Beginnings...

- Baseball season is in full swing at this point, but most of the players are not. I could be wrong here, but I feel like the number of home runs is down this year. I know it's very early, and it has been freezing cold for half of the games played thus far, but even big time HR hitters are doing nothing right now. I'm talking about guys in their primes - Howard, Ortiz, Manny, Hafner, Teixeira, Pujols, Berkman, etc. etc. - doing next to nothing in the power department. I could go into a rant about steroids here, but I'll spare you...

Instead, I'll move on to the one slugger who is hitting the shit out of the ball right now - Mr. Alex Rodriguez. Anyone see the Post earlier this week when A Rod K'd with the sacks jacked? The headline was something to the effect of "A Rod Sucks in Key Spot," with a small side note about Jeter's two costly errors. I'm to the point that I legitimately feel bad for him. The guy is playing lights out and still can't catch a break with the fans/media. I'd love him to win an MVP and then follow it up with a 2-14 performance in a heartbreaking ALDS loss to the Rangers. The Yanks may have to resort to bringin' back "Bern" to save the day...

- Contrary to what most critics (and regular fans) said about it, I was disappointed with the Sopranos premier Sunday. I understand they were setting up the story, and there are some intriguing questions to be answered (clearly Bobby Boccala left behind DNA and forgot to remove those bullets, which may or may not lead to his murder or Tony's arrest). But I watched every episode in the previous season (I refuse to accept this as the second half of the season - it has been too long in between) and felt the exact same way... pissed off that the writers were setting the plot with nothing really happening in the episodes individually. You didn't have to watch the last season. All you need is to watch the 2-3 minute montage that opened up this season, and you'd be all set. It's especially disheartening when I randomly see a clip from season 1 on A&E and remember how awesome it was back then. My patience is running out with the show. Shit better go down soon...

- Entourage - very good, I thought. Drama had a couple of incredible one-liners, and the plot thickened with lots of interim action... the perfect remedy for another Sopranos let-down.

- Nice W for the Mets after blowing two consecutive leads in a row. The Great White Hype, David Wright, needs to stop reading his press clippings and step the hell up.

That's all I got for now. TROUT WHERE YOU BEEN, KID???

Type Slow is not dead

I understand that quite some time has gone by without a post. I think I can speak for Trout when I say that we are disappointed in how busy we have been. Nonetheless, Type Slow is not dead. We had been blogging at a pretty quick pace, especially for people who work full time. I do expect to pick up posting a few times a week (between myself and Trout) once again... Hang in there.

- Trout and I entered an NCAA pool with about 60 others. 140 units per team, payouts each round. Up until the Final Four, we have consistently been about average each round, which unfortunately has net us zero dollars thus far. However, if Florida wins tonight, we stand to make a couple hundred (no thanks to me because Trout made the picks for this round). So, as much as I hate Noah and co dancing like MTV's Compton set for "The Grind," I'm praying for a Florida win and some cash in my pocket.

- Tonight completes a real good sports weekend. I will not go into it because every sports writer worth a damn has already commented on it, several of whom notably predicted their impending divorces after tonight is over. But, one thing I cannot let go is the start of baseball season. It was kicked off just right, with a Mets demolition of the weakest defending champ since Buster Douglas. This said, I'm legitimately concerned about the Mets. Sure, the National League sucks, and the Mets are at worst an 85-88 win team. But unless Tom Glavine is in Cy Young contention come September and no less than one of their wildcard young pitchers (Maine, Perez, Pelfrey), this rotation is in serious trouble. Of course, the Mets can slug with anyone in the league, but that joke of a rotation is going to cost them come summer time. Here's to Carlos Zambrano's fall out in Chicago and a bigtime trade or two in July. I could see Omar trading Milledge and Humber for Rich Harden, assuming Harden is only on the DL once or twice before the deadline.

- One thing I really don't get is the seemingly unanimous prediction of the Angels winning the AL West. Not that any other team is a real powerhouse in that division, but the Angels have a real suspect lineup. I'd walk Vlad every time. Garrett Anderson can't protect him, Gary Matthews blows, and I really can't see their young players maturing enough to keep the offense afloat. So, my pick for the West is actually Texas. It's been a long time since they've been a contender there, but I think this year could be it. Their pitching has improved from where it was a few years ago, though definitely is not great. But that shouldn't matter with the A's, Angels, and Mariners sporting NL Central lineups. Other than Vlad, who I'm walking every AB, nobody scares me offensively. Ichiro is good, but Sexson and Beltre strike out far too many times for that lineup to produce serious runs. Does anyone really think Nick Swisher is a force to be reckoned with? As for the Rangers O, I can see Teixeira putting up MVP numbers... wish I had him on either of my fantasy teams. Michael Young, while having a disappointing year last season, is a prime bounce back candidate, as well. The Rangers are absolutely a risky pick, but my point here is that the division is up for grabs and even a sub-standard American League club like Texas can take it with 90 wins.

- Hate to say it, but the Yankees and Red Sox are far and away the best two teams in the MLB. If either were in the NL, they'd win 110 games. Hell, they might be pushing 110 in the AL. The White Sox, Twins, Blue Jays, and Indians are all nice little ball clubs. They can't compare to either the Yanks or the Sox.

- 24 needs to pick up immediately. Wouldn't mind seeing Bauer rail Chloe, even though she's about a 3 out of 10. Since the death of Edgar, no one has repulsed me more on that show. Jack could really give her what she has comin' to her.

- I forget if we have already discussed this on the blog, but what nationality is Joakim Noah? Aren't his parents white (and good looking). Was he adopted?

- If Oden loses tonight, does he stick around at Ohio State? He's alluded to not wanting to jump to the NBA until he thinks he can dominate on that level. Could he be more than a 10ppg, 8 reb, 2 blk -type Center in the NBA next season? I'm really not convinced that he's going to be anything other than a great defender and a big body (I'm thinking a taller Ben Wallace as of this moment), at least in the immediate future. The guy doesn't put up 20 a game against 6'8'', 230 lb defenders in college. Why should I expect him to be a top-flight producer in the NBA next saeson? Stay in school, Greg. You don't want to play for the Celtics anyway. Their fans prefer white guys. If Noah turns out to be white, the Celts might be gearing up to draft him. Thoughts, Trout?

