Tennis

The French Open is on and it's made me think its time to put up an entry on my favorite sport.  This is not my favorite tournament.  All the top players are out of the tourney in the first week. Still a great tourney to watch.  Coria and Kuerton are fun to watch on the dirt in Paris. 

Here is a list of players I feel who have dominated at what they do best (again, this is from MY era.  I'm not that old so Bill Tilden, Ken Rosewall and Roy Emerson will NOT be on this list):

Best Serve:  Pete Sampras.  He could put it anywhere whenever he wanted.  First or second serve, didnt matter.  Roger Federer has a serve that rivals Pete's.

Best Volleys:  Stefan Edberg.  Smooth as silk. (Pat Rafter would be my 1a)

Best Overhead:  Pete Sampras.  Forehand and backhand overhead were sweet. (Johnny Mac would be 1a)

Best Overall Net Game:  John McEnroe.  Nothing he couldn't do at the net. His half-volley's were magical.

Best Groundstrokes:  Andre Agassi.  Just awesome from the baseline.  (Jimmy Connors would be next in line)

Best all around player:  Pete Sampras.  Never seen anybody who could dominate like Pistol Pete.  (Federer could follow Pete if he can win 10 more majors....)

My Top 8 Favorite Men's Tennis Players:

1. Pete Sampras -- What can I say?  I grew up with who I feel is the best tennis player to ever play on this earth.

2. Boris Becker -- Loved Boom Boom's game, yet he was a TOTAL prick when I wanted his autograph in Indianapolis.  Still love him.  Won Wimbledon at 17.  Now thats crazy.

3. John McEnroe -- Strolled to the Wimbledon semi's as a frosh at Stanford.  Surprisingly enough it will be his personality that will never be forgotten.

4. Jimmy Connors -- His run to the semi's at the US Open at age 39 beating Pat McEnroe, Aaron Krickstein and Paul Haarhuis, all in FIVE sets mind you, was amazing.

5. Andre Agassi -- Rose to the top of tennis, fell back to # 171 in the world then came back to win a bunch of majors. 

6. Jim Courier -- Never in a million years would this guy have gotten to number 1 without all the hard work and dedication this guy put in.  Worked harder than any player I've ever seen.

7. Mark Philippoussis -- He's been injured constantly and his talent will never be lived up to, but I love watching him play.

8. Aaron Krickstein -- Ever heard of him?  Probably not.  Just loved his game.

Who are your favorite tennis players?  Why?  Need a good tennis book to read?  'You Can Not Be Serious' by John McEnroe. 

ry

 

 

SEINFELD!!

Need a good comedy?  Not going to happen in this day and age with the reality tv crap on.  I want a good comedy and I'm afraid 'Joey' on NBC next fall is NOT going to fit the bill.  I could go on and on about Seinfeld.  My favorite show of all time.  Period.  In my honest opinion, its the best comedy ever on tv.  Then again I'm not 75 and didnt catch Lucille Ball. 

There is Jerry's lack of commitment to women.  He dates a girl a week.  All of them extremely beautiful but finds a small flaw in every one of them and dumps them the next day.  There is Elaine and her boyfriends.  By far the best boyfriend, actor-wise, is Puddy.  To me, Puddy has exactly no personality what so ever which makes him hilarious.  He was a grease monkey(mechanic), according to Jerry, then moved up to selling Saab's.  There is George living with his parents.  Kramer who doesnt do anything.  He worked for a bagel store until they went on strike like ten years earlier. 

Another great part of this show is the guest stars.  Keith Hernandez, Teri Hatcher ('They're real and they're spectacular), Jane Leeves (the virgin), Courtney Cox, Dan Cortese, David Letterman, Debra Messing, Derek Jeter and Jay Leno are just some of my favorites. 

Whats not to love?  Its a show about nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  Going to the dry cleaners?  Thats a show right there. 

My Top 8 Seinfeld Episodes

1. The Strike -- FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!  Best holiday ever invented.

2. The Merv Griffin Show -- Kramer finds the set of the Merv Griffin Show in a dumpster and sets it up in his apt.  Classic. 

3. The Chinese Restaurant -- Ohhhhhhh Fiiiiiiiiive - Tennnnn minute.

4. The Cigar Store Indian -- Jerry tries to apologize to Elaine by buying her a cigar store indian, but Elaine's good friend is a native american who Jerry wants to date....all hell breaks loose.

5. The Bizarro Jerry -- The opposite of all that is Jerry.

6. The Voice -- Kramerica Industries.  Kramer takes in an NYU student to be his assistant....in other words somebody to get him coffee and do his laundry.  HELLLLLLLOOOOOOO!  It's not you, its your stomach talking...

7. The Frogger -- George buys a Frogger arcade game.  He has the high score and yadda yadda yadda....the machine gets crushed by a semi.  "The perfect combination of Mountain Dew and mozzarella...just the right amount of grease on the joy stick..."

8. The Dealership -- Puddy sells Saabs.  Hi Five!  ITS THE ONLY ONE WITH A COOKIE CRUNCH!

Just missing the Top 8?  The Butter Shave.  Puddy and Elaine go to Europe.  "Boy, a month in Europe with Elaine. That guy's coming home in a body bag."  Vegetable Lasagna.

ry

Sixteen Candles

Once a week I am going to dedicate an entry to a favorite movie of mine.  This week is Sixteen Candles.  Of course my man, Anthony Michael Hall, is in it which makes it a favorite of mine to begin with.  For those of you who havent not seen this movie....shame on you.  Go rent it now....actually its on AMC this week. 

So the premise of Sixteen Candles is a girl, Samantha Baker (played by Molly Ringwald) turning sixteen years old and her parents forgetting about it completely.  Her sister is getting married and everybody's attention is turned towards the sister and away from Sam. 

Anthony Michael Hall, aka Farmer Ted, is completely in love with Sam and will do anything to be with her.  Sam is disgusted by Ted and wants nothing to do with him until she realizes he is completely harmless and just adores her. 

There is Long Duk Dong, the foreign exchange student; Jake Ryan, the jock Sam is in love with; Bryce, played by one  John Cusack; and also Joan Cusack, John's sister.  Both Cusack siblings get there movie starts in this movie.

Sam is in love with Jake but he doesnt know that she exists.  He finds out through a sex note she writes for a friend, but he picks up by accident.  Jake is dating Caroline, the hot senior, but starts to fall for Sam after he finds the note.  Sam ends up with Jake and Caroline ends up with Ted. 

Two of my favorite commentaries from the movie:

Samantha: This is Farmer Fred.
Geek: Ted.
Samantha: Oh, I'm sorry, Farmer Ted.
Geek: I'm not really a farmer. I'm a freshman.

and

Geek: Just answer me one question.
Samantha: Yes, you're a total faggot.
Geek: Ha ha ha. That's not the question.

My Top 8 Anthony Michael Hall movies...

1. Sixteen Candles -- doesnt need to be explained.

2. Breakfast Club -- see above.

3. National Lampoon's Vacation -- Chevy Chase, Beverly D'angelo, wow.  just an incredible movie.  A family traveling west to Wally World will drive anybody insane.

