It was the rematch. And again, it was Super Hockey Sunday. Previously, in a preliminary round, Team USA on men's hockey managed to beat Team Canada on their home turf. Seems like a sign that Team USA could win the gold, right? Not really. Canada bounced back and made it all the way to the Gold Medal finals, where they faced, again, Team USA.
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Monday, March 01, 2010
Monday, February 08, 2010
And the Saints Come Marching Home
And so Super Bowl 44 came and went. With it, a great show of abilities by both sides. Both came out strong and both showed some weakness here and there. While it seems like the Colts can easily come back to win it all, one thing that prevented it was the game changing interception by the Saints. As soon as he caught it and ran all the way down for the touchdown, it was pretty much over. All that was left was to hold the Colts off some and victory will be theirs. Sure enough, that was the case.
I have never backed the Colts. It wasn't because I hated the team. It was more based on the fact that the Colts don't need to win that one. The Saints, on the other hand, needed. For a city that is in need of something uplifting and something to boost population morale, this is the one thing that can help bring the city back on its feet and breathe new life. The Saints got to the biggest stage of them all. And from there, they did everything they can to hold the Colts at bay and ensure everything they do will benefit the team. Sure, there are a couple of plays that failed miserably. But that's part of their gamble. That's part of the risk of wanting to win.
So now the Saints can come marching home as champions. They deserved it. And Drew Brees' story will be immortalized as the one guy who worked his butt off to get where he's at today. For the moment, he is the Saints' icon.
On the other side, the multi-million dollar ads aired. And sadly, they are pathetic and horrible. So many crappy commercials, much of which seem to cater to those with lower intelligence. It was really stupid. The biggest culprits are those from GoDaddy.com, Bud Light, and Doritos. While Budweiser has not have a single iconic commercial since the Wassup days, their continuing motif with the Clydesdale horses keeps the theme and consistency going. Denny's aired a handful of ads with a starting commercial that sets the tone for the rest of the commercials. About half of what was aired were mildly entertaining, but its appeal does drop quickly. Coca-Cola has been quite consistent when it comes to creating unique ads and they did not disappoint. I caught glimpse of a Simpsons-theme commercial and it is quite good.
Mixed within these commercials are movie trailers for Prince of Persia, Robin Hood, and one other movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Having already seen the premise and trailer for Robin Hood, the trailer spot did not stir any interests. Perhaps the only thing that did seem to spur interest is Prince of Persia. But I need to not put too much faith in hoping that it'll become a worthwhile movie. Many movies tend to go sour as the hype builds up and its story being more boring or bland than originally thought.
Rating this year's Super Bowl ads, I am disappointed overall with it. If I were to rate it overall out of 5 stars, I probably would have given it a 2. That is pretty sad considering that there were some decent ones the previous years.
Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for their Super Bowl 44 win. And to the people of New Orleans, savor every single moment. Do not let this feeling run by you, not even for a moment. The people of New Orleans deserve something to be happy, proud, and cheer about. This is it. Do not miss it. After what New Orleans went through, this is was needed. And the people deserve it. I am happy that New Orleans is now home to a champion. And that's the way it should be for now. Now... about those in Cleveland, Ohio...
I have never backed the Colts. It wasn't because I hated the team. It was more based on the fact that the Colts don't need to win that one. The Saints, on the other hand, needed. For a city that is in need of something uplifting and something to boost population morale, this is the one thing that can help bring the city back on its feet and breathe new life. The Saints got to the biggest stage of them all. And from there, they did everything they can to hold the Colts at bay and ensure everything they do will benefit the team. Sure, there are a couple of plays that failed miserably. But that's part of their gamble. That's part of the risk of wanting to win.
So now the Saints can come marching home as champions. They deserved it. And Drew Brees' story will be immortalized as the one guy who worked his butt off to get where he's at today. For the moment, he is the Saints' icon.
On the other side, the multi-million dollar ads aired. And sadly, they are pathetic and horrible. So many crappy commercials, much of which seem to cater to those with lower intelligence. It was really stupid. The biggest culprits are those from GoDaddy.com, Bud Light, and Doritos. While Budweiser has not have a single iconic commercial since the Wassup days, their continuing motif with the Clydesdale horses keeps the theme and consistency going. Denny's aired a handful of ads with a starting commercial that sets the tone for the rest of the commercials. About half of what was aired were mildly entertaining, but its appeal does drop quickly. Coca-Cola has been quite consistent when it comes to creating unique ads and they did not disappoint. I caught glimpse of a Simpsons-theme commercial and it is quite good.
