bucks! hawks! game 6! live blog ...

I have very few rules in life ... but one of them has to be that if a team I live and die with is playing its biggest game in nine years, and I can't be there in person, I can at least blog it.

My pick? Bucks 97, Hawks 81. I think the Fortress rocks tonight.

Hope you can join in. Or at least (hopefully) relive what would be the biggest Bucks win in a decade ...

a comeback for the ages

"Cause when push comes to shove,
You taste what you're made of.
You might bend 'til you break,
Cause that's all you can take.

On your knees, you look up,
Decide you've had enough --
You get mad, you get strong,
Wipe your hand, shake it off --

Then you stand."

-- "Stand" by Rascal Flatts.

I'll admit it.

When Josh Smith hit his 16 footer to put Atlanta up 82-73 with 4:09 to go, I thought "ballgame".

Indeed it was. For the opposite squad you would have thought.

Let's go "Inside the Numbers" to review the epic Bucks comeback!

4:09 4th Quarter: Bucks timeout. The Bucks also subbed out Ridnour for Ilyasova at this point. In hindsight, this might have been THE move that stole game five. Ridnour was solid, almost spectacular, on Wednesday night (5-7 shooting, 1-1 from three land, 4-4 at the line, 2 boards, 1 assist, 4 steals, 15 points in 17 minutes of play). But Ilyasova saved the season down the stretch with two spectacular baseline saves. Its the little moves that separate the good from the great. Don't underestimate this substitution at this point.

Because it changed the Bucks style. The Bucks had been playing a perimeter game to this point. Now, with Ilyasova, Thomas, and Salmons in the lineup, they were looking to go inside. A key to what was to come. (And even more key, in the first of about ten mind-blowing brain-fart mistakes, Mike Woodson did NOTHING to counter this. No substitution, no defensive shifts, nothing. It would bite him in the ass big time).

3:54 4th Quarter: Foul on Marvin Williams. Salmons had position, used it, and drew the bailout call. Which begs the question, what is a guard doing on John Salmons in the post? The answer: go back to the previous paragraph. Skiles went big. Woodson didn't adjust. Salmons hit both free throws, and the lead was down to seven. Always a good thing to score with no time moving off the clock when you're trailing by 9.

3:38 4th Quarter: Josh Smith missed layup. He bricked it. No other way to put it. The size advantage kicking in again. Kurt Thomas got the board. The Bucks pushed it down the floor, and after a pass to the top of the key ...

3:29 4th Quarter: John Salmons three pointer. Good! This was huge. I made this comparison to Gregg yesterday, and it fits here. Remember back in the KU / Memphis national title game? Everyone remembers Mario Chalmers three to force overtime. Sure, huge bucket. Had me literally crying on the floor in the fetal position for four minutes.

What everyone overlooks ... is the ONIONS! three pointer Sherron Collins had 1:30 earlier, to cut the lead from seven to four. Its frightening, the parallels between that Memphis collapse, and the Hawks collapse last night. Both blew 9 point leads against teams I love. Both blew said lead in barely 2 minutes. And the key moment, the key shot, you could argue, in each game, was a three pointer to cut the lead from 7 to 4. Once you get it to four, its a ballgame. Especially with 3:29 on the clock.

3:07 4th Quarter: Jamal Crawford missed layup. To pull an upset like the Bucks did on Wednesday night, it takes a lot of little things. And one of the most underrated little things of the night, was how awful Atlanta's interior game was. Horford got 25 ... but easily should have had 40. He missed a ton of short jumpers and off-hand hooks. And here, in the span of 30 seconds, you have Kurt Thomas altering two easy layups for the Hawks, they miss both, and the tide is really starting to turn at this point, as Kurt gets the board, and starts the break.

2:44 4th Quarter: Foul on Joe Johnson. His fifth. Look at the time that elapsed. Thomas got the board at 3:05. BJ drew the foul at 2:44. 21 seconds. The Hawks played solid defense, bled the shot clock (as you want to do when you're up four) ... and then a bone-head foul on a desperation jumper by BJ. Again, its the little things that separate good from great. Taking stupid fouls on a shot with (at best) a 30% likelihood of going in, is a stupid decision.

2:44 4th Quarter: BJ hits the first. The lead is down to three. Mike Woodson calls timeout for Atlanta. Why he calls it between free throws, which gives him team no appreciable advantage, versus after the free throws, when he can move the ball to midcourt, call a set play, and possibly get a cheap foul and/or cheap bucket on a quick mismatch, is ... well, that's why he's Mike Woodson.

I should note, I feel kind of bad for Mike. He's improved the Hawks win total every year he's been at the helm. He's taken them from (arguably) the worst team in the league, to a 50 win, top three in the conference squad. He's done it with a front office in chaos, ownership that is literally suing each other over who controls the team, and an apathetic fan base that rarely if ever shows up to support the team.

And yet ... you saw it Wednesday. You saw it all weekend in Milwaukee. You even saw it in game one after the first quarter. The guy simply has NO clue how to adjust once the game begins. He's like the Bizarro Gregg Popovich. And its killing his team.

2:44 4th Quarter: BJ misses the second. Ilyasova with the offensive rebound. The first of two clutch baseline saves for "Cut" Ersan Ilyasova, as he used to be known. Go back 90 seconds ago. When Skiles subbed out a point guard, for a big man. I hate to sound like a broken record, but its the little moves that separate good from great. Would Mike Woodson have made that substitution? (Probably not).

2:35 4th Quarter: Foul on Marvin Williams. There's dumb fouls ... and then there are smart fouls. This was a smart foul. Salmons had an open look at the bucket. Williams mugged him to make him earn the two points. Good decision.

Honestly, the only Hawk that's impressed me in this series is Marvin Williams. Its taken five years, but perhaps he's finally starting to play like the number two pick of the draft. He's been Atlanta's shining star so far. So long as that keeps up, I like the Bucks chances.

2:35 4th Quarter: John Salmons hits both free throws. The lead is down to one. 82-81. At this point, its an 8-0 run in 90 seconds. The Hawks have missed both shots they've tried, two layups that Kurt Thomas successfully defended. Their defense is clearly breaking down, as 5 of the 8 points are on free throws, and two of those were second chance points thanks to Ilyasova's board of BJ's missed free throw. If you were coaching this game, what would you do?

I know what I'd do.

TIME! OUT!

At the very least, you call TO to get the ball to midcourt, set up a called play, and hopefully re-establish order. Again, your nine point lead is down to one. There's still two and a half minutes to go. You're in a dogfight now. Why wouldn't you try to land the next punch, by getting a set play called that might catch the Bucks by surprise?

Thankfully, its the Mike Woodson coached Hawks. They don't call timeout. Instead, the push the ball up the court, and after a few passes ...

2:15 4th Quarter: Offensive Foul on Joe Johnson. Their best player fouls out on a stupid, idiotic charge that 9,999,999 out of 10,000,000 refs would call a charge. (Amazingly, the 1 I would have bet would call "block" was Dick Bavetta. Bavetta called this one, as a charge. Even the blind squirrel finds an acord every once in a while ...)

