Sorry. . .I had to get rid of that picture

OC


How is this for some rare sports PR, courtesy of a ESPN.com front page headline:

Nebraska wrestler eyed in Minn. herpes outbreak

A wrestler from Nebraska has been identified as the possible source of a skin herpes outbreak that prompted Minnesota high school officials to impose an eight-day suspension of wrestling competitions and contact practices.

The Minnesota State High School League banned wrestling until Feb. 6 after 24 cases of herpes gladiatorum were reported by 10 teams. The virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact, and symptoms include lesions on the face, head and neck.

Yikes! Apparently they think it was a kid from either Omaha Skutt or Valentine.

I think if ESPN did some research, they would probably come to the conclusion that the kid is from Valentine--he probably got herpies from simply sitting on a tube floating down the Niobrara River.

I just got done playing poker for 9 hours. That’s right 9 fucking hours. What do I have to show for it? Nothing. I just finished 37th in today’s WSOP Circuit Event which is great because the top 36 players got paid. I sat and fought for hours lasting longer than 370 other players only to get knocked out and hear the director announce "Congratulations everyone, you are now in the money." Fuck that guy. He could have waited till I was gone. Fucking asshole.

That about sums up my feelings regarding the Cubs resent signing of Cliff Floyd. Anyone who has been around me during a baseball season knows that I root whole heartedly for this guy. He's not the best player in the world but he's got hustle and up until recently I felt he was one of the most underated player in MLB. ANd the highlights, how I love Cliff Floyd highlights. Now he'll be playing for the Cubs (in what seems like a pretty crowded outfield). I am happy because he will be playing here in Chicago just a few blocks from my house, however he is playing for the cubs and time will tell what wins over in my heart, my love of FLoyd or my hatred of the Cubs. The jealousy comes in for all you Cubs fans who get to root for this guy. Especially you Pete, I know you appreciate a good Cliff Floyd highlight just as much as I do.

In other overcrowded outfield news, the White Sox just signed Erstad to one year deal. This could be a good move, he seems to fit with the Sox brand of baseball. I can't wait to see him and Ozzie argue it out over who is the biggest red-ass.

Just in case you didn't already think Miami was pretty lame, here's the definitive proof:

TAILGATING FOR SUPER BOWL FORBIDDEN

Yep, you read that correctly. How about this quote:

People "will be warned and asked to pick up their things and leave," Fonticella said. "We're trying to make this a pleasant experience for everyone, and there will be plenty to do in the week leading up to the game."

Like wearing shiny shirts and going to $50 cover clubs? Yeah, sounds like you're making it a real pleasant experience for the typical NFL fan. I mean, I know that the typical Chicagoan LOVES really obnoxious clubs and dressing up really cheesy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/26/sports/golf/26golf.html?ref=sports

“The only time I’ve been nine under through nine has been playing Tiger Woods on PlayStation,” Snedeker said, referring to the video game where contestants pretend to be Woods. “I’ve never even sniffed being that low.”

This quote was in reference to the 27 he fired on the front nine yesterday.

The most action this blog has seen for months came on the wings of a State of the Union Address and contained things like "universal health care destroys medical advances," "let's compare General Motors to a neurosurgeon," and "risk transfer".

It's all downhill from here boys. See you at the bottom.

Why wasn't this speech given--in earnest--back in 2004 or 2005?

That said, I strongly encourage everyone to read President Bush's State of the Union Speech. Read it in its full context, without the help of rebuttals or the media's summaries. And reply in the comments what you think.

Needless to say, it is clear where everyone on this blog stands in regards to general politics. But I am curious to see what everyone HONESTLY thinks of the verbatim speech.

Holla!

Ten Reasons Spring Training Kicks Ass.

With Payton’s melt down potential extremely high in a big game and “The Throwgasm” leading the Bears, what are the possibilities of this being the worst football game ever?

This is easily one of my favorite Wilco songs ever. It is rumored to be part of the new album coming out in May (as Pete reported a couple of days ago here). I downloaded it about 1:30 AM last night, and have literally listened to it 20-30 since. It is taken from when Late Night with Conan O'Brien did their show in Chicago (how was that again, npgage?).

Download it here, my friends. Enjoy!

EDIT: In case you've never used Rapid Share, all you do when the link opens up is scroll down to the bottom of the page and select "Free." Then you have to wait 30 seconds or something, and the link to download will show up.

Apparently, MLB and DirecTV are about to announce an exclusive deal that makes MLB Extra Innings only available to DirecTV subscribers, along with a MLB TV station.

