An Airplane Cast.

 

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. Yes, an airplane rant.  Evening rant.  Semi-speed version depending on whether I feel like falling asleep on the plane.  Let’s turn and burn.

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1. Greetings and salutations, people. Thanks for coming aboard (the boat).    The plane.  Whatever.  Let’s move.
2. EXIT row with no seat to my left and no one on my right.   Us tall people are made happy by things that don’t resonate much with short people.
3. As proud as the NFC South should be as a group of NFL teams, that is exactly how NOT proud the AFC South should be. 3-4 is the worst record in the former, which would be better than the best team in the latter at 3-5.
4. I wish this was a longer flight. Well, no I don’t.  But, let’s just say I took a look before takeoff at injuries, bye weeks, season ending IR, playing time, and, if I don’t some serious two team fantasy upkeep, both my winning records will be toast.
5. The only thing the rest of the NBA was worried about coming into this season was that the Warriors would get better.   That worry could be very, very real.  The Clippers and the Warriors were undefeated at takeoff, meaning they are on a collision course with the Eastern Conference’s undefeated teams, the Bucks and Raptors.  Yeah, I don’t think that is happening.
6. Mickelson has been so quiet this year that I barely noticed he cut ties with his coach.
7. I remember a time when a couple years and $71 million in GUARANTEED money was enough to NOT make an MLB player look for greener pastures. Guess not for Zack Greinke.  He is looking and teams are calling.  I will say this.  Leaving that talented, ready to win team I think is sort of dumb, and leaving co-ace Kershaw’s side is really dumb, unless you are uncomfortable being the co-ace.
8. UCONN basketball’s graduation rate is at a STELLAR 20% presently. Before you work on material for that, know they were at 12% two years ago.
9. What I learned about Austin. All flights are delayed.  Flooding is a common problem.  I had an Amarillo burger at their legendary burger dive bar and it was very messy good.  Traffic sucks, is like 20 years behind every other city, and I assume many architects and engineers lost their jobs.  Rainey street IS one of the coolest streets you can walk down, as it IS literally houses that just put bars in them (I recommend Bangers or Craftpride).  The airport must have followed the design of Denver’s, as it was a LONG way from the city.  I would say to rent a car if you visit, but what is the difference between sitting in traffic either in the backseat or in the driver’s seat?  6^th Street will see me again, as if you take my love of “adjective/ animal” bars and look around on that street, it is literally my heaven.  Chuggin’ Monkey.  Blind Pig.  Dirty Dog.  Dizzy Rooster.  Easy Tiger, and that was on a three block stretch.  AND, if you take in account wildcard names like, Jackalope, Swan Swamp, The Bat bar, and some horse bar, it is incredible.  On a Tuesday night, when we went home for night at 9 or 10, there was live music on every level of every bar within that three or four block stretch.  Amazing street, I have been waiting to taste it for an hour or two, and it is well worth it.
10. Manziel will be starting next week, and the blind ambition of what is the Cleveland Browns continues with no real plan in obvious sight.
11. UNC is ranked #1 preseason in men’s hoops. I will EVENTUALLY get to breaking down the whole top 25.  The Marcus Paige injury hurts them initially, but not in the long run.  Aside from a couple somewhat dangerous power 5 games or a couple irritating ones against mid-majors, they won’t endanger their eventual #1 tourney seed losing anything early.  Dicky V. picked NINE ACC teams in the tourney this year, so PLENTY of time and teams on the schedule to build that resume after Paige gets back.
12. My paper doesn’t have the rankings, so definitely not covering them today with no internet.
13. Let the record show, Joseph Randle, that your STUD RB in front of you on the depth chart LEFT and you STILL couldn’t keep it together for a starting spot OR a team spot now.
14. I don’t pay much attention to NASCAR except rooting for Ms. Patrick, but I might throw a couple fleeting glances at the tube this weekend. As I understand it (and that may not be accurate), if Jeff Gordon wins this weekend, he ends his CAREER on a win and TITLE.  So, I guess he is trying to be the John Elway of NASCAR.  Pretty cool if it happens.