- Joe Theisman out of MNF. YESSSS. Ron Jaworski replaces him. NOOOO. Boomer Esaison was the pick there.

Plenty of food for thought for the hungry Typeset...

Round 1, Day 2 2.0

Speckled Trout (11:51:25 AM): i think im gonna name my son drazen

Dick Dastardly (11:51:16 AM): after drazen petrovic?

Speckled Trout (11:52:12 AM): no, drazen hanks, my 3rd grade teacher

Dick Dastardly (11:51:54 AM): so, cbs has almost no pregame coverage

Dick Dastardly (11:52:11 AM): its ten to twelve, and we're watching the conclusion of the price is right

Dick Dastardly (11:52:40 AM): drazen is not a special name in any way

Speckled Trout (11:53:12 AM): what ever happened to rod roddy

Dick Dastardly (11:52:59 AM): who the fuck is rod roddy

Dick Dastardly (11:53:28 AM): sounds like a gay porn star

Speckled Trout (11:54:18 AM): the old announcer for the price is right. remember when you were sick back in like middle school or high school? price is right was absolutely the go-to show for daytime TV

Dick Dastardly (11:54:08 AM): ah yes

Speckled Trout (11:54:38 AM): beer 2 down

Dick Dastardly (11:54:21 AM): but no way did i watch the price is right

Dick Dastardly (11:54:28 AM): i watched springer

Speckled Trout (11:54:52 AM): dip 1, in

Dick Dastardly (11:54:35 AM): and sportcenter like 14 times in a row

Dick Dastardly (11:54:51 AM): to the point where i could call the top 10 word for word

Speckled Trout (11:55:34 AM): they didnt have the top ten back in the 90s

Dick Dastardly (11:55:20 AM): oh, you know what, you're right

Dick Dastardly (11:55:26 AM): they had the "did you know?"

Dick Dastardly (11:55:29 AM): which i enjoyed

Speckled Trout (11:56:32 AM): and they used to always say things like "i smell a 'did you know' after saying a crazy stat," ah the 90s, only 7 years ago

Dick Dastardly (11:57:11 AM): that dip smells delicious

Speckled Trout (11:59:36 AM): news at noon? what the fuck? thats some gump shit right there

Dick Dastardly (11:59:26 AM): they did the same shit yesterday

Dick Dastardly (11:59:36 AM): i gotta have more clark kellogg

Dick Dastardly (12:00:19 PM): well, at least we know that tomorrow is gonna be a complete wash out

Dick Dastardly (12:00:29 PM): JUST KIDDING

Dick Dastardly (12:01:22 PM): "lingering flurries in the mornin

Dick Dastardly (12:01:25 PM): "

Speckled Trout (12:01:49 PM): high of 36 for st pattys day, beauty

Speckled Trout (12:02:25 PM): and whats up with people calling it st paddys day? you dont spell patrick like "padrick" right? fuck

Dick Dastardly (12:03:15 PM): alright im not talking until this news coverage stops

Dick Dastardly (12:03:49 PM): who the fuck cares about delayed flights? hey, it's snowing. you're plane is not going to take off on time. now, to the games

Dick Dastardly (12:03:52 PM): thats it

Speckled Trout (12:06:35 PM): its all good, we got some MBV on the stereo

Dick Dastardly (12:09:48 PM): FINALLY

Dick Dastardly (12:09:50 PM): and we're back

Dick Dastardly (12:09:59 PM): MBV is off (also, finally)

Speckled Trout (12:10:43 PM): game time motherfuckers

Dick Dastardly (12:11:27 PM): greg gumbel... bryant gumbel.... brothers.... bike cops

Dick Dastardly (12:12:33 PM): beer 2 down

Speckled Trout (12:13:04 PM): kellogg takin LB State and winthrop, seth davis assuring us that the mean green will put up a good fight against memphis

Speckled Trout (12:13:19 PM): also, dick just poured out the rest of his second beer to "catch up" with me

Dick Dastardly (12:13:34 PM): i actually finished it about 8-10 mins ago

Dick Dastardly (12:13:43 PM): but was slow on the recording

Speckled Trout (12:14:16 PM): im rockin the dip/drink combo right now, i recommend not trying this at home

Dick Dastardly (12:13:57 PM): and subsequently was confused as to where my beer was

Dick Dastardly (12:14:06 PM): yes, we are trained professionals

Dick Dastardly (12:14:22 PM): miller lite is kicked, on to the natty

Speckled Trout (12:15:37 PM): ah, the smell of febreze, natty light, skoal mint, and old spice

Dick Dastardly (12:15:38 PM): thats the smell of.... victory

Speckled Trout (12:17:36 PM): early UVA bucket followed by a block and a clock shot violation, dick says its over

Dick Dastardly (12:17:35 PM): you're forgetting the powerful orange tie worn by the virginia coach

Dick Dastardly (12:17:39 PM): this game is over

Dick Dastardly (12:18:53 PM): 6-0

Dick Dastardly (12:18:57 PM): three easy buckets inside

Speckled Trout (12:19:41 PM): next game please

Speckled Trout (12:21:10 PM): the third man has arrived, lets hope he has beer

Speckled Trout (12:23:12 PM): my man! armed with 2 twelve packs, this guy's an old pro

Speckled Trout (12:28:22 PM): check that, 2 eighteen packs

Dick Dastardly (12:31:58 PM): 29-2

Dick Dastardly (12:32:01 PM): 19-2*

Dick Dastardly (12:32:03 PM): christ

Dick Dastardly (12:32:08 PM): this is unwatchable

Dick Dastardly (12:32:22 PM): and.... as soon as i say that, bucket albany

Speckled Trout (12:34:40 PM): yeah, so that makes two baskets for them, next game

Speckled Trout (12:35:22 PM): dick makes his first call to work, over/under for dick's calls to work: 9

Dick Dastardly (12:35:08 PM): stop it

Dick Dastardly (12:37:02 PM): ok, calls done

Dick Dastardly (12:37:24 PM): new game

Dick Dastardly (12:37:26 PM): thankfully

Speckled Trout (12:37:55 PM): here we go, mean green baby

Speckled Trout (12:44:16 PM): remember the big green?

