In honor of the best day of the year, Opening Day, I am going to do Top 5 All-Time Baseball Parks. It should probably be called Top 5 All-Time Baseball Parks That I've Been To, because I can obviously only list ballparks that I've been to, but that just sounds to long winded and loses any punch the shorter version may have. Since I've been to more ballparks that don't exist anymore then parks still played in I had to go all-time parks. I'm figuring in look of the park, atmosphere, the crowds that attend, history, food, tradition, any form of entertainment other then the game itself and my personal bias against the team that plays there. Faltering at any of these categories hurt your chances to make the list. For example, Camden Yard does not make the list even though it is a beautiful park with a great atmosphere because they have (or at least when I went) the horrendous tradition of playing "Cotton-Eyed Joe" instead of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" during the 7th inning stretch. Another example is the fact neither Yankee Stadium made the list because the food cost something like $10 for a hotdog, both places are/were filled with Yankee fans and I hate everything Yankee...
5. Nationals Park
As bad as the team that plays there may be, Nationals Park is a pleasant place to watch a game. Part of it may be how easy it is to get good tickets, but outside of that, its a good looking park set in downtown DC. The food is good, the fans that show up are obviously devoted baseball fans, but what really puts this park on the list is the between innings entertainment. In most cases I'm not a fan of this stuff. Anything that takes away from the game just isn't needed in my mind. But I love the Presidents Race. It' fun and, damn it, one of these days Teddy is going to win fair and square.
4. Angel Stadium
I think I've been to more games at Angel Stadium then any other park except Chavez Ravine. There isn't a bad seat in the place. The food is priced pretty normal for ballpark food (which is higher then it should be but nowhere near Yankee Stadium prices) and there is a great selection of stuff ranging from normal park fare to Carl's Jr to Panda Express. But what really puts Angel Stadium over the top is the Rally Monkey. I know he gets a lot of shit from "baseball purists" but I love it. The movie clips they use with the monkey are hilarious. The one thing that keeps Angel Stadium from being higher is the fans. Typical Los Angeles sport fans, they show up in the third inning, leave in the 8th and that's only if the Angles are a top the standings.
3. Old Busch Stadium
I went to Old Busch after they put real grass in, so if I had gone a couple years earlier it probably wouldn't be as high on this list. Busch had a lot of haters but I loved it. It was one of the cookie cutter parks (Busch, Three Rivers, Riverfront, Fulton County, Veterans were basically all the same park built in different cities) but it found a way to avoid the stale atmosphere present at all the others. Part of it was the grass. Part was it's location downtown. If you looked one way you saw the St. Louis skyline shooting out over the park, if you looked in the other you saw the Arch. Of course the other thing Busch had going for it was one of the best fan bases in the sport. Cardinal fans go to games to watch baseball, not sit at a bar behind homeplate, not talk on their phones. The fans have a deep respect for the game and its traditions and you feel that as you sit there watching a game.
2. Pac Bell or SBC or AT&T or whatever the hell the Giants are calling their park this year
Just because they can't stick with a name doesn't change the fact it's one of the best places to watch a game. Great location, beautiful views, beautiful park. The fans aren't obnoxious. The food is amazing, especially the garlic fries!! It gets a lot of hype and all of it is deserved.
1. Fenway Park
I know, I know, this pick is extremely biased. But in all honesty, I'm not sure I would be as big a Red Sox fan if it wasn't for this place and not the other way around. I get goose bumps every time I walk up the run way and catch that first glimpse of the Green Monster and the perfectly manicured field. I admit, the seats aren't always the most comfortable to sit in, but the history that pours out of every inch of the place makes up for it. All these new parks that are popping up were all modeled after Fenway, but as beautiful as some of them are, none can capture its quirkiness and mystic. I get to sit in the same seat as someone who saw Cy Young or Babe Ruth or Ted Williams or Carl Yastrzemski or Roger Clemens or David Ortiz play this game and that in itself is special. As unpleasant as it may sometimes be for fans of away teams to visit, the fans are knowledgeable and are there to watch baseball. There's no need for gimmick entertainment between innings, being at the park is entertainment enough. Fenway is THE shrine to the game of baseball.
Parks I Haven't Been To That May Make The List In The Future: Wrigley Field, PNC Park, PETCO Park, SAFECO
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
My Soap Box: VCU
When the NCAA basketball tournament selections came out this year every “expert” seemed to be in an uproar. Every year there seems to be some team that people think doesn’t deserve the chance to play for the national championship or some team that was unfairly denied the chance, but this year the ire over these snubs and selections was hotter then normal. Maybe it was because the tournament field was expanded this year and this gave those “experts” the feeling that their favorite bubble team would be rewarded when in past years they wouldn’t have. Maybe the selection committee was more egregious in their selections then normal. Whatever the reason, ESPN spent the first half hour of their selection special complaining and ranting and fuming over the fact UAB and VCU were put in the tournament. These two teams didn’t earn a trip to the tournament, they argued. They didn’t beat any of the top teams and their records were far from impressive. They didn’t do any of the things we have come to expect from tournament worth teams, things that teams like Colorado and Virginia Tech had accomplished. You would have thought putting UAB and VCU in the NCAA tournament was the most appalling atrocity in the history of basketball.
Three weeks later, VCU is in the Final Four and one win away from playing for the National Championship. Obviously, the “experts” were wrong. Or were they? It’s easy to say that just because a derided team starts to win that they didn’t deserve the derision, but to argue that is missing the point. The “experts” weren’t arguing that VCU couldn’t win a game or two; they were arguing that they didn’t deserve the chance.
Sports, as we know them today, do a poor job of crowning champions. Remember, sports are big business and they care very little about who is champ as long as a ton of money is being made. There is nothing fair or decisive about how they figure out who the “best” team is. In this day and age, as the football axiom goes, any team can win on any given Sunday. Any team can get hot and win four or six or eleven or twelve games. In sports like football and college basketball, you only have to beat a team once to move on. If VCU plays Kansas ten times, I’m sure Kansas wins at least seven of those games. In the old days of baseball, the champ was the team with the best record after playing 150 or so games. That’s it. Best record after the last game of the season is the best team. Then a new league popped up and they decided they would hold a series to determine who the real “world” champ was and everyone realized that there was a ton of money to be made in these series. Ever since sports have been adding more and more playoffs teams and rounds in an attempt to make the most money possible and in the process have changed and deluded what it means to be champ. It is no longer the best team that wins each year, but the team that is hottest, the team that finds the biggest momentum, the team with the most inspiration to over come their foe in one game or a short series.
