The King loses his Throne at the Palace

So LeBron James returned to the site of The Game (which, yes, now deserves capital letters, and yes, will have a YouTube link with any mention on this site). And things weren’t going so bad in the first half. King James had 15 points and the Cavaliers were down by just 5 points (they trailed by as many as 12 in The Game).

Unfortunately, LeBron was fouled by Nazr Mohammad (who will now be known as “the most evil player in the Association”) and sprained his left index finger. He wasn’t on the bench to start the second half, and when he returned, he was wearing a dapper mock turtleneck-suit combo. Which looked pretty damn nice, but wasn’t exactly helpful to the Cavaliers cause. They lost by 35. Ouch.

Now if this game proved anything to me, it’s that without LeBron, the Cavaliers are a team without an identity. No identity at all. Not even close. It’d be easy to take a cheap shot and say that without LeBron, they’re a D-League team or a CBA team, but that’s not true. They’re still a team with some quality NBA players who can rebound and play defense. But the entire Cavaliers offensive identity is LeBron. Option 1: give to LeBron. Option 2: set up LeBron. Option 3: post up LeBron. Option 4: clear out for LeBron. Option 5: let LeBron create, and maybe, just maybe, if the defense triple-teams him, he’ll kick out to someone else.

When you take away the only true offensive option on any team, they’re going to be pretty bad. I feel like, offensively, the Cavaliers without LeBron are worse off than the Lakers without Kobe Bryant. Because at least when it comes to the Lakers, they have a system -- the triangle offense -- that can mask the absence of Kobe to some extent (for example, look at the 2006-07 opener, when Kobe was out, and the Lakers beat the Suns 114-106). I have yet to see anything in the 2+ years of the Mike Brown era that resembles an offensive system, or plan that can work without LeBron.

The other thing this game proved is that LeBron is the MVP. He’s still averaging 31-8-8, and the Cavs are on pace to win 46 games. Without LeBron, they’re the 76ers. Not terrible (i.e. the Sonics or Wolves) but just boring and non-competitive in the grand scheme of things. LeBron is more than the straw that stirs the drink. He IS the drink.

Now the Cavs are listing LeBron as day-to-day, but the only “day” that matters to me is Sunday. If LeBron doesn’t play against the Celtics in Boston, not only am I going to be very disappointed, but the only thing I’ll be Witness to is a very bad Cavaliers loss.

Fave 5 - LeBron Performances

Tuesday night, LeBron was a one-man wrecking crew against the Celtics, scoring 38 points and dishing out 13 assists to lead the Cavaliers to the upset win. That sets the stage for Sunday’s game in Boston, for which I will be in attendance.

I’m hoping that LeBron will put on a show for the ages in this one, but honestly, I’m happy just to finally see him play in person.

As for the 5 games in the past I would have loved to have been at, well, here they are.

5. May 3, 2006: Cavaliers 121, Wizards 120 (OT)

This was the ultimate showdown game with Gilbert Arenas. LeBron finished with 45 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Arenas had 44 points and played the entire 53 minutes. But LeBron came out ahead when he hit the game-winner -- a baseline-hugging lay-up with 0.9 seconds left in overtime. Skip to number 1 of this video to see the play.

4. Dec. 12, 2002: St. Vincent-St. Mary’s 65, Oak Hill 45

This was LeBron’s national coming out party, against the No. 1 high school team in the country on national TV. He scored 31 points to go along with 13 rebounds and six assists, not to mention a crazy breakaway dunk that almost gave Dickie V an aneurysm.

3. Feb. 19, 2006 - East 122, West 120

LeBron scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead an Eastern Conference comeback and become the youngest player to win All-Star Game MVP. The best part about it? He did it mostly with his outside shot, which had been considered suspect to that point.

2. Feb. 15, 2006 - Cavaliers 113, Boston 109 (2OT)

If this Sunday’s game is anything like this one back in 2006, I will be the happiest man on the planet. LeBron finished with 43, 12 and 11, offsetting a career-high 50 from Paul Pierce. The two went at each other all game, and the Cavs came out ahead in the end. One of the great head-to-head regular season showdowns in recent years.

1. May 31, 2007 - Cavaliers 109, Pistons 107 (2 OT)

As if there was any doubt. Just bask in the glory of LeBron’s 25 straight points. We are all witnesses.

Sean Taylor: 1983-2007

I’m honestly not even sure what to write here. One of my favorite players on my favorite team is dead. He was just 24 years old.

I don’t even know how something like this happens. It’s crazy to think that someone can be leading the NFL in interceptions one day and dead the next.

I liked Taylor from back when he was playing at Miami, and was so happy when the Redskins drafted him to be the backbone of their secondary. He never quite lived up to all his promise during his short career, but I got the feeling this season that he was starting to deliver. He was coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance and like I said earlier was leading the league in picks before missing the last 2 weeks due to injury.

Now he’s dead.

It’s just weird to see that. Also weird is the fact that the Redskins, in the midst of all this, have to play a football game this weekend. That’s not going to be easy on anyone involved with that team.

Good luck to them, and rest in peace, Sean Taylor.

This Week in “Buffy” History: November 26-December 2

November 26

2002 - Episode 7.09 “Never Leave Me” airs on UPN

November 27

1974 - Alec Newman born (played Drogyn in season 5 of “Angel”)

2001 - Episode 6.10 “Wrecked” airs on UPN

November 28

2000 - Episode 5.09 “Listening to Fear” airs on The WB

2000 - Angel Episode 5.09 “The Trial” airs on The WB

November 29

1956 - Hinton Battle born (played Sweet in Episode 6.07 “Once More, With Feeling”)

November 30

1956 - Lily Knight born (played Gronx in season 5)

1999 - Episode 4.09 “Something Blue” airs on The WB

1999 - Angel Episode 1.09 “Hero” airs on The WB

December 1

1972 - Ron Melendez born (played James in Angel Episode 3.01 “Heartthrob”)

December 2

1952 - Keith Szarabajka born (played Holtz on “Angel”)

1955 - Dennis Christopher born (played Cyvus Vail in season 5 of “Angel”)

Sunday Night Ramblings

• So I haven’t written much about the Cavaliers this season. That’s going to change this week, but I’ll start you off with this: LeBron James just had his 2nd straight triple-double, and it wasn’t just a triple-double. It was his 2nd straight 30-10-10 game. The last guy to do that in back-to-back games was Kobe back in 2002. The last guy to do that on back-to-back days was MJ back in 1988. So, yeah, you might want to be better than LeBron, but you can’t be.

