pleasure has been using all my free time on caring for my home. It has been costing me some $, but what are you going to do. Speaking of $, just got my first mortgage bill in the mail today, I don't know what I should do...frame it or throw it in the garbage.

God I hate the NFL PreSeason! Such a tease. The month of August drives me insane. It's hot, baseball teases us until the real month of the season: September, and I have been counting down the days until my Fantasy Football Draft. And to top things off, the NFL season doesn't start for another 3 weeks!

Few things about the MLB season I have thought of the last couple of weeks. The Yankees are better than I thought. The Red Sox pitching is worse than I thought. And Albert Pujols is as good if not better than I thought!

Still can't believe that Tiger lost last week. I was drunk and I still thought the putts he was hitting was way off!

Since I am on a very tight budget these days, here's just a glimpse of what my dinners are like now at the new home: salad...pasta...fishsticks! Gotta love it. I go grocery shopping and everywhere you look and everywhere you hear your suppose to eat healthy. I would just like to say, why should I do that to myself? Have you gone to the grocery store and seen the prices for the healthy food section? No wonder we have a weight problem in this country. Nobody can afford the healthy food so they settle for the 99 cents eggs instead of the 4.99 egg beaters. At least I can still afford Busch Light, which I have been hooked on the last month!

More to come, give me a chance to settle into the house and all will be well. Hope my readers didn't all leave me for good.

Please Stand By

The Nutz will have to be put on hold for a little while, since I have no Internet service in my new home at the moment. All is going well with the move, and I will be sure to keep you all up to date with what's going on as soon as possible. Been spending money like it's my job! I'd say I love, but that is an outright lie! Be well, and the posts will come soon enough. If only my brother, who has nothing to do by the way, would step up his game.

Shark Week

Every year in August the Discovery Channel has a week feature on Sharks also known as "Shark Week". Sharks are by far my favorite creature on this planet that I am totally terrified of. Where I am located now just down the 95 south turnpike, is the shark bite capital of the United States in New Smyrna Beach. This is the time of year where we find the most bites, because the surfers love the waves this time of year and it is a lot warmer as the sharks start moving more north. Maybe for many of you this is not your cup of tea, but I am thoroughly intrigued on how these creatures live, and of course what these idiots with these cameras are thinking by being around them. Here is a quick video of Great White Sharks, fish that we thankfully don't have to worry about around here. Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary Robin!

Again, how old are we? This happened 16 years ago today! Damn!

Another One Bites the Dust

Say it ain't so David? One of the most beloved Red Sox since Mike Greenwell was on the 2003 steroid list. I have to agree with Ozzie Guillen, enough with the delayed list. Get the entire list out asap so we don't have to hear anymore and we can move on. Every month there comes a name that gives the game another pop in the eye. This was a sad story that came up yesterday, but I should know by now that I shouldn't be too surprised by anyone that comes up on the list. Another bad day for baseball!

Done Deal!

After much pain, stress, and turmoil I finally closed on my house today at 2:05 p.m. Lots of emotion I have been feeling since the closing especially when I stepped into my new home for the first time. I have come a long way to get where I am today as a human being and I would just like to thank my family for sticking by me through the good times and bad. I had been a knucklehead for many years and I still had your support. And of course my close friends, you all know who you are. As hard as it is not to have you all around to share this moment with and of course drinking it up at my house warming party, you all were a major factor in me sticking it out down here in the Sunshine State, and for that you won't be forgotten. Especially, while I'm drinking beers on my back porch, miss you all. Thanks fellas!!!

Fat People Getting Hurt

I was in the mood last night to see people get hurt. I have nothing against fat people, hell, I'm trying to become a client. It's just funnier see this stuff happen to them!

What the Hell is Going On?

Something seriously is going on here. The celebrity death toll keeps rising. If you think this is just a coincidence, then you are obviously entitled to your own opinion. Me something is definitely is going on and it's not good for the celebs out there. I mean can anyone agree with me that this has easily been the biggest stretch of celebrity deaths in such a short time that the United States has ever seen? Let me show you the list and you be the judge...

Ed McMahon started things off on June 23rd at the age of 86, he had one of the more recognized voices in the country and was filthy rich then went bankrupt, still didn't die from stress that had probably overcame him. He still had no money, was still living in the same house because Mr. Trump bailed him out and was doing better than strangely passed and no one knew why because they thought that he was getting healthier. The very next day at 58, Ed Thomas was not as lucky. Dying almost instantly, from being shot by a crazed former player. He was not as recognized as McMahon because he didn't seek the public, but he was a very recognized high school football coach by his peers and beloved by many in his community.

Then on June 25th the nation which was almost expecting her death, Farrah Fawcett died at the age of 62 of cancer. When you heard the news, you had a feeling that the Fawcett family would absolutely love the attention that she will get now and then a couple of hours later a the biggest star that could ruin that dies in Michael Jackson of cardiac arrest. Are you serious? And let's not forget a voice that we have heard on commercials forever in Billy Mays on June 28th. The nation in every which way in overwhelmed in just 5 days. The death tolls slow down for about a week then it comes and hits us again, hard.

Steve McNair takes center stage on the Forth of July but many of us did not know or could care less to know that the creator of WD-40 past a day earlier in John Barry. Then two days after, a guy named Oscar Mayer Jr. goes. How can the executive of a company that gives us hot dogs die just after all we Americans do is eat his product to celebrate our nation a couple days earlier? Then the oldest living employee in America, bee-keeper Waldo McBurney, dies at the age of 106. Followed by Arturo Gatti, why he past is still in question, however it was he was way too young at 37. The former president of ABC passes on suddenly as well in Mark Mandala, then a man some people thought was already dead in Walter Cronkite, without much publicity. Then that damn Taco Bell dog dies of a stroke, Gidget, what the hell!!! Then most recently former boxing champion Vernon Forrest dies on July 25th in an attempted car robbery.

Way too many people in way too short of a time. Why is this happening? I haven't got the clue. But I can tell you that many celebs will be very happy to see the months with J's in them take a break until January.

