1 Down: 2 To Go

Fantasy football, its FANTASTIC! My first draft was yesterday and I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself. I got to talk smack in a league where I don't know but one person, spent an hour and a half in my favorite chair, Sports Illustrated at my side and I have to say...I missed the feeling of the draft.



Roster was as follows QB, RB, RB/WR, WR, WR/TE, K, D/ST and 8 bench spots. So now you know what I was dealing with here. "So how was the draft?," you ask. Well...

Excitement rushed through me (sad I know) as I watched the countdown reach zero, unfortunately it was another few minutes before I got to make my pick. I sat at the tenth and final spot in the draft and wanted to report on how I did well because, this is my blog and I can do what I want. I wanted to pat myself on the back...in writing. I was shocked to see not one but two WRs go ahead of my pick (Fitzgerald and Moss). Due to the snakeyness of this draft I got to have back to back picks. With that I was able to solidify my backfield by selecting Deangelo Williams and Frank Gore. The thing that makes me a little nervous is this is a WR heavy league, we have the option of starting 4. So needless to say when the draft came back to me a lot of the elite receivers were chosen. So with my third pick I wanted to guarantee a championship by drafting T.J. Houschmanzadeh. Who will throw TD passes in my fantasy football land? My next pick Philip Rivers.


Unfortunately I wasn't able to get Rivers' prime target (Antonio Gates was chosen 4 picks ahead of me) so I had to get his secondary target. I drafted Vincent and Desean Jackson (no relation). When it came back around to me, while everyone else for some reason was drafting defenses and kickers, I began building up my bench. In case of emergency with Williams I picked up his backup Jonathan Stewart. Since I had enough meat on my team I decided to have a side of Rice...Ray Rice. I wasn't done with my RB platoon. I managed to pick up two more later in the draft (Lesean McCoy, because you know Brian Westbrook WILL get hurt, and Tim Hightower, he was my homeboy last year and with the last pick in this draft I figured why not?). What I lacked was some backups for my receiving core and my QB. I knew the QB I wanted would be available on the way back when I picked McCoy and Percy Harvin. However when it came back around I decided to pull the trigger on Matt Hasselback. He came back healthy after a subpar season where he was injured most of the year. Add to the fact that I had his number one target in Houshmanzadeh and that his receiving core was coming back healthy. Speaking of receiving core, it was lacking when I made my pick of Hasselback so I decided to scoop up a TE. I grabbed Zach Miller from Oakland, he's their best receiver after all.

I feel pretty great about my team. I think Hasselback could have a bounce back season and if he doesn't Rivers should do his thing. Of course I did forget something, my K and D/ST. I grabbed just one of each, Jason Elam (K) and the Titans D/ST. At the time they were the best ones left. I honestly don't care if Albert Haynesworth isn't there, the D line enters beast mode on a regular basis. Speaking of beasts, Keith Bullock is definitely a monster in the MLB slot.

Sports Illustrated gave me a good rating for my draft, I mean by their accounts the second best fantasy RB is on my team along with the best K and the fourth ranked QB. My receiving core is lacking but I am thinking that they will be pretty solid. The problem I have, maybe its irony, is this isn't a SI league. Its ESPN, maybe I should have used their rankings. Oh well, that is 1 down and 2 more drafts to go this upcoming Sunday. So like Aldo the Apache I have to say "Ari va darchi!" (for those Italian speakers out there, I am sure this is spelled wrong, this is how Brad Pitt's character in Inglorious Basterds says it...and yes it is hilarious when he does)

Why Not Us? : 5 Guys That Could Go #1

What is great about a fantasy blog in mid August? Timing! So while it has been forever since I blogged about a passion of mine, I figured with my first draft being next Sunday, it's about time another one was posted by yours truly.

For those who play fantasy football, who enjoy mocking their friends/relatives/frenemies(at least during the season...in some cases) for totally selecting a player too early and who suck so bad you are coming to me for advice (or maybe a laugh), I thought you might want to know surefire people you can take with the first pick in your draft. While I know that this is only a select few who get this honor, it's nice to help the LA Clippers of the fantasy football world. So let's get the old pig skin rolling!

Unlike my previous Guitar Hero posts, these are in order for a reason. Like it says in the title, they are all awesome and I am no expert (although I have one it all once....in CBS...which among my frenemies apparently that doesn't count).

1. Adrian Peterson - RB - Minnesota Vikings

Who is shocked to see A.D. at the top of the list? Not me! Like LT before him All Day can do just that, run all day. No matter what defense it is he can always make something ridiculous happen. He is due for at least two 20+ point games per season and with most people's luck (like me) he will do it in a week when you don't need him. Let's go over the positives of Peterson, he's Adrian freaking Peterson. "What does that mean?," asks Joe Blow. What that means is he is a home run hitter able to break 20 yards or more in a single bound. He faces a normally stingy D at least twice in his own division however Green Bay is switching to the 3-4 which is probably going to take time and Detroit is...Detroit. Until they win a game (not practice, not practice, not practice, a game says Allen Iverson) they get no respect.

