Why the Sox didn't sign Pedro

There are a lot of things the Boston Red Sox organization did wrong after winning the 2004 World Series, and I've commented on much of it before (this years debacle shined a glaring light on their lack of pitching and offensive production from center field, production that old Friend Johnny Damon is now providing for the evil empire)... but I never had a problem with not signing Pedro... Don't get me wrong, I love Pedro. The sight of old fool Don Zimmer charging Pedro and winding up on his fat ass is one of my favorites, as is Pedro pointing at Jorge "Dumbo" Posada and letting him know, hey bitch, I am in your head. The truth, however, was even in the WS year, Pedro had become a 100 pitch, 6 or 7 inning guy. A little dude with a ton of miles, it would have been foolish to risk 4 million and 52 million on him. I told people when he was signed it will be a good deal in year 1 and 2, but after that all bets are off... turns out I overestimated Pedro, since he only got 9 wins for the Mets this year (after last year's 15) and now, completely out of nowhere with no mention, it's announced Pedro needs rotator cuff surgery, in addition to both calves being strained/weakened/whatever. Sadly, the thought of Pedro rehabbing the shoulder and returning to form is very unlikely... so congrats, Theo, you got 1 right!

I still hope the Mets do well, anhyone but the evil empire!

Just Call me Hunter

So now Rutgers, 23rd ranked team in the country, Rutgers the 4-0 Big East Football team begins their conference schedule on the road at South Fla. Some freshman phenom qb for South Fla is playing great, but Rutgers has received another stellar game from Ray Rice, they've utilized Leonard more this week (finally), Teel has been decent, and the defense has turned it up in the second half. Now with under 2 minutes remaining, after a Blocked fg by South Fla against RU, (although there was no block on the 53! yarder by Ito earlier.

By the way, the title refers to the immortal Hunter S. Thompson, fan and critic of sports, drugs, and politics. A potent brew, to be sure, but never boring either. And he remained very prolific, despite whatever he put himself through.

OMG... RU up 8 with South Fla. getting a pass interference call their way with 34 secs left... Shit, TD south Fla.. no, called off due to holding (Whew!)

Mrs. Savvy mentions she feels bad about Trixie, (our new bundle of joyous feline energy)... because Trix is tormenting our grown up cat, Pumkin. A little late, Perhaps?! (Just kidding, honey)

Shit, South Fla scored a TD, 15 secs left, they need the 2 pt conversion to tie... shitttttt... 2 pt conversion pass.... broken up!!!!! Just need to recover the onside kick now and RU goes 5-0, with a legit shot at going 8-0 before returning home for Conn and then Louisville.

Rutgers Wins! Nice, 5-0, Bring on Navy.

Feelin Beat

No pic tonight, just me, feeling really beat. I used a sick day today, and I hate using them when I am really feeling crappy. My throat is dry and my ears, nose, and glands ache. I have been beating up my body quite a bit the last couple of months, almost burning the candle at both ends, if you will, and wound up hurting my leg and having to back off the gym for a bit and then getting sick like this.

So now tonight, I tried to combat my illness with alcohol (to kill the germs), Mr. Green attempted to fumigate the virus out of my system, and then I went OTC with some Tylenol sinus (Nighttime), which will certainly kick in any second, and the last thing I want is to pass out in the recliner, in PJ pants, and old flannel shirt, sweat rolling down my balding head.

I really hate to burn another sick day tomorrow, but if I feel this lousy, well,

Hereoes Rocks! Believe the Hype

Wow! What a great f**king opener. I, of course, am a comic book geek, so I wanted to watch the show and like it, but I use my wife, beautiful and taseteful Mrs. Savvy, also loved the show. An extremely well told narrative, utilizing fun, creative tricks that really appeal to the comic book fan, but also someone who enjoys something a bit different. It does follow some of the flavor of the year style of storytelling, piggybacking off of Lost, by introducing characters and then showing there is a link between them, part of a grander scene. (Think novels like Stephen King's the stand, or It.)

Anyway, the show was great... riveting, well acted, involving, I'm hooked, and I highly recommend anyone who missed it to catch the encore tomoroow on NBC (check your local listings) or probably on the internet.

Now watching the new Aaron Sorkin show , Studio, and I have to say, Monday night is shaping up to be a solid TV night, replacing my old staple of flipping between wrestling and football. (That's probably a good thing, for a mid 30's dude).

Later, dudes

One Door Closes...

Interesting sports weekend. The Boston Red Sox are eliminated (officially) from postseason contention, but the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University win huge on Sat. and now find themselves in the top 25! Really. Rutgers, the team I watched only 2 years ago lose to I-AA New Hampshire, is now ranked 23 in the country. The first time in 30 years. The season's first major test is this Friday, against South Fla in the first conference clash of the season. Go RU!