Mixed within these commercials are movie trailers for Prince of Persia, Robin Hood, and one other movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Having already seen the premise and trailer for Robin Hood, the trailer spot did not stir any interests. Perhaps the only thing that did seem to spur interest is Prince of Persia. But I need to not put too much faith in hoping that it'll become a worthwhile movie. Many movies tend to go sour as the hype builds up and its story being more boring or bland than originally thought.
Rating this year's Super Bowl ads, I am disappointed overall with it. If I were to rate it overall out of 5 stars, I probably would have given it a 2. That is pretty sad considering that there were some decent ones the previous years.
Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for their Super Bowl 44 win. And to the people of New Orleans, savor every single moment. Do not let this feeling run by you, not even for a moment. The people of New Orleans deserve something to be happy, proud, and cheer about. This is it. Do not miss it. After what New Orleans went through, this is was needed. And the people deserve it. I am happy that New Orleans is now home to a champion. And that's the way it should be for now. Now... about those in Cleveland, Ohio...
Thursday, November 05, 2009
$161mil + $180mil = World Series
I will not hold back on this one. But granted this is mostly an inevitable truth. Last night, the Yankees won the World Series. And with it, their immense spending has finally paid off. I won't lie to you. I don't like the Yankees. I more than despise and loathe them. I hate them for everything that they and the MLB stand for. They are 200x worse than Microsoft in terms of ethics.
I won't deny the fact that other teams such the Boston Red Sox (my home team) are any different. But I am happy for the fact that paying top dollars won't always net you the best. A recent example is Daisuke Matsuzaka, for which the money being spent isn't exactly giving expected returns. Still, this is all a gamble on chance for which players are expected to perform to the best of their abilities.
Why the hate? Why the utter distaste for Yankees and MLB in general? Simple: there is no salary cap for MLB. What does that mean in layman's term? Teams can spend as much as they want with no regards to how much other teams are spending. So one team could be spending $100 million overall compared to over $400 that Yankees are able to spend. If you factor in how players play the game and where they want to go, where is the one place where you're at least guaranteed that you'll get a lot of money regardless if you fall short or if you go on a hot streak? That's right. The New York Yankees. If you want money, that's where you go. There isn't any other place that can match the spending power the Yankees have. And it sickens me that they have that kind of spending power.
Why is a salary cap such an important thing? If you compare MLB to the NFL, you'll see the large difference in how each team spends their alloted salary money to manage how their players are paid. The NFL basically issues a league-wide salary cap for which all teams cannot spend over that set amount. And for each team, they must split that given amount amongst several players. Its effect makes it so that no team has larger spending power over another. One star player may get a good sizable piece of the salary pie. But the same can be similarly said for another star player on a different team.
Anyway, the Yankees has alloted $161 million to C.C. Sabathia over the course of 7 years and $180 million to Mark Teixeira over the course of 8 years. I ask anyone to tell me otherwise that another team can match that kind of offer. No team can come close. It's one thing to spend oodles of dollars on one player. But it's another to spend over $300 million on two.
Damn Yankees. I have always hated the Yankees. Each year it's another big spending spree and it never fails to see that it either pays off or it backfires on them. They didn't win the World Series. They bought it. They bought it for $341 million and it disgusts me. There's no hope for the MLB. Until they implement a salary cap, baseball is nothing but bullshit.
I won't deny the fact that other teams such the Boston Red Sox (my home team) are any different. But I am happy for the fact that paying top dollars won't always net you the best. A recent example is Daisuke Matsuzaka, for which the money being spent isn't exactly giving expected returns. Still, this is all a gamble on chance for which players are expected to perform to the best of their abilities.
Why the hate? Why the utter distaste for Yankees and MLB in general? Simple: there is no salary cap for MLB. What does that mean in layman's term? Teams can spend as much as they want with no regards to how much other teams are spending. So one team could be spending $100 million overall compared to over $400 that Yankees are able to spend. If you factor in how players play the game and where they want to go, where is the one place where you're at least guaranteed that you'll get a lot of money regardless if you fall short or if you go on a hot streak? That's right. The New York Yankees. If you want money, that's where you go. There isn't any other place that can match the spending power the Yankees have. And it sickens me that they have that kind of spending power.
Why is a salary cap such an important thing? If you compare MLB to the NFL, you'll see the large difference in how each team spends their alloted salary money to manage how their players are paid. The NFL basically issues a league-wide salary cap for which all teams cannot spend over that set amount. And for each team, they must split that given amount amongst several players. Its effect makes it so that no team has larger spending power over another. One star player may get a good sizable piece of the salary pie. But the same can be similarly said for another star player on a different team.