With every player however there are negatives that have to be pointed out. He is not running all day when it comes to being inside the 10. Chester "TD Poachapotumus" Taylor seems to get just as many carries (or catches, he is a better receiver out of the backfield) when they are needed most as Peterson. Also during playoff time(fantasy playoff time that is) where is Peterson? He isn't giving the fantasy numbers that other dominating backs seem to get later in the year. At least he hasn't yet, no TDs in weeks 14-16 last season. His fumbles more then doubled from 2007, he had 9 in 2008. Hopefully for any Peterson owners this year that number will drop. Let's also remember that as of the start of the season Brett "Should I Stay Or Should I Fish" Favre isn't their quarterback. The Vikings have a special recipe for an explosive offense, they have added some Sage....Rosenfels...I know I know, lame lame lame. Rosenfels can air it out just do not leave the ball in his hands at the end of the game. We know what happens when you do.

Prediction: 1,682 yards, 13 TDs, 20 Rec, 120 yards, 1 TD, 15 highlight worthy runs

2. Michael Turner - RB - Atlanta Falcons

This is who I compare Peterson to last season when I am talking about showing up in the fantasy playoffs. He scored every week not to mention a spectacular week 15 (152 yds, TD, 30 rec yds) where he owned the Bucs. I am willing to bet the Chargers would part with LT if they knew the Burner was going to produce like this. A lot of people credited Matt Ryan with reviving the Falcons franchise, easy Romeo. Let us not forget that this was one of the top rushing teams last season thanks to a large part of Michael Turner (who, again comparing to Peterson, had more then double the carries inside the 10 [17] as Peterson[7]) and Jerious Norwood. The team itself ranked 2nd in the league behind the Giants. A great positive that was missing last year is something the team couldn't avoid. Matty Ice is a rookie no more. What did the team do for him in the offseason, they got him a young QB's best friend. No not a dog Michael Vick, they got him a surefire Hall of Fame TE in Tony Gonzalez. So prepare for the passing game to open up plenty of opportunity for Turner to burn more people then Jim Rome.

Now when looking for negatives with Turner it is a little more difficult than with Peterson. Or is it? I mean the guy only had 3 fumbles last season. Turner was in his first full season as a full time, ball hawk, goal line work horse back and owned the soul of those who doubted him. He didn't just truck people at the goal line he was seen being the Burner of old as well. The question remains in my head, can he do it again? In my heart I have to say yes. Now I know someone is going to bring up Norwood as a potential carry stealer from Turner. Someone would be right but Norwood is more used in the return game. Usually when he gets a TD it is because he makes one guy miss then explodes down the field for a 50+ yard score. Also the Falcons are going to pass the ball a little bit more, I imagine they have the utmost confidence in their QB of the future now. Especially with all the weapons at his disposal.

Prediction: 1,753 yards, 20 TDs, 6 rec, 45 yds, 2 TDs, 80 burned defenders

3. Drew Brees - QB - New Orleans Saints

This guy can throw for 4,500 yards and 30 TDs in his sleep. Yet another guy who got away from the Chargers (not like Philip Rivers isn't also doing his thing). Brees is the general of a Saints offense that all they do is score touchdowns. When they step onto the field of battle there is an 85% chance that when driving down the field, when they score(and they will score) Brees will have resulted in the touchdown. He has more weapons at his disposal then North Korea and no weird looking glasses. He's like Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers, he can make it rain out there if he wanted to. Last season Brees threw for the regular season passing record and fell short however if you owned him in fantasy you thanked your lucky stars since he finished with 5,069 yards and 34 TDs. This was in a surprisingly powerful NFC South division with the Bucs, Falcons and Panthers stouting some tough defenses. Unfortunately the reason his numbers were so blown up was because their own defense was poor which resulted in Brees having to bring the team back from the dead on a regular.

The biggest issue I have with Brees is when he's on, look out. When he's off, he throws 4 interceptions and maybe a touchdown. That is if you are lucky. He did finish with 17 int.(consider some of those purple hearts) last season which was partially because of what I said before. Being behind, he took a lot of chances. Also as his owner you aren't really sure which one of his weapons to pick up. The smart money is on Marques Colston or last year's surprise Lance Moore (definitely not Jeremy "Shocked I didn't Score" Shockey). As long as one of them is on a roster with Brees the sky is the limit, but on those off weeks...the limit's the sky.

