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The other day I found a CD I got when I was real young. This was the first CD that I ever owned, I got it when I was like 8 after I had my tonsils out. The CD is Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club. I guess I really liked that song "All I Wanna Do" when I was a kid, it was extremely popular at the time. Well, I found the CD a couple of days ago and popped it in. I realized that there is a song on there that I love. "I Shall Believe" is a killer tune. I know it is a sappy song that girls would like, but I can't help the fact that I really enjoy it. In coming across this I decided to come up with a list of guilty pleasures that most of my friends would make fun of me for liking. Here's my list.
1. Anything by Hall and Oates. I don't know what it is about them, but they have like 10 songs that I dig and all of them are really catchy.
2. Skid Row. I only like two or three songs by them, "I Remember" in particular. I will get on these strange kicks where, for some strange reason, I just want to listen to hair metal and power ballads. I know it is bad music, but again it's a guilty pleasure.
3. The Pretenders. This isn't as bad because they are a very respected band, but my friends will rip on any music with female singers. I love everything by the Pretenders and she is hot in a weird kind of way.
4. The Cure. Most people make fun of this because Robert Smith wears makeup and looks like a scary clown. Also, the music is very depressing, but they are my favorite band.....ever.
5. Dido. I like her voice. I know I probably just lost half of my masculinity, but it feels good to get it out. I am going to get burned up for posting that one.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
USA v. Mexico Recap
USA beat Mexico 2-0 on Wednesday night. Both goals came from the Coach's son Michael Bradley.
The game got started quickly with Gio Dos Santos missing out on a golden opportunity in the box. Bocanegra had a poor clearance after dispossessing Castillo in the box, it fell right to Dos Santos and he shot it right at Howard.
After that the U.S. settled down a bit and started to control possession a little more. Bradley narrowly missed the goal on a 20 yard screamer and Donovan shot just wide on a free kick right outside the box. The first goal came late in the half as Beasley hit a corner to the far post. Donovan headed back in the middle to Onyewu. He headed on goal only for the shot to be parried by Sanchez. It fell right to Bradley who nailed it in. The defenders were lazily ball watching. Mexico has no one to blame for the first goal but themselves.
The second half was fairly uneventful. The U.S. held possession well and was doing a great job tackling in the midfield. Mexico started to go forward around the 60th minute and they had a golden opportunity off of a corner only to have Dos Santos miss twice. Rafa Marquez received a red card for hitting Howard with a spikes up kick. Marquez clearly wasn't going for the ball and he had no chance at getting it. It was a good call.
Mexico was at a big disadvantage and they weren't working very hard on top of that. USA tackled well and they got the second goal in the 90th minute. Altidore took the ball and ran for about 15 yards. He laid it off to Donovan, who saw Bradley running up field. He passed Bradley the ball who then shot from about 20 yards out. He hit it solid, but it was right at Sanchez. Sanchez let it slide right under him to put the game away.
Player ratings
USA
Tim Howard- 7 Did well when Mexico came at him, didn't have to save much though. Loses points for picking up a yellow for delay of game. He'll miss the next game.
Frankie Hejduk- 6.5 Was the most consistent defender on the day. Got forward well and didn't really let his man have much room. He is still going to be hampered by his lack of physical ability, not enough pace or skill to be a real threat on the flanks.
Oguchi Onyewu- 6 Not a great game for the big guy. He defended his man fairly well, but had some shaky clearances and let an untalented Ochoa slip by him once, but handled him the rest of the game. He stepped up to intercept a lot of balls late in the game though.
Carlos Bocanegra- 5 Very bad performance for the vet. Didn't communicate well with Gooch and looked very nervy when clearing the ball under pressure.
Heath Pearce- 5.5 Did nothing to separate himself from the left back field. Did ok covering Dos Santos, but he always looked as though he was going to get beat, even when he didn't. Got forward some, but as usual his crossing was atrocious.
Sacha Kljestan- 5 His worst performance in the shirt. He played as the second center mid. His defense was poor throughout and Bradley had to give extra effort to make up for it. His passing was surprisingly poor. He was never a threat offensively, he looked anxious throughout and was taken off late in the game.
