I'm Seeing Red (Ranger Red)

***(I started this blog entry last friday before the Rangers loss against the Tiger started. But considering they went 0-3 wearing their blue, I stand by wanting to see the Rangers wear more red.)

I'm all about the people (in this case, person) and since my one registered blog follower, Sean Brown, wants an entry about baseball I'm gonna give it to him. And what better time to do it than right after a sweep by the Rangers to start off the season. Side note, when it comes to colors in general, and on uniforms, I prefer blue. But, with the Rangers' 3 - 0 start while wearing Ranger Red, I'm thinking I could get used to red. I know it's just three games, and it was just the Indians, but the Rangers did knock out last year's Cy Young winner in 5 innings (7 earned runs), get a gem of a start from "ace" Kevin Millwood, and saw some new faces make nice contributions (Elvis Andrus, Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel). It's tough being a Rangers fan, that goes without question, but they have been fun to watch, sometimes even for other teams fans:

The Rangers style reminds me of another team, the 06-07 Phoenix Suns. I know it's a different sport and year, but just check out these analogies before you go cursing me for comparing them to a basketball team, not to mention a Western Conference rival of the Mavs. Part of this is prediction, part of this is based on what they've already done, and all of this is admittedly a stretch, but just think about it.

Ballpark in Arlington :: Mike D'antoni

Playing at the Ballpark in Arlington is like playing for Mike D'antoni. You can count on the high-scoring games with little defense (pitching).

Ian Kinsler :: Steve Nash

Everything gets started with the lead-off man just like it does with the point guard. Steve Nash had MVP numbers and Kinsler has put up and will put MVP potential numbers this year too.

Josh Hamilton :: Amare Stoudamire

The heavy hitters of their respective teams. Hamilton drives in runs like Amare finishes.

Michael Young :: Shawn Marion

Just like Shawn Marion could do a little bit of everything for the Suns, Michael Young can do a little bit of everything for the Rangers, and they're both all-star caliber players.

Nelson Cruz :: Leandro Barbosa

Just like Leandro finally came around the '06-'07 season to put up his best numbers, so will Nelson Cruz this year.

Elvis Andrus :: Raja Bell
Even though Andrus has been given a spot in the starting lineup mainly for his defense, he is going to be quite the offensive surprise, just like Bell was for the Suns.

Chris Davis :: Boris Diaw
Although their numbers won't be and were not as good as Josh Hamilton and Amare Stoudamire (respectively), Chris Davis is capable of being a quality clean-up hitter just like Boris had his best year when asked to step up in place of an injured Stoudamire.
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Suggestion Box

If you've been following you know I rarely talk much about music, and even though I'm not a musician and don't know have any qualifications to talk about it, I like it, a lot. I really like hearing about new bands and songs and I've been lucky enough to get some recent suggestions, which I'll include now. I'm not going to do a Song of the Post since I'm already embedding these songs. Enjoy. (For any suggestions email nonechance@gmail.com)

Animal Collective - My Girls
-Thanks to Keith H. in Seattle, WA

Red Sea, Black Sea - Shearwater
-Thanks to Leslie L. in Austin, TX

Bon Iver - Skinny Love
-Thanks to Evan C. in Denton, TX


Phoenix - 1901
-Thanks to Heath R. in Austin, TX (Suggestion #2 for Heath, the current leader)

This last one wasn't actually a suggestion by a reader. Instead, it's a suggestion by me to check out my friend and ex-classmate (who I mention in my profile) Molly's blog, Cheers & Rock 'n' Roll, as it always has solid suggestions for new music to check out. My personal opinion is that the blog is aimed a little more at the female gender, not that mine isn't aimed more towards the Y chromosome carriers out there. However, it's still a great blog to check out, so I suggest you do, if for anything else because she posts videos like this: (Regardless if you like the music, you have to agree the video is sawesome.)

Upset City Baby!

Already major underdogs are taking down powerhouses, and the NCAA tournament hasn’t even started yet. Confused? Well you wouldn’t be if you were watching the World Baseball Classic like I told you too. The Netherlands beat the Dominican Republic, TWICE. Granted, it’s not unusual for a dominant team to lay an egg at the same time a toilet-team plays above and beyond, but to do it twice in one week, impressive. It's as if a sixteen seed team beat the number one and two seed teams to make it to the Final Four, and if you don't believe me, just look at these rosters. Dominican Republic. The Netherlands.