• If you missed my post from earlier today, I turned “My Favorite NBA Things” into a YouTube video. I’m pretty happy with how things turned out.

• I’m also happy with my NBA jersey collection, which I finally updated with new pictures. When I posted my jersey collection online a few years ago (yeah, it’s been that long) one of my colleagues pointed out to me that the composition of the photos was pretty crappy, especially for someone like me who was so obsessed with organization. So I finally have a set-up where I can take consistent photos against a plain background (actually, my black bedroom curtains). The NBA gallery looks much better now. I’ll get around to updating the other ones soon enough.

• Hey, so remember how I said “Moonlight” was straight up stealing plots from “Buffy” and “Angel”? Well, that just continued on this week’s episode (which I just finished watching). Beth staked Coraline, who she believed to be a vampire, but was actually human. “Buffy” fans will remember Faith’s accidental staking of a human in Season 3, and the horrible consequences it had. So far this show hasn’t had an original idea. It’s like a “Buffy” mixtape, and a crappy one at that.

Sunday Night Ramblings

• So I haven’t written much about the Cavaliers this season. That’s going to change this week, but I’ll start you off with this: LeBron James just had his 2nd straight triple-double, and it wasn’t just a triple-double. It was his 2nd straight 30-10-10 game. The last guy to do that in back-to-back games was Kobe back in 2002. The last guy to do that on back-to-back days was MJ back in 1988. So, yeah, you might want to be better than LeBron, but you can’t be.

• If you missed my post from earlier today, I turned “My Favorite NBA Things” into a YouTube video. I’m pretty happy with how things turned out.

• I’m also happy with my NBA jersey collection, which I finally updated with new pictures. When I posted my jersey collection online a few years ago (yeah, it’s been that long) one of my colleagues pointed out to me that the composition of the photos was pretty crappy, especially for someone like me who was so obsessed with organization. So I finally have a set-up where I can take consistent photos against a plain background (actually, my black bedroom curtains). The NBA gallery looks much better now. I’ll get around to updating the other ones soon enough.

• Hey, so remember how I said “Moonlight” was straight up stealing plots from “Buffy” and “Angel”? Well, that just continued on this week’s episode (which I just finished watching). Beth staked Coraline, who she believed to be a vampire, but was actually human. “Buffy” fans will remember Faith’s accidental staking of a human in Season 3, and the horrible consequences it had. So far this show hasn’t had an original idea. It’s like a “Buffy” mixtape, and a crappy one at that.

My Favorite NBA Things - Now With Video!

So I decided to throw this together today. When I did my NBA post the other day, I knew I could put together a little video for it. The hardest part was actually finding the instrumental version of “My Favorite Things”, since I had no intention of subjecting anyone to my singing voice (not that I could sing anyway with this stupid cough).

Yes, I know it’s very LeBron heavy, but it is called “my favorite things” not “things about the NBA that are pretty good, but I don’t like” (which is why there’s no Steve Nash and no Tim Duncan). I do kind of wish there was some Agent Zero in there but he’s out for 3 months anyway.

College Football Top 10

First, an apology.

I completely intended to do a weekend edition of Three to Get Ready, but then I came down with something horrible. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I know I left work on Thursday with something that felt like a cold. By the time I woke up on Friday, it had turned into something much worse. I vomited, I dry heaved, I couldn’t breath, I even hurt my ribcage from coughing so much. I tried multiple times to go back to sleep, but breathing hurt so much that I couldn’t. I was one digit away from calling an ambulance to bring me to a hospital and hook me up to an IV. Eventually I managed to fall asleep, then drag myself into work on Saturday, though anyone that heard me coughing could probably tell you I shouldn’t have been there.

That said, I STILL had a better weekend than LSU.

On to the rankings, this week with brief comments. Next week will be the final pre-bowl edition of the rankings, when I’ll give my season review for my top 10 teams.

1. West Virginia (last week: 3)

Holy crap that was a beatdown they put on UConn. Pat White is the real deal.

2. Missouri (last week: 4)

The Tigers have jumped 4 spots in 2 weeks, and look like a better team than the one that almost beat Oklahoma earlier in the year.

3. Ohio State (last week: 5)

I hate the thought that they might back into the national title game. What a joke.

4. LSU (last week: 1)

They have two losses this year, both in triple-overtime. I have a hard time dropping a team like that much further than this.

5. Georgia (last week: 6)

It’s too bad they won’t get a shot at LSU in the SEC title game. That could have made things interesting in the BCS computers.

6. Kansas (last week: 2)

That was actually a pretty impressive comeback try by the Jayhawks. It’s too bad they dug themselves such a big hole early.

7. Oklahoma (last week: 8)

They’re not really in the national title picture, but they can play spoiler next week against Missouri. With a healthy Bradford and Murray, a win is a definite possibility.

8. Hawaii (last week: 9)

I know I still have them higher than just about anyone else in the country, but they can only beat the teams they play, and they’ve done that. The win over Boise State was particularly impressive. Do the right thing, BCS voters. Put them in a BCS game.

9. Florida (last week: 10)

Tim Tebow is going to win the Heisman. Just deal with it. He’s pretty freakin’ good.