Prediction: 4,585 yds, 31 TDs, 16 int, 2 rush yds, 0 TDs, 3 purple hearts

4. Larry Fitzgerald - WR - Arizona Cardinals

He makes catches like this one on a regular basis. Now before you say, "A receiver with the first pick?!?," hear me out. Fitz is by far #1 on everyone's fantasy list as far as WR, if your league is heavy on WR or RB like mine you might enjoy having Fitz and scooping up another quality receiver in the third or fourth round. Most leagues use the snake format for drafts meaning you would have your first pick (taking Fitz you would completely upset whoever picks last in your draft) then the second and third pick would be back to back. Imagine lining up on Sunday with Fitz and Brandon Marshall/TJ Who's Your Mama. What if T.O. falls that far? Take a RB and a WR to control your destiny. Backs do fall off trees(if you do your research) but face the truth with later round picks of receivers. They are just filler. Not real point magnets. Back to Fitz, he had a career year last season(with reception yards and TDs) and when Boldin got hurt Fitz stepped up. He had 3 multi TD games not even including the postseason. After that performance, those numbers are going to go up. Why would Warner, Leinart or St. Pierre look to anyone else? Throw it to the man with stick em for hands.

As long as those hands don't fall to the dreaded Madden cover curse...everything should be fine. All players who have graced the cover either get hurt or take a turn for the worse in statistics later in the season. I like Fitz so I am hoping that this doesn't happen. Let us also remember that he is a receiver. He isn't going to get an owner a double digit point total on a weekly basis. In fact there might be a week or two where he scores under 5 points. A lot of running backs break our hearts as well but this will be the beef that a lot of people have with the pick. Take a chance, take Fitz #1!

Prediction: 90 receptions, 1,405 yards, 15 TDs, 45 "omg he caught that" moments

5. Maurice Jones Drew - RB - Jacksonville Jaguars

Pocket Hercules is no joke. In fact I should punch myself for not having him higher on this list. The organization feels he is the real deal, if they didn't they wouldn't have sent the franchise leader in yards packing. So with no Fred Taylor to steal carries, only the opposing D can stop him. In his own division the Colts can't, the Titans can try and the Texans are still young. MoJo is ready to have his first season with over 200 carries (easy, I'm guessing 300 touches). Last season with 197 carries he finished with 824 yards and 12 TDs. All those numbers are going to go up. That doesn't even cover his ability to catch the ball in the flats and juke a guy out of his cleats before gaining 20 yards down the sideline. As long as the team leaves MoJo in during goal line runs (his height would help, "where did he go?!?") he could be a top tier back that could have you kicking yourself at the end of the season when he outperforms Adrian Peterson.

Like Peterson, Mojo loses the ball. Getting the occasional cold, causing him to cough up the football. In split carries last season he had 4 fumbles with 2 of them being lost to the other team. I miss the days of having a back like Barry Sanders who didn't fumble. Period. As an owner, if the positive aspects of his game are going up one would have to guess that so are the negative. Also what if he really isn't ready to carry the load? What if the team still splits time in the backfield? Is the passing game going to improve with Torry Holt causing them not to run the ball as much as before? Does his size really matter? Well, for those who own him, lets hope not.

Prediction: 1,260 yards, 18 TDs, 65 rec, 572 yards, 4 TDs, 30 in game height jokes.

So there you have it. I am no expert, just a man with an opinion. If you have an opinion (there is a saying about everybody having one) let me hear it. Well read it that is.

10 Out of the Ordinary Songs for Guitar Hero

With the recent release of Guitar Hero: Smash Hits I(and the American public) feel like we have been let down. While I am happy that they have released these recycled songs into full band mode, they could have easily done that in the music store. Its like they mailed this one in. So starting today and for the weeks to follow I will be suggesting 10 songs in no particular order that could have been, or could hopefully be a part of a future version of Guitar Hero. Feel free to suggest your own songs in the comment section or completely mock me for my selections. Either or would be appreciated.

So as I was saying, for the next few weeks I will be releasing my lists. Each with its own special title. My thoughts for this one is if "Beat It" can be a GH song then why not these 10. Which is why this one is called...

10 Out of the Ordinary Songs for Guitar Hero

Remember these are in no particular order...

Victor Wooten "Me and My Bass Guitar"

So as to why I have chosen this song, its awesome. Give it a listen sometime(check out Youtube). Sure I know the song is all bass and vocals, I don't care. GH: World Tour had a Joe Satriani song with no lyrics so why not have this as the song that you play after you have gone through the bass career. It would be the bassist's version of "Through the Fire and Flames" as far as difficulty. It would make all those who enjoy "Slappin da bass" on GH(a la Paul Rudd from I Love You Man) elated. My phrase for this song, "So what if it's all bass, it's all awesome."

The Roots "Guns Are Drawn"

Who doesn't love the Roots? This is one of their better songs from The Tipping Point album. This one stands out above some of their others to me because of its good use of all instruments. Not just all bass and drums. Which speaking of those, as if it would be that hard to get ?uestlove to do motion capture for the drums. I mean if the band itself can be on Jimmy Fallon, what won't they do? In addition to the instrument use the lyrics wouldn't be heavily edited as some of their other songs. As those who have played the game know, there are a few words they do not like. Some Roots songs contain a lot of those.

