Wizards-Cavs: who can talk more shit?

Look, let’s be honest. This is probably getting a little out of hand. Calling LeBron overrated before the series? That was dumb. Saying you wanted the Cavs when they’d knocked you out of the playoffs two years in a row? Also dumb. But now Brendan Haywood -- who’s never done anything in his career -- is stepping to the plate with this.

“He wears 23, he wants to be Michael Jordan, I can respect that, he’s a great player. You saw what Mike went through. Mike got fouled way worse than this. No one is trying to hurt him, everybody is trying to play basketball, trying to play tough. Play basketball and leave it alone.”

Ummm.... what?! Seriously. You’re talking shit? You’re Brendan Haywood. You’re a shit player. Shut the fuck up. You’re down 3-1 in the series. Moron.

As for the Cavs, we’ll, they’re not talking. But Jay-Z is. He’s got something to say about DeShawn “I talk way too much shit for someone who sucks” Stevenson. Check this out:

This Week in Buffy History: April 28-May 4

April 28
1973 - Elisabeth Rohm born (played Kate Lockley on Angel)
1997 - Episode 1.8 “I Robot, You Jane” airs on The WB
1998 - Episode 2.19 “I Only Have Eyes For You” airs on The WB
2004 - Angel Episode 5.19 “Time Bomb” airs on The WB

April 29
2002 - Angel Episode 3.19 “The Price” airs on The WB
2003 - Episode 7.19 “Empty Places” airs on UPN

April 30
2002 - Episode 6.18 “Entropy” airs on UPN
2003 - Angel Episode 4.21 “Peace Out” airs on The WB

May 1
1972 - Bailey Chase born (played Graham Miller)
1972 - Julie Benz born (played Darla)
2001 - Episode 5.19 “Tough Love” airs on The WB
2001 - Angel Episode 2.19 “Belonging” airs on The WB

May 2
1981 - Navi Rawat born (played Dana on Angel Episode 5.11 “Damage”)
1990 - Kay Panabaker born (played the Girl in the White Room on Angel)
2000 - Episode 4.19 “New Moon Rising” airs on The WB
2000 - Angel Episode 1.19 “Sanctuary” airs on The WB

May 3
1978 - Christina Hendricks born (played bar maid on Angel Episode 1.15 “The Prodigal”)

May 4
1999 - Episode 3.19 “Choices” airs on The WB

Mario Kart Wii = Legen...wait for it... dary!

Look, I have a tendency to over-sell a new video game when I first get it, but you have to understand -- Mario Kart Wii is better than all of those games combined!

Seriously, it’s fucking awesome.

Fucking awesome.

I wish I could say something else about it, but holy crap, it’s seriously just fucking awesome.

I had some doubts about the Wii Wheel, but it’s pretty solid, and I haven’t done anything more fun on a game system in a long time (yes, Mario Kart Wii is significantly more fun than Wii Sports, particularly for long-time fans of the series).

Online play is easier than it was on the DS, and much more fun, since you can use every track. The new tracks are incredibly detailed, and integrate the Miis in pretty cool ways (particularly on the mall track, where they’re not only in the crowd, but in the parking lot where they’re driving cars -- I crashed into Spiderman on my first run through the course).

Yes, I played way too long today, and I’ll probably do the same tomorrow, and for as long as PooZ, Geoff and I can get games going. Go Wii!

Redskins Draft Recap

So far, I’ve been completely unimpressed with the Redskins offseason. Jim Zorn was a terrible hire. The complete lack of participation in the free agent market was disappointing (even if previous forays into free agency have completely sucked). And the attempted trade for Chad Johnson was a “what the fuck” moment.

So, my expectations couldn’t have been lower entering the draft. But actually, I’m pretty damn impressed with what the ‘Skins got.

Devin Thomas from Michigan State isn’t a great wide receiver, but lots of people projected him to go in the first round, so to get him at #34 is a pretty good deal. He’s 6-foot-2 (OK, 6-1 and 7/8, but that’s really 6-2), which is above-average size.

Fred Davis isn’t a true top need, but if Zorn (seriously, WTF) is gonna run a two tight-end system, Davis isn’t a bad 2nd TE.

Malcolm Kelly is my second favorite player the Skins took in the entire draft -- he’s one of those receivers whose measurables don’t seem to tell the whole story. He’ll be a good pro, I’m almost sure of it.

As for the 2nd day, the 3rd and 4th round picks are both guys I’ve heard of, and who fill needs.

Of course, my favorite ‘Skins pick came at #186 overall -- Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. How will his skills translate to the pros? Who knows. But he was damn good in college, and I’m gonna love watching him play in the preseason.