Since the regular season no longer determines who the best team is, for it to have any meaning at all it has to determine who is worthy to play for the championship. And this is where VCU and the anger about their selection figures in. In pro sports it’s clear cut who makes the playoffs, best so many records in a division or conference, but with so many college teams and such a difference in conference talent levels it isn’t so easy. Certain conference champs are in the tournament automatically and the rest of the field is selected by a committee. Essentially, what the “experts” were arguing wasn’t that VCU was never going to win a tournament game but that they didn’t deserve the chance in the first place. It would be like someone saying the Pittsburg Pirates got to play in the playoffs even though they finished 10 games behind every other team in baseball.
Granted, I doubt anybody actually thought VCU would make it this far. Of all the brackets filled out on ESPN.com, only two had them in the Final Four and I find it hard to believe that those two people actually thought it would happen. We all fill out a fun bracket when it’s free. And I don’t want to take anything away from what VCU has accomplished. They beat quality teams so far and by large margins at that. But the Pirates could run off three or seven wins in five or twelve games if given the chance as well. VCU’s Cinderella run doesn’t change the fact that they shouldn’t have been in the tournament in the first place, it just means they found the inspiration to play really well, or they were given the best possible match-ups for their success. You should have to pay your dues before being crowned champion and according to the “experts” VCU didn’t.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Top 5: Killer Bunny Cards
Today's Top 5 is really only going to be interesting or enjoyable for two or three people. I realize I don't exactly have a huge audience to begin with and that alienating those very few people who are kind enough to spend precious moments reading my thoughts and opinions isn't the wisest thing to do, but this list was just too fun for me to pass up. Today I will be listing the Top 5 Killer Bunnies Cards. For those of you unfamiliar, Killer Bunnies is a card game played with a rather large deck of special cards (or to be more specific a collection of 11 decks of cards). It's totally random, very violent, somewhat complicated, surprisingly simple, endlessly madding, and extremely addicting. I would try to explain how it's played, but really I would just confuse you. All I can hope is that reading this list may intrigue you enough to pick up the starter deck and begin playing yourselves. In honor of the spirit of the game, there is no criteria for what a good card entails, merely my own whims and odd sense of humor...
5. Happy Scrappy Hero Pup
May be used once to immediately fetch (return) any Carrot that was taken or stolen from any player (even if such a Carrot was given away willingly). This card may also be used to chase away (eliminate) ‘Black Cat’ or ‘Zodiac Terminator.’ This card may be used at any time.
Probably the best example of those whims and sense of humor. Just the fact that it's a somewhat Clerks reference is enough for me to love it. Of course, it also helps me retain my favorite card, so it has that going for it as well
4. The Conch
May be used once by a player to silence all opponents for two rounds of play. Only the player holding ‘The Conch’ may speak (and therefore make deals or exchanges of any kind). ‘The Conch’ effectively stops all trades of both supplies and down cards for two full rounds of play unless initiated by the player holding the
card. A player who speaks must return a Carrot, or discard a Zodiac or Mysterious Place card for each word spoken. Players without objects will forfeit turns of play.
It sounds easy, but it's not. Killer Bunnies is all about the table talk (at least the way we play it) and not talking for two rounds either sucks or is amazingly funny depending on which end of things you end up on.
3. Time Worf
May be used once to force all players to move their Top Run card to the next player clockwise and their Bottom Run card to the next player counter-clockwise. If the player decides to use ‘Time Worf’ immediately, the player must first slide the Bottom Run card into the Top Run card position and place a Bottom Run card before moving either card to the appropriate opponent. If a player has ‘Calcite Conundrum’ in play, the two sets of Run cards are treated as separate opponents.
The best thing about this card is the picture on it, a drawing of a bunny that looks like Worf from Star Trek The Next Generation dressed in women's underwear like Dr. Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you know the musical then you get where the cards directions come from, think about it... move card clockwise... a jump to the left...
2. Shazbot
This card may be used on any player. The player must return one Carrot to Kaballa’s Market for each curse (or naughty) word that he speaks during the game. A player may pay 10 Dolla to remove this card. A curse (or naughty) word can only be defined by the people playing the game. Each group will have to decide for itself which words are not allowed. The word Shazbot is a “safe” word, and may therefore be used freely during play as a substitute for all curse (or naughty) words. A player’s payment of 10 Dolla to remove the card must be placed in the discard pile.
Did I mention we usually drink while playing this game? Have you ever tried not to swear while playing a game that has you attacking other people's bunnies while intoxicated? It's hard. What also makes this card so fun is that we've basically all agreed to play it on only one person. She gets really pissed. It's too bad she doesn't read this blog because she'd probably be yelling at her computer screen right now.
1.Flo
No description for this one. It's just a carrot that looks like Flo from Mel's Dinner. She also can be used as a prune danish. It's no surprise to those who play with me that this is number one on the list. The quickest way to make me your enemy is take to take Flo before I get the chance. Not that she's done much for me in return. I think she's only won for me once or twice.
Honorable Mentions: Ice Nine, Abe Froman, The Church Bunny, No Supe For You, Dude Where's My Carrot, Hitchbunny's Guide, Insurance Porpoises, Those 70's Bunnies, Journey To The Center of The Circle
5. Happy Scrappy Hero Pup
May be used once to immediately fetch (return) any Carrot that was taken or stolen from any player (even if such a Carrot was given away willingly). This card may also be used to chase away (eliminate) ‘Black Cat’ or ‘Zodiac Terminator.’ This card may be used at any time.
Probably the best example of those whims and sense of humor. Just the fact that it's a somewhat Clerks reference is enough for me to love it. Of course, it also helps me retain my favorite card, so it has that going for it as well
4. The Conch
May be used once by a player to silence all opponents for two rounds of play. Only the player holding ‘The Conch’ may speak (and therefore make deals or exchanges of any kind). ‘The Conch’ effectively stops all trades of both supplies and down cards for two full rounds of play unless initiated by the player holding the
card. A player who speaks must return a Carrot, or discard a Zodiac or Mysterious Place card for each word spoken. Players without objects will forfeit turns of play.