Funny People

Once you see this trailer you get a better perspective on the movie than you would from the trailers on the commercials. This movie is not at all what I thought it was until I started watching this youtube trailer.

Jim Rice

I told my father today that I would pay a tribute to the baseball player Jim Rice. My father told me that he was lucky enough to get to see this man play in person when Rice was at the top of his game and easily one of the most feared hitters in the American League at that time. It's hard to argue. In the late 70s / early 80s you had guys like Ripken, Murray, Jackson, Brett, and Winfield. Guys already on their way to Hall of Fame status. Then there was Rice, quiet, arrogant, and yet among his teammates the best you can ask for. His delay for the Hall reminds me of someone from another sport that had credentials but overlooked...Art Monk. Rice's stats as a whole (career: .298/382/1451) aren't outstanding to say the least, especially since baseball is marked by how well your numbers are. Many say that he was one of the most feared hitters in baseball at during his prime, that alone has to bypass his career stats for the Hall. Think about these stats before you criticize his induction today:

-He is the only player to lead the majors in triples, homers, and runs batted in in the same season (1978).
-He hit 39 homers or more four times in his career
-Also, he had 8 seasons of more than 100 RBI
-Seven seasons he batted over .300
-Finished in the top 5 in AL MVP voting six times winning one in 1978
-In his rookie season he finished 2nd in ROY honors and 3rd in MVP

-8-time All-Star
-Pressured into playing LF guarding the Monster for 16 seasons after guys like Yaz and Williams.

Say what you want about the man whos numbers might not be quite there, but when you have stretch of a career like he had where he had each pitcher in the palm of his hand that deserves a right to Cooperstown. He deserves more than he was given, but finally after some time the Hall of Fame voters put the right man in.

Here's a little piece ESPN did for him, just to show you what kind of man Rice was not portrayed as.

Rice the hero

The NFL Draft to Expand

The audience for the NFL draft has been growing, and the league has responded by expanding the event from two to three days.

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified teams Thursday that the draft will be spread over three days in 2010, running Thursday, April 22, through Saturday, April 24.

In addition, the first round will start in prime time at 7:30 p.m. ET.

"We continue to look for ways to make the draft more accessible to more fans," Goodell said in a statement. "Moving the first round to prime time on Thursday night will make the first round of the draft available to fans on what is typically the most-watched night of television."

ESPN and the NFL Network will televise the entire show.

The second and third rounds will start at 6:30 p.m. ET on April 23.

Rounds 4 through 7 will be on April 24, starting at 10 a.m. ET.

A total of 39 million viewers watched the draft this year.

The NFL said the first round lasted just under 3½ hours in 2009, which would fit neatly into a prime-time slot.

From 1988 to 1994, the NFL held its draft on Sunday-Monday two-day blocks. From 1995 to 2009, the league made it a Saturday-Sunday event.

Information from ESPN.com's John Clayton and The Associated Press.

I don't know about any of you but I like this a lot. My only problem was that I did enjoy being lazy on my couch during the late rounds on Sunday and channel surfing back and forth to the draft. Should be very, very television friendly for us NFL Draft lovers from now on, especially now that we get to see and hear Mel Kiper spit out his nonsense about all the players drafted! God I love the Draft!

Who's Hungry?

A new feature to The Nutz, for the rest of the summer I will be posting each week and great summer food that anyone can enjoy being for the south or the north. Summer time is for some great drinking with some great eating out in the sunshine or on a cool summer night. Enjoy!

This week's food is ribs!

No matter pork or beef, sauteed or just pasted sauce on the grill, ribs makes for some great eaten during the summer with some cold beverages.

Here's a tip. Head to your local convenient or grocery store, preferably Arescos Superette, grab some pork ribs that are nice and thick. Also, grab the best BBQ Sauce in the business, in Jack Daniels Original #7 Barbecue Sauce and a apply it to the cold ribs in a tin and store them in the fridge for about 6 hours. Then your good to go, in the oven or on the grill, preferably on the grill though. So get yourself a rack of ribs this weekend and enjoy some summer sun.

Break Dancing at Church?

I found this video a couple of days ago and had to post it on my blog. This dude is just loving God and loving life. Pretty funny!

One Bright Spot at the ESPY's

Did any of you catch how my favorite sideline reporter was looking at the Espy's in LA last weekend but shown Sunday! I love this Gator girl and she was looking quite captivating on the ESPN red carpet. Getting to see her was one of the few bright spots, and there were only few, of the ESPY's on Sunday night. Oh my.

The Slacker is Back (Random Thoughts Today)

Man, does it suck getting older! I'm not talking in age, I talking being a responsible human being, it sucks. How much do I miss "The Apartment"? When I would just work a few jobs, pay my bills, go out Thursday...Friday...Saturday...and Sunday and still have some money left over for food. Man that was great! Now I find myself, going out not as late on the weekends only...saving money...and spending most of my time at Lowes, Home Depot, Target, and Walmart looking for things for my house. So I have been holding in on a ton of issues in my life and I can't take it anymore. So let's vent, here's some Random Thoughts from your slacker Deez...

Buying a house sucks ass! I am going to try to not do this for another 20 years, I hope! Things are still getting delayed regarding me moving into my first home, but hopefully (still crossing my fingers) it will be this Friday...hopefully! I wish I could tell all of you that it is because of my credit rating, or my pay is that low for a loan, or I just suck. But that is not the case at all. These f'n loan officers and underwriters taking care of thing are a bunch of slackers...more than me. Now I know why you have lawyers do all your work for you when your buying a home up north, you don't have to worry about crap. If I don't close on Friday, things could get ugly!

Damn you Tom Watson! I can't root for anyone in golf, because they just find a way to choke and ruin my Sunday! Tom, you gave me one of the best golf weekends of my life and with one 8 foot putt, you threw it right back into my face. Thanks for making me drink alone on Sunday Tom, your the best!