Electric "Life is a Struggle (Remix)"

This is a little known hip hop group that I started listening to back in Salisbury. The best way to describe them or a group you could compare them to is the Roots. The regular version is pretty tight as well however its a drum machine and a lot of other things going on, nothing to do with a band. The remix edition does use a full band however is full on the bass and drums. So what it lacks in guitar it makes up there. Another positive is the lack of a whole lot of profanity, as in there is none. Thank god since my daughter Caylie loves to join in on the rocking. I have GH to thank for a lot of her vocabulary. So while the song starts out with a good balance of all instruments it definitely would be best on bass/drums.

Genesis "Sussidio"

Okay before you mock me and use a Family Guy or South Park reference hear me out. Obviously the vocals are good due to Phil Collins (insert South Park joke here) but that isn't all. The drums are awesome throughout the entire song with bass being a close second. Guitar is also well used in this but not as thoroughly as bass/drums. The guitar is used a whole lot more in this song then the previous, no real heavy solos though.

Prince and the Revolution "Computer Blue"

Now if you want guitar solos, Prince is your man. "Computer Blue" is not just a basketball play that owns Charlie Murphy and his group of flunkies. The guitar solo in the middle will completely own your soul if you attempt it on expert. I can't believe that a Prince song has not been on any GH games, completely ridiculous. As far as other memorable songs like "Darling Nikki" or "Little Red Corvette" I gave them a listen as well. "Darling Nikki" wouldn't make it past Red Octane censors since the song is about...a chick masturbating. Way to go Prince, when interviewed regarding this he was quoted as saying, "Owwww!" There is also more of a full use of a band in this song but what honestly sold it for me is the guitar solo from about the middle of the song that just goes on forever. It will also have you saying, "Owwww" when you try to play it. I can only imagine. Drums would also be pretty sweet on this however what I can't make out is much of a bass line but I'm sure its there. Either instrument you play will have you heading for the waters of Lake Minnetonka for purification.

Blackalicious "Green Light : Now Begin"

Now what this lacks in solos it makes up for in other instruments. This is one of the group's better songs off their Blazing Arrow album. There is a decent guitar section in the opening and in the end (around the 3 minute mark) but it doesn't really appear too much in between. Small sections here and there have guitar. The song itself is heavy on the drums and the bass. The interesting part would be getting all of the lyrics even close to right(that doesn't matter though, only pitch matters). Chief Xcel and the Gift of Gab are true artists in the form of hip hop so good luck to those of you vocalists out there. I think this is one song I could actually get the pitch on. All in all its a great song to chill to and something different for GH to try out.

Non Phixion w/ Steph (Deftones) & Christian and Ray (Fear Factory)

"The CIA is Still Trying to Kill Me"

If you are racking your brain as to whether or not the name Non Phixion sounds familiar, it doesn't. Although one of their songs was sampled in the Transporter during a fight scene. Not this song so I will move on. Now this is a remix version of "The CIA is Trying to Kill Me" but this one is far more superior when it comes to rocking. Heavy guitar riffs throughout, they are their hardest in the chorus, make this song a rap/hip hop song that truly rocks. The biggest issue with the song is how much it would have to be edited or cut up since it has more F-bombs then a B-52 bomber. The song is still awesome and deserves to be in GH and has the best chance of any other song from this genre.

Mos Def "Rock & Roll"

Let's stay in the same genre with another pretty good combo of hip hop and rock. With the tightly wound lyrics of Mos Def and the excellent use of a full band to back them up this one is can't miss. The song itself does start out slow, most songs are from his Black on Both Sides album, but the last minute of the song is insane. There is a minute long riff at the end that would make any pure rocker proud. It's not like this is the only section where the guitar is used however the beginning is very repetitive. Any one who plays the song if it were on GH would get sucked into the easy start and get owned in the end. Until of course they played it 30 million times.

James Brown "The Payback"

Get ready you mothers, for the big payback! Anyone who knows me is probably surprised that this isn't "Super Bad, pts. 1-2" due to my love of the movie White Men Can't Jump. I mean people called me Billy Ho when we used to play basketball in gym class back in the day. This isn't about me, its about the man who loves to jump back and kiss himself, hey! Part of me would love to be a fly on the wall, when anyone who thinks they know all of Brown's lyrics for the song, to see them fall on their face or completely screw up the pitch of one of his classic screams. As Eddie Murphy has pointed out before, that is a James Brown lyric. The reason for this song is due to its length and great opening that has probably been sampled, used in many hip hop/rap songs today. Also if anyone makes fun of you for screwing up the song you can drop this gem on them. "I don't know karate, but I know kaRAzy(spelled as pronounced)." So with the heavy amount of bass and guitar in this song, classic James Brown lyrics and it being sampled everywhere, how could this song not be in GH. It couldn't be any of the better knowns, some don't use all the instruments as much as this one. Now come on fellas, hit it and quit it!

