Stat of the Night; Trending on Thursday

Stat of the Night
Thanks to a friend who shall remain nameless (and because he doesn't read this blog), this is a stat you'd never expect to see in a 21-8 thrashing - a save.

In a game that featured 29 runs (21 by the Mariners), 33 hits (20 by the Mariners), two 8-run innings (both by the Mariners), 10 strikeouts (only 2 by Mariners pitching), there was only one save - courtesy of Hisashi Iwakuma.  He entered in the seventh inning with the score 17-5.  He worked labored through three innings, allowing five hits and three runs and walking a batter.  But he got the save.

God I love baseball.

Trending on Thursday

1. The Los Angeles Kings took game one of the Stanley Cup Finals in New Jersey last night, beating the Devils 2-1 on Anze Kopitar's breakaway goal in overtime.  They are now 9-0 on the road in the playoffs, pretty damn impressive for any team, let alone the #8 seed in the West. 
2. NBA Mock Drafts seem to be all the craze now that the NBA Lottery was decided last night.  I didn't watch the lottery because I simply couldn't care less.
3. It's Scripps Spelling Bee season.  It'd be funny if someone faints like the one kid a few years back.

Have a great day!

LA Kings on to Stanley Cup Finals; Trending on Wednesday

The LA Kings have proven that this year, so far, Los Angeles is a hockey town.

I'll take a break for sports for just a minute to let you know what's trending in the world today.

- Lolo Jones, American track and field star - says she's saving herself for a husband, whenever she finds him.

- Donald Driver, WR Green Bay Packers/DWTS Winner - he won DWTS and compared it to winning the Super Bowl.  Can't say that I believe that.

- The Bronx, band - Are playing on a boat in NYC tonight.  Disappointed I am not going.

- $0.99 Iced Coffee at Dunkin Donuts - only in Connecticut, for today anyway, for a medium iced coffee.

Trending on Tuesday

Super Tuesday - The four candidates are vying for 11 states.  I think.  Honestly, Romney is a robot, Newt is a womanizer, Santorum might as well enforce a law where every family should have 5 kids, and Ron Paul needs to be more relevant.

Championship Week - For many mid-major and low-major NCAA basketball teams, this week determintes the fate of their program and whether or not they'll be "dancing" during March Madness.  There are already eight who are in - Loyola (Metro Atlantic), St. Mary's (West Coast), UNC-Asheville (Big South), Davidson (Southern), VCU (Colonial), Belmont (Atlantic Sun), Creighton (Missouri Valley), and Murray State (Ohio Valley).

I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Northwestern Wildcats, who are looking for their first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Trending on (Fat) Tuesday

• Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has made a decision about his future - after this season.  Problem is, he hasn't made it known which way he is leaning ... keep playing or starting the Hall of Fame clock.
• Today is Fat Tuesday, officially marking the end of Mardi Gras down in New Orleans.  Maybe the Hornets will finally stop wearing those ugly purple, yellow, and green uniforms - although it did help them knock off the Knicks and put a pause Lin-sanity.

• Everyones favorite Manny, Manny Ramirez, has signed a minor-league contract with the Oakland A's.  He'll have to serve out his 50-game suspension of testing positive for banned substance.  Not sure what kind of impact he'll have, but it's sure to put some asses in the seats.
• Deron Williams was the first point guard to go head-to-head with Jeremy Lin a few weeks ago as the Knicks began their magical run of Lin-sanity.  The Knicks won the previous matchup but Williams was having none of that this time, pouring in 38 points in helping the Nets ruin Carmelo's return to the lineup.
• College baseball is off and running.  #1 Florida took two of three in a home series against #19 Cal State Fullerton to open the year.  #4 Stanford pounded #11 Vanderbilt into submission with a three game sweep in Palo Alto. 

New York Football Giants; Trending

They did it.  The New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI.

They were calling for Coughlin's head in December - now he can get whatever he wants.  He's got TWO keys to the city.  It's eerie how similar his path has been to Bill Parcells - both won Super Bowls in his fourth and eighth year with the Giants - just like Coughlin.

I went down to the city to watch the game with a buddy of mine - he lives there - and had a great time.  I had a few too many beverages and paid for it yesterday, but it was worth it.  Being in New York City for a game like that is electric. 

Now for what's trending throughout the Internet:

• Ohio gas prices - not quite sure why this is currently the top search on the Internet, but Ohio is finally first at something
• Nicki Minaj - I guess she's got some song called "Marilyn Monroe" that got leaked on the Internet.  Wahoo.
• Jay-Z - performed a charity concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC.  Nice job Hova.
• Amber Portwood - more like Port(ly)-wood, but the Teen Mom "star" must complete rehab or face five years in the slammer.  Who cares?
• Prop 8 - California's ban on same-sex marriages has been deemed unconstitutional.  Good!
• Maria Menounos - upheld her bet that the Patriots would win the Super Bowl and posed in a NY Giants bikini in Times Square.  Enjoy.

