Life is good.

Read it, don’t read it, I don’t care…just needed to get some things off my chest.

In no particular order of chronology or importance…

On the clock.  Day lunch rant.  Speed version.  Let’s turn and burn.

EMAIL: mark_filler@hotmail.com

TWITTER: @Mark_Filler

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1)       Greetings and salutations, people.  Thanks for joining me today.   I have to write this quick as I am a bench player in the Nets-Heat game “nickname” game.  It was tough fitting “Fillerbuster” on the back of that Nets jersey, let me tell you. Actually if Ray is doing his whole name, I guess “Jesus Shuttlesworth” is MUCH tougher.

2)      The Texas booster is sorry for insulting the hire of Charlie Strong.  He told the media that him and Dennis Rodman were drinking via Skype that day and that it was not his fault.

3)      We can single out a portion of his career and say he never really excelled at any one thing, but taking the sum of his parts, can we just put Tony Dungy in the freaking Hall of Fame already?

4)      The Knicks beat the Heat.  Sure, it is only regular season, but soak in that line.  It just FEELS weird.  That is all we need.  MORE reasons for Carmelo to think he is actually going to win this thing.

5)      I have a colleague who grew up in South Dakota.  A funny list was passed around what THAT was like.  Check out #12.  She didn’t understand the humor in this one.  I thought it was hilarious.

6)      Price is Right contestants falling is always funny, right?  http://deadspin.com/elated-price-is-right-contestant-trips-headbutts-annou-1498301669

7)      Yes, David.

8)      I am a Steeler fan.  I don’t like many other fans though, and I surely am not filing a motion for the playoffs to stop until we figure out this Charger/ ref call mess.  I draw the line SOMEWHERE.

9)      The Wall Street journal did research and found out that Bill Belichick smiled a total of SEVEN times this season.  I can see that.  http://deadspin.com/wall-street-journal-bill-belichick-smiled-seven-times-1498336618

10)   Tony Stewart is aiming for a Daytona comeback to racing with his injury.  Man, I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall watching a NASCAR driver rehab.

11)   For those of you who live in a bubble, Tanaka is now in the states “interviewing teams.”  Yes.  You will know his name soon enough.  Darvish accelerated.

12)   The Phoenix bandwagon hit a minor speed bump when it was announced that Eric Gordon will undergo surgery and be out indefinitely.  I think this hurts for playoff SEEDING, but not a spot.  The way those guys are playing over there in the desert, one guy’s absence won’t kill them.  Hornacek has those guys in the zone.  The shameful part of the injury is that the kid might be playing for a max contract, and this injury doesn’t help at all.  Not a large enough control group to pay him that sum.

13)   FSU is losing some players to the NFL I have noticed.  I hope they go high in the draft.  You might want to ride ONE more ride with Winston’s arm I would think unless you seriously need the cash…just saying.

14)   La Russa is being looked at for the Mariners president.  Why not?  He lives, eats, and breathes the sport, and why not tag along on a club that might do some damage next year?  His legend can just grow even more.

15)   A-Rod might consider a lesser….eh…who cares.

16)   The Tide are hiring Lane Kiffin for their OC spot.  Why not?  The guy obviously can’t be the head honcho at a big school, and is perfect for the coordinator role under someone who IS a great leader (kind of like Charlie Strong, Texas booster guy).  Kiffin is a good football mind, and I guess that visit he paid to Kiffin was more than a friendly exchange of football philosophies.  Petrino is getting a job.  Kiffin is getting a job.  What sketchy coach is next?  Everyone is happy.

17)   Why do I have Notre Dame picking Under Armour on my list?  Moving on.

18)   The bottom half of the Aussie Open draw is a (d) joke.  Ho ho ho.  Nadal, Federer, AND Murray are ALL in the top half of the draw.  What gives?  They don’t like Nadal in Australia?  Space them out, Crocodile Dundees.  It is more fun that way, and I think they have proved they usually MAKE it there.

19)   Le Batard is now barred from future HOF MLB voting.  He DID get everyone thinking about the system though, which is good.  I WILL say this.  Everyone is saying that the 10 vote is BS.  I am on the other side of the fence.  I think there HAS to be a limit so the HOF doesn’t start moving the line where people are in or out.  We can NOT open the flood gates fully.  Even if it means some players get left out.  Players can wait, and if they can’t, they shouldn’t have been that marginally good.

20)   Dammit.  I JUST sent an extra Rant Squad scout out to Yasiel Puig after his last traffic stop and what does he do?  He gets his cousin to take over driving privileges.  Dammit again.  Dude, I have PLENTY of drivers I can offer you.  I can have Marcus Vick pick you up in ten minutes.  Kenny Britt and Justin Blackmon just texted me that they would be good for it since they are not playing anymore.  Just text me.  There might be more stops on the way to wherever you are going, but I bet it would be fun.

