01-02-2010 - Happy Palindrome Day!

In honor of today's date being the same backwards or forwards, I thought I'd post a few palindrome songs for your enjoyment. The first is Bob by Weird Al where the lyrics are all palindromes, and the style in undeniably Bob Dylan. The second is They Might Be Giants...I Palindrome I, from their stint on Letterman.

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 32: Setting fire to the Yule Goat

Vertically Striped Radio began 2010 by reminiscing about 2009. The Whale and Face Ventura helped me with a Magnificent 7 list of the Seven biggest stories in Sports, the Seven biggest stories in the News, and the Seven biggest stories for the Shek Republic on Dameshek.com.

We also went back to the summer of 2008 for a great moment in the history of Blog Talk Radio to hear Mike Dell of the LCS Hockey Show expound about how there was no way the Red Wings would get back to the Stanley Cup Finals...which of course, they did.

Finally, we had the Vertically Striped Music Recommendation of The Avett Brothers album "I and Love and You." which is an album I have become obsessed with this week. Flat out great music.

What the heck was going on in the sky in Norway last month?

I'm not even going to pretend like I understand what's going on here, but there are WAY to many reports of people seeing this. Obviously something was going on. The "official" story is that it was some Russian Missile test launch gone wrong. That story just doesn't pass the sniff test, though. Something funky is going down in Norway. It also happened around the time Obama was about to show up in Norway to accept his Nobel Peace Prize. Nutty stuff, so wonderfully weird.

Nice socks, fat man! Oh, and Happy New Year.

What better way to ring in a new decade than with a photo of a freakishly skinny dude boxing a fat dude with Vertically Striped Socks? Hope everyone had a safe and fun New Years Eve...I am so cool that I stayed up late with my wife watching "Almost Famous." By the time the movie was over, so was 2009. I wonder what me in my early 20's would have thought of me at 33 barely even acknowledging the new year coming and really only staying up past midnight as a coincidence that arose through watching a good movie? I think I'm officially old.

Actually, I was at a furniture store the other day with my wife and daughter, and Ellie (My daughter) wanted to play in all the fun bunk beds they had for sale. I realized how you can officially tell when you are an adult and not a kid. At the moment where you would rather fight for the bottom bunk than the top bunk...your childhood is over. Bunkbeds are cool these days, too. Part of me wants to get super rich just so that I can have a house with a killer custom bunkbed in the shape of a dragon or a castle or something. (Okay, so perhaps my childhood isn't ENTIRELY over, since this is something I would consider...) Yes, I need to get out more, but as I discussed earlier, I tend to do things like watch movies on New Years Eve...so all hope may be lost.

I have no idea what the point of this post was other than to ramble a bit, and to say Happy New Year to you all! May 2010 be the year that it all happens. (That wish was purposely vague so you can adapt it to whatever happens in 2010 and still be successful this year. It's all about managing expectations, people.) Okay, I'm going to stop typing now.

Edit: My wife says I'm lying by claiming to be cool in my early 20's. I think if you've been reading me for any amount of time that you've already figured out that I'm not cool, but just in case there was any doubt. In my early 20's...I was not cool...and my early 20's self would probably look at me and say, "Yup, that's about right." Sorry if you have felt misled.

Avett Brothers - Head full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise

I have fallen in love with this song...it's SO good.

NFL Weekend Preview: Week 17

The NFL might not have flexed the Cowboys-Eagles game to Sunday Night, but I'm guessing it's the best game of the weekend anyway.