To ESPN, DO NOT PUT SAMUEL JACKSON HOSTING THE ESPY'S EVER AGAIN!!! p.s. why not bring back jt?

And you know what, F--- you Brett Favre and f--- you waiting til July 30th for your decision. I have had your back through the good times and bad, but this has gone too far. Enough is enough Brett, hang it up so the media can find something else to write or talk about.

Netflix is getting canceled this week and Directv might be on the way out the door as well. Time to start growing up and knowing where my money is going, and to be wasting it on these two companies is not helping me for the long term. Redbox, is more convenient, and $1 a day isn't bad at all. F--- your "long wait" or "very long wait" Netflix, I know you must be making some money, go get more copies and send the ones I want right away! Damn!!!

Something alittle more pleasant, I have finally been catching up on a ton of reading lately, especially with my book I've had on the right side of the blog forever now, Pistol. As much of a fan I was of him, even though I have only seen videos and read articles, this dude and his father were absolute nutjobs! And can anyone out there honestly tell me that they knew that Pistol Pete had an older brother? I'm half-way through this amazing book and I recommend anyone that is intrigued with this man to read it. One of the best biographies your ever going to read!

F--- Florida bugs!

F--- Florida drivers!

and F--- the Florida rich broads, bunch of _____!

One good thing that did come out of this week is that we are a week away from NFL training camp! Can you believe football season is almost here!

Big Fan

My brother Bill, sent this new movie starring Patton Oswalt that is coming out at the end of August. Still very unsure what I think about this film, but it definitely caught my eye. Just passing it onto my blog and onto my readers. Definitely, a much needed Random Thoughts post will come tomorrow. Since the baseball players have a day off tonight, so do I. America's Got Talent will own my television tonight.

Trivia Tuesday

1) There are 3 active players that hit over 50 hits in the 1980s and over 50 hits in the 2000s. Who are they?

2) Ken Griffey Jr did not win the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1989. Who won and who came in second? hint...both pitchers

3) JD Drew won the All-Star Game MVP Award last season becoming the 4th Red Sox to win this award? Who were the other 3?

4) Derek Jeter is the only player ever to win the All-Star Game MVP and World Series MVP in the same season? There is only 1 player that has won both of these awards during his entire career, can you name him?

5) Can you answer these questions regarding the 2002 All-Star game that ended in a tie?
What was the score?
What inning did the game get called?
Who were the managers in the game?
Where was the game played?
Who was the MVP?

Movies Released 20 Years Ago

Summer is usually the season full of newly released films hitting the theatres. After reading an article this week about the 20th Anniversary of Field of Dreams, I began to realize how old I am getting. Are you kidding me? Twenty years ago Field of Dreams came out. The first movie that actually made me cry, came out that long ago. Certainly doesn't feel that long. And being the curious guy that I am, I went and found the films that were released back in 1989. Get ready to feel old as I list a couple handfuls of popular films that came out 20 years ago. Enjoy!

Field of Dreams

Batman

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Back to the Future 2

Driving Miss Daisy

Major League

Pet Sematary

Born on the 4th of July

Ghostbusters 2

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The Abyss

Harlem Nights

Weekend at Bernies

Look Who's Talking

Lethal Weapon 2

When Harry Met Sally

Glory

Jacknife

Twister

Dead Poets Society

All Dogs Go to Heaven

Little Mermaid

My Ultimate AL All-Star Team

Yesterday and today I am posting my ultimate all-star team of my generation. This team consists of a 25-man roster, 9 starters with a DH, 8 bench players, 8 pitchers two of them relievers, and at least 2 left-handed pitchers on the roster (something that is very difficult to do). My subs are the best positional players that I will need for the game as back ups. The roster is absolutely loaded and took me some time deciding the starters and who my subs were. So I am sure that these rosters I put up won't go without controversy, hell I even had to go back and forth on a ton of players. Today is the AL team, I thought that the NL was difficult to do, this team was a nightmare. Enjoy!

My AL All-Star Team

Starting Line up

Rickey Henderson LF

Don Mattingly 1B

Ken Griffey Jr. CF

Bo Jackson DH

George Brett 3B

Cal Ripken Jr. SS

Ivan Rodriguez C

Roberto Alomar 2B

Ichiro Suzuki RF

Roger Clemens SP

Subs

Kirby Puckett OF

Derek Jeter SS

Terry Steinbach C

Frank Thomas 1B

Wade Boggs 3B

Lou Whittaker 2B

Jim Rice OF

Dave Winfield OF

Bullpen

Frank Viola

Bret Saberhagen

Pedro Martinez

Jack Morris

Jimmy Key

Dennis Eckersley

Mariano Rivera

My Ultimate NL All-Star Team

Today and tomorrow I will be posting my ultimate all-star team of my generation. This team consists of a 25-man roster, 9 starters with a DH, 8 bench players, 8 pitchers two of them relievers, and at least 2 left-handed pitchers on the roster (something that is very difficult to do). My subs are the best positional players that I will need for the game as back ups. The roster is absolutely loaded and took me some time deciding the starters and who my subs were. So I am sure that these rosters I put up won't go without controversy, hell I even had to go back and forth on a ton of players. The AL will come tomorrow, hope you enjoy and comments are always welcome!

My NL All-Star Team

Starting Line up

Tim Raines CF

Tony Gwynn RF

Barry Bonds LF

Mike Schmidt 3B

Dale Murphy DH

Will Clark 1B

Gary Carter C

Ryne Sandberg 2B

Ozzie Smith SS

Nolan Ryan SP

Subs

Andre Dawson OF

Albert Pujols 1B

Mike Piazza C

Barry Larkin SS

Steve Sax 2B

Andres Galarraga OF

Chipper Jones 3B

Darryl Strawberry OF

Bullpen

Dwight Gooden

John Tudor

Greg Maddux

Randy Johnson

Orel Hershiser

Trevor Hoffman

Lee Smith

I am Sure That You Have Heard of...

the Olympics. You probably also heard of the Special Olympics, World Games, and even the Nutmeg Games. But, have you ever heard of the Summer Redneck Games? Before I sign off for the day because of an exhausting work week that has not ended yet I wanted to let you all know about what these true southern folk do in East Dublin, Georgia the second weekend of every July. These country folk will be competing in events that only a true redneck can even think of. I'm talking a redneck horseshoes tournament, the watermelon seed spitting competition, a mudpit belly flop competition, armpit song performances, and of course the bobbin' for pigs feet competition can't be forgotten. You have to check out this website. You think that I might be pulling your chain, but you have to check this out. I'd say that this is unbelievable, but being here in the south for two and half years now...I am not in the least bit surprised about this event!