This was the height of idiocy. You still had four on the shot clock. There was simply no reason to be driving out-of-control ten feet from the hoop into Kurt Thomas. No reason, other than idiocy. Atlanta's best player gone, with 2:15 to go in a one point game. Even better, the "my better days are clearly behind me" Mike Bibby was the only logical substitution for Atlanta. Bibby can still direct an offense, and he's still good enough on defense to make things interesting. But at this point, he's a tremendous liability when being asked to shoot. The Hawks basically are now playing 4 on 5 on offense. This doesn't bode well for things to come.

1:58 4th Quarter: Ersan Ilyasova Turnaround Jumper. Bucks lead 83-82. Comeback complete. That's a 10-0 run for Milwaukee in barely two minutes. In that span, the Hawks have only attempted two shots. They've fouled out their best player. And yet still, even after this, even after now officially whizzing away the lead ... Mike Woodson STILL doesn't call a timeout to stop the bleeding! What was he waiting for?

1:40 4th Quarter: Josh Smith missed three pointer. A "what the hell was he thinking" shot. A bad three point shooter trying a three with eight left on the shot clock. Yes, some of this, if not most of this, falls on the player ... but if Mike Woodson had called the timeout, and set up a half-court play, would this misguided shot have been tried? (Nope). Don't tell me coaching doesn't matter in sports. It does. More in some sports than others, but it definitely matters in crunch time.

Horford gets the board, then misses a two foot hook. Unbelievable. How this guy scores 25 a night is beyond me.

Here's Al's tag line from Wednesday: 11-21 shooting, 1-1 from three land, 2-2 at the line. 11 boards (4 offensive), 2 assists, 25 total points. Solid line. Except for one thing -- you're a center / power forward, depending on the matchup. And you go 11-21? You miss as many shots as you attempt? That's inexcusable.

BJ gets the board after Horford's miss, and leads the charge down the floor. And then, the play of the game happens.

1:21 4th Quarter: BJ missed running jumper. As I noted yesterday, some teams wait for things to happen, others force the issue. Go back almost three minutes ago, to the Ilyasova substitution. Here's where it really pays off. Bucks up one. BJ just attempted (and missed) an awful running jumper. Bad decision, there was still 10 on the shot clock, Bibby had him well defended, just a stupid decision that should -- repeat, SHOULD -- have led to Horford board and a Hawks fast break.

Instead, Ilyasova splits the defense, saves the ball on the baseline, whips it cross-court to a wide open Carlos Delfino in the corner ...

1:16 4th Quarter: Carlos Delfino made three pointer. Bango! 86-82 Bucks. Turn out the light, the party's over. No, the game wasn't officially over, but THIS was the play that all but ended it. Not even three minutes earlier, everyone assumed Josh Smith's jumper was the dagger. Think again -- it was Delfino's arena-emptying three that did it. In the library. With the candlestick.

A three minute clinic on coaching. Scotty Skiles started it with his brilliant substitution of Ilyasova. It took the Bucks from a smaller jump-shooting team, to a bigger interior looking squad. Mike Woodson did nothing to counter-act. The Bucks then used the size advantage to get to the line six times in the next two minutes, making five, and rebounding the one miss and converting that into points. Again, Mike Woodson did NOTHING to counter the size advantage.

And on the opposite end, because the Hawks now were mismatched, they couldn't run their offense. They drove inside, and Thomas caused them to miss layups. They can't shoot the jumper to begin with, but without an inside presence, they had no choice and went outside, with disasterous results.

And at this point, FINALLY, Mike Woodson calls timeout.

He blew his chances to stem the tide. Twice, after Bucks made shots, he should have called timeout, set up a half-court set play, and tried to take momentum back. Both times he did nothing. Only AFTER every ounce of emotion and momentum was drained from his team and its fans, did he bother to think "wow, things are getting out of control here, might want to call a TO just to calm the guys down".

Game five was fun. Epic comeback, for all the right reasons (more intensity, better coaching, better execution down the stretch). Let's hope game six isn't nearly as nerve wracking.

Now for a few other quick hits floating around in this vodka-saturated brain of mine ...

* I can't believe its IRL weekend at the Speedway ... and I honestly don't care all that much. Well, I do care, I plan on being there tomorrow for the race. But its almost like there's no enthusiasm. Even from most of my friends who usually go to this race -- none of them are going. Mostly due to scheduling issues. Which is why having this thing in July made more sense. People are always busy in late April / early May. Between the onslaught of spring and the yard and garden work that entails, to finally hitting the golf course, to weddings, to kids end-of-school year stuff, it just kills the weekend. Whereas in July, you always had this thing around the 4th, so people were off of work, and what else is there to do in Kansas in early July other than sit around all day, drink in a grassy field, and then head in for 90 minutes of racing, before resuming said drinking in said grassy field afterwards?

* Plus, I miss the "Gregg and Steve Blow Up the Backyard BeerBQ Bonanza" that was the midpoint of race weekend. You'd spend all day Saturday drinking and watching the truck race, then come home ... to multiple kegs, ridiculous amounts of liquor, and hundreds, if not thousands of dollars worth of fireworks.

The last one was the best. The first one was nothing special, it started out as just me, Gregg and Julie drinking in the garage, then wind up having to fish her brother and a buddy out of the river when they missed their canoe stop. That led to the "hey, if five people drinking in the garage and lighting fireworks is cool, even more people and being outside might be cooler!" line of thought.

I tried to find the pics from the last Bonanza, but they aren't up on the Kodak site anymore. But yeah ... as pretty much I remember the scene (emphasis on "remember", don't forget I spent the day drinking at the Speedway with Brett, the only guy I know who can match me shot for shot on vodka:

(steve, chris, random person) (on back deck, drinking, smoking, watching nascar)
(everyone else) (blowing up fireworks in the backyard)
(gregg) oh sh*t! Get the hose! Get the damned hose!
(steve) (turns around)
(back yard) (literally on fire)

Hell yes we burned up the back yard! Who says a bottle rocked war can't get ugly and out of control!

* And I really miss Matchette Liquors. Jennifer was the best. She always hooked us up for that event. (Probably because between me and our old neighbor Chris, we kept their business afloat).

* Not much to say on Survivor last night. Russell made his first mistake in playing the Idol, but I don't think it'll hurt him. Its obvious the Heroes side views Parvati as the bigger threat, and they'll target her first. They probably made the right play in booting Amanda. But overall, a kind of filler episode that really didn't resonate a whole lot. Nothing like last week's epic JT brain-fart.

* Solid comeback attempt by Dallas last night, but it just wasn't meant to be. I'm fired up for a Phoenix / San Antonio round two matchup, honestly. This might be the best series of the postseason. Its not like these two squads have a history of hate between them or anything.

How weird would it be though, for THIS Suns team to finally break the glass ceiling and reach the Finals? They were so loaded for so long, and just couldn't get over the hump. For the last-gasp remnant squad to be the one to break through? That'd be something you don't see every day.