It is getting to the point where if you love sports, you have to get DirecTV--isn't it? That sucks my ass. Am I the only one who hates satellite TV?

Rappers to College Football. GA - this one's for you my friend.

From SI.com, which got it from the Detroit Free Press...

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the team might have "made a mistake" when it acquired infielder Neifi Perez from the Cubs in August, telling WDFN-AM (1130) on Thursday that Perez "played terrible" in Detroit.
-- Detroit Free Press

I guess Jimmy isn't as "Nutty for Neifi" as I am!

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/Tweedy_Reveals_Wilco_LP_Title_Release_Date#40574

With our baseball trip, March Madness, Fonner Park horse racing, the new Runzas cropping up all over town, and this, we very well could be looking at the Spring of Peterson, my friends.

...the defibrillator of this shit!

How about a ramblings post? Sound good? Great! Herrrrrre we go...

--The cruise was good times. However, I never realized how much it costs to casually sip on beers over the course of a week on a cruise ship. Holy crap.

--This Spring Training trip is going to be sick. I know that there are people out there (Goods? Sambuca? Anyone?) that have some concerns about dropping bills on this trip, but it is only for two full days--how much could you possibly spend (wait, don't answer that...)? And can you put a price on something as special as *cue the violins* time spent between friends?

--How is everyone feeling about Husker basketball? I would say that tonight should be a pretty solid gauge on how they are. Playing a less-than-solid Oklahoma team in Norman (with their starting center out, no less!) should be a more than winnable game. I would say it should be considered a pretty big disappointment if they don't pull this one out.

--Speaking of college basketball, guess who has won 11 in a row and are starting to get a true inside-outside game rolling, a the while shutting jokers down on defense? That's right! It's YOUR University of Kentucky Wildcats! Their 38 point victory at South Carolina (handing them their worst home loss since 1915) helped me become excited about college basketball for basically the first time this season. I say this because I know you all care.

--Some albums I have picked up lately that I simply cannot get enough of:

-The Hold Steady, "Boys & Girls In America"
-Gil Scott-Heron, "Pieces of a Man"
-The Stone Roses, "Second Coming"
-Darondo, "Let My People Go"
-Prince, "The Hits/The B-Sides" Discs 1&2
-Strange Fruit Project, "The Healing"
-Ohmega Watts, "The Find"

--The pictures attached are from a hot clothing and apparel site called UNDRCRWN. Fresh looking gear with a great sports/pop culture mind behind them. Good lookin out.

--24 is fucking awesome. How I slept on this show for 5 seasons is beyond me...can someone hand me a late pass?

--The Office this week might have been my favorite one ever, except for perhaps the one that Dwight accepts his Salesman of the Year award. When Jim slaps Dwight walking into that sales call...wow. Tear-inducing comedy, my friends.

--Just in case you didn't know, the Chicago Bears will be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.

--Mark Prior had the nerve to go to arbitration and actually ASK FOR A RAISE from last year! Dude made $3.6M with a one-win, 7 ERA season and asked for $3.8. Prior and the Cubs are only about $400K away from each other, but it will be interesting if this will be resolved, because the Cubs just don't seem all that interested with putting up with his shit again this year. And I'm not either. I still stand by my statement that, when healthy, he is easily one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball. But he is a baby, and I, for one am officially sick of it.

--Carlos Zambrano asked for a raise, too. Considering he is, in fact, one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball, it is warranted. I am scrrred of what his new contract is going to look like next season (or, hopefully, right before Spring Training is over). I've got a feeling that Big Z is going to be the highest-paid pitcher in baseball. We're talking a 8-year, $150M contract range. But if Zito gets what he got, Z certainly deserves more.

--One last item on the cruise...the one and only Fox game that was not shown on the ship was--you guessed it--the Nebraska game. I still have barely even seen highlights. All I know is you are pretty damned committed to your team when you and your brother-in-law sit in a bar, drinking Batman and Superman squeeze bottles with eight ounces of rum that was smuggled onto the ship in a Listerine bottle watching ESPN solely for the purpose of watching the ticker for the entire duration of the game. The one cool thing that happened during all of this is some really old dude sat down next to us and we started chatting. Turns out the guy was drafted by and played for the Cubs, and was eventually traded to the Dodgers and played with Jackie Robinson. He also played craps at a $125 a bet rate. Good dude.