It sounds easy, but it's not. Killer Bunnies is all about the table talk (at least the way we play it) and not talking for two rounds either sucks or is amazingly funny depending on which end of things you end up on.
3. Time Worf
May be used once to force all players to move their Top Run card to the next player clockwise and their Bottom Run card to the next player counter-clockwise. If the player decides to use ‘Time Worf’ immediately, the player must first slide the Bottom Run card into the Top Run card position and place a Bottom Run card before moving either card to the appropriate opponent. If a player has ‘Calcite Conundrum’ in play, the two sets of Run cards are treated as separate opponents.
The best thing about this card is the picture on it, a drawing of a bunny that looks like Worf from Star Trek The Next Generation dressed in women's underwear like Dr. Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you know the musical then you get where the cards directions come from, think about it... move card clockwise... a jump to the left...
2. Shazbot
This card may be used on any player. The player must return one Carrot to Kaballa’s Market for each curse (or naughty) word that he speaks during the game. A player may pay 10 Dolla to remove this card. A curse (or naughty) word can only be defined by the people playing the game. Each group will have to decide for itself which words are not allowed. The word Shazbot is a “safe” word, and may therefore be used freely during play as a substitute for all curse (or naughty) words. A player’s payment of 10 Dolla to remove the card must be placed in the discard pile.
Did I mention we usually drink while playing this game? Have you ever tried not to swear while playing a game that has you attacking other people's bunnies while intoxicated? It's hard. What also makes this card so fun is that we've basically all agreed to play it on only one person. She gets really pissed. It's too bad she doesn't read this blog because she'd probably be yelling at her computer screen right now.
1.Flo
No description for this one. It's just a carrot that looks like Flo from Mel's Dinner. She also can be used as a prune danish. It's no surprise to those who play with me that this is number one on the list. The quickest way to make me your enemy is take to take Flo before I get the chance. Not that she's done much for me in return. I think she's only won for me once or twice.
Honorable Mentions: Ice Nine, Abe Froman, The Church Bunny, No Supe For You, Dude Where's My Carrot, Hitchbunny's Guide, Insurance Porpoises, Those 70's Bunnies, Journey To The Center of The Circle
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
How I Met Your Mother: Legendaddy
I've been pretty hard on the HIMYM writers and their handling of the sappier moments the show give us. Comedy and heavy emotion don't always go hand in hand. When it's done right it can be amazing and when it's done poorly it's unwatchable, there is no middle ground. Because of that, most comedy writers tend to stay away. Keep things light and keep the laughs coming and everyone goes away happy. HIMYM, on the other hand, has never been afraid to take that chance, and I'm starting to feel like it's paying off. After many hit and miss sappy moments it looks like the show has found a groove dealing with the weightier issues the show presents while keeping it fall off the couch funny. "Legendaddy" was the second strong in a row that was able to properly balance heart with humor. It certainly didn't hurt adding Emmy winner and master thespian John Lithgow to the cast. If there was ever a man who knows how to balance the two in his performance, Lithgow is at the top of the list. The interplay between Barney and his Dad as Barney tried to pull down the basketball hoop near the end of the episode was priceless. The call back to Barney's lack of knowledge on how to use tools was the perfect situation to demonstrate what Barney missed growing up with a dad, what role his Dad was willing to play going forward and a perfect comedy moment all rolled into one. Barney banging on the backboard with the blunt end of the screwdriver was my favorite joke of the episode.
The writers were also able to put the rest of the gang to good use as well. The "gap" segments were funny, even if I find it hard to believe Robin is that dumb (she comes from Canada, I think she knows the North Pole is real), and set up the most surprising moment of the episode. Marshal's revelation that he knew the gang was treating him with kid gloves was one of those times when HIMYM nailed what it's like with a group of close knit friends. Again, a heart warming moment dealing with heavy issues that was able to be funny at the same time.
I'm interested to see where the show goes with Barney from here, which is a dramatic leap from three episodes ago when I was cringing. Hopefully the writers have it figured out. Hopefully Lithgow will return soon, if for nothing else then I think he has a lot to offer the show. Hopefully we can find out who Ted's damn wife is before the next two years go by.
The writers were also able to put the rest of the gang to good use as well. The "gap" segments were funny, even if I find it hard to believe Robin is that dumb (she comes from Canada, I think she knows the North Pole is real), and set up the most surprising moment of the episode. Marshal's revelation that he knew the gang was treating him with kid gloves was one of those times when HIMYM nailed what it's like with a group of close knit friends. Again, a heart warming moment dealing with heavy issues that was able to be funny at the same time.
I'm interested to see where the show goes with Barney from here, which is a dramatic leap from three episodes ago when I was cringing. Hopefully the writers have it figured out. Hopefully Lithgow will return soon, if for nothing else then I think he has a lot to offer the show. Hopefully we can find out who Ted's damn wife is before the next two years go by.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Top 5: SNL Weekend Update Anchors
On this wonderful St. Patty's Day I probably should be doing an Irish themed Top 5. That's what would make my mother proud. Top 5 Irish beers. Top 5 Irish Actors. Top 5 Whiskey's. Top 5 Shades of Green. But I wasn't feeling any of these, so I'm letting the St. Patty's Day themed Top 5 go this year. I did, however, read that one of my favorite comedians, Norm McDonald, is going to have a stand-up special and a new TV show next month on Comedy Central. It got me thinking of watching Norm in college on SNL, which led to this week's top 5... Top 5 SNL Weekend Update Anchors...
5. Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon
When these two popped up on the scene, Colin Quin had pretty much killed the Weekend Update segment. It had gone from the one part of the show you would stay up for to the one part of the show you couldn't stay awake through. Lorne Michaels decided to freshen it up by going back to the early two anchor format, pairing the guy who couldn't stay in character with some chic with a scar on her face. Little did we know it would be one of his best moves ever. Jimmy and Tina were gold together and breathed new life into the update. The most important thing that came out of this was Tina Fey becoming a star. Without this move there is no Mean Girls or 30 Rock.
4. Kevin Nealon
Nealon's stint on Weekend Update was probably more famous for the corespondents he had on then his performance, people like Cajun Man, Opera Man, David Spade's Hollywood Minute, but without Nealon playing the straight man so well, I not sure how well these guys would have gotten over. The fact is Nealon stood out on his own as well. Looking back on some of these old episodes, you can't help but notice Nealon's clever word play. Nealon had his own style that both separated him from the other the other SNL anchors and kept the laughs coming.