* My former favorite columnist is back! How I didn't see this six months ago, I have no idea, but yes folks, Greg Hall is back posting his "Off The Couch" columns again! (kazoo voice) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I always loved his columns, because he mixes a rational line of thinking in with smart ass commentary. My kind of guy.

Check out his new stuff here.

* Finally ... since most everything has been Milwaukee heavy the last few days, I just want to send my best wishes, warmest thoughts, and most heart-felt prayers out to the greatest baseball announcer ever, Mr. Milwaukee, Bob Eucker. The Euck will be sidelined for a couple months recovering from heart surgery. Here's believing the best, and that the funniest guy in sports returns to the mic sooner, rather than later.

Until next time, let's hope we hear this chant constantly in the fourth quarter tonight.

"We Want Howard!"

Or better yet, my second favorite "you know its over when you hear this chant" moment in sports ... na na na na ... na na na na ... hey hey hey ... goodbye ... na na na na ... na na na na ... hey hey hey ... goodbye ... close it out guys. Finish them off! Fear the Deer!

bring on red friday!

(aww. that's tough. aww ... photo: jsonline.com)

"More and more, I will believe!
Like a child, I must believe!
Come on, y'all! Make it perfect ...

This town! This night, this crowd,
Come on put them up, let me hear it loud!
This town! This city, this crowd,
Stand up on your feet, put your worry down!
And everyone of you, all around --
Come on y'all, let's take it!
Everyone of you, in this crowd --
Come on y'all, let's take this town!

This town! This night, this crowd,
Come on put them up, let's take this town!
This town! This city, this crowd,
We're taking on the world today!
Come on put them up, and everyone of you all around --
We can be anything, take this town!
Come on put them up, we're taking on the world today --
Take this town!

Let's take this town!"

-- "This Town" by OAR. Coming to Starlight on Friday, July 16th, if anyone's up for a summer concert experience ...

Well that was fun, wasn't it? After four relatively lop-sided games, game five was everything you could ask for in an epic contest. Back and forth first half. Home team pulls away in the third, gets up 13. Road team claws back, claws back, rallies, then home team hits a huge jumper to seal the deal and halt the comeback in its tracks.

Only ... it didn't quite unfold according to the David Stern / Dick Bavetta authored script.

Because after Josh Smith hit his 16 footer that 99 times out of 100 seals the deal, the Bucks scored 14 unanswered points, the last three of which came via THE play of the series so far.

Bucks 91, Hawks 87.

Series. F*cking. On!

As most of you all know, I love the NBA. I love it more than I love college hoops, which puts me in a very small minority here in KC. (Population: 3). Prior to our adopting the Bucks as our team a couple years ago, I was a huge Knicks fan.

I remember living and dying with those 1990s Knicks teams. The 1991 squad that somehow pushed Jordan's first title team to seven games. The 1992 squad that also pushed Chicago to seven. And the ultimate heartbreak, the 1993 Knicks. Opening up 2-0 in the Eastern Finals, highlighted by my favorite dunk to this day, John Starks going baseline and tomahawking it over Jordan and Ho Grant. I nearly poked a hole in the floor in my folks' main room after that play, I was jumping so hard:



But that team collapsed, dropping the next two in Chicago, then Charles Smith happened in game five, and the Bulls closed it out in game six.

(Hang in there, I'm going somewhere with this. Two somewheres, actually).

Still, the Knicks didn't give up. They won the East in 1994, in the second of five "I Hate Reggie Miller" playoff series in eight years that were epic classics (and were the basis for "Winning Time", the outstanding 30 for 30 documentary that aired last month). Only to lose in the Finals to Houston, a Finals best known for the split screen in game five, as NBC couldn't decide between airing game five of the NBA Finals ... or Al Cowlings and OJ Simpson taking a leisurely drive in a white Ford Bronco.

The next few years, the Knicks were perfectly mediocre. They fell in the Eastern semis to Indiana in 1995, when Ewing missed a layup as time expired in game seven. Pat Riley decided he'd had enough, and classily faxed in his resignation from a cruise ship off the coast of Greece (after he'd already accepted the Miami Heat job). The 1996 squad went through three coaches (Don Nelson, Don Cheney, and finally, Jeff Van Gundy), before bowing out to the Bulls in five. The 1997 squad was set up for one final showdown with the Bulls, leading Miami three to one ... and then, bench-ket-ball happened, as the Knicks stormed the court after Alonzo Mourning cheap-shotted Patrick Ewing. (Everyone remembers the famous photo of Jeff Van Gundy literally clinging on Mourning's leg).

Then came 1999, the last gasp. An aging, veteran squad that snuck into the playoffs as the eight seed. Then defeated Miami in five, Atlanta in four, and Indiana in six, the series that gave rise to the "Ewing Theory". But the Knicks didn't have enough, and fell to the Spurs in the Finals in five.

2000, another solid season. But the Pacers beat the Knicks in the Eastern Finals. 2001 was the end, although nobody knew it until it ended, with a game five first round defeat to the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks have never recovered from that night -- Van Gundy quit, Dave Checketts resigned, Ewing was traded, and into the void stepped ... (steve still shaking his head in disgust at the mention of this guy's name ...) Isiah Thomas.

Here's my point today, Bucks fans:

1. Reread everything I wrote above. I remember so much detail, so many moments, in those series, a lot of which I didn't type. And every one of those series occurred at least a decade ago.

I loved the NBA ... because I had a team to care about. Its been since 2001 -- 9 freaking years -- since the team that I love has mattered in this league.

Last night, the Milwaukee Bucks mattered. If you re-read the live blog (basically an ongoing, free-flowing conversation between me and "the voice of reason" that occasionally touched on mature subjects), you'll pick up on just how epic the final four minutes were. The Bucks trailed by 9 after Josh Smith hit the top-of-the-key jumper.

They led by 1 a mere 118 seconds later. Somehow, this team just kept fighting, kept fighting.

Last night was fun. For the first time since those Knicks teams of decades gone by, I have a rooting interest in the NBA playoffs. Sure, I get on board the Mavericks Express every spring, but it's not the same. Because I really don't care about the Mavs the rest of the year. Yeah, they're the "hometown team", but they were awful when I lived there. I never developed a connection with them like I did with the Stars.

This spring, for the first time in a long time, the playoffs are personal. I have a vested rooting interest. Live and die each night with the same team, and not just for gambling purposes. I love it.

But my main point I wanted to make is this:

2. Don't celebrate prematurely.

Last night was a blast. It was a huge, epic upset. It potentially legitimizes everything Milwaukee accomplished this year. To knock a top 3 seed out, would be a definite statement of "where all the white women at!" Nah, just kidding. Its a definite statement of "we've arrived!"

But the key there is "potentially". If the Bucks lose game six, game five is meaningless.

The Journal Sentinel published an opinion today on last night's win, that I think sums up the EXACT wrong reaction to have. Entitled "It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This", it glorifies last night's win. Which I'm perfectly good with -- it should be verbally fellated so beautifully and poetically that it would make a porn star beam with pride at said fellation.

But last night isn't As Good As It Gets.

Tomorrow night is.