4. Johnny Be Good -- the all american high school quarterback going on recruiting visits and dating a B-E-A-utiful girl getting her first start in a movie....uma thurman.

5. Weird Science -- gary (anthony) and wyatt create a woman, lisa (kelly lebrock) with their computer. 

6. Pirates of Silicon Valley -- played Bill Gates on a made for tv movie. 

7. National Lampoon's European Vacation -- 'Pig in a Poke, we'll be pigs *oink, oink*

8. Edward Scissorhands -- small part, but anthony is anthony.

Kobe Part II

Okay...so I've gotten a lot of responses to my first Kobe article.  E-mails, comments, etc.  Lets get into this a little more, shall we? 

First off...if you are under the age of 18....stop reading.  You love Kobe because he's a great basketball player.  Cool.  We already know that.  That has nothing to do with what we are talking about here.   I will delete any comment about Kobe being a great 'baller.'

I had a response to the effect of 'THIS IS AMERICA, LOOK AROUND YOU, PEOPLE CHEAT ALL THE TIME.'  Right, good answer there.  You have got to be kidding.  Actually, I cant believe I'm even responding to that.  Thats a joke.  Some people cheat, so that makes it okay?  Enough about that stupidity.  A 'total moron' as one of my friends put it.

Innocent until proven guilty.  I know everybody is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.  Im not buying it with Kobe.  Sorry.  Not from what I have seen and heard.  And dont call me stupid because I'm not going to get into all the evidence.  I read enough and watch enough Sportscenter and CNN to know that he didnt just have sex with this girl. 

What I do want is thought out responses to this topic.  If I dont agree with your response, fine; but I will not tolerate stupid people who talk about Kobe kicking ass on the court.  Figure it out.  Its not the point.  On to the list....

My Top 8 Favorite Lakers (from my era, not jerry west and all)

1. Earvin 'Magic' Johnson -- Best point guard ever.  In his rookie year he played all five positions with Kareem injured and helped the Lakers win the title. 

2. Shaquille O'Neal -- Just plain dominant.

3. James Worthy -- MVP of the 1998 NBA Finals with 22 ppg, 7 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- NBA's all-time leading scorer.  Averaged 20-plus points each of his first 17 years in the NBA and in double figures each of his 20 campaigns.  Dont need to say anymore.

5. Devin George -- Division III player, how many of those do you see in the NBA? 

6. Kurt Rambis -- He would fight and scrap for every loose ball. 

7. Byron Scott -- Loved his style of play. 

8. Pat Riley -- a .733 regular-season winning percentage, a 102-47 playoff record, nine Pacific Division titles, and four NBA Championships.

Just missing out on the top 8?  Kobe Bryant at # 1375.  Finishing just ahead of him was Chevy Chase in Fletch. 

ry

Ironman Wisconsin

I want to do Ironman Wisconsin in 2005.  Do you know what that entails?  A 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike followed by a marathon....26.2 mile run.  Think its stupid?  Think its impossible?  Try doing it after shattering your tibia like my brother did.  This is the story (if you dont already know it) of my brother coming back to do Ironman Wisconsin last September after being told he would never run again.

Picture this:  August, 2002.  My brother, Mik (who lives in Allen, Texas with his wife, Jodi, and three boys....Wes, Wade and Warrick) is biking in the countryside which he did every Saturday getting ready for the Ironman in Madison that was to take place the next month.  He was coming down a turn, with a driveway right at the turn, when a 'white trash hick'...as he put it, coming from the opposite direction, turned into the driveway not seeing my brother.  My brother was thrown from his bike, his left tibia completely shattered.  All he had worked for, this Ironman, had been thrown away because of a driver who didnt look where he was going. 

He was taken to a hospital in Plano and had surgery on his knee to surgically repair his tibia.  He was told by a doctor that he would never run again.  This was one doctor's opinion he thought.  He sought out another doctor, one who seemed to be more in tune with the world we are living in and that miracles can happen.  This doctor, from Baylor University (one of the top medical schools in the country) said to him 'So we'll do this, and then this and then this...and as long as you do your therapy there is no reason that you cant run again.' 

You have to understand my brother.  When he wants something, he goes and gets it.  He did all and more of the physical therapy and by Christmas that year was walking around like the accident was just a distant memory.  Mik, his friend Trent and I were walking on State Street in Madison before going to a UW basketball game when he said to me, nonchalantly, 'Im going to do Ironman Wisconsin 2003.'  I was thinking 'Are you crazy?  You cant be serious?'  But he was of course.  He didnt mention this to but a handful of people just in case something happened with his comeback.  We would talk on the phone every few weeks and he would update me on his status.  He'd tell me he was running, swimming and biking every week like nothing; in his mind he was back to 100%. 

Then came last September.  He would come up to Wisconsin, 8 days before the Ironman, which took place on a Sunday, then stay for another work.  I was free for the week leading up so I was able to be his personal chauffer.  When he wanted to go to Madison to check out the bike course, I could take him.  It was still difficult for him to drive distances with his knee getting sore easily.  I could see my brother was walking noticeably with a limp, as did everybody else, but we didnt say anything.  This was what he was used to.

My brother mentioned to myself and the rest of the family that he wanted us to be at this athlete dinner on the Friday before the Ironman.  We really didnt know what was going on but 2000 of the athletes and their families were there.  Well...I had an idea of what was going on, but I didnt express this to anybody else, just to make sure they showed up for this dinner/award dinner.  After eating, the head of all the Ironman's got on stage and started talking about an inspirational story of a person who had made an amazing comeback in the past year.  At this time, I was chasing 2 year old Wade all over the building trying to keep him in place for two minutes so I could hear this.  They talked about a bicycling accident, being told he would never run again, etc.  They announced that the Degree Ironman Comeback of the Year award would go to Mik Wilmot.  Mik got up on stage and thanked everybody, most importantly Jodi for letting him have the opportunity to do all the work that goes into training for an Ironman.  Having two boys, (Wes and Wade....Warrick was born this January), trying to find time between work and being a dad is not easy.  Add into that training and physical therapy.  Not easy.  His speech was amazing and degreeironman.com had a site dedicated to him and his story.

Come the Sunday of the Ironman I was more psyched then he was.  I was jumping around like I was in it....though I hadnt been in a swimming pool in three years and hadnt been on a bike in nearly ten didnt matter to me.  I WANTED TO BE IN IT!!  We were up at 4am to get him to the start by 6 with the race starting at 7.  (Did I mention I was up till 1am in the hills of the bike course, spray painting in huge orange letters 'GO MIK GO?'  Some of the hills on the bike course were huge and I knew obviously he would be going slower uphill than down.  All the hills were full with writing for certain athletes.  (He later mentioned that he most definitely saw the spray-painted words of encouragement and loved each and every one of them)

This was my plan:  While he was out biking and running the marathon....I would be everywhere.  We have an uncle who lives right in the middle of bike route which made it very helpful.  I knew the routes, had maps of every inch, etc.  After the two mile swim, I was on the ramp leading up to his bike to say 'keep it up.'  After he was on his bike two minutes later I was waiting for him on the other side of the ramp to give him some words of wisdom and ask him how he felt ('I FEEL GREAT' he proclaimed) again as he took off on the 112 mile bike, which was two circles of 45 miles or so out into the country south west of Madison, then back into Madison where they would unload their bikes and start on the run.  During the bike portion of the Ironman, I must have seen my brother twenty-five times.  I felt that the least I could do, after what he had been through in the past year, was to give a full day to dedicating myself help him through this race.  He didnt need my help, mind you, but I wanted to help as much as I could. 