Apparently GA Hill is lost at sea, because the last post from our fearless blog leader was in 2006. He may have left a comment here or there, but that's neither here nor there. GA, you are missed, this blog is flatlining./\/\/\/-.-.-._______________________________________________________________________GOODNIGHT NOW!!!

...GA, MIB and myself, officially, are booked for the Phoenix trip. If you are coming from somewhere near the Metro area, we are leaving on a Delta Flight Friday, March 9, and returning Monday, March 12, at 3 p.m. There were still plenty of good seats available.

Apparently, I'm sitting next to MIB which will mean high comedy. There will be plenty of stories to tell back in Nebraska. The drinking is just ridiculous. If you're on the fence, you have to come. Airline tickets are inexplicably ($248) cheaper than before, and we've got a solid core group (GA, Gage, Deuce, MIB) with some rookies (Hales, OC) and plenty of good times to go around.

Relive your college years!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to break the news to my renal system.

EAGLE*SEAGULLw/ Landing on the Moon & Kite Pilot

Friday, 1/19/07
9:00PM @ The Saddle Creek Bar - 21+
TICKETS: $5 at the door

Recalling the bittersweet grandeur of Hunky Dory-era Bowie filtered through the melancholy art-pop sensibilities of bands like Blonde Redhead, Eagle*Seagull have created music that has the rock-pop ensemble from Nebraska pulling in comparisons to bands du jour such as The Arcade Fire and Interpol - without sounding much like either. Released in October 2005, Eagle*Seagull's debut is a hypnotizing exercise in gloom and elation that more than meets the high expections such prestigious comparisons have invited. Formed in late 2004 in the midwest college town of Lincoln, NE, Eagle*Seagull were an immediate buzz in the independent Nebraska music scene and began recording their long play record in early 2005 - an obsessive task that continued off and on for the next eight months. The result was an album of unique vision - an almost manic recording that is at times minimal and despondent, while at others frenetic and full of urgent, jittery, even joyful energy. Upon it's release on October 11th, 2005, Eagle*Seagull's self-titled album garnered the kind of attention that suddenly propelled bands such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and The Arcade Fire into instant successes. Hailed by many critics as one of the best albums of 2005, it quickly sold out of it's first pressing and even earned the band an unexpected mention in Rolling Stone. Following the success of their debut, Eagle*Seagull then embarked on their first comprehensive U.S. tour in February and March of 2006. With more tours planned and a steadily growing presence not only in the U.S. but in Europe as well, critics and fans alike have labeled Eagle*Seagull as a 2006 "Band to Watch".

I was almost expecting to have close to four post from Pete so far this week on how great it will be to wager against Sexy Rexy this weekend.

I also find it hard to address a grown man by his first name if it ends in a ‘y’ (i.e. Bobby, Tommy, or Timmy)

...of the central NE ice storm from two weeks ago. I must give credit to B over at exit177.blogspot.com for posting this. And, the guy who took the photos, obviously. It's pretty remarkable crap. Click below!

http://www.extremeinstability.com/06-12-31b.htm

Over the holidays the original Tempe trip dates were questioned, it turns out that the proposed dates also includes the opening weekend of March Madness and St Patrick’s Day. So there was a proposition to move the original dates from March 14-18 to March 9-13. Any takers?

These aren't in any particular order (Except alphabetical by band name). Just 26 gems from 2006.

Band of Horses- The Great Salt Lake
Ben Kweller- Sundress
Brett Dennen- Ain't No Reason
Brothers and Sisters- Going South
Calexico- Lucky Dime (Alternate Version from 7" Single)
Calexico- Cruel (Live on the Current (9/28/06))
Cat Power- Remember Me (Otis Redding cover)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Love Song No. 7 (Technically won't be released until 2007 but leaked in 2006)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Underwater (You and Me) (Technically won't be released until 2007 but leaked in 2006)
The Coup- My Favorite Mutiny
Danielson- Did I Step On Your Trumpet
Diplo- Vans Til Infinity
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint- Tears, Tears And More Tears
Elvis Perkins- While You Were Sleeping
The Fiery Furnaces- I'm In No Mood
Islands- Where There's a Will There's a Whalebone
K-Os- Sunday Morning
Lady Sovereign- Love Me (Remix)
Langhorne Slim- Restless
Loer Velocity- Song I Sing
M. Ward- To Go Home
Minus 5- With A Gun (Featuring Wilco)
Oh No! Oh My!- Walk in the Park
Peter Bjorn & John- Object of My Affection
Pink Nasty- What the Fuck
Regina Spektor- Fidelity


Best of 2006 Zipped File

Type in the letter code and wait 45 seconds to download.