15. If I am a Broncos fan, I still am not SETTLED about the team as a whole, but know a couple things. They are still undefeated.  They beat a very good Green Bay team.  They got a new TE since their TE’s only caught 23 balls up to this point.  And, they are chasing Joe Thomas.  Basically, I like the fact they are ACTIVE and not assuming their product is a finished one in any sense.  I like what they are doing.
16. Some people were surprised by the first CFP poll. I wasn’t, as if you broke down every SINGLE category besides wins and losses, Clemson was #1 or close to the top in most of those categories.  I am talking about boiling things down to miniscule things like common opponents record against and such.
17. It doesn’t matter. The shit hits the fan this weekend, so those polls will change very shortly.
18. I mean, instead of complaining about Bama sneaking in at #4, just WAIT. They play the #2 team, so we will know soon enough.
19. Why does Southwest take your drink order, make you thirsty thinking about your upcoming refreshing soda, and then give you peanuts and pretzels in the gap before you get the drink? You are dying by the time you get the drink and then drink the whole damn thing in two seconds.
20. SHAME that the next great hockey player got hurt this week. If you live in a bubble and don’t know who Connor McDavid is, then you have a little healing time to catch up to every other hockey fan’s knowledge level.  McDavid had a pretty scary injury this week.  Dude is going to be amazing.  Get healthy, man.
21. I feel like I will be 60 years old and Dusty Baker will be becoming the manager of some MLB team. I guess if the Nats were changing it up, they almost HAD to pick an old respected guy since they already played their “up and coming” managing card.
22. Twenty three games is not enough of a sample size, Titan brass. Whisenhunt not only has an impressive track record overall as an assistant, but you didn’t even give him 2 seasons to prove himself.  AND, this season is all about the development of Marcus Mariota.  He got screwed.
23. If you are still taking cabs in Uber cities, know you are very, very behind. Driver told me that they have been in China for only 14 months and already have the same market share they have in the U.S.
24. If given other options, do NOT stay at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, as it is far from everything, not that special inside to begin with, and far from downtown Austin.
25. This new Bond movie is getting pretty good reviews. I might have to go check this one out in a theater.
26. Speaking of movies, Lindsey and I watched The Conjuring again the other night, or as I call it, the only scary movie worth a damn in the last 20 years.
27. Maybe 30 years…maybe more.
28. I am happy to report Sandra Bullock’s new movie is not doing as well as projections at the theater. Her movie failures make me happy.
29. I am happy to report The Martian is raking, as Matt Damon is the man of course.
30. Hold the freaking phone. I was perusing the USA Today the other day and John Mayer is playing with the Dead regularly these days?  That is…something I think…not sure whether good or bad.
31. Too far into the flight to pay $8 to spend time on fixing my broken fantasy team. Let’s cover a few more things before I might close my eyes for the remainder of the flight.
32. I finished my pretzels and now am TRYING not to eat my peanuts. WHERE is my Coke Zero?
33. Wednesday is the best travel day of the week because that is when the new Sports Weekly comes out.
34. Stat I didn’t know. We are presently on a SEVEN consecutive PGA winning streak for player being under the age of 30.  Tell your friends, but also acknowledge there was one of these in 1986 too.
35. The Patrick Kane accuser says she is no longer willing to cooperate with the investigation. My hook on this is that it makes me feel stronger he didn’t do anything bad, or at least not bad enough to use those bad rape and assault words.  Months ago, the cab driver’s statement is when I started turning around my opinion.  Dude said nothing shady was going on and that he seemed to be about himself.
36. If you would have told me before the season that Andrew Luck would throw 12 interceptions at this point in the season AND not even play all of those games, I would have thought you were crazy.
37. You could have told me on top of that the Ravens would have the record they have and I would have called you insane.
38. Got to get my hands on that new Grisham novel, Rogue Lawyer. Looks like his old school stuff.
39. I don’t feel like going through entertainment section on this one. That’s it for tonight.  Going to try and sleep on the typical turbulent entry into Denver.  I am off to traverse the state of Arizona next week.  Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Will I blog tomorrow?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.