After the bike, it was on to the run.  Again, I was everywhere.  I dont want to make it sound like I was some important cog in him finishing this race because I wasnt.  I just wanted to be there for him every chance I could.  The run consisted of two 13 mile cirlces around Madison. 

The best part of my day was having athletes thanking me for being everywhere.  The thing is...I was cheering for everybody.  I knew what each and every one of them was doing and how much their energy was completely zapped.  On top of everything, the day was hot as all hell.  In September in Wisconsin its normally not in the 90's, but it was on that Sunday. 

After the run, of which I saw him apporximately another thirty times, I waited along with my family and Jodi for him to come towards the finish line.  You have to understand that he was in extraordinary pain through the run.  He could run for four minutes, then have to walk for a minute; run four minutes, then walk for a minute just to be able to finish.  He finished in 14 hours and 59minutes.  He said he wanted to break 15 hours and he did.  I was able to be the first person to congratulate him by sneaking through the gate.  Nobody was supposed to be inside this 'gate' except athletes, but I wanted to see my brother and some stupid fence wasnt going to stop me from making sure he was alright. 

I lost it.  That was by far the most inspirational moment of my life.  How a person can come back after being hit by a truck, shattering his tibia, and being told he would never run again to do an Ironman is beyond me.  I told you...when my brother wants to do something, he does it.  No questions asked. 

So next September, 2005 I want to do Ironman Wisconsin.  Im healthy, Im a good athelete and I still dont think I have a chance in hell of doing this.  Im looking forward to trying though.  I want more than anything in life to do it.  If not for me, than for my brother. 

My Top 8 Saturday Night Live Actors

1. Eddie Murphy

2. Chris Farley

3. Will Farrell

4. David Spade

5. Adam Sandler

6. Steve Martin

7. Mike Myers

Tie 8. Dan Akroyd

Tie 8. John Belushi

Just missing the top 8?  Anthony Michael Hall....was only on for one season, Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman.  I also have just realized that I have no women in the top 8.  My favorte women from SNL?  Cheri Oteri, Ellen Cleghorne, and Gilda Radner.

ry

 

Incoherent Ramblings....

Ironman Wisconsin 2005:  Swim.  Bike.  Run.
Smarty Jones was incredible today.
Ricky Williams is a druggie
The Braves Stink.
The Brewers are over .500 in mid-May.
Three months till college football season.
Lakers close out the Spurs tonight. 
Timberwolves close out the Kings tomorrow.
Eastern conference?  God who cares.

Josh...you were right.  Remember a couple years ago when you told me a girl I was caught up on wasnt really all that?  I saw a recent picture of her.  I dont know what I saw in her. 

So one of my moms friends stopped over today with her sister.  The sister is from Oklahoma and didnt know I was laying out in the back yard...shirt off of course.  She peered over the gate to look at the garden and said 'that looks nice.'  She then happened to notice me and said 'WHOA, you're nice too'  HAHA, that was great.

On to the list...

My Top 8 Sporting Events to watch

1. NCAA Final Four -- In St Louis in 2005.  Come on back Devin Harris and UW is going.

2. NCAA Championship football game -- Not like we actually get to see a real championship game ever.  This past year we had 3 teams with one loss, so OU played LSU in the Sugar Bowl and USC played Michigan in the Rose Bowl.  How the hell are you supposed to get a true national champion like that?  You dont.  Its called a PLAYOFF.  Figure it out already.

3. Superbowl -- Pats/Eagles in 2005...or the Packers...that punter we drafted in the 3rd round should get us there, im sure of it.....

4. UEFA Champions League Final --Man United/Bayern Munich 1999.  Havent seen it?  You are missing out.

5. Red River Shootout -- Oklahoma/Texas football at the TexasState Fair in Dallas.  Sooners have run all over them recently.  Mack Brown needs to learn how to coach.  He has more talent than every Big 10 school combinded and still cant win the Big 12. 

6. World Series -- Cubs/BoSox in 2004....keep your fingers crossed...(No Josh, I dont think the Brewers will be in and no Kim, the Braves will be no where near the playoffs).

7. British Open -- been to it three times, no golf tournament compares.

8. Wimbledon -- If Sampras and Becker were still playing this would be in the Top 3.

Just missing the top 8?  The Masters, US Open (tennis), NBA Playoffs.

ry

Kobe Bryant

I've been waiting to go off on this topic for a while.  Let's talk about Kobe Bryant.  Let me first say I have not liked him since he was drafted out of Lower Merion H.S in Pennsylvania.  Kobe pulled an 'Eli' on draft day.  Kobe was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets but said 'thanks, but no thanks.  i will not play for any team besides the los angeles lakers.'  Anybody else remember that?  He was traded to the Lakers a couple weeks later for Vlade Divac.  I lost all respect for him right then.  Move turned out to be good for him though, I'll say that.

Then comes last summer.  Kobe was in Colorado to have his shoulder looked at by the best Doc in the country.  He was staying at some posh resort for a couple nights, met a girl working at the resort, takes her back to his room...yadda yadda yadda....he's arrested for rape.  The yadda part is what nobody in the entire world will probably know except for Kobe and the girl.  Thats not up for debate today.  What is up for debate is that Kobe cheated on his wife and what this country and most of the world seems to think about him. 

Kobe cheated on his wife.  Okay cool, he apologized.  I saw some sincerity in his eyes when he was crying during the press conference.  What gets me is that Kobe shows up for games after being in Denver for his court appearances, takes to the court and all the fans start chanting his name like he is God's gift.  Do people not understand what he did?  I understand the 'innocent until proven guilty' part, trust me I do, but the whole city of Los Angeles seems to just forget what he did last summer.  A) he cheated on his wife.  B) he probably raped a girl for not wanting to have sex with him.  Would the fans of the Lakers be acting like this if it had happened in LA?  What if it was a prominent business mans' daughter in LA? 

This all really irks me.  Is anybody really going to see how stupid he is for putting himself in this position?  He cheated on his wife and his team has stunk this year because of his daily travels back and forth to Colorado.  Yet all the fans in LA thinks its great that he can be in court all day then fly to LA at night to score 42 points, 15 in the 4th quarter to beat the Spurs.  Yay!  Give me a break people....figure it out already. 

My comments dont compare to Jason Whitlocks article on espn.com.  He sarcastically calls Kobe, Ramko...Rambo+Kobe.  Its a great article, check it out.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=whitlock/040513

I would love comments on Kobe.  What do you think about him?  What he did last summer?  What the media is portraying him as?  He wears #8.  Thats the only cool thing about him.  On to the list...