Speaking of the NCAA tournament, I want to lay some law down (or just give you my insignificant opinion). When making a NCAA tournament bracket, there are a couple of guidelines I think everyone should follow, at least if they want to be considered as a legit bracket-ist. For every money tournament bracket group (league?) you join, you should have the same bracket for all of them. (By the way, I don't condone gambling addictions, "addictions" being the keyword.) My reason being, if you win the fifth of five different groups that you joined, and all of your brackets were different, that not only shows a lack of integrity, but a lack of cojones, and that you just got lucky. But if you want to show the world, or just your friends, that you're an elite bracket-ist, use the exact same bracket for every money group you join. This does mean it's okay to have your homer team (in my case Texas) to win the tournament in a bracket you made just for fun. If your team happens to be a legit contender that you truly feel will win it all, kudos to you, but I hope they suck at football.

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Do sports mimic movies, or is that just me?

Often hollywood portrays athletes or teams with their movies, and sometimes they just make a fun twist out of sport through the fine art of cinema. Over time I feel like I have seen things in sports that reminded me of things I had seen before in movies. Sometimes it's not even an action or event, but just something that has to do with sports that triggers my pre-Pimp My Ride Daewoo of a brain to make a correlation between sport and movie. Here's what I can putter out:

Tiger Woods :: Caddyshack (minus the explosions caused by ol' Carl)

Benjamin Button :: Greg Oden (obvious) and Dustin Pedroia (think about it, he's only 25)

The Longest Yard :: This SEC Referee

Bring it on :: Mark Madsen

John McEnroe :: Samuel L. Jackson in every movie he's ever made

...and my personal favorite

Shane Falco :: Sage Rosenfels

Unfortunately the best YouTube clip of it won't let me embed, so here it is. ENJOY!

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I'm Sending out an S.O.S.

No, I'm not asking for help (unless you're an employer who wants to pay me lots of moneys, than maybe, just maybe) and I'm not talking about Sting or The Police. I'm sending out a Shout Out, Son! Agreeably it's a stretch, but I never said I was cool. Anyways, my shout out goes to Jason Belmonte. First of all, I didn't read the entire article, in fact, I barely got past the title, and I don't expect you to either. Let's be honest, its still bowling. However, he's only two years older than me and has already "been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the L.A. Times, the Denver Post and on 'Good Morning America.'" as stated in the Page 2 article. Point is, if he can manage to get in the news and on TV by bowling two-handed (something I've done numerous times) and not even be on the PBA Tour, which I guess is bowling's version of the NBA, (which I'm not on either) than he deserves my respect, but instead I'll give him a shout out he won't even hear, or read, or whatever.

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Suggestion Box

I didn't plan on having back-to-back posts with Suggestion Boxes, but I'm a maverick (I don't plan stuff), which I guess makes you my Goose. Anyways, golfer's (especially those who enjoy a cold brew on the course) should enjoy this slightly more than everyone else, although, everyone should enjoy it.

Much thanks to Scott P. in Austin

Uroclub

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Song of the Post

Our Swords (Album) - Band Of Horses

Third Wheel Surprises

*Random Sports Trivia: What two NBA players share the record for most three-pointers made in a single game? (Answer at the end of the post)

 

Before I get into this post I’d like you to know that I have experience with sports’ trios. Real life experience. Although somewhat different from the following trios because we were all on the basketball court at the same time during 7^th grade (A-team), 8^th grade (A-team), and freshman year (JV team), we all played guard. And just like the following trios where the third wheel ended up with the most or equally successful career of the three, I too ended up with the most successful basketball career. Sure, Myron and Earl had legitimately successful football careers, but I got the last laugh in basketball. (Note: we all played football together from 7^th grade to senior year, but different positions.) While their basketball careers ended in high school with mere Texas state playoff appearances, mine ended last year as the UT intramural B-league champ. Before you go accusing me of tooting my own horn, my real basketball career ended after freshman year, when I realized 5’7” Hispanics weren’t varsity basketball material for a team that had just won State a couple years prior. Also, my football career ended recently as the QB/coach of an UT intramural B-league semi-finalist while theirs’ ended as Division I scholarship players at Hawaii and Missouri. (Myron’s might continue as an Arena League player). These following former third wheels did what I was unable to do, and that’s being just as successful, or at least closely as successful, as their trio compadres.

Third Wheel #1

This guy is the reason I thought of this entry in the first place. Matt Cassel, third wheel at USC in 2002 behind Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. He was actually second-string in ‘02 in front of Leinart and was beat out by Leinart the following year, so technically he wasn’t really the third wheel that year, but considering he sat behind them both, I think it’s safe to say he was. Also, I wouldn’t quite say he is on Carson Palmer’s level yet, or that he will ever get there, but considering he has gotten a starting job at KC and Leinart can’t complete a pass to two Pro Bowl receivers, he’s kind of getting the last laugh.