Michael Bradley- 9 Immense! Early on he was a little untidy with his passing, but that proved to be just nerves. He is at his best when games a scrappy in the midfield. The game got scrappy and he became a bull in midfield. Tracked back very well to cover for the invisible man, Kljestan. Tackled very well, only giving up one foul. And obviously he scored twice.
Clint Dempsey- 6.5 You can tell his time playing for Roy Hodgson has improved his game. He is a much better defensive player because of it, he covered well on the flanks. He didn't try to do a whole lot offensively, I would lie to see him demand the ball more. Had a half chance in the first half. He seemed uninterested at times.
Demarcus Beasley- 6.5 Isn't quite in form yet as shown by some bad touches and shots, but played better than expected. Defended very well as usual and that's big considering the problems at left back. Hit the corner that scored the goal, even though it wasn't a very good one.
Landon Donovan- 7.5 Floated in and out of the game. Wasn't a threat enough of the time, but he had a hand in both goals and he was the biggest threat for the U.S. He required more attention than any other player.
Brian Ching- 6 Held the ball up well, but really didn't do anything else. He is simply doing a job out there, but I don't think it is enough. He did do his job though, so you can't really take much away from him.
Reserves
Jozy Altidore- 6 Didn't have too many touches. He caused more trouble than Ching because of his pace and his willingness to make runs. Gave the ball up to easily early on. He created the second goal though and if he didn't lay the ball off to Donovan he would have won a free kick and it was a tackle worthy of a yellow card. His physical attributes are too good to keep him off the field.
Ricardo Clark- 3 Not on the field long enough to give him a true rating, but he was bad in his time. He tackled ok as usual, but as usual his passing was off the mark and the game was always one step ahead of him. He shouldn't win many more caps in my opinion.
I am not going to do ratings for Mexico, but I will say that Marquez gets a 2 for being very stupid. He cost his team a chance at points in this game, and he hurts them for the next game. Also, why is Eriksson playing Oswaldo Sanchez and Carlos Ochoa. Sanchez is obviously not good any more and there are better keepers behind him. And Carlos Ochoa was never a threat, he looked awful, they need Carlos Vela and fast. I'm starting to think that Eriksson is not a good manager.
The game got started quickly with Gio Dos Santos missing out on a golden opportunity in the box. Bocanegra had a poor clearance after dispossessing Castillo in the box, it fell right to Dos Santos and he shot it right at Howard.
After that the U.S. settled down a bit and started to control possession a little more. Bradley narrowly missed the goal on a 20 yard screamer and Donovan shot just wide on a free kick right outside the box. The first goal came late in the half as Beasley hit a corner to the far post. Donovan headed back in the middle to Onyewu. He headed on goal only for the shot to be parried by Sanchez. It fell right to Bradley who nailed it in. The defenders were lazily ball watching. Mexico has no one to blame for the first goal but themselves.
The second half was fairly uneventful. The U.S. held possession well and was doing a great job tackling in the midfield. Mexico started to go forward around the 60th minute and they had a golden opportunity off of a corner only to have Dos Santos miss twice. Rafa Marquez received a red card for hitting Howard with a spikes up kick. Marquez clearly wasn't going for the ball and he had no chance at getting it. It was a good call.
Mexico was at a big disadvantage and they weren't working very hard on top of that. USA tackled well and they got the second goal in the 90th minute. Altidore took the ball and ran for about 15 yards. He laid it off to Donovan, who saw Bradley running up field. He passed Bradley the ball who then shot from about 20 yards out. He hit it solid, but it was right at Sanchez. Sanchez let it slide right under him to put the game away.
Player ratings
USA
Tim Howard- 7 Did well when Mexico came at him, didn't have to save much though. Loses points for picking up a yellow for delay of game. He'll miss the next game.
Frankie Hejduk- 6.5 Was the most consistent defender on the day. Got forward well and didn't really let his man have much room. He is still going to be hampered by his lack of physical ability, not enough pace or skill to be a real threat on the flanks.
Oguchi Onyewu- 6 Not a great game for the big guy. He defended his man fairly well, but had some shaky clearances and let an untalented Ochoa slip by him once, but handled him the rest of the game. He stepped up to intercept a lot of balls late in the game though.
