Filed under: Life, Sports, TV — Jason Haberman @ 10:00 am
That is what all the pundits like to say every year come this first week in April. “It’s the best week in sports!”
Yeah, there is a lot going on, what with the NCAA basketball championship game tonight, Major League Baseball’s opening day today, The Masters starting on Thursday, and the NBA and NHL winding down their regular seasons with teams fighting for playoff spots. Sure is a lot going on. But “best”? Not a chance.
A week without football, be it college or pro, is simply discarded from the discussion out of hand. By my definition, there are no sports going on this week. Yeah, there are some distractions. There are some TV events. But you know what? I’m watching about 1 SportsCenter a week now. Obviously, if I’m not watching SportsCenter, there ain’t no sports.
I know a lot of you out there are fans of baseball, basketball or hockey. I get that. I get that you have favorite teams and love the sport and get all wrapped up in it. Here is what they mean to me. Basketball = something on TV in the winter that I don’t watch… fill out a bracket in March. Baseball = ahh, summer time. Great to “watch” while napping on Sunday afternoons… hey doesn’t football start soon? Hockey = Hmmmm, didn’t that used to be on TV? Golf? Come on. I’m interested if Tiger’s playing, but I’m certainly not interested in the goings on of Tiger otherwise. (As an aside, can we please stop having press conferences about his dalliances? It’s all been said at this point. I LONG ago lost interest.)
Which leads me to football. I am the same guy who damn near overdosed on football a few years ago. For my money, the greatest week in sports is that last weekend in August / first week in September. College football kicks-off their first weekend, and ESPN in all their glory have games Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and maybe Tue and Wed too. Boise State starts their season in there somewhere. Thursday night is usually the kickoff of the NFL season, followed by more college football week 2 on Friday and Saturday. The rest of the NFL gets it going on Sunday and caps it off with Monday Night. Plus, baseball actually starts to matter as the regular season is winding down and there is nary a basketball game in sight clogging up my sports channels. You want my definition of heaven? That’s it. And I get to experience it every single year.
Second place in the best week in sports list would probably be rivalry week in college football, 3rd week in November. That’s always good.
I used to consider myself an all around sports fan. But as I’ve grown up, it has become abundantly clear that I’m a football fan and lightly pay attention to other sports. Just the way I roll. If my love of football was on a 0-100 scale, I’d put it at about a 98. Baseball would be next, with about a 65 (will go higher if it’s going to a game in person, or watching late season/playoff games). Hockey used to be about a 90, but after the lockout and TV fiascoes over the past years it is now probably about a 30 (which kinda makes me sad). College basketball would be about a 25 (will bump to 40 if Boise State is any good). The NBA? Um… probably like about a 15. It’s a dark day if I EVER sit down and watch an NBA game on purpose.
That being said, it is It is 150 days, 6 hours, 34 minutes and 58 seconds until college football kicks off on ESPN with Southern Miss at South Carolina on September 2nd. More importantly, it is 154 days, 7 hours, 3 minutes and 26 seconds until Monday, September 6, and Boise State vs. Virginia Tech. Oh man, I cannot wait!
Filed under: General, TV — Jason Haberman @ 9:27 am
I have something I need to complain about so bear with me.
You have undoubtedly seen those commercials for that fancy new 5 bladed “Fusion” razor and how superior it is over the Mach3. (View One Here) More blades! Closer together! Less irritation! Shave in 1/8th the time! Get more sex! You can’t miss them… I think there is one played every single commercial break. If you were to judge by the shear volume of those commercials, you would assume that 5 blades are right next to the wheel and the electric light bulb in terms of importance to mankind, and in contrast, if you’re shaving with only 3 blades, you are an uneducated troglodyte who would be better off basically ripping the hair out of your face by the root.
The only problem? THEY ARE BOTH MADE BY GILLETTE!
It has taken me this long to put the pieces together and I own a Mach3. Essentially, they are spending millions of dollars, advertising against themselves! Anyone else find that supremely stupid? Anyone? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!
Tiger Woods… I love ya buddy, but if I have to see another lame ass commercial of you, Federer the crier and that head-butting soccer schmuck I’m going to lose it.
I think my only recourse is to boycott all Gillette razors. Gillette, you have angered me. In result, you have lost me as a customer.
Its possible that name doesn’t mean a whole lot to you, but I 1000% guarantee you will recognize his voice. He has been the voice of over 5,000 movie trailers and over 350,000 television commercials and network promos. It wasn’t a real trailer or promo unless you heard his voice.
He was the one who introduced us to the line, “In a world…”.
Really, it kinda feels like an old uncle has died. You know, the one you never saw very often but got to talk to on the phone regularly? Don’s voice has been so ubiquitous that you couldn’t escape it if you tried.
I think I’m legitimately a bit sad about this. Seriously. I’ve always loved this guy’s voice.
Filed under: General, Life, TV — Jason Haberman @ 4:55 pm
This past weekend, we watched a little Inside the Actor’s Studio since there is no longer any football on TV. I always kinda enjoy the show. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it is basically an interview show featuring those in the movie biz. Lots of actors and directors. They pull big time guests too. Granted, it usually a big love-fest, not exactly hard ball questions or anything, but the long format lets the subjects to be a little more real. If you would like to watch some clips, go here.