Speckled Trout (12:44:27 PM): was that better or worse than little giants?

Speckled Trout (12:44:41 PM): beer 3 down

Dick Dastardly (12:44:23 PM): definitely worse

Dick Dastardly (12:44:40 PM): though the catcher from the sandlot is the goalie in it

Dick Dastardly (12:51:15 PM): beer 3 down

Speckled Trout (12:52:20 PM): verne lundquist says "slippage" when somebody falls, that brought the house down

Dick Dastardly (12:54:06 PM): these guys are gonna throw down

Dick Dastardly (12:54:12 PM): north texas v. memphis

Dick Dastardly (12:54:55 PM): thats a gang fight

Dick Dastardly (1:02:57 PM): pizza delivery number 1 is here

Dick Dastardly (1:03:02 PM): little vincents

Dick Dastardly (1:10:19 PM): ok, two slices down

Dick Dastardly (1:10:21 PM): and im back

Dick Dastardly (1:10:29 PM): also, our boy colin is here

Dick Dastardly (1:10:37 PM): showed up bout a half hr ago

Dick Dastardly (1:10:52 PM): on beer three already

Dick Dastardly (1:10:58 PM): kid drinks at lightning speed

Speckled Trout (1:14:50 PM): beer 4 down

Speckled Trout (1:17:34 PM): alright, enough hofstra-st johns talk. do you realize that louisville has a guy that transferred from cornell????

Dick Dastardly (1:17:29 PM): i did not know that

Dick Dastardly (1:17:47 PM): memphis cheerleaders, smokin

Dick Dastardly (1:21:12 PM): we're currently listening to a recorded dick vitale phone message sent from digiorno.varitalk.com

Dick Dastardly (1:21:47 PM): the concensus, not as good as SOAP, but still worth bothering others at work

Dick Dastardly (1:22:31 PM): memphis finally starting to look like a better team

Dick Dastardly (1:24:11 PM): beer 4 down

Speckled Trout (1:24:50 PM): i think we may have missed a beer

Dick Dastardly (1:24:33 PM): we did

Dick Dastardly (1:25:20 PM): now the typeset wont believe us

Speckled Trout (1:26:59 PM): whatever

Dick Dastardly (1:32:47 PM): colin on beer 4

Speckled Trout (1:33:23 PM): beer 6 down

Dick Dastardly (1:33:04 PM): we arent exactly drinkin at lightning pace

Dick Dastardly (1:38:31 PM): mcroberts yesterday - career high of 22

Dick Dastardly (1:38:41 PM): paulus yesterday - career high of 25

Dick Dastardly (1:38:44 PM): how is this possible

Dick Dastardly (1:39:10 PM): (colin currently going nuts about how much he loves paulus)

Dick Dastardly (1:39:15 PM): also, buffalo wild wings

Dick Dastardly (1:39:25 PM): every commercial is bad

Dick Dastardly (1:39:33 PM): i never want to go as a result

Dick Dastardly (1:41:04 PM): if they was aired non stop, those commercials would have applebees 06 potential

Speckled Trout (1:41:59 PM): what the fuck, these games are so bad

Speckled Trout (1:42:14 PM): gimme the unlv-gtech game

Dick Dastardly (1:42:03 PM): even the memphis - n texas game kinda sucks now

Dick Dastardly (1:42:13 PM): the second round better be legit

Dick Dastardly (1:42:24 PM): with all these favorite playing, its gotta be

Speckled Trout (1:43:26 PM): obviously, those 1-16 or 15-2 games arent even worth watcihng until ten mins left in the second half

Speckled Trout (1:43:51 PM): i miss the pizza

Dick Dastardly (1:43:53 PM): gumbel seriously looks like he had an all nighter with a coupla hookers last night

Dick Dastardly (1:47:41 PM): these games are so bad that we are discussing baseball

Speckled Trout (1:51:39 PM): cbs, asleep at the wheel, gtech-unlv tie game, with less time than any other game...of course were watching a different game

Dick Dastardly (1:52:27 PM): colin, somehow, is lovin this game

Dick Dastardly (1:52:31 PM): yellin

Dick Dastardly (1:52:49 PM): ... but still an excellent addition to the friday afternoon mix

Speckled Trout (1:53:24 PM): cuz we got money on it now

Speckled Trout (1:53:30 PM): making everything more interesting

Speckled Trout (1:54:35 PM): this seems like a good time to bring up the fact that we have no chance to win in our pool that we have 140 bucks in

Dick Dastardly (1:57:02 PM): that is definitely mr carosi

Speckled Trout (2:03:44 PM): beer 7 down

Dick Dastardly (2:07:04 PM): beer 7 down

Dick Dastardly (2:07:37 PM): cmon tech

Dick Dastardly (2:08:15 PM): ok, as soon as they cut to coverage of this game, unlv rattles off 6 pts

Dick Dastardly (2:09:05 PM): this is also an applebees-type

Dick Dastardly (2:09:16 PM): the 2 year old comfort suites, et al commercial

Dick Dastardly (2:09:29 PM): ive been ev-er-y-wheeeere maan

Dick Dastardly (2:09:33 PM): terrible

Dick Dastardly (2:09:40 PM): on all the time even though its real old

Dick Dastardly (2:10:07 PM): time to post this ish

Round 1, Day 2.0

imspartacus46 (11:51:25 AM): i think im gonna name my son drazen

theBIGHURTman35 (11:51:16 AM): after drazen petrovic?

