MONKEY KICKOFF

SNOWBOARDING

Epitome of Homosexuality

This one's for you Jay.

CSI Miami One Liners

If you've ever watched an episode of CSI Miami you can appreciate this.
I think my favorite may be "Join the club" (RIGHT AFTER HE SHOOTS A GUY).

David Caruso CSI Miami One Liners - Watch more free videos

This is insane!!!

I want one of these for my house.


Really Cool Microsoft Technology - Watch more free videos

Spurs Win, Spurs Win!

Here's a good article by Jemele Hill on ESPN Page 2.

CLEVELAND -- Put the Spurs in Doc's DeLorean. Turn the dial to the 1980s, or early-to-mid 1990s. Just put them in a time when basketball fans weren't huge hypocrites.

You know how they say some people are before their time? Well, the Spurs are behind their time. In today's Paris Hilton-obsessin', 360-degree-dunkin'-lovin,' sexy-soundbite-wantin', entertain-me-me-me culture, the Spurs are an Atari in a land full of Wiis.

These millennium Spurs, now winners of four titles in nine years, were born at the wrong time. That's why they are, by far, the most underappreciated, disrespected champion in NBA history.

You wouldn't be pumped to see Duncan, Parker and Ginobili square off against Magic, Bird or Isiah?

But imagine them in the '80s with Bird, Kareem, Magic and Zeke. Imagine their execution facing the Pistons' toughness. Imagine Duncan against McHale. Imagine Rodman and Bowen competing for most irritating. Bet we wouldn't call the Spurs unwatchable then.

"I'm going to go on record and say, yeah, we would beat them," said Robert Horry, when asked if these Spurs could beat some of the great Boston teams in the '80s.

Imagine the Spurs in the early-to-mid '90s playing Jordan. Imagine Duncan versus Malone. Imagine Duncan versus Barkley. Imagine Popovich versus Sloan. Imagine the Spurs' big three rolling to Chicago trying to take the crown from Mike. Bet the television ratings wouldn't be so bad then.

Imagine the Spurs against the '82-83 Sixers. Imagine Moses Malone's "fo', fo', fo'" prediction contrasting with Tony Parker's French accent. Bet we wouldn't call the Spurs boring then.

We would have just waved our "Beat It" jackets in the air and cheered for the Spurs.

"Back then, it was more blue-collar," Horry said. "We're a blue-collar team and guys work hard and they appreciated it a little bit more than they do nowadays. They like flash."

Yes, we do. We talk a good game about wanting to see players with fundamentals, about wanting to see solid defense, about wanting to root for players who are anti-thug, about wanting to see execution, about appreciating good coaching, about wanting guys to just play and not mouth off.

And then we predictably tune in for more T.O.

Ask yourself: When was the last time one of the Spurs was arrested? When was the last time one of the Spurs whined about playing time? More money? Demanded a trade?

Think about that the next time you groan because the Spurs were in the Finals.

We treat the Spurs like they're a punishment. It's not the Spurs' fault they still do things the '80s way. It's not the Spurs' fault that most teams in the NBA aren't committed to defense. It's not the Spurs' fault all the worst general managers are in the league's biggest markets (Isiah Thomas, Mitch Kupchak, Danny Ainge). It's not the Spurs' fault the Eastern Conference is the professional version of the NCAA's Patriot League. It's not the Spurs' fault they're the best-run organization in the NBA. It's not the Spurs' fault that Tim Duncan, the most accomplished player in the post-Jordan era, doesn't fit the stereotype of black male athletes and therefore won't garner widespread, national attention until he holds up a 7-Eleven.

"For the true basketball fan, I think we are appreciated," Michael Finley said. "But for the era today, when it's about putting points on the board, it's not appreciated as much. Back in the day when 80-point games were considered high-scoring games, I could see this team being appreciated. It doesn't matter how many points you score, it's about winning, and this organization has done that. From that standpoint, the respect should definitely be there."

There are not enough great teams, and somehow this became the Spurs' problem instead of the league's problem. The Spurs should remind us how basketball used to be played in the NBA, but we've turned on them and sent the message that outside San Antonio it's ABS -- Anybody But the Spurs.

We're always quick to lament how much today's athlete has changed, but the truth is our fan values have changed just as much. It was once a no-brainer to embrace a team like the Spurs. Wish we could transport them back to a time when we cared more about what they stand for.

Way to go Henry Melton.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas junior defensive end Henry Melton was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated early Friday.

Melton was pulled over in the popular Sixth Street entertainment district about 2:30 a.m. after officers noticed his truck driving in an unsafe manner, Austin police spokeswoman Laura Albrecht said.

