I know I have used this theme and photo before. I LIKE it. It is my favorite song.

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.  20 minute work break.  This will be quick and dirty.

I feel the need…the need for speed.

1)  Ahhhhh.  You WANT me to start with the obvious, but that is not what this rant is about.  In no particular order…yada yada yada.  Anyway, let’s get to it.  My favorite part of the day yesterday was that the guy who allegedly poisoned the trees in the Bama-Auburn spat got arrested again.  I believe the wording was “an incident in returning a lawnmower to a store.”  That is awesome.  Without looking him up online, are you also getting a mental image of what this guy looks like?  My only question is this.  He is returning a lawnmower? My guess is that A) he has extra riding and push lawnmowers in his big barn out back and B) I figured if he only had one, that he would have missed the whole incident by breaking out his massive tool collection and fixing it himself.

2)  Andy Pettite looked sharp in his last start with the Yanks.  Sure, the Orioles aren’t going anywhere.  However, if the Yanks get healthy at the right time like they always seem to do, AND have Pettite’s experience to settle down some of their young arms, look out.  They might go with a short rotation and keep their fireballers for setup and closers.

3)  I forgot to mention this about Sunday.  If you ask me the score, time, down, WHATEVER about the Steelers, I can tell you just about as well as Lindsey can tell you every stat during an OU game.  I was standing next to a Bronco fan during a commercial, and was catching up on the Broncos game.  I asked two tables “how did you all get 5 points?”  Not one person knew or saw the safety.  Sad, sad, sad.

4)  I am HERE for you, dammit.  To make sure you sleep well at night and that you can talk NASCAR with the best of them, I am here to inform you that Denny Hamlin won last week, and that JJ is in first in the standings.  There.  Feel better?  Oh, and Kurt Busch is switching teams next year.  Tell your friends.

5)  My list obsession is beyond cure.  My job has me delegate myself “tasks,” which really bother a lot of my coworkers.  I like the needed organization of them.  When I am done work, I have a notebook that never leaves my side.  It has everything in it listed daily from “cut fingernails” to “buy a jet ski.”  Do I do all of these tasks?  Of course not, but I am the most aware person in the entire world of things I am NOT accomplishing.  It even goes as deep as the radio.  If I hear a good song, I still have to go through every other button to make sure a higher ranked song is not on.  Here I Go Again is the only song that this rule does not apply.

6)  WR Brandon Marshall fired back at Warren Sapp today for his “retard” comment about him on the Dan Patrick Show.  First of all, Sapp should NEVER be breaking out that word. Second, I wish Brandon would have taken the high road and not retaliated, but I guess his self admitted personality disorder makes that hard (well, and also playing on the same headcase team as Jay Cutler).  Third, if he WAS going to retaliate, I will give him an “A” for stellar remarks.  Check this out.  It sounds kind of high road in parts, but the middle is awesome.

“That’s really disappointing to hear that from an NFL legend, but I’m going to take this as a lesson, and I think we can all learn from this: Be very careful who you take advice from,” Marshall said Monday. “You want to surround yourself with good people, Godly people.

“When I look at Warren Sapp, I can’t go to him and talk about finances because he filed for bankruptcy. I can’t go to him and talk about my marriage because he filed for divorce. I can’t go to him and talk to about being a great father when one day I have children because he’s not active in his children’s life. So the lesson we should all learn here is surround yourself with good people and be careful who you take counsel from. I’m not saying he’s been there on my side giving me counsel, but that’s not a guy that I can go to.

“You know, football doesn’t make us. There’s more to life than just playing football, so make sure you have a great balance in your life and surround yourself with good people. And guys like Warren Sapp, you know, I feel sorry for. Hopefully one day he’ll change his life, we’ll pray for him and instead of using words to destroy, he’ll use words to uplift. So God bless you guys and have a great day.”

7)  I love the Eddie Money-Geico commercial.  I might have a very dry and odd humor, but that thing is hilarious.  If you have missed it somehow:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG0t57PUTaM

8)  In case you didn’t catch the Marshawn Lynch Skittles reference last night, here you go. I remember it from a couple years ago in Buffalo, but I looked it up for the full disclosure.  It is in freaking WIKIPEDIA because he is such an addict.  Just control f “skittles.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshawn_Lynch

9)  I think being stuck with the same name for everyone’s iPhone is just dumb.  ALL the technology in the world that we have, and everyone is stuck with the default name?  Confused.

10)  Falcons John Abraham was busted for obstructing justice on a bridge a woman was about to jump off of.  I have no jokes nor time.  I just wanted to write that sentence and read it aloud.

11)  Ok, ok.  Here we go.  The game last night.  Let’s chat about it.  My thoughts, with the ref comments at the end of the hook.

-I think it is unbelievable that the Packers have 4, sometimes 5, rookies on the field at once on most plays on defense.

-This is really funny:  http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article_external/11802580?mailing_id=1873&linksrc=mb_main_col_8

-I laughed out loud when the analyst said “sackless in seattle.”

-at the beginning, there were a LOT of flags.  The refs were just making sure not to miss anything, so when inventing calls and penalties, they went with my mom’s old cliche.  It is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.

-8 sacks by Seattle in the first half.  Wow.

-that game’s end changed approximately $150 mil-$250 mil in bets.  I remember years ago when I could have been in the pot of people.

-apparently, Obama wants the NFL refs back.  Thanks for stating the obvious, Pres.  Go back to what you were doing since I just saw my health care monthly payment.

-getting the players back on the field after the play was surreal almost.  One of those times, I am glad I was watching it live instead of hearing about it.

-sad to see all the Packers players tweet f bombs.  Ummm.  We all KNOW you got screwed.  Take the high road and step off the mic.

-the first SEVEN things on the Fox wire are ALL about that call

-this is the greatest picture in the history of the world:

-Finally, my thoughts on the refs.  I am going to surprise you, by the way.  I have been thinking about this all day, and I am not as angry as most.  Here is the deal.  We, as Americans ALWAYS think someone is to blame.  Well, I think this is too complicated to be mad.  We can’t fault the refs.  They are dealing with different rules from their other gigs, and their mess ups are a lot to do with the pressure they are under.  They are doing their best.  If you think you could do better (not on ONE call, on ALL of them), give Roger a ring. I can’t be mad at Roger Goodell.  He can’t MAKE the refs and owners agree.  I can’t be mad at the old refs.  If anything, they have a BETTER case to get more money now with all of the failures by the replacements.  I CAN be mad at the owners, but unless I organize a mass, worldwide strike against going to and watching games, we won’t phase them.  I don’t know about you, but I won’t stop watching them no matter HOW painful it gets.  So, where is the blame?  It is simply a bad situation where the only resolution available is under a microscope.  Remember, those old school refs have missed PLENTY of calls over the years that changed game endings.  Dennis Erickson lost his job because of it.  The Chargers missed the playoffs one year because of it.  It has HAPPENED.  Sure, these guys suck, but do you have a BETTER group of replacements?  I don’t.  I will hope the refs come back, and will deal with it for now the best I can.  ALL that being said, and ALL that backing the job they are trying to do, I still have NO idea how A) neither ref saw the block in the back initially (you can’t review and reverse that) and B) how they thought the receiver came down with better possession (which unfortunately is non reversible also).  They might be trying, but I wake up today happy to NOT be a Packers fan.

12)  That is it.  Back to work.  Will I blog tomorrow?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.  Peace.