imspartacus46 (11:52:12 AM): no, drazen hanks, my 3rd grade teacher

theBIGHURTman35 (11:51:54 AM): so, cbs has almost no pregame coverage

theBIGHURTman35 (11:52:11 AM): its ten to twelve, and we're watching the conclusion of the price is right

theBIGHURTman35 (11:52:40 AM): drazen is not a special name in any way

imspartacus46 (11:53:12 AM): what ever happened to rod roddy

theBIGHURTman35 (11:52:59 AM): who the fuck is rod roddy

theBIGHURTman35 (11:53:28 AM): sounds like a gay porn star

imspartacus46 (11:54:18 AM): the old announcer for the price is right. remember when you were sick back in like middle school or high school? price is right was absolutely the go-to show for daytime TV

theBIGHURTman35 (11:54:08 AM): ah yes

imspartacus46 (11:54:38 AM): beer 2 down

theBIGHURTman35 (11:54:21 AM): but no way did i watch the price is right

theBIGHURTman35 (11:54:28 AM): i watched springer

imspartacus46 (11:54:52 AM): dip 1, in

theBIGHURTman35 (11:54:35 AM): and sportcenter like 14 times in a row

theBIGHURTman35 (11:54:51 AM): to the point where i could call the top 10 word for word

imspartacus46 (11:55:34 AM): they didnt have the top ten back in the 90s

theBIGHURTman35 (11:55:20 AM): oh, you know what, you're right

theBIGHURTman35 (11:55:26 AM): they had the "did you know?"

theBIGHURTman35 (11:55:29 AM): which i enjoyed

imspartacus46 (11:56:32 AM): and they used to always say things like "i smell a 'did you know' after saying a crazy stat," ah the 90s, only 7 years ago

theBIGHURTman35 (11:57:11 AM): that dip smells delicious

imspartacus46 (11:59:36 AM): news at noon? what the fuck? thats some gump shit right there

theBIGHURTman35 (11:59:26 AM): they did the same shit yesterday

theBIGHURTman35 (11:59:36 AM): i gotta have more clark kellogg

theBIGHURTman35 (12:00:19 PM): well, at least we know that tomorrow is gonna be a complete wash out

theBIGHURTman35 (12:00:29 PM): JUST KIDDING

theBIGHURTman35 (12:01:22 PM): "lingering flurries in the mornin

theBIGHURTman35 (12:01:25 PM): "

imspartacus46 (12:01:49 PM): high of 36 for st pattys day, beauty

imspartacus46 (12:02:25 PM): and whats up with people calling it st paddys day? you dont spell patrick like "padrick" right? fuck

theBIGHURTman35 (12:03:15 PM): alright im not talking until this news coverage stops

theBIGHURTman35 (12:03:49 PM): who the fuck cares about delayed flights? hey, it's snowing. you're plane is not going to take off on time. now, to the games

theBIGHURTman35 (12:03:52 PM): thats it

imspartacus46 (12:06:35 PM): its all good, we got some MBV on the stereo

theBIGHURTman35 (12:09:48 PM): FINALLY

theBIGHURTman35 (12:09:50 PM): and we're back

theBIGHURTman35 (12:09:59 PM): MBV is off (also, finally)

imspartacus46 (12:10:43 PM): game time motherfuckers

theBIGHURTman35 (12:11:27 PM): greg gumbel... bryant gumbel.... brothers.... bike cops

theBIGHURTman35 (12:12:33 PM): beer 2 down

imspartacus46 (12:13:04 PM): kellogg takin LB State and winthrop, seth davis assuring us that the mean green will put up a good fight against memphis

imspartacus46 (12:13:19 PM): also, dick just poured out the rest of his second beer to "catch up" with me

theBIGHURTman35 (12:13:34 PM): i actually finished it about 8-10 mins ago

theBIGHURTman35 (12:13:43 PM): but was slow on the recording

imspartacus46 (12:14:16 PM): im rockin the dip/drink combo right now, i recommend not trying this at home

theBIGHURTman35 (12:13:57 PM): and subsequently was confused as to where my beer was

theBIGHURTman35 (12:14:06 PM): yes, we are trained professionals

theBIGHURTman35 (12:14:22 PM): miller lite is kicked, on to the natty

imspartacus46 (12:15:37 PM): ah, the smell of febreze, natty light, skoal mint, and old spice

theBIGHURTman35 (12:15:38 PM): thats the smell of.... victory

imspartacus46 (12:17:36 PM): early UVA bucket followed by a block and a clock shot violation, dick says its over

theBIGHURTman35 (12:17:35 PM): you're forgetting the powerful orange tie worn by the virginia coach

theBIGHURTman35 (12:17:39 PM): this game is over

theBIGHURTman35 (12:18:53 PM): 6-0

theBIGHURTman35 (12:18:57 PM): three easy buckets inside

imspartacus46 (12:19:41 PM): next game please

imspartacus46 (12:21:10 PM): the third man has arrived, lets hope he has beer

imspartacus46 (12:23:12 PM): my man! armed with 2 twelve packs, this guy's an old pro

imspartacus46 (12:28:22 PM): check that, 2 eighteen packs

theBIGHURTman35 (12:31:58 PM): 29-2

theBIGHURTman35 (12:32:01 PM): 19-2*

theBIGHURTman35 (12:32:03 PM): christ

theBIGHURTman35 (12:32:08 PM): this is unwatchable

theBIGHURTman35 (12:32:22 PM): and.... as soon as i say that, bucket albany

imspartacus46 (12:34:40 PM): yeah, so that makes two baskets for them, next game

imspartacus46 (12:35:22 PM): dick makes his first call to work, over/under for dick's calls to work: 9

theBIGHURTman35 (12:35:08 PM): stop it

theBIGHURTman35 (12:37:02 PM): ok, calls done

theBIGHURTman35 (12:37:24 PM): new game

theBIGHURTman35 (12:37:26 PM): thankfully

imspartacus46 (12:37:55 PM): here we go, mean green baby

imspartacus46 (12:44:16 PM): remember the big green?

imspartacus46 (12:44:27 PM): was that better or worse than little giants?