Late in the NFL season making picks gets tricky, as not everyone puts forth their best effort. Some teams have everything to play for such as the Jets, Ravens, Eagles, and Cowboys. Other teams have zero reason to play hard such as the Colts, Saints, Bengals (maybe), and Chargers. Still other teams just don’t care anymore…see the Seahawks, Lions and Redskins. Finally, some teams have nothing to play for but pride, but seem to be playing hard anyway…such as the Titans, Buccaneers, and Panthers. In this difficult landscape, I venture forth…trying to bring home a decent season of predicting. It’s been a good season for me when it comes to making guesses about the NFL. I am still alive in the eliminator game of which I am taking part, I am in first place out of 50 some guys making picks against the spread each week, and I just won the championship in the 16 team fantasy football league made up of guys from Dameshek.com. Then of course, I’m in first place out of hundreds of entries in The Ed’s Super Deluxe Football game…so I’m having quite the pretend football season. With all of those impressive credentials on my resume…I proudly present my final week of regular season picks for the year:

Indianapolis at Buffalo – How weird is the final week of the 2009 NFL season? The Bills are favored over the Colts. When you factor in that the Colts have exactly zero to play for, and it’s likely that Curtis Painter will be behind center for the lion share of this game for Indy, it makes more sense. Still…doesn’t it seem like the Colts backups should beat the Bills starters? In a game that is completely impossible to predict…here is a prediction. Colts 20 Bills 14

Jacksonville at Cleveland – Improbably the Cleveland Browns are riding a three game win streak. Jacksonville has to be down in the dumps after blowing a chance to make the playoffs, but seriously, there was no reason the Jags should have been sniffing the playoffs. In one of the crazier developments to end the season, I’m going to say the Browns go out feeling good about themselves by improbably winning their fourth straight game. If you told me a month ago that I’d be picking Cleveland to finish with a four game win streak, I’d have told you to lay off the crackpipe. Browns 21 Jaguars 10

San Francisco at Saint Louis – Week 17 is a land of uncertainty. In these uncertain times, it’s good to know that the Rams are truly putrid. In a game that I feel so confident about that I’m sure to be wrong, but I’m going to pick it anyway. 49ers 30 Rams 7

Pittsburgh at Miami – The heart wants the Dolphins because that would be better for the Broncos. The head says that the Steelers are back, winning two tough games versus the Packers and Ravens after their late season swoon placed them in the unlikely position of being nearly eliminated. Heart wins on this prediction, Go Fins! Dolphins 24 Steelers 21

New York Giants at Minnesota – Do I take the slumping team that is eliminated or the slumping team that is in contention for the 2 seed? The Vikings have more to lose, obviously, so they may be tight. However, with as crappy as the Gigantics looked in the Giants Stadium Finale last week losing 41-9 to Carolina, I can’t in good conscious pick New York. Vikings 30 Giants 17

Atlanta at Tampa Bay – The Bucs are another crappy team that has decided to soar late in the season. They went into Seattle and crushed the Seahawks, then more impressively toppled the Saints in New Orleans the next week. With that kind of momentum, why not pick Tampa to keep up the hot streak? Especially since it’s not exactly like the Falcons are world beaters. Buccaneers 22 Falcons 19

New Orleans at Carolina – I’m feeling better and better about the Saints as they currently remind me of the 1998 Denver Broncos team that also started out 13-0, lost two straight games, and then finished up by polishing off a division rival (the Seahawks) before going on a rampage in the playoffs and sweeping to a Super Bowl Championship. I think Drew Brees has a similar run in him. The playoffs are totally unpredictable, and though the Saints are on a tiny slump, I think they right the ship in Carolina and get things in order for a deep playoff run. Saints 24 Panthers 17

New England at Houston – I’m definitely pulling for the Texans to win here and have their first ever winning season, but I don’t know if they have what it takes to take down a Patriots team that would probably like to be a 3 seed over a 4 seed. Patriots 27 Texans 13

Chicago at Detroit – The Bears actually looked solid against the Vikings winning on Monday night, so I’m going to guess that they can at least approximate what they showed six days earlier in the friendly confines of Detroit’s Ford Field…where almost everyone leaves happy except the home team. If the Lions keep improving by 2 games each season, they’ll be a .500 team by 2012! Bears 27 Lions 0

Baltimore at Oakland – The Raiders ruined the Broncos season two weeks ago in Denver, and now when the Broncos could use their help, I’m guessing they get stomped. Stupid Raiders. Ravens 34 Raiders 10

