Having a good amount of Native American blood in my veins I'm not really that fond of Thanksgiving, but I do appreciate what the spirit of the day is supposed to be. As a lazy, spoiled American I often take for granted so many of the great things that surround me. I'll never take my family or my friends for granted, but there are so many things that I don't appreciate on a daily basis. I have a house. I have job. I'm not rich, but I have a better lifestyle than a lot of people.
Day in and day out I seem to want more. More hours in the day, more money from my 9-5, more poker....but I rarely look around and truly take in all that I have in my life. The fact that I am sitting here writing this now while I two-table on Full Tilt and Guinness sleeps at my feet is testament to how good I have it.
Earlier this month I turned 30. It didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, because as I get older I gain perspective at an exponential rate and I realize that I am lucky to have made it this far. Especially when I look back at all the crazy shit I've done, and the four times in my life that I really should have died, but somehow made it through relatively unscathed.
New Year's Eve is just around the corner. Every year I make some sort of resolution and each year they seem to have a common theme, boiling down to motivation. I figure why wait til the end of December to resolve to be more motivated in my life, why I can just start today? After dinner of course.
Oh yeah, and after the bullshit I dealt with last night....I pretty much done with women for a while. This isn't so much of a resolution, more like "enough is enough". I am no longer dealing with the crazy women in my life, and the stupid shit that goes along with it. I can't blame anyone but myself since I am the one who chooses to surround myself with crazy chicks, but I can change it....for now at least.
On that note, Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
Bo
Coach Schembechler, you will be missed.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Marktoberfest 2006
So it looks like my reasons I miss Vegas have fallen to the wayside....that being said, Marktoberfest 2006 was a ton of fun. We had a decent crowd this year, but the cold weather kept us inside all night, except for smokey time, and no one was brave enough to use the hot tub.
Here are some random pics.
Wilkie loves Marktoberfest.
He also loves the jello-shots.
Rita shows off her technique without dropping her chip.
Scot really loves the camera, but tries to play it cool.
Mike and Mark laughing...this is before their "talk".
Us. You can tell I am drunk because I am so red....and have that stupid drunk smile.
Marktoberfest's namesake hiding behind his beer.
Not sure if he's reppin the D or TPA....either way, he's obviously cool.
The ladies love Guinness the party dog.
Scot with the twins. Why is it that Jen is the only person at the party without a drink?
More "beer as camo" from Mark.
The bright side: Unlike yesterday, that's not puke on his shirt.
I'm not sure, but Mark may be drunk.
Dos Miguels: For some reason, Mike feels the need to shower
Michael with money like he's his personal Congressional page...
This is what I found when I tried to go to bed....what a Gyp!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Busy, but not too busy for this....
First off, WTG Tigers! I can't wait to go to the game tomorrow!
Second, I'll be back to blogging soon.
Third, here's what Full Tilt has to say:
Dear Max,
Full Tilt Poker is here to stay!
As an online poker player, you have probably heard about the new legislation passed by the U.S. Congress earlier this week that attempts to prevent you from being able to transfer money to online gaming sites.
While this new law has prompted some sites to announce plans to abandon the U.S. market in coming days, we assure you that Full Tilt Poker will continue to provide all of its players - both inside and outside of the United States - with a full complement of real money ring games and tournaments for their enjoyment.
After consultation with numerous legal experts in this field, we want to make you aware of the following:
* Legal
The new U.S. legislation does not in any way attempt to criminalize the act of you playing online poker. By playing online at Full Tilt Poker, you are not breaking any U.S. Federal laws.
* Full Access
The passage of the new Internet Gaming law will not have any impact on your day-to-day experience at Full Tilt Poker. We will provide all of our players, everywhere in the world, with full access to all of our games and tournaments.
* Easy Deposits and Withdrawals
We will continue to provide our players with all of the safe, secure and convenient methods for transferring money to and from the site. In fact, in recent discussions with our payment processors, we have been assured that this new law will have no immediate impact on their day-to-day business. And as always, any monies that you have on deposit with Full Tilt Poker remain completely safe and secure.
Furthermore, we firmly believe that online poker is not encompassed by this new legislation. In any event, we will continue to lobby for an express carve-out for online poker and for your right to play a truly American game from the privacy of your own home and computer.
We are excited about the future here at Full Tilt Poker and in the coming weeks and months, we plan to roll out many new features designed to enhance your online poker experience.
We appreciate your loyalty to our site and, in turn, want you to know that we will remain loyal to our valued players in the United States and throughout the world.
We look forward to seeing you at the table.
Sincerely,
Full Tilt Poker
Second, I'll be back to blogging soon.
Third, here's what Full Tilt has to say:
Dear Max,
Full Tilt Poker is here to stay!
As an online poker player, you have probably heard about the new legislation passed by the U.S. Congress earlier this week that attempts to prevent you from being able to transfer money to online gaming sites.
While this new law has prompted some sites to announce plans to abandon the U.S. market in coming days, we assure you that Full Tilt Poker will continue to provide all of its players - both inside and outside of the United States - with a full complement of real money ring games and tournaments for their enjoyment.