My Top 8 TV Stations

1. ESPN -- sports, sports and more sports.

2. Comedy Central -- Chapelle's Show, Crank Yankers, great stand up comedians, old SNL's, etc

3. VH1 -- behind the music is where its at.  Bands Reunited is great.

4. E! -- E! True Hollywood Story.  Nothing beats it.

5. TBS -- one reason and one reason only...Seinfeld.  Wednesday you get four episodes in 2.5 hours. 

6. ESPN2 -- see ESPN.

7. ESPN Classic --  old sports plus Cheap Seats where the Sklar brothers completely bash old sports.

8. MTV -- punk'd.  true life.  MADE.  cribs.  thats all mtv has anymore.

ry

My Farewell to Frasier

This entry is dedicated to my favorite comedy of the past ten years, Frasier.  Sadly, the show ends tonight.  This is a show that I have watched religiously. This has been my show.  In the last few years, NBC has changed the show's timeslot thus drawing lower ratings. 

I learned a couple of nights ago on Dateline:  Farewell Frasier some new stuff about the show.  First of all Kelsey Grammer (Frasier on the show if you dont watch) lost his sister and father when he was very young.  Both were murdered.  Niles, Frasier's brother, wasnt supposed to be on the show.  There wasnt a brother in the script.  Lisa Kudrow was supposed to play Roz, Frasier's producer on his radio show.  Two of the best writers on the show were killed during 9/11.  They were on the flight heading to LA that went into the first tower of world trade center.  There also was not supposed to be a dog on the show.  The producers found out that shows with dogs have better ratings so they brought in Eddie, a Jack Russell terrier.

My favorite episode?  Daphne leaving Donny at the altar to be with Niles.  On to the list....

My Top 8 Frasier Characters.

1. Frasier -- hes been doing Frasier for 20 years and been remarkable....remember Cheers?

2. Niles -- had a marriage with a cold, lifeless, fraile woman and was happy with it.  we never saw maris thank god.

3. Martin -- Frasier's dad and also lives with him.  the exact opposite of Frasier.  would rather drink beer and watch football unlike Frasier who would rather drink wine and be at the opera.

4. Roz -- she's had some great storylines.  the only one in the bunch who seems to be with a different guy every day of the week. 

5. Bulldog -- he's hilarious.  works the radio slot on KACL after Frasier, does sports.  'this is bogus...this is total b.s.'

6. Simon -- Daphne's brother who comes to stay with Frasier from England.  Just a drunk who gets wasted every night which makes him great because he gets along perfectly with Martin and Frasier hates him.

7. Daphne -- Married to Niles.  She was great on her guest spot on Seinfeld and even better on Frasier.

8. Bebe -- Frasier's manager.  She is completely insane I'm sure of it. 

ry

Anthony Michael Hall

Anybody who knows me knows that I have loved Anthony Michael Hall since the Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Johnny Be Good, etc.  When he is all over Molly Ringwald in the bus in Sixteen Candles and she was completely disgusted by him, I just fell in love with the guy.  He would do whatever it takes to get to know her.  What about in Weird Science they have to make a girl on a computer because no girls will talk to them in school? 

I absolutely love all four of those movies and Anthony Michael Hall is the backbone or star of all of them.  Remember Anthony was still in his teens in all of those.  In Weird Science, Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles he was under the age of 17.  I dont care what he has done since, he is still my favorite actor of all time.  He does have a good show called The Dead Zone on TNT now which is very good.  Nothing will compare to his nerdy ways in the Breakfast Club or as the top high school quarterback recruit in Johnny Be Good.  Have a favorite Anthony Michael Hall movie?  Tell me about it.  That'll happen.  Not.  On to the list....

My Top 8 places to shop....

1. Best Buy -- everything a guy wants.  computers, cds, dvds, etc etc etc.

2. Galyan's -- we dont have any of these in wisconsin but i've been to them in chicago, indianapolis and plano....awesome, awesome store.  www. galyans.com

3. Gap -- great clothes and the most comfortable jeans.

4. Barnes & Nobles -- best place to read and get something to eat at the same time.  also has the best magazine selection of any bookstore in the world.

5. Target -- has everything anybody wants.

6. American Eagle -- great clothes.

7. REI -- great store for the person who loves to be outdoors.

8. Abercromie & Fitch -- dont get me wrong, i absolutely love their clothes, but i'm not paying 80 bucks for a pair of shorts.  my favorite shirts are A&F but i didnt buy them....

ry

Office Space

Looks like somebody's got a case of the MUNDAY's.  Ah yes, what a movie.  How can you not love it?  This movie has unforgettable quote after unforgettable quote.  My favorite 'Yeah, Im doin the drywall down there at the new McDonalds.'  How can you not love Lawrence, Peter's completely retarded but hilarious neighbor.  I would love to hear what some of you guys liked about this movie.  Whether it be the 'Oh' face, Aniston's pieces of flare, the stapler, the fax machine, etc.  This movie kills me from beginning to end.  On to the list...

My Top 8 NBA Players (present)

1. Kevin Garnett -- 7'1 and can do everything.

2. Chris Webber -- Loved the fab five at michigan and still love watching him play.  i know he's dense with the lying to a grand jury and all but im not taking that into account.  just that i like watching him ball.

3. Shaquille O'Neal -- He just dominates...wish they would give him the ball more...then again he doesnt make his free throws.

4. Lebron James -- How can you not love the fact that he is 19 and could do everything.  He was the leader of the Cavaliers at 19.  Everybody knew in high school that he was incredibly gifted but nobody would have expected this at such a young age.

5. Tim Duncan -- Another player coming out of college that we knew was going to be good, but not dominate like he has.  As fundamentally sound as any player I've ever seen.

6. Vince Carter -- Often injured.  Has yet to get back to his form of a couple years ago when he carried his team deep into the playoffs only to lose to AI and the 76ers.  Would love to see him work hard this summer and get back to form.  Has all the tools.

7. Jason Kidd -- His vision is Magic-like.  Cant shoot to save his life though. 

8. Dirk Nowitzki -- I needed a white boy in here.  He's also 7 feet tall and can do everything.  Let me rephrase that...7 foot and can do everything accept play defense....and when I say he cant play defense I mean it.  No chance in hell of ever stopping anybody.  A goat could get by him....I'm sure of it.

The Downfall of Manchester United

What has happened to Manchester United exactly?  Lets explain this topic.  Its 1am and I cant sleep.  Cant think of a better time to talk about it.  First thing that happened was they sold David Beckham to Real Madrid.  What were they thinking exactly?  Sir Alex Ferguson (manager of MUFC) didnt like Becks off the field lifestyle (i.e. his nightlife) and didnt care for his wife either apparently.  About four months before they sold him, Man U was playing Real Madrid I believe it was in the Champions League quarterfinals.  Heres what happened.  Half time of the game, Sir Alex is furious with the way the game is going.  From what I remember they were tied at the time.  In the locker room, Sir Alex is giving his speech pissing and moaning about everything....he see's a boot (soccer cleat for you non-soccer players) and kicks it as hard as he can.  Hits Beckham right about the left eye.  Needed stitches.  It was all down hill from there with Becks and Ferguson.  Dammit all.