imspartacus46 (12:44:41 PM): beer 3 down

theBIGHURTman35 (12:44:23 PM): definitely worse

theBIGHURTman35 (12:44:40 PM): though the catcher from the sandlot is the goalie in it

theBIGHURTman35 (12:51:15 PM): beer 3 down

imspartacus46 (12:52:20 PM): verne lundquist says "slippage" when somebody falls, that brought the house down

theBIGHURTman35 (12:54:06 PM): these guys are gonna throw down

theBIGHURTman35 (12:54:12 PM): north texas v. memphis

theBIGHURTman35 (12:54:55 PM): thats a gang fight

theBIGHURTman35 (1:02:57 PM): pizza delivery number 1 is here

theBIGHURTman35 (1:03:02 PM): little vincents

theBIGHURTman35 (1:10:19 PM): ok, two slices down

theBIGHURTman35 (1:10:21 PM): and im back

theBIGHURTman35 (1:10:29 PM): also, our boy colin is here

theBIGHURTman35 (1:10:37 PM): showed up bout a half hr ago

theBIGHURTman35 (1:10:52 PM): on beer three already

theBIGHURTman35 (1:10:58 PM): kid drinks at lightning speed

imspartacus46 (1:14:50 PM): beer 4 down

imspartacus46 (1:17:34 PM): alright, enough hofstra-st johns talk. do you realize that louisville has a guy that transferred from cornell????

theBIGHURTman35 (1:17:29 PM): i did not know that

theBIGHURTman35 (1:17:47 PM): memphis cheerleaders, smokin

theBIGHURTman35 (1:21:12 PM): we're currently listening to a recorded dick vitale phone message sent from digiorno.varitalk.com

theBIGHURTman35 (1:21:47 PM): the concensus, not as good as SOAP, but still worth bothering others at work

theBIGHURTman35 (1:22:31 PM): memphis finally starting to look like a better team

theBIGHURTman35 (1:24:11 PM): beer 4 down

imspartacus46 (1:24:50 PM): i think we may have missed a beer

theBIGHURTman35 (1:24:33 PM): we did

theBIGHURTman35 (1:25:20 PM): now the typeset wont believe us

imspartacus46 (1:26:59 PM): whatever

theBIGHURTman35 (1:32:47 PM): colin on beer 4

imspartacus46 (1:33:23 PM): beer 6 down

theBIGHURTman35 (1:33:04 PM): we arent exactly drinkin at lightning pace

theBIGHURTman35 (1:38:31 PM): mcroberts yesterday - career high of 22

theBIGHURTman35 (1:38:41 PM): paulus yesterday - career high of 25

theBIGHURTman35 (1:38:44 PM): how is this possible

theBIGHURTman35 (1:39:10 PM): (colin currently going nuts about how much he loves paulus)

theBIGHURTman35 (1:39:15 PM): also, buffalo wild wings

theBIGHURTman35 (1:39:25 PM): every commercial is bad

theBIGHURTman35 (1:39:33 PM): i never want to go as a result

theBIGHURTman35 (1:41:04 PM): if they was aired non stop, those commercials would have applebees 06 potential

imspartacus46 (1:41:59 PM): what the fuck, these games are so bad

imspartacus46 (1:42:14 PM): gimme the unlv-gtech game

theBIGHURTman35 (1:42:03 PM): even the memphis - n texas game kinda sucks now

theBIGHURTman35 (1:42:13 PM): the second round better be legit

theBIGHURTman35 (1:42:24 PM): with all these favorite playing, its gotta be

imspartacus46 (1:43:26 PM): obviously, those 1-16 or 15-2 games arent even worth watcihng until ten mins left in the second half

imspartacus46 (1:43:51 PM): i miss the pizza

theBIGHURTman35 (1:43:53 PM): gumbel seriously looks like he had an all nighter with a coupla hookers last night

theBIGHURTman35 (1:47:41 PM): these games are so bad that we are discussing baseball

imspartacus46 (1:51:39 PM): cbs, asleep at the wheel, gtech-unlv tie game, with less time than any other game...of course were watching a different game

theBIGHURTman35 (1:52:27 PM): colin, somehow, is lovin this game

theBIGHURTman35 (1:52:31 PM): yellin

theBIGHURTman35 (1:52:49 PM): ... but still an excellent addition to the friday afternoon mix

imspartacus46 (1:53:24 PM): cuz we got money on it now

imspartacus46 (1:53:30 PM): making everything more interesting

imspartacus46 (1:54:35 PM): this seems like a good time to bring up the fact that we have no chance to win in our pool that we have 140 bucks in

theBIGHURTman35 (1:57:02 PM): that is definitely mr carosi

imspartacus46 (2:03:44 PM): beer 7 down

theBIGHURTman35 (2:07:04 PM): beer 7 down

theBIGHURTman35 (2:07:37 PM): cmon tech

theBIGHURTman35 (2:08:15 PM): ok, as soon as they cut to coverage of this game, unlv rattles off 6 pts

theBIGHURTman35 (2:09:05 PM): this is also an applebees-type

theBIGHURTman35 (2:09:16 PM): the 2 year old comfort suites, et al commercial

theBIGHURTman35 (2:09:29 PM): ive been ev-er-y-wheeeere maan

theBIGHURTman35 (2:09:33 PM): terrible

theBIGHURTman35 (2:09:40 PM): on all the time even though its real old

theBIGHURTman35 (2:10:07 PM): time to post this ish

Round 1, Day 2 1.0

Dick Dastardly (11:24:10 AM): so tank johnson, 4 months in prison... thoughts?

Speckled Trout (11:26:32 AM): i dont understand why athletes are able to get conveniently sentenced to prison during the offseason (a la jamal lewis). why cant tank go to prison between october and january?

Dick Dastardly (11:26:49 AM): reminiscent of rafael furcal two years ago

Dick Dastardly (11:27:43 AM): when he was going to jail as soon as the season ended. john miller would casually drop in "furcal wants the braves to make the playoffs so he extends his stay on the outside."