After consultation with numerous legal experts in this field, we want to make you aware of the following:
* Legal
The new U.S. legislation does not in any way attempt to criminalize the act of you playing online poker. By playing online at Full Tilt Poker, you are not breaking any U.S. Federal laws.
* Full Access
The passage of the new Internet Gaming law will not have any impact on your day-to-day experience at Full Tilt Poker. We will provide all of our players, everywhere in the world, with full access to all of our games and tournaments.
* Easy Deposits and Withdrawals
We will continue to provide our players with all of the safe, secure and convenient methods for transferring money to and from the site. In fact, in recent discussions with our payment processors, we have been assured that this new law will have no immediate impact on their day-to-day business. And as always, any monies that you have on deposit with Full Tilt Poker remain completely safe and secure.
Furthermore, we firmly believe that online poker is not encompassed by this new legislation. In any event, we will continue to lobby for an express carve-out for online poker and for your right to play a truly American game from the privacy of your own home and computer.
We are excited about the future here at Full Tilt Poker and in the coming weeks and months, we plan to roll out many new features designed to enhance your online poker experience.
We appreciate your loyalty to our site and, in turn, want you to know that we will remain loyal to our valued players in the United States and throughout the world.
We look forward to seeing you at the table.
Sincerely,
Full Tilt Poker
Friday, September 29, 2006
Number 9
Reason number nine is very important to me right now.
9. Yearlong dry air = no sinus problems- Every year I get two sinus infections, one in the spring when the weather breaks and another in the fall when the weather changes again. So it's that time of year in Michigan, and I've been suffering all week. Were I in Vegas right now, I wouldn't be sick....I'd probably be drunk and broke, but I wouldn't be sick.
I'm probably going to take this week off with my college picks since I haven't had any time to look at the match-ups. Hopefully I'll make the time to look at the NFL match-ups and post some picks tomorrow.
9. Yearlong dry air = no sinus problems- Every year I get two sinus infections, one in the spring when the weather breaks and another in the fall when the weather changes again. So it's that time of year in Michigan, and I've been suffering all week. Were I in Vegas right now, I wouldn't be sick....I'd probably be drunk and broke, but I wouldn't be sick.
I'm probably going to take this week off with my college picks since I haven't had any time to look at the match-ups. Hopefully I'll make the time to look at the NFL match-ups and post some picks tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Playing Catch Up
Under the weather and busy at work....not conducive to good blogging, but here I am with more reason I love/miss Vegas. I owe three reasons, and I am going to add tomorrow's early. I will try my best to tie all four together.
5. Playing 25 cent video blackjack at 6. O'Shea's while drinking comp beer to get a buzz on before hitting a club via a 7. Crazy cab ride where we will take our last comp 8. Beer in the cab with us.
The bar inside O'Shea's has been a favorite hangout of mine since one of my first trips to Vegas. I love the club scene out there, but sitting at that bar (which has a surprising good selection of beers) drinking for free, assuming you put $10 in one of the games, can be a great way to spend an evening of pre-drinking. The bartenders are every bit as good as you'll find at the bigger strip properties, and great at chatting it up with anyone.
While they will refill you quickly when you are empty, the management seems pretty strict in enforcing the one drink per person rule. I completely understand, and don't mind since shots count as your one free drink at a time. Tip the bartenders pretty well, and you'll go through a bottle of your favorite drink in no time at all, at a fraction of the price you'd pay anywhere else.
Last time we were there, I noticed that the multi-games at the bar offered blackjack for as little as 25 cents per hand....your $10 will can go a long way playing a pretty break even game with 40 credits. If you want to conserve your bankroll play slow. Play a couple hands, drink some beer, repeat as desired. Or if you are up for shots, one shot for every 5-10 hands seems pretty good. Even if you run bad you'll still get about 10 shots out of that 10 bucks. Just remember to tip. If there are 3 or 4 of us at the bar, we'll usually all take turns giving the bartender $5 for a round.
Taking open drinks in a car in Nevada is actually a no-no, but most cabbies won't call you out on it if you don't ask them if it's ok as you get in. If they do, the people behind you can always take that cab and you can try the next one.
If you've never been in a Vegas cab, you may very well be in for the ride of your life. I always think of Crazy Taxi when I think of the Vegas cabbies. I'm sure some other big cities compare, but I've never gotten more entertainment out of my cab rides than I have in Vegas. Buckle up, and enjoy.
On to football....I had a pretty decent weekend where college was concerned, even though PSU fucked me by throwing not one, but two fricking INTs for TDs in the last two minutes. Just one and that pick would have covered. ND was a winning pick even though it looked rough for them right away. Michigan was a loser for me by 1/2 of a point. I don't remember who won the Bama/Ark game (and I am too lazy to look it up right now), but Bama was getting 1.5 and it was a one point game.
So I finished 2-2 in my big school picks. My small school picks continue to rock and I was 2-0 this week as Central Michigan covered in OT and Southern Methodist put a 55-9 hurt on Arkansas State. A while back I was awakened to the fact that by keeping your eye on a few select small schools throughout the year and researching the opponents of those teams each week, you could make a pretty good profit.