3. Chevy Chase
You can't ignore the guy who got it all started with one of the most famous catch phrases in SNL history, "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not." People seem to forget, or don't realize, that Chase was only on SNL for one season before his ego got in the way and he left. Yes, from all accounts he's an asshole, but he's a funny asshole and an asshole that made a huge mark in one short season. Along with his prat falls, the Weekend Update is where Chase put his stamp on the show. Without Chase's performance this list would have never happened.
2. Dennis Miller
To really analyze Miller's Update you have to try to remove his present day reputation from your mind. If you think of Miller as the right wing snotty blowhard that he is painted to be now, it's easy to ignore the work he did on SNL. The fact is, Miller's politics were much more left of center back then and, yes, the humor was more high brow then we are use to on SNL, but that didn't make it any less ground breaking. If you watch Miller's Update you can't help but see the seeds of John Stewart's Daily Show. Miller was skewering politicians in a smart and funny way years before Stewart even dreamed of having a show. Yes, the jokes may feel dated if you aren't familiar with the politics of the time, but what do you think is going to happen with the Stewart and Colbert stuff that is being made today?
1. Norm McDonald
There has never been a more polarizing anchor on Update. I've heard just as many people say it was the most horrendous period in Update history as say it was the most hilarious. For me there is no question. I've never laughed harder during any moment in all the years I've watched SNL then the 10 minutes each week Norm did the "fake news." Sometimes it was all those people who didn't get it that made it that much funnier. I lost it each time Norm dropped a punchline that the live crowd didn't laugh because his reaction was so great. It was like he was trying to offend them. Of course Norm's greatest accomplishment on Update was his perfect usage of the word "whore." Never has one man made one word so damn funny. And he was never shy about using it. At times he leaned on the word for a laugh like a 80 year old with a hip replacement leans on a cane to get from place to place. And I laughed the whole time.
Honorable Mentions: Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd, Seth Myers and Amy Pohler
5. Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon
When these two popped up on the scene, Colin Quin had pretty much killed the Weekend Update segment. It had gone from the one part of the show you would stay up for to the one part of the show you couldn't stay awake through. Lorne Michaels decided to freshen it up by going back to the early two anchor format, pairing the guy who couldn't stay in character with some chic with a scar on her face. Little did we know it would be one of his best moves ever. Jimmy and Tina were gold together and breathed new life into the update. The most important thing that came out of this was Tina Fey becoming a star. Without this move there is no Mean Girls or 30 Rock.
4. Kevin Nealon
Nealon's stint on Weekend Update was probably more famous for the corespondents he had on then his performance, people like Cajun Man, Opera Man, David Spade's Hollywood Minute, but without Nealon playing the straight man so well, I not sure how well these guys would have gotten over. The fact is Nealon stood out on his own as well. Looking back on some of these old episodes, you can't help but notice Nealon's clever word play. Nealon had his own style that both separated him from the other the other SNL anchors and kept the laughs coming.
3. Chevy Chase
You can't ignore the guy who got it all started with one of the most famous catch phrases in SNL history, "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not." People seem to forget, or don't realize, that Chase was only on SNL for one season before his ego got in the way and he left. Yes, from all accounts he's an asshole, but he's a funny asshole and an asshole that made a huge mark in one short season. Along with his prat falls, the Weekend Update is where Chase put his stamp on the show. Without Chase's performance this list would have never happened.
2. Dennis Miller
To really analyze Miller's Update you have to try to remove his present day reputation from your mind. If you think of Miller as the right wing snotty blowhard that he is painted to be now, it's easy to ignore the work he did on SNL. The fact is, Miller's politics were much more left of center back then and, yes, the humor was more high brow then we are use to on SNL, but that didn't make it any less ground breaking. If you watch Miller's Update you can't help but see the seeds of John Stewart's Daily Show. Miller was skewering politicians in a smart and funny way years before Stewart even dreamed of having a show. Yes, the jokes may feel dated if you aren't familiar with the politics of the time, but what do you think is going to happen with the Stewart and Colbert stuff that is being made today?
1. Norm McDonald
There has never been a more polarizing anchor on Update. I've heard just as many people say it was the most horrendous period in Update history as say it was the most hilarious. For me there is no question. I've never laughed harder during any moment in all the years I've watched SNL then the 10 minutes each week Norm did the "fake news." Sometimes it was all those people who didn't get it that made it that much funnier. I lost it each time Norm dropped a punchline that the live crowd didn't laugh because his reaction was so great. It was like he was trying to offend them. Of course Norm's greatest accomplishment on Update was his perfect usage of the word "whore." Never has one man made one word so damn funny. And he was never shy about using it. At times he leaned on the word for a laugh like a 80 year old with a hip replacement leans on a cane to get from place to place. And I laughed the whole time.
Honorable Mentions: Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd, Seth Myers and Amy Pohler
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Soap Box: Borders Going Out of Business "Sale"
It makes me very sad that Borders is closing over a 100 stores nationwide. It makes me even sadder that two of them are the ones I shop at. Borders has always been by bookstore of choice. They had the feel of a local independent store but were a big enough chain that they were everywhere. Their selection was heads and tails above Barnes and Noble's. They were never scared to carry a wide variety of catalog selections, something B&N just doesn't do. If you're looking for the newest Dan Brown (and why you would I wouldn't know), B&N is a fine store, but if you're looking for a early Thomas Pynchon novel, good luck. Borders would probably have both. Saddest of all is this difference probably played a part in Borders downfall. The development of e-readers and tablets certainly played a part, but I think the fact that Borders invested in books that might sit on the shelf for months to years just wasn't good business. So, as is often the case, readers lose.
My real reason for writing this has very little to do with how sad I am that Borders is closing, though. I have something much bigger to complain about and it deals with the so called going out of business sale that is going on in those 100 Borders stores being closed. At the moment Borders is selling all books at 30% off after a month of 20% off, yet when I walked in the store to see what shape it was in, to gauge what my chances of getting some good deals was, the store was more then half empty. People, 20% or 30% is not a deal!! You are not saving a dime!! You can get on-line and order any book you want off Amazon for at least 20% cheaper then Borders list prices. Normally this wouldn't bother me, if you want to be stupid and buy a bunch of books thinking you're getting a deal but really not I don't care, it's your money. But what all you people are doing is ruining my chances of getting good books at an actually deal. I was looking forward to Borders dropping their prices to 50% off and grabbing a bunch of books I've been wanting to read but didn't feel like spending the money on, but now that's not looking possible. So, please, all you book shoppers who think you're thrifty, if you want books for 30% off go to Amazon and leave what's left at Borders to drop to 50%. Then we can all enjoy a good deal on good literature.
