Scratching It Off My List
#15 Attend a World Series game
My game ticket, my cost “I believe that will be free of charge“
The Backstreet Boys sang the National Anthem“Oooooooo” say can you see
The seats were awesome!!!!!There were no signs of these guys!!!!
And this picture has nothing to do with the story, I just like it.
Cheers and Hail!
Posted by fatpickle Date: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Categories: Fatpickled, MLB, Orioles
Tags: alyssa milano, MLB, O's, Rays, world series
Talk Soup is Cancelled
Mike Nolan was fired Monday as head coach of the San Fransisco 49ers. Nolan served as Defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins from 1997-1999. It was during this time that Porkboy and Fatpickle tagged Nolan with the nickname Talk Soup. We thought he bore a tremendous resemblance to the original host of Talk Soup, Greg Kinear. I still enjoy playing the “he looks like someone famous game”, its always fun. But lets focus on another NFL firing. Until the past couple of weeks I have never liked the idea of firing a NFL coach in the middle of the season. Although the NFL season is long in the sense of time, there is only 16 regular season games. It seems crazy to fire a coach a quarter of the way thru the season. Especially when a head coach has put his system in place, gone thru OTA’s, training camp, and preseason. It seems as though things have to be dire straights, or severe rock bottom to make such a move. But, the Rams are 2-0 with wins on the road against the Skins and Cowboys, since firing Scott Linehan. Even the Raiders came up with a spirited win this weekend against the Jets, making the cable guy 1-1.
Which brings me to the hiring of Mike Singletary. I love this move! I know Singletary has never been a coordinator, but he is a leader. If intensity and motivation are what the 49er’s are looking for, he will bring it. Singletary has interviewed several times for coaching vacancies, and was always passed over. I hope indeed that he was a serious candidate for these positions, that he was not just brought in as a product of the Rooney rule.
Singletary now has 9 games to show the 49er’s that he should be the head coach, and I think he succeeds. He’s playing in a weak division, and he has good coaches in place. All he needs to do is light a fire, and I think he can do that with his stare alone. The 49er’s have a bye and 3 divisional games in the next month. Seattle and St. Louis at home, and Arizona on the road. If they do well over the next 4 weeks, they are right back in the division hunt.
We still have 2 more firings that could happen before season’s end. Rod Marinelli in Detroit, and Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati. Marinelli is most likely to go, his team is pitiful and the new GM will probably want to choose another head coach. Lewis should be fired with the Bengals bye week coming up. However, Mike Brown is a notorious tight wad, and probably can’t handle paying Lewis to sit at home for the rest of the season.
One things for sure, with all the openings that are going to be available for head coaching positions in the NFL this year, it’s time to get Russ Grimm a job. He too has been passed over many times, and has the knock of never being a coordinator. But he is a Super Bowl Champion and a Hall of Fame caliber player. He will be a successful head coach if given the chance.
Cheers and Hail!
Posted by fatpickle Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Categories: Fatpickled, NFL
Tags: firings, head coaches, hogs, NFL, singletary
Fantasy Recap Week 7…Studs or Duds
Week 7 was a hard week for my fantasy teams. I went 0-3 on the week, losing the 3 games by a combined 8 points. Check out the stat lines from my 3 WR’s in The League:
Colston 0 rec 0 yds
Cotchery 1 rec 0 yds
Harrison 2 rec 11 yds
That’s right 1 fantasy point from 3 players, unbelievable.
However, if you took my advice on my Fantasy Studs for Week 7, you were sitting pretty. Lets take a look out how my fantasy picks worked out.
Cassel - 185yds, 3TD STUD Wow Brady healed quickly, oh wait that’s the Broncos secondary turning Cassel into Brady
Edwards - 265yds, TD STUD barely, only because NFL QB’s struggled big time in Week 7. He was a solid play
P. Manning - 229yds, 0TD, 2INT’s DUD horrible, he turned the Pack defense into studs, throwing two picks returned for scores
Schaub - 267yds, 2TD STUD another nice game, but what do you expect against the Lions?
Barber - 113yds, TD STUD they fell behind early and got away from the run too soon, could have been better
C. Johnson(Ten) - 172yds, 2TD STUD could have been even bigger, he was tripped up headed to the endzone w/ no one ahead of him
Slaton - 89yds, TD STUD Green stole a TD from him, but still solid
D. Williams(Car) - 70yds, TD STUD I’ll take that from a #3 RB any week
A. Johnson - 11rec, 141yds STUD a TD would have been nice, but how can you complain?
R. Moss - 69yds, 2TD STUD 1 more yard and I tie in one of my leagues
Ward - 60yds, TD STUD He’s a Stud for this
Wayne - 24yds TD DUD Manning’s terrible game = Wayne’s terrible game
Bonus Pick
Buc’s D/ST - Dud no Td’s, they gave up a garbage time TD
10 out of 12 (forget the bonus pick) not to shabby!