Who's Hungry?

A new feature to The Nutz, for the rest of the summer I will be posting each week and great summer food that anyone can enjoy being for the south or the north. Summer time is for some great drinking with some great eating out in the sunshine or on a cool summer night. Enjoy!

This week's food is the fried chicken!

No matter who you are or what kind of diet or health craze your on it is hard to resist the fried smell of some chicken. I am not at all telling you to go out and get some KFC oh no, no, no. Simple to make in any kind of deep frier that you can pick up dirt cheap at a Walmart or you can hit up a grocery store for pre-made (maybe just here). I could go weeks without having any Publix (main grocery store in the area) fried chicken but once I have some I'm hooked. Usually every Friday, which I call Fried Chicken Friday I head to Publix after work and buy me an eight-pack with biscuits that last me for the weekend. It's great! My brother, the Toe, got me hooked on a fried chicken place in Jacksonville that is off the hook, Bojangles. When you get to the dirty south and looking for some great fried chicken eatin you have to hit this place up. If your up north find a place that sells fried chicken, except KFC, and get you an eight-piece of love!

Coming in 2010

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are back at it with another mini-series next year on HBO. Hard to imagine that it will be better than Band of Brothers, but I never would doubt anything that these two do.

My Night in Daytona

It was a very hot and steamy day on July 4th to say the least. I didn't want to even attempt to get out of the house at all that day until I had to, because I worked in the stuff all week and needed a desperate break from the sun. Plus, I went out drinking the night before and didn't want to chance sweating out my alcohol so early before heading to the Coke Zero 400. I headed over to my buddy Den's house at about 3, to find out what time we were leaving and the next thing I knew I was drinking and swimming in his pool. The night couldn't start any better!

We had to have a toss up on who was driving, and since the AC was out in his truck it was an easy choice to have me drive for the night, not to mention that I did not know the guys we were going with who had got me the tickets. The race started at 8:00, but we didn't want to chance the traffic so we left at 5 o'clock to head to Daytona Beach to pick up his buddies, of course a drink for the road wouldn't hurt. No traffic at all on the way, got to Daytona with ease so we went to an awesome bar before we picked up the ticket holders and pounded a beer while we watched the breaking news update of the death of Steve McNair. This bar was awesome, though. The next time my boys from up north get down here we have to go there. It was called "The Arena" and was filled with beautiful flat screens nicely spaced throughout the bar, a VIP lounge, a couple high end pool tables, an outdoor deck facing the ocean, and the biggest round bar I have ever seen. After we pounded are drink is was back in the car to pick up the other two. Now let me tell you about these guys...

The dudes names were Archie and Jimmy, friends of Den's up north. Both look like Jersey guys and every other word that came out of their mouths was f^@k. Not kiddin. Here's the first words I heard from him story might be exaggerated but the content is still the same.

"That f^@king race last night was f^@king weak. And that f^@king fat f^@k sitting in f^@king front of us was going to get his f^@king ass kicked for f^@king talking shit."

It was just like that. But, these guys are loaded. They came from nothing and that dude Archie is worth about 50 million dollars, but the cool thing about both of them is that they don't flaunt it at all and actually dress like kind of scumbags. Archie hands me the ticket and tells me that he's not responsible for anything that happens now once it is out of his possession. I look at the price of the ticket. One Hundred and Sixty dollars, with tax, 170! A few more drinks at their house and we hit the road in my small ass Mirage to International Speedway.

International Speedway was mobbed! We parked at Den's wife's work for free and walked about a 1/4-1/2 mile to the track. Walking to the track is probably one of the better experiences your going to have if you want to really chuckle. Archie explained it perfect, "There are f^@king race fans like us and there are f^@king hick ass race fans like them!" So true! I wish I had my camera for all of you. On a bench on the side of the road there was a foursome of rednecks looking for tickets, how they had the money for tickets was beyond me, but only 1 of the 4 had a shirt on, all were wearing those cut jean shorts that they wore in the 80s, and of course all of them were hammered and giving high fives to fans wearing Earnhardt shirts or hats. Certainly a site to see.

We get to the track and went up stairs like no other, mind you it is still sizzling out and alcohol already in the system was causing sweating already, now I have walked a half a mile which now feels like 3 miles going up these stairs. We finally get to our section and Den's like, "you ready?". Of course! Now we are changing to Captain and Cokes, which were $8, not nice! We get drinks for Jimmy and Archie and get to our seats. To my surprise there is not one fruitcaked redneck around us. But I already forgot how much our seats were, nice keep drinking. Our seats were incredible! Top level and right at the start/finish line. You can't get better seats than these. And I'll tell you what was there, was big-breasted women...everywhere! I swear to all of you I think that it is a prerequisite to have a large chest if you a female NASCAR fan. If you have small tits, sorry you have to leave! Unreal! My eyes were on the t-shirts of the women fans more than the race track throughout the night.

Before the start of the race I look to my left then look to my right and notice that their is massive amounts of people at this race. Nothing like I have ever seen before. I decided that I was going to do my rooting mostly for Joe Gibbs young prodigy Joey Lagano, but I wouldn't be mad if Tony Stewart won at all. I have to apologize to Den, but I still can't get into the the race as a whole. The start is kind of hot because all the cars are piled up together going 160+ not even two feet apart. The middle sucks, I never officially got drunk because of the massive amounts of state cops out and about this weekend, but I was feeling good and since all the wipe outs were on the other side of the track, boredom started to set in.