• Jeremy Lin - New York Knicks guard had 28 points and 8 assists in the first start of his career.  I'm surprised people aren't throwing him a parade.  The thing no one is talking about it how he had 8 turnovers.  He almost had a triple-double.
• Knowshon Moreno - Denver running back who was seen falling off a stationary bike on the sidelines during a game this year, was charged with a DUI.  His license plate - 'SAUCED'.

Have a good Tuesday.

Tuesday Trends

• Reba McEntire is  NOT dead, contrary to many rumors swirling around earlier today.
• damnyouautocorrect.com is a pretty comical website.  Everyone knows about the quto-correct feature on cell phones, and with the iPhone, you can capture screen shots and upload them.  Hence this website.
• Super Bowl ads are going for a ridiculous amount of money - upwards of $3.5 million.  They better be worth it.
• Super Bowl XLVI media day was today and both the Giants and Patriots seemed very loose.  Wes Welker wore a patriot hat, as seen in their old logo.
• Blake Griffin, the freakish basketball player on the Clippers, did not fake the funk on this nasty dunk against the Thunder last night.
• Peyton Manning talk is still running rampant at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, as was expected.  I am really getting tired of hearing it, it's taking away from the fact that the only think Indy is doing is hosting the big game.
• A woman in Iowa gave birth to a 14-pound baby without a C-section.  No comment.

Time for some lunch.

Trending on Tuesday Morning

We'll go with a numbers version of Tuesday Trends today.

• 56 - # of point the Orlando Magic scored against the Celtics last night, marking their lowest point total in franchise history.
• 1 - Undefeated team left in the country - Murray State.  Who?  Paducah, KY school with 10,000+ enrollment.  Not always a good thing being the last undefeated come March Madness.
• 40 - I spoke to my biddy Phil Martelli Jr., a coach for the Delaware basketball program, who handed Towson their 40th straight loss.  He told his guys not to underestimate anyone and luckily for the Blue Hens, they heeded his warning.
• 3 - Teams in the AP poll top 6 from the Big 12 - Missouri (#2), Kansas (#5), Baylor (#6)
• $500,000 - Amount rapper 50 Cent won by betting the Giants this weekend against the 49ers.  Not bad for a guy already worth $100 million.

On that note, I am going to spend some time with Nolan, who pays me $0 yearly.  It's worth it though, the little guy is growing and it's a pretty cool thing to see.  At least one time each day I look at him and think to myself "is this kid really mine?" and then he either burps or farts.

Have a great Tuesday.

Tuesday Trends

Here's a quick hits version of what's trending and what I think should be trending:

1. Napoleon Dynamite - Is it me or is this cartoon years late?  The movie was pretty funny but a cartoon in primetime - no thanks.
2. Ink Master - A new tattoo show showcasing ten of the best tattoo artists in the country (I think it's only America).  Long Island's own Tommy Helm is on the show and although I haven't gotten tattoed by him (and because of this show, probably never will), it'll be cool to watch.  He has tattooed a few of my friends.  Ante up!
3. Jay-Z has made a vow to stop using the word "bitch" in his rap game.  I'm sure he can put out ridiculous tracks without the word anyway.
4. In birthday news, the immortal Betty White is 90 today.  90% to a century and still making people laugh.  Oh, and she's spent 70 years on the screen.
5. Colts fired head coach Jim Caldwell.  Not having Peyton Manning had nothing to do with this - well, maybe a little.  The Colts defense has allowed more PPG every year for the past three seasons.

Gotta get going, whipping together a vegetable curry and brown rice dish for dinner.  Oh yeah, trying to eat a little more healthy.

Trending Tuesday

This is what's trending to me, not necessarily the rest of the world.

1. Coachella - the annual music festival to end all festivals, held in Indio, California, has announced the 2012 lineup.  For the first time, it will span two weekends - April 13-15 and April 20-22.  The headliners:  Radiohead, The Black Keys, and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.  Passes for the weekend are $285.  At The Drive-In and Refused are staging reunions as well, which is sure to sell some tickets.
2. NBA Jam - the Sega Genesis classic is available on iTunes for $0.99 - yes, that's not a typo.  I bought it and thoroughly enjoy playing it, even though I chose the Memphis Grizzlies as my team.  Only issue I have is that the rosters are not updated to reflect the current NBA season, but I hope that issue might be resolved in an update.  O.J. Mayo is my guy and I tend to partner him with Rudy Gay.
3. Astronomy - I have been avidly using my telescope at night, trying to get some glimpses of outer space.  The moon is easy to find.  The stars are easy to find as well, there are a million of them.  Trying to figure out which ones are which is difficult, but it's fun.  Jupiter, the "gas giant" still eludes me, however, but I am going to keep trying.  I've joined astronomyforum.net in hopes of getting some insight into what I need to do and to keep up with what's happening up in outer space.
4. Nolan - he woke up.  I'm signing off.

Trending on Thursday; Beers-day

It's that time again, time for trends on this Thursday - sorry for the unanticipated alliteration.