Good Thursday Coming...

I kind of wish I wasn’t working tonight, so I could stay home and really enjoy two big events. As it stands, I’ll be at work, so I’ll have to make due. But that doesn’t mean I can’t preview the two things I would be watching tonight (and based on their attire in that picture, my niece and nephews will be watching at least one of them -- go Cavs!)

First up is Game 3 of the Cavaliers-Wizards playoff series, this time in Washington. The Cavs absolutely dominated in Game 2. I can’t imagine that Game 3 will be that much of a blowout, but I do have to believe that the Cavaliers can win this one. Part of me believes that Cleveland took Washington’s best shot (figuratively) in Game 1, and by winning that game, the Cavs kind of demoralized the Wizards. Washington, and particularly Brendan Haywood, resorted to thug tactics in Game 2, and that completely backfired.

Look, let’s be honest. LeBron James probably isn’t the MVP this year (the Cavs record wasn’t nearly good enough to justify it). But when it comes to the postseason, very few players, ever, have had that ability to take it to the next level like LeBron has in every postseason he’s been in. I’ve always believed that in a close playoff series, pick the team with the best individual player. And, to steal a phrase from Nike, LeBron’s best is way better than your best, so there.

Later in the night, there’s something on ABC that may actually be more exciting than LeBron in the playoffs: the return of “Lost”!

For the first time in 3 years, I’m going into an episode completely unspoiled. I’ve seen the brief TV promos, but haven’t read an article, spoiler board or anything. I want to enjoy this one fresh.

Despite what my boy John Cash says, this season is by far the best season of “Lost” so far, and it’s because the show finally has an end date. The writers no longer have to stretch things out to an indeterminate future, so they can quickly work through plots, and focus on the best stuff. I can’t wait for tonight’s episode (unfortunately, I have to wait until after work to watch it).

Wednesday Afternoon Ramblings

• Just a reminder for those of you who thought I knew what I was talking about when it came to the NBA -- I predicted both the Mavericks and Suns to win their 1st round series. On the other hand, I did place my trust in my Cavs, and so far, so good.

• “Gossip Girl” returned to the air this week with yet another fantastic episode. Is it wrong that I just LOVE Blair? I know she’s evil, and a bitch, and her manipulations are designed to make you not like her, but that’s why I love her. I’m sorry, I just do.

• Mario Kart Wii comes out this weekend, and I’ve already got my game completely pre-paid. I’m going to pick it up and play it pretty much non-stop for a day, at least. I don’t have many Wii games -- honestly, the system has kind of lost its novelty for me -- but I’m a huge fan of the Mario Kart series, and I can’t imagine it’ll be any less fun on the Wii.

This Week in Buffy History: April 21-27

April 21

2004 - Angel Episode 5.18 “Origin” airs on The WB

April 22

2002 - Angel Episode 3.18 “Double or Nothing” airs on The WB

April 23

2003 - Angel Episode 4.20 “Sacrifice” airs on The WB

April 24

1975 - Thad Luckinbill born (played R.J. Brooks in Episode 7.06 “Him”)

1977 - Eric Balfour born (played Jesse in Season 1)

1985 - Courtnee Draper born (played Annabelle in Episode 7.10 “Bring on the Night”)

2001 - Episode 5.18 “Intervention” airs on The WB

2001 - Angel Episode 2.18 “Dead End” airs on The WB

April 25

1969 - Gina Torres born (played Jasmine in Angel Season 4)

2000 - Episode 4.18 “Where the Wild Things Are” airs on The WB

2000 - Angel Episode 4.18 “Five by Five” airs on The WB

April 26

1978 - Ivana Milicevic born (played Sam Finn in Episode 6.15 “As You Were”)

LeBron James to DeShawn Stevenson: Shut the Fuck Up!

Let’s just break this down, all scientific like:

LeBron James: 32 points, 12 made shots, won game
DeShawn Stevenson: 3 points, 1 made shot, didn’t win game

Wait, who’s overrated? Well, to be fair, it’s not DeShawn, because to be overrated, you have to be rated in the first place. And DeShawn Stevenson is so far from rated, he’s below underrated. He’s like anti-rated.

As for LeBron, he doesn’t need to talk shit (despite what Soulja Boy may think). What he does is throw down violent dunks. Oh, and he’ll go gangsta on ya too. Like when he dunked over Stevenson in the 3rd quarter, then imitated Stevenson’s little “I can’t feel my face” thing. Yeah, LeBron knows what’s going on.