Dick Dastardly (11:28:04 AM): but you know what, fuck john miller. next topic

Dick Dastardly (11:28:51 AM): it would be better if we weren't sitting next to each other typing out our conversations

Speckled Trout (11:29:23 AM): my personal stenographer took the day off to watch the tournament, lazy bitch

Speckled Trout (11:29:30 AM): so i guess we're stuck typing our own shit

Dick Dastardly (11:29:23 AM): oh, the sacrifices we make for the typeset

Speckled Trout (11:31:40 AM): 1 beer down

Speckled Trout (11:31:43 AM): what

Speckled Trout (11:33:24 AM): so whats gonna be this year's applebee's commercial?

Dick Dastardly (11:34:02 AM): it's going to be an arduous task to repeat that terrible performance.

Dick Dastardly (11:34:40 AM): two dudes, questionable homosexuals, singing that awful applebees jingle in the restaurant

Dick Dastardly (11:34:45 AM): .... as well as in the ocean !

Dick Dastardly (11:34:55 AM): threee hour toooouur

Dick Dastardly (11:35:01 AM): two-er

Dick Dastardly (11:35:54 AM): i was especially pissed off about this one part of the commercial where water was shooting out of the sleeve of the guy strumming the guitar.

Dick Dastardly (11:36:34 AM): this water, from the ocean, i suppose, hits a woman in the grill... and she loves it. that's the kind of fun you'll have at applebees.

Speckled Trout (11:37:31 AM): the water splashing on the woman was probably the 17th worst thing about that commercial

Dick Dastardly (11:37:09 AM): what's the deal with the name "thad motta"

Speckled Trout (11:38:09 AM): i think its matta, thad short for thaddeus, my son's name...step the fuck off

Dick Dastardly (11:38:20 AM): if he were on the little giants, would his jersey read "rad thad"

Dick Dastardly (11:38:22 AM): ?

Speckled Trout (11:39:05 AM): obviously

Dick Dastardly (11:38:50 AM): beer 1 down

Speckled Trout (11:40:06 AM): well, thats your preview for day 2 of the tournament!

Recap of Suns-Mavs Last Night

Holy Shit.

I am back. You know it.

I am back. I had a busy few weeks, which are now behind me. Thanks to Trout and the faithful Typeset for keeping the blog moving in my absence. This said, I got a lot of random stuff to discuss.

- I would have to agree 100% about upcoming NCAA tournament/St. Patrick's Day weekend being my favorite of the year. I actually think it's better now that we're a few years out of college. Taking off of work, doing nothing but sitting on the couch and eating and drinking - it couldn't be more of a throwback to senior year. Combine that with the most debaucherous holiday of the calendar year directly coinciding with the most exciting weekend in sports, and you got yourself a guaranteed fantastic time. Apparently, "debaucherous" is not a word. Who knew?

- I don't really know why everyone is hating on UNC (other than Dicky V.). I admit, I did not pick them. But that's only because I think Texas is going all the way. I think they are one of the most talented teams - and definitely one of the best coached teams - in the country. The have speed and good big men. They score a ton and have a deep bench. They have a top 10 draft pick in Hansborough. They aren't soft and appear as hungry as any team out there. They are definitely in a tough bracket, and I do not believe they'll advance to the Final Four. But they are absolutely a legit contender and should not be written off.

- Watch out for Nevada and Notre Dame. I see Elite 8 trips for both teams. I don't want to dwell on tourney predictions much longer - everyone and their mother has already made their picks.

- Has anyone seen the Knicks recently? They've very quietly positioned themselves as the 8 seed in the East. Isaiah Thomas gets a contract extension and no one is up in arms. I like the Knicks chances to make it, but without Lee and Crawford, they'd be lucky to win 1 game against the 1 seed (and be pretty lucky to get in).

- No idea if the Rushs are related, but is David Padgett related to Scott? If that's the case, how the hell did David spurn Kentucky for in-state rival Louisville? And how lucky is David not to have Scott's ears? He rivals Reggie Miller in the "most-protruding cranium satellites" category.
- Heard an interview with Robinson Cano on Mike and the Mad Dog. The guy doesn't speak a lick of English. He's up there with Benitez and Vlad for Latin all-stars who clearly are not trying to assimilate.

- Fantasy baseball is my other current sports-centric obsession. Trout and I talked about it, and we will not discuss our fantasy sleepers, etc. until after we conclude our drafts. Not that everyone in my leagues read this blog, but we're going to play it safe nonetheless.

- We can, however, talk about our predictions for the season on the team level. In the NL, I see the Phils winning the NL East, with the Mets winning the Wild Card (with 95-98 wins). I like the Cubs in the Central, assuming Zambrano doesn't tear a rotator cuff. And I think the Dodgers are the best team out West. The lineup is scrappy and the pitching staff is deep. This pick might shock you, but I think the Mets will beat the Phillies to represent the NL in the World Series. Watch out for a deadline trade by Omar. A stud SP will be a Met by August.

Things are a little less clear in the AL. I really like Toronto's balance; they had a great offseason. But they are still inferior to the Yankees and Red Sox, who are the best two teams in the MLB. I like the Indians over the White Sox in the Central, and I think the Angels will put it together out West. If the Red Sox establish a good closer (and if they don't sort it out by the summer, they'll either make a deadline deal or move Papelbon back to the pen), I see them heading to the World Series in a repeat of '86.

Again, I am not going to get into specifics about the players that will drive these teams to the post-season, etc. Maybe this portion of the post was a little premature given our lack of interest in showing our fantasy hands before the drafts, but we might as well get the ball rolling. Spring training is in full swing...

- 24: good, not great episode last night. I'm glad Logan is out of the picture (liked the character, but kept thinking he was involved in the terror plot. Who knows, maybe he is. Maybe he doesn't die here either). But the thing I took out of this episode was that I miss Agent Pierce. The guy was a rock, as reliable as it gets (right up there with Curtis. RIP). I also wonder if there is going to be a power struggle between Bauer and the new special ops guy. What else was that actor in? He looks eerily familiar. I feel like he once played a hit man for the Irish mob. Instead of IMDB-ing it, I'll let you all take a stab.