In the arrest report, officer Steven Martinez said Melton failed a field sobriety test, smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, staggered, used profanity and was insulting during his interview.

Melton also told the officer he had nothing to drink, Martinez reported.

Melton was charged with DWI and taken to the Travis County Jail. He was released at 8:15 a.m. after posting a $1,500 personal recognizance bond, according to jail records.

Texas athletic spokesman John Bianco said school officials were aware of the arrest and were looking into it. It was not immediately clear if Melton has an attorney.

Melton was a backup running back his first two seasons with the Longhorns before moving to defensive end this spring. He rushed for 432 yards and scored 10 touchdowns as the Longhorns' short-yardage specialist in 2005 when Texas won the national championship.

His role was more limited in 2006 when he rushed for 193 yards and six touchdowns.

Melton, 6 feet 3 and 270 pounds, is expected to compete for playing time next season at defensive end with the departure of last season's starters Brian Robison and Tim Crowder.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press


I'm sure I'll hear from this from all the TAMU fans for a while.

New Simmons Article

Duncan is wildly underrated

By Bill Simmons

My father visited me last weekend for two reasons: He wanted to see his granddaughter, and he wanted to finalize his will in case he drops in a heap after David Stern says these words: "The third pick of the 2007 draft goes to ... the Boston Celtics." At one point during Dad's visit, I was discussing possible column topics for the issue you're currently reading. Tim Duncan's name came up.

"Would you read a column about how underrated Tim Duncan is?" I asked.

Dad made a face. He played with his hair. He seemed confused. "A whole column on Tim Duncan?"

"You wouldn't read it?" I continued.

"I don't think so. I'd see the headline, skim the first two paragraphs and flip to the next article."

"Seriously? He's the best player of the past 10 years!"

"Nahhhhhhh," Dad maintained. "Nobody wants to read about Tim Duncan. He's not that interesting."

Duncan's prowess has been a sore subject with my dad and me since the 1997 lottery, when our beloved Celtics had a 36% chance to land the No. 1 pick, and San Antonio plucked it away. Helplessly, we've watched him carry the Spurs to three titles, a number that could have been five if not for Derek Fisher's miracle shot in 2004 and Manu Ginobili's stupid foul of Dirk Nowitzki last season. No Celtics fan can assess Duncan's career for more than .21 seconds without remembering he could have been ours. With the franchise facing another make-or-break Ping-Pong moment on May 22, it's safe to say that not getting Duncan set the Celtics back 10 years.

But what did we really miss besides a slew of 58-win seasons and a few titles? Well, the chance to follow the most consistent superstar in recent NBA history, for starters. Duncan's averages from his first year (21.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.5 bpg, 55% shooting, 39.1 mpg) are nearly identical to those of his just completed 10th (20.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.4 bpg, 55% shooting, 34.1 mpg). His placid demeanor hasn't changed even a little; he looks exactly the same. His trademark 15-foot banker off the glass hasn't changed. Nearly 900 regular-season and playoff games have worn down his legs a little but not much, and he's made up for the erosion with an ever-expanding hoops IQ. If there's a major difference between the 1998 Duncan and the 2007 Duncan, it's his defense. He's gotten better and better as the years have passed, not just as a help defender but as an overall communicator.

Whenever I watch the Spurs in person, that's the first thing I notice: how well they talk on defense. It's a friendly, competitive chatter, like five buddies maintaining a running dialogue at a blackjack table as they try to figure out ways to bust the dealer. Duncan is the hub of it all, the oversize big brother who looks out for everyone else. During breaks in the action, you can always count on him to throw an arm around a teammate before dispensing advice or to wave everyone over for an impromptu pep talk. He's their defensive anchor, smartest player, emotional leader, crunch-time scorer and most competitive gamer, one of those rare superstars who simply can't be measured by statistics alone. Fifty years from now, some stat geek will crunch numbers from Duncan's era and come to the conclusion that Kevin Garnett was just as good. And he'll be wrong. No NBA team that featured a healthy Duncan would have missed the playoffs for three straight years. It's an impossibility.

Now ...

I'm not a fan of the whole overrated/underrated thing. With so many TV and radio shows, columnists, bloggers and educated sports fans around, it's nearly impossible for anything to be rated improperly anymore. Everyone is constantly searching for fresh topics to dissect, so could anything slip under the radar at this point? Think back to when Duncan entered the league: The web was still rounding into shape, sportswriters weren't screaming at each other on TV, radio hosts were confined to talking about their local teams and everyone read their local columnists. That's it. Ten years later, a hyperactive sports world means that, if anything, underrated players (like Ben Wallace, for instance) quickly become overrated because everyone spends so much time discussing how underrated they are. Well, I say Tim Duncan is underrated. You know what else? He's wildly underrated.