Anyway, the Yankees has alloted $161 million to C.C. Sabathia over the course of 7 years and $180 million to Mark Teixeira over the course of 8 years. I ask anyone to tell me otherwise that another team can match that kind of offer. No team can come close. It's one thing to spend oodles of dollars on one player. But it's another to spend over $300 million on two.
Damn Yankees. I have always hated the Yankees. Each year it's another big spending spree and it never fails to see that it either pays off or it backfires on them. They didn't win the World Series. They bought it. They bought it for $341 million and it disgusts me. There's no hope for the MLB. Until they implement a salary cap, baseball is nothing but bullshit.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
He's going WHERE??
I have heard the rumor but I left it at that, a rumor. Little did I know that it turns out to be true. The Phoenix Suns has traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Suns get 2 players plus a draft pick. And the Cavs get Shaq. The Cavs were destined to go all the way. But the Orlando Magics threw a wrench in the machine and screwed things up. Originally it was going to be the Cavs vs the Celtics. But the Celtics were hurting quite badly. With Kevin Garnet out with injury, the defense isn't really up to par. Eventually the Magics got past the Celtics and soon squeezed by the Cavs to meet the Lakers.
So now Shaquille O'Neal is a Cavaliers. Will this get the Cavs back into the playoffs for 2009/2010? I hope so. But if that doesn't get them back into the playoffs, then I don't know what will.
So now Shaquille O'Neal is a Cavaliers. Will this get the Cavs back into the playoffs for 2009/2010? I hope so. But if that doesn't get them back into the playoffs, then I don't know what will.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Super Bowl Bullshit
Frankly, I don’t like the Steelers. It would have been great had the Cardinals won the game. And they were close to doing it as well. But fuck, I can’t believe Steelers pulled that one out. Well, another year, another game, another season gone. Next up, NBA and baseball. On second thought… screw baseball. With the fucking Yankees spending cash out of their asses, I don’t think I even want to care any more.
So February 2nd is Groundhog Day. Only recently did I watch the classic movie starring Bill Murray. And like the movie’s settings, the place to see the Groundhog Day in action is at Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. At 7:30AM EST, they brought him out. The sky was cloudy and not a sun in the sky at the time. Yet still, they proclaim that he saw his shadow.
I’m sorry but I call bullshit on that one. And with the pricks there plugging the Pittsburgh Steelers’ last second win over the Cardinals, they have the fucking balls to say that the groundhog saw his shadow. It’s already freezing up here and I’m tired of the freezing weather. Global warming my ass.
So while the prediction is just for fun, I really wish they’d consider the fact that there’s no fucking sun out there to cast a damn shadow.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The 17 Conspiracy
After a close but rough game 5 in the Celtics vs Lakers in the NBA Finals, the game shifts back to Boston for a crucial and deciding game 6. The game took place on June 17, 2008, the day of my nephew's birthday. But I suppose that's stretching it when it comes to things related to the number 17.
Celebrity spotting at the Garden was extremely disappointing. The only one who was mentioned was Bill Belichick. Of course, ol' Bill Russell was there along with John Havlicek. Game 6, let the game begins...
By half-time, the score was 58-35 in Celtics' favor. Both teams are known to have major scoring surges. So I expected Lakers to start something soon. It never came. The gap kept getting bigger. Eventually it wasn't a game. It was a blowout. A rout. The Lakers were beaten so bad, it was beyond humiliating. And finally the game ended. The Celtics are champions. In total, this will be the 17th time. There's the number again. But wait, let's go back a bit.
John Havlicek was at the Garden that night. He's a Celtics great and his jersey number was retired. Yep, it was number 17.
So if we take 17 and add 17, what do we get? 34. Celtic's own Paul Pierce wears the number 34 jersey.
All in all, the number 17 seem quite special that day. But I finally get to see Celtics back on top of the world once again. Woohoo!
Celebrity spotting at the Garden was extremely disappointing. The only one who was mentioned was Bill Belichick. Of course, ol' Bill Russell was there along with John Havlicek. Game 6, let the game begins...
By half-time, the score was 58-35 in Celtics' favor. Both teams are known to have major scoring surges. So I expected Lakers to start something soon. It never came. The gap kept getting bigger. Eventually it wasn't a game. It was a blowout. A rout. The Lakers were beaten so bad, it was beyond humiliating. And finally the game ended. The Celtics are champions. In total, this will be the 17th time. There's the number again. But wait, let's go back a bit.
John Havlicek was at the Garden that night. He's a Celtics great and his jersey number was retired. Yep, it was number 17.
So if we take 17 and add 17, what do we get? 34. Celtic's own Paul Pierce wears the number 34 jersey.