Next reason...Rio Ferdinand 'forgetting' about his drug test.  Last September, 2003, Rio was supposed to take a drug test.  Routine I guess but Rio just 'forgot.'  Quick thinking.  He takes the test two days later and passes.  Whoopsidaisies.  Doesnt matter.  The F.A. (Football Association of Britain) decide the best thing to do is suspend the best English defender for 9, yes NINE, fricken months.  For you American soccer fans who might not know who Rio is....take the best American defender, times him by 10 and you still wouldnt have Rio.  Hes amazing. 

Reason #3.  The players they have signed in the past few years are not panning out.  Ronaldo, not THAT Ronaldo.  This Ronaldo is Portuguese.  He's only 20 mind you so he still has time.  Thank god he still has time, because if he were to get graded on this year it'd be a D+.  Djemba Djemba is another 'star' they signed last summer.  Not working out either.  Kleberson....supposed to be a great Brazilian.  Again....not...working....out.  Get the idea?  They did sign a wonderful forward, Louis Saha from Fulham, in January.  Good idea but Sir Alex....we need help in the BACK FOUR...NOT UP FRONT. 

Reason #4.  Arsenal seem to get better and better while Chelsea have a new owner who seems to spend cash like the world is going to end tomorrow.  Arsenal are solid in every area and they have Thierry Henry...the best striker on the planet.  He cant beat stopped.  Chelsea on the other hand have spent over $150 million to turn them around.  Let me say that Chelsea was very, very good BEFORE they spent all this money. 

What would I like to see happen this summer with Man U?  Good question.  I would love to see a world class defender, say Robert Ayala from Valencia come to Old Trafford and I would also like to see a great midfielder come in to shore up the midfield....maybe Luis Figo from Real Madrid.  Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.  I know all of you really cared about this topic and were just itching for me to get it out.  My list tonight is....

My Top 8 Favorite Manchester United players over the past decade. 

1. Eric Cantona -- The Frenchman did it all for the Reds in his time at Old Trafford...including give a karate kick to a fan in the first row at a Leicster game back in 1991.  Hey...the fan said something about Eric's mom so Eric planted his cleats in the guys chest.  Quality.

2. David Beckham -- His crosses are the best in the world. 

3. Ryan Giggs -- The Welsh Wizard.  Unstoppable.  Goal vs Arsenal in the 2000 F.A. Cup will never be forgotten.

4. Roy Keane -- The Irishman will get in your face.  He's tough as nails.

5. Ruud van Nistelrooy -- looks like a steal from PSV a couple summers ago.  wish we could get his old running mate Kezman in a Man United uni.

6. Ole Gunner Solksjaer -- yes, thats his name....his nickname is the baby faced assassin because hes like 29 and looks 16

7. Paul Scholes -- fiery redhead,  he'll kick your ass first chance he gets

8. Nicky Butt -- he'll do whatever you want him to do...defend, pass, score, you name it; he does it.

good luck to all this week.

ry

Dedicated to Mothers around the world...or something...

Today is Mother's Day.  Yay!  Im excited.  I could ramble on and on about this topic but I'm going to leave well enough alone.  Not worth my time anymore.  There's only a couple of people who might actually read this who knows how my mother is, but with my luck it would get back to her if I said something negatively. 

What else to talk about?  Its exam week coming up.  My week should be okay by most students standards.  One girl I know, we'll leave names out, has this:

On tap for this week:
45.5 hours of work
1 tax exam
1 ops mgmt exam
1 training and development exam (that I need to get 100% on)
1 Web development exam
1 term paper
1 portfolio
1 internship interview
1 bar crawl (if i'm still alive at that point)
help!!!

Are you kidding?  Now thats crazy.  I could barely work that many hours in one week, let alone do the rest of the stuff.  Have to give her credit though.  Not only will she get it done, Im sure her gpa will be above a 3.75 like it has been for the past 4 years.  More power to her if she can do it. 

I'm really looking forward to this summer.  Im teaching tennis at a country club in Madison making $20/hr, going to a bunch of concerts (summerfest included), seeing Manchester United live in Chicago vs Bayern Munich and my brother is coming up with his wife and three boys in July hopefully.  What am I most looking forward to?  I'd have to say seeing my brother and his sons.  I havent had a chance to meet little Warrick yet, because he was born in January and I've been in school the past four months.  On to the list....

My Top 8 Favorite TV Mother's.

1. Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show) – My personal favorite because I completely loved the Cosby Show. She fit with Bill Cosby perfectly.

2. Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)  – She keeps that family together. How she does it, I’ll never know.

3. Elyse Keaton (Family Ties) – What a great show this was. Michael J. Fox got his start on this show.

4. Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch) – The All American family. Sickening it was.

5. Jill Taylor (Home Improvement) – This was a show I didn’t particularly like because I’m not a fan of Tim Allen at all but she was a great actress and a great mother on the show. Cute too.

6. Cindy Walsh (Beverly Hills 90210) – She had a son that everybody could get along with and a daughter everybody wanted to strangle the life out of.

7. Maggie Seaver (Growing Pains) – She never was too harsh or too nice with the kids on this show….especially after they adopted leonardo dicaprio surprisingly enough….

8. June Cleaver (Leave It To Beaver) – Anybody else old enough to have even seen this show? I watched reruns on Nick at Night. Good show, I enjoyed it.

great finale to friends the other night and a good ending to Survivor All-Star's tonight. 

ry

Reality TV

Reality television....what do I think about it?  I dont have an opinion really.  I watch a little of it...mostly Survivor.  I have been watching Survivor All-Stars, but didnt watch any of the previous Survivors.  I had heard of Rupert, Richard (the gay, naked dude), and I forget her name...the woman who left the show because Richard rubbed up against him on one of the challengers.  She's from Wisconsin, thats the only reason I know who she is. 

What gets me about Survivor is that everybody is following one guy; Boston Rob.  I dont get it.  This is for a million dollars and everybody seems to be doing whatever he says.  I mean, hello.  Figure it out already.  He's pulling all the strings until everybody is gone.  He made sure Amber, his 'girlfriend,' stayed on the show when it looked like she was gone.  Rob told Lex to keep her, he did, then Lex was the next to go.  What more do you have to know people?  Rob told Big Tom this week that they were getting rid of Gerri.  No doubts about it.  Yet, come the voting Big Tom is out.  I just don't get it.  There was five people left.  Big Tom, Rupert and Gerri should have formed an alliance and gotten rid of Amber when Rob won the immunity challenge.  Im looking forward to the finale tomorrow (Sunday) night.  From what I've heard it gets down and dirty.  I would like to see Rupert win.  He seems to be the nicest, down to earth guy. 

I honestly think Rob is a total dork.  I dont see what Amber see's.  Thats for damn sure.  Then again I dont think Amber is the brightest bulb in the box.  Gerri just seems to be tagging along for the ride into the final four.  I'm going to love it if it comes down to Rupert and Rob.  The jury is going to be completely in Ruperts favor.  I would love to see the jury completely throw it in Rob's face for lie after lie.  Every person in the jury seems to be a person Rob has lied to so it doesnt look good for him. 