Good fight, good night. (What ever happened to Celebrity Death Match? It was definitely in my top 5 all-time Claymation TV shows.)

Best 4 Days of the Year

- Remember back in college when the beginning of the Tournament, St. Patrick's Day, and the start of Spring Break all coincided on the same weekend? How did we ever make it out of that alive? Twas the perfect storm of events. I guess we'll have to settle for 2 out of 3 from now on, which ain't bad (according to Meatloaf).

- Alright, so here we go. Your wall-to-wall Type Slow tournament coverage starts right here:

ST LOUIS BRACKET

- Possible upsets: ODU (one of the better mid-majors in the best mid-major conference), Davidson (29 wins! Maryland sucks!), Georgia Tech (I think they might be favored against UNLV actually; I layed my case out for them in an earlier post).

- Who I'm actually picking: ODU and Tech; Maryland is one of those teams that steps up in the tournament and will be prepared (even though I think they suck)

- Cinderella potential: Notre Dame got kinda screwed on their seeding at number 6. They only lost 7 games (I think) and had a big scoring margin of 13 points in arguably the toughest conference.

-Final Four Pick: Gators. They're nasty, have an easy bracket, why wouldn't I pick them?

SAN JOSE BRACKET

- Possible Upsets: VCU (Duke has lost 7 of 11, doesn't put up a ton of points, VCU is clutch (see win against George Mason)), Holy Cross (I've already made my case for them in a previous post, but they always come to play in the tournament, plus Southern Illinois is a pretty bad 4 seed)

- Who I'm Actually Picking: I'm splitting my brackets with the VCU-Duke game (maybe the toughest game to call on the board), but I don't have the stones to pick my Crusaders. I won't be shocked if they're playing Saturday or Sunday, though.

- Cinderella Potential: Nobody, really. Even if VCU wins, I think they'll get hammered by Pitt.

- Final Four Pick: Kansas. This team is loaded up. They can make comebacks, they can play defense, they can hit clutch shots, they adjust well. They're gonna win it all. Is Brandon Rush related to Kareem Rush?

EAST RUTHERFORD BRACKET

- Possible Upsets: Arkansas (21-13 in a tough conference vs. USC at 23-11 in an average conference, plus they are playing well right now), Oral Roberts (just cuz I think Washington State blows)

- Who I'm Actually Picking: Arkansas is gonna win this game against USC, but I don't really think Oral Roberts can win.

- Cinderella Potential: Texas wouldn't really be a Cinderella as a 4 seed, but I could easily see them in the Final Four. However, I think Georgetown is going to beat them in the Elite 8, but not until the Durants slay UNC in the 16.

- Final Four Pick: I guess I gave this one away above, but Georgetown is looking real strong right now. I had no idea that guy Green was so good, but Hibbert better start showing up.

SAN ANTONIO BRACKET

- Possible Upsets: None. I literally have every higher seed winning in this bracket. I could be talked into Long Beach State, but I think Tennessee is pretty damn good.

- Who I'm Actually Picking: Penn. Psych.

- Cinderella Potential: While this bracket looks like it has an easy first round picking-wise, I think it's the most wide open once it gets past this weekend. I could see Nevada taking down Memphis (I'm not picking that) and I could see Tennessee taking down Ohio State (I am picking that).

- Final Four Pick: My only sort of stretch for the Final Four comes out of this bracket: Texas A&M. I think they beat Memphis in the Sweet 16 and then Tennessee in the Elite 8.

There ya go. Not a ton of surprises from me, really only 8 or 9 picks for the lower seeds. While I don't think there will be a ton of upsets, I think there will be a shitload of close games (UVA-Albany, Tenn-LBSU, WSU-Oral, Winthrop-ND, Pitt-Wright St, VCU-Duke, among others). Should be a hell of a weekend. Here's hoping I remember some of it.

Musings on Cheese

Speckled Trout (1:21:57 PM): you ever have goat cheese?
Dick Dastardly (1:22:49 PM): yes
Dick Dastardly (1:22:56 PM): why
Dick Dastardly (1:23:00 PM): that was random
Speckled Trout (1:24:37 PM): just got it in a salad, not sure if im feelin it, this other kid at work was talkin it up like it was the new blue cheese or something
Dick Dastardly (1:24:51 PM): its similar to blue cheese
Dick Dastardly (1:24:52 PM): or feta
Speckled Trout (1:25:33 PM): nah, its creamier, subtler taste...a distant third to blue and feta, while feta is a distant second to blue
Dick Dastardly (1:26:14 PM): blue cheese can be overpowering though
Dick Dastardly (1:26:21 PM): whereas goat cheese is a compliment
Dick Dastardly (1:26:25 PM): provides texture
Dick Dastardly (1:26:35 PM): as opposed to bold flavor
Speckled Trout (1:28:37 PM): i think the texture of goat cheese completely detracts from my meal
Speckled Trout (1:28:53 PM): its too mushy and clumpy
Dick Dastardly (1:29:42 PM): it needs to be proportioned properly
Dick Dastardly (1:29:52 PM): there is definitely such a thing as too much goat cheese
Dick Dastardly (1:30:01 PM): kind of like frumunda cheese
Speckled Trout (1:30:08 PM): blue cheese, on the other hand, comes in palatable little crumbles and the right amount complements a salad, hamburger, wrap, whatever perfectly...i could eat blue cheese on its own
Speckled Trout (1:30:48 PM): but i guess you could have too much blue cheese, like,i couldnt sit down and eat a block of blue cheese i guess
Dick Dastardly (1:30:58 PM): thats pretty vile stuff
Dick Dastardly (1:31:04 PM): its a gross thing to have a lot of
Dick Dastardly (1:31:09 PM): any of those chesses, really
Dick Dastardly (1:31:14 PM): hell, any cheese
Speckled Trout (1:31:42 PM): its not possible for me to disagree more strongly
Dick Dastardly (1:31:30 PM): you think you could sit down and have 24 kraft american singles without feeling sick?
Dick Dastardly (1:31:55 PM): what about the 48 pack ?
Dick Dastardly (1:32:00 PM): of kraft american singles
Dick Dastardly (1:32:08 PM): you think you could eat them all and not feel sick ?
Dick Dastardly (1:32:12 PM): thats a lot of cheese man
Speckled Trout (1:32:17 PM): not kraft singles, but i could easily - EASILY - sit down and eat an 8 oz bag of mozzarella, pepper jack, cheddar, colby jack...
Speckled Trout (1:32:32 PM): kraft singles are kinda gross, i never eat american cheese
Dick Dastardly (1:32:34 PM): 8 oz ? thats not even close to a block
Speckled Trout (1:33:08 PM): whatever, thats what size the bags come in
Speckled Trout (1:33:26 PM): ill take a 12er or a pint down, bring it
Dick Dastardly (1:32:58 PM): yeah, ill give you mozzarella
Dick Dastardly (1:33:00 PM): i could eat that
Dick Dastardly (1:33:07 PM): but not blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese
Speckled Trout (1:33:47 PM): yeah, an 8 oz bag of blue, feta, or goat would be tough
Dick Dastardly (1:33:43 PM): so what are the terms of this challenge
Speckled Trout (1:34:19 PM): i dont know, next friday ill eat a bag of cheese for lunch in your presence
Dick Dastardly (1:34:04 PM): loser has to pull a bruce willis in the beginning of die hard with a vengeance
Dick Dastardly (1:34:17 PM): but in your hood
Speckled Trout (1:34:46 PM): i dont know what that means