Most small school games will have small spreads because the average gambler doesn't bet enough to be confident taking or laying double-digit spreads in those games. Example: School A is playing at School B. Records are similar, spread is less than a TD. School A rates about 6.5 out of 10 and School B rates 5 or less out of ten. Home field isn't much of an issue here, so take School A and make your money. One caveat is to try and find spreads of 5.5 or less as a 6 point spread can easily lead to a push because many mistakes are made in PAT attempts in these games.
Pro Football: T.O., WTF?
Poker: None to speak of since my last frustrated post. Thankfully no one has found me at work to collect their money.
Vegas: 78 days away.
5. Playing 25 cent video blackjack at 6. O'Shea's while drinking comp beer to get a buzz on before hitting a club via a 7. Crazy cab ride where we will take our last comp 8. Beer in the cab with us.
The bar inside O'Shea's has been a favorite hangout of mine since one of my first trips to Vegas. I love the club scene out there, but sitting at that bar (which has a surprising good selection of beers) drinking for free, assuming you put $10 in one of the games, can be a great way to spend an evening of pre-drinking. The bartenders are every bit as good as you'll find at the bigger strip properties, and great at chatting it up with anyone.
While they will refill you quickly when you are empty, the management seems pretty strict in enforcing the one drink per person rule. I completely understand, and don't mind since shots count as your one free drink at a time. Tip the bartenders pretty well, and you'll go through a bottle of your favorite drink in no time at all, at a fraction of the price you'd pay anywhere else.
Last time we were there, I noticed that the multi-games at the bar offered blackjack for as little as 25 cents per hand....your $10 will can go a long way playing a pretty break even game with 40 credits. If you want to conserve your bankroll play slow. Play a couple hands, drink some beer, repeat as desired. Or if you are up for shots, one shot for every 5-10 hands seems pretty good. Even if you run bad you'll still get about 10 shots out of that 10 bucks. Just remember to tip. If there are 3 or 4 of us at the bar, we'll usually all take turns giving the bartender $5 for a round.
Taking open drinks in a car in Nevada is actually a no-no, but most cabbies won't call you out on it if you don't ask them if it's ok as you get in. If they do, the people behind you can always take that cab and you can try the next one.
If you've never been in a Vegas cab, you may very well be in for the ride of your life. I always think of Crazy Taxi when I think of the Vegas cabbies. I'm sure some other big cities compare, but I've never gotten more entertainment out of my cab rides than I have in Vegas. Buckle up, and enjoy.
On to football....I had a pretty decent weekend where college was concerned, even though PSU fucked me by throwing not one, but two fricking INTs for TDs in the last two minutes. Just one and that pick would have covered. ND was a winning pick even though it looked rough for them right away. Michigan was a loser for me by 1/2 of a point. I don't remember who won the Bama/Ark game (and I am too lazy to look it up right now), but Bama was getting 1.5 and it was a one point game.
So I finished 2-2 in my big school picks. My small school picks continue to rock and I was 2-0 this week as Central Michigan covered in OT and Southern Methodist put a 55-9 hurt on Arkansas State. A while back I was awakened to the fact that by keeping your eye on a few select small schools throughout the year and researching the opponents of those teams each week, you could make a pretty good profit.
Most small school games will have small spreads because the average gambler doesn't bet enough to be confident taking or laying double-digit spreads in those games. Example: School A is playing at School B. Records are similar, spread is less than a TD. School A rates about 6.5 out of 10 and School B rates 5 or less out of ten. Home field isn't much of an issue here, so take School A and make your money. One caveat is to try and find spreads of 5.5 or less as a 6 point spread can easily lead to a push because many mistakes are made in PAT attempts in these games.
Pro Football: T.O., WTF?
Poker: None to speak of since my last frustrated post. Thankfully no one has found me at work to collect their money.
Vegas: 78 days away.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
2 More Reasons
3. Free drinks & 4. The wonderful girls who bring them to you- Here in Michigan, the gaming control board decided that comp drinks are a no-no if they contain any alcohol. Truthfully I can't say that I blame them, because the Detroit casino crowd would be ten times worse than it is now, which is saying a lot. It's nice to be able to order a Newcastle in Vegas and only worry about the tip.
Now any of the other dealers I worked with at MGM could tell you that I am a sucker for the cocktail waitresses in the casino. Unfortunately, the waitresses soon realized this too....but that's an entirely different post. Of course I am not talking about the girls at Caesar's who have been there since the place originally opened. Every time I go back there I see fewer of the AARP waitresses at Caesar's, probably cause they are dying off, but there are still a few there that have got to be pushing 70. Although they are great to talk to if you catch them on a slow night cause they all have great stories about Frank, Dean and the rest of the pack.
Is there honestly anything better than having a smoking hot girl bring you free alcohol, and only have to worry about giving her a couple bucks for the effort? If you had your girlfriend or wife do that for you at home that would cost you hundreds, maybe thousands in jewelry and other gifts....on top of what you originally paid for the beer anyway. Then again, how many guys out there would really try and have their girl "serve" them like that at home?