One other reality show that I enjoyed was on Fox back in January-February.  It was called 'My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Fiance.'  I caught every episode of this show and taped it for a friend.  If you didn't see the show or hear about it, let me give you a rundown.  Randi, a teacher from Phoenix, was brought it knowing she was going to be on a reality show buthad no idea what it was going to be about.  She came in the first night to meet 12 guys.  She was told she would win $1,000,000 if she could, marry one of the guys without her parents, family, friends, etc knowing that it was fake.  The 12 guys were normal, good looking guys. 

She didnt get to choose one of them.  Her 'fiance' would be Steve.  Steve was...well, just what the title says...big, fat and obnoxious.  Over the weeks leading up to the 'wedding' he made poor Randi's life a living hell.  He broke stuff, burped, wanted to make out with her all the time, ate everything in site, etc.  Did I mention that Randi thought Steve was actually in to win the money also when in reality (no pun intended) he was in it just to make her life hell?  They couldnt just give her a million bucks obviously.  They made it difficult.  Very, very difficult. 

They picked the perfect family.  The Coy family, Randi's mom, dad, sister and two brothers are a piece of work.  They didnt think anybody was good enough for her, not like anybody would be good for my sister if she was going to marry him on a reality show, but you know what I mean.  After the family found out she was going to get married on tv in just two days the family went ballistic.  Her mom seemed to a total brat (i want to use another B word but wont for the kids who are reading this....).  The two brothers wanted nothing to do with the wedding, nothing.  The dad was an Army general or something so you can only imagine how hard it was to get him to go through with this.  The sister was exactly the same as the rest, she wanted nothing to do with it.  All Randi had to do was get her family to the wedding and have them sit through it. 

When it looked at first like the mom was going to be the toughest of the family to get to the wedding, she turned out to be the one actually sticking by her daughter.  She actually felt this is what Randi wanted and that she was truly in love with Steve.  Still the brothers didnt want anything to do with this wedding.  Did not want to go, wouldnt talk to their sister, etc.  In the end, they all showed up for the wedding.  Halfway through the wedding Steve tells everybody that this is fake and that it was a reality tv show.  Yadda Yadda Yadda.  The family takes off in all directions but comes back after some coaxingfromthedaughter.  Steve finally tells Randi that he is not really Steve Williams but that he's an actor just playing the part of the obnoxious fiance.  Randi ends up winning $500k for herself and another $500k for her family. 

I hope I did the show justice.  I really enjoyed that Reality show.  Top 8 list to follow....

My Top 8 Seinfeld Characters

1. Jerry -- he wrote, produced and starred in the best comedy series ever.  not much more has to be said. 

2-Tie Kramer -- everything about him was perfect on this show...let me repeat, for this show, because he tried a show by himself and it lasted about two weeks.  Kramerica Industries was a classic.

2-Tie George -- 40 years old and living at home with those two parents....damn.  He also killed his fiance....unintentionally of course...

3 Elaine -- Her dance will never be forgotten, but its the episode where she tries to go to the doctor and get her 'chart' that was incredible.

4. David Puddy -- one of the best episodes has Jerry at Puddy's Saab dealership looking to buy a Saab, George getting screwed on his candy bar at the vending machine, Elaine breaking up with Puddy, then taking him back just so Jerry can get a good deal on the car.  quality, quality episode.  High Five!

5. J Peterman -- The best boss this world has ever seen.  Get well, get well soon...we wish you to get well. 

6. Neuman -- Mr Crunch Bar himself was the perfect mailman.  Completely and totally in love with Elaine and she wouldnt give him the time of day.

7. The Soup Nazi -- This guy was a classic...if only we saw more of him.  NO SOUP FOR YOU!!

8. Frank Costanza - George's dad.  He invented a holiday; Festivus.  It took the place of Christmas...instead of a tree they had a metal pole.  As funny as any episode.

Ry

Nothing inparticular

I dont really have much to say, but I'm sure I can come up with something.  This weekend I have a couple long papers to work on.  First is a 7-10 page paper about what I feel this world should be like.  Its due Wednesday.  I feel I could start this paper on Tuesday at midnight and have more than enough time to spare.  Did I mention this class revolved around readings about other peoples world views?  Plato, Maslow, etc.  Really hard stuff.  Another paper is a take home exam which everybody in the class thought would be really difficult, but its 8 questions.  Choose 5....and 2-3 PARAGRAPHS for each one would be 'excellent' he said.  Ouch.  Dont know how I'm going to handle that one.

This is a good story.  My partner, lets call her Jennifer, and I had to give a presentation this past Monday.  The leadup was great.  Let me explain....our topic was the first human community which was Jericho in the Middle East in 9000 B.C.  Cool topic, we found a lot of interesting info on it.  Now all we had to do was get together a few times in the computer lab and put it all together.  We met one day and sat next to each other in the lab.  I brought up some info from the net while she brought up power point.  She was fiddling with the slides (color, background images, etc).  I thought this was cool.  She knows more about power point then I do so this is fine.  So i started giving her info and she put it into the slides.  I started realizing that she wasnt doing much and I was doing all the work but whatever...it was the first day and we had power point up and running with some of our info. 

The next day we met I started getting more info while she had power point up but started playing an online game, working on the presentation very little.  The next time we met I almost lost it.  We got in there and sat down.  I got out all my notes and was looking up more stuff online.  She sat down and put on her headphones to listen to music.  She brought up her stupid little computer game and said to me before she turned on her music 'IF YOU NEED ANYTHING PUT IN THE PRESENTATION, LET ME KNOW!!'  Less than a minute later I was walking out.  She said 'Where are you going?'  I said 'Im not going to sit here and do all the work again while you do nothing.'  Next day in class she was all about helping me.  'Ryan, I got all this info for our project....' blah blah blah.  Too late sweetheart, I already did it. ( Im mean, but not that mean.  I didnt say that.  I wanted to though.) 

On the day we had to give the presentation after I had brought in everything, made sure it was ready to go on the computer in class, etc...i gave her the sheets and told her what she had to do.  Not that hard right?  Of the presentation she maybe helped out 20%....if that.  I started the presentation then she concluded....or tried to.  She couldnt pronounce any words, her face was all red and I looked like a total dork who had an imcompetent partner.  She couldnt pronounce Neolithic.  Not hard right?  She couldnt come anywhere near it.  I digress....the Prof loved it, we had a lot of great info and pics.  I told 'Jennifer' that she did a good job and that was that.  I wasnt thinking that though.  What I was thinking is that we could have done a whole lot better if you werent so stupid.  Ha.  Im mean.

On a lighter note...the NBA Playoff continue this weekend.  Spurs/Lakers...Game 3 is Sunday.  Game 2 was played December 17th.  Thanks for the 14 million days in between games Mr Stern.  The NBA is FANNNNNNsuckish.  On to the list....