Sure, the Wizards are gonna try to intimidate LeBron -- they knocked him to the floor on hard fouls on more than one occasion -- but the fact is, he’s always going to come back with something like this.

Final NBA Playoff Predictions

So, I promised my thoughts on my predicted conference finals and NBA Finals, and here they are.

Eastern Conference: Celtics vs Pistons

These two teams have been on a collision course since day 1 of the season, and this series will come down to matchups. Garnett vs Sheed. Pierce vs Tayshaun. Ray vs Rip. But the big one will be Rajon Rondo vs Chauncey Billups. Now, Billups is clearly the better player here, but Rondo doesn’t need to be a star, just hold his own. If he can do that, the Celtics can handle the Pistons. If he turns into a turnover machine, then Boston could be in trouble.

My Pick: Boston in 7

Western Conference: Lakers vs Suns

Kobe vs Shaq. Kobe vs Raja Bell. Kobe vs Steve Nash. Oh, and I think the Lakers have some other players too. And despite what will be a HUGE focus on Kobe in this series (and FYI, the storylines in those matchups are “former teammates”, “Kobe vs the alleged Kobe-stopper” and “should Kobe own at least one of Nash’s MVPs?”), it’ll come down to Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. I don’t think Andrew Bynum will even be back for this series, but if he is, he should only be on the floor when Shaq is there too.

My Pick: Lakers in 6

NBA Finals: Lakers vs Celtics

What else can you say about this one? All the history, plus the superstar power of today. As much as I think the Celtics are a better team, if Kobe gets this far, his willpower will push LA over the top.

My Pick: Lakers in 6

2008 DGOW Champion: Christina Aguilera

Voting is finally closed, and we have a winner. Much to my dismay (and despite my last-minute campaigning), Kristen Bell did not pull off the upset, and Christina Aguilera prevailed.

The total vote count was 17 for Aguilera and 11 for Bell. So congrats to Christina.

Vote for Kristen Bell!

I mentioned in Monday’s podcast that I was above rigging the DGOW vote for Kristen Bell, but that doesn’t mean I’m above campaigning for her. So here it is, my shameless, last-ditch attempt to push Kristen Bell over the top with less than 12 hours remaining in the voting.. That’s Kristen Bell, aka Veronica Mars, aka super-hottie, aka the soon-to-be Desktop Girl of the Week champion (seriously, don’t vote for Christina Aguilera).

Here’s 5 reasons to vote for Kristen Bell, who is WAY nicer than Christina Skankguilera:

1.“Veronica Mars” was an entertaining, witty show that never got appreciated the way it should have due to an inherent bias against shows on The WB and The CW
2.Her spread in Maxim Magazine
3.Her appearance in Reefer Madness: The Musical
4.She was really, really nice when I met her, even though she didn’t have to be
5.She was the only new character on this season of “Heroes” who didn’t completely suck (and she’s awesome as the voice of Gossip Girl -- yes, that’s a bonus sixth reason!)

And now, 5 reasons NOT to vote for Christina Aguilera, who told me she hates you anyway (I don’t know that for certain, but you can’t disprove it, can you?)

1.Her Christmas and Spanish language albums were a total waste of everyone’s time.
2.Her X-tina period was frightening and anti-hot
3.The song “Beautiful” is both pretentious and presumptuous
4.She’s married and has a kid (seriously, what kind of home-wrecking bastard are you?!)
5.Her mommy boobies will either shrink or sag with time -- guaranteed

So there you go. It’s obvious now what you must do. Go vote for Kristen Bell, the only proper choice for America! Yes we can!

NBA Playoffs Predictions

I’m not sure why anyone would ever listen to my predictions again, after my awful job predicting the regular season and the playoffs before the season began.

But the playoffs are now actually here, which gives me a chance to try this again. Here we go.

FIRST ROUND
EAST
1. Celtics def. 8. Hawks in 4 games
2. Pistons def. 7. 76ers in 5 games
3. Magic def. 6. Raptors in 5 games
4. Cavaliers def. 5. Wizards in 6 games

WEST
1. Lakers def. 8. Nuggets in 4 games
7. Mavericks def. 2. Hornets in 6 games
6. Suns def. 3. Spurs in 6 games
4. Jazz def. 5. Rockets in 7 games (yes, the Jazz win game 7 in Houston, again)

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
EAST
1. Celtics def. 4. Cavaliers in 5 games
2. Pistons def. 3. Magic in 5 games

WEST
1. Lakers def. 4. Jazz in 6 games
6. Suns def. 7. Mavericks in 6 games

So that leaves us with conference finals matchups of Pistons-Celtics and Lakers-Suns. Those matchups... deserve their own post!

