Hey Dude. Don’t Be Afraid.
Hey, Dude. Don’t Be Afraid.
The Cast
Date: 071119
FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN
BACKGROUND: This started as a long-winded numbered blog. It transformed into an organized long-winded category blog. Now, it is a quick-hitter to ease your pain. I lack time. So, the preparation of the blog actually made me procrastinate from writing the thing. Let’s see what makes the cut. Barely edited as usual unfortunately, so please excuse any mistakes during my stream of consciousness. I feel the need…the need for speed. Let’s turn and burn.
SETTING: Sitting here watching Seinfeld post-work while Lindsey is at a work event. Oooh. Early episode. O’Brien. Nice luger.
Let’s try and keep this more simple than explaining to Jacoby Brissett that space is large, space is a vacuum, and the sun is very far away when trying to explain why space is cold. Can we tape record a conversation between him and Kyrie at some point?
- EVERGREEN 1: Home runs. Why is everyone complaining about higher home run totals? Why do we even care if the ball is juiced? Everything is cyclical in baseball. There are pitcher years, and there are hitter years. Then, the other will adjust, the talent level will change, minor rule changes will occur, and the other one will rule. We had one patch in the late 90’s where hitters were cheating. Ok. That was bad. We don’t want that. But, I am fine with the present HR totals. And these days, we can be reasonably sure that they aren’t using PED’s. Technology has caught up to them. And no one wants another steroid era or baseball version of Lance Armstrong. The bottom line is this. Let the exciting balls fly out. Enjoy it. Things will come around. And let’s talk about the Home Run Derby. MLB has gotten it right now. I had lost interest, when rules were complicated and they had teams, and so on. There is a money prize the players care about. The rules are about right and not complicated. The players are entering and WANTING to do it. We are still watching the best players in the game hit the hardest thing to do in baseball. MLB has accomplished with the Home Run Derby what the NBA had in the 80’s and early 90’s and then lost. And the other night? Classic. Shame that the Joc-Vlad winner yielded a TIRED winner who eventually lost, but you can’t plan that drama. You can’t have a conspiracy theory about this. They just kept tying…WHILE setting all-time records in each round. Extraordinary to watch. Keep hitting it out, guys…in regulation play and in contests. The pitchers will eventually get their time back. For now, we will enjoy the liveliness of the baseballs and the skills at the plate.
- EVERGREEN 2: Kawhi not only made us wait, but wasn’t busy just making a decision. He wasn’t busy picking between countries for living. He wasn’t busy figuring out how much he really wanted the beach. He wasn’t busy just being weird like he was during the end of his Spurs reign. No, he wasn’t doing any of those things. He was making a double-move. He was moving pieces of the puzzle like puppets. He was maximizing his situation so he wasn’t a one-man show stuck just trying to make the playoffs someday. He wasn’t lamenting about leaving a championship roster. No, he was actually moving that pawn to the final row so he had TWO queens in play. He was making sure the appropriate pieces were moved so he would not only counter some of these formed dynamic duos, but possibly outdo them. He was making a master stroke while we were sleeping that would make people fall off their chair in the morning. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard together make one of the most potent offensive and defensive perimeter dual threats EVER. They are both All-Star caliber two-way wings. They will be a headache for most teams to figure out a creative defensive scheme to counter them, yet they will be able to guard anything 1-3…maybe even 1-4. They make the West even more ridiculous. They make Jerry West look even MORE like a genius. They make their team the present betting favorite in the desert. And with the Warriors losing Durant, MAN is next year in the NBA going to be fun, with arguments able to be made about WHO even has the best team…been a while.
- COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Sometimes five-star basketball players go to their chosen school because they are a blue blood. Sometimes they go there because of relationships. Sometimes they go simply because it is close to home. But, rarely do they go there just to be the show, to carry the torch at a school that hadn’t won in a while, or to blaze a trail that others will follow. No, something fishy is usually going on if none of the above apply. Dennis Smith, Jr. was one of the top recruits in the nation. He was a certain pro. And, he was a North Carolina kid, so he was local. But, he also dismissed North Carolina and Duke, which always requires reflection. He played one year at NC State, and then went pro. And, he was paid over $40,000 to do so. Listen, we all WANT kids to turn around programs and uplift downtrodden ones. But, unfortunately, most of the time, there is something going on. Shame. He is making mint and he leaves his school in shambles.