Then we get to the final ten laps. At this point now I am feeling quite well, I didn't have to buy a drink the whole night. A stupid ass caution flag comes out for whatever reason while Stewart has a nice lead. So the cars get bunched up together for the final 8 laps. I look at Den and say, dammit I want to see a crash right in front of us. He says we just might now that they are bunched like this now. Kyle Busch takes the lead from Stewart with a lap and a half to go. Nobody like Busch much, in fact he is hated throughout NASCAR fans. If you haven't seen the end of the race, I'll have it at the end of the blog. But, like most of the fans there it is one of the better finishes that you'll ever see at a race. Not lying to you the finish of this race on youtube is exactly how I saw it live. At the last turn on the final lap, Stewart not taking a 2nd place finish bumps Busch to the wall and what ensues is absolute may lay. Busch hits the wall and takes out the almost the entire field right in front of us at the finish line, while Stewart cruised by before the pile up to finish as the winner. It truly was an awesome finish to get to see after the boredom that happened to me before the last 10 laps. Busch's car was a wreck, and fans were pumped about it. Just imagine leaving this place with the rednecks so happy a guy got into a huge wreck and his car was in shambles. A fight happened right when we were leaving probably because somebody was staring at somebody's girlfriend's boobs. The two hour ride home sucked ass, with state cops everywhere, but ultimately it was a decent night in Daytona. The dude that was suppose to get us into the strip club was hammered throughout the race and somehow disappeared from us somewhere in the middle of the race so the tittie bar was out of the question. But definitely the night in Daytona was something everyone should try to experience whether you like racing or not but I'll tell you what it is something that I could only handle once a year!

End of the Race

Weekend Review

Before I get into my weekend in Daytona, there were many events that were on the tube that I paid alot of attention to this past weekend. Let's get into what my thoughts were on the weekend that was...

The biggest news, in my opinion was the murder of former NFL MVP Steve McNair. McNair was an incredible human being during his playing career, which featured him doing much for the communities around him. But alot of what we thought of him will definitely be a little tarnished after the apparent affair that was going on with the 20-year-old that was dead with him. As Jay Mariotti wrote yesterday,

Whatever glowing perceptions we have of a public figure, particularly in sports, too often are exposed by lurking warts and skeletons. Just because Steve McNair made a remarkable commitment to community service -- in lockstep with a football career defined by his legendary toughness and tolerance for pain -- doesn't mean he led a perfect life.

After reading and listening to most of the evidence of the case and how the police aren't really looking for suspects right now, it definitely looks to me that it was a murder/suicide. After her arrest on Thursday night of a DUI with McNair in the car, I am willing to bet that McNair finally smartened up a couple days later, went to her condo to tell her it was over because word would ultimately start to get out that he was seeing someone other than his wife and she took it hard. So hard that she pulled out a gun in her possession shot him a couple of times than turned it on herself after realizing what she had done. McNair was always a standard of what a NFL player should be while he was playing, a very hard worker that always played when hurt and stayed out of the police blotter. Many athletes that make bad decisions in their life are able to change and give themselves a chance to make up for the mistakes made. Unfortunately, McNair will never get that chance.

For whatever reason, I woke up early on Sunday morning and watched the Wimbleton Men's Final between the United States best mens tennis player verses the best player in tennis history. Roger Federer was an easy pick to obviously destroy US hope Andy Roddick quietly and quickly. But that was not the case at all! Roddick and his 2-18 record career verses Federer was all in the past, because Roddick did not back down at all. It was a great match to watch to start the day yesterday. Unfortunately, Federer finally broke his serve to win the match, which was difficult to do to say the least, since he didn't do it the entire match. Federer is now the all-time leader in Major Championships with 15. With Federer being as good as he is, I now wonder if Roddick is just a victim of bad luck or he just came up as a tennis player in the wrong era. I use to hate on Andy for a while for not being that guy the United States desperately needs in the sport of tennis, but now after his performance yesterday and Roger's now 15 championships maybe he is what the US has needed since the departure of Andre Agassi.

I much as I hate to say it, damn the New York Yankees are hot!

Tiger Woods won his own tournament yesterday by narrowly defeated Anthony Kim which was he third win this year 68 overall. This was his final tune up before the British Open, I'm expecting big things from him over seas this month.

Tim Wakefield was announced to his first All-Star game next week, which is long overdue!

My Saturday night in Daytona will be coming later

Happy 4th of July

Enjoy the burgers, dogs, and beers and have a safe holiday weekend to all of you!

Coke Zero 400

Today I am going to make a 30 minute ride or so to Daytona Beach. I will be blogging about my experience tonight later on during the Holiday weekend. Not being a NASCAR fan is fun because I get to watch people get really into a sport in which cars go around in a circle for hours and you sit and hope that somebody gets into an accident. But, in the local newspaper this week reading about the upcoming race I got a real sense on how much Daytona International Speedway is the host of some of the greatest races, finishes, and filled with enormous tradition. The first time I went to watch a race, the Winn Dixie 250, it was less than a trill for me with only a few of the top racers racing in the Nationwide series, all I did was drink heavily and hope for a crash that never did come. Tonight, is one of the few races that is under the lights for the Sprint Cup Series (which I just know as the big names series) and from what I understand this is a huge race for the racers at the top of the points standings. I will be doing my rooting tonight for Tony Stewart and Joe Gibbs' driver, and Middletown's own, 19-year-old Joey Logano. Hopefully I am very entertained with lots of crashes fueled by lots of alcohol.

Who's Hungry?

In my book there is nothing better than cold beers and eating food that makes you say,

"I ain't doin' nothin' the rest of the day but this!"

I love the summer, but the food you can eat in the summer is much better. So every week the rest summer, I will be giving you my food of the week.

This week's food is the sausage patty!