Assuming the Spurs win the 2007 title and Duncan captures his fourth Finals MVP award (both decent bets), his first professional decade will have concluded with four rings, two regular-season MVP awards and nine first-team All-NBA nods. His best teammates have been David Robinson (who turned 33 in Duncan's rookie year), Manu Ginobili (never a top-15 player) and Tony Parker (ditto). In fact, Duncan has never played for a dominant team; the Spurs have never had quite enough talent to roll through the league. Trapped at the top of the standings, they've been forced to rely on others' failed lottery picks, foreign rookies, journeymen and head cases with baggage. Zoom through San Antonio's past 10 rosters on basketball-reference.com some time. You'll be shocked. Tim Duncan has never played on a great basketball team. Not once.

So how can he remain underrated? For one thing, he's always had a little too much Pete Sampras in him. Even last month, when Joey Crawford tossed Duncan for laughing on the bench, everyone seemed most shocked that Duncan was the guy involved. It was like watching an AP history teacher flip out on an honors student who never speaks in class. Duncan certainly doesn't have Shaq's sense of humor, Kobe's singular intensity, KG's menacing demeanor, LeBron's jaw-dropping athleticism, Wade's knack for self-promotion, Nash's fan-friendly skills or even Dirk's fist pump. If there's a defining Duncan quality, it's the way he bulges his eyes in disbelief after every call that goes against him, a grating habit that was old about five years ago. The other "problem" has been his steadfast consistency. If you keep banging out great seasons with none standing out more than any other, who's going to notice?

There's a precedent for this: Once upon a time, Harrison Ford pumped out monster hits for 15 solid years before everyone suddenly noticed, "Wait a second, Harrison Ford is unquestionably the biggest movie star of his generation!" From 1977 to 1992, Ford starred in three Star Wars movies, three Indiana Jones movies, Blade Runner, Working Girl, Witness, Presumed Innocent and Patriot Games ... but it wasn't until he carried The Fugitive that everyone realized he was more bankable than Stallone, Reynolds, Eastwood, Cruise, Costner, Schwarzenegger and every other competitor from that time. As with Duncan, we didn't know much about Ford outside of his work. As with Duncan, there wasn't anything inherently interesting about him. But Ford always delivered the goods and, eventually, we appreciated him for it.

I think we'll say the same about Duncan someday. Over the past 10 years, he's been overshadowed by Kobe and Shaq, LeBron and Wade, Nash and Kidd, Nowitzki and KG, even C-Webb and Iverson ... and yet, Tim Duncan was better than all of them.

Just wait, he'll have his Fugitive moment. It's coming. Maybe even next month.

Real Men of Genius

Check out this cool site.

Stinking Funny

Mr. McGee

Monkey

Awesome Old Man

Madden Cover, Tim Duncan, and more

It has been so long since my last post, and so much has happened since then that I don't even know where to start on this post.
But let's start with this: It was announced on Tuesday that Vince Young is going to be on the cover of Madden 2008. Everyone knows about the "Madden Curse." Even if the curse isn't really a curse and just happens to be the weirdest string of "coincidences" in recent memory, why risk it with Young? He is one of the most promising young athletes in the world. That makes no sense to me. If I were the one selecting the cover boy, I would definitely pick Tom Brady. On the other hand, you can always look at it this way - They picked VY to either undo the curse or prove that the curse is just BS.
So after VY and the Titans win Super Bowl XLII 40-39 over the Tony Romo-led cowboys with a 99 yard TD run as time expires, the headlines will read: "YOUNG PUTS END TO MADDEN CURSE!"

In other news...
Tim Duncan was thrown out of a game for, get this, LAUGHING WHILE ON THE BENCH. I'm just glad to see that Joey Crawford got what he deserved with his suspension. Way to go commish!

And a little update on the life of Adam Cates:
Things are going really well. Kari and I are looking at houses, and are really excited about it. We've found a couple that we really like, but we're trying to be patient and make sure we get the right house for us.
I'm really enjoying my job at Caltech, it's a really great place to work. It's growing amazingly fast. When I started here we had about 18 employees. We now have 32 employees and even have an office opened up in the Dallas area.

March Madness on Demand

If you want to be able to see all of the NCAA tournament games live, you can go to NCAASports.com/MMOD and sign up to watch all of the games live on the web for free. This is great if you've got a job that won't let you off to watch them but is still "kushy" enough that they'll let you watch them on your computer.
I'm not sure about the video quality, however. It may turn out to be pretty crappy with and may lag a bit, but it's still probably better than nothing.