- NBA: The rest of my NBA notes in fluid style. Zion’s first Summer League game was fun, and got me to watch, even if he is now shut down for the rest of it. And he even brought an earthquake with him. That might add to his legend. I like the Danny Green pickup by the Lakers, as LeBron simply needs to be surrounded by shooters. I don’t like the Cousins reunion with Davis, but the Lakers had to make one more big move/gamble before the cards were all off the table. If I were them, I would have grabbed him too. Not Rondo though as much. LOVE the Avery Bradley pickup by the Lakers, and they will need perimeter defenders with George and Leonard in town. I believe Westbrook would have been a better fit in Miami, but they didn’t want to give up the assets or take on his ridiculous contract. Now, he is traded to Houston. There definitely was a relationship problem with Harden and Paul, as this is bringing another scoring PG into town, who might also complain about the ball dominance of James Harden. It will be interesting though, but Russell is still in the tough West either way. I would have wanted to land in the East with an easier ticket to the Finals. Paul George cheated on his ex-girlfriend with a stripper, that ex-girlfriend is the daughter of Doc Rivers, and now Doc Rivers is Paul’s coach. Can’t write this stuff. I like the Nuggets picking up Jerami Grant, and think they gave up a reasonable amount to get him. I don’t hate the Hawks signing Parker, as they have no clue what they are doing anyway. Kevon Looney is making $5 mil per year with the Warriors, and the Suns will pay Kelly Oubre $30 mil over TWO seasons. Uncanny. The Suns are lost without a paddle. I have a weird feeling someone will take a chance on the comeback of Amar’e Stoudemire. Bet you it is the Bucks or Warriors. Lamar Odom can’t even make the Big3 Tourney, and I didn’t know they “cut” people for not being good enough. Ha. Rock freaking bottom.
- SOCCER: Even if he is right, Messi can’t risk his already teetering legend by complaining about the refs in the COPA Tourney. He STILL hasn’t won ANY big tourney. The USMNT could have bookended the women’s win, but fell again to a Mexican team that is just superior these days it seems (didn’t watch it as I was at wedding, so I won’t comment too much). What I did see in the stats was a lack of possession time (57-43) and way too many corners to not net a goal. The women’s team rang the bell as expected. They dominated from the first match, and beat a Netherlands team that really came to play. The Netherlands relied on counters more than expected, changed their starting formation, and were feistier than they had been in previous matches. The first half of that match was a little nervous until the women broke through in the second half. Props to the U.S. women for doing their thing through all of that. Well freaking done. Rapinoe winning the Golden Boot at age 34 gives old people a smirk. And more people watched the women’s final than the 2018 Men’s Final.
- WIMBLEDON: No one wants to be dominant on the women’s side, as Ash Barty lost to an unseeded opponent. Coco Gauff lost to Halep, a very respectable loss. We will see more of Gauff, but limitations in women’s tennis with tourneys that can be played and even media time will depress people that she can’t compete as much ongoing. It is because of her age. Too young. Anyway, the tourney made news when FOUR quarterfinal spots were filled with unseeded women, a record. Go figure that Halep and Williams would make the Final and that none of the unseeded women would make any more noise. Also, in the fourth round, women had 31 Slam Finals appearances ever. They were all Serena’s. Her road was paved. I was the person who said years ago that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would be big time. He hasn’t fulfilled that premonition. He got destroyed by Nadal this week after beating a guy the tourney FINED for not competing. I expected more from him over the last three years. Finally, although we might not see arguably the greatest tennis match of all time like in 2008, you still better pay attention to Federer-Nadal tomorrow in case something special DOES happen. Remember, the last battle was on Nadal’s surface. The grass is where Federer lives. I still like Nadal in this one the way he is playing.