Carlos Bocanegra- 5 Very bad performance for the vet. Didn't communicate well with Gooch and looked very nervy when clearing the ball under pressure.
Heath Pearce- 5.5 Did nothing to separate himself from the left back field. Did ok covering Dos Santos, but he always looked as though he was going to get beat, even when he didn't. Got forward some, but as usual his crossing was atrocious.
Sacha Kljestan- 5 His worst performance in the shirt. He played as the second center mid. His defense was poor throughout and Bradley had to give extra effort to make up for it. His passing was surprisingly poor. He was never a threat offensively, he looked anxious throughout and was taken off late in the game.
Michael Bradley- 9 Immense! Early on he was a little untidy with his passing, but that proved to be just nerves. He is at his best when games a scrappy in the midfield. The game got scrappy and he became a bull in midfield. Tracked back very well to cover for the invisible man, Kljestan. Tackled very well, only giving up one foul. And obviously he scored twice.
Clint Dempsey- 6.5 You can tell his time playing for Roy Hodgson has improved his game. He is a much better defensive player because of it, he covered well on the flanks. He didn't try to do a whole lot offensively, I would lie to see him demand the ball more. Had a half chance in the first half. He seemed uninterested at times.
Demarcus Beasley- 6.5 Isn't quite in form yet as shown by some bad touches and shots, but played better than expected. Defended very well as usual and that's big considering the problems at left back. Hit the corner that scored the goal, even though it wasn't a very good one.
Landon Donovan- 7.5 Floated in and out of the game. Wasn't a threat enough of the time, but he had a hand in both goals and he was the biggest threat for the U.S. He required more attention than any other player.
Brian Ching- 6 Held the ball up well, but really didn't do anything else. He is simply doing a job out there, but I don't think it is enough. He did do his job though, so you can't really take much away from him.
Reserves
Jozy Altidore- 6 Didn't have too many touches. He caused more trouble than Ching because of his pace and his willingness to make runs. Gave the ball up to easily early on. He created the second goal though and if he didn't lay the ball off to Donovan he would have won a free kick and it was a tackle worthy of a yellow card. His physical attributes are too good to keep him off the field.
Ricardo Clark- 3 Not on the field long enough to give him a true rating, but he was bad in his time. He tackled ok as usual, but as usual his passing was off the mark and the game was always one step ahead of him. He shouldn't win many more caps in my opinion.
I am not going to do ratings for Mexico, but I will say that Marquez gets a 2 for being very stupid. He cost his team a chance at points in this game, and he hurts them for the next game. Also, why is Eriksson playing Oswaldo Sanchez and Carlos Ochoa. Sanchez is obviously not good any more and there are better keepers behind him. And Carlos Ochoa was never a threat, he looked awful, they need Carlos Vela and fast. I'm starting to think that Eriksson is not a good manager.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Pre post match analysis
Ok I am working on the reviews of USA's dominance of Mexico and the UNC Duke basketball game, but before I do that I have to get this off of my chest. People always say that soccer will never be very big in the United States and before I thought that they were wrong. I have always thought that if it gets enough air time and better, more recognizable players come to play here then it could happen. I saw something last night while watching the qualifier that really hurt soccer's chances in the US. For some damn reason our television networks have no understanding of how to cover the sport. First off the announcers are god awful, but that is expected as I hate most announcers in all sports. The main issue I have with the coverage is the camera work. The network always switches to camera close ups on the man with the ball so you can't see exactly what's going on. Ok, cool I can see really closely what the ball is doing on the guys feet, but I have no idea how close he is to actually having a chance at goal. Another thing that pisses me off is when they do close ups of a players face when something is happening thirty yards up field. I don't give a crap about Onyewu's facial structure, where is the ball for Christ's sake. Finally, the unnecessary game breaks in the middle of the action. They will show other things that happened in sports that day that are old news, and they put the live game on a mini screen, as if you could actually make out what is going on in a 3 by 3 centimeter picture.
I don't know why the networks do this to the game, but they need to watch the coverage of the English Premiership to get some pointers. It can be extremely frustrating to watch.