Week 5 AP Top 25
1. Ohio State (59) 4-0 1,617
2. Auburn (2) 4-0 1,513
3. USC (2) 3-0 1,491
4. West Virginia (2) 4-0 1,404
5. Florida 4-0 1,363
6. Michigan 4-0 1,318
7. Texas 3-1 1,196
8. Louisville 4-0 1,166
9. LSU 3-1 1,114
10. Georgia 4-0 972
11. Virginia Tech 4-0 945
12. Notre Dame 3-1 879
13. Iowa 4-0 864
14. Oregon 3-0 805
15. Tennessee 3-1 658
16. Oklahoma 3-1 613
17. TCU 3-0 563
18. Clemson 3-1 529
19. Florida State 3-1 510
20. California 3-1 508
21. Nebraska 3-1 327
22. Boise State 4-0 226
23. Rutgers 4-0 117
24. Georgia Tech 3-1 77
25. Missouri 4-0 70
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Boston College 42, Miami (FL) 37, Arizona State 34, Purdue 34, Texas A&M 20, Michigan State 20, PENNST 19, Texas Tech 17, Arkansas 13, Washington 13, Wake Forest 12, Wisconsin 6, Houston 5, UCLA 5, Alabama 3.
DROPPED FROM RANKINGS
Boston College 20, Arizona State 22.
Complete Rankings

Fall

Welcome to the first full day of fall, my favorite time of the year. I would probably have to go with summer as my favorite season during my childhood, for obvious reasons. (Summer as a kid meant full days of riding bikes, playing with friends, day after seemingly endless day of fun... then summer jobs started when I was 13, but that was still okay. I worked less than I went to school, and had extra spending money in my pocket. It was only upon entering the "real world", when working full time means an ever repeating cycle of work (one reason I envy teachers is the opportunity they have to start anew each fall, after stepping away from students for a few months. Imagine if other jobs had something built in for that? You could step away in June from your job, maybe do something else for a few months, and then return, refreshed?)





Now I enjoy the cooler temps, playoff baseball (alas, not for the Sox this year), football, and hell, my wifes birthday coincides with the first day of fall, it doesn't get much better than that)

So now Rutgers goes for it's 4th straight win (against div. I-AA Howard) followed by a game on the road next week against South Fla. I've been burned by RU before, but this years team somehow seems different, and it is very conceivable they will head into the bye week 5-0, with games against Navy & Pittsburgh on the road followed by a home game with Connecticut. It is conceivable Rutgers will be 8-0 going into a showdown at home with Louisville, and even if they lost to Louisville and West Va, I can imagine a 10-2 record (really 9-2, since 1-AA teams don't count in the W-L). That should get a pretty solid bowl, and maybe even a major road trip, if the troops can be rallied. What say you, Salamander, Woodman, Nickster, Barce, and TryDawg?

Man this show if great. Mrs. Beast and I are on a mission - watch 21 more episodes before the new ones begin on Oct. 6. Thats 7 discs in 13 days, very doable. We knocked out 3 episodes last night and the only think holding us back now is the arrival of more episodes from NetFlix.

Big plans tonight with the crew, dinner out to celebrate mrs. beasts b-day.

Sav

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my super-cool wife, who (?) years ago was born, on this day: 8 1/2 years ago we began dating, and never looked back. We've lived together for 7 years and been married for over 2 and I wouldn't look back for a second... yeah, Wife!

I Feel Safer Now

So police busted 2 brothers who were growing marijuana in a plot of land near Rt. 280. 182 Plants off the street. Spokesman Det. Sgt. Dennis Donovan of the New Jersey State Police's Marijuana Eradication Unit was quoted in the NJ Star Ledger. WTF! A Marijuana Eradication Unit? So in a state that had a shutdown due to budgetary problems, and state and local govt. employees (including teachers, human service workers who treat and help citizens with disabilities, the aged, and children) are taking a daily beating in the press for supposed "cadillac benefits", a state that has failed to fund it's pension plan for these workers (in blatant disregard of contractual obligations)... this same state can fund a Marijuana Eradication Unit?)

I picture a room full of burly, mustached men, men of moderate intelligence and souls full of hypocrisy who monthly sit down and watch some of the old school Anti Drug Propaganda films, like Reefer Madness.

Movie Review: Brick

Recently watched this oddly entertaining flic, a hybrid of high school movies and raw film noir. I wanted to enjoy the movie but found myself getting frustrated in the early parts of the film. It seemed so far fetched to see these high school age kids inhabiting the roles of hard boiled characters in a 40's pulp novel. After a few more minutes I realized I was preventing myself from enjoying. The rules of noir were played fairly, no one could be trusted, the hero takes a beating the equivalent of Ralph Meeker's in Kiss me Deadly

By the end I found myself more confused than ever , but this is traditioinal for a good film noir. The reality is I was entertained thoroughly and found some younger stars I look forward to seeing, including one actress who will be on the upcoming NBC Series Heroes. I think it starts next Monday at 9 PM.