- ESPY’S: Don’t go back and watch the whole thing. You don’t need to see the introductions, the jokes, or the best plays or UVA winning the men’s Cap One Cup and best yada yada yada’s. What you DO need to go back and watch are these items. Trust me. Moving stuff:
- Pat Tillman Service Award: Kirstie’s story was amazing and will make you feel lazy.
- Rob Mendez wins Jimmy V Award: No legs, no arms, successful football coach.
- Bill Russell: He won the Arthur Ashe Award and some of the civil rights things he did were amazing.
- Only downfall was that I wish they hadn’t leaked any of these stories before the awards.
- THIS AND THAT: Yesterday the movie. No spoilers. “Fun” movie that won’t win any awards, but will let you leave the theater happy, jovial, and singing Beatles tunes. Bad cameo near the end of the movie, and not needed (and didn’t resolve anything on the music side). The movie resolves the plot, but doesn’t really touch the subject of whether the world is better or the same without Beatles tunes. Is imitation better than none? Not touched. They painted themselves into a corner with a fun plot, so no one really will be totally happy with the resolution, but not a bad try. Sort of a cop out. I felt like the love story was sort of forced on us, and detracted from the song dilemma. They have a couple of other fun things people forgot about…Oasis, cigarettes, etc. Those were funny. I give it a C for quality, a B+ for fun-ness, and a B overall. Moving on. Please Google the Shark Tank “Haven” presentation, as it has a lock company proving deadbolts don’t work, but then they can’t break through the deadbolt in their presentation. Big Little Lies has gone deep and is a show I am glad I got into, even if it has a bunch of chicks as characters, and even irritating (but great acting again) Ms. Streep. Stranger Things has started out on fire with action, and it is fun for me because I was pretty much their exact age in the 80’s when they are going through this. Everything they run into I remember being around. Wesley from Princess Bride makes an appearance, and he looks rough. Still haven’t gotten to The Wire. Colorado rafting deaths are up to over 10 this year, and we knew this was coming because of the early spring rain. A Detroit festival charged white people more than other people. We were installing The Nest, when Lindsey’s dad figured out our house already HAD a top of the line, $350, thermostat with WIFI capabilities. Ross Perot died, and people my age will always remember how he got a ridiculous 19% of the vote coming from a third party. Amazing in an age with no social media. McDivitt Law Firm in Denver competes with The Strong Arm, and I couldn’t help notice they had a frog (going (McDivitt) on their commercial. Sad branding. The Ford vs. Ferrari movie with Damon and Bale looks fun and solid. A wolf was spotted in Colorado for the first time in years, and that made me happy. Bring your friends, wolf.
- THE FILLERBUSTER: I like taking photos, but realized on Friday, when it took me two hours to just clear my PHONE photos, that I need to reel it in a bit and clean them more often. Now my phone is all hand-picked awesome photos. I didn’t catch Dead & Co., which was the plan, and they are the only band that I have to worry about dying of old age before seeing them again. Still need to see them with Jon M. Having a Sunday night wedding is fine, but having a cash bar is just insult to injury. Pizzeria Locale is one of the best kept secrets in sort of fast food places. No golf will be played again this weekend-house stuff before a trip. I really need to manufacture time for golf. People who jog on busy streets or during festivals are doing it for show and are missing the point. I think people who wait for bathroom stalls at work are weird. Linds and I have narrowed down our 2020 big trip to either Ecuador/Galapagos Islands or Argentina/ Brazil. Fiji/ New Zealand or African Safari the year after. I am trying to talk Linds into attending Widespread Panic in La Playa also, but we have already been there…just without Panic. Eating salad for a dinner seemed very much not me, but putting hot sauce on it made it taste better. I just found out that they now have a shuttle that goes from Union Station to Red Rocks and that is brilliant. I wrote my first sales prospecting email…in Spanish today. I had a doctor’s appointment, and he said I should take up yoga, so it looks like my entire lifetime of making fun of yoga and never doing one single yoga exercise has come to an end. In Seinfeld’s lingo, worlds have officially collided. I hate people who mark ALL emails with an exclamation point or as urgent, as then I stop reading their emails since they are not picking and choosing their urgent battles. Don’t they know the fable about Peter and the wolf? I have decided to bring back my old typical college response. I will be saying “Sweet” much more now.