21)   I am confused as to whether James Franklin is officially the PSU coach and what his hatred of free golf lessons for life is.

22)   LeBron will help Johnny Manziel as he becomes a professional.  Hell.  Ronald McDonald helping Johnny Football would make me believe he will be better off the field.

23)   I have no idea where that Ronald McDonald reference came from, except for maybe it is because I haven’t had McDonald’s since before New Year’s.  Baby steps, Fillerbuster. I wasn’t abusing it, but it wasn’t helping my comeback either.

24)   Percy Harvin is ready to go for the Seahawks.  Great, because that just what you need if you another NFL team…is for them to be better.  That is fine.  He will get two games under his belt for next year (losing to San Fran, of course).

25)   Way to defend your mile high home court, Nuggets, against a very good Thunder team, with or without Russell Westbrook.  Talk about bipolar.

26)   Lousiville was taken down at home by Memphis last night.  I am not sure what this proves, since Louisville has yet really to beat a real team this year.  Just saying.  I am a Pitino FAN, but they have NOT beaten a good team this year.

27)   My colleague, Nimrod, is an early bird like myself at work.  His usual reply to “how are you doing?” is “Life is good (with an accent).”  Today, he said to someone “Life is great.”  I asked him why what differentiates the days when he responds.  He told me that when he wakes up and the heart is pumping good, like is good.  On Friday, it is great.  What a great perspective.  I might steal it.  Life is good.  Things could always be worse.

28)   Arizona-UCLA.  The game itself was kind of like we thought it would go.  A little fight from UCLA, but the better team exerting itself when needing to.  After watching that game, I will say this.  I am not impressed by Arizona’s bench and not impressed by their foul shooting prowess.  I might need to reevaluate my Final Four.  More on this at another time, but let’s get to the IMPORTANT part of the game, which was Bill Walton announcing.  It is ALWAYS a treat.  Seriously.  It is so bad it is good.  So random it is on point.  I have provided actual nuggets from last night’s game for you as I took the time to write them down one by one.  I could barely keep up in the first half.  First, to give you newbies an idea of what I am talking about, here are two links.  Then, read last night’s tidbits.

http://deadspin.com/what-the-hell-is-bill-walton-talking-about-1498489413

http://www.themoviemind.com/2008/06/05/best-bill-%E2%80%9Cwalton-isms%E2%80%9D-of-all-time/

These really were said DURING the game last night.  Not lying.

-You can’t get to the top of the mountain by yourself.

-Give yourself up to make the greater goal (these last two seem good, but they were after two simple turnovers)

-This Arizona team is better than the ’97 team.  (Dave says, they won the championship, you know?)

-(about Aaron Gordon) He’ll look at you and have something to say.

-I would make Nick Johnson the POY so far.

-Be at your best when your best is needed.

-Happiness begins where selfishness ends.

-Steve OWL ford

-So I was drifting and dreaming (before naming his all time Arizona team, in which he named TWO players from the ’97 team, mind you)

-Gilbert Arenas lost his mind.  Life is a series of choices.  I would wake up with him on my couch sometimes.

-(What did John Wooden say to you after a half like that?) John wasn’t a speech giver.

-Dictate the terms of the conflict.

-Love the pass by Drew Gordon (at least the kid went to UCLA briefly at one point, so he was in the same state)

-Are you old enough to remember when people defected, Dave? (5 minutes of random stuff about some valley in CA, the Santa Monica pier, Alabama basketball when we all thought he mistaked Auburn for Bama in football, blah blah blah…)

-It is almost unfair when you have a point guard who passes.

-Nothing but net (Dave tells him Nick Johnson actually banked in the three).

-Rectify this travesty of justice.

-Said in 30 seconds span JJ McConnell (TJ McConnell) and Brian Anderson (Kyle Anderson).

-Nick Johnson can guard all 5 positions on the floor (Nick is 6’3″).

-When San Diego State beat Kansas this year, it was the greatest night of basketball for the city of San Diego of all time (ugghhh).

-(randomly after they weren’t even talking about Hollis Jefferson) They got Hollis Jefferson-that guy can play ball.

-(more talk on Nick Johnson’s uncle, DJ.)

-(when asked why UCLA was coming back) Arizona has stopped scoring.

-That was a pass over the rim by McConnell (over the rim?  I watched it.  If you can see the rim, you are banking it in).

29)   That is it.  I hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Will I blog tomorrow?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.  Peace.