Third Wheel #2

Brandon Jacobs. In 2003 he played running back alongside Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams at Auburn. Although he was second in carries that year with 72, he was going to play third fiddle the following year so he transferred to Southern Illinois. One Superbowl ring and two less severe knee injuries later, I’d say he has had the best career so far.

Third Wheel #3

This guy makes the 2001 Miami Hurricanes seem even that much more dominant, which if you look at there current NFL players, doesn’t really seem possible. Frank Gore, who was backup to Clinton Portis in ’01 would actually have made Willis Mcgahee the Third Wheel had it not been for his injury in prior to the ’02 season. Regardless, three Pro Bowlers at RB and a fourth (Najeh Davenport) that was drafted in the fourth round and had a couple of serviceable years, impressive.

The Final (and my personal favorite) Third Wheel

This haircut says it all. The Phoenix Suns at one point had Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash. They had a short stint with Sam Cassell instead of J-Kidd, but it was too short and not quite as impressive. Anyways, has any other team ever had three point guards at the same time, who in their prime were arguably one of the top three point guards in the league? Check this out for all-time best point guards. Also, I found this video of Nash pulling off some cool soccer moves, another reason why he is my favorite of the third wheels.

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Suggestion Box

As the first real suggestion to NoneChance, (The beer suggestion was made without the intentions of being a blog post.) I’d like to challenge the rest of you to beat the sawesome-ness that is this suggested video. By the way, this video is technically PG-13, but I’d take my surroundings into consideration before viewing it. Also, if you are offended that I posted this video suggestion, you can choose not to watch it. For everyone else, ENJOY.

Much thanks to Heath R. in Austin-

Eric Pridz - Call on Me

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Sports Trivia Answer: Kobe Bryant (2003) and Donyell Marshall (2005) both hit 12. Didn't see that coming did you?

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Song of the Post

Take A Bow - Muse

Two-fer Tuesday

I don’t know if its because I’m feeling a little generous or a little randy, but either way, I decided to give you a double-dose of whatever I post today, regardless of how much you don’t care.

I think back to my greatest athletic moment ever (as far as personal feats go), which was at the wily old age of 14, and wonder how did I ever make an almost-half court buzzer-beater to beat a team whom we hadn’t led against all game? (I know you must be thinking, “Why is this nobody tooting his own horn?” but I wouldn’t say accidentally achieving your greatest moment ever as a young teenager is something to brag about.) After years of trying to replicate that shot, and other half court shorts for that matter, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s hard, even with a running start and using two hands. That’s why I’m even more impressed by pro basketball players, not only are they freak athletes who have mastered the fundamentals, but they can make the ridiculous shots look easy too. One-handed half court shots are nothing for these two superstars, which tells you something why they are considered two of the best in the game right now.

But just when you thought I was only giving you two videos, BOOM, a bonus third video. This must be your lucky day, I’d suggest asking the girl out that you’ve always had a crush on but don’t have a chance with. (Kidding, you’ll still fail, not that I wouldn’t.) So who could be better than Lebron and Dwight Howard? You guessed it, THUNDER DAN.

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Sorry Ladies

I just realized it had been a couple posts since I had linked any attractive females, so I thought what better time to make up for it than when I can link TWO attractive females. The first one came to mind when I saw a Dancing with the Stars commercial with her dancing around dressed like this. (I looked for the commercial on Youtube to no avail.) Yeah, I know she is 17 and I don’t care what you say about her being underage and what not, because if you’re a guy, you probably caught yourself watching gymnastics during the last Olympics a little more than you expected you would, just like I did, and it wasn’t because of the Chinese floor routines (or their 14 year old girls).

The main reason I had Shawn Johnson as the first link was so that I could use Dancing with the Stars as a segue to the second, and honestly much more attractive, Julianne Hough, which if she is on this upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars, gives you only a total of one and a half reasons to watch it. (Shawn Johnson only counts as 1/2 because she's 17 and 4'8".)

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Suggestion Box

I figured I’d have my own version of a suggestion box, except instead of giving me suggestions on how I can improve my blog (no need to overload any servers),  I’ll just post suggestions for things such as: movies to watch, places to visit, things to try (we’ll keep it pg13), players to follow, teams/games to bet on, etc.

 Suggestion #1

 Mothership Wit (beer)

This suggestion was given to me by my bro-in-law, and although I just bought it, I have actually yet to try it. So it’s all on him if it sucks. Anyways, it’s an organic beer by the same people who brew Fat Tire, and I’m no tree-hugger, but it sounds delish. It can be found at Whole Foods, although I found it at a nearby gas station that for some reason has a larger selection than H.E.B.

Since this is a Two-fer, the second cerveza suggestion is: (this is my personal suggestion)

 St. Pauli Girl

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 Song(s) of the Post

Car Crash - Matt Nathanson