My real reason for writing this has very little to do with how sad I am that Borders is closing, though. I have something much bigger to complain about and it deals with the so called going out of business sale that is going on in those 100 Borders stores being closed. At the moment Borders is selling all books at 30% off after a month of 20% off, yet when I walked in the store to see what shape it was in, to gauge what my chances of getting some good deals was, the store was more then half empty. People, 20% or 30% is not a deal!! You are not saving a dime!! You can get on-line and order any book you want off Amazon for at least 20% cheaper then Borders list prices. Normally this wouldn't bother me, if you want to be stupid and buy a bunch of books thinking you're getting a deal but really not I don't care, it's your money. But what all you people are doing is ruining my chances of getting good books at an actually deal. I was looking forward to Borders dropping their prices to 50% off and grabbing a bunch of books I've been wanting to read but didn't feel like spending the money on, but now that's not looking possible. So, please, all you book shoppers who think you're thrifty, if you want books for 30% off go to Amazon and leave what's left at Borders to drop to 50%. Then we can all enjoy a good deal on good literature.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Book Review: The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team From Worst to First
With non-fiction books, sometimes the title of a book means everything. It pulls the reader in. It tells us what we’re going learn. It sets expectations. When the title doesn’t match the content or the content doesn’t live up to the title, when the expectations aren’t met, an otherwise good book can fall flat. That’s what happened with Jonah Keri’s new book, The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First. I’ve heard about this book for some time and as a huge American League East baseball fan I was eager to read it, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype I had built for it. I hoped to read an interesting analysis on how the Rays new owners used Wall Street Strategies to turn around what had been a horrible franchise stuck in the hardest division in professional sports. I envisioned the next generation Moneyball, possibly a mix of Freakanomics and Ball Four, but all I got was a history of Tampa Bay’s dealings with baseball. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have read a history of Tampa’s dealing with baseball or that the material wasn’t interesting, I enjoyed what the book had to say on these topics. My problem was that the book never seemed to effectively address the topics suggested by the title.
Other then pointing out that the new owners of the Tampa Bay Rays came directly from jobs on Wall Street, Keri fails to convincingly show how Wall Street strategies turned the team’s fortunes around. He points out that most of the key components of the present team were drafted by the previous management. The only effect the new owners had with these players was signing them to cheap long term contracts before they became superstars, but that is far from a new strategy, Cleveland and Texas GM John Hart made that strategy famous a decade ago. Many of the moves of the new management team, including the signing of Pat Burrell, blew up in their faces. Keri highlights the pick up of career minor leaguer Dan Johnson as if it was a major coop, but the guy hit one homerun that happened to lead to one Ray win and was never heard from again.
The one valid point Keri seems to make is about the new management’s attempts to fix the team’s relationship with the community, but even that falls flat in the end. Keri spends a ton of time on both how Vincent Naimoli, the first Ray owner, pushed the Bay community away and the various outside the box techniques the new owners have used to try and bring them back. If anything this may be where Wall Street strategies would turn around the franchise. Who knows more about marketing then Wall Street? But the book ends by pointing out that Tampa’s attendance still comes in at the bottom of the Major League. All these new strategies have had no effect on bringing the community back at all making the time spent talking about the strategies in context of turning the franchise around seem frivolous.
I also feel that Keri was unsure who he was writing the book for. At times he explained simple details of the game of baseball as if he was writing to someone who was not familiar with it. At other times, he brushed over baseball ideas as if he assumed his audience would know what he was talking about. As a baseball fan, I was confused why he chose to explain the simple old fashioned concepts but brush over the more complex newer ones.
If you’re interested in reading about the history of the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa’s attempts to get a major league team, this is a good enough read. There is a lot of interesting information here that most baseball enthusiasts will enjoy. If you’re only interested in how Wall Street strategies turned the team around then stay away. Keri’s hypothesis falls flat and on many occasions is proven false by his own writing. This book, unfortunately, is not the next Moneyball.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Boston Bruins: Game 68
Record: 38-20-9 (1st in division, 3rd in conference)
Be careful what you wish for! I wanted there to be some response to the Chara hit (and for that matter, the Cooke hit, the Talbot hit, the Clutterbuck hit, etc, etc, etc) and it looks like I may have gotten one. If last night's game is any sign of what the Bruins are going to face for the rest of the season in response to the uproar all around the league, I take it back. I don't remember a more one sided officiated NHL game. Every Bruin that breathed on a Sabre was given two minutes, while Buffalo seemed free to abuse Boston at every pass of the puck. The most ridiculous call being the embattled Chara getting two minutes for boarding five feet from the boards.
Chara made a reckless play, not the Boston Bruins. Chara should have been suspended, not the Boston Bruins. I'm not sure why the team gets punished by the officials because of the act of one player. Putting the B's at a disadvantage for most of the game doesn't fix or address the situation. And I know it seems a little presumptuous that all the Bruins penalties had anything to do with the Chara hit, but the calls were so absurd and it feels a little too much of a coincidence that it happened in the wake of this controversy.
The Bruins out played the Sabres and deserved to win last night's game, but they had no shot with the ref's playing as a 7th Buffalo player. It is a very hard loss to take. The Bruins play a chippy style of hockey, but most times that style is totally legal. Yes, the Pialle hit that led to suspension was reckless. Yes, the Chara hit was reckless. But these incidents shouldn't prevent the Bruins from playing the totally legal chippy style that makes them so successful. Give Chara a suspension and let the Bruins play hockey. It's not hard Mr. Bettman.
Be careful what you wish for! I wanted there to be some response to the Chara hit (and for that matter, the Cooke hit, the Talbot hit, the Clutterbuck hit, etc, etc, etc) and it looks like I may have gotten one. If last night's game is any sign of what the Bruins are going to face for the rest of the season in response to the uproar all around the league, I take it back. I don't remember a more one sided officiated NHL game. Every Bruin that breathed on a Sabre was given two minutes, while Buffalo seemed free to abuse Boston at every pass of the puck. The most ridiculous call being the embattled Chara getting two minutes for boarding five feet from the boards.