• The Girl Scouts of America have introduced a new cookie - Savannah Smiles - a powdery lemon-wedge cookie.  Don't misconstrue this name for a dancer at the local establishment with no windows.  They're bite-sized, so they could be dangerous, a la the Thin Mints.
• "Human Barbie", Sarah Burge, recently gave her 7-year-old daughter a voucher for $11,000 - for cosmetic surgeries!  This lady should be slapped three times by her daughter.  To insist that your daughter asks for "plastic surgery all the time" directly correlates to your problem.  Barbie is a plastic doll.  I guess everyone is just looking for their 15 seconds of fame.
• Baby killer Casey Anthony recently figured out how "exciting" it is to have a computer, so she can Skype.  This bitch is utterly despicable.  A YouTube video has emerged.  I personally can't watch the entire thing because she makes me sick, as does the judicial system that let her walk.
• West Virginia proved to be an unstoppable force last night against a Clemson team that felt like people would be talking about it's defense - or lack thereof - after last nights Orange Bowl.  The Mountaineers pounded the Tigers, 70-33, setting a record for the most points scored in a bowl game - EVER!
• Duke lost to Temple.  I am bitter, so that is all I am going to say.  They need to figure it out with the ACC starting play.

Beers-day - I have not started drinking this early, I just wanted to try something out.  A beers-day blurb on my beverage of choice last night.  The Southampton Publick House Double White.  A lot of action going on with the spices in this one, namely citrus-y ones, but it was a good beer to have one of, which is exactly what I did, while enjoying a homemade pizza with Lindsay.  Although the microbrewery recommends pairing it with suchi, cheeses, seafood, or summer salads, it satisfied in the dead of winter.

Southampton Publick House Double White Ale

Have a great Thursday!

Really?!? This is a BAD Trend!

I am just remembering seeing at least three adults wearing winter hats designed as animals.  For me, this is absolutely ludicrous.  As far as I'm concerned, if you're over the age of 25-30, wear a winter hat that is suitable for such an age.



Although they look cute on children and infants, I really don't see the reasoning behind grown ass people wearing such hats.  Maybe I'm the only one who sees a problem with this, but how the hell do you expect people to take you seriously while you're wearing a tiger hat on your head?

What's Trending?: Too Fat to Give Birth?; Savannah Brinson; NFL Playoffs

Happy 2012 to all my followers!  Lindsay went back to work today so it's just me and the boys again during the day - it sure was nice having all of us together every day but in order for that to happen, we're going to have to hit lotto or something.  She's a great wife and mother and Nolan, Nathan, and I are ucky to have her.

Moving on to what's trending on the first Tuesday of 2012 - affectionately known as Taco Tuesday (as is the first Tuesday of every month):

1. Too Fat to Give Birth? - According to The Guinness Book of World Records, the heaviest woman to ever give birth, Donna Simpson, has split from her fiance of five years and moved back to Ohio with her children.  I think this happened a while ago so I am not sure why she's trending, but she is.  Weird.

2. Savannah Brinson, aka Mrs. LeBron James - Yes, that's right.  The King separated himself from his bro-mance with the rest of the Big Three in Miami long enough to propose to his longtime girlfriend.  But fear not, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union were there as were Lance Bass and Jamie Lynn Sigler.  What a romantic group to propose in front of.  Hopefully this won't go like the NBA Finals, where he forgot to show up in the final minutes.

3. NFL Playoffs - My Raiders had a golden opportunity to win the AFC West but couldn't handle the pressure - at home - getting pumped by a Chargers team with nothing to play for.  The Jets and their blowhard coach Rex Ryan are going to be watching from the couch as well.

NFC - The Giants blew out the Cowboys in a win-or-go-home scenario at MetLife Stadium Sunday night and will host the Falcons, a wild-card team with a lot of weapons.  The Packers clinched a spot in Week 3 and a bye in the first round after finishing 15-1 and the Niners proved they belong, finishing 13-3 and clinching a bye and the #2 seed in the NFC.  Drew Brees and his record-setting season helped lead the Saints to the #3 seed and a matchup with the defenseless Detroit Lions.

AFC - The Patriots proved once again they are the class of the AFC and ran away with the East, the #1 seed, and a bye in the first round.  Their defense is still in question, but their offense can score at will.  The Ravens secured the #2 seed and a bye after clinching the AFC North with a 12-4 record, including 2 wins over the Steelers, who will head to Denver to take on "QB" Tim Tebow and the spiraling Broncos, who backed in out of the AFC West.  The Bengals will play to AFC South champion Texans who are riding a three-game losing streak heading into the playoffs.

Some interesting possible second round matchups: 
- Steelers/Patriots II - The Pats were beaten 25-17 in Pittsburgh in Week 8.
- Texans/Ravens II - The Ravens dominated the Week 6 matchup, winning 29-14 in Baltimore.
- Giants/Packers II - The Packers survived a scare in The Swamps of NJ, 38-35 in Week 12.

Stay tuned, it should be pretty exciting.  Especially knowing we don't have to hear either of the Ryan brothers talking about how good their teams are.