I went to the grocery store this past week dying for something off the grill. Little did I know that sausage patties don't exist in the south unless you make them yourself. So I grabbed a pound of ground Italian sausage went home, pounded it into patties threw some black pepper on it then threw them on the grill. Yummy! I am telling you that they are better than hamburgers, no doubt in my mind. So to do some advertising for my cuz, head to Arescos Superette and go get you some pre-made sausage patties throw them on the grill and enjoy the day in the sun!

I Think That I am Becoming a Southerner

It took some soul searching, but I have finally come to a crossroad in my life where I know that I am changing...for the good or the bad is yet to be seen. I am becoming a Southerner! I'll explain...

My tan line is ridiculous! Everyone of you that read this blog has seen me come back home dark skinned, now it is out of control. My skin tone is the darkest I have ever noticed. And let's not mention that I have taken the "farmer's tan" to an entirely new level. I'm talking ankle to knee cap is like a big black leg brace being worn on each leg, and my dark necked "ring-around-the-collar" is utterly absurd.

Alligators, snakes, and lizards aren't a big deal anymore. I had to pick up a huge dead water moccasin (most aggressive snake in Florida) out of the parking lot the other day, not even thinking twice about it. Actually seeing them is a big thrill of my day. I have gotten so use to the alligators in my park that I tend to get closer to the water each day I see one. And, those little lizards that everyone sees in Florida (that are not geckos), I find them on my car, in the house, or on the front porch...no big deal, their just little lizards.

I am man enough to even admit my dipping tobacco intake is bad!

I am now studying to become a Class A Driver. Yes, I will be licensed to drive a big rig probably in the next month or so. The same big rigs that everyone hates driving next to on the highway, and the same ones that have drivers always riding your ass for no apparent reason other than they hate everything about your little car. Being a Class A Driver also means that I am going to have to know the inside and outside of the truck for pre-trip inspection purposes, and know what is wrong with my vehicle's engine if something goes wrong. Which brings me to my last topic...

This Saturday night, I will be attending...(cough,cough) the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona. Where all the big named drivers will be racing. Let me explain though, I am going with my boy Den who got the tickets through a buddy of his, and there in the luxury tower at the track. So I will be hanging with all the big-dog racing freaks being taken care of during the entire race. Not to mention that I will be able to see every part of the track while women make sure that my ever excessive drinking habit is getting taken of. Tell me you would pass this up! Den told me that I have to be "into" the night on July 4th. So what I am going to do is go to the race, get absolutely hammered, throw in a lipper, scream like an idiot, then go to some dirty strip club and try to talk a dancer into coming home with me. After all...

I think that I am becoming a southerner!

Dirty Diana

One of the more underrated songs MJ ever had. Strong guitar playing, and the lyrics from Mike were classic!

Happy Birthday Timbro!

Happy 28 bud! Miss ya already if you can believe it. Enjoy the day, CT, and your summer!

Beat It

No matter how you think of this video now, this was a very bad ass video when we were kids. Even though I still don't know how Mike got into that diner without anyone there, or the pool hall for that matter. The way he helped those guys from killing each other to dancing with each other is an act of God. The dance scenes in this video were great for it's time, and I remember my mother not thinking it was good for me to watch for my age. The classic red jacket is what made this video great.

Remember the Time

I remember the time when this video first came out. It was on a Monday night, but I can't recall if it was before or after The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I do remember this being a big deal, especially for the release of a music video to a television audience. I am going to keep doing this so get use to the videos.

The King of Pop

Died today at the age of 50. I was suppose to write about something else today, but I am really lost for words. He was my favorite artist growing up, and still today I would pop in the Michael Jackson's Greatest hits on my Ipod every now and then. And of course all of you know my love for the Thriller dance, even though I can never quite get the entire dance down. Miss ya Mike, even though I have been missing the real you for quite some time! There will never be another entertainer like you!

Big One for USA

Clint Dempsey scores the 2nd USA goal verse Spain.

By now you have probably heard that USA upset Spain Wednesday 2-0. If you missed the game, you missed a great one. High intensity and fast paced. In the 27th minute of the game phenom Jozy Altidore broke by a defender and put a shot into the back of the net. In the second half USA got a little insurance when Clint Dempsey found the back of the net after a Landon Donovan pass was deflected by a Spanish defender. It turned out to be a huge goal because moments later center mid-fielder Michael Bradley would be given a very questionable red-card and the US would have to play a man down. Goalie Tim Howard had an incredible game making several great saves especially after sub par performances versus Italy and Brazil.

This is a huge win for the US not just because it sends them into the final, but because it was against the #1 FIFA ranked Spain. A team that hasn't lost in 35 matches. It gives them hope and it gives their fans hope for a positive outcome in the 2010 World Cup. They need a good showing in the 2010 World Cup just to make up for the dismal performance in the last two. I not saying they could win it, but this victory shows they can play with the big boys. And remember against Italy they played 10 on 11 most of the game and held a lead for most of the game until they ran out of gas.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR TEAM USA: After probably facing Brazil in the finals (no one expects them to win this one especially after a 3-0 drubbing last week, but they could make it interesting). The US will face and hope to advance through Grenada, Honduras, and Haiti in the Gold Cup in July. The match against Honduras should be a good one after a 2-1 victory last early in June for the US. It is at RFK stadium and DC has great fans which should help. The match against Haiti is at Gillete Stadium. If you like watching goals scored this might a good one to attend, plus its relatively close. After that they go back to World Cup Qualifying(yes they still need to qualify) against Mexico on August 12th.

CWS Championship (Game 2 ReCap - Game 3 Preview)

I had a funny feeling this would happen! Texas' Taylor Jungmann put on a pitching clinic for the ages last night by siliencing the LSU Tiger bats, something that doesn't happen often. After almost a hour and a half rain delay, Jungmann and the Longhorns took it to LSU and now have tied the series at one a piece to force the ultimate championship game tonight. Texas DH Russell Moldenhauer led the offense again last night stroking his 4th homerun in Omaha and has put his coach, Augie Garrido a win away from his 6th national title as a coach. There really wasn't much to last night's game except of course the pitching of Jungmann. I had a feeling it would be a much different night for him yesterday after throwing 6 straight balls in his short appearance in Game 1, and I was right. Pitching a complete game of 5 hit ball, striking out 9, walking 2, and not allowing an earned run was a more impressive line than that of LSU's record against right-handers this season (37-3).