Now any of the other dealers I worked with at MGM could tell you that I am a sucker for the cocktail waitresses in the casino. Unfortunately, the waitresses soon realized this too....but that's an entirely different post. Of course I am not talking about the girls at Caesar's who have been there since the place originally opened. Every time I go back there I see fewer of the AARP waitresses at Caesar's, probably cause they are dying off, but there are still a few there that have got to be pushing 70. Although they are great to talk to if you catch them on a slow night cause they all have great stories about Frank, Dean and the rest of the pack.
Is there honestly anything better than having a smoking hot girl bring you free alcohol, and only have to worry about giving her a couple bucks for the effort? If you had your girlfriend or wife do that for you at home that would cost you hundreds, maybe thousands in jewelry and other gifts....on top of what you originally paid for the beer anyway. Then again, how many guys out there would really try and have their girl "serve" them like that at home?
Friday, September 22, 2006
Frustration
I'm not one to be frustrated easily, my personal life is a great example of that....but for another time maybe, but busting out pretty deep in a tournament after being top 20 or so in chips for most of it is really getting old fast. My MTT game is tight right now. Not perfect, but I am playing better than I have at any time since my great run late last year that was capped off with my 5th place finish in the WPBT Winter Classic. Right now I am just playing to get ready for Vegas, but doing so well for so long only to be struck down and out in a matter of 10-20 hands is beginning to annoy me.
I can take solace in the fact that about 90% of the hands that lead to my demise I actually play right, but get unlucky or sucked out on. The other 10% I can look over to help me improve my play, so it's not all bad. I just can't help feeling a little upset about being out in front of hundreds or even thousands of other players for so long, then crashing or burning with nothing to show for the effort.
Hopefully soon enough I will get a rush of cards when I need it and at the very least final table somewhere....if only for the sake of my confidence.
Sorry for the venting. Technically this isn't a bad beat post, but if you want your dollar for listening anyway just find me. I'll even double it if you find me at my 9-5....
I can take solace in the fact that about 90% of the hands that lead to my demise I actually play right, but get unlucky or sucked out on. The other 10% I can look over to help me improve my play, so it's not all bad. I just can't help feeling a little upset about being out in front of hundreds or even thousands of other players for so long, then crashing or burning with nothing to show for the effort.
Hopefully soon enough I will get a rush of cards when I need it and at the very least final table somewhere....if only for the sake of my confidence.
Sorry for the venting. Technically this isn't a bad beat post, but if you want your dollar for listening anyway just find me. I'll even double it if you find me at my 9-5....
Why I miss Vegas part 2 of 84.
2. Sports Books- Is there a better place to watch a game, or multiple games, than Bellagio's book? Comfortable chairs, free alcohol brought right to you, every game or horse race you could ever hope to want to watch, losing money on sports legally....it's hard to pull myself away from here on Saturday or Sunday when I visit late in the year.
One of the great things about the book is it's proximity to the poker room. What could make me feel better as I watch Iowa getting thumped by underdog Iowa State when I laid? Hitting the bathroom at the half and talking to Scotty Nguyen about getting screwed on Iowa/ISU pretty much every time they play. Gamblers are a sick and sorry bunch, and we always feel better knowing someone else is taking the same beating we are.
Speaking of losing money on games, I haven't had any time to breakdown this week's games....but at first glance I don't like much. I picked my games pretty well last week, but never got my anything on Minnesota before the spread swung hard. That game was my 7 star pick this year. It's all downhill after that.
Off the top of my head I'd have to say I like betting against Michigan -13.5 this weekend. We are a notoriously bad double-digit home favorite. If you bet against the Wolverines at home every time the spread gets to two scores or more, you will make money in the long run.
Other CFB picks include:
Penn State +16.5 @ OSU
CMU -4.5 @ EMU
Bama +1.5 @ Ark
ND -2.5 @ MSU
and in my "You are a complete degenerate if you bet this game pick" I like Southern Methodist to cover the 5.5 against Arkansas State.
One of the great things about the book is it's proximity to the poker room. What could make me feel better as I watch Iowa getting thumped by underdog Iowa State when I laid? Hitting the bathroom at the half and talking to Scotty Nguyen about getting screwed on Iowa/ISU pretty much every time they play. Gamblers are a sick and sorry bunch, and we always feel better knowing someone else is taking the same beating we are.
Speaking of losing money on games, I haven't had any time to breakdown this week's games....but at first glance I don't like much. I picked my games pretty well last week, but never got my anything on Minnesota before the spread swung hard. That game was my 7 star pick this year. It's all downhill after that.
Off the top of my head I'd have to say I like betting against Michigan -13.5 this weekend. We are a notoriously bad double-digit home favorite. If you bet against the Wolverines at home every time the spread gets to two scores or more, you will make money in the long run.