As Dick Vermeil used to preach, "Victory Monday". Take a day, savor the win ... and then forget about it, and focus on the next one.

Because this next one, is without a doubt the biggest game the Bucks have played in our time as fans of their team.

Fear the Deer!

* Awesome tweet from Andrew Bogut, on the Bucks arriving at 1am back at Mitchell Field last night: "Wow, fans at the airport at 1am. Still gotta get one more. I love this city". "Still gotta get one more". I think Coach Scotty has this team's mindset exactly where it needs to be ...

(And hell yes, I love that city! Its impossible to hate Milwaukee. Impossible).

* Reading the Bucks blogs, the comments section, you just get chills up your spine. The fans are ready. Everyone preaching to "wear red", everyone preaching to "be loud", everyone preaching to "finish these guys off". Wait, that sounds like a typical Chiefs prediction column from me. No wonder I love this team!

* Also love the commentors using the Field of Dreams references in regard to the Hawks. "Ease their pain". "Go the Distance".

* OK, THE play of the series so far.

Bucks 83, Hawks 82, 1:24 to go. BJ drives, tosses up a floater, that misses badly. When out of nowhere, Ersan Ilyasova plows through three Hawks rebounders, somehow straddles the baseline, throws the pass cross-court to Delfino, for the three ... (bob davis voice) SWISH!

Obviously, at that point, its a huge moment. But it also shows the difference between Milwaukee and Atlanta. The Hawks just standing around, waiting for something to happen. The Bucks hauling ass, forcing the issue, and making something happen.

I can honestly say, I love this team, the 2009-2010 Bucks, more than any team since the 2006 Chiefs. They remind me a lot of the 2006 Chiefs, actually. If you knew me back then, you know how insanely in love I was with that team. You know the adversity that team overcame, the constant injuries, the horrid start, the awful start to December, and yet somehow, someway, they just kept fighting. They didn't give up.

This Bucks team, the same way. When Smith hit that jumper to go up 9 as the clock dropped under 4 minutes, it didn't look good. Generally speaking, if you're down more possessions than minutes left in the game, you're in trouble. At that point, you're down 5 possessions with under 4 to go. And yet what happened? Salmons strokes the three. BJ hits the layup. BJ hits two free throws. Kurt Thomas goads Joe Johnson into a horrific charge that fouls him out of the game. After missing both free throws, Ilyasova boards it, lays in the follow up for the lead. And then after a defensive stand, bam, BJ runner, Ilyasova save and pass, Delfino three, ballgame. From down 9 to up 4 in the span of two and a half minutes. That takes a total team effort. The Bucks give that every night. Let's hope the Hawks fail to do so one more time.

* As much fun as it is cheering for your team when they're expected to win ... come on, admit it. Last night was made that much more fun because no sane person thought Milwaukee would win more than a game in this series. Let alone three straight, the last via an epic rally from down 9 late in the game on the road to win. I think that's why I loved the 1995 Chiefs (and the 2006 Chiefs) so much more than the 1993 or 2003 versions. Nobody expected anything from those first two Chiefs teams, yet they defied all expectations. No sane person thought Milwaukee would win this series. Yet here they sit, 48 minutes away from the biggest win of the decade for this franchise.

* And yes, I did just type "no sane person thought Milwaukee would win this series". I am fully aware I picked the Bucks in six.

* Game six. Tomorrow. 6pm. ESPN. Red Friday alert!!!

I know how loud it was in the Fortress on Fourth for games three and four. I have a feeling they're gonna need to call in some professional roofers on Saturday morning to check out the noise damage to the ceiling by the time game six is over. Especially if "The LeBron James of Mascots" keeps pulling off crazy ass stunts like this one:

bucks! hawks! game five! live blog ...

Tonight is the biggest game the Bucks have played since game seven of the 2001 Eastern Finals against Philly. Let's hope the officiating is as rigged in the Bucks favor this time, as it was against them nine years ago.

The beer is chilling in the fridge, I'm getting fired up by watching various Bango videos, and I really think this game comes down to the number 3. No, not BJ. But who will be the Bucks 3rd threat? They only had BJ and Salmons in games one and two, and got routed. Stackhouse stepped up in game three, and they won big. Delfino awoke from his coma on Monday, and the Bucks led most of the way to tie the series. Someone has to step up and replace the Bogut production. If nobody does, Atlanta wins. If someone does, Friday night in Milwaukee will be one helluva spectacle.

I'll be back before tipoff to get this thing going. My pick: Bucks 105, Hawks 101. I think they can do this. I believe they can do this. Fear the Deer! (And participate in the live blog ...)

royals, bucks, and a special commentary

(my view during warmups of the bucks / heat game in january. some lucky dude will have this same view for game six! go bucks go! photo: me).

"Just leave with me now,
Say the word and we'll go (we can go),
I'll be your teacher,
I'll show you the ropes (you the ropes),
You'll see a side of love
You've never known (never known),
I can see it goin' down,
We're goin' down ...

In my head!
I see you all over me ...
In my head!
You fulfill my fantasy ...
In my head!
You'll be screamin' loud ...
In my head!
It's goin' down ...
In my head!
It's goin' down ..."

-- Jason Derulo, "In My Head", this week's "Song Steve Can't Get Out of His Head". That, and watch the video. He so totally rips off Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You", one of my favorite songs from the last decade. A winner in my book ...

* What a gutty, gritty, ballsy performance last night by the Boyz N Blue! Facing arguably the best pitcher in baseball, facing him with arguably our worst starter ... the Royals jumped out 2-0, got six rock star innings out of Kyle Davies (more on him in a moment), and then, after Dusty Hughes somehow got out of the seventh (dare we dream Royals fans? a competent bullpen performance!), saw emerging stud / star / savior? Billy Butler calmly, cool-ly lead off the bottom of the seventh with an abject smash to left center.

Is it too soon to call him Billy Ballgame?

I refuse to read too much into one victory. The Royals are still just 8-11, they still have a brutal 11 game road trip that will make or break the season coming up starting Thursday, and are still managed by the single biggest idiot coaching a team in the majors. But if -- and this is an enormous if -- if the Royals survive this upcoming road trip from hell, and are in contention come June, come July, its not a stretch to say we'll look back on last night as the turning point of the season.

I was emailing with my buddy Heath all day yesterday, and I couldn't stress enough how huge last night was. I think the Royals need to take at least two of three in this series (and actually think we have to sweep), given how enormous this upcoming road trip is. Any sensible fan would have written last night off as a loss. King Felix against Kyle Davies.

You know, that Kyle Davies who has allowed at least three earned runs in every start so far this season. That Kyle Davies, who has been such a disappointment for so much of his career.

That Kyle Davies, whose line last night looked good enough to outduel Felix Hernandez:

6 IP. 108 pitches, 63 for strikes. 1 hit, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts, 0 runs.

And the win, thanks to some gutsy pitching by Dusty Hughes to save the seventh, Kyle Farnsworth to save the eighth, and Bruce Chen (yes, that Bruce Chen, the failed Braves prospect from almost a decade ago) to save the ninth.

And since I didn't do it last Friday when I meant to, let me say two brief phrases of praise for our manager, Trey Hillman.