My Top 8 Favorite Holidays

1. Thanksgiving -- Food, followed by football, more food, followed by more football...you get the idea.

2. Christmas -- Its all about giving with me.  I'm a giver, not a taker. . . . . .

3. New Year's Day -- College football bowl games.  Like ten in one day.  Whats not to love?  You dont like college football you say?  Pull your head out of your butt.  College football is great.

4. Valentines Day -- Whats better than spending the day/evening at a nice restaurant with the girl/guy you love enjoying each other's company.  No girlfriend?  This stupid holiday doesnt make the list.  Love you too.

5. Halloweeen -- Free candy and scaring the crap out of the little kiddies.  Love kids though, dont get me wrong. 

6. Memorial Day -- No work, no school.  Golfing, grilling out, baseball, spending time with family and friends. 

7. Labor Day -- See above and add football to the mix.

8. 4th of July -- Im not that patriotic or this would be much higher.  Still a day off work...at least Ibetter get the day off from the country club this summer.  If I dont I'm going to be furious.  Ha.  I'm going to hell.

ry

My mistakes...

Ah yes...lets talk about Ryan's mistakes.  Lets talk about his little ones, not the massive ones that have completely ruined lives. 

First mistake...lets get this out in the open right off the bat and hopefully put this to sleep forever.  A few years back, my friend Josh and I were contemplating going to see a movie.  We couldnt find anything that looked good so he let me make the decision.  I had seen commercials for a movie which I thought looked good.  Criminy was I wrong.  We went to go see 'The Thirteenth Floor.'  Ever heard of it?  Of course not.  It was awful.  Honestly the worst movie ever.  Thats eight bucks I'll never see again.  I mean honestly...I couldnt tell you anybody who was in the movie, the plot, etc.  Just god awful.  So of course, every time Josh and I are thinking about going to a movie, what do I hear?  Something to the effect of 'Im not letting you pick, remember The Thirteenth Floor?'  Dammit already.  Let it slide fella.  One bad movie.  Done.  Over.  Lets move on.  It was awful though.  I apologize.  If I had eight bucks right now you know you would give it to you to make up for it.  (By the way....Josh was kind enough to buy me the movie poster for it also.  I tried flushing it down the toilet but it wouldnt go)

Next mistake.  Last summer, my brother, Mik, and I were talking on the phone a week or so before the NBA Draft.  The Cleveland Cavaliers had the #1 pick in the draft and it was already a given they were taking the hometown kid, Lebron James...its worked out well.  No problems with that pick.  Our discussion had to do with the #2 pick and who the Detroit Pistons should take.  I'm a person who watches a lot of sports and reads even more about it so I take into account what I see and hear.  Everybody, mostly NBA General Managers and draft guru's, were saying that Darko Mlicic should be the #2 pick.  Darko had been playing pro ball since he was 14 or so in Siberia, Croatia, or some other basketball hotbed.  I was sold on the fact that Darko just had to be the #2 pick.  No doubts about it.  The Pistons had Rip Hamilton...they didnt need a shooting guard.  Go with Darko I said.  He's going to rule the NBA one day.  Im sure of it.  Take Darko instead of Carmelo Anthony, who had just led his Syracuse Orangemen as a FRESHMAN.  Yeah, quick thinking on my part I know. 

Whats happened this year you ask?  Carmelo helped turn around the Denver Nuggets into a playoff team.  He should have won rookie of the year for what he helped that team do.  Darko?  Yeah, he played about 3 minutes a game averaging well over....one point.  Darko for MVP someday.  Its gotta happen.

Another mistake.  This one is on a slightly lesser scale.  Our baseball team has an ex-Brewer pitcher on the coaching staff this year...Doug Henry.  In one of my classes this semester I had an Asst Baseball coach.  I didnt put two and two together.  I've heard the professor call him Doug, but I didnt think twice about it until I saw his name in the paper last week for breaking the nose of a UW Oshkosh player in a brawl.  A couple days after that, Doug and I were in Lab together.  I looked right at him and said 'Hey BRIAN, can you hand me that piece of paper?'  DOH!!  He looked at me like 'what the hell did you just call me?'  nice guy in reality.  wouldnt want to get in a fight with the guy though.  his arms are HUGE. 

I'll leave my mistakes with women for another time.  And the list for today is....

My Top 8 Things to do on a nice, sunny day.

1. Play tennis....being healthy and working on a tan.

2. Play golf....see above.

3. Grill out.  Brats on the grill on a nice day is all it takes to make me happy.

4. Go for a drive in the Accord.  Its fast and the system is loud.

5. Go to a baseball game...brewers, sox, cubs....any game with a cold drink and the sun shining.

6. Watch baseball on tv.  I cant watch golf unless its Sunday at the Masters or the British Open.

7. Sit on the computer and do nothing.

8. Go to a park, relax and read.  Drink a diet mountain dew and hang out.  You guys hanging out?  I'll hang out.

Back to studying for exams.  Catch you all on the flip side.  Leave comments and suggestions for anything you would like to see.  Pics...top 8 lists, my journal entries...im open to anything.

Ry

Keeping it short....

I have too much other junk to worry about (quizzes, exams, presentations, papers, etc) to sit and type up a long journal entry tonight so I have to keep it short.  Devastating I know.  All of you wait up night after night just to see what my journal is going to have in it.  Right.  Just a couple observations.  You know for weddings when you can sign up for a registry so people get you the gifts you really want?  Can I do that for my next birthday?  Or at Christmas?  I dont see why not.  I want good gifts.  I dont want some junk thats going to sit in the back of my closet and gain dust.  So when my birthday comes up and you see a link to Best Buy or Target...please dont hesitate to go to the sites and get the gifts I want.  I know that'll happen.

I cant stand bad drivers.  First of all, I have no patience to begin with.  I was obviously born with this because Im told my dad was the same way and I can see it in my brother and my sister.  When I'm driving I like to go.  I hate, HATE, sitting behind slower people....especially if they are in the fast lane and barely going the speed limit.  I push up behind them which for some reason I think is going to make them go faster.  Doesnt seem to help too often though.  Dont ask why I do this, its just me.  I cant help it.  Maybe therapy is the way to go.  Im sure a shrink would steal my money to try and help though. 

Thats it for tonight folks.  On to the list....

My Top 8 Sports Teams....

1. Manchester United....soccer club in England.  huge fan.  yes, david beckham's old team. 

Tie-2. University of Wisconsin (football and basketball).  I forgot you gomers.  Should have been obvious scuzzelnuts.

Tie-2. Oklahoma Sooners (football and basketball)...relatives in Oklahoma got me hooked on them 20 years ago. barry switzer, recruiting violations, brian bosworth, drugs, charles thompson....whats not to love?

4. Green Bay Packers...in wisconsin you have to be a packer fan.

5. Kentucky Wildcats....I'll never forget that game Kim....aminu timberlake, christian laettner....i was hooked after watching that game. I did love Rex Chapman though.  He was before that team.  That white boy could to it all.  Whatever happened to Rex n' effect?

6. Chicago Cubs...Sandberg, Grace, Durham, Prior, Wood....and now my twin Greg Maddux.

7. Milwaukee Bucks...Sidney Moncrief needs to suit up again soon...we need some defense in Milw.

8. CelticFootball Club...scottish soccer team.  nobody knows who they are so i wont bore you by getting into it.  i love them.  henrik larsson is a god.

