So maybe the Buccos inauspicious start to yesterday’s tilt with the Phils is hardly throwing 10-foot pitch-outs, but I can’t pass up a chance to chip away at TK’s high-horse and toss around a FloodWord.

With NFL preseason action right around the corner, I thought I’d flip on the Pirates/Phillies contest yesterday to start off one last MLB doubleheader (the Braves/D-backs match-up was slated for a 4:30 start.) The following series of unfortunate events promptly ended the cable-box’s afternoon:

Top 1: Pirates 2B Freddy Sanchez was caught straying too far from bag 1 and thrown out by Phillies C Carlos Ruiz to end the inning.

Bottom 1: New Phillies 2B Iguchi pulled a ball down the right field line. What might have been a close play at 2nd turned into an easy 2-bagger for Iguchi as Pirates RF Xavier Nady failed to cut off the ball prior to it getting to the wall.

Bottom 1: Following his single to center, J-Roll advanced to 2nd as Pitt CF Nate McClouth airmailed the cut-off man with a throw going all the way to the plate, even though Iguchi stopped at 3rd and wasn’t really a threat to score on the play.

Bottom 1: Iguchi scored on a wild pitch (passed ball in my opinion).

Bottom 1: Power button.

Don't get me wrong, this nonsense doesn't push me to hate the game. I still checked in to the Braves blow-out win over Zona later that evening. I just think I've learned my lesson with P-Burgh. I think it's time to fax Jim Tracy a blueprint of the clubhouse, highlighting the door in Bucco gold.

Labels: baseball

Long before allowing the ebb and flow of the NFL preseason to scramble my mind, well in advance of countless guru-crafted fantasy football web articles crossing my eyes, and at least a week or two before Mark and I get our mock on, I drafted my first fantasy football squad of the season.

I jumped into a free public Yahoo! league (10 team) to experiment a bit with building a team White House style... all gut. I stuck to the formula of hitting the skill positions early and often, but made my choices on whim and impulse. Here's Ol' Number Five's roster rundown:

QB: Matt Leinhart (7-70); Jon Kitna (8-71); Matt Schaub (16-151)
RB: Brian Westbrook (1-10); Travis Henry (2-11); Marshawn Lynch (6-51); Jerious Norwood (9-90); Michael Turner (14-131)
WR: Terrell Owens (3-30); Javon Walker (4-31); Plaxico Burress (5-50); D.J. Hackett (10-91); Greg Jennings (11-110); Robert Meachem (18-171)
TE: Randy McMichael (12-111); Eric Johnson (15-150)
K: Stephen Gostkowski (17-170)
DEF: Denver (13-130)

Without a top-tier QB or top-5 RB, I'm hoping this is a versatile enough team to post consistent numbers. The team bottoms out after a strong receiving corps, and I'm not sure I have a sure enough thing backing up at RB. But, thanks to some shaky drafts by the competition, I think I might be able to put forth a legit fight to add to the trophy case.

Labels: fantasy football

From what I've seen, the www offers all sorts of opinions on fantasy football. But I still like to have a book each season - something right at the fingertips to help prep for my drafts.

I swung by Borders last week to raid the magazine rack. Do these publications understand the volume of competition they face? When hoping to standout from the others as a viable option, here are two major gaffs they should avoid:

1) Do not highlight the fact that your magazine ranks Carson Palmer as this season's #1 QB. Betting against Manning to keep his title is draftbook suicide.

2) Do not highlight an interview with Ladainian Tomlinson as the main cover call-out. We don't care what LT's favorite pre-game meal is, how many DVDs he owns or who wins when he golfs with Phillip Rivers.

So I settled on a single magazine - "Fantasy Football Draftbook 2007. " Catchy enough title but, as pointed out by my brother-in-law, one whose cover's largest photo is of Larry Johnson and largest title is "Steven Jackson Takes No Prisoners." Ugh... no wonder I can't get over the hump and turn my Gang Green franchise around.

Labels: fantasy football

A classic game of cat-and-mouse featuring a dog (I think) and a penquin...

Wiki Chilly Willy
Visit Chilly Willy's Sub-Arctic WORLD!

Labels: Saturday Morning Cartoons

OBX'07 Thumbs Up: Pine Island Diner's Hawaiian Burger, Bad Bean Taqueiro's peace, the fireworks for being a scene setting on my camera, Chef Kirby's versatile menu, short and sweet Cinderella at The Lost Colony, fish swimming at Mallory's eye-level at the aquarium, Mako Mike's sub one-hour waiting time, TimbukII mini-golf's exaggerated par assessment, MJ picking up the last leg on the way home.

Labels: MJ wants to be on my blog more, photos, props, road-trips