Chara made a reckless play, not the Boston Bruins. Chara should have been suspended, not the Boston Bruins. I'm not sure why the team gets punished by the officials because of the act of one player. Putting the B's at a disadvantage for most of the game doesn't fix or address the situation. And I know it seems a little presumptuous that all the Bruins penalties had anything to do with the Chara hit, but the calls were so absurd and it feels a little too much of a coincidence that it happened in the wake of this controversy.
The Bruins out played the Sabres and deserved to win last night's game, but they had no shot with the ref's playing as a 7th Buffalo player. It is a very hard loss to take. The Bruins play a chippy style of hockey, but most times that style is totally legal. Yes, the Pialle hit that led to suspension was reckless. Yes, the Chara hit was reckless. But these incidents shouldn't prevent the Bruins from playing the totally legal chippy style that makes them so successful. Give Chara a suspension and let the Bruins play hockey. It's not hard Mr. Bettman.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Boston Bruins: Game 67 (The Chara Hit)
Record: 38-20-8 (1st place in division, 2nd place in conference)
Once again, just when I think the Bruins have figured out the offensive side of things they stop scoring goals. It's turning into a trend this season. I haven't studied how these runs compare to their schedule, but something tells me it has a lot to do with the competition. For the third game in a row, the B's couldn't get anything in the net. They carried the play the whole game but still couldn't put any sustained pressure on Price. If they plan on making a run in the playoffs, we can only hope they time one of their scoring streaks just right, because if we get the offense that showed up the last three games it's going to be a quick exit.
Of course the real news from this game was the Chara hit. If you read my Soap Box post on the Islanders, you know my feelings about the league's handling of these kinds of things. If the league really wants to get rid of the melee's, like the one we saw earlier this year with the Penguins and Islanders, they need to come down hard and consistently on reckless and dirty play. Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty (www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zq7b6QhVdA&feature=related) was a perfect opportunity for the league to practice the theory. No matter what the intent, the hit was reckless and uncalled for especially where on the ice it occurred. There was plenty of time for Chara to disengage after Pacioretty got rid of the puck, and what resulted was horrible. But the league decided not to suspend Chara at all. Ironically, it's usually the Bruins who end up at the wrong side of these decisions. Matt Cooke got nothing for taking Marc Savard's head off, Randy Jones got a meager 2 games for crushing Patrice Bergeron from behind. What recourse do the Canadians now have other then turn the next game with the Bruins into a blood bath? The two teams already hate each other. They've already had a few chippy fight filled battles. There is no way this ends well. If the league slapped Chara with a 5 game suspension, the whole thing stops right there, justice would have been served and the Canadians wouldn't need to take their pound of flesh.
That's also saying nothing about the league's supposed stance on head injuries. Unlike the Matt Cooke hit, I feel that the intent of the Chara hit could be argued either way. And I know this makes it a slightly tougher issue, but it still feels like the league is talking out of the side of it's mouth when it claims to want to do more about head injuries. There was a questionable hit. The hit player was taken off the ice on a stretcher and ended up having a severe concussion and a broken vertebrae. The league could have made a statement, but they didn't. That tells me, they could care less about truly protecting the players on the ice. I better not hear a bunch of people going crazy when the next Bruins/Canadians match-up ends up a free for all. Because that's what the league has set up.
Once again, just when I think the Bruins have figured out the offensive side of things they stop scoring goals. It's turning into a trend this season. I haven't studied how these runs compare to their schedule, but something tells me it has a lot to do with the competition. For the third game in a row, the B's couldn't get anything in the net. They carried the play the whole game but still couldn't put any sustained pressure on Price. If they plan on making a run in the playoffs, we can only hope they time one of their scoring streaks just right, because if we get the offense that showed up the last three games it's going to be a quick exit.
Of course the real news from this game was the Chara hit. If you read my Soap Box post on the Islanders, you know my feelings about the league's handling of these kinds of things. If the league really wants to get rid of the melee's, like the one we saw earlier this year with the Penguins and Islanders, they need to come down hard and consistently on reckless and dirty play. Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty (www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zq7b6QhVdA&feature=related) was a perfect opportunity for the league to practice the theory. No matter what the intent, the hit was reckless and uncalled for especially where on the ice it occurred. There was plenty of time for Chara to disengage after Pacioretty got rid of the puck, and what resulted was horrible. But the league decided not to suspend Chara at all. Ironically, it's usually the Bruins who end up at the wrong side of these decisions. Matt Cooke got nothing for taking Marc Savard's head off, Randy Jones got a meager 2 games for crushing Patrice Bergeron from behind. What recourse do the Canadians now have other then turn the next game with the Bruins into a blood bath? The two teams already hate each other. They've already had a few chippy fight filled battles. There is no way this ends well. If the league slapped Chara with a 5 game suspension, the whole thing stops right there, justice would have been served and the Canadians wouldn't need to take their pound of flesh.
That's also saying nothing about the league's supposed stance on head injuries. Unlike the Matt Cooke hit, I feel that the intent of the Chara hit could be argued either way. And I know this makes it a slightly tougher issue, but it still feels like the league is talking out of the side of it's mouth when it claims to want to do more about head injuries. There was a questionable hit. The hit player was taken off the ice on a stretcher and ended up having a severe concussion and a broken vertebrae. The league could have made a statement, but they didn't. That tells me, they could care less about truly protecting the players on the ice. I better not hear a bunch of people going crazy when the next Bruins/Canadians match-up ends up a free for all. Because that's what the league has set up.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Top 5: Celebrity Meltdowns
In honor of my boy, Charlie "Adonis DNA" Sheen, this week's Top 5 is going to be Top 5 Celebrity Meltdowns. I figured in longevity, number of events, severity of events, and distance of fall from grace. I could probably go on listing the Honorable Mentions for days, so I limited it to just my favorites...
5. Brittney Spears
Of all the meltdowns, I feel like this one was caused by the media. That's not to say that I don't think she's crazy or that her upbringing was a little off, but I just don't think she would have cracked if she didn't have paparazzi in her face 24/7. Her list of meltdown moments includes, a quickie "joke" marriage in Vegas, marrying Kevin Federline, a god awful reality show, driving with an infant in her lap, shaving all her hair off. This girl went from the biggest selling music artist to nobody in spectacular fashion.