Other CFB picks include:
Penn State +16.5 @ OSU
CMU -4.5 @ EMU
Bama +1.5 @ Ark
ND -2.5 @ MSU
and in my "You are a complete degenerate if you bet this game pick" I like Southern Methodist to cover the 5.5 against Arkansas State.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
84 Reasons I Miss Vegas
Since I am only 84 days from being back in Sin City, I figured the best way to countdown to my trip would be to say a little something each day about what draws me back there year after year after year. It may be a place I make sure to visit whenever I am there, it might be a place that I would visit but has closed or changed, and I will make sure to add a few of our better stories from the last 8+ years that we've been going out there. Now with that out of the way, here's my first post.
1. Cafe Gelato- This has to be the first mentioned because this is the first place we go after checking in at our hotel. The one Vegas tradition that we've never broken is visiting this little cafe across the hall from the pool entrance at Bellagio. I don't remember if this was the first place I ever heard of gelato or even the first place I tried it, but to this day it remains the best gelato I've ever had. By far.
If you are not familiar with gelato, it's basically ice cream. What makes it special is the thick cream they use to make it. It's richer and a lot more flavorful than regular ice cream. I once heard someone describe Cold Stone as "an orgasm for your mouth" (FOR your mouth, not in it), but I personally don't think Cold Stone comes close to the level of gelato at Cafe Gelato.
So in 84 days, at about noon on December 14th I will be sitting in Cafe Gelato (hopefully in my favorite booth on the right side of the cafe) enjoying a scoop of Oreo on top of a scoop of Chocolate, nestled nicely inside of a waffle cone. Mmmm. If you happen to run into me there at that time, mention this post and your first round of gelato is on me. Restrictions do apply.
1. Cafe Gelato- This has to be the first mentioned because this is the first place we go after checking in at our hotel. The one Vegas tradition that we've never broken is visiting this little cafe across the hall from the pool entrance at Bellagio. I don't remember if this was the first place I ever heard of gelato or even the first place I tried it, but to this day it remains the best gelato I've ever had. By far.
If you are not familiar with gelato, it's basically ice cream. What makes it special is the thick cream they use to make it. It's richer and a lot more flavorful than regular ice cream. I once heard someone describe Cold Stone as "an orgasm for your mouth" (FOR your mouth, not in it), but I personally don't think Cold Stone comes close to the level of gelato at Cafe Gelato.
So in 84 days, at about noon on December 14th I will be sitting in Cafe Gelato (hopefully in my favorite booth on the right side of the cafe) enjoying a scoop of Oreo on top of a scoop of Chocolate, nestled nicely inside of a waffle cone. Mmmm. If you happen to run into me there at that time, mention this post and your first round of gelato is on me. Restrictions do apply.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
More Guinness Wisdom
Guinness says:
"It ain't easy living with an AT&T employee"
You may have heard about the possible TB outbreak at the AT&T building downtown (if not, there's a possible outbreak of TB at the AT&T building downtown). It just so happens that Guinness and I have a room mate who works in that building. Guinness is a proponent of hedging your bets.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Football Rants
So Ohio State looked pretty good on Saturday. As did Notre Dame. Michigan, not so much. The win over Central Michigan was so impressive that they fell out of the top ten. I really hope we can get things going for the game against Notre Dame this week. I am sure the Irish will be ready.
The Lions played alright. We even had a chance to win late in the game until Shawn Bryson decided to take a stroll all by himself down the sideline on 3rd down, never looking back for the football until it nearly hit him in the head. Then of course Nick Harris did his best John Jett impersonation and booted the ball to the back of the end zone instead of pinning the Seahawks deep.
Big Baby controlled the line of scrimmage all day long, becoming Ernie Sims' best friend in a hurry as Sims became Boss Bailey's best friend in a hurry. Most people seem to think Boss played well even though he had zero tackles and 4 assists. At least he's shown he can take down someone who has already stopped moving because they have been wrapped up by someone else.
So is Roy WIlliams a prophet or an idiot? Guess we'll have to file this under 'wait and see'. I am certainly tempted to bet Chicago this week, but the 8 points won't let me do it. Chicago's offense might not score 8.
My beloved Redskins really jobbed themselves last night. With such a tough division schedule, every game in September will have a huge impact on January. That being said, they tanked it yesterday against Minnesota and their hokey offense. Run, run, run, launch it deep. Rinse, repeat.
Is it just me, or are the refs way too flag happy so far? There were at least a dozen cheap calls on crucial plays during week one. Many extending drives that would have ended with a punt on the next play. I also noticed that the refs are acting like appellate judges. Don't like the fact that you didn't catch the ball? Yell at the ref....50/50 chance he'll penalize the defense.
My personal pet peeve with the officiating this year is not the refs themselves, but what they are instructed to call as spearing, or use of the helmet as a weapon on normal, textbook tackles. This year the NFL has decided that the facemask is to be included in the spearing rule. You can no longer lead with your helmet or face mask when coming in for a tackle. If you do, and it makes contact with someone....that's illegal. Essentially you can't lead with your head at all, which is what is completely natural when you are running forward. So if you want to make a legal tackle, you have to make sure that you get your head completely out of the way just before impact. Doing that will leave defenders wide open for severe neck injuries.