 

night all.

Sports

I know most of you won't give a crap about this but I feel like getting it off my chest.  It has to do with Eli Manning and the NFL Draft.  If you dont know what I'm talking about, let me give you a rundown. 

The San Diego Chargers, being the worst team in the NFL (if you dont know what the NFL stands for; stop reading), had the #1 pick in the draft.  With that #1 pick they wanted to draft Eli Manning, the top college quarterback in the country last fall.  A week or so before the draft, Eli, his father, Archie, and his agent informed the Chargers that Eli wouldnt play for them.  Eli wanted to play for the NY Giants, not the Chargers. Eli said he would rather sit out a year and re-enter the draft than play for the Chargers. 

The Giants and Charged tried to get a trade done before the draft but got nothing accomplished.  So this is what happened the Saturday of the draft.  The Chargers drafted Eli.  You should have seen the excitement on his face (sarcasm).  He walked up to the podium to shake the Commisioners hand, actually put on the Chargers jersey and tried, let me repeat TRIED, to smile for the cameras.  It was awful.  He was getting booed and the NY fans in attendance were screaming at the top of their lungs "ELI SUCKS, ELI SUCKS!!!"  It was kind of funny actually. 

About an hour later or so, the Giants drafted Philip Rivers, who the Chargers liked along with Manning.  The Giants still wanted Manning and a trade happened.  The Chargers got a bunch of draft picks and Rivers in exchange for Manning.  Everything is peachy-keen.  Well not quite. 

People are furious.  Fans and writers especially.  What gives Eli the right to choose what team he plays for?  I am upset because I feel if the Chargers have the #1 pick in the draft they should be able to draft the best player in the country.  Well they did that but he said no thanks, i want to play for somebody else.  This has happened a couple other times in the NFL over the years.  John Elway was drafted and didnt want to play for the Cleveland Browns in the 80's and same with Bo Jackson.  They both sat out a year instead of playing for the teams that drafted them.  In their cases though, they both had baseball to back them up.  Manning does not....so if he were to have stayed with the Chargers it would have been fun to see what would have happened.  Would he actually have sat out a whole year instead of playing for the Chargers?  Would it really have been that bad?  SD is beautiful.  The temp is always in the 80's.  NY?  Lets see what Eli thinks about NYC in December when he's shoveling 15 inches out from the door of his condo. 

My brother made a good point though.  Lets say his son was the best computer programmer at MIT and there was a 'draft' for programmers.  Would he really want to go to some crappy computer company if Microsoft was offering him a top job?  I understand that but that makes it look like we shouldnt have an NFL Draft at all then.  I still go back to my point that if the #1 team in the draft wants you to play for them and chooses you, you PLAY FOR THEM. 

Im off my soapbox for the night.  Just wanted to get that off my head.  I have a suggestion by the way.  Im sure nobody will leave a comment but I would like ideas on what my top 8 lists should be.  I can come up with them but I thought it would be fun for other people to give me ideas instead.  And the list tonight is.....

My Top 8 Concerts:

1. U2 in Madison...seen them a few times and they are amazing.

2. Sting in Chicago.  Live show last October, front row, incredible.

3. Dave Matthews Band...any location, any time dave is great.

4. Sugar Ray, Summerfest, 2002.  great energetic show.

5. Foo Fighters & Red Hot Chili Peppers...Milw a few years back.  foo fighters opened up but i thought they were better than the peppers.. 

6. John Mayer, Chicago, Nov 2002...i saw him the night before in madison and the crowd was not really into it.  chicago fans were much much better.  so much for general admission mayer concerts...those are a thing of the past.

7. Phil Collins...back when he was actually cool.  i was a fan, i'll admit it.

8. Club MTV tour....Milli Vanilli, Paula Abdul, etc...hosted by Downtown Julie Brown....i wasnt going to put this up, but come on, how can you pass this up?  its history.  milli vanilli ruled.

 

Girls

This should be fun.  I'm going to try to leave swear words out and just talk about some problems I've had in the past with girls whether it be girlfriends or just girls in general that I know. 

I would love to know what some of you are thinking.  I have a sister so I have a pretty good idea, but lord, I dont know what to think some times.  I am not religious yet I try to live by the 'treat others as you would like to be treated' motto.  I am not perfect, let me say that.  I am not 19.  I have a pretty good idea what my problems are and try to hide them, but obviously it can't be done all the time.  Back to the task at hand....females.  I have a couple of friends who have journals (i'll make sure their links are added to the site asap) who have written about the same problems in the past few weeks. 

I dont get it.  If a girl doesn't want to be with a guy, or vice versa, do us a favor and just tell us.  Will we be hurt?  Most likely, but its better than just leading us along like puppy dogs.  Just be honest and up front.  I have to say that I've led girls on in the past for one reason or another.  I don't know how to really end a relationship so I take the wrong way out.  I don't cheat...never have, never will, but I might come up with an excuse.  (It's not you...It's me....honestly....I have the problem.....)

Another thing girlies....don't lie.  It will catch back up with you sooner or later.  So many girls, and guys must do the same thing, say I'm going to do this or that when in reality they are going somewhere else and lying about it.  That gets old real quick.  I have had girls in the past who just lie over and over again....cheat over and over again, yet they still say 'ryan, i love you, will you marry me?'  totally serious people.  not a joke.  its a joke to me though.  lie to me and i wont look at you again.  i would love to name names and go off on a tangent but im past that point in my life.  thats all in the past and i dont have to worry about it right now.  i just dont care but i have friends that do. 

What about girls who think they are all that?  Who think that we are staring when we arent.  Girls listen, most of us dont stare.  We might want to just talk to you and get to know you.  Some of you we dont want to get to know.  We can tell you are rags.  I know girls who are rags and I wish I didn't know them.  Girls who complain about everything, act as if they are intelligent when they arent, etc etc etc. 

I told myself that I wasnt going to hold back but I'm afraid that all of this will come back to haunt me.  On aol anybody can read this.  anybody.  i dont like that idea at all. 

My top 8 favorite sports books:

1. It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong

2. Managing My Life by Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United

3. The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith

4. Fab Five by Mitch Albom

5. My World by David Beckham

6. Bad As I Wanna Be by Dennis Rodman

7. All My Octobers by Mickey Mantle

8. Outrageous by Charles Barkley

Getting this started...

This ought to be good.  Im going to try and update this frequently but I'm not sure how much time I'll have.  One thing I'm going to always do is come up with a list.  Every post I will give my top 8 of something....anything.  8's my number if you didnt know...I was 8 lbs, 8 ounces when I was born, I was born on the 8th day of the 8th month...yadda yadda yadda....

I will say what I have to say though so if you dont want to read what I have to say dont read it.  I'll keep it light and fluffy tonight.  My first list....

My Top 8 all time favorite tv shows.

1. Seinfeld

2. Sopranos

3. Frasier

4. The Cosby Show

5. Cheers

6. Law & Order: SVU

7. South Park

8. Wings