That’s right, the rest of my NBA playoffs preview, with more detail on these selections and reasons why I think any one of those Final Four can win the title, coming before Saturday’s first game.

Fave 5 - Veronica Mars Episodes

The DGOW tournament final is still going on -- voting runs through Friday, and, as I mentioned in Monday’s podcast, is still very close. As of this writing, Christina Aguilera has a mere 2 vote lead on Kristen Bell. That’s my girl, Kristen Bell, and in honor of, her, I’m choosing my Fave 5 episodes of her landmark TV series, Veronica Mars.

5. Not Pictured

The Season 2 finale wraps up the “long mystery” of Season 2 -- who caused the bus crash. It turns out to be shady Mayor Goodman -- not too much of a surprise, considering he was the new character for the season, and turned out to be pretty dirty underneath his shining exterior. The reason I love this episode, though, is our last Duncan sighting of the series. I always thought Veronica belonged with him, and not Logan, so it was nice to get one last moment with him.

4. Postgame Mortem

This is a solid episode throughout, but is elevated by the final scene, when Sheriff Lamb shows up at the end of the episode to arrest Veronica in front of her entire class. Lamb and Veronica’s dad had an ongoing feud throughout the series, and this was probably the low point for Lamb in making it personal. Not surprisingly, he died in the very next episode.

3. Pilot

The episode that lays the groundwork for the entire series. Hating Logan, shadiness with the Kane clan, uneasy truces with Weevil, it all starts here. I fell in love with Veronica and her take-no-shit attitude right away. Also, how could you not feel for Veronica during the flashback to Shelly Pomroy’s party (and the may-or-may-not-have-been raped mystery that carried through the first two seasons)?

2. Like a Virgin

With the murder mystery of Season 1, many of the episodes didn’t really feel like they were taking place in a high school world. This one did. Veronica’s rep ruined. A scandal with a virtuous class superstar. And the world’s introduction to Mac! My favorite character on the show outside of Veronica, Mac was the kind of girl I always wish I knew in high school. Plus, this episode, with the whole Lilly’s shoes/Abel Koontz visit plotline, blows open the Lilly Kane murder case.

1. Leave it to Beaver

The Season 1 finale was so far better than any other episode of the series. We find out who killed Lilly Kane and why, how the Kanes were involved in the cover up, and where Logan and Veronica are going to go. The twist couldn’t have been handled any better, and the cliffhanger at the end of the episode, once it seemed everything had been wrapped up, is just phenomenal. Check out this promo, and even if you’ve never seen an episode of this series, you’ll be psyched to watch this one.

This Week in Buffy History: April 14-20

April 14

1977 - Sarah Michelle Gellar born (played Buffy)

1997 - Episode 1.07 “Angel” airs on The WB

2004 - Angel Episode 5.17 “Underneath” airs on The WB

April 15

2002 - Angel Episode 3.17 “Forgiving” airs on The WB

2003 - Episode 7.18 “Dirty Girls” airs on UPN

April 16

2003 - Angel Episode 4.19 “The Magic Bullet” airs on The WB

April 17

1955 - Kristine Sutherland born (played Joyce Summers)

2001 - Episode 5.17 “Forever” airs on The WB

2001 - Angel Episode 2.17 “Disharmony” airs on The WB

April 18

1976 - Kevin O. Rankin born (played Donny Maclay on Episode 5.06 “Family”)

April 20

1971 - Brody Hutzler born (played Landok in season 2 of Angel)

How I Would Have Done Angel: First Night

Look, I don’t write fan fiction. I prefer to keep my ideas for my own original characters (Internal Damnation: coming sometime eventually, really...), but when I read “Angel: First Night”, I was disappointed, because I’d always had a cool vision for what happened in the alley. And now that I know my vision is NOTHING like what happened, I choose to share that vision with you, so indulge my fanboy senses for a minute or two.

We open with the final moments of “Not Fade Away”, the demon army closing in on Angel, Spike, Illyria and Gunn. Angel says his now-famous line, “Let’s go to work”, then charges at the army. He swings his sword and we hear the same clash from the episode, only now we see that Angel’s sword is clashing against... a force field.

Angel reaches out and touches the field, which has a similar vibrating essence to one we’ve seen before -- in Season 5 of “Buffy.” Angel and Spike look up and see... Willow! She explains that once Angel and his crew started killing off members of the Circle of the Black Thorn, they detected a seismic shift in power and quickly mobilized the slayer army to L.A.