I don't know why the networks do this to the game, but they need to watch the coverage of the English Premiership to get some pointers. It can be extremely frustrating to watch.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Adebayor Player of the Year?
Emmanuel Adebayor was just pegged as the African player of the year for 2008. He did bang in 30 goals last year, but I personally think he is vastly over rated. He is a younger version of Kanu. He will put in some goals, but what he offers after that is minimal. He is a product of Arsenal's free flowing style of football and I don't think he is the type of player that can carry the load up front.
My pick for African player of the year would have been either Michael Essien or Sulley Muntari. Essien has been injured as of late so it is understandable that he missed out. But he seen as a deep lying midfielder with great tackling ability. While this is all true, he provides much more to his team offensively than he gets credit for.
I see Muntari in the same way as Essien. A defensive mid that provides more offense than given credit. The only difference is that Muntari played more games last year. His contribution to Portsmouth can't be overstated as he dictated the games in the midfield for them. It's no wonder why Mourinho brought him to Inter Milan, where he has done a great job playing along side Cambiasso. His energy level is immense and if he can tidy up his passing and finishing a bit more he could be very similar to Cambiasso.
Muntari would have been my selection for African Player of the Year. Adebayor is one dimensional, he floats in and out of games, and he's bad for the chemistry of the squad with all of his transfer issues.
My pick for African player of the year would have been either Michael Essien or Sulley Muntari. Essien has been injured as of late so it is understandable that he missed out. But he seen as a deep lying midfielder with great tackling ability. While this is all true, he provides much more to his team offensively than he gets credit for.
I see Muntari in the same way as Essien. A defensive mid that provides more offense than given credit. The only difference is that Muntari played more games last year. His contribution to Portsmouth can't be overstated as he dictated the games in the midfield for them. It's no wonder why Mourinho brought him to Inter Milan, where he has done a great job playing along side Cambiasso. His energy level is immense and if he can tidy up his passing and finishing a bit more he could be very similar to Cambiasso.
Muntari would have been my selection for African Player of the Year. Adebayor is one dimensional, he floats in and out of games, and he's bad for the chemistry of the squad with all of his transfer issues.
USA vs. Mexico
After the game I will roll out a review that includes player ratings, manager ratings, and the men of the match for both teams. I can't describe how excited I am for this match. I haven't decided if I'm doing play by play, I don't think I want to have my laptop on at a bar, that could be disastrous.
annoying commercials
I just wanted to get this out of my system. Those free credit report commercials are the most annoying commercials ever. Once I hear them I can't get that damn song out of my head. I guess that's what they're going for though.
UNC vs. Duke Preview
This has been a storied rivalry for some time now. I live in North Carolina so I have to deal with the completely biased fans from both sides. I wish it were possible for both teams to lose, but that can't happen so I am going to give my prediction.
North Carolina
Key Player: Ty Lawson. I think that Lawson is key for the Tar Heels. In Carolina's two losses Lawson is averaging 9.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4 turnovers. Compare this to his average of 15 points, 6 assists, and only 1.7 turnovers for the season. It's obvious that he is a main factor in big games for them. While Duke doesn't have the ability at point guard that BC and Wake Forest have, it is still essential for Lawson to play smart and run the offense. The game starts with him for the Heels and if he has a game like he did against Wake then the Tar Heels will lose.
Defensively: The Heels have an athletic advantage over Duke that can't be understated. While I don't think they are that strong on the defensive side of the ball, they can clamp down on a slower, smaller Duke team. The key here is for UNC to defend the three ball, as it is Duke's bread and butter. If they put pressure on the shooters then they will win. The only real slashing threat Duke has is Gerald Henderson and I think Danny Green is capable of shutting him down.
Offensively: Again it starts with Lawson. If he has a bad game you can forget about UNC scoring 100. The one thing Duke always does under Coach K is apply immense pressure. It will be imperative for UNC to get the ball inside to Hansbrough. Carolina has an advantage down low, but they don't have the depth that they did early in the season, so if he gets into foul trouble it will take that advantage away. The perimeter shooters need to shoot well and Wayne Ellington is certainly capable. They need to use their inside-out game that they have with Hansbrough and Ellington. Carolina is also better in transition due to their athleticism.