Green Bay at Arizona – Chances are good that these two teams will be facing off again next week in Arizona with a lot more on the line. Not sure how much they want to show each other, as this will feel more like a warm-up than an actual game. Both of these teams have made the postseason, and there are some interesting scenarios for the Cards that could include them getting a bye, but it’s unlikely, and I’m guessing this game will be pretty vanilla. Packers 13 Cardinals 10

Washington at San Diego – I feel like the Redskins are going to continue not trying for a head coach that is going to be cleaning out his office on Monday or Tuesday. “Thanks for the memories, Jim Zorn. Here’s one final beatdown to remember us by, with love, -The Redskins” Chargers 27 Redskins 6

Tennessee at Seattle – The Seahawks clearly don’t care about this season anymore, and I think the Titans want to finish at .500 to put a final stamp on their recovery from an 0-6 hole. Titans 29 Seahawks 20

Philadelphia at Dallas – This should be the best game of the weekend, and the winner gets the NFC East crown. Both of these teams look to be peaking as the playoffs come into view. I’ll call for overtime to decide this contest which should be an exciting one. I say the Cowboys get it done and avenge their season ending thumping at the hands of the Eagles last year. Cowboys 30 Eagles 27 (in OT)

Kansas City at Denver – In a second half of the season marked by indignities, the Broncos avoid what would be the worst mark on their record of all by taking down the very untalented Chiefs at home in a game that may or may not mean something for Denver. Broncos 26 Chiefs 13

Cincinnati at New York Jets – Hopefully this game means something for Cincinnati by the time it rolls around on Sunday Night, as I really don’t want the Jets to make the playoffs on the strength of two late season wins against teams that aren’t trying. Bengals 20 Jets 16


My Picks Scorecard:

Last Week: 8-8
Season to Date: 152-88

Christmas Decorations of the Twisted Mind. (So Good!)

I came across this story HERE, but I had to post it it's so good! I didn't write this, and this isn't my house, but wow do I dig this guy's sense of humor. It's a little late in the Christmas season to post this...but how could I NOT post something this good.

Best Christmas Decorations Ever.

“Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after two days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn’t realize that it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of the many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn’t take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.”

Powerlines: Week 16 NFL Power Rankings

Now THAT is how you rock a yellow scarf. Well done!

Down the stretch they come. The NFC is decided. The Packers, Vikings, Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys, and Eagles will vie for the NFC crown. The AFC is a bit more complicated. The four divisions are sown up, as the Patriots, Bengals, Colts, and Chargers are in. However, there are seven different teams that could potentially win the wildcards. Should be a fun final weekend. Here is how the power lies in one man's not so humble opinion...


1. Chargers - The Chargers have been red hot for the past two months, and right now I have them winning the Super Bowl. Yes, I know Norv Turner is in charge in San Diego, but I don't care. I think they can do it, and I think they will do it. There are many other teams who have garnered more press than San Diego, but they've won 10 straight and have looked impressive in doing so.

2. Colts - Peyton Manning wearing his helmet on the sidelines looking on helplessly as Curtis Painter and the Colts backups coughed up a lead and the perfect season in two quarters was a sad sight. Someone wins a Super Bowl every year, but a perfect season has only happened once. You need to go for immortality there, and Jim Caldwell's decision to punt away the game to the Jets made me sad. I think it also may have shifted the AFC karma to San Diego.

3. Eagles - If the Eagles can play the way they did in the first half against the Broncos, they could win the Super Bowl. If they play the way they did in the second half, they will lose in the first round. This team is very up and down. When they're up, they're very up. When they're down, they do things like lose to the Raiders. Philly feels like they may have revved it up at just the right time. I could see them making a run to the NFC Championship.

4. Saints - Losing to Tampa? I have to admit that I didn't see that coming. However, when a team has lost it's motivation to need to win, anything is possible.