Cheers and Hail
Posted by fatpickle Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Categories: Fatpickled, NFL
Tags: fantasy football, NFL, studs, the league
Crock Pot Sundays
mmm..that looks good, and the pot roast doesn’t look half bad eitherI love to cook. Whether its firing up the grill and throwing on a nice steak, or challenging myself with a difficult recipe. I just love cooking, and I think I’m pretty good at it. However, when football season rolls around, you got to keep it simple. I can’t keep running outside checking to see how the meat is cooking on the grill. I can’t add this ingredient after a half hour, and saute this ingredient after 2 hours. No, I need simple preparation, dump it in the crock pot and forget about it. Over the past 4 weeks we have enjoyed a brisket from some hot chick, chicken and dumplings twice (they were so good), and today’s pot roast.
Here are my directions for crock-pot cooking:
Step 1
Put ingredients into crock pot (approximate prep time 10-15 minutes) - grab a beer and watch Terry, Howie, and Jimmy talk about today’s games. Ignore Strahan. Admire Jillian. Drink more.
Step 2
Enjoy the aroma coming from your kitchen, but relax you don’t have to do anything for the next 5-6 hours, except watch football. Enjoy as many beers as you can during this time.
We’re gonna need a bigger boat
Step 3
Fill your plate with the delicious treat you have created. Around this time your “comfort food” will start ruining your beer buzz, this is OK. If your favorite team has already played, then you can take a nap during 60 minutes, you need the rest.
Step 4
This move depends on whether your team won or not. If they lost your probably done for the day, if they won, you get your second wind. You tune into the Sunday night game, or if that sucks, you put on Smokey and the Bandit, and have a couple more beers.
Step 5
You’re at the water cooler on Monday morning, and you share the gas with your coworkers that you acquired by eating 5 bowls of pot roast and drinking lots of beers. And……you are proud!
Go Rays!
Cheers and Hail
Posted by fatpickle Date: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Categories: Fatpickled, NFL
Tags: Greatest Movies, NFL, Rays, rebecca, recipe, sundays
Fantasy Thoughts For Week 7
Studs
QB’s
Cassel - This game will be a shootout and the Bronco’s struggle against the pass.
Edwards - He’s coming off a bye last week, should be recovered from the concussion, I see a big day.
P. Manning - Last week the Colts Offense looked like the Colts of old, I think they keep it rolling this week.
Schaub - The Ben Affleck look-alike will have another huge week vs. the hapless Lions.
RB’s
Barber - No Romo, and no Felix Jones to steal carries. They will ride him all day.
C. Johnson (Ten) - He’s already on everyone’s radar, but today is is official coming out party. I mean like Jay Z style.
Slaton - I will continue to pick every skilled-position player who is facing the Lions. Forever.
D. Williams (Car) - This is a reach, as he is in a platoon with Stewart. I think it will be his week to shine. Not a huge day expected, but solid #3 RB #’s.
WR’s
A. Johnson - Schaub’s big day + Lions D = BIG DAY!
R. Moss - Cassel’s big day + Denver D = BIG DAY!
Ward - He seems to have a couple games each year when he scores multiple times, what a better matchup than Cincy?
Wayne - Manning’s big day = Waynes BIG DAY!
Bonus Pick
Buc’s D/ST - Going up against a Seneca Wallace led Seattle offense. Kiffin practices against this Offense every day. The Bucs might score twice on D.
Enjoy the games!
Cheers and Hail
Posted by fatpickle Date: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Categories: Fatpickled, NFL
Tags: fantasy football, NFL, studs
My NBA Economic Stimulas Plan
I think we have all felt the effects of our falling economy. It appears that the NBA is not immune to these turbulent times. Last week they announced the pending layoffs of 80 employees. Not underachieving players, but staffers, or the average Joe’s like you and I. Unlike the NFL, where players sacrifice their bodies for short term careers with non-guaranteed contracts, NBA players enjoy guaranteed contracts. These guaranteed contracts usually result in the NBA franchise taking it on the chin as the guaranteed player sleepwalks thru another game, or shows up late to an 11am shoot around. 
Who can forget Sprewell when he said “Why would I want to help them win a title? They’re not doing anything for me. I got my family to feed.” This was after the Timberwolves offered him a guaranteed 3 year 30 million dollar deal which he found insulting. Evidently Sprewell was right about going broke, he recently went bankrupt after finding a way to lose the 96 million he earned in his career. Whether its smoking a little weed, fighting in the stands, fathering 13 kids, or disrespecting our national anthem, NBA players have shown us that they are not deserving of 120 million dollar max contracts.
So, my plan to save the jobs of the 80 staffers is simple, the players are going to participate. If the league is indeed struggling, the players and their guaranteed contracts are not. The NBA will pay out 2 Billion in player salaries this year! That’s right 2 billion!
My plan is to tax them 1%. For every $100 they earn, they will donate one dollar. Money I would never miss, let alone the average NBA player earning 5.6 million per year. This 1% tax will result in a pool of 20 million to pay the 80 staffers. Assuming the average staffer was making $75,000 per year (probably generous), this will be enough money to pay their salaries for the next 3 years. This will actually create a surplus of 2 million dollars, which I will take for a consulting fee.
So a quick recap, a bunch of underachieving millionaires get taxed 1% for one year. This 1% tax saves the jobs of 80 decent hard-working people for 3 years, by which time I pray our economy is fixed. And lets not forget just how many lives are affected by those 80 firings, there are spouses and children that suffer.
I’m all in, what do you think? Anyone have David Stern’s number?I’m Fatpickle and I approve this message.
Cheers and Hail!