If this rule is strictly enforced, I believe it will lead to a huge increase in serious neck injuries. And I'm not even talking about the NFL so much as I am talking about High Schoolers and younger. If this becomes an issue in the NFL it will trickle down to the lower levels of play because they will all want to protect their players as much as they can, like the NFL. This means different coaching when it comes to tackling, with an emphasis on turning your head away from the play. I'd be a little uneasy about having my son(s) taught to tackle that way.
Another thing about this rule is that offensive players can get a flag thrown on the defense by lowering their helmet into the defender's helmet just before impact on a play where the defender's helmet wouldn't have been a factor. Shouldn't the "you can't lead with your head if you are running forward (or any direction for that matter)" rule apply to both the offense and defense? I guess not since I've seen at least three plays like this result in a flag for the defense since the Hall of Fame game. This is a rule that could truly add insult to injury.
The Lions played alright. We even had a chance to win late in the game until Shawn Bryson decided to take a stroll all by himself down the sideline on 3rd down, never looking back for the football until it nearly hit him in the head. Then of course Nick Harris did his best John Jett impersonation and booted the ball to the back of the end zone instead of pinning the Seahawks deep.
Big Baby controlled the line of scrimmage all day long, becoming Ernie Sims' best friend in a hurry as Sims became Boss Bailey's best friend in a hurry. Most people seem to think Boss played well even though he had zero tackles and 4 assists. At least he's shown he can take down someone who has already stopped moving because they have been wrapped up by someone else.
So is Roy WIlliams a prophet or an idiot? Guess we'll have to file this under 'wait and see'. I am certainly tempted to bet Chicago this week, but the 8 points won't let me do it. Chicago's offense might not score 8.
My beloved Redskins really jobbed themselves last night. With such a tough division schedule, every game in September will have a huge impact on January. That being said, they tanked it yesterday against Minnesota and their hokey offense. Run, run, run, launch it deep. Rinse, repeat.
Is it just me, or are the refs way too flag happy so far? There were at least a dozen cheap calls on crucial plays during week one. Many extending drives that would have ended with a punt on the next play. I also noticed that the refs are acting like appellate judges. Don't like the fact that you didn't catch the ball? Yell at the ref....50/50 chance he'll penalize the defense.
My personal pet peeve with the officiating this year is not the refs themselves, but what they are instructed to call as spearing, or use of the helmet as a weapon on normal, textbook tackles. This year the NFL has decided that the facemask is to be included in the spearing rule. You can no longer lead with your helmet or face mask when coming in for a tackle. If you do, and it makes contact with someone....that's illegal. Essentially you can't lead with your head at all, which is what is completely natural when you are running forward. So if you want to make a legal tackle, you have to make sure that you get your head completely out of the way just before impact. Doing that will leave defenders wide open for severe neck injuries.
If this rule is strictly enforced, I believe it will lead to a huge increase in serious neck injuries. And I'm not even talking about the NFL so much as I am talking about High Schoolers and younger. If this becomes an issue in the NFL it will trickle down to the lower levels of play because they will all want to protect their players as much as they can, like the NFL. This means different coaching when it comes to tackling, with an emphasis on turning your head away from the play. I'd be a little uneasy about having my son(s) taught to tackle that way.
Another thing about this rule is that offensive players can get a flag thrown on the defense by lowering their helmet into the defender's helmet just before impact on a play where the defender's helmet wouldn't have been a factor. Shouldn't the "you can't lead with your head if you are running forward (or any direction for that matter)" rule apply to both the offense and defense? I guess not since I've seen at least three plays like this result in a flag for the defense since the Hall of Fame game. This is a rule that could truly add insult to injury.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
100 Days til Vegas
We are booked and ready to go. With all that's happened in the last few months, Michael and I needed a decadent weekend of debauchery to look forward to. Obviously we need a little Vegas. I found another sweet deal on airfare (less than $200 roundtrip) and the room rates at Aladdin are about the same as last time ($120/night incl taxes) so I don't feel guilty about taking a few days off work and throwing away my overtime for two weeks just before the holidays. Like I could ever feel guilty about going to Vegas....
Thursday Dec 14th-Monday Dec 18th. The same weekend as the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic. That tournament just happened to be in town the last time I was in Vegas to attend the WPBT Winter Classic. Yes, the same weekend I dominated a field of 100+ bloggers on my way to the final table only to get seated directly to Gracie's right as she proceeded to get hit over the head with the deck. But I am not bitter about my 5th place finish in such a deep, talented field. As a matter of fact I'm proud enough to still be bragging about it to this day.
So what else....oh yeah, Steve Irwin is dead. Killed when a sting ray barb penetrated his heart. I hate to sound cold about it because he has a family and all, but if you are going to play with fire.... I must give the guy credit though. His crazy dream was to play with large dangerous animals on a daily basis. He followed that whacked out dream for many years and made a name for himself at the same time. And, I have been told, he used that fame to help fight for the preservation of wildlife and their natural habitats, which is very admirable and something I really respect.
Running out of time now, so I'll have to save the details of my wager with Michael until tomorrow.