10. Virginia Tech (last week: NR)

The Hokies will get a 2nd shot at finishing the deal against BC. They blew it in the final 2 minutes last time. Maybe they can play a whole game next week.

Dropped out: Arizona State (everything would have lined up perfectly for the Sun Devils if they could have just beaten USC)

My Favorite NBA Things

What am I thankful for on this Thanksgiving? Well, family, my house, my great job, etc. All that normal stuff. But I’m also thankful for the association. No, wait, The Association (let’s give it its proper due).

So what specifically do I love about the NBA? Let me answer that ... with a song!

“Where My Favorite Things Happen”

(to the tune of “My Favorite Things”)

Teardrop three-pointers from just over half-court

B Diddy’s Warriors surprising the whole sport

Big Shot Rob Horry and his 7 rings

These are a few of my favorite things

Kobe in Laker whites scoring at his will

D-Wade and T-Mac continue to just thrill

Redd and Ray jumpers that make the nets sing

These are a few of my favorite things

LeBron scoring 25 straight points against Big D

Driving and dunking and fadeaway threes

“Boobie for 3” has such a sweet ring

These are a few of my favorite things

When the Cavs lose

When Detroit wins

When the refs are bad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don’t feel so bad

Three to Get Ready: Thanksgiving Edition

The three sporting events I’m most looking forward to watching while staving off a tryptophan-induced coma this Thursday (I’ll have another edition either late Friday or Saturday morning - Fave 5 returns next week).

Packers at Lions, 12:30 ET on FOX

Remember those years where the only thing good about watching the Lions on Thanksgiving was the hope that Barry Sanders might do something awesome? Remember how you longed for those years during the even-worse Matt Millen era? Well, this year’s edition of the Lions is actually worth watching. My fantasy team is in first place in its division on the strength of Kitna Time! Plus, the Packers are a legit Super Bowl contender, thanks to a rejuvenated Brett Favre and a strong defense. Over the past couple weeks, their previously non-existent running game has even shown up. This is a two turkey leg game, at least.

11 USC at 6 Arizona State, 8 ET on ESPN

In this crazy college football season, Arizona State could still end up in the national championship game. Sure, a few teams ahead of the Sun Devils need to lose, but at least one of them will in this weekend’s Missouri-Kansas game. The biggest problem for ASU is that Ohio State, currently one spot ahead of ASU in the BCS rankings, doesn’t play again. Plus, the two teams are already tied in the computers, the one BCS component that would definitely go in ASU’s favor with a win over USC. So, while it won’t be easy for the Sun Devils, all they can do is take care of business on the field.

Western Kentucky at 14 Gonzaga, 11:30 ET on ESPNU

Seriously, if you’re still awake by the time this game tips off in Alaska, you’re either working with me, or you didn’t have nearly enough turkey. Still, this should be a great early-season mid-major matchup. Both teams are 3-0 coming into the game, and the Zags are already in the Top 15 of the rankings. By the way, Gonzaga has their own star freshman Austin Daye, who’s averaging 18 points per game so far in three easy wins. Things get pretty damn hard from here on out though -- after Alaska, the Zags go on the road at St. Joe’s and UConn, then host Washington State. They’re at Oklahoma just before Christmas, host Tennessee just before New Year’s, then host Georgia in the first week of January. You can’t knock that non-conference schedule.

"Moonlight" - Just call it "Angel, Pt. 2"

OK, so I’ve put up with a lot of shit from this new show on CBS called “Moonlight” but I think I’m done. Look, I understand that any vampire show is going to have some similarities to “Angel” (the “Buffy” spinoff that focused on Angel, the vampire with a soul) but this is too damn much.

Here are just some of the similarities:

“Angel” was about a vampire who was also a private detective in Los Angeles. “Moonlight” is about vampire who is also a private detective in Los Angeles.

Angel had a star-crossed relationship with a blonde mortal. On “Moonlight” Mick St. John (what a fuckin’ cheesy-ass name, too) is getting into a star-crossed relationship with a blonde mortal.

In the 3rd season of “Buffy”, Angel was once near death, and survived only by feeding on the blood of that blonde mortal, at the mortal’s insistence. This EXACT situation happened in the THIRD episode of “Moonlight”. That’s right, they ran through 3 seasons of dramatic build-up in 3 episodes.

I was almost willing to let that slide, but then, two episodes ago on “Moonlight”, they brought in a storyline where Mick’s presumed slain vampire ex-wife, who Mick had killed himself, came back from the dead and apparently human again. This seems so far-fetched, except they ALREADY DID THIS ON “ANGEL”! At the end of season one, Angel’s presumed slain vampire ex-girlfriend Darla, who he’d killed himself, was resurrected and made human. I mean, I know the writers are on strike, but recycling entire plots from “Angel”? WHAT THE FUCK!

So, I’m basically done. I’ll watch out the string of “Moonlight” before the aforementioned writers strike forces the show into reruns or an early hiatus, but barring some creative turnaround, I’m not coming back (unlike Darla and Coraline).

This Week in “Buffy” History: November 19-25

November 19

2001 - Angel Episode 3.09 “Lullaby” airs on The WB

2002 - Episode 7.08 “Sleeper” airs on UPN

2003 - Angel Episode 5.08 “Destiny” airs on The WB

November 20

1971 - Christopher Leps born (played Agent Goodman in Episode 5.04 “Out of My Mind”

1973 - Jonathan M. Woodward born (played Holden Webster on Buffy, Knox on Angel)

2001 - Episode 6.09 “Smashed” airs on UPN

November 21

2000 - Episode 5.08 “Shadow” airs on The WB

2000 - Angel Episode 2.08 “The Shroud of Rahmon” airs on The WB

November 22

UNKNOWN YEAR - Michele Kelly born (played Alonna in Angel Episode 1.20 “War Zone”)

1964 - Khalil Kain born (played Gio in Angel Episode 3.03 “That Old Gang of Mine”)

1967 - Erik Betts born (played Agent Brown in Episode 5.04 “Out of My Mind”)

November 23

1999 - Episode 4.08 “Pangs” airs on The WB

1999 - Angel Episode 1.08 “I Will Remember You” airs on The WB

November 24

1997 - Episode 2.10 “What’s My Line? (Part 2)” airs on The WB

1998 - Episode 3.08 “Lover’s Walk” airs on The WB

Crazy ending in Browns-Ravens game

I can’t embed the video, because it’s only available at NFL.com, but you have to check this out.