5. Cowboys - The Pokes are looking strong, and with all that talent, Dallas sure has reason to feel good heading towards the playoffs. They'll have to win some big games on the road, but Dallas is definitely in the NFC mix.

6. Patriots - Like a bad guy from a bad horror movie, you have to cut the head off of the Patriots or else they just keep coming back. After seeming like they were dead for a large portion of the season, New England has done enough to win their division, and are one of those teams that no one will want to play in the postseason. I don't know if they have enough to win it all, but after doubting them all year...I'm beginning to fear them again.

7. Vikings - The Brett Favre implosion is happening, and not a minute too soon. It's possible that Minnesota is going to be able to put things together again and go on a run, but it's also possible that the constant attention that comes with having Brett Favre as your quarterback is starting to wear on this team. I'm rooting against Minnesota making the Super Bowl if for no other reason than I've already heard enough about #4, and if I have to endure two weeks of Super Bowl hype surrounding that man...I may lose it.

8. Packers - Green Bay is in the playoffs. Is it too much to hope that Aaron Rodgers and company get one more shot at Minnesota and make good this time? I'm definitely cheering for the Packers. They're probably not going to be able to make it all the way in a talented NFC field, but they are the team I'm pulling for.

9. Bengals - Cincinnati is a good team, but their method of winning games involves a very conservative game plan and just trying to get enough points and let their defense hold on to get the win. I don't think that's going to work against the Chargers, Patriots and Colts of the world.

10. Ravens - Baltimore controls their destiny, and with a win becomes a team that could put a scare into some favorites in the postseason. The problem with the Ravens is their propensity to drop games they should win with boneheaded mistakes. Never has that been seen in greater detail than against the Steelers on Sunday. The Ravens were the better team, but they buried their chances to win in an avalanche of mistakes.

11. Steelers - Pittsburgh looked dead a few weeks ago, but some gigantic wins against the Packers and Ravens have them back in the thick of things. They need some help to get into the playoffs, and you can be sure that the playoff favorites are hoping that they don't get that help. No one wants to play the Steelers in the playoffs.

12. Cardinals - This is about where the Cards were last season...they were winning the NFC North and heading into the playoffs with no one expecting much. The next thing you knew, they were a few minutes away from winning a Super Bowl. I doubt that kind of lightning can strike twice, but it's not impossible. The Cards are one of those teams that are better than everyone realizes.

13. Dolphins - Miami is a good team, but they will need a mountain of things to fall their way in order to make the playoffs. It's not going to happen, but they've done a good job in light of a mountain of difficulties which include losing their starting quarterback and best running back.

14. Broncos - The Broncos are probably about where they should be. They aren't eliminated from playoff contention, but it'll be unlikely that they get there. I'm hoping they get the bounces they need, but all in all, this kind of season has been far in excess of expectations and it's been fun. I'm guessing that a lot of playoff teams would rather play Denver in the playoffs than Baltimore or Pittsburgh, though.

15. Texans - Houston needs to beat the Patriots and get some help to make the playoffs. Not likely, but even if they fail, this will tie for the best season ever for the Texans. Yup, best season ever.

16. Giants - Needing a win in the final game at Giants Stadium to stay alive for the postseason, the Giants laid an tremendous egg. 41-9 to the Panthers? Poor way to say goodbye to the Meadowlands, Gigantics.

17. Titans - Tennessee is not going to advance, but what a crazy season they have had. The mere fact that they might finish at .500 after opening 0-6 is insane. Vince Young and Chris Johnson have turned a lot of heads this year, and the Titans look good for 2010.

18. Jets - It's pathetic to me that this team controls their own destiny for the playoffs. If they beat the Bengals, they're in. The Jets are not very good. In fact, if the Colts had done the rest of the AFC a favor and actually played the second half instead of basically punting the game away with something called "Curtis Painter" then we wouldn't even be talking about the Jets. It's possible that by the time this game rolls around, the Bengals will have nothing to play for and take it easy on the Jets...creating a scenario in which the Jets make the playoffs due to fortunate scheduling. In the name of justice, I demand that the Bengals beat the Jets.