Gunn makes a sarcastic comment about an “Army of 1” (seeing only Willow), and she notices his faltering state. He responds with “don’t worry, I’ll be...” then begins to sparkle. He takes a deep breath, pats his suddenly healed body, and finishes “... fine?” Willow jokingly remarks, “courtesy of the army of one.”

Because of this healing spell, however, the force field starts to falter. Willow gives the attack command, and, from seemingly out of nowhere, the slayer army appears, leaping from the rooftops to attack.

The fight begins, and with the numbers now evened out a little bit, things are going the way of our heroes. However, there is that pesky dragon to deal with. The tightness of the alley prevents him from doing too much damage, but he’s still able to whip his tail down and pick off slayers (though occasionally he nails a demon too). Finally, with the battle very much turning against the W&H forces, the dragon makes his move.

He flies up high, then begins to swoop directly at Angel, when he’s thrown violently against a building by... a missile? Everyone on the ground looks up, and sees a helicopter being piloted by one Xander Harris! “The glorified bricklayer picks up another spare!” His new slayer girlfriend, co-piloting the chopper, doesn’t get the reference, but no matter. Xander sets the chopper down on an adjacent building.

One problem... the dragon is down, but not out. He rises up and lands on the same building, prepared to take a bite out of Xander. The dragon takes a big lunge at the chopper, but his mouth comes up just short. He’s being held back by his tail -- and we see the holder is none other than our favorite slayer, Buffy!

Buffy’s arrival doesn’t go unnoticed by Spike and Angel, who both, while fighting multiple demons, look up and see her radiance atop the building. Angel quickly decapitates the primary demon he’s fighting, then uses one of his vampire super-leaps to get onto the fire escape of the building. He sprints up the stairs to join Buffy, just as the dragon was ready to attack.

Their reunion mirrors the one from “End of Days”, with the roles a little reversed. Buffy says to Angel, “you look good” to which Angel responds “You look timely... and also good.” Buffy starts to make a move at the dragon, and Angel stops her. “You wanna slay the dragon,” Buffy asks. “You heard that?” Angel responds, “it’s one of those things I have to finish myself.”

The dragon rears it’s head back, and begins to breath a plume of fire at Angel, Buffy, and the chopper, but Angel slides under the fire, under the belly of the beast, and thrusts his sword straight up into the demon. It recoils in pain and starts to stumble. Willow, watching from above, quickly teleports the slayer army back to headquarters, right before the dragon’s corpse lands in the alley, crushing the remaining W&H forces.

Buffy and Angel share a triumphant kiss -- like at the end of “End of Days” while Spike, again, is forced to watch from the distance. Illyria actually puts a comforting hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Not now, Blue” Spike responds.

Another rumble from the alley suggests things aren’t all as they seem though. A black portal begins to emerge from the dragon’s opened underbelly. Seeing this, Willow urges everyone to get out of there. Buffy hops into the chopper and tells Angel to get in.

“I’ve gotta get my people out first,” Angel responds.

The chopper lifts off and Willow follows behind in flight. Angel hops down to the alley, and Gunn asks, “so what now?”

Angel quickly responds, “now, we run.”

The black portal is too fast though, and consumes the entire city quickly -- leaving L.A. in hell (and bringing us to where we are in “After the Fall”.)

Meanwhile, Willow’s transportation of the entire army onto U.S. soil draws the attention of the government, setting the stage for their actions in “Buffy, Season 8”.

See what I did there -- I worked my vision into current continuity. I’m a freakin’ genius.

And thank you for allowing be to briefly be a total fanboy.

Friday Afternoon Ramblings

• Don’t forget to vote in the DGOW Final! The voting runs THROUGH next Friday, giving you 8 more whole days to let your voice be heard. Between the two polls (the embedded one on the front page, and the click-thru one), voting is VERY close. I’ll have more on each finalist this weekend.

• 30 Rock returned last night, and I have to say I was pretty pleased with the episode. It was funny, and smart, and pretty much everything I’ve come to expect from the show. There were plenty of shows I didn’t miss during the writers’ strike, but this was definitely one I’m glad to have back.

• In the NBA, there’s a HUGE showdown tonight between the Lakers and the Hornets. Not only could it go a long way toward deciding the top seed in the Western Conference (in fact, the Hornets can actually lock that up tonight with a win and some help) it can also help shake out the MVP race. As much as I love LeBron, and as much as KG helped the Celtics, this is a 2-man race between Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. My gut says whoever gets the top seed gets the Podoloff Trophy to go with it.

• According to PooZ’s current away message, he’s home sick. Not sure how that affects our podcast plans, but as of right now, the plan is to have a new episode up this Sunday. We’ll be talking summer movie previews, as well as baseball, so tune in for that.