At the end of regulation, Phil Dawson attempts a 51-yard field goal that hits high off the upright, then appears to hit the crossbar and bounce back into the end zone, thus giving the Ravens a 3-point win. But upon further review (after the Ravens had already gone to the locker room) it was determined that the kick hit the back support, not the crossbar, so it was already through, and therefore good. The Browns went on to win the game in overtime.

The refs made the right call in the end here, and in doing so might have saved the Browns playoff hopes.

College Football Top 10

I’m gonna keep this short this week. Obviously, with Oklahoma and Oregon losing, shit is wide open for just about any one-loss team to sneak in there. Either Missouri or Kansas is going to be out of the national title picture after next weekend, so these rankings don’t mean a whole lot. Therefore, just a list this week, no comments on the teams.

1.LSU (last week: 1)

2.Kansas (last week: 4)

3.West Virginia (last week: 5)

4.Missouri (last week: 6)

5.Ohio State (last week: 7)

6.Georgia (last week: 8)

7.Arizona State (last week: 9)

8.Oklahoma (last week: 3)

9.Hawaii (last week: 10)

10. Florida (last week: NR)

Dropped out: Oregon (not just because they lost, but because without Dennis Dixon, they’re not a Top 10 team).

Big Apple Con - The National

A while back, PooZ and I made plans to attend the first day of this year’s National convention in New York, and Friday was that day. We’ve been planning this for months. We bought our tickets well in advance. We asked for the day off from work. I stayed at his house the night before the show. So we had this all planned out well, right?

Wrong.

For some reason, both of us were under the impression that the convention started at 10:00 a.m. We got up at 5:30, left his house at 6:00 and took a 7:17 train into New York City. We walked from Grand Central Station to the Hotel Pennsylvania, and when we walked in at 9:01, we were greeted by ... some guys setting up who had no idea what we were doing there. D’oh.

Turns out the doors were scheduled to open at 1:00 p.m., not 10:00 a.m. Whoops. Honestly, though, that was the only part of the day that went wrong. To pass the time, after we got some breakfast, we stopped by Nintendo World, which was 15 blocks away. For some reason, I never walk anywhere when I’m home, but I’ve got no problem walking everywhere in New York, even on my busted-up ankle, which is still in so much pain.

To be honest, both PooZ and I were a little underwhelmed by Nintendo World. It was less a “world” and more a “store that sells most of the same Nintendo games and hardware you can buy at any other store”. Sure, there were some museum pieces (including a GameBoy that was near-destroyed in the Gulf War but still worked), and some Nintendo-related clothing and stuff, but mostly it was just a big store. A big store that had a huge line of people waiting to buy Wiis (oh, those were the days!).

After we left Nintendo World, we stopped at the official NHL Store, which was pretty nice. I almost bought a Gretzky Oilers jersey, but decided to save my money. We did play a nice game of NHL ’08 -- I was the Flyers and PooZ was the Islanders, because those were the two teams it was on when we picked up the controllers -- and we tied 1-1 through the first two periods, before I figured out how to completely destroy Rick DiPietro and started scoring on PooZ at will.

So that was it for the non-comic portion of our day. We walked back to the hotel, and got in line outside. Then we found out the pre-order line was inside, so we got in that line (once again, we’re AWESOME with the planning). Finally, our plan came together. We spotted Adam Hughes’ booth from the line and made the plan to dash there immediately once we were in. You see, the way Adam Hughes’ commission list works, he takes names for the first 5-10 minutes after the doors open, then selects names randomly off the list to do sketches. PooZ has been on the list at three previous conventions, but has never gotten a sketch. I’ve never even been on the list (or even at a convention he was at), and PooZ said to me, “no joke, if you get a sketch and I don’t, I’ll kill you and sell the sketch.” I’m pretty sure he was kidding.

OK, so after we got on Hughes’ list, we took a quick walk around the upstairs section. And that was a slight disappointment. It’s not that it was bad, it just wasn’t anything special. Plus, at this point, I had a bag full of books to get signed and neither Tim Sale nor Ron Garney were there. We did find out though that Tim Sale would be at a table in the first floor Artists Bullpen, which was convenient.

We went back downstairs and watched Adam Hughes draw for awhile. Eventually, Tim Sale showed up and I got in his line. Not only was it not a huge line, but it moved quickly, and I got my Spider-Man Blue set signed by him. I’ve now got the complete collection signed by both him and Jeph Loeb, which was my main purpose in going to this event.

After finishing up with Tim Sale, I re-joined PooZ, who was watching Adam Hughes finish up his 2nd sketch of the day. Adam was working at a pace that would probably allow him to finish no more than 5 sketches, out of a list of 35, so obviously we had some concern. Then he started his third sketch. It was obvious that the request was stumping him; he wasn’t quite sure how to draw it. Then PooZ got a glimpse of the rough outline and almost peed himself: it was PooZ’s sketch!