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic "We Want the Funk"

Well funk you very much, now with this song you have to know about its heavy bass line. You also have to know why, Bootsy Collins make it do what it do baby. Make him or George an unlockable and Bootsy's bass, the infamous star design, as well. The best two instruments would have to be bass, duh, and the drums. There could be another song that I just might not know out there that would be better however the ones I have heard this one would be best. Better known then others like "Stomp" that use full band. Plus we need the funk and we gotta have that funk, la da da da da, do do do do do do do owwwwwwwww.

So there you have it. 10 songs that are stuff you have never heard or would ever associate with GH. Other songs that were considered were Busta Rhymes & Lenny Kravitz "Make Noise" (denied because of the amount of profanity, there would be no lyrics if edited) along with "Anxiety" by the Black Eyed Peas. The song itself was just full of guitar riffs around the chorus and in the opening but otherwise it was little used. I could only choose 10 after all, do you know of any you would like to have? Let me hear your thoughts people!

Hernandez Prevents Dirty Dozen

If David Hernandez has a checklist on what he is supposed to do to stay in the majors it probably looks something like this. Dominate in AA Bowie. Check. Drop ERA by one whole run in 4 starts. Check. Outperform the two best hitting teams in the division. Check. End an 11 game losing streak at Fenway. Check. Prevent Dave Trembley from having to continue talking about yet another long losing streak. Priceless and double check.

Sunday, a day that haunted Trembley last season, marked the end of of a year long losing streak for the Orioles at Fenway. The streak can be measured by how dominate the Sox have been outhitting the Orioles in the previous 11 games by 54, outscoring them by 51 and just plain outplaying them in every way. Trembley is a self admitted hater when it comes to discussing these long losing streaks. So he is more then happy that another one is over, "It's one more negative thing that people can cross off, because what we're all about is being positive [and] understanding we have young players showing a lot of perseverance."

So let's stay positive. In his past two outings Hernandez has outperformed some pretty impressive names. Last week in New York he had a decent game in which Andy Pettitte out K'ed him but in 6 innings 3 hits were allowed to the potent Yankee lineup. He held Jeter and A-Rod hitless and kept the O's in the game. Unfortunately for us he could only get through 6 innings. Yesterday marked a day when he wouldn't let the bullpen ruin another great outing. Using his 95 mph fastball and his excellent placement of breaking balls on the corners he struckout 2 batters and walked none. You hear that Daniel Cabrera, no walks! Zero, zilch, nada, a donut (mmmmm donuts). John Smoltz had no shot on the other side. So in his past two starts he has kept even or outperformed some probable hall of famers. I mean I have done that...on Wii.

So thank the baseball gods O's fans because we have a young arm performing well. Now if we win a couple more in Fenway that is called a winning streak. It has happened before.

BIGS 2 is the Baseball Equivalent to NBA Jam

It's the top of the first inning as Nick Markakis steps up to bat at Fenway Park. Roberts is dancing off 2nd as Jon Lester rocks and fires. Markakis rips a double to bring Roberts in. The inning eventually ends with Orioles ahead by four. 45 minutes, 35 hits, and 10 homers later the game ends 30-4....in the Orioles favor.

This is what I mean by the title. A better analogy might be BIGS 2 is as to Adam Jones going 6 for 7 with 4 homers and 14 RBI (yes in one game and that is some kind of record) with Mortal Kombat is as to Kano ripping out your heart. If that doesn't shock you maybe Jeremy Guthrie throwing 115 mph cheese (with a power up) will. The point I am trying to make is that it is completely unbelievable. Jones robbing someone in dead center by jumping 6 feet above the wall and catching the ball between his legs...LEGENDARY(and totally believable).

For those who might say, "oh what is it on easy?" No, its not. It is only on medium, a level in which the Red Sox pounded me when I first tried the game out. I know I didn't get that good that fast. So all in all the outcomes are totally ridiculous but I honestly don't care. I dig the longball.

Speaking of the longball, they can also be pretty over the top. For example, during games you earn points based on your performance of the game (getting hits, making plays, striking people out). Once you have reached 100,000 points you can unleash "Big Blast" mode (just call it BEAST MODE) meaning if you connect (even if you are Cesar Izturis) you are going to hit a homer. However if you wait another 25,000 points you can use "Big Slam" mode(fatality, flawless victory) to attempt getting the bases cleared with a grand slam. No matter which mode you use the end result is simple, make contact and you will be destroying a part of the stadium. For example, my first experience with a "Big Blast" was with Luke Scott. There were two runners on and I was down so I figured it was time to activate beast mode. Well here comes a hanging curveball over the plate and goodbye. The ball leaves in a trail of flames heading for Eutaw...or wait no way, then it happened...BOOM WAREHOUSE and all the windows explode out of the building.