Here we go again

The International Atomic Energy Association angrily disputed at least 5 major points in a recent bush administration support regarding nuclear capabilities of Iran... I have long felt the Bush regime was looking for 2 more events, and I thought this would happen prior to the 2004 elections, thankfully I was wrong, but maybe just on the timetable. My fear has been another attack on american soil and a subsequent invasion of Iran. - Which, of course, makes sense, given the overwhelming success of Afghanistan and Iraq

DVD Review-Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season II)

I never got caught up in the Buffy series while it was originally on, but always had a bit of an interest in the show. The beauty of DVD is the opportunity that series box sets provides to catch up on shows like this; quality long running narratives that allow the characters to develop and grow while providing a fun backdrop of vampires, werewolves, and ghoulish evil to constantly be preparing to battle. I recently finished season 2 and eagerly await the next in the series. The nice part of DVD is I do not have to wait until next season, and because the episodes I'm watching are almost a decade old, there isn't anyone spoiling the surprises.

I have found myself strongly won over by 2 of the supporting characters on the show, the villainous Spike and the kind and pure Willow (although something happened in the finale that leads me to believe Willow is in for some major challenges of her own over the next season.)

I am currently also catching up with Battlestar Galactica, season 1, a SCI-FI show so well done that both Mrs. Savvy and i eagerly watch it together.

Upcoming shows I would like to eventually get to: La Femme Nikita, Alias, Prison Break ... plus 6 more seasons of Buffy and entire second season of Battlestar Galactica!

Where the hell have I been?

Ok, Ok, I haven't been here in a while. My Bud Greenie has been in town again and I have reached that generalized state of mellow, man. However, this is no excuse to pass up on my responsibility to you, my loyal readers, and to myself. So here are some quick hits.

Rutgers kicks the crap out Illinois, the team that came back on RU last year to ruin the season opener, as Rutgers blew a 20 pt lead. 2 years ago, Rutgers followed up a win at Mich State in the season opener with a loss to division I-AA New Hampshire ( I remember because it was the first year that the boys annual Rutgers trip began, a trip which continues this weekend. Rutgers is now 2-0, with a real chance to finish out the month unbeaten (and 5-0 !). Still not sure if we will even make the game this year (we didn't last year but still had a blast).

MDvd movie Review: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

A few weeks ago I picked this DVD up during one of those sale blitzes at Circuit City, for $5 bucks, along with some other super cheap sale titles such as both Dazed and Confused and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I had already seen the movie in the theater and loved it but Mrs. Savvy hadn't yet watched it, so we recently settled down in the viewing chamber for a watch.

I am not a huge Jim Carrey fan, but this is one of those rare movies in which a gifted physical comedian is offered a project that utilizes those physical comedic gifts of his to great affect, providing a backdrop of existentialial angst to allow him to show the range of emotions and feelings falling in love can put people through. Combined with co-star Kate Winslet (never better than here as the flighty yet loveable "crazy chick" that all guys have been attracted to at least once.

The supporting cast is also excellent, with Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, and Tom Wilkinson. (Yeah, Kirsten Dunst is here too, but eh!>)

The movie is one of a dying breed in Hollywood: a challenging and entertaining film about adult love and all the wackiness that entails, providing the viewers with a fun look into a mirror of our collective fears and joys when it comes to love and falling in and out of it.

Movie Review: Little Miss Sunshine

Mrs. Savvy and I took in Little Miss Sunshine at the local theater this weekend. I tend to be very tentative when it comes to seeing a movie in the theater, due to the amount of morons I have to deal with when seeing a flick with the masses. (Talking, cell phones, late arrivals, kids, crying babies, etc.) The theater was fairly crowded for a Monday afternoon (it was labor day, after all) but the audience was excellent once the movie started.

Little Miss Sunshine was a very entertaining movie. It isn't full of visual metaphors or any significant depth; rather it is a fairly simple ensemble piece about a dysfunctional, (but loving) family. The cast is dead on, with great work done by Steve Carrell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, and even the 2 children in the movie, especially daughter Olive.

I found some elements of a few other films. They darkness within the family interactions seemed to echo The Royal Tennenbaums, and the cross country trip was similar to Vacation.

Rutgers Rules!

Just to time to provide me with some new sports fan love is the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University. As a proud alum I am psyched the football team has finally entered the realm of competitiveness. I don't really care the school cut many of the smaller teams at the same time the football team grows. Quite honestly, alumni care about 2 programs at their alma mata, football and basketball. I like watching my old school on tv. Hell, I really don't give a damn about college football, except for RU.

So this year, following up on last years bowl appearance (and loss) plus a 7-4 season, the bar is raised. I want at least 8 wins and a winning bowl appearance, preferrably somewhere I could travel. I think I could roust up some interest in an RU bowl game trip with the boys, but the team has to do it's part.

So the team began with a hard fought win against North Carolina, on the road, as a 5 1/2 pt. underdog. This is exactly the kind of game RU would lose in the past. Now the next trick is to return home and take care of business against an Illinois team that pulled one out on RU last year. A win against Illinois on Sat (gametime noon) sets the table for a 4-0 start before heading on the road for 3 games against South Florida, Navy, and Pittsburgh. These are all winnable, and there are only 2 games against ranked opponents; Louisville and West Virginia. Even with losses there and the tossing out of a 1-AA game, the team could take aim at 9-2.