Adam took almost 2 hours to finish PooZ’s piece, which sadly I forgot to get a picture of. It’ll be on his ComicArtFans Gallery soon enough. PooZ got up to go to the ATM, and I asked him to get me a soda. Plus, I think he just needed some time to breathe, since he was getting a sketch by one of his favorite artists. When he came back, he sat down and started watching again, then after about 2 minutes he realized “oh crap, I forgot your soda.” Yeah, his mind was definitely elsewhere. During the drawing of the sketch, PooZ got up and left multiple times, because he was so nervous. He wasn’t even there when the sketch was done, so Allison Sohn -- Adam’s assistant and a great artist in her own right -- slipped the sketch into the front of Adam’s print book, which meant a whole bunch of people got to see it and be impressed by it. When PooZ finally came back to pick up his sketch, he couldn’t have been happier.

The next sketch Adam did was just as detailed and just as amazing and took almost as long. The day was coming to a close and it was obvious that Adam would only be able to get one more sketch done. At this point, I was semi-nervous. I hadn’t really even planned on getting a sketch, but at this point, I’d sat there all day watching, so I kind of wanted something. Allison briefly spoke to Adam, then Adam sat down and started sketching. When he started, he had the book close to him, so I couldn’t see what he was doing, but at one point, PooZ caught a glimpse and leaned over to me and said “that’s Gellar”. As in “Sarah Michelle Gellar” (who, as an aside, just changed her name to “Sarah Michelle Prinze” to take the name of her husband). That’s right, Adam was doing Buffy, my Buffy! I tried to hide my excitement, but I must have broken out in a huge smile.

Adam didn’t finish the sketch until after 8:00, when the convention was supposed to be closed. I didn’t care about waiting. I was just so happy when it was done. On the way back home, PooZ and I actually gave each other a high five in celebration of our successful day. It’s not often that two people can go to a convention and both get sketches from one of the best artists in the business. Plus, getting to watch him do his work all day, and just talk with him, was pretty damn cool.

We had planned on going to 99 to eat after we were done with the convention, but by the time we got back home it was so late and we were both pretty tired from walking around all day so he just dropped me off at my parents’ house (where my car was) and I went home. All in all, though, a pretty damn good day.

Saturday, I got a frame for my new piece and added it to my ComicArtFans Gallery. I also went to A.C. Moore to get a quote on a custom frame job for my “Spider-Man Blue” set-up. I plan on getting the 6 individual signed issues framed with the two original pages I own. It’ll be a fairly expensive frame job, but it’ll be worth it. I’ll be sure to post pictures once its done.

Barry Bonds Indicted

Well, the other shoe in baseball’s steroids problem finally dropped Thursday afternoon, as the federal grand jury on Barry Bonds handed down an indictment on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice.

My first reaction to this is that we’ve now definitely seen the last of Barry Bonds on a baseball field, and maybe as a public sports figure period. Obviously Bonds will be in the public eye throughout his trial -- with the first hearing scheduled for Dec. 7 -- but this has the potential to be an O.J.-like situation in that regardless of the verdict, Bonds will never be involved in sports again.

As I wrote in my blog back in April, this is the kind of story that makes me sad to be involved in sports media. To quote “Sports Night”, which I did in that entry back in April:

“Any atrocity, no matter how ridiculous or hideous or childish, it doesn't matter. I make it sports. Ten cent bag man whacks a skater's leg with a crowbar, that's sports. Second round draft pick gets cranky in a Houston bar, and that's sports. And let's not forget the mother of all great sports stories: a double homicide in Brentwood.”

So the same week that O.J. is sent to trial again, the federal government indicts Barry Bonds. It looks like 2008 is going to be another tough year to be a sports fan.

This Week in “Buffy” History: November 12-18

November 12
2002 - Episode 7.07 “Conversations with Dead People” airs on UPN
2003 - Angel Episode 5.07 “Lineage” airs on The WB

November 13
1981 - Rachel Bilson born (played Coleen in episode 7.18 “Dirty Girls”)
2001 - Episode 6.08 “Tabula Rasa” airs on UPN

November 14
1949 - Gary Grubbs born (played Roger Burkle on Angel)
1960 - Jim Abele born (played Connor’s father on Angel)
2000 - Episode 5.07 “Fool for Love” airs on The WB
2000 - Angel Episode 2.07 “Darla” airs on The WB

November 16
1999 - Episode 4.07 - “The Initiative” airs on The WB
1999 - Angel Episode 1.07 “Bachelor Party” airs on The WB

November 17
1928 - Rance Howard born (played Marcus Rosco in Angel Episode 3.04 “Carpe Noctem”
1972 - Leonard Roberts born (played Forrest Gates in season 4)
1997 - Episode 2.09 “What’s My Line (Part I)” airs on The WB
1998 - Episode 3.07 “Revelations” airs on The WB
2002 - Angel Episode “Apocalypse, Nowish” airs on The WB

November 18
1961 - Nick Chinlund born (played Major Ellis in season 5)
1979 - Elizabeth Anne Allen born (played Amy Madison)

College Football Top 10

Another one bites the dust. Or, more accurately, another No. 1 bites the dust. This week, it’s Ohio State going down, and making room for just about every one-loss team in America to get back into the national title picture. So here’s how I’m breaking things down this week -- Jay-Z style (each team gets assigned the name of a Jay-Z album. And please remember to vote in my poll, conveniently located at the bottom of these rankings.

1. LSU (last week: 2)
“American Gangster”
This selection of album has no significance to how I view the ranking of the album. Just wanted to clear that up. The reason I’m picking this to represent LSU is they’re the most gangster team out there. They don’t give a fuck what you think, they’re gonna do things their way, and let the shit hit the fan. It sure makes for fun football to watch.

2. Oregon (last week: 3)
“The Blueprint”
Oregon found this season’s blueprint for success this week -- don’t play! Honestly, though, the Ducks blueprint has been to score lots of points, behind an offense that’s just scary good when Dennis Dixon is at his best.

3. Oklahoma (last week: 4)
“The Dynasty: Roc La Familia”
The Sooners are probably the closest thing we have to a dynasty in college football these days. They seem to be in the BCS title game every couple years, though they -- like everyone else in the BCS era -- have only won a single BCS title.