Am i dreaming? Probably, but i am telling you boys right now, Nebrasketball has a legit chance to make the NCAA tourney this year. Done laughing yet? Here's why:
-Big XII is down this year...worse than last year.
-We played a good enough non-conference schedule
-current rpi around 50, will be in the 40's with a win against a good Western Kentucky team on sat. which would make us 11-3 in non-conference
-10 conference wins is possible, consider this:
sweep CU (they are terrible) (2)
Okie St, UT, KU, and A&M are all at home (lucky schedule)(1-2)
Mizzou, ISU, KSU are the other home games (2-3)
we will lose @KU
Road games @ KSU, TTech, and OU (1)
Road games @ ISU, MIzzou, and Baylor (1-2)
with those calculations that puts us w/ 7-10 conference wins and 18-21 total wins going into the Big XII tourney.

I'm telling you right now that if this team gets 21 total wins they will be Dancing, 19-20 wins and we are bubble watching.

Thank you Doc Sadler, optimism is a wonderful thing

1. Between Coldplay and the running back for Boise State, now every girl will have not only an unrealistic expectation of what it is like to date me, but also unrealistic dreams of an incredibly cool proposal. Why can't all guys just start sweating like GA.

But seriously, what kind of puss chooses to propose in that moment. Shouldn't he have just been jumping up and down with his teammates.

2. The Good Life show before Christmas was really sweet. I would like to reiterate that I am very excited for their new music. It was also good to see O.C. back on the Jack.

3. I saw future Notorious at Dave and Busters a few weeks back. This 40 year old guy was playing Derby Owner's Club and had a notebook full of information on all his horses. When his approximately 10 year old son came up to talk to him, he taunted him for leaving his horse cards at home and would not let his son borrow any of his.

4. I really, really hate Peyton Manning at this point in time. It's mainly based on announcers not being able to do anything other than fellate him during broadcasts. If I get a chance this weekend, I would like to keep a running tally/diary of all the complementary things that are said about him during the game. Seriously, give me a break.

5. I was in Vegas the day of the volleyball national championship and none of the casinos would take a bet on it. So is it really a sport? I still say yes, but I was pissed because I wanted to irrationally bet on them and it even would've paid off.

Some good things I'm looking forward to in 2007:

The Good Life (fall)
Bright Eyes (April)
Paulo Nutini (soon)
White Stripes (possibly)
Neva Dinova (fall)

Ok, so I have to wait a while for these.

This probably qualifies for a comment, but I couldn't hide this gem down there. If you've not listened to TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain, you're doing yourself an enormous disservice. It's a bit spacey, sure. But those sons a bitches from Brooklyn cannot find their way out of my cd player. And just because it offers sounds from some other atmosphere, you better not classify it as bedtime music. Because if you do, Wolf Like Me will come out and take a big honkin' bite out of your ass. And you'll be thankful it did.

My turn for a list. In an effort to help me stop trying to figure out how a football team doesn't have anyone that can kick a 47 yard field goal, and how going for it on 4th and 11 is better than trying said field goal, I've decided to rank my 2006 cd's. The albums below were found by sorting my iTunes on year, so if some of these aren't actually 2006 cd's, it's iTunes not me. (See comments. update on 1/3)

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Cat Power - The Greatest
Neko Case - Fox Confessors Bring the Flood
Cursive - Happy Hollow

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
Beck - The Information
Tom Yorke - The Eraser
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun

The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
Bob Dylan - Modern Times
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Black Keys - Magic Potion
Razorlight - Self-titled

Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
Prince - 3121
The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
Rhett Miller - The Believer
The Roots - Game Theory
The Decemberists - Crane Wife

The Subways - Young for Eternity
Tom Petty - Highway Companion

Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
Ben Kweller - Self-titled

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
The Format - Dog Problems
Jack Johnson - Curious George Soundtrack
Keane - Under the Iron Sea
The Killer's - Sam's Town

Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off

What a way to welcome in 2007. I'm lying in bed with a raging hangover getting ready to watch football and what surprise greets me? That's right, Pat Summerall is announcing the Cotton Bowl!!!!!! And apparently I'm not the only person thrilled about this as I just got a text message from Pete. Go Huskers and I'm going to enjoy the shit out of the next few hours.

And to make 2007 have the best start ever I may go see the Hold Steady tonight.