19. Panthers - Matt Moore is 3-1 as an NFL starter now. Perhaps if John Fox and kicked Jake Delhomme to the curb earlier in the season, the Panthers would be in the thick of the hunt. Carolina has actually looked like a solid team since Jake got hurt and was finished for the year, and no, I don't think that is a coincidence.

20. Jaguars - I know I said that the Jets were bad, but thank God that the Jags have been taken care of for the most part. It's not impossible for them to make the playoffs, but it appears that the football gods are conspiring to make sure that it doesn't happen. The Jags would have been the worst playoff team in history.

21. Falcons - If Atlanta played in the AFC, they'd be in the heat of the mediocre wildcard team jamboree. Instead, they play in the much more sensible NFC where only good teams are making the playoffs.

22. Bears - If Jay Cutler had played all season the way he did against the Vikings on Monday night, the Bears might have been relevant in 2009. If nothing else, that performance has to give the Bears fans hope.

23. 49ers - After a first year that included publicly berating individual players and mooning his team during a postgame speech...Mike Singletary has been mostly dull and ordinary this season. A troubling series of events for people like me who prefer their coaches to be flamboyant. His boring coaching has also led to the Niners being a mostly boring team. They look destined to finish at 8-8. Zzzzzzzzz...

24. Raiders - You can accuse the Raiders of being a lot of things, but boring is not one of them. This has been a weird season for them, beating good teams like the Steelers, Broncos, Eagles, and Bengals, and yet only having won 5 games overall. In the cruelest twist of all...it appears that I will be cheering for them on the final weekend of the season, as the Broncos playoff chances are much greater if the Raiders beat the Ravens.

25. Bills - Move to Toronto already.

26. Redskins - I really hope that the Skins don't get Mike Shanahan, because I don't want a reason to like this team.

27. Browns - So, it's probably safe to say that no one expected the Cleveland Browns to mount a three game winning streak this season, and yet, remarkably that is what they have done and are riding into the postseason feeling at least a little good about themselves as a result.

28. Buccaneers - Another team that has reason to feel good about themselves. Despite the fact that they aren't very good, they've won their past two games, including a remarkable win in New Orleans.

29. Seahawks - No one throws in the towel like the Seattle Seahawks. Case in point, they have lost their last three games 34-7 to Houston, 24-7 to Tampa Bay, and 48-10 to Green Bay. It has become remarkably apparent that the Hawks just don't care anymore.

30. Chiefs - Look Kansas City, just do everyone a favor and lie down and let the Broncos beat you like they should. It's better for your draft position, and it's better for the Broncos playoff chances. No one wins should the Chiefs be victorious on Sunday, okay?

31. Lions - If you've been a Lion since 2007, that means that you have only won 3 of your last 39 games. That has to be a bit demoralizing. The Lions are just very bad.

32. Rams - The Rams are terrible. No reason to belabor the point. These aren't the droids you're looking for...Move Along, Move Along.

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game #15 - at Eagles

Leonard Weaver and the Eagles put a damper on the Broncos playoff chances on Sunday.

(Sorry this is being posted so late and is rather short, I've had family in town and then I got laid up with a nasty bug today.)

Brent Celek had a monster game against the Broncos

The Eagles game did an excellent job of showing what the Broncos are and what they are not. What they are is a plucky team who was hot at the beginning of the year and can keep it close against superior teams but what they are not is elite.

McNabb showed why he makes Philly fans crazy. In the first half, he was incredible, in the 2nd half he was terrible.

It was a story of two halves. In the first half, the Eagles were on fire and would have been up by even more had it not been for some interesting officiating and some critical turnovers that went the Eagles way. Halfway through the 3rd quarter, it was 27-10, and the game seemed all but over. However, the Broncos quickly put up 17 unanswered points to tie things up, and it was getting interesting.