4. Kansas (last week: 6)
“Reasonable Doubt”
Ya know, we’re two weeks away from the end of the season, and I still feel like Kansas hasn’t played anyone. Their season finale is against Missouri, and if they win that one, then they’ll probably get Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Win both of those, and all doubts will be removed.

5. West Virginia (last week: 5)
“The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse”
The gift is Pat White, and how amazing he’s been lately. The curse is that Steve Slaton seems banged up, and while this team can win the Big East with a banged up Slaton, they can’t be taken seriously on a national scale without both of their stars healthy.

6. Missouri (last week: 8)
“Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter”
They’re the third Big 12 team I have ranked in my top 6, thus the Volume 3 reference. And right now, I’ve got no evidence to prove that they’re better than Oklahoma or Kansas, so they’ll stay at third until something big happens.

7. Ohio State (last week: 1)
“Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life”
It truly is a hard knock life for the Buckeyes, who I don’t think were caught looking ahead at all. I just think they ran into a team with some talented youngsters on offense that they couldn’t stop. OSU can still get to the Rose Bowl if they beat Michigan last week, but after the loss to Illinois, and the memory of last year’s title game in the voters’ minds, I don’t think they’re a serious contender in the BCS title game race.

8. Georgia (last week: NR)
“The Black Album”
The Bulldogs broke out their rarely-seen black jerseys on Saturday, then broke open what looked like a close game against Auburn. Honestly, because the Dawgs lost so early in the season (2 losses by the 1st week of October), they’ve been kind of off the radar, but big wins against Florida and Auburn have proven they’re for real.

9. Arizona State (last week: 10)
“In My Lifetime, Vol. 1”
This is only the 2nd time in my lifetime that Arizona State has had a relevant football program, and they almost choked away that status Saturday against a disappointing UCLA team. Still, surviving a conference road game against an unranked team is actually becoming a big deal in college football this season.

10. Hawaii (last week: 9)
“Kingdom Come”
Did you see that hit on Colt Brennan? Kingdom Come is almost where Brennan ended up. Holy crap. It took all the effort I had not to yell out in the studio when I saw the hit live. If Brennan is out for any extended time, Hawaii is done.

Dropped out: Boston College

I’m going to skip the “big games” preview from now on, because at this point, any game involving a team in my top 6 is really a big game. But don’t forget to vote in the Jay-Z poll!

Three to Get Ready: November 10-12

A look ahead at the three sporting events I’ll be watching this weekend (and yes, because of the NFL season and my standard work schedule, Monday counts as part of the weekend. Friday does not. My life is weird like that. But hey, welcome back NBA!).

Saturday, November 10
Kansas at Oklahoma State, 8 ET on ABC

Kansas is unbeaten. Let that sink in for a second.
Ok, good now? Seriously, the Jayhawks are not only unbeaten, but have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, and a defensive back (Aqib Talib) who might be the most athletic player that anyone has on that side of the ball. Plus, they're playing OK State, and crazy coach Gundy, who could always go off after the game.

Sunday, November 11 (happy birthday, mom!)
Vikings at Packers, 1 ET on FOX
The Packers are 7-1 and feature not only Brett Favre, but a pretty solid rushing defense. That defense is bound to be tested Sunday against Adrian Peterson, who has reached "must-watch" status. He ran for 296 yards last week and honestly looked like he wasn't even trying that hard. Sure, this guy is one popped collarbone away from never playing again, but while he's there, and running hard, please watch him. He's on pace for 2,000 yards this season, and could challenge Eric Dickerson's single-season record. He was the real deal at Oklahoma, and he's the real deal in the league.

Monday, November 12 (happy birthday, Sammy Sosa!)
Cavaliers at Nuggets, 9 ET on NBA TV
LeBron vs Carmelo is always a show, but the stakes have been raised since LeBron made it to the Finals last year. In fact, out of the 2003 Draft's Big Three (LeBron, Carmelo and Wade), 'Melo is the only one who hasn't reached the Finals -- and he hasn't even won a playoff series. HOWEVER (as Stephen A. Smith would say), Carmelo is 5-2 against LeBron in their career meetings (he was suspended for the first Cavs-Nuggets game last year), and LeBron has scored just 20.2 PPG career against 'Melo's Nuggets.

Friday Morning Ramblings - Gangster Edition

• I saw “American Gangster” last weekend, and I have to say, it’s probably the best movie I’ve seen this year. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are two of the best actors in the business, and getting them to play the lead roles in a great story like this was just incredible. Plus, even though the movie is almost three hours long, it never feels like its dragging. I highly recommend seeing it. If you’re not a theater person, fine, but I’m not sure I’d recommend waiting until it comes out on DVD. It’s that good.

• Two more quick points on the movie: very damn good, but still not my favorite Denzel movie, and still not my favorite gangster movie. The first is “He Got Game” and the second is “Scarface”, which is one of my 10 favorite movies of all-time (that’s 3 I’ve listed if you’re keeping track -- and I know you are).

• Not specifically about “American Gangster”, but a general point on Denzel: he’s freakin’ awesome when playing a real person. Check out some of these roles in reverse chronological order: Dr. Jerome Davenport in “Antwone Fisher”, Herman Boone in “Remember the Titans”, Rubin Carter in “The Hurricane” and the ultimate one, Malcolm X in “Malcolm X”. I know he won his Oscar for “Training Day” but he’s at his best playing a historical character.

• Jay-Z’s new album dropped on Tuesday (for those counting, that’s 2 new studio albums since he “retired” after “The Black Album”) and it’s inspired by “American Gangster” (it also shares the name). I really like the album. I don’t think it’s his best, but I do think it’s the most socially relevant. The lyrics are on point, and the beats are pretty damn good too. Personally, I think “The Black Album” is Jay-Z’s best album, but if you want your opinion heard, then vote in the poll to the left (or on the main blog page).