4. Charlie Sheen
I really wanted to put this one higher. It's probably the highest on the enjoyment scale because all the things he's doing at the moment aren't really hurting anyone, they're just morbidly hilarious. It's also probably the highest on the quote machine scale. The thing that hurts it is distance of fall from grace. Even though Sheen had quite the acting career at one point (Wall Street, Platoon) and is in (God it pains me to say this!!) the most popular comedy on TV, he just isn't the star that the rest of the people on this list are. Ultimately, I think he will be most famous for this meltdown and that won't necessarily be true of the others. Sheen does get points for longevity. The meltdown could be dated back to 1990, when he shot his then fiance, Kelly Preston, or 1995 when he was implicated in the Heidi Fleiss scandal, but the shit didn't seem to really hit the fan until his most recent marriage in 2008.
3. Mike Tyson
Once the scariest man on the planet, Tyson's meltdown has left him as nothing more then a punchline. Tyson had the world in his hand and was virtually unbeatable in the boxing ring when fame and the death of his mentor, Cus D'Amato, sent him into a huge tailspin. Both the distance of fall and severity of events put Tyson in the three spot. Tyson was called crazy on national TV by his then wife, Robin Givens, while he sat next to her with a stupid grin on his face, he was convicted of rape, he bit off Evander Holyfields's ear in front of millions, he tattooed his face, he threatened to eat Lennox Lewis' kids. It seems like he has finally found peace, but oh what a fall it was.
2. Mel Gibson
I think what gets me about this one is I never saw it coming. Mel seemed like a fine enough gentleman and an amazing film maker and then, BOOM, full fledged crazy. He went from one of the most hailed men in Hollywood and one of the biggest movie stars in the world to absolute lunatic in what seemed like minutes. His big time meltdown moments include proving himself to be a religious nut, proving himself an anti-semite, driving drunk and let out a string of insults including "sugar tits," and most recently verbally and physically berating his wife on tape. It's almost more impressive that he was able to hide the crazy for so long, then it is how long he has been melting down.
1. Michael Jackson
The sad part about this one is that a whole generation is only going to know this guy as the freak who changed the color of his skin. At the time of his death he seemed more alien then human. His meltdown was more complete then anyone else on this list, lasted longer and, due to the fact that he was at one point THE most famous person in the world, by far the biggest fall from grace. As much as it pains me to admit it (I've never been shy about blasting the man for molesting children), he was extremely talented and created the soundtrack for my generation, then slowly he morphed into a child molesting circus freak. I'm sure the meltdown had something to do with the level of fame he reached, nobody was more famous, but also his horrible father and family life. I think you can date it back to Pepsi commercial fire. I think that's when the plastic surgery problems started. His meltdown resume includes, raping boys, reforming his face, changing his color, having a monkey as a best friend, building a theme park on his front lawn, dangling a baby from a balcony, wearing a mask in public. This is the meltdown that all meltdowns should be judged by.
Honorable Mentions: Randy Quaid (if you're not familiar with this story Goggle it!), Tom Cruise, Mariah Carey, Christian Slater and Anna Nicole Smith.
5. Brittney Spears
Of all the meltdowns, I feel like this one was caused by the media. That's not to say that I don't think she's crazy or that her upbringing was a little off, but I just don't think she would have cracked if she didn't have paparazzi in her face 24/7. Her list of meltdown moments includes, a quickie "joke" marriage in Vegas, marrying Kevin Federline, a god awful reality show, driving with an infant in her lap, shaving all her hair off. This girl went from the biggest selling music artist to nobody in spectacular fashion.
4. Charlie Sheen
I really wanted to put this one higher. It's probably the highest on the enjoyment scale because all the things he's doing at the moment aren't really hurting anyone, they're just morbidly hilarious. It's also probably the highest on the quote machine scale. The thing that hurts it is distance of fall from grace. Even though Sheen had quite the acting career at one point (Wall Street, Platoon) and is in (God it pains me to say this!!) the most popular comedy on TV, he just isn't the star that the rest of the people on this list are. Ultimately, I think he will be most famous for this meltdown and that won't necessarily be true of the others. Sheen does get points for longevity. The meltdown could be dated back to 1990, when he shot his then fiance, Kelly Preston, or 1995 when he was implicated in the Heidi Fleiss scandal, but the shit didn't seem to really hit the fan until his most recent marriage in 2008.
3. Mike Tyson
Once the scariest man on the planet, Tyson's meltdown has left him as nothing more then a punchline. Tyson had the world in his hand and was virtually unbeatable in the boxing ring when fame and the death of his mentor, Cus D'Amato, sent him into a huge tailspin. Both the distance of fall and severity of events put Tyson in the three spot. Tyson was called crazy on national TV by his then wife, Robin Givens, while he sat next to her with a stupid grin on his face, he was convicted of rape, he bit off Evander Holyfields's ear in front of millions, he tattooed his face, he threatened to eat Lennox Lewis' kids. It seems like he has finally found peace, but oh what a fall it was.
2. Mel Gibson
I think what gets me about this one is I never saw it coming. Mel seemed like a fine enough gentleman and an amazing film maker and then, BOOM, full fledged crazy. He went from one of the most hailed men in Hollywood and one of the biggest movie stars in the world to absolute lunatic in what seemed like minutes. His big time meltdown moments include proving himself to be a religious nut, proving himself an anti-semite, driving drunk and let out a string of insults including "sugar tits," and most recently verbally and physically berating his wife on tape. It's almost more impressive that he was able to hide the crazy for so long, then it is how long he has been melting down.
1. Michael Jackson
The sad part about this one is that a whole generation is only going to know this guy as the freak who changed the color of his skin. At the time of his death he seemed more alien then human. His meltdown was more complete then anyone else on this list, lasted longer and, due to the fact that he was at one point THE most famous person in the world, by far the biggest fall from grace. As much as it pains me to admit it (I've never been shy about blasting the man for molesting children), he was extremely talented and created the soundtrack for my generation, then slowly he morphed into a child molesting circus freak. I'm sure the meltdown had something to do with the level of fame he reached, nobody was more famous, but also his horrible father and family life. I think you can date it back to Pepsi commercial fire. I think that's when the plastic surgery problems started. His meltdown resume includes, raping boys, reforming his face, changing his color, having a monkey as a best friend, building a theme park on his front lawn, dangling a baby from a balcony, wearing a mask in public. This is the meltdown that all meltdowns should be judged by.