Pitching also has its equivalence to the above mentioned. Instead being called "Big Heat" mode where you can throw pitches 25 mph more or with more movement then usual. They can also be activated at the same time (Big Heat and Big Blast/Slam) which is known as "Duel" mode. Pretty self explanatory, pitcher throws harder/better and batter hits harder/better. Come out of this mode victorious and you are set up for yet another power up. One of the things that can also help to get these power ups is making amazing plays in the field.

If you have a player with legendary glove ability (Torii Hunter, Ichiro, Albert Pujols, the entire Red Sox squad[not kidding] to name a few) you can make what are called Legendary Catches(with mini games attached). In a high pitch voice my buddy Brandon was quoted as saying, "Legendaryyyyyy!" At least a few times. Imagine Dave Chappelle's version of Prince saying it to get just how high the pitch was. These catches result in 20,000 points towards a power up with regular great catches getting 10,000(just diving or jumping without a Legendary Catch mini game). The biggest negative about the catches is the announcers. Unfortunately its not anyone I am familiar with but whoever it is loves to wax poetic about Ozzie Smith. For example, I made a "Legendaryyyyy!," catch with Cesar Izturis. I'm expecting a Cal Ripken Jr. or Brooks Robinson reference and instead I get, "Do you see a man of tin? Cause I think I just saw a wizard." Until yesterday on every catch when he referenced a hall of famer he only referenced Ozzie. Then he made a reference about Dave Winfield. Its the only time he has referenced someone other then Ozzie. Well at least it was an outfield catch.

Speaking of catches/mini games the title also has 4 other mini game modes. Power hitting, contact hitting, glove work and running. To unlock each one you have to beat the main superstar in each category. Power has cover boy Prince Fielder, contact has Chipper Jones (was Ichiro too busy?), glove work has Jimmy Rollins (of all the shortstops in the league....really?) and running has Jose Reyes (maybe you will luck out and he will pull a hamstring). I have luckily unlocked all four and the running one is the weirdest and most interesting. You basically run through/around Wrigley through a course that has balance beams, hurdles, trash cans, building to building leaps and other obstacles that would make American Gladiators proud(minus actual gladiators..."ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!"). To avoid these obstacles I had to button mash, wave the Wii-mote or push the directional button to pick up speed and beat Reyes (or anyone else that you want to race). These games are in addition to season mode and Legend mode.

Once you have honed your skills in the above mentioned games, hop on over to season/legend mode. Season mode is pretty easy to explain. Take your favorite team and play through their entire schedule hoping to lead them to a title (go O's with only 1 loss...to the Yankees). It is Legend mode that you should probably start first. Create your player(whether you want to be selfish and make it a version of yourself, hey its cool that is what I did, or make some other version of someone) and you are now a major leaguer coming back from injury. Your player starts off in Mexico to get your swing back before being thrust back into the regular season. Once the 3 major tasks are completed (2 five inning games and beating the best Mexican teammate in the contact game) he can move up to the bigs. You pick your team(which is final...until they trade you but don't worry they resign you in the offseason) and finish out the season with whomever you choose. At your home park you play mini games to increase your skills/acquire skill points. The coolest part, other then this is what you need to play to unlock everything(stadiums, new uniforms, new homerun places, cool stuff for your player), is what happens in the individual team challenges. The games are only 5 innings and each team has 3 tasks to complete. Beat them in the first challenge, unlock teams other uniforms. Complete the second task and the reward varies. You will either get a skill point or unlock new things for your player. Beat them in the third challenge and you get to steal a player from that team. Also there is a trophy case that needs filling. While in on your path of destruction to becoming a legend you can earn trophies by performing tasks in the offseason or during your season they can be earned. Your player will need all the help he can get if he wants to defeat the hall of famers to gain votes for himself. Yes this is the goal in Legend mode, to get into the hall. On the bottom of the screen there is a vote counter that starts off 0/300. The only way to gain votes is to complete tasks at Cooperstown (defeat a team of Hall of Famers in a 5 inning game with other challenges attached to some[win by 2, get 3 hits, etc.]).

There are many positives and negatives to this game that I would like to point out, some of which have been mentioned. So here we go.

Positives

+ LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONGBALLS, lots of them

+ Balls so long that they can damage a part of the stadium...and your soul(the announcer helps in the soul part believe me)

+ The announcer does have some zingers ("that was a tailor made pitch but he didn't have the swing to fit" for example) Kinda like "He's heating up! He's on fire! Razzle Dazzle! Fancy Moves!" if you compare it to NBA Jam.

+ Power ups for individual superstars (For example no doubter homeruns, ability points for other players, bigger wheelhouse)

+ Legend mode, becoming a hall of famer is pretty sweet. Beating A-Rod (Roid) in a home run pinball match in Time Square (it must have been October since he choked and scored nothing) is also pretty sweet.