• I know the Warriors are 0-5, but Baron Davis is turning into the NBA’s biggest on-court gangster. As in, he’s a fuckin’ bad ass. He picked up his 5th foul with 10 minutes left in the game, but stayed in the game and played the rest of the way, almost carrying the Warriors to another win over the Mavericks. He finished with 37 points, and is averaging 24.8 PPG this season. Plus, he had a serious throwdown on a follow dunk Thursday, though it wasn’t as good as this one.

Fave 5 - Canadians

I know this is random but I wanted to do this Fave 5, my Fave 5 Canadians (not to be confused with my Fave 5 Canadiens, a list topped by Rocket Richard and Patrick Roy).

5. Wayne Gretzky

Speaking of hockey, how can you not like The Great One? He’s not actually my favorite hockey player, but he’s the one who’s got the whole package -- numbers, legend, hot wife, etc. Plus, when a whole league retires your number, you must be damn good.

4. William Shatner

Doubt this pick? Have you seen “Wrath of Khan”? It’s one of my 10 favorite movies of all-time (and if you’re keeping track, that’s “Clueless” and “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” in my top 10... piece-by-piece, I’m going to reveal the entire thing).

3. Avril Lavigne

I have no idea why I’m so attracted to her, I just know I am. I know she’s weird-looking, I just don’t care. I know “Girlfriend” is a bad song, but I can’t stop humming it. It’s catchy as all hell. There’s just something about this chick. I think it’s ‘cause she’s Canadian.

2. Alex Trebek

Let’s be honest. Real Alex Trebek is pretty cool. But SNL Alex Trebek is a freakin’ God. Here’s the proof.

1. Dr. James Naismith

What can you say? The man invented basketball. THIS guy perfected it.

Tuesday Afternoon Mini-Ramblings

• So last night’s episode of “Heroes” was incredible. I couldn’t believe the ending. My jaw actually dropped and stayed that way through the closing credits and preview of next week’s episode. Holy crap. That’s only the second time I can remember being so shocked by an ending to an episode (the other being the season 4 finale of “Alias”). And by the way, I’m so thrilled that David Anders is sticking around, and is back to being bad. He’s the fucking man. Plus, he gives me my weekly “Alias” fix (because Michael Vartan’s new show “Big Shots” is likely going to be cancelled soon, and rightfully so).

•The NBA season is a week old now, and I’m going to post my playoff predictions, which I formulated before the season. But here are some quickie thoughts on the first week:

•Team that’s better than I thought: Orlando Magic. Sure, they could still implode, but I doubt it. Dwight Howard is for real, Rashard Lewis is earning his dough, and Hedo Turkoglu looks revitalized (well, actually, he looks as ugly as ever, but he’s playing pretty).

•Team that’s worse than I thought: Washington Wizards. I still feel like they’ll get it together, but maybe Agent Zero’s insanity has finally gotten to them.

•Team that’s better than it looks: Cleveland Cavaliers. Remember what I said about their early-season schedule. Sure, it’s possible they’ll start 2-8. They’ll still win 45 games.

•Team that’s worse than it looks: New York Knicks. Sure, they’re 1-1, and they’ve played two close games, but don’t be fooled. This is a 32-35 win team.

• Now for those long awaited playoff predictions:

Eastern Conference

1 Celtics def. 8 Raptors

2 Bulls def. 7 Nets

6 Pistons def. 3 Wizards

5 Heat def. 4 Cavaliers

Heat def. Celtics

Bulls def. Pistons

Heat def. Bulls

Western Conference

1 Spurs def. 8 Lakers

2 Suns def. 7 Grizzlies

6 Jazz def. 3 Mavericks

5 Rockets def. 4 Nuggets

Spurs def. Rockets

Suns def. Jazz

Spurs def. Suns

Finals

Spurs def. Heat

This Week in “Buffy” History: November 5-11

November 5

1937 - Harris Yulin born (played Quentin Travers)

1949 - Armin Shimerman born (played Principal Snyder)

2001 - Angel Episode 3.07 “Offspring” airs on The WB

2002 - Episode 7.06 “Him” airs on UPN

2003 - Angel Episode 5.06 “The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco” airs on The WB

November 6

Unknown Year - George Hertzberg born (played Adam)

2001 - Episode 6.07 “Once More, With Feeling” airs on UPN

November 7

2000 - Episode 5.06 “Family” airs on The WB

November 8

1981 - Azura Skye born (played Cassie Newton in season 7)

November 9

1999 - Episode 4.06 “Wild At Heart” airs on The WB

1999 - Angel Episode 1.06 “Sense & Sensitivity” airs on The WB

November 10

1948 - Vincent Schiavelli born (played Uncle Enyos in season 2)

1997 - Episode 2.08 “The Dark Age” airs on The WB

1998 - Episode 3.06 “Band Candy” airs on The WB

2002 - Angel Episode 4.06 “Spin the Bottle” airs on The WB

November 11

1975 - Eyal Podell born (played Lawson in Angel episode 5.13 “Why We Fight”)

College Football Top 10

Hey, look everyone: it's the return of the mushroom cloud! That's what happens when your No. 1 team sees its Heisman Trophy candidate throw a dream-crushing interception in the final two minutes of the game. Damn you Matt Ryan. If not for your horrible, horrible pass my top 6 all would have won this week and I'd be looking like a college football genius. Instead, I've got to put Ohio State at No. 1 like the rest of the lemmings out there.

1. Ohio State (last week: 2)

I really, really don't like this team. But at this point, I hope they beat Illinois next week and then lose to Michigan in the Big House. Because nothing would sum up this season more than the No. 1 team in the country closing its season by losing to a team that opened the season by losing to Appalachian State (and in my opinion, if Michigan goes to the Rose Bowl, then Appalachian State should at least be in the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl or whatever that thing is now).