- TWEETS OF THE WEEK
- 11.LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE (including a couple if you are bored)
ALTERNATE CATEGORIES NOT MAKING THIS WEEK’S CUT
- THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK (because the best song this week IS the best song ever…for now): Still Bow down (I Prevail), Get Up (Shinedown), and Monsters (Shinedown) with research for a new list happening this weekend.
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK
- TRAVEL
- THIS WEEK’S LIST
- MY NUMBERS
- GONE FISHING (the riddle for money):
- PICS BY MY PIXEL (pictures from my phone):
- LIFEGUARD ENTRY:
- NHL
- NFL
- COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- MLB
- MISCELLANEOUS
The theme? Yesterday, the movie. And Ed Sheeran wants to sub in “Hey Dude” for “Hey Jude.” Cut and dry. No other serious contenders.
New format rocks. This took me 45 minutes to write.
You should go to Motet at Red Rocks. You will be missing out. I will be all in on that tomorrow night.
Work trip to Vegas next week. I will talk to you either during or after that.
That’s it for today. Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed. Remember two things. First, feed yourself, feed your family, but always, always remember to…feed the wolf. Second, if you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker. Will I blog again? That is a CLOWN question, bro. As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let’s get the flock out of here.
| THROW IT BACK IN THE POND |
| LeBron attends summer league game |
| wiz trade Howard for miles |
| masvidal five second ufc ko fastest ever |
| no cart for Daly British open |
| mets gm tosses chair |
| andrew heaney honors tyler skaggs with first pitch slow curve |
| messi crying corruption after red card |
| alex morgan tea time celebration |
| tour de france |
| scherzer out of asg back |
| arrieta bone spurs |
| Durant changes jersey to 7 |
| equal pay uswnt issue |
| Lucroy carted off field |
| griz get wright sign and trade |
| reds go sleeveless |
| neymar no show psg response |
| verlander says mlb is juicing balls |
| tiger waking at 1am British |
| uswnt will attend espy’s in LA after NYC parade |
| warriors pick up spellman |
| glover quin retires after 10 seasons |
| Daly denied cart, pulls out of open |
| jr smith shirtless celebrity softball game |
| wnba asg |
| serena over riske in three |
| serena apologizes to osaka |
| dolphins to cover medical bills norton |
| nba approving coach’s challenge |
| Chris long MLS fire humanitarian awards |
| rip torn dies |
| Robbie g. Brady working out |
| duke Johnson leaves agent |
| cards only team to pick supplemental |
| kawhi three yr deal |
| ny governor signs equal pay parade |
| haynesworth asks for kidneys social media |
| bouton ball four dies |
| robot umps in atlanta asg |
| silver free agent rules |
| Trump census |
| Malik Powell fights cop after being tased |
| uswnt NYC parade |
| hurricane gulf coast |
| Ortiz complications third surgery |
| Gordon might want trade chargers |
| hate crime investigated rapinoe |
| masvidal wants conor |
| Della dinner Wilson asg cptns |
| marisnick 2 game suspension |
| hue Jackson wants new NFL job |
| syndergaard rumors |
| Baker Mayfield married |
| tyreek hill denies assault on fiancee in audio recording |
| asg |
| Herrera suspended season |
| minor league legend Cody decker hits hr and retires |
| asg-american 7 years in a row for wins now |
| players honor skaggs at asg |
| trade deadline |
| morris may renege on spurs for knicks |
| warriors waive livingston |
| ufc Jones decision Nunez tko |
| Justin Haley daytona |
| Matthew Wolff wins first pga event |
| thiago santos fought 2nd half fight with torn acl, mcl, pcl, meniscus |
| harvard coach fired-selling home to prospect’s dad |
| rapinoe trump fight |
| Murray mixed doubles run ends with serena |
| new zealand upsets india in cricket wc |
| wife waterworld |
| cash bar wedding |
| us Mexico bro |
| limiting pasta |
| dr. appt |
| 46 yet still occasionally bite my lip |
| missing work field day-no three legged race? |
| another work move that is ridiculous moving one seat or row other |