All in all, the number 17 seem quite special that day. But I finally get to see Celtics back on top of the world once again. Woohoo!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Trick or Treat
So more than a month has past and I had nothing to show for it. Having gotten over the initial surge of playing Guild Wars' Eye of the North expansion, I have since then been playing other games. Namely, titles like World in Conflict, Half-Life 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 have all contributed to the lack of postings here. Yet trying to squeeze what little blurb I can spew forth onto this little blog here is proving to be a tad difficult.
In the midst of all the games that I have installed, a few come with extra perks that keep me tuned into the game - awards and achievements. Like before, my affinity to gaining achievements kept me coming back to play some more, even though my dedication is rather spread across several titles now. Both Portal and Team Fortress 2 come with their own series of achievements, with TF2 providing players with player statistics that are both built into the game and hosted by Steam themselves. Their recent debut of the Steam Community made it possible for any player on Steam to create their own profile page using the ID (or nick) of choice. And it should come as no surprise as to what I use as a SteamID.
On the other hand, World in Conflict comes in as a completely different type of game altogether, but not any different by those who have kept up with the gaming scene. World in Conflict is a Real-Time Strategy game akin to the likes of Warcraft and Starcraft. And one of the interesting things about the game is the clean implementation of player profiles, buddy/friend list, server browsing, clan management, and profile browsing. These qualities are something that I had longed for in a multiplayer game. Having one's performance being recorded, tallied, and ranked amongst other players in the world is an added bonus. Sadly, as a first-person shooter type of player, my profile isn't very spectactular compared to the top 10 ranked players in a variety of categories.
On the flip side, some animation titles have come and gone. One of my favorite, Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi, has recently ended. The well-written story of Seirei no Moribito came to a close. Romance came to a strange end in sola. And a re-encode re-release of Machine Robo Rescue just finished. With all these titles, it becomes imperative that I off-load these large files onto a DVD disc for archival purposes. One or more of these titles will never see the light of day in America. But perhaps someday I will have the grand opportunity of collecting an entire series episodes to keep.
Oh, and before I forget... Red Sox are World Series 2007 champions, yet again! It was unexpected that the Red Sox would blow the Rockies away in a 4-game sweep. But I suppose it goes to show just how bad the match-up was. While it was great seeing the Sox outplay the Rockies in every shape and form, the majority of the insanity was during the ALCS where they faced the Cleveland Indians. Well, now that baseball season is over, all of the focus is on the New England Patriots. After that, the Celtics... Boston? City of sports? It will be when Celtics get the NBA title. Until then, it'll just be a good year for both Patriots and Sox.
In the midst of all the games that I have installed, a few come with extra perks that keep me tuned into the game - awards and achievements. Like before, my affinity to gaining achievements kept me coming back to play some more, even though my dedication is rather spread across several titles now. Both Portal and Team Fortress 2 come with their own series of achievements, with TF2 providing players with player statistics that are both built into the game and hosted by Steam themselves. Their recent debut of the Steam Community made it possible for any player on Steam to create their own profile page using the ID (or nick) of choice. And it should come as no surprise as to what I use as a SteamID.
On the other hand, World in Conflict comes in as a completely different type of game altogether, but not any different by those who have kept up with the gaming scene. World in Conflict is a Real-Time Strategy game akin to the likes of Warcraft and Starcraft. And one of the interesting things about the game is the clean implementation of player profiles, buddy/friend list, server browsing, clan management, and profile browsing. These qualities are something that I had longed for in a multiplayer game. Having one's performance being recorded, tallied, and ranked amongst other players in the world is an added bonus. Sadly, as a first-person shooter type of player, my profile isn't very spectactular compared to the top 10 ranked players in a variety of categories.
On the flip side, some animation titles have come and gone. One of my favorite, Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi, has recently ended. The well-written story of Seirei no Moribito came to a close. Romance came to a strange end in sola. And a re-encode re-release of Machine Robo Rescue just finished. With all these titles, it becomes imperative that I off-load these large files onto a DVD disc for archival purposes. One or more of these titles will never see the light of day in America. But perhaps someday I will have the grand opportunity of collecting an entire series episodes to keep.
Oh, and before I forget... Red Sox are World Series 2007 champions, yet again! It was unexpected that the Red Sox would blow the Rockies away in a 4-game sweep. But I suppose it goes to show just how bad the match-up was. While it was great seeing the Sox outplay the Rockies in every shape and form, the majority of the insanity was during the ALCS where they faced the Cleveland Indians. Well, now that baseball season is over, all of the focus is on the New England Patriots. After that, the Celtics... Boston? City of sports? It will be when Celtics get the NBA title. Until then, it'll just be a good year for both Patriots and Sox.
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