You Know How It Is, My Friend

- Saw Beach House, a Baltimore dreamy sounding sort of rock band (sorry, I don't know the exact genre), last night with about 100 or so of my closest, hipstery friends at the Mercury Lounge down in the Lower East Side. What a great show. They played a solid mix of old songs, "hit" songs, and new songs and sounded perfect. They threw the crowd a bone in the middle of the set with one of their two "big" songs ("Apple Orchard," quickly becoming one of my favorite songs ever and song from which the official Type Slow slogan above was lifted) and ended with a phenomenal version of "Master of None" - another of the best songs of 2006. Add it all up - great set list, great sound mix, great performance - and this was definitely one of the best live shows I've ever been to. I wish other bands would/could replicate this whole package more often. I have (incredibly) high hopes for an upcoming Yo La Tengo show, but perhaps should temper them based on the last time I got all psyched up for one of my favorite bands. Anyway, check out Beach House if you like organs, drum machines, and good music. Based on the comments we usually get, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that these guys don't really sound like stuff you usually listen to, but it'll be good for you to branch your shit out.

- Saw Zodiac this past Sunday, and I have to say it was one of my best experiences seeing a movie in an actual theater in a long time (mostly since there hasn't been a really great movie to come out in a long time, though The Departed was pretty fun). I've read a ton of reviews on this movie, and all of them say almost the exact same things: a procedural movie about obsession more than a whodunit; three distinct acts taking on media manipulation, the murder investigation process, and, finally, a study on obsession. Everything I've read or heard about this movie has been overwhelmingly positive (probably the best reviewed movie since at least Children of Men), but everybody also makes it seem tedious as fuck. It's true, the movie is long at around 160 minutes or so and it does present a shit-ton of information, but it's incredibly riveting and (I thought at least) the movie moves along at a nice pace. I didn't really think there was a slow part or anything overly confusing, a la Syriana (which I still have no idea whether or not was good). Zodiac is pretty great, go see it.

- I guess I should probably add something in here sports-related, so I'll give you teams I'm liking in the tournament and teams I'm not liking in the tournament.

Liking: Air Force - Not playing as well now as they were earlier, but still, they have a good coach and I think they'll be in the Sweet 16 (pending the conference tournament results)

Michigan State - They have a lot of good wins against the RPI top 50 and probably have the best coach in college basketball. These guys are always there, seemingly no matter how much talent they have.

Winthrop - This team is hot as hell and is actually ranked in the top 25 now. Most likely they're not gonna get any respect when it comes time for seeding, though. I can easily see them getting a 10, 11, or 12 seed, and then upsetting some undeserving pretender.

Holy Cross - They should make it through the conference tournament (15-1 in conference this year) and could make some noise in the first round. Remember, this is the squad that very nearly beat 2 or 3-seeded Kansas a few years ago and probably should've beaten Dwyane Wade-led Marquette whenever that team made its Final Four run. Beware the Cross.

Georgia Tech - Did you know this team beat Memphis, UNC, Duke, Clemson, Florida St (twice), and Purdue? That's pretty good. They are probably a double digit seed, and based on their track record, I'm putting them in the Sweet 16. Also, pretty well coached - these guys have made runs before (remember the Jarrett Jack, Luke Schenscher run?).

OK, here's who I'm not liking: Ohio State - Sure they will be fine through the first two rounds, but as a potential number one overall seed, they're supposed to get to at least the Elite 8. I see them losing in the Sweet 16 only because they are predominantly relying on freshman (even if they are Conley Jr and Oden). Recently, teams with dominant centers (like Bogut or Duncan) haven't been making great runs, and you can't really even call Oden dominant right now.

Virginia - Don't know anything about them other than they were having a nice run through the ACC. Whatever, I don't trust them. You can pick them, but I'm not.

Pac 10 Teams Not Named UCLA - UCLA is obviously really good, even though they get almost no attention in New York. Plus, they went to the Final Four last year, so you know they have some nice experience. But the Pac 10 seems to fall flat (kinda like the SEC) as an overall conference come tournament time. I could be wrong about this (didn't really research it), but I just get that feeling about the conference. It could also be that I haven't heard a thing about any other team besides UCLA. How the hell is Washington State projected for a 3 seed?

- I'm sure some of you think I'm way off here, and I probably am. Set me straight in the comments. I'm looking at you, Legend.