Duke
Key Player: Brian Zoubek. Look, Zoubek is not good, by any means, but he is vital to the success of the Blue Devils tonight. If he can at least stand his ground and play tough defense on the inside it will be a major help to Duke. He isn't good on the offensive end of the floor, but if he can manage to get 10 points or so it would help alleviate the pressure that the shooters have to deal with. This guy has to come up big, but don't expect it as he has been an underachiever throughout his career.
Defensively: This is where Duke is good. Again Zoubek is key. He has to be able to contain UNC's post game at least a little bit or all is lost. Duke will apply a ton of pressure on the back court and I expect that to work in their favor, but if Hansbrough man handles Zoubek they will lose that advantage.
Offensively: It comes down to how they shoot the ball. Duke relies on the three as Gerald Henderson is their only true slashing type of player. The good thing is they have at least three players that are capable of getting hot in Sheyer, Singler, and Paulus. Singler is also capable of mixing it up inside and he has a good mid range game, but he doesn't score points in bunches, so don't expect the offense to rely on him. They have to find a way to get open looks and if they can they have a good shot of winning this game.
Prediction:
The home court advantage for Duke is huge. If the start making buckets early Duke will win, but I don't think that will happen. I think UNC will play good enough D early on to hold their shooters at bay. UNC will lead by double digits at some point, but Duke will bring it back very close with some timely threes. UNC wins by 5, but the game will be closer than that down the stretch.
North Carolina
Key Player: Ty Lawson. I think that Lawson is key for the Tar Heels. In Carolina's two losses Lawson is averaging 9.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4 turnovers. Compare this to his average of 15 points, 6 assists, and only 1.7 turnovers for the season. It's obvious that he is a main factor in big games for them. While Duke doesn't have the ability at point guard that BC and Wake Forest have, it is still essential for Lawson to play smart and run the offense. The game starts with him for the Heels and if he has a game like he did against Wake then the Tar Heels will lose.
Defensively: The Heels have an athletic advantage over Duke that can't be understated. While I don't think they are that strong on the defensive side of the ball, they can clamp down on a slower, smaller Duke team. The key here is for UNC to defend the three ball, as it is Duke's bread and butter. If they put pressure on the shooters then they will win. The only real slashing threat Duke has is Gerald Henderson and I think Danny Green is capable of shutting him down.
Offensively: Again it starts with Lawson. If he has a bad game you can forget about UNC scoring 100. The one thing Duke always does under Coach K is apply immense pressure. It will be imperative for UNC to get the ball inside to Hansbrough. Carolina has an advantage down low, but they don't have the depth that they did early in the season, so if he gets into foul trouble it will take that advantage away. The perimeter shooters need to shoot well and Wayne Ellington is certainly capable. They need to use their inside-out game that they have with Hansbrough and Ellington. Carolina is also better in transition due to their athleticism.
Duke
Key Player: Brian Zoubek. Look, Zoubek is not good, by any means, but he is vital to the success of the Blue Devils tonight. If he can at least stand his ground and play tough defense on the inside it will be a major help to Duke. He isn't good on the offensive end of the floor, but if he can manage to get 10 points or so it would help alleviate the pressure that the shooters have to deal with. This guy has to come up big, but don't expect it as he has been an underachiever throughout his career.
Defensively: This is where Duke is good. Again Zoubek is key. He has to be able to contain UNC's post game at least a little bit or all is lost. Duke will apply a ton of pressure on the back court and I expect that to work in their favor, but if Hansbrough man handles Zoubek they will lose that advantage.
Offensively: It comes down to how they shoot the ball. Duke relies on the three as Gerald Henderson is their only true slashing type of player. The good thing is they have at least three players that are capable of getting hot in Sheyer, Singler, and Paulus. Singler is also capable of mixing it up inside and he has a good mid range game, but he doesn't score points in bunches, so don't expect the offense to rely on him. They have to find a way to get open looks and if they can they have a good shot of winning this game.