As for tonight's main event between the game's top storied programs. LSU is obviously going to go to sophomore Anthony Ranaudo, something I am very surprised they didn't do last night. He last pitched Friday against Arkansas posting 6 innings of shutout ball, so he should be ready to go tonight. Texas is going with their soph as well in Cole Green who posted 2 victories in Omaha against Southern Miss and Arizona State. I don't think that either starting pitcher will get past the 6th inning tonight, so expect the bullpens to play a major factor. I have a name for each team tonight that is going to play huge. The bats will be out for both teams tonight as I like Texas RF Kevin Keyes and LSU 1B Ryan Schimpf to both step it up after both posting o-fors last night. I am so sad that this tournament is going to be over tonight, but so pumped for the game.

"There were 288 [college baseball teams] that started," Texas coach Augie Garrido said. "Two are left with one game to play. It's pretty awesome."

Don't miss it!

LSU wins the championship tonight 9-7

Ricky Rubio and ?s about the NBA Draft

I have a lot of questions regarding the NBA Draft. How high will Rubio go in tomorrow's NBA Draft? Actually, the real question is, will he be worth it? I hope so for his sake. Lots of big names in this draft, but are they NBA material? How high will Tyler Hansborough go? How are the Knicks going to screw this draft up? Why do the Timberwolves have 15 1st round picks? Why did Hasheem Thabeet skip out on a workout from a team experts are saying are going to pick him? Is Stephen Curry going to be for real? Say what you want about this class being "weak", I certainly think that this could be one of the more entertaining Drafts in years. I think many "experts" are going to be dead wrong on where players will be chosen. We shall see!

CWS Championship (Game 1 ReCap - Game 2 Preview)

Game 1 was amazing last night to say the least. Filled with drama, clutch pitching, and balls leaving the yard it will be hard to imagine Game 2 being quite as good. Last night Texas hit 5 HRs with 3 of them coming from players that have only hit 3 all season. But, it wasn't enough! LSU's freshman closer Matt Ott was absolutely phenomenal out of the pen for the Tigers in the late inning earning the victory. I don't know if all saw my man Jared Mitchell's 2-run triple to tie the game at 3 early on but it was a sight to see watching him fly around the bases. Another freshman stepped up big late after starting the game terrible, and this could be why baseball is so great. Just when you can't possibly do anything more worse than strikeout 3 times in 3 at-bats for your team. Centerfielder Mikie Mahtook, was awful then late when he team needed him most he came up with the GW RBI single in the 11th that capped an amazing comeback in Omaha. LSU coach Paul Mainieri had to be breathing a sigh of relief when he got back to hotel last night after almost losing a game the way they have won games all season.

Even though it is raining in Omaha as we speak, don't think for a second that it will be canceled. So that means for me another sleepless night. And it won't be the last. I really like Texas to pull off a major victory bring the Championship series to a third and final game. Likely pitching tonight for the Longhorns is freshman Taylor Jungmann who has great poise on the mound even though he threw 6 straight balls last night when Texas needed him. But, being forced out of the bullpen last minute and getting the nod on the mound are two separate things. If the they don't go with Jungmann than expect Cole Green who pitched the clincher on Saturday. As for the Tigers they are going to have to go with someone that is not as rested as they would like. Expect them to go with super soph Anthony Ranaudo, but don't expect him to be at full health. Lot's of small ball as expected for the Longhorns and if the Tigers win tonight expect lots of balls leaving the yard on their part instead of their foes.

Texas wins Game 2 6-5

A Few Random Thoughts for Today

One more week til the move...I hope! Just when you think that you have everything together, someone punches you in the mouth and tells you that we are still not a go for your June 30th closing. So I have been trying to keep my mind occupied with others things like sports the past couple of days. Work really sucks right now because it is so hot and we have a huge (4000 people expected) 3 on 3 soccer tournament this weekend I am preparing for. So at the moment I am massaging my foot while I write. Here's a few things that happened this weekend I would love to share with all of you.

I can't remember the last time where I actually watched most of a PGA golf Major Tournament until the US Open this weekend. The shitty weather up north certainly helped, but I was really tuned in. As most of you already know I am a huge Phil Mickelson fan, even though he drives me insane more often then not. So the weekend had me hooked especially yesterday with the chances that came up for Lefty, but of course he came up short in a US Open again (5 times). Now I have to watch golf without the stresses that Phil gives me every weekend. Should I even bother watching the next couple of tournament without him? And that poor Barnes kid, I found myself rooting against him to fall, to make things interesting this weekend for the tournament. Then the guy really falls on Monday and I find myself feeling sorry for him because the poor guy could not find the fairway to save his life. If he was anything like me as a golfer he would have smartened up and aimed right so his ball would hook on the fairway. Players make adjustments, well I guess only players like me. Gotta hand it to Lucas Glover though, he hit timely shots even with having never been in that position before.

Am I the only one that feels Manny Ramirez should not be allowed to play in the Minors right now. What a crock!

It was Father's Day on Sunday and I totally forgot to get my father a gift. So like any good son would, I raced to Target early Sunday morning and bought him the book Crazy for the Storm. Suppose to be a very good father-son/son-father book so I came through. But what he really liked about the day was I also went to Redbox and got Gran Torino. We watched it together that morning and he was really impressed with the movie, probably because the Clint Eastwook character reminded him of his old man.

I bought my first piece of furniture for my new home yesterday. You get a nice sense of where my priorities are when I tell you that my first purchase was a television stand. Nice...bar stools next on the long list.

I'll get to the CWS in a later post tonight, but man what a first game. To quote Mike Patrick last night...