+ Mini games are pretty sweet with homerun pinball by far being the sweetest. How can destroying things in a public place with baseballs not be awesome? How I ask you, how?!?

+ Big blasts/slams/heat, all rule and you should bow before them all. Before they destroy you!

+ Use of the Wii's capabilities(actually have to swing remotes to pitch/hit/dive/be awesome)

+ Trades can be completely one sided through a mini game (like Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol)

PosiNEGs

+ the Orioles roster is awesome....minus the fact that Felix Pie is on it and Nolan Reimold isn't

+ legendary catches are great....and completely unbelievable(only when performed on me!)

+ Tim Lincecum while being a great pitcher doesn't deserve more legendary quality pitches then the hall of famers do.

+ Big blasts/slam mode (as long as you connect) maximizes run scoring...but it can make some games completely ridiculous since the computer doesn't always use it/use it right.

+ While I enjoy that my players are passionate about the game I do not require them to react to 90% of the outs like Joba Chamberlain (ie a fist pump or another form of taunting) What are you Tiger Woods at Augusta?!? NO! You just got an out in the 7th inning while you were up by 15. Relax Aubrey! Sorry, I digress.

Negatives

- Rosters are small, a lineup will consist of your 9 starters and 3 reserves, you only have a 3 man pitching rotation with 3 guys in the bullpen. Far short of a normal 25 man roster.

- For some reason every player is wearing glasses/goggles. Seriously half of of every team is wearing them, not very accurate.

- Only keeps track of a few major stats for hitting/pitching along with stats for big plays. Offensive stats that are followed are homers, average, RBIs, hits and stolen bases. Pitching stats that are kept are wins, losses, strikeouts and walks. These are not accurate as the game does allow for screw ups here and there (Rich Hill should totally have an L and for some reason he got a win...I mean I lost the game). It doesn't really keep fielding stats instead the game follows how many big plays you have performed with point totals, amount of legendary catches and the percentage of them that were successfully performed.

- Announcer does have some funny/quirky things that he says however when it comes to "Legendaryyyyyyy" catches he seems to reference Ozzie Smith 95% of the time.

- Perhaps the biggest problem I have is that I can't play online. Believe me I would totally be marketing this game to everyone I know if I could play them in any of the awesome mini games or an actual game.

So all in all the game is a success in my house. It is the reason I have been putting off posting this blog. I need a challenge, someone come over and take me on since there is no online challenge. Now if you will excuse me I have a ballpark I need to go demolish.

Thoughts on the Derby

Just a quick gripe from yours truly about last nights Home Run Derby. Did anyone else feel like something was missing? Like, I don't know, drama.

Yes the first round did have some interesting things happen. The three way tie between Carlos Pena, Joe Mauer(Matt Wieters in 2 years) and Albert Pujols was exciting. The announcers wanted to name it the bop off or something else silly, you know how Chris Berman can get. Why not "The Blast Off"? Would they be sued by NASA? Anyway back to the story at hand. Who honestly wasn't pulling for Pujols? Neville Flynn (Samuel L Jackson from Snakes on a Plane) was quoted as saying, "Not me." Fictional characters aside it was awesome to see a stadium erupt and support their team's best player. Without Pujols in the next round however I can't be so sure they would be too supportive of the leftovers. Since no one was really hitting tape measure shots a la Josh Hamilton last year.

I am not saying I need someone to hit 25 homers in a round to be entertained. It would be nice but it is not necessary. What I needed was the thought that someone was going to challenge Prince Fielder or Nelson Cruz after the first round last night. Both players finished the first round with 11 homers and due to the new rules of them carrying over to the second round, it was near impossible for Pujols or Ryan Howard to come close. Pujols finished with 11, hitting 6 in the second round. His longest being 488 feet to left. Howard hit 8 in the second round finishing with 15. Nothing could compare to the shots Fielder was hitting to deep center and right center. The longest being a 503 foot blast that echoed through the stadium. Not to say that Nelson Cruz wasn't nearly impressive. He was demolishing signs in left and reaching the upper of the upper decks. The homers just didn't measure up to what Fielder was doing. With 5 outs remaining in the second round I had the feeling that no one could stop Fielder, not even the stadium could contain him. He got on a roll and really never looked back. All of his homers you could tell were going to be moon shots/bombs when you heard the crack of his bat. Also an interesting stat, he was the most passionate about the game. How many times did you hear him drop the old standard of, "Oh $h!t!" 5? 10? A bakers dozen? Well since its Fielder I guess it should be a dozen carrots, he is a vegan after all.