2. LSU (last week: 4)

This team frightens me on a weekly basis. They're 1 play away from being unbeaten, and like 1 play a game away from being .500. Yet, I'm pretty sure if they played Ohio State, they'd win by 14... or lose on a last-second play... or go to overtime... OK, so I'm really not sure about anything when it comes to LSU.

3. Oregon (last week: 5)

I jumped them over Oklahoma this week. I really wanted to jump them over LSU, too, but LSU does have 5 wins against ranked teams this season. But damn, Dennis Dixon is good. He might win the Heisman that Oregon tried to buy for Joey Harrington so many years ago.

4. Oklahoma (last week: 3)

I haven't watched this team nearly as much as I should have this season, but the little I have seen of them has been damn impressive. They have to regret looking past Colorado to the Texas game. If they don't do that, they're probably No. 1 right now (by the way, "teams who should be number 1 instead of Ohio State" is pretty much the theme this week).

5. West Virginia (last week: 6)

And speaking of teams that should be No. 1, here are the Mountaineers! How this team can roll over pretty much everyone in the nation, but can't figure out South Florida, is a mystery to me. And I don't like mysteries. I do like Steve Slaton and Pat White. I also like the fact that WVU's remaining schedule is Louisville, Cincy, UConn and Pitt.

6. Kansas (last week: 8)

I'm not sure what happened Saturday, but holy crap Kansas put up a lot of offense. The over/under on that game was 54.5. Kansas beat that, themselves, almost in the first half. If you bet the under, you probably felt like a tard.

7. Boston College (last week: 1)

I feel like a tard for having this team at No. 1 for the past few weeks. They've got lots of holes. But Matt Ryan is still good. And in this topsy-turvy college football season, he could still win the Heisman.

8. Missouri (last week: 9)

In three weeks, Missouri and Kansas play each other, likely for the Big 12 North title. Let me clarify: Missouri's football team will likely play Kansas' football team in a football game that could have national football implications. Football.

9. Hawaii (last week: 10)

I know I have this team ranked way too high. I just don't care anymore. They're probably going to go undefeated, and if UConn can find a way to upset West Virginia, then we could be looking at the worst Orange Bowl ever.

10. Arizona State (last week: 7)

I had them lower than most people going into the week, and fully expected them to lose to Oregon. But Rudy Carpenter showed me some things this week, and I was pretty impressed by him. This team should finish the regular season no worse than 10-2.

Dropped out: No one!

Looking ahead to next week, here are the games that could impact the rankings the most:

Louisville at West Virginia, Thursday, 7:30 ET on ESPN

As I wrote above, the Mountaineers should run the table, starting with this game. Then again, Louisville is better than their record would indicate (they barely lost to Kentucky and got cheated out of a win against UConn).

Kansas at Oklahoma State, Saturday, 8 ET on ABC

The Jayhawks hit the road with a 9-0 record against Mike “I’m a Man! I’m 40!” Gundy’s Oklahoma State squad. I could watch that press conference all day. Instead I’ll probably watch Kansas hang half a hundred on Gundy. Wonder what he’ll have to say after that.

Fresno State at Hawaii, Saturday, 11:05 ET

The Bulldogs, despite their three losses, are a pretty damn good team. Hawaii is going to have to play its best to maintain that perfect record. That means no 4 or 5 interceptions from you, Colt Brennan.

Fave 5 - Modern Superhero Movies

I’m sitting here watching “Spider-Man 3” on Blu Ray (which looks amazing) and thinking how, while I like this movie, it’s not my favorite of the series, and in fact, it’s not one of my favorite superhero movies period (though it is pretty damn close, mostly because I love MJ). So which ones are my favorites? Sounds like a Fave 5 to me. And FYI, I’m defining “modern” as “after ‘Batman & Robin’”, which, as an aside, might be one of the worst movies of all-time, superhero or otherwise.

5. Blade 2

The best of the three Blade movies. Wesley Snipes is in full bad-ass mode here, taking on what essentially amount to super-vampires. The final battle is extremely-well choreographed. And of the main villains in the trilogy, Ron Pearlman is by far the best actor, and probably has the best-written character to work with.

4. Hellboy

Speaking of Ron Pearlman, here he is again, this time as the hero, Hellboy. I’d never read any of the books before seeing this movie, so I didn’t know much about the characters, but unlike most first movies in a comic book series, this one doesn’t drag on with an origin. Pretty much after the opening scene, we’re into action.

3. Batman Begins

This was actually the first movie I bought on HD-DVD, and I already had it on DVD (though, honestly, it would have been the 2nd HD-DVD I got if Circuit City would have had “Serenity” in stock). I’ve probably watched it a dozen times. Christian Bale is the perfect Bruce Wayne and the perfect Batman. I can’t wait for the sequel (which will probably blow this one away).

2. Spider-Man

I know most people think the 2nd movie was better, and I’m inclined to agree, but this isn’t about “better” this is about “fave” and in this case I prefer the first one to the second one, for three reasons:

1. MJ’s hair looks better in the first movie. Actually, MJ looks better all around in the first movie. She’s smokin’ hot.
2. The upside-down kiss between MJ and Spidey. One of my favorite moments in movie history
3. The scene faithfulness to the Ben Parker story and Spidey’s role is just great. I don’t mind the modernization of the origin at all, and the death of the Goblin is exactly like in the books. So kudos.

1. X-Men 2

This movie has the best scene in any comic book or superhero movie ever: when Wolverine goes berserk in the mansion when the General’s men invade. I could watch that scene on a continuous loop for a week and not get tired of it. The rest of the movie is pretty damn good too, with a solid story, good action, and well played villains. It doesn’t have the flaws of Spider-Man, which is why I have it one spot higher.