Honorable Mentions: Randy Quaid (if you're not familiar with this story Goggle it!), Tom Cruise, Mariah Carey, Christian Slater and Anna Nicole Smith.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Top 5: Masturbation Songs
Coming up with ideas for this Top 5 thing isn’t easy. I’m always trying to keep things fun and interesting, but lots of times I get in a rut and the whole thing becomes a little dull and obvious. There are only so many times you can list the Top 5 Monkey Songs. I had my IPod on shuffle the other day when Green Day’s “Longview” came on and it sparked an idea that put a smile on my face. If you’re the sensitive type, easily offended or just plain prude this probably isn’t the list for you. Today I’m doing the Top 5 Songs About Masturbation. To qualify the whole song had to be about masturbation or reasonably interpreted as such, not just have a line or two mentioning it, which means songs like Billy Joel’s “Captain Jack” or Prince’s “Darling Nikki” or Peter Gabriel’s “Shock The Monkey” doesn’t count. These five do…
5. “Longview” – Green Day
It was ultimately “Basket Case” that turned me into a huge fan, but this was the first song I ever heard by Green Day and was also my introduction to punk. It took me a while to realize what they were talking about. I was young and impressionable and couldn’t really conceive of a band writing a whole song about beating off, but here it is. Unlike other songs on this list, “Longview” doesn’t really celebrate the act as much as wallow in the boredom and guilt that seems to come with it
4. “She Bop” – Cyndi Lauper
This is probably the most upbeat masturbation song. I had no idea what it was about. I’m not sure I even knew what the lyrics were; I just remember a bunch of nonsense words. My parents had no problem with my sister and me listening to it, so how could it be about anything naughty? Come to find out years later, its Cyndi’s ode to masturbation. Who knew such a bouncy happy pop song could be about such a dirty act?
3. “Dancing With Myself” – Billy Idol
I’m not sure that it has ever been confirmed that this song is about Billy pulling on his wang, but is there really any doubt. Again, as a child it’s a pretty innocuous song about wanting to dance so badly you’re willing to do it by yourself, but once you grow a little older and wiser it seems pretty obvious Billy had other things in mind. Either way, it’s a classic.
2.“Epic” – Faith No More
I had no idea this was a song about masturbation until very recently. In all honesty, I never thought much about it. It’s a good song that I enjoyed listening to or playing on Rock Band, but I wasn’t concerned with its meaning. I remember there being money thrown about in the video and just assumed it was about greed. Then I read somewhere that Mike Patton said it was about a guy beating off to porn. The lyric “it’s in your face but you can’t grab it,” is about wanting to have sex with the porn star but not being able to. My mind was blown and I can’t listen to the song the same anymore.
1. “Touch Myself” – Divinyls
There was never any doubt what this song was about, it’s in the title and it’s not some euphemism or disguised statement. It was weird to have a song that was so blatantly sexual be as popular and mainstream as this was when it came out. Prince or George Michael or 2 Live Crew got blasted for their sexual songs and you never heard them much on the radio, maybe you caught a video later at night on MTV but that was it. The Divinyls, on the other hand, were everywhere singing about masturbating to thoughts of their boyfriend and nobody seemed to care. I’m still not sure why, but my memories are fond enough that it’s number one on my list.
Honorable Mentions: “My Ding-a-ling”: Chuck Berry, “Turning Japanese”: The Vapors
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
How I Met Your Mother: Change of Heart
I only have one rule when it comes to HIMYM episodes; when they get sappy I stop watching... unless they're hot, no wait, not hot, funny... when they get sappy I stop watching... unless they're really funny. So, when this episode took a bad right turn into super sappy land, I was able to forgive it because, damn, it made me laugh, probably more then any other episode this season. The opening sequence was genius. Like I've said before, the show is at it's best when Barney is carrying it and this sequence was classic Barney. "Penis feelings" may be my new favorite Barney-ism and the "unless she's hot" exceptions were brilliant. I also loved the sandwich sequence. I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for pot humor and this was a great example of it. My favorite line of the episode was "sandwiches make me hungry," a hilarious turn of phrase using HIMYM euphemism. Even the whole Robin's new boyfriend acts like a dog gimmick, which wasn't working for me through most of the episode, had me in stitches when ate a whole tray of brownies and got out.
Obviously the one part of the episode I wasn't so crazy about was Barney's dealings with Nora. I don't watch HIMYM to see Barney fall in love and talk about wanting kids and a family. That's Ted's role. I want Barney making up rules like "never date a girl with a hook for a hand," and that doesn't happen, or at least have the same effect, when he starts talking about marriage and kids. A friend suggested that we need to see Barney go through a relationship or two so he can grow enough to end up with Robin, and it looks like that's the way the writers are taking us. But, as much as I feel Barney and Robin are destined for each other, I have no desire to watch the two get together or the growth Barney needs to go through to get there. Let's just be told by Future Ted as the show wraps up that they got together so we can continue to be entertained by single womanizing Barney.
One question this episode leaves... we were told what happened with Marshal and the calzone, will we find out what the other stories are? Keep your ears and eyes open for Mr. Buttons, a Mr. T dream, and something embarassing about a thermos.
Obviously the one part of the episode I wasn't so crazy about was Barney's dealings with Nora. I don't watch HIMYM to see Barney fall in love and talk about wanting kids and a family. That's Ted's role. I want Barney making up rules like "never date a girl with a hook for a hand," and that doesn't happen, or at least have the same effect, when he starts talking about marriage and kids. A friend suggested that we need to see Barney go through a relationship or two so he can grow enough to end up with Robin, and it looks like that's the way the writers are taking us. But, as much as I feel Barney and Robin are destined for each other, I have no desire to watch the two get together or the growth Barney needs to go through to get there. Let's just be told by Future Ted as the show wraps up that they got together so we can continue to be entertained by single womanizing Barney.
One question this episode leaves... we were told what happened with Marshal and the calzone, will we find out what the other stories are? Keep your ears and eyes open for Mr. Buttons, a Mr. T dream, and something embarassing about a thermos.
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