Jason Avant gets lucky on a tipped ball for a touchdown.

Denver had their chance late in the 4th quarter, but Kyle Orton was unable to scramble for 9 yards, and with the ensuing punt, the Eagles were able to drive to the red zone and kick home the winning field goal.

David Akers gets the winning points, and then gets lifted off the ground.

Positives from the game:

Big game for Jabbar Gaffney, which helped since Brandon Marshall wasn't very explosive on Sunday.

Jabbar Gaffney: Jabbar had his best day as a Bronco with 7 catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns.

Turnover differential: The defense kept the Broncos in the game by turning over the Eagles three times and the Broncos only suffered one Orton interception.

Negatives from the game:

I do enjoy Kyle Orton more than I thought I would this season, but the guy just isn't very good.

Kyle Orton: Statistically, not a terrible effort, but the problem with Orton is that while he will never lose you a game, he's not very good at winning them for you either. A glaring stat from the game was that the Eagles averaged 8.3 yards per pass, the Broncos had a miserable 4.2.

2.0 Yards per carry will not take the Broncos anywhere, Knowshon.

The running game: 70 yards rushing for the game is not getting it done. Knowshon Moreno had a nice touchdown catch, but he also only averaged 2 yards a carry. Knowshon had a few decent games in the middle part of the season, but it's been over a month since he looked like anything special. I'm not giving up on the guy, as he obviously has talent, but he has not been doing much lately...of course, the offensive line isn't giving him much to work with right now either.

Stokley gets escorted off the field in the 1st quarter due to stupidity.

Brandon Stokely: Stokes got held and a penalty should have been called, but it wasn't and instead of just running off the field, he threw a hissy fit. He ran over to the ref and begged for a call, and when none was forthcoming, he threw his hands down in disgust. Unfortunately, he unintentionally smacked the refs hand when he did it, and he got kicked out of the game. Bush league move by a guy who has been very likable in his Denver tenure.

Final Thought:

Well, the Broncos aren't officially out of the playoffs yet. Part of me wants them to make it, because the playoffs are fun, however I realize it'll be a short visit if they do make it in. There are no fewer than 10 (Yes, TEN!) ways for the Broncos to make the playoffs, but they need some help. Perhaps most amazing of all is that five of those scenarios don't even require the Broncos to win.

1. Broncos win + Jets loss or tie + Ravens loss or tie
2. Broncos win + Jets loss or tie + Steelers loss or tie
3. Broncos win + Jets loss or tie + Texans win
4. Broncos win + Ravens loss or tie + Steelers loss or tie
5. Broncos win + Ravens loss or tie + Texans win
6. Steelers loss + Ravens loss + Texans loss + Jaguars loss
7. Steelers loss + Ravens loss + Texans loss + Jets loss
8. Steelers loss + Ravens loss + Jaguars loss + Jets loss
9. Steelers loss + Texans loss + Jaguars loss + Jets loss
10. Dolphins loss or tie + Jets loss + Ravens loss + Texans loss + Jaguars loss or tie

The games that are of interest to the Broncos are:

Chiefs at Broncos
Bengals at Jets
Ravens at Raiders
Steelers at Dolphins
Patriots at Texans
Jaguars at Browns

Lets hope we get lucky. Go Broncos!

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 31: Down with Santa

It was the Christmas spectacular edition of VSR. Face Ventura came on and threatened to never come back if I played Feliz Navidad again. The Ed dialed in from pump 12 where he had gotten $20 worth of gas to promote the Super Deluxe Baby Fights and explain why if you're an American you must cheer for Floyd Mayweather.

I prepared to give last rites to the Broncos season as I talked about the weird loss of the Broncos against the Raiders at Invesco last Sunday. We did a magnificent 7 list of Seven great Christmas songs and I discussed why Santa and I are not on friendly terms. Rather than doing a music recommendation, I played us out with the Weird Al Christmas classic..."The Night Santa went Crazy"