Thursday Dec 14th-Monday Dec 18th. The same weekend as the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic. That tournament just happened to be in town the last time I was in Vegas to attend the WPBT Winter Classic. Yes, the same weekend I dominated a field of 100+ bloggers on my way to the final table only to get seated directly to Gracie's right as she proceeded to get hit over the head with the deck. But I am not bitter about my 5th place finish in such a deep, talented field. As a matter of fact I'm proud enough to still be bragging about it to this day.
So what else....oh yeah, Steve Irwin is dead. Killed when a sting ray barb penetrated his heart. I hate to sound cold about it because he has a family and all, but if you are going to play with fire.... I must give the guy credit though. His crazy dream was to play with large dangerous animals on a daily basis. He followed that whacked out dream for many years and made a name for himself at the same time. And, I have been told, he used that fame to help fight for the preservation of wildlife and their natural habitats, which is very admirable and something I really respect.
Running out of time now, so I'll have to save the details of my wager with Michael until tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
One Year
(Click on photos to enlarge)
Today I sit in the same chair as I did a year ago, at the same desk as a year ago, looking at many of the same images on the same computer screen as I did a year ago. So much is the same. So much is different.
I started this blog a month or so before Katrina to just basically complain about missing Vegas, and how I had no trips planned to Sin City in the near future. My yearly pilgrimage was being replaced by a cruise instead. I was excited for the cruise, which left from New Orleans, because 90% of my time on the ship was going to be dedicated to poker....but I still longed for the desert.
When Katrina crashed ashore a lot of things changed. The first way it affected me personally was my cruise being moved to Galveston. Later on Rita blew into town there and completely cancelled my cruise, which let me reschedule my vacation and play in the 05 Winter Classic in Vegas.
The biggest change for me though was a couple months later when I traveled down to Long Beach, MS (between Gulfport and Bay St Louis/Waveland) which was one of the areas hardest hit by the storm. My week of volunteer work down there is something that will stay with me forever. It was a very moving experience, but at the same time it's something I've found difficult to discuss unless I'm talking to someone else who was on our trip, or at least one similar to it.
Having seen a lot of coverage from the affected areas in the weeks leading up to my trip, I had some expectation of what we'd see down there, but for the most part I tried to keep my mind open because I truly did not know what to expect. The reality of it all set in about 100 miles from the coast when we began to see wind and tornado damage here and there as we drove down. If some areas this far inland were messed up, what was it going to look like when we got to the coast?
We had our answer soon enough. We rolled through mile after mile of wind and flood damage on our way into Long Beach. By the time we got to the church to unload and turn their storage area into our sleeping area, we had seen tons of damage. No one from our group got a usable photo of it, but the gas station on the corner down the road from the church had the overhead awning/roof for the pumps still sitting on one of the pumps....and people were using it.
After we converted our storage/sleeping area at Grace Lutheran, we took a ride to register for our work permits and passes to travel south of the tracks. This ended up taking less time to do than it took me to type up this paragraph, and we went right from the temporary police/fire office to Pastor Barb's house south of the tracks.
Long Beach has railroad tracks that travel east and west through the city about 1/2 mile north of the beach. South of these tracks is where the worst damage and contamination occurred and the national guard put up razor wire along the north side of the tracks to keep out anyone who didn't live or work in that area. The only way to get south of the tracks was through one of the National Guard checkpoints located at certain crossings.
What we saw when we crossed those tracks was amazing. We drove past cement slabs and piles of rubble that used to be houses. Not just 10 or 20, but hundreds upon hundreds....gone. Between the tracks and the beach you have about 3 blocks of housing. The block closest to the beach was gone. 1/2 of the second block from the beach was gone, then from there north most of the houses, or at least frames, were still standing. This is how it went for miles along the coast. The pastor's house was two houses below this debris line on the second block and when we pulled up in front of her house, this was all we saw.
Seeing this and knowing it used to be someone's home is tough enough. Imagine seeing 360 degrees of this. And that's not the half of it. When we stepped out of the van for the first time south of the tracks the reality hit all five of my senses. I'll never be able to describe the smell, but I'll always remember it. The virtual absence of sound, outside of the occasional Humvee, helicopter, or bulldozer. The heavy, gritty moisture in the air that I felt on the uncovered parts of my body. There was also a faint taste in the air that paralleled the distinct odor of the area.
For the most part, I've found it hard to talk or write about this trip. I took plenty of notes on the car rides down and back, as well as every day we were there....but it's not really a series of stories I can just tell. It was an experience that you really had to be there to know about, to feel it. This is the most I've ever written about this trip. Maybe I'm not as good of a writer as I believe, but I just find most of this trip difficult to convey.
I really did have a point for this post when I started....but I've imploded the foundation now, so I guess I will hold on to that one for another day.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Linkage
Mo' money, mo' problems for WSOP Main Event winner Jamie Gold. Change 100 has a great post on Gold's multimillion dollar problem.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Book It
"Hey, since you guys are going to be here for a while....I am heading to Barnes and Noble. To buy a poker book."
That's all I said before I left my buddy's house after busting out of our tournament. Finished 20th out of 20. I think I was in for 25 hands, playing only three of those....each time from a blind. That's power poker.
My biggest mistake wasn't getting my money in as a 4-1 dog....turns out that giving my room mate a ride to the tourney was as he was top three in chips when I busted out.