Anyway, every show they ask 10 questions of the guest. Every time I see it, I get thinking about my answers to the questions and figured, that would make a great blog post. One caveat, I will undoubtedly go longer on each answer than they do on the show. I got unlimited space here, and some of the questions will have multiple answers.
Also, I would like to invite all of you out there to answer the same questions. You can either do it here in the comments section, or if you have your own blog, answer them there, then link to your answers in my comments section. Could be interesting.
Filed under: General, TV — Jason Haberman @ 3:23 pm
Anyone out there who is a Seinfeld fan probably holds the holiday of Festivus close to their heart. I know I do. “As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be a better way.” And that better way includes the “Airing of Grievances”.
There are guys in the world that I am amazed by. I love their work, their personalities, everything. Jess calls them “Man Crushes” (click for Urban Dictionary definitions). Now, before you go getting the wrong ideas, let me make one thing perfectly clear… this does NOT mean I love these men in a unnatural sense. Absolutely not. By definition, “Man Crush” means if you could sit in a bar and have beers with a guy and shoot the shit for 4 hours, that would be a great time. All of these guys have personalties such that if they were normal guys who lived around me, I would think that I would definitely be their friends.
I’m getting desperate. I have already decided that since there is no real way I can wedge that thing into the house, that it will be going into storage until such time as I can offload it.
Here’s the new offer, if anyone might be interested.
If someone wants to take it now (ideally, someone I know) and make payments on that bad boy, say $100 a month, I would totally be open to that. I understand that not everyone can scratch together $500 at the drop of a hat.
I figure, if I ain’t using it, there’s no sense in not letting someone else enjoy it while making payments on it.
Please… I’m begging… if anyone out there who reads this would like to buy an AMAZING HDTV from me before Saturday (or knows anyone who would) please let me know.
I’m attempting to sell my 36″ Sony Wega KV-36XBR400 CRT TV before, or while I’m moving. I am also selling with it the matching TV stand as well as a matching A/V cabinet.
This TV has unbelievable picture quality. HD is just awesome. The reason I’m selling it is that despite its quality, it is a rather large set. And heavy. I would rather not try to fit it into Jess’ place if I could just sell it instead. Plus, since I live on the 3rd floor, the movers are coming on Saturday, and they could assist anyone wanting to pick it up.
When I bought this TV in 2001, it retailed for well over $3000. You can bet, that when I bought this thing, it was absolutely top of the line. I really did my research when I bought. (some reviews here)
I will sell the whole package now for $500 or best offer. I have it listed on Craigslist, if you want to see pictures and read more about it: http://boise.craigslist.org/ele/424671819.html
Hell, if you help me sell this TV, I’ll throw $50 your way as a finders fee.
Ask people you know. Ask people you work with. Someone out there wants this SCREAMING deal for an amazing TV.
I LOVED Mr. Wizard. When he came on Nickelodeon in the 80’s, I was hooked. Watched every day. To my young fertile mind, he really was a wizard. To this day, I can remember being truly amazed by what I saw him do with simple household items. He turned me on to science. Maybe that was why I scored in the 98th percentile in science on the Iowa test of basic skills. (and in the 67th for math).
I can vividly remember him teaching us about all kinds of things. Including sight: look through a paper towel tube with one eye, keep your other eye open and hold your other hand up next to the tube… it looks like there’s a hole in your hand!
Or, how to make a volcano (which I did once) with vinegar and baking soda.
Or, how centrifugal force will keep water in the bucket, even over your head, if you spin it fast enough.
Or, how to make a secret message by writing on a a spiral of paper wrapped around a certain sized tube, and in order to read it, you had to have the same sized tube.
Or, how straws actually work not by sucking the liquid out of the glass, but instead by air pressure. And he set up an experiment to see how high they could suck liquid up a straw like tube (using a vacuum pump)
I could go on and on. His show had different ‘topics’ and I loved them all, supermarket science, challenge, how it works, safari. I really think this is why I watch so much History, Discovery, National Geographic, Science Channel shows now. I love them all… all thanks to Mr. Wizard.
So, I just wanted to say Goodbye and Thank You to Don Herbert. You were a serious influence in my young life that echoes even today. Of course, did I find it a little strange, even as a kid, that you always had a gaggle of young kids in your house? Perhaps… If you were anyone else, we might be thinking a Michael Jackson thing. But, at least you never gave any of them wine and porn.
Apparently, his show is available on DVD. I’ll tell you this… if I ever have a kid, he or she WILL be watching Mr. Wizard.
Well, it happened last night. The Sopranos ended it’s epic HBO run to the delight and derision of its many fans. Of course, today the internet is alive with thousands of opinions, so I figured I might as well add my voice to the cacophony.
We were invited to a friends house to have a little Italian grub and watch the big show. I whipped up the now semi-famous ziti to take over there (it was a hit). I was a bit nervous to watch the show in a crowd, since usually when those sorts of things happen there are some in attendance who would rather talk through the whole show, and you become the asshole for trying to hear the show. Luckily, everyone just watched and was quiet, so that was great.
That is what all the pundits like to say every year come this first week in April. “It’s the best week in sports!”
I have something I need to complain about so bear with me.
It’s a sad day for consumers of movies or television, which is pretty much all of us.
This past weekend, we watched a little 
Don Herbert, aka Mr. Wizard 
Well, it happened last night. The Sopranos ended it’s epic HBO run to the delight and derision of its many fans. Of course, today the internet is alive with thousands of opinions, so I figured I might as well add my voice to the cacophony.