Came in enthusiastic this morning. A work day. A day to WORK! I found myself reciting dramatic movie lines and corny motivational phrases that sales people say – things like, “I’m gonna kill it!” And “we’ll crush it today!” I don’t know what got into me. Luckily, it’s 11am and I’ve remembered that I’m a state employee. Time to start winding down for lunch in an hour. Get to this pile of paperwork later this afternoon.
Or maybe tomorrow.
CRUSH IT!
Had a boring evening last night, so I turned on MLB audio and followed Reds/Cards game. Not so boring, after all. The fisticuffs themselves weren’t much to talk about, but the undercurrent of the brewhaha (actually spelling) was interesting to me. The background being that Brandon Phillips went all Hulk Hogan to reporters the day before about how much he hates the Cardinals and how their players are all “LaRussa’s Little Bitches.” Couple things…
- I like it! With all the player movement, big salaries and free agency, you wonder if an actual rivalry can even take place anymore. Your teammates today are your opponents tomorrow. And you’re all rich. So… hey, who cares? So, contrived or not, it was kinda nice to see someone on Cincy’s roster get all blustery.
- But then – you have to own it, Brandon. He comes out the next day after calling the Redbird players “bitches” and in the first AB of the game tries to play a bunch of grab-ass with friendly banter. I sure can’t blame Molina for his response. Love me, hate me… at least be genuine.
It’s hard to tell if guys even care about their team these days. It’s hard to tell why I care (or if I should, or if I actually do). But, with little flashes like this, in a series like this, I do. And it’s kinda fun.
Speaking of caring – LeBron’s mad at you. ALL OF YOU! Hopefully, ESPN will find a way to package this anger into an hour-long show. “The Avenge-icision.” Title needs work.
Chris Chambers gives hope to all stalkers out there. “Thus raising the question, is KC so bereft of quality single women that men would rather marry a stalker than date a local? Yes, yes it is.”
Something to help get you ready for the college football season.
(as I was typing this, Cards went up 4-0, getting that much closer to a sweep of the Reds. In the series, Brandon Phillips has gone 1-13. I’m starting to really enjoy this season.)
Our own “Hard Knocks.”
If you don’t like what’s happening with this program (attitude & your inclusion), I’m not sure how to help you. (Though “Dave and Busters” and Roy’s “Malibu Grand Prix” comparative mocking is encouraged.) Great job by KU’s Mike Lickert and his Rock Chalk Video team.
Update – I’m not sure who’s making these. I just figured it was the Athletic’s video group. But in the credits, they’re being produced/directed by former KU WR Micah Brown. (And fantastically narrated by Kevin Willmott.) I want to know more. Who’s doing this? Is it a KU Film School project? Brown was a Directing/Screenwriting grad for the school? Anyone know anything? Very cool.
Update #2 – I’m probably the only one who cares about this, but Brown’s Linkedin account lists him as “Creative Director” at KU Football. Impressive job so far.
With Madden coming out and all? Yesterday, I talked to someone here – not a student, just a guy about my age who works at KU) – and he takes a week of vacation every year when the game comes out. He calls it “training camp.”
Might shock you, but he’s single.
Probably won’t shock you, but he’s my hero.
In KU football news, Gill wants a running game. While I will never bad-mouth the last three years of having a certain QB and his dynamite offense, I have to admit that the idea of a game ending in under 4.5 hours sounds pretty appealing.
Clever counter-protesting by a strip club. Church-goers are probably upset. But they’ve also seen a big attendance spike at Sunday school by teenage boys.
And I know a lot has been made of this guy the last 24 hours. But I’m not sure what the big deal is. I mean, I have a similar ritual every Friday. I prop open my office door, blare Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” over the speakers, run up to our reception counter, pour and down three quick shots of tequila, flip my co-workers the bird while yelling “SO LONG, SUCKERS!!!” and then jump out the window with a parachute on my back. It’s the weekend, after all.
(Full disclosure: I work on the first floor.)
JCVD (imdb)
Remember hearing good things about this a couple years ago and finally got around to watching it this afternoon. I’m not sure if a movie has ever better-illustrated how bad a job movie awards do of selecting winners. If *ANYONE* came within a mile of Van Damme’s acting performance two years ago, I sure missed it. And I doubt I did.
4.5 out of 5 ice cream sandwiches
…am I the only one who feels like this is the last weekend of summer?
Might as well enjoy!
…or a new basketball season. Or pretty much anything KU-related to get your mind off this.
Not long after the Panthers dispatched the Jayhawks, UNI administrators reached out to their fellow Cinderella peers to see how to best gauge the impact of the victory. They contacted Appalachian State (upset winners against Michigan football in 2007), George Mason (Final Four stunners in 2006) and Gonzaga (the original mid-major darling with its Elite Eight appearance in 1999), asking what sort of details they should see and from where.
What they came up with is a 21-page research packet on how Ali Farokhmanesh changed Northern Iowa’s world.
Well, I’m glad at least someone came out of that happy.
Oh wait… no I’m not.
Case in point: couple weeks ago, we were in Colorado. Set it up so that we’d take a train ride with through the mountains with Gabe. He’s cuckoo over Thomas and loves seeing the trains go by in North Lawrence. Perfect, right?
Train day comes and the actual riding on a train? Entertains him for about 25 seconds.
Luckily, there was an open air car at the rear of the train so he and his buddy, Brett, could run around and have fun.
That’s right – $45 for a train ride and Gabe spent an hour working on his “Flashdance” routine. I’m troubled enough by the natural pole dancing abilities, but to actual pay for that? Next year, we’re staying home. He can play on the stripper pole in his room.
…is streaming free at NPR this week. Like the week’s weather forecast, the album’s MOTS (more of the same).
Other silliness this morning…
- Does this mean we’ll hear more or less about Worldwide Wes? And can we vote on that?
- Update on Kenny Gregory in the LJW. It’s weird (unfortunate?) how simple KU fans are in packaging those ’98-01 seasons. I know it’s still some anti-Roy stuff. And I know post-season is all that matters to most. But the conference was so much deeper back then (especially the north) and those were some GOOD seasons. Gregory was somewhat one-dimensional (athletic), but he could change a game. Good for him. Hope he’s banking away tons of money.
- I know some of you might be running the Race for the Cure this weekend. Stace is. Here’s my only tip – don’t do this.