Angel: After the Fall, Issue #6 Review

After the Fall was just picking up steam after Issue #5, but now we head back to “First Night”, the tale of just what happened in that alley at the end of “Not Fade Away”.

Or not.

The series is broken up into individual short stories for each character and barely shows the alley at all. In Spike’s story, it’s literally half a page. As for the rest of the story, it basically covers Spike, realizing he’s in hell, coming to enjoy the moment, then being forced back into a champion role (that he hates). The one thing that gets him to embrace it is the sight of Fred, who quickly turns back into Illyria. It’s kind of a rehash of what we already knew, but does bring back into play the affection (not in a loving way, but a friendship way) that Spike had for Fred in Season 5.

The Connor story is a little more complicated, since he wasn’t actually in the alley, he was just headed there. Same deal though, transported into a different part of Hell-A (Compton to be specific), demons all around, then the special W&H touch on hell (in this case, he gets his full memory back).

Look, we’ve got 2 more issues of this, so I hope to God that they don’t all follow the same formula. If so, that’ll get pretty boring.

As for Lorne, the final character to get his tale in this issue, I can’t say I liked it. In fact, I hated it. Poetry and weird art, not my thing. Also, there wasn’t anything new revealed in Lorne’s tale. All of it could have been inferred from previous issues.

All in all, First Night is off to a slow start. Really, though, the whole mini-series comes down to 2 characters: Gunn and Angel. Once we get their tales, we’ll be all set.

Fave 5 - Christina Aguilera Videos

The run-up to the crowning of the DGOW champ continues, and here is the first of what is sure to be many features on the two finalists, Christina Aguilera and Kristen Bell.

Today, I focus on Ms. Aguilera (the champion and 1 seed out of the Felicia Hardy region) and my choices for her best music videos. Enjoy the YouTube action and be sure to vote for your DGOW champion! (Oh, and to all those people who disabled embedding on your YouTube videos, I hate you.)

5. Dirrty


4. Hurt


3. Genie in a Bottle


2. Candyman


1. Ain’t No Other Man

What Was Isiah Thinking?

Isiah Thomas hasn’t always made the best decisions when it comes to managing the Knicks, so it’s hard to get riled up when he does something stupid.

But appearing on your opponent’s court, wearing a jacket with your opponents logo, and addressing your opponent’s crowd by saying “this is our house”, well, that’s just stupid.

Some of my co-workers, including a Knicks fan, said they didn’t mind this, because Isiah was being honored by the Pistons for his time as a player in Detroit. That’s great. He’s a Knick now. Not only is he a Knick, he’s the President and Head Coach of the Knicks.

Let’s put it this way -- if the Lakers were visiting Chicago, and the Bulls had a ceremony to honor their 6 title teams, Phil Jackson would probably participate. But he wouldn’t wear a Bulls jacket, and he wouldn’t say “this is our house” to the fans.

I mean, seriously, how can any Knicks player possibly want to play for this guy anymore. Fortunately for the Knicks, they have enough guys who want to play for themselves (I’d venture to guess, oh, 15 of them) that sometimes they get a decent effort.

But if this isn’t a sign that Isiah is done as the Knicks coach, then I don’t know what is. Seriously, can we get this guy out of the league. His horrible decisions stopped being funny awhile ago, and now they’re just said. He screwed up the Raptors, the entire CBA and now the Knicks. He should never get an NBA job again.

Buffy: Season 8, Issue #13 Review

Joss Whedon has never been one to get to the point quickly. But this issue of Season 8 of “Buffy” seems more rambling than usual. The biggest revelation of the series (that the bad guys have found a way to use the Scythe to strip the slayers of their powers) doesn’t come until the final 3 pages, and then, it’s after 19 pages of mostly Xander-Dracula hijinks.

For those that haven’t read the “Tales of the Vampires” story with Xander and Dracula, most of the interactions will seem slightly out of place. Though they do mesh with the subplot from “Buffy vs Dracula”, there are references that won’t be understood without the supplemental comic, which is unfortunate, since so far, most of this series hasn’t required much prior knowledge outside of the television series.

As for Buffy and Satsu, we get some follow up on that, thanks to Willow (who does, in typical Willow fashion, inquire as to Buffy’s bed skills). Still, we can’t say that storyline is resolved by a long shot.

As for Dracula, well, he hasn’t joined the fight yet, as the comic leaves his story unresolved at the point he is just offering up his services (to fight the shapeshifting vampires that have stolen his powers). I’ll be interested to see how well he adjusts to working with Buffy.