Prediction:
The home court advantage for Duke is huge. If the start making buckets early Duke will win, but I don't think that will happen. I think UNC will play good enough D early on to hold their shooters at bay. UNC will lead by double digits at some point, but Duke will bring it back very close with some timely threes. UNC wins by 5, but the game will be closer than that down the stretch.
USA v Mexico Preview
This is the first of two game previews that are being unveiled today, the second being the UNC v Duke college basketball game.
I expect this game to be very similar to previous match ups. I expect the US to try and control possession, primarily deep in the midfield. In doing this they will also attempt to make the game slow and terrible on the eye, but they don't want Mexico to get going offensively because they have a ton of technical ability. The US will have to find someone willing to take defenders on, in past games between the two this has been difficult and as a result the US has an obvious reliance on set pieces. To be said more plainly Donovan and Dempsey have to go right at the Mexican defense.
I think the lineup will consist of this:
I expect this game to be very similar to previous match ups. I expect the US to try and control possession, primarily deep in the midfield. In doing this they will also attempt to make the game slow and terrible on the eye, but they don't want Mexico to get going offensively because they have a ton of technical ability. The US will have to find someone willing to take defenders on, in past games between the two this has been difficult and as a result the US has an obvious reliance on set pieces. To be said more plainly Donovan and Dempsey have to go right at the Mexican defense.
I think the lineup will consist of this:
Howard
Hejduk Onyewu Bocanegra Pearce
Dempsey Bradley Kljestan
Donovan Beasley
Ching
I think Bradley will play it safe considering the importance of the game, but here is what I think the lineup should be.
Howard
Wynne Onyewu Califf Bocanegra
Kljestan Bradley Torres
Dempsey Donovan
Altidore
Obviously I have quite a few differences. On the back line I added Marvell Wynne over Hejduk. I know Hejduk isn't as shaky defensively as Wynne can be at times, but Wynne has amazing pace, so much so that he can recover from most mistakes. This pace also makes him more of a threat going forward. The knock on him right now is that he doesn't produce much at the end of his runs forward. I personally am ok with that, the runs alone might unsettle the defense and if he does put in a few good crosses it's an added plus.
I put Califf in the middle and Bocanegra on the left. This isn't anything against Bocanegra at centre back, as he has been in good form there for the national team. Bocanegra has played left back for his club in France and I think he would add a lot of stability over there in comparison to Pearce and Bornstein.
In the midfield I have put Beasley on the bench and added Jose Fransisco Torres, there are a few reasons for this. First, Beasley hasn't played for his club, Rangers, in forever, so he is probably not in good form. Second, Torres has been playing a lot for his club Pachuca. Torres also has Mexican heritage and he plays in Mexico, I think he would be pumped up for this game and it would add a lot of energy to the side. Finally, Torres is more versatile than Beasley, he can play wide, in the middle, he is a very good passer, and he can shoot from distance. On top of all that I think Torres is better technically.
Up front I took out Ching and threw in Altidore. The last time these two clubs played Altidore completely owned Rafa Marquez. He may not be consistent throughout the game, but Altidore adds a size, power, pace, and technical ability combination that Ching has never had. I think if Jozy plays up to his abilities he would give the defense fits.
For Mexico, I think they will lose this game simply because they will lose possession as described earlier. If they can come out early and play fast then they have a chance, if not it will be a slow defensive affair, and personally I don't the Eriksson is a very good coach, so it will be difficult for them to make the right adjustments.
Final - USA 2 - Mexico 1
Kljestan and Donovan get goals and Guillermo Franco gets a late consolation goal.
I put Califf in the middle and Bocanegra on the left. This isn't anything against Bocanegra at centre back, as he has been in good form there for the national team. Bocanegra has played left back for his club in France and I think he would add a lot of stability over there in comparison to Pearce and Bornstein.
In the midfield I have put Beasley on the bench and added Jose Fransisco Torres, there are a few reasons for this. First, Beasley hasn't played for his club, Rangers, in forever, so he is probably not in good form. Second, Torres has been playing a lot for his club Pachuca. Torres also has Mexican heritage and he plays in Mexico, I think he would be pumped up for this game and it would add a lot of energy to the side. Finally, Torres is more versatile than Beasley, he can play wide, in the middle, he is a very good passer, and he can shoot from distance. On top of all that I think Torres is better technically.