1. He's done the best job anyone could do with this bullpen. Not even Jesus himself could figure out how to salvage this wreck of a bullpen. What is Hillman supposed to do, pitch Soria 3 innings every night? Its impossible. What Hillman HAS done, to his credit, is lengthen the save situation for Soria. Rany hit on this on his post on Sunday, and he's dead on right. Yes, as a result of asking Soria to go 4, 5, even 6 outs, instead of 3, you run the risk of having a situation like last night, where Soria simply can't pitch in a close game. But what choice does he have? I wouldn't trust anyone else out there to walk the dog to take a whiz at this point. They're that unreliable. Hillman is trying to maximize the one asset he has out there. As much as I hate the guy, I'll give credit where its due. No sensible fan can argue with his handling of the bullpen. That's improvement.

2. Hillman made a comment after Sunday's game that just totally fired me up. It completely changed my outlook on this team, this season.

"I know this might be hard to believe, but there's a lot of emotion in that room (tonight). We're only getting started".

The last two nights, there's been a confidence in this club that hasn't been there since early 2004. If its possible for a loss to be a catalyst to a season turnaround, maybe Saturday night's was it. The players had it out after Saturday night's debacle. Sunday, you saw a team that didn't panic, and somehow fought through a ton of mistakes to salvage a win. Last night, you saw Kyle freaking Davies look like the Cy Young candidate, and Billy Butler use Felix Hernandez like his own personal urinal. The bullpen has been shaky, but held, two days in a row. (Who'd have thought a dude named Dusty would be Mr. Reliable at this point?)

Its only two games. But the tide has turned. At least in terms of me being on board with this team ...

* Speaking of a turning tide, your Milwaukee Bucks everyone!

After two crushing (and one-sided) defeats in Atlanta, the Bucks came home Saturday night, and absolutely obliterated the Hawks. John Salmons was on fire. Jerry Stackhouse was playing like it was 1998 all over again. And best of all, BJ was on fire early, draining not one, not two, but three early three pointers to stake Milwaukee to an 18 point lead they wouldn't relinquish.

And, contributing a play of the year candidate to boot. Good God, what a play!



And then last night, in a game thought so unwinnable that TNT opted to air the down 0-3 Charlotte Bobcats instead ... Salmons, BJ, and Carlos Delfino willed this team to victory, 111-104, in a game that embodied everything that rules about the NBA (wide open offense, fast breaks galore, solid free throw shooting, solid three point shooting, and Mike Woodson getting taken to the woodshed by Scotty Skiles. Of course, I could take Mike Woodson to the woodshed strategory-wise, and that's after a bottle of vodka, but still).

So we head back to Atlanta knotted up at 2, an unthinkable outcome as recently as 72 hours ago. I love underdog squads that just simply never give up. Everyone wrote this team off when Bogut was lost for the year. Just like everyone wrote this team off when Michael Redd was lost for the year. Just like everyone wrote this team off when Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva were allowed to walk without compensation. Just like everyone wrote this team off when RJ was traded for nothing but luxury tax breathing room.

We've got us a series! Game five in Atlanta tomorrow night, 7pm CT. I feel a live blog upcoming ...

* Speaking of "got us a series", your Kevin Durant's everyone! If you're a Lakers fan right now, you have to be in a state of at least semi-panic right? The Lakers haven't looked good in two months. They survived games one and two. They got destroyed in games three and four. I realize its only game five, and that no matter what happens tonight, the series isn't over, but in the words of Dan Dierdorf, it would behoove the Lakers to find a way to win tonight. You do NOT want to go to the capital city of Oklahoma down 3-2, not with that insane crowd opposing you.

* Do or die time tonight in Dallas for the Mavericks, trailing 3-1 to the Spurs. My gut says they find a way to force game six. But the stat of the day, courtesy NBA TV last night: only 8 of 191 teams trailing 1-3 have ever come back to win the series. That's 8-183. The Mavs have their work cut out for them.

* Boston ends it tonight. No way Miami sends this back to a game six.

* I'd like to thank the Charlotte Bobcats for their participation in the 2010 NBA Playoffs. Please pick up your commemorative "nobody believed in us, and for good reason!" t-shirts on your way out the door.

* No new "Lost" tonight. But there is an all new bowling league tonight! 6:30pm at AMF College Lanes. Team "I Don't Give a Split" makes its (probably drunken and possibly stoned) debut. Should be good times had by all. At least until someone starts screaming to "hit the god damned headpin!" and teammates start throwing bowling balls at each other in frustration. Oh wait, that already happened last league? OK then, this one should be good then, now that we've got that out of the way.

* Finally, in the words of Keith Olbermann, a Special Comment.

The state of Arizona recently passed a bill designed to fight the issue of illegal immigration. No doubt you've heard of it. The bill authorizes law enforcement officials and agencies ...

Scratch that. It doesn't authorize them.

The bill ORDERS law enforcement officials and agencies to detain any person they suspect of being illegally in this country, and demanding proof on the spot of their immigrant status. If the person cannot prove they are lawfully in this country, they can be arrested and fined.

Arrested and fined. In the United States of America. For simply failing to have, what, exactly, to prove your status? Have we REALLY come to this as a nation, that if you don't have your birth certificate on you at all times, you can be arrested for simply drawing breath?

ANYONE who supports this bill should question their conscience. This isn't "fighting illegal immigration". This is racism at its most blatant and obvious finest. This is a return to the United States of the 1840s, the 1850s, where blacks that had been freed had to carry papers on them at all times to prove they weren't runaway slaves. And even then, the Compromise of 1850 rigged the judicial system to find in favor of said black person still being a slave. (And Dred Scott of course ruled that blacks weren't human beings, they were pieces of property). Papers didn't matter; the word of the white man did.

Are we really going back to that dark moment in this nation's past? Where the color or tone of your skin determines what people think of you?

The fringe right has spent the last year arguing that the current administration's policies are fascist, are nazi-like, are totalitarian. To which I now respond, if THIS bill is not everything you decry the Obama administration for allegedly being, then what is?

What's next, tattooing a gold star on everyone to more easily identify the undesirables? You laugh, I know. "Steve, we'll never reach that point in this nation. We'll never segregate a segment of society simply because of who they are". Really? Really? We just did on Friday! It is now a criminal act to simply be of Hispanic origin if you live in Arizona. You can now be arrested, detained, illegally searched, illegally questioned, have every damned civil right known to man tossed aside, simply because you look Hispanic.
I lived with a Hispanic guy in college. One of my best friends. Born and raised in El Paso. It is now legal, if Frank were to visit Phoenix for whatever reason, for him to be stopped while walking down the street, and have to prove his citizenship on the spot. This is the United States of America. We're not talking about some banana republic, some communist dictatorship. Here. In the United States. It is now legal to arrest people for failing to provide immediate proof of who they are.

Congratulations, conservatives. You warned us about a nazi state coming to this nation. Who'd have thunk it would be you that delivered it? How sad that the party of Lincoln, the party that delivered the Civil Rights Act of the 1960s, the party that until recently has been the model of inclusiveness, the model of diversity, how sad that THIS is the party pushing for this. I'm not saying illegal immigration isn't a problem; it is. I am saying that this is NOT the way to combat the problem.