Oh, yeah, Buffy. She appears on exactly 5 pages of this book, and on 2 of them, she has no dialogue at all. As for the other 3, she makes two questionable decisions:

1 - sending Aiko out to track the shapeshifting vampires. Since these guys were able to break into Buffy’s compound and steal the scythe, how could Buffy not realize she was sending Aiko into danger (even if she ordered her not to engage)
2 - bringing the entire slayer squad with her. Given what we know now about what these vampires can do with the scythe, this is going to have serious consequences (at least, it should, and could set up some VERY interesting stories if some of these slayers survive the forthcoming battle, but become powerless).

I want to give this issue a higher grade than 3.5, but I can’t. I don’t grade on potential, I grade on payoff. This issue doesn’t have enough of it (plus, Dracula’s racism is funny the first time, not the next 7).

Making it to "The Show"

They call the MLB ’08 series “The Show” primarily because of its “Road to the Show” feature. It’s what set the game apart a few years back when it was added (and there were more baseball games on the market) and it’s incredibly fun.

A couple days ago, after two-plus years in the minors, my created player finally made it to the show. I earned a call-up from the Cubs, after batting .428 to start the 2010 season in AAA Iowa.

It’s funny, too, because I’ve been a catcher my whole career, but I made my MLB debut at first base, filling in for Derrek Lee. The rest of my major league appearances since then have been as a catcher, spelling Geovany Soto, or a pinch-hitter. I’m currently batting over .300, with a 9-game hit streak, so I’m hoping I can beat out Soto for the starting job (FYI, Soto is actually a pretty good prospect in real life, winning the PCL MVP last year, and batting .389 in 18 games with the Cubs).

I’m a free agent after this season, and I’m hoping to get some decent contract offers from teams other than the Cubs. I never intended to be a Cub -- I signed with the Mets when I created my player, but I was traded to the Chicago system halfway through my second season.

I captured some video of a couple at bats in my “MLB debut” and I’ll try to post them to YouTube a little bit later.

This Week in Buffy History: April 7-13

April 7
1997 - Episode 1.6 “The Pack” airs on The WB

April 8
1973 - Emma Caulfield born (played Anya)

April 9
1974 - Todd Duffey born (played Murk in Season 5)
2003 - Angel Episode 4.18 “Shiny Happy People” airs on The WB

April 11
1932 - Joel Grey born (played Doc in Season 5)

April 12
1971 - Nicholas Brendon born (played Xander)
1971 - Kelly Donovan born (played Xander double in Season 5)

DGOW Championship Set!

I swear, there was no vote-rigging involved in the semifinals (if there was, I would have advanced Hayden Panettiere past Christina Aguilera) but some people will think that, because my girl Kristen Bell (aka Veronica Mars aka Gossip Girl) has reached the final. 30 matches down, one to go. Voting is underway in this one, and will run through April 18, so that’s almost 2 full weeks to get the word out and get your vote on.

I’ll be doing posts on each girl throughout the voting period, so don’t forget to keep coming back to ÅdamReisinger.com. In the meantime, here’s some links to make you an informed voter.

Christina Aguilera (1 seed, Felicia Hardy region)
Official Site
Wikipedia Entry
Discography
SexyDesktop Gallery

Kristen Bell (3 seed, Betty Brant region)
Veronica Mars Official Site
Wikipedia Entry
IMDB Page
SexyDesktop Gallery

Angel: After the Fall, Issue #5 Review

If you’ve been reading the Angel comics (and not just the After the Fall series, but the entire IDW run), they don’t really feel like the TV series. That’s not to say they’re bad -- just different.

This issue finally stopped being different. More than any other individual Angel comic I’ve read since the Dark Horse days, this felt like an episode of the TV series (particularly from the seasons 4 and 5 era).

Basically we get the fallout from Angel’s actions in issues 3 and 4, and, of course, the gang’s all back together to help him (well, except for Gunn, who’s still bitter about being a vampire, and Wesley, who much like Seasons 3 and 4, seems to be playing both sides).

We definitely get more insight into what’s going on with Wesley, and his involvement with Wolfram and Hart, though not so much so as to give away everything else.

The defining line of the issue: “This was my fight. I was never going to ask anyone to help. Turns out... I didn’t have to.” That pretty much sums up the last two seasons of “Angel”, and is the reason I feel like this issue is more connected to the series.

Obviously, just like a good episode of “Angel”, not everything is wrapped up by the end -- not even close. In fact, the last page is a huge cliffhanger (one I’m not going to spoil for you, even though this issue is almost a month old).