Up front I took out Ching and threw in Altidore. The last time these two clubs played Altidore completely owned Rafa Marquez. He may not be consistent throughout the game, but Altidore adds a size, power, pace, and technical ability combination that Ching has never had. I think if Jozy plays up to his abilities he would give the defense fits.
For Mexico, I think they will lose this game simply because they will lose possession as described earlier. If they can come out early and play fast then they have a chance, if not it will be a slow defensive affair, and personally I don't the Eriksson is a very good coach, so it will be difficult for them to make the right adjustments.
Final - USA 2 - Mexico 1
Kljestan and Donovan get goals and Guillermo Franco gets a late consolation goal.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
top five lists
I recently watched the movie "High Fidelity" for the 600th time. If you haven't seen it, it's great. But in the movie the characters have top five lists for everything musical. So, I am going to roll out my first top five for music. The top five most overplayed overrated tunes ever.
1. "Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zepplin.
2. "Paint it Black" - Rolling Stones
3. "My Generation" - The Who
4. "Layla" - Derek and the Dominos
5. "Sittin' at a Bar" - Rehab
Ok, don't get me wrong "Stairway to Heaven" is a tremendous song, I love it, but I hear it all of the time on the radio. Also, for some reason this is the song that always comes up when you talk about Led Zepplin with people that don't really listen to Zepplin, I guess that's because it is their biggest song. Another thing that pisses me off is the fact that every amateur guitar player will either tell you they can play Stairway or show you they can, like it is the know all end all of guitar playing, just friggin' stop already it's annoying.
"Paint it Black" isn't the Stones biggest song and it might not be the one that is played most on the radio, but I hear it all of the time. People also play this song at parties and always bring it up like it is that one song by them that no one knows... alright people everybody knows about it, stop already. On top of that it is really annoying after the first few times you hear it, there just isn't much to the song.
"My Generation" is an awesome tune. The one thing that overrates this song is the fact that big music networks and music critics point to this song as the anthem of a generation. Well, I just don't think it is, so shut up about that garbage. I don't think anyone from the 70s will point to that song as the one that defined the era, no one you hear me no one.
"Layla" is the most overrated song ever. It is all over the place, it is played all of the time, it is covered all of the time, everyone seems to like it for some reason. I might get blasted for saying this, but it just isn't that good. Yeah, the opening guitar is awesome, but after that the song does absolutely nothing for me, I usually just hit next. I'm at the point now where I don't even like the guitar anymore I'm just like "Damn this song again."
Finally, "Sittin at a Bar" by Rehab. This song isn't very popular on the radio, so some may think it doesn't merit inclusion on a list like this, but you have to understand where I am coming from. I live in the south, so for drunk rednecks this is some kind of damn theme song. Every time I am at a bar some drunk ass hillbilly has to play it on the jukebox and more often than not they play it twice, back to back. This song damages my calm and all I can think about is drunk rednecks leaving their 18 kids back at home unsupervised while they're out getting hammered at some dive. I will hear it again I'm sure of that and I might just slit my throat next time I do. That song sucks.
1. "Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zepplin.
2. "Paint it Black" - Rolling Stones
3. "My Generation" - The Who
4. "Layla" - Derek and the Dominos
5. "Sittin' at a Bar" - Rehab
Ok, don't get me wrong "Stairway to Heaven" is a tremendous song, I love it, but I hear it all of the time on the radio. Also, for some reason this is the song that always comes up when you talk about Led Zepplin with people that don't really listen to Zepplin, I guess that's because it is their biggest song. Another thing that pisses me off is the fact that every amateur guitar player will either tell you they can play Stairway or show you they can, like it is the know all end all of guitar playing, just friggin' stop already it's annoying.
"Paint it Black" isn't the Stones biggest song and it might not be the one that is played most on the radio, but I hear it all of the time. People also play this song at parties and always bring it up like it is that one song by them that no one knows... alright people everybody knows about it, stop already. On top of that it is really annoying after the first few times you hear it, there just isn't much to the song.