On another note, does anyone have any idea why the Big 12 semis weren't being aired on ESPN2 on Saturday as advertised? On ESPN2 they showed ESPNnews instead of the games. THAT SUCKS!
And when I tried to view the games online on espn360 it said the "requested video file was not found." So I listened to it on the radio instead. At least I got to hear the Voice of the Texas Longhorns, Craig Way.

My Bracket v 1.0

Here's my official bracket for the 2007 NCAA Tournament. (click to enlarge)

Firefighters Union Blasts Giuliani on Post-Sept. 11 Cleanup (from Foxnews.com)

WASHINGTON — While he touts his leadership in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as a key component of his 2008 presidential bid, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is facing bitter opposition from the union representing the 343 firefighters who died that day.

FOX News has obtained a scathing letter prepared by the influential and politically active International Association of Fire Fighters union, written late last month but never released. The letter informs the more than 270,000 members that it would not be inviting Giuliani to a forum for presidential candidates on March 14, citing what the union called Giuliani's "egregious acts" after Sept. 11.

In the letter, the IAFF, whose president Harold Schaitberger is a longtime supporter of Democratic Senator John Kerry blames the former Big Apple mayor for "unforgivable" post-terror attacks decisions, including reducing the number of firefighters involved in the recovery operation and instituting a "scoop and dump" operation to expedite cleanup, which the union says shows a "disgraceful lack of respect" for the victims.

It also attacks Giuliani's devotion to fallen firefighters, arguing that the changes in the cleanup operation followed the recovery of millions in gold and silver from Ground Zero. The reversed course shows Giuliani "valued money and gold … more than the lives and memories of those lost."

The union says the mayor's actions "rise to such an offensive and personal attack … that the IAFF does not feel Rudy Giuliani deserves an audience." It also recommends that if the Giuliani campaign approaches members asking for support in 2008, union members should tell Giuliani "not just 'no' but 'hell no.'"

• Click here to read the letter.

That letter was never sent. Ultimately, IAFF officials decided that every candidate should be present at the forum. Sources apparently told New York Newsday that Giuliani's campaign learned of the union's plan and worked behind the scenes to secure an invitation to the event.

But now that the fire has been put out, so to speak, the candidate's campaign has revealed that Giuliani won't attend the event due to a scheduling conflict.

Last month, Giuliani met with firefighters in South Carolina, and touted his Sept. 11 credentials to appeal to them as a candidate. He stressed that one of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's duties is to make sure first responders "have the training and protection you need to defend your country."

"The first people that arrive on the scene of the bombing or the anthrax attack ... it's going to be one of your brothers or your sisters or you that gets to do it," Giuliani told about 200 emergency workers. "Your ability to do it well will once again determine if we save lives, save America."

The IAFF was the first labor union to endorse Kerry in 2004, and dedicated resources to a Kerry presidential victory. Its political action committee, FIREPAC, also doles out millions of dollars in political contributions, mostly to Democratic candidates and causes.

But an IAFF spokesman noted for FOX News that 35 percent of its PAC money went to Republican candidates in 2006, and while IAFF endorsed Kerry in 2004, the group's New York local chapter supported President Bush in his re-election.

FOX News' Aaron Bruns, Matthew Alexander and Mosheh Oinounou contributed to this report.

Dude from Blues Traveler

Crazy story about him and all his guns HERE.

Crazy Trade offer

This is a trade offer I got this morning in one of my fantasy basketball leages.
If you click on it you can enlarge it.

March 4, 2007

ANDOHBYTHEWAY,
Sunday was our 1 year anniversary. I'm trying not to sound too cheesy, but it really was the best year of my life.

That's a picture of Kari on the right, just being Kari. It's actually from our honeymoon in San Diego.

Ann Coulter

Over the weekend, at a Conservative fundraiser, Ann Coulter was giving a speech and said, "I was going have a few comments on the other Democratic Presidential Candidate Jonathon Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot."

Personally, I thought it was very funny. When I first heard it I cracked up. But some people think the word "faggot" is very offensive to gays.
Coulter was on Hannity and Colmes on Monday to explain her comments. They showed several clips from that same speech. You can tell from the entirety of the speech that it was a joke. There were several other jokes in that same speech. She doesn't want to discriminate against gays, she was just telling a joke about Jonathan Edwards and about the fact that Isaiah Washington, from Gray's Anatomy, went into rehab after calling a fellow cast member a faggot. She explained the term as a schoolyard taunt, meaning wuss.
Thoughts?