Also, as an aside, the final splash page is one I’d be willing to pay big money for the original artwork. I just think it’s so incredibly cool looking.

Now the series shifts into “First Night” mode, where we get the backstories of what happened that night in the alley. I can’t say I mind finally having those blanks filled in, but it sucks to have the main story put on hold for 3 months. Oh well.

Wednesday Night Ramblings

• OK, so I’m a little behind on the comic reviews -- I’ve had Angel: After the Fall #5 in my hands for a couple weeks and haven’t gotten around to posting my review, and now #6 is already out. I promise, my review of #5 will go up on Thursday, and I’ll try to get to #6 before next Wednesday.

• Wednesday was actually a big day for me, comic-wise. In addition to the new Angel, there were new issues of Amazing Spider-Man, Anita Blake and Buffy. Usually my books are a little more spaced out, but I can’t complain about getting such a bounty in one day.

• Most of my TV shows are still on hiatus (or, in the case of “Lost”, have gone on hiatus since the strike ended), but “How I Met Your Mother” is going on 3 weeks of new episodes now, and they’ve all be fantastic. This week’s episode -- in which Barney unveils his field of 64 women he’s most wronged -- was just an inspired masterpiece. Plus, it even had a Doogie Howser reference at the end. Legen... wait for it... dary!

• I’m still working my way up to the majors in MLB ’08: The Show. At one point, my player got traded to the Cubs (not a fan) and then demoted to AA (even less of a fan). I’m back in Triple-A now, and hopefully I’ll be a September call-up.

• Speaking of video games, I’ve also started re-playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I loved this game when it came out (so much so that I’m pretty sure I finished it in less than a week -- though I finished the sequel even faster; 3 days of near-16-hour marathon sessions). It really hasn’t lost anything for me, even though I know all the plot twists by heart. This is the 5th time I’ve played it through, though the first that I’ve gone pure dark side from the beginning (at no point so far have I done anything to gain light side points, and my character is fully dark and fully corrupted, and I’ve only finished 2 planets so far). Good times.

• PooZ and I are still trying to plan our trip to Philadelphia for Wizard World, but we’re not sure if we’re going to be able to make that happen. What we will be able to make happen is a new episode of the podcast. Look for that coming in the next couple of weeks, if not sooner.

Fave 5 - Songs from Thriller

In Rolling Stone’s ranking of the top 500 albums of all time, “Thriller” checked in at No. 20. That’s absurd. It’s No. 1. I’m not a Michael Jackson apologist by any means, but seriously. Best... album... ever.

The 25th anniversary edition came out, and I purchased it on iTunes, mostly because it comes with 4 music videos, including the incredible “Billie Jean” performance at Motown 25.

So which 5 songs am I going to spin the most on my record player (if, um, ya know, any of that stuff actually happened anymore)?

5.Human Nature
Did you know there were only 9 songs on the original release of “Thriller”? 7 of them were released as singles. This one hit No. 7 on the Billboard charts, the 6th-best charting position of the album’s 9 songs. It’s a nice song, it’s got a good melody, and was sampled in one of my favorite SWV songs in the early 90s.

4.Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
Sure, this song is a little too long (6:02), which is probably what prevented it from reaching any higher than No. 5 on the charts, but it’s a fun song. Worth mentioning: the Deluxe 25th Anniversary album has a 2008 remix of this song with Akon, which is a pretty good listen.

3.Beat It
OK, now we’re into the best of the best. The next 3 songs on this list are all all-time classics. Who doesn’t, to this day, sing along to the chorus of “Beat It” when the song comes on the radio (or iPhone, or iPod, or other iDeviceToBeDetermined). It’s got the right mix of rock and pop, and the video, as cheesy as it seems now, was legendary back in the day.

2.Thriller
Yes, that’s right, “Thriller” isn’t even my top song off of “Thriller”. If we were ranking this strictly on music videos, then “Thriller” would be all 5 of the Fave 5. It’s a freakin’ masterpiece. As for the song, it’s really good. It’s fun to sing along with, and really shows of Jackson’s vocal range.

1.Billie Jean
This might be one of my favorite songs of all-time. Like Fave 5 for that list. There’s a 2008 remix with Kanye West, but don’t worry about that. What I’m happiest about with the Deluxe Version (aside from the Motown 25 performance) is that it has the long version of the song. Clocking in at 6:25, the “Billie Jean” long version is longer than any song on the original version of “Thriller” and significantly better too. Also, while the Thriller music video is regarded as the best ever, the Billie Jean video is pretty damn good too. However, I’ll leave you with the aforementioned Motown 25 performance. Enjoy.