It is now an arrestable offense to simply walk the streets of Arizona. My question to the idiots that sponsored this heinous bill is simple. What's next? What's your next move? Consider that in the last week, one state in this nation just decreed that simply drawing breath makes it legal for law enforcement to detain you. No probable cause, no crime committed, no reasonable suspicion of malfeasance, other than the color of your skin. Simply being is now a detainable offense. So what's next? What's your next move? What group will you target next with your utter nonsense?

This makes me utterly sick to my stomach. In this nation, the alleged beacon of freedom to the world, the alleged light on a hill, we have just legalized racial profiling. We have just decreed a large class of people to be less than equal citizens. (At least for once the far right isn't viewing gay people as subhuman. They've targeted another group now. I guess that counts as progress?)

I don't care what your political persuasion is. Mine is left-leaning, as is obvious by simply discussing politics with me or reading other posts on this site. But even if I leaned right, I'd fight this bill with everything I could. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that all are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Sorry, Thomas Jefferson. The state of Arizona just whizzed on the basic crede this nation was founded on. All in the name of "freedom", and "defense of the nation".

Which is admirable. I'm all for defending the nation, I'm all for freedom, I'm all for combating the evils and problems and trials and issues that face the greatest nation God ever allowed to come into existance on this planet.

But what's the point of defending a nation that embraces the undefendable ...

the friday free for all

(yes we can! win game three. yes we can! defend the fortress on fourth. yes we can! haul out old school pics from a while ago. bucks fans! defend! this! house!!! photo: either me, brent, or dusty's digital camera. i'm guessing brent or dusty ...)

* Well, let's start with the obvious.

What the hell was wrong with JT?

To think this guy actually has won "Survivor" before, just boggles the mind. Last week's brain fart of giving away the immunity idol was bad enough. But this week takes the cake. To believe the lies a "villians" tribe member tells you is just insanely stupid. They are the "villians" for a reason. They lie, scheme, cheat, steal, pillage, do whatever it takes to win. (Which is why I tend to root for them). But I liked JT. He was the one "heroes" tribe member I liked.

I will give JT credit though: the way he left (shaking Russell's hand, congratulating him on schooling him) was exactly how I would have handled it. You get played, you gotta respect the player. Still, two of my three favorites are gone now (JT and Boston Rob). I fear the third (Russell) is about to get schooled by Parvati in the next couple weeks ...

And speaking of Parvati ... wow. That girl gets hotter every week. How is that possible? She hasn't legitimately bathed in 27 days at this point. She hasn't eaten much in that time span. No makeup, no fancy clothing, and yet, every week, I want to go Eldrick T. Woods on her. And I HATED her in the season she won. Now? I'm kinda rooting for her. And drooling a lot.

(burgess meredith voice) Just goes to show you.

* I was very, very happy that the Chiefs didn't whiz the number five pick away on an offensive lineman. Very happy. Eric Berry should be a rock solid addition to the secondary for the next decade. Now the key is who the Chiefs pick with their three picks today. I said when the schedule came out that if we had a productive weekend, this is a playoff team waiting to happen. Yesterday was a solid start, drafting a sure starter that shores up the secondary and provides a solid final line of defense. Today, I think we need to get a wide receiver that can stretch the field AND can catch the ball (D Bowe can do the first, he struggles with the latter), a pass rushing linebacker or defensive end (was very sorry to see Jerry Hughes go 31 to Indy, he would have been a great pick at 36), and some depth on the offensive line. The Chiefs pick 4th (36th overall) and 18th (50th overall), as well as 68th overall in round 3. We have the ammunition to move up, and can afford to move down. We're in a good spot. Let's not blow this.

* The stunner of the night to me was the oakland raiders drafting competently. Rolando McClain is going to be a stud for them. I liked the tebow pick by denver, if only because it ensures that my hatred of the "spawns of satan" will only get worse. But I actually think tebow is going to work in this league. Can't really explain why, other than winners tend to win. tebow has won everything possible at every level of football he's ever played. That has to count for something.

The Chargers, I didn't get the point of trading up 16 spots (and giving away the 40th pick overall, 8th pick today, in a loaded draft) to pick a running back. You don't reach for a position that can easily be filled by staying where you're at. I'd much rather have stayed at 28 and 40 and take Jahvid Best, than package those two picks (plus a 4th rounder in, again, the deepest draft in a long time) to move up for a running back.

* Tremendous late playoff game last night, as the Durants outlasted the Lakers to give the capital city of Oklahoma its first ever postseason victory. For as much as I hate the NBA's first round scheduling (the first round lasts at least a week longer than it should), at least spreading out the games means series get to build to a climax. The Lakers / Durants game four on Sunday should be appointment television.


(note to atlanta fans: THIS is what a legitimate (color) out looks like. just look at the scene behind durant's teammate. let's hope the red out in milwaukee looks half this good tomorrow. fear the effing deer! photo: nba.com)

Most tremendous, though, was the Durant's crowd. Holy lord. I hope the Fortress on Fourth is half as fired up tomorrow as the fans of the Durants were last night.

* Also a tremendous early game last night, as the Bulls did their damndest to give away game three, but managed to hold on 108-106 to temporarily breathe life into their series with the Cavaliers. Kirk Hinrich was absolutely (marv albert voice) on fire! last night. And as much as I hate the guy, Joakim Noah is a freaking stud. Just a freaking stud.

* Tonight should be more entertaining hoops action. Or at least intriguing. The Heat look to ... well, honestly, I think their series with Boston is done. I will be stunned if it goes back to Boston for a game 5. The other game though, Dallas at San Antonio, should be epic. Tied at one. Two bitter in-state rivals that absolutely hate each other. I have no idea who is going to win tonight, or any other night in this series. (I picked Dallas in seven, but can easily see the Spurs advancing instead). I just know I'll be watching.

* David Stern has taken it upon himself to "openly criticize" teams and coaches that rip the NBA's piss poor officiating. Uuh, Dave? You know I love you. You're the best commissioner in the history of sports. But you have a SERIOUS crisis in officiating. NOBODY who follows the league has any doubts that the officiating is (at best) fixed in certain games.

In fact, I'll make a wager right now -- either Joey Crawford or Bennett Salvatore (or both) will be working the Celtics / Heat game tonight, and the other one (or both) will be in Milwaukee tomorrow night. Both games will have a serious free throw disparity in favor of the home team. Both games will feature multiple "what the hell did he see to make that call" moments.

Why am I so sure of this? Because everyone knows NBA officiating assignments are rigged. When a team comes home down 0-2, its a given they'll get a ref easily intimidated by the home crowd. The reason why is obvious -- the league wants every series to go seven games. If the team up 2-0 gets up 3-0, the odds are the series ends. If the team up 2-0 falls in game three, the odds are the series goes at least 6, if not 7 games. The easiest way to ensure an underdog stays alive? Rigged officiating.

