07 skins

ST

Fans are losers

Yesterday, Linda Cropp single handedly dealt the Washington Nationals a fatal blow as she ammended the stadium financing deal with MLB to require that half of the funding for the stadium be private. Local radio was abuzz all day with news that baseball's return to DC after a 33-year hiatus was now in jeopardy. MLB doesn't care about the fans whose hearts will be broken, it will seek retribution for a broken deal (whether right or wrong). The 15,000 Nationals season ticket holders have been kicked to the curb.

Meanwhile, today EA sports and the NFL announced an exclusive deal that give EA a monopoly on NFL video games. For the next five years (the length of the deal), you can expect each "new" game to be simply an updated roster with the same old graphics and features. While EA and the NFL will profit from the deal ultimately the fans who expect a better game every year will suffer because EA has crushed the competition and eliminated any incentive for creativity or innovation.

The last 24 hours has illustrated just how dumb we fans are. We ally ourselves to these teams and entities even though they don't care one lick about us. All they want is our money. New stadiums are built, players salaries skyrocket, team revenues grow exponentially and how do fans get rewarded? With higher ticket prices, more expensive merchandise, sports entities (teams and leagues) are continually trying to squeeze more money out of fans while giving them less in return.

It's not whether you win or lose, but how much money is made playing the game.

Enough Already!

I know that ABC's Monday Night Football intro was obscene, inappropriate and all that, but could we please let it go? This morning, 3 days after the offense, it still permeated the airwaves.

Let's see:

7am - I turn on Sportstalk980.com to listen to "Mike & Mike" and low and behold, they are still talking about it. Was it racist? Was it offensive? blah blah blah.

7:15am - Sick of hearing about this, I turn to Imus in the Morning. They are talking about it.

fast forward to 4pm. I leave work to shoot hoops (I was a BEAST today by the way!). Doc Walker is talking about how they went after TO to do the spot because he's black. They wouldn't ask Favre or Manning to do it. Blah, blah, blah.

Leaving my opponents strewn all over the court at 6pm, I get in and turn to the John Riggins show, hoping to hear some news about my beloved Skins. What are they talking about?

You guessed it! TO's acting abilities, how entertaining was the spot? How "over the line" was it?

So finally in disgust, I turn on my Kill Bill Soundtrack and listen to that the rest of the way home.

Don't get me wrong, ABC was way out of line and it was an obvious blunder, but could we please let it go and talk about the game on the field? Pretty Please!?!

Salt in the Wound

"We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life."

-C-3PO


Never has this quote been as relevant for me as it was for Redskins fans around the world on Sunday evening. The season unofficially, officially ended.

The season began with such promise. The ghosts of Norv, Marty, and the 'Ol Ball Coach had been exorcised by the return of Joe Gibbs. Surely Joe Gibbs, the architect of 3 super bowl champion teams could get this team that seemed always to flirt with contention over the hump. Gibbs would come in whip the boys into shape, and the games that seemed to slip away in seasons past would now fall into the Skins 'W' column.

But alas, fate rarely abides by such scripts. Instead, the Redskins offense which was so inept under Spurrier last year has gotten worse.

The 2003 Redskins average a mere 18 points per game (17.9). They ranked22nd in scoring and 23rd in total offense. This year's team has reached the 18 point plateau just once in 9 games. The offense is averaging a pathetic 12.7 pts/game. Obviously they are 32nd in scoring, while ranking 29th in total yards.

This regression is more infuriating when you look at the fact that they went out and got Clinton Portis and added Mark Brunell (who came into the season as the 11th most accurate passer in NFL history). Portis has been inconsistant, while Brunell has been downright awful.

With games against Philly, Pitt, NYG, and Philly again, we are staring 3-10 right in the face. What's worse is that there's no reason to think we'll be much better next year. The "stars" on offense (Brunell, Portis, Coles, Randy thomas) have all signed long-term contracts that will make it difficult to upgrade. The coaches will have to find a way to make the same players more productive. Talk about getting blood from a turnip!

Oh well its almost Thanksgiving. For Redskins fans that means time to start talking about the draft.

:(

The Incredibles

I guess you can count me among the disappointed. No RotS trailer and then the movie itself was a somewhat of letdown too. Lots of action, but I didn't find it as humorous or lighthearted as other Pixar films. I thought the cast did a good job with what they had to work with, but I was just disappointed by how much this film lacked a lighthearted side. There was a lot of intense action and some rather tense moments, but very little on the other side to balance it out.

The violence in this film was also a disappointment. There was a lot of talk about killing and seeing people shoot at kids was kind of disturbing in a film that is supposed to be geared toward children. There were also a couple of deaths in the film that were a little to much for a disney film, IMO. (I won't get into too much detail as I don't want to spoil it for others).

Anyway, the production quality for Pixar films gets better with each one. The animation was simply amazing. The soundtrack was impressive. This film is truly a technical marvel.Unfortunately it just didn't do "it" for me.

3/5

As far as the Return of the Sith trailer goes, I was able to download it and watch it.

As my friend Dan says, "say what you will about the films themselves, the prequel trailers have been excellent." The RotS trailer was no exception! The trailer did a great job of tying the prequels to the original trilogy as Alec Guiness narrates through some ANH dialogue. I'm getting chills just thinking about it (am I a geek or what?).

I can't wait until May 19th.

Strong Closer Indeed

John Kerry proved the notion that he was a strong closer by coming on strong at the end of this hard fought campaign. With the aid of the news media, Kerry pounded Bush on everything from the "missing 380 tons of explosives" to the lackluster economic growth. Polls show a close race, but I don't think it will be.

I think Kerry will win with 51% of the popular vote and carry the electoral vote 306-232.

I hope to God that I am wrong, but I only call it like I see it. I also pray that things go smoothly tomorrow. Regardless of who wins, the stability of our democracy is more important than either of the two candidates running.