Speaking of no meat, thanks for wasting 15 minutes of my life Brandon Inge. The Tigers 3rd baseman was shutout in the derby which is the first time in awhile that I can remember this happening. So what he is 90 pounds soaking wet. No excuses, you hit two in an actual game the day before. I in no means think I can hit a homer like 51% of egotistical fans who voted on ESPN's Sportsnation that they could do this with an aluminum bat. No. Not me! I might be able to finally hit them out at the little league field I used to play at. Even that might be pushing it.

So was I not entertained? I was but I feel like something was missing. It's like chicken from the grill that is just an ingredient away from being amazing. The derby was just an iota of something away from being great. Maybe Hamilton and Bobby Abreu have ruined it for me. Without 525+ foot shots I may not be entertained. I guess like most ladies, size matters. Chicks do dig the long ball and apparently I dig the longest of longballs. Congrats Prince on the title, its a shame that this wasn't one of those memorable derbys from years past.

Personally a favorite of mine has nothing to do with the amount of homeruns that were hit. It was Frank Thomas back in Three Rivers Stadium. He didn't win the event but his upper deck shots were very memorable. Hitting 520+ foot blasts that no one could touch. Ken Griffey Jr hitting the warehouse at Camden Yards, Cal Ripken setting a then record 12 homers in a round at the Skydome, Mark "I don't want to talk about the past" McGwire putting on a show at Fenway, Abreu crushing the world when the contestants were representing their respective countries (he rocked 27 in a round) and of course Hamilton from last year. Disagree if you want but you know I am right. Something was missing last night. Perhaps it was a little garlic.

500 saves = 500 reasons for the Hall?

For Today's Article...Check this out (special thanks to the Associated Press)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSuJFdcI5yI

So yeah, that happened. Mariano Rivera recorded one of baseball's highest milestones last night, reaching 500 saves. Making him only the second man to reach this enormous task. Which had me thinking, thanks to good old ESPN, greatest ever?


I have to be an objective blogger here and not act like my answers to all of the following questions would be an absolute yes! Do you hate the Yankees? Ever since Jeffrey Maier? Oh, for your entire life? So you boo Mark Teixeira when they visit Baltimore? He's a traitor right? Totally second to Youkilis in the majors this year to? Yell A-Roid at the games? Find it hilarious he sat due to "fatigue" last week then was out until past 2:00 am the same night(allegedly)? Think this has gone on long enough?

At first I couldn't imagine that Rivera was the best ever all due to the above reason. I even started to drop names of guys that I thought were better. Lee Smith, Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, John Franco, Randy Myers, George Sherrill...okay maybe with the exception of that last one. I was completely blind to the facts. I was completely unaware that reaching 500 saves was equivalent to hitting over 700+ homeruns (before performance enhancing drugs). Only in the fact that there are less then a handful for each. At this time there are only 3 players with 700+ homeruns (Babe Ruth 714, Hank Aaron 755, Barry Bonds 762). That is what makes having 500 saves an even more impressive mark.

The fact that Trevor Hoffman is the leader with 572(and counting) while sporting no rings. Unfortunately for Hoffman he was in a smaller market with San Diego and got to watch Rivera celebrate his second championship on his field back in 1998. Even Hoffman himself when asked has said, "he(Rivera) will go down as the best reliever in history hands down." However if records have proven anything it is that if you are the leader in that category, rings have little to do with what people think. There are probably millions of Yankee fans who think otherwise (26 baby!). God I love hearing that.


When Rivera was around for the first championship in 1996 he was a set up man for John Wetteland. At the time it was the best one two punch in baseball. The amazing thing about Rivera is how he succeeds with different kinds of fast balls. His most well known and deemed the best "out pitch" in baseball in 2004 by ESPN is his cutter. Chipper Jones deemed it "the buzzsaw" because of its ability to break the bats of left handed hitters (he watched then teammate Ryan Klesko break 3 bats in a single plate appearance against Rivera in the 1999 World Series). The funny thing about the cutter is that Rivera says(claims) that he came about the pitch while playing catch with Ramiro Mendoza, "It was just from God. I didn't do anything. It was natural." There is so much movement on all of his pitches and he has such great location it is just hard to hit him. He can paint the corners or jam you inside causing you to ground out, breaking your bat in the process. While his velocity has lowered he still has excellent composure (and body english when he does blow a game, trying to will balls back into the ballpark), movement and location that he is still successful.

So since I have started this article Rivera has added to his save total recording his 501st save last night(not in a season that would be some sort of record). However he still remains 2,201 RBI behind Hank Aaron. I think that one is out of reach. So what milestone will be reached this season? So far we have had two impressive ones in 300 wins with Randy Johnson and 500 saves with Rivera. 600 saves/200 saves by Trevor Hoffman(572)/Brad Lidge(178)? 1,800 RBI by Ken Griffey Jr.(1,796)? 400 homers for Vlad Guerrero(394), Andruw Jones(380) or Albert Pujols(349)? I mean...he is Pujols after all, right?