Hopefully Wednesday's tourney at Greektown goes better....if I play. 25% is an awful lot of juice for a tourney with a bad structure.
That's all I said before I left my buddy's house after busting out of our tournament. Finished 20th out of 20. I think I was in for 25 hands, playing only three of those....each time from a blind. That's power poker.
My biggest mistake wasn't getting my money in as a 4-1 dog....turns out that giving my room mate a ride to the tourney was as he was top three in chips when I busted out.
Hopefully Wednesday's tourney at Greektown goes better....if I play. 25% is an awful lot of juice for a tourney with a bad structure.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
Tragic
From CNN.com:
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- A promising young British chess player taking part in a chess tournament in the Czech Republic has died after a mystery fall from her hotel room.
Jessie Gilbert, 19, fell Wednesday from the eighth floor of her hotel in the central city of Pardubice amid conflicting reports that she could had been sleepwalking and had suffered from depression. Her family Friday paid tribute to the "much loved" and "exceptionally talented" teenager.
In a statement, her family said: "She was a titled chess player and had been competing in the Czech Open Chess Championships.
"Fellow British players in the tournament abandoned matches as a mark of respect. She was much loved and was an exceptionally talented chess player."
Police were continuing to investigate the teenager's death amid reports that she had been taking medication for depression, the UK's Press Association said.
Gilbert had been living with her parents, Ian and Angela, and sister, Samantha, in the village of Woldingham, Surrey. But her parents had recently divorced, sold the house and moved to separate properties, PA said.
While there have been suggestions that the teenager may have been sleep-walking, organizers of the tournament believe she may have committed suicide, PA said.
John Saunders, editor of British Chess Magazine, said he had been approached independently by "a number" of chess players who had spoken of a possible problem with sleep-walking, PA reported.
But Jan Mazuch, director of the Czech Open, said he believed she had jumped from the eighth-floor room.
He told PA her 14-year-old room-mate, Amisha Parma, had first realized Miss Gilbert was missing when she woke to find her bed empty in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Police were called and found the body of the teenager in a tree below her hotel window.
Mazuch said: "She wasn't in the room so they started to look for her and they realized she had jumped from the eighth floor."
Gilbert was taking a gap year to play chess while preparing to go to Oxford to University study medicine. She had been working towards becoming a Women's International Master.
Described as one of England's leading women players by the English Chess Federation Friday, she came to prominence at the age of 12 when she won the Women's World Amateur Championship, the youngest player ever to do so, the ECF told PA.
First taking up the game at the age of eight, Gilbert had been involved in coaching younger players at the newly formed Andrew Martin Chess Academy.
After representing England in the European Individual Women's Championships in Turkey in April, she was also part of the national women's team in the chess Olympiads in Turin in May and June of this year.
The ECF said: "Her friendly personality endeared her to all ages in the chess community and she will be much missed."
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- A promising young British chess player taking part in a chess tournament in the Czech Republic has died after a mystery fall from her hotel room.
Jessie Gilbert, 19, fell Wednesday from the eighth floor of her hotel in the central city of Pardubice amid conflicting reports that she could had been sleepwalking and had suffered from depression. Her family Friday paid tribute to the "much loved" and "exceptionally talented" teenager.
In a statement, her family said: "She was a titled chess player and had been competing in the Czech Open Chess Championships.
"Fellow British players in the tournament abandoned matches as a mark of respect. She was much loved and was an exceptionally talented chess player."
Police were continuing to investigate the teenager's death amid reports that she had been taking medication for depression, the UK's Press Association said.
Gilbert had been living with her parents, Ian and Angela, and sister, Samantha, in the village of Woldingham, Surrey. But her parents had recently divorced, sold the house and moved to separate properties, PA said.
While there have been suggestions that the teenager may have been sleep-walking, organizers of the tournament believe she may have committed suicide, PA said.
John Saunders, editor of British Chess Magazine, said he had been approached independently by "a number" of chess players who had spoken of a possible problem with sleep-walking, PA reported.
But Jan Mazuch, director of the Czech Open, said he believed she had jumped from the eighth-floor room.
He told PA her 14-year-old room-mate, Amisha Parma, had first realized Miss Gilbert was missing when she woke to find her bed empty in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Police were called and found the body of the teenager in a tree below her hotel window.
Mazuch said: "She wasn't in the room so they started to look for her and they realized she had jumped from the eighth floor."
Gilbert was taking a gap year to play chess while preparing to go to Oxford to University study medicine. She had been working towards becoming a Women's International Master.
Described as one of England's leading women players by the English Chess Federation Friday, she came to prominence at the age of 12 when she won the Women's World Amateur Championship, the youngest player ever to do so, the ECF told PA.
First taking up the game at the age of eight, Gilbert had been involved in coaching younger players at the newly formed Andrew Martin Chess Academy.
After representing England in the European Individual Women's Championships in Turkey in April, she was also part of the national women's team in the chess Olympiads in Turin in May and June of this year.
The ECF said: "Her friendly personality endeared her to all ages in the chess community and she will be much missed."
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