"Just another one of your typical College Baseball games in Omaha."

I couldn't have put it better myself Mike!

CWS Championship (Game 1 Preview)

Been taking a much needed break from the computer lately to focus on some reading, new home furniture, a friend from Georgia, and many hours relaxing on the couch because of the amount of work I have been doing outside. Well, first off I would like to add that college baseball got what they wanted for the start of tonight's best of 3 championship series between two of the game's biggest powerhouses. LSU (5 NCAA titles) and Texas (6 NCAA titles) do battle in Omaha for bragging rights for the nation's best team. Surprisingly these two standout programs have only faced each other in the CWS twice before tonight.

The overall #1 seeded Longhorns have gotten here the right way. Great defense, being patient at the plate, a little small ball with timely hits, and late inning drama. 8-1 throughout the tournament, Texas is living up to the one seed something I never saw coming. They will be starting their ace tonight with Chance Ruffin (10-2) and if he continues his strong pitching expect game 1 to go to the Longhorns.

The overall #3 seeded Tigers have gotten here by just being flat out good! I read from ESPN.com that since May 21, the Tigers own a 13-game win streak and have outscored their opponents by a 110-41 margin. They have ace Louis Coleman (14-2) on the mound tonight and if he gets an early lead it could be lights out in game 1. If you have watched the CWS at all, the Tigers aren't going to surprise you at all with what they do. Playing defense and scoring runs, it's that simple!

LSU takes Game 1 7-2

The HangOver

Forget about what you have read or heard about this movie. Just go and see it asap! I went with my brother Bill on Monday and I can't remember the last time that I saw a movie and was absolutely in pain from laughing like I did when I left. The 2nd Annual Deez' might be filled with this movie unless some other comedies step it up...ALOT! Forget your plans for this weekend and go see this film...now! What on earth are you waiting for!

Days 3 and 4 in Omaha

Still trying to get over the fact that we will not be seeing Cal State Fullerton the rest of the College World Series. But that is Baseball! The last two days in Omaha have been very lethargic to say the least, until the night cap last night. Virginia and LSU dominated Cal State and Arkansas Day 3, and North Carolina took care of business quite early against Southern Miss during the afternoon of Day 4. Then comes the reason why college baseball is so great. I was at the bar with my buddies, watching the Red Sox, Yankees, and the CWS. Arizona State was just taking it to Texas from the get-go and then before I could blink the score went from 6-0 to 6-3. Then to make matters worse for SunDevil fans the game that they hand in the palm of their hand went sour and the Longhorns absolutely took care of business the rest of the way and now the #1 overall seed is in the drivers seat sitting in the semi-finals awaiting their opponent. Just when you think you have a game won, student-athletes come together, put together some hits with pitchers throwing strikes and now you go from being a win away from the championship to fighting for you tournament life the rest of the way. I really am not at all putting blame on Arizona State, just it looked to me that Texas wanted the game more.

So to recap: Cal State Fullerton, Southern Miss are eliminated

LSU and Texas are in the semi-finals with no losses

Tonight we have a very intriguing match up between Virginia and Arkansas in an elimination match. Both teams were the hottest teams entering the tournament and playing in the tournament before the trip to Omaha. Expect nothing less than just good baseball from these top programs. Should be fun as usual!

Day 2 in Omaha

Most of you that read this know already that I am a pretty big Lou Piniella fan. One thing that has always drove him Nutz just as much as me is the when pitchers don't throw strikes. While coaching high school kids in my life, I kind of just dealt with it even though it drove me insane. Watching the Southern Miss Golden Eagles hand over a win because of walking batters brought me to drink myself to sleep. In the nightcap of Day 2, Texas took advantage of Southern Miss pitchers not throwing strikes. It's amazing to me that College, Minor, and Major League players even after all the coaching and all the games played that they still can't find the strike zone when it counts. Now because of walking in the winning run last night, the Golden Eagles have the pleasure to North Carolina Tarheels in an elimination game Tuesday. In the first game, which I missed, all of because of the foursome in front of us were taking their sweet old time hitting their shots into the woods, so I would like to thank them. From what I read it was the ultimate pitching game. Unlike Cal State, Arizona State started their #2 pitcher in Josh Spence and came out victorious. Now they have the luxury of starting their ace Mike Leake to advance to the CWS semi-finals against Texas Tuesday. I done told you about how the Tarheel bats need to come up in the tournament. Now they are fighting for their NCAA title lives against Southern Miss.

Today, we have great drama, with Cal State Fullerton on the verge of elimination at 2:00 against Virginia. And in then at 7:00, we have two SEC foes competing for the right to the semi-finals in Arkansas and LSU. It should be fun.

The Toe is on Break (perks of a teacher)

Here's the deal. I enjoy my job, but I love the summer break. Here's what a Teacher's summer is like and things that you might pick up as well:



Biggest accomplishment since end of school June 9th: Read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Looking forward to the movie in October.



2nd Biggest accomplishment: Coming back to beat my brothers and father at golf today.



Right now: Nursing a little sun burn and Let's go Southern Miss!!!!



Current Employment Status: Math and GIS (geographic informations systems) teacher in Florida....Connecticut certification currently pending. Which means, 60/40 staying in Florida for another year.



Work Plans for Summer: Curriculum writing these next 4 days (hourly rate plus stipend) and 4 days job shadowing with Public works department (3 hours a day).....More than enough money for summer fun.



Vacation Trip: I know this might be A$$ backwards but, drive up to Connecticut July 3rd- August 5th.



Looking forward to in Fall: THE Adamant Wedding.



Tomorrows activity: Curriculum writing (easy cash), U.S.A. vs. Italy soccer at 2:30 ESPN, chilling by or in the pool.



Everday activity: drinking Cold beverages.



I know this post doesn't excite many, but I know a few aspiring or current teachers that read this. Hope your summer break goes as well as mine. Maybe I'll post more this summer now that I have more time. We'll see. Later.




The Road Trailer