"My Generation" is an awesome tune. The one thing that overrates this song is the fact that big music networks and music critics point to this song as the anthem of a generation. Well, I just don't think it is, so shut up about that garbage. I don't think anyone from the 70s will point to that song as the one that defined the era, no one you hear me no one.
"Layla" is the most overrated song ever. It is all over the place, it is played all of the time, it is covered all of the time, everyone seems to like it for some reason. I might get blasted for saying this, but it just isn't that good. Yeah, the opening guitar is awesome, but after that the song does absolutely nothing for me, I usually just hit next. I'm at the point now where I don't even like the guitar anymore I'm just like "Damn this song again."
Finally, "Sittin at a Bar" by Rehab. This song isn't very popular on the radio, so some may think it doesn't merit inclusion on a list like this, but you have to understand where I am coming from. I live in the south, so for drunk rednecks this is some kind of damn theme song. Every time I am at a bar some drunk ass hillbilly has to play it on the jukebox and more often than not they play it twice, back to back. This song damages my calm and all I can think about is drunk rednecks leaving their 18 kids back at home unsupervised while they're out getting hammered at some dive. I will hear it again I'm sure of that and I might just slit my throat next time I do. That song sucks.
Steroids and Schilling
There has been a lot of fallout from the A-Rod taking PED's story. One of the most interesting things I saw was Curt Schilling saying that all 104 names should be released. I happen to agree with him. I understand that legally I don't think this can happen. This was a private survey that the MLB did in 2003 and I believe the players union would go bananas if the league did release the names, but I think the fans have a right to know.
Baseball has a lot to gain by making this public. I have no doubts that it would be detrimental to many players if this did come out, but the more we know the better. Steroids will hang over the head of every major player until we know that they are clean. What can be gained is trust and respectability. I believe, if this is released, we can truly say who was great from this era and who may not have been as great. I think A-Rod is great without the steroids, but he admitted to taking them. We may never know if his numbers were inflated by PED's or if his numbers would have been the same without them. I believe that the names should come out and each fan has the right to reserve judgment on any player in question. This is a major step for baseball to regain its image.
I hear sportswriters say all of the time that baseball gets a raw deal when sports like football get a free pass on steroids. They might be right, baseball does get a harsher stance than other sports, but I think that it should. Baseball is without question America's Past time, that is indisputable. It is so ingrained in America, it is in the fabric of our being. If it is to be continued to be held in this regard I believe that the standards of our professional baseball players and our league should be that much higher. It is up to the league and the players to regain our respect and to start living up to their lofty standards. I personally do not care if less home runs are hit, I want to see who is truly great, who can measure up to the storied names of baseball's past without cheating.
Baseball has a lot to gain by making this public. I have no doubts that it would be detrimental to many players if this did come out, but the more we know the better. Steroids will hang over the head of every major player until we know that they are clean. What can be gained is trust and respectability. I believe, if this is released, we can truly say who was great from this era and who may not have been as great. I think A-Rod is great without the steroids, but he admitted to taking them. We may never know if his numbers were inflated by PED's or if his numbers would have been the same without them. I believe that the names should come out and each fan has the right to reserve judgment on any player in question. This is a major step for baseball to regain its image.
I hear sportswriters say all of the time that baseball gets a raw deal when sports like football get a free pass on steroids. They might be right, baseball does get a harsher stance than other sports, but I think that it should. Baseball is without question America's Past time, that is indisputable. It is so ingrained in America, it is in the fabric of our being. If it is to be continued to be held in this regard I believe that the standards of our professional baseball players and our league should be that much higher. It is up to the league and the players to regain our respect and to start living up to their lofty standards. I personally do not care if less home runs are hit, I want to see who is truly great, who can measure up to the storied names of baseball's past without cheating.
Opening Act
Hello, this is my introduction to the blogging world. First of all, I am a fan of all sports, except for hockey, so you can expect a wide variety of topics to be covered (including soccer). The website is obviously a quote from "Field of Dreams" and the title of the blog is a quote from "Bull Durham." So, knowing this there will be posts about movies and various other entertainment outlets, like music and books. I expect that my first in depth post will be in the near future, probably about baseball and I also plan to recap the USA v. Mexico game that is being played tomorrow night.
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