David Stern defending his officials just makes the problem worse. Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich are absolutely right -- NBA officiating is horrid. How difficult can it be to, I don't know, get rid of the 70 year old officials struggling to make it down the court with a 40 something year old who's worked his way up through the college or D-League ranks? Sure, they might struggle at first, but there's upside to bringing in a young, eager official. There is NO upside to continuing to let Bennett Salvatore continue to work games.

Remember the All Star Saturday night in Denver two years ago? When Charles Barkley infamously took on Bennett Salvatore in a "sprint" down and back on the court? Salvatore barely won. Charles Barkley weighs at least 350 lbs. He was probably drunk. Bennett Salvatore is (allegedly) in shape, and able to keep up with the finest athletes in the world on a nightly basis. And he barely beat Barkley down and back. And this is one of the NBA's "finest" officials! Dave, buddy, you have a serious issue with your officials. You need to make some changes. In a hurry.

* A friend sent me an email last week about the "Big Brother" tryouts being held in the Northland last Saturday. And I have to admit ... I did give some serious thought to trying out. I mean, am I the perfect contestant for "Big Brother" or what? Consider what the typical houseguest is like.

Most of them are unemployed, or are bartenders or models. I'm not unemployed, and I'm pretty sure I've never appeared in the Abercrombie catalog. But, I am a damned good bartender! Ask anyone at the pool or at a tailgate -- I know how to make a cocktail. The best houseguests start out as sarcastic, care free, laid back folks, and only get better the drunker they get. That's me! I'm a smart ass, I'm laid back, I don't take myself seriously, and I get funnier the more the booze gets flowing! I mean, how awesome would a show with me and Renny from two years ago be? A boozy New Orleans lounge singer, and a boozy KC accountant, both of whom function better under the influence than sober! Holy crap. Someone pitch that idea to Bravo, it can't be any worse than that Real Housewives crap they always air.

What's the typical male houseguest's day consist of? Sitting around by the pool, out in the sun, shirtless, drinking beer or wine, while discussing pointless crap that 99% of America doesn't care about. Uuh, isn't that me every chance I get in the summer? Sitting out in the sun, either at the pool or the Sports Complex or even someone's back deck, t-shirt nowhere to be found, drinking heavily and talking about stuff 99% of the populace doesn't care about? (horshack voice) Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! And what does every single houseguest yearn for? A showmance! They want to find the hottest houseguest and turn them into their friend with benefits for the length of their stay. I would absolutely do that!

There's two keys to being a great houseguest. First, you have to capture the rooting interest of the nation. You gotta get a fanbase, crazy folks who'll like schedule watching parties, write blogs about you. And I think its safe to ask, what Big Brother fan wouldn't want to root for "Team Stevo"? You all would buy the (jimmy lennon jr voice) Showtime! After Dark package just to see what crazy sh*t I come up with on a nightly basis! Its this blog broadcast to the nation, who wouldn't want to see and root for that? The second key? You gotta get in good with Julie Chen, aka "The Chenbot". I love Julie Chen. I would absolutely win her over, even more than Russell the Love Muscle did last year.

And that's another key, now that I think of it. Either you have to have a ridiculous nickname, or you have to constantly refer to yourself in the third person. I do that all the time! "Steve style". "Stevo".

Other keys: you have to have a high tolerance for alcohol, since you'll be consuming a lot of it. I say this with pride: I don't know ANYONE with a higher tolerance level for the firewater than me. You have to have a solid memory, so you can remember the stupid, pointless facts that win you the head of household, power of veto, and luxury competitions. Again, I say this with pride: I am the King of Useless Trivia.

Really, the only thing I'm missing is a ridiculous gimmick or prop that the nation falls in love with, like Memphis' fedora. But I'm sure I could figure something out.

Man, I really should have tried out for this show. Admit it -- watching me make an ass of myself on CBS and (jimmy lennon jr voice) Showtime! would be something really special. Or at least a complete train wreck. Either way, you'd watch. And organize "Team Stevo" watching parties.

* The tourney expands ... but only to 68 teams. I'm good with this, provided the four play-in games match up the last 8 at-large squads facing off for the four 11 or the four 12 seeds. If the NCAA learned anything from this year's tournament, it should be this: the little guys can play. And they're a helluva lot more fun to watch and root for than the 8th place team in the Big 10 (plus one).

* team tito finished eighth in the final bowling league at AMF West. I struggled big time this year. My average fell six pins. You can argue my poor performance is why team tito failed to defend its league title.

Something I intend to do this summer is take full advantage of the free games our summer league offers, and try to figure out what went wrong. Some of it is my throwing motion, I know that. But last year, both the fall and summer league, I routinely hit 150 plus. This year, my high game was 192, my second high game was 175 (ironically, both on the same night) ... and I didn't top 153 any other game. That's horrid.

On the bright side, our final week showing, taking 3 of 4 against the second place team, cost them the championship. (They finished one behind the league champs). Anytime you can screw over a team you hate by playing the spoiler role, you gotta do it.

Summer league starts Tuesday at AMF College Lanes. Should be fun.

* So I see Hillary is starting to make noise about how she will only serve one term as Secretary of State, and is also saying she's not sure she'll even make it that long, that the "travel" and the "schedule" is wearing her down. And I don't doubt that's true. But I really don't think a resignation anytime soon is because she's "tired" and wants some "time off".

I hope she sticks around for a while. She's the one competent person working in this administration. But I also hope she gets out soon enough to mount a primary campaign against Barry. I don't ever want to see this nation ceded back to the conservative right. But I also fear for how bad things are going to get under our clueless commander in chief. We need a solid, proven moderate in 2012 who will steer this nation back to the middle economically, while maintaining a strong foreign policy presence, and staying the hell out of people's private lives. She's the best candidate for the job. She was in 2008, she still is today, and she will be come 2012.

* A few television quickies. Glad to see HBO green-lighted a second season of "How to Make It in America". Really good show that I came late to the party for, so to speak, but thankfully there's so many HBO's it doesn't take long to get caught up.

Everyone's favorite champ, our favorite pal, the Vice President, was on "The View" yesterday. Well worth searching Youtube! or go to ew.com and search for the segment. Its hilarious. I love that guy. Hell, even Elisabeth Hasselbeck admits she likes the guy at the end of the segment, and that woman isn't a fan of most left leaning folks.

But best news of all ... Friday May 7! We're a mere two weeks away from my favorite show on television returning! But wait Steve, I can hear you saying. Isn't "Lost" your favorite show? Nope. Which should scare you -- if I obscess about "Lost" that much, and its not my favorite, in the words of George Takei, "oh my!"

Yes, "Friday Night Lights" returns to NBC in two weeks! If you've never watched the show, do yourself a favor, and rent season one and spend this rain-filled weekend watching it. You will be addicted by the end of the first disc. And the only episode in the first four of the show I'd call a "great episode" is the second one.

All of season one is just tremendous television. Especially the build-up to the ending. Season two is a mess, the writers strike (stewie griffin voice) roo-ined that season. But season three was back to its spectacular self. Give season four a try in two weeks. And definitely give season one a shot. Its a shame more people aren't watching this show.

Best season one episodes (aka if you're only going to give it a couple hour try, instead of going through the whole season, then watch these and try not to fall in love with this show):
* Eyes Wide Open (episode two). My favorite episode of the series. One of my five or six favorite hours of television, ever. There's so much in this episode that rocks, but the final scene, with Coach and QB1 in the locker room, will put tears in your eyes. Beyond inspirational.
* Its Different for Girls (episode ten). Not a moment of sports action in this one. But Minka Kelly gives the performance of a lifetime in this episode. And the Matt and Julie television date is hilarious.
* Blinders (episode fifteen) and Black Eyes and Broken Hearts (episode sixteen). A two parter. One of the best depictions of perceived racism you'll ever watch. Lewis Diuguid should be forced to watch these two hours, it might wake him up to reality.
* The Mud Bowl (episode twenty). My second favorite episode of the series. Also a top ten favorite hour of television. The ending is totally predictable. Its how you get to the ending that is so enjoyable.

Give it a shot. You won't regret it.

* OK, now for that other television obsession, "Lost". I thought last week's episode was intriguing. It was a total "set the stage" episode, the last one of those actually. There's only four episodes / five hours left.

The things I liked best. First, the total role reversal from Jack and (fake) Locke. Season one, two, three, Jack would do anything to get off the Island, whereas Locke would do anything to stay. Now, the roles are reversed. Plus, the chat between the two. Really good stuff.

I liked that the episode title ("The Last Recruit"), made you think one way (that Jack was the lone holdout to going along with Locke's plan to escape) ... only, it was the exact opposite (Jack is the only one going along with Locke's plan).

But best of all, my kook, quack, crack-pipe smoking theory is still in play. OK, two weeks ago, you had the split, after Ilana blew up and the Black Rock blew up. Richard, Miles, and Ben went back to New Otherton to get explosives to destroy the plane. (And we still haven't seen them since, hmmm ...). Hurley, Jack, and Sun decided to go find (fake) Locke and talk to him. At the end of the episode, when Hurley strikes the deal with Locke and they all reunite, everyone in Locke's group was an 815 survivor.

Except one person.

Everyone's favorite pilot, Frank Lapidus.

What does this mean? Probably not a damned thing. But my quack theory, is that Lapidus is actually Jacob. Just like the Man in Black is using Locke's body, I think Jacob is using Lapidus'. I know, we haven't seen Frank die. But -- he was knocked out cold by Ilana's group, and was unconscious still when Jacob was killed by Ben if I remember correctly. So maybe that's how it happened. I just can't help thinking that Lapidus is there for something other than comic relief.

That's my quack theory. Lapidus is Jacob. I'm sure I'm dead wrong on this, and watch, Lapidus will probably be the first one hit when Locke and Jack start shooting back at Widmore's rocket firing crazies. Anyways, that's my theory.

OK, moving on.

* Eldrick T. Woods is back in the news! He thanked the Masters patrons for their support, verbally fellated himself for finishing fourth (which, to be fair, even I was verbally fellating him, just an amazing performance), and congratulated Phil Mickelson on the win. (Neat stat that Jason Sobel at espn.com dug up: the last three events that Phil and Eldrick have played together, Phil has won all three, two of them in come-from-behind fashion. (al pacino in "devil's advocate" voice) It's my time now, I'm peaking! Wait, is it appropriate to use Eldrick T. Woods and "peaking" in the same sentence? Too soon?).

But sadly, Eldrick T. apologized for his "outbursts". I guess I'm the only one, but I love watching him react angrily when he screws up. Mostly because it means he screwed up, and as the world's biggest Eldrick T. Woods hater not named "Elin Nordegren", I love it when that happens. Means good things for Phil usually.

But I also like it, because it actually makes the guy seem human on the course. I guarantee you, if I hit my approach fifty feet left of the green, I'm dropping a "god f*cking dammit Stevo!" and slamming my club on the grass. (Left unsaid, of course, is that my approach would be playing 9, while Eldrick's is playing 2). The cursing has never bothered me. Neither the angry reactions. Or the happy emotional reactions. Like the amazing chip on 16 at Augusta in 2005. Everyone remembers the shot ... and Verne Lundquist's call ... but everyone also remembers Eldrick's reaction, the insane fist pump. Its what makes the man. Why change what ain't broken?

He also praised NBC for moving the Open into prime time. I couldn't agree more. Plus, since NBC and ESPN air virtually every shot of the Open, and do air every shot on the weekend, you know what that means. I feel some quality deck time coming up the third weekend in June.

I also see that apparently its divorce on for him and Elin. Which is probably for the best. Now he can go back to living the dream.

* Since this is reaching ridiculously long levels of verbiage ... why not. Let's finish up with my week by week quick look at the NFL schedule!

Week One:
Chiefs: vs Chargers (9:15pm Monday, ESPN). The biggest regular season Chiefs game since Green Bay in 2007. The best day for tailgating since Royals / Twins and Chiefs / Vikings in 2003. As much as I never want summer to end ... this day cannot get here soon enough.
Jets: vs Ravens (6pm Monday, ESPN). Gotta figure out how to get a satellite hookup out there for tailgating.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Chiefs and Chargers. But also Cowboys at Redskins (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). Anytime these two get together, its great football. Especially with McNabb and shanarat on board now.
Worst Game on the Board: Browns at Bucs (noon Sunday, CBS). Will either team score?
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Colts at Texans (noon Sunday, CBS). Huge divisional ramifications. Especially if Houston wins.

Week Two:
Chiefs: at Browns (noon Sunday, CBS). Last trip to Cleveland nearly cost us the postseason (week 13 2006).
Jets: vs Patriots (3:15pm, CBS). Two ridiculously tough home games to open the season for Gang Green.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Saints at 49ers (7:15pm Monday, ESPN). Statement game for the 49ers.
Worst Game on the Board: Rams at raiders (3pm Sunday, FOX). The battle of LA's former teams.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Jaguars at Chargers (3:15pm, CBS). One of these two could fall to 0-2, both have tough openers.

Week Three:
Chiefs: vs 49ers (noon Sunday, FOX). Dare we dream? A 3-0 start under bright, sunny 90 degree skies?
Jets: at Dolphins (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). The first roadie, and its a tough one.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Cowboys at Titans (noon, FOX). Why the NFL needs a 17th game with a designated inter-conference rival.
Worst Game on the Board: Lions at Vikings (noon, FOX). Smells like a 45-3 ass kicking.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Titans at Giants (noon, FOX). Battle between last year's two biggest underachievers.

Week Four:
Chiefs: bye. I hate that we go three straight weeks in early and mid October without a home game.
Jets: at Bills (noon Sunday, CBS). The Jets never play well at the Ralph.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Redskins at Eagles (3:15pm Sunday, FOX). Philly fan won't mercilessly boo Donovan McNabb, will they? Nah ...
Worst Game on the Board: Seahawks at Rams (noon Sunday, FOX). More people at Busch for a playoff game than the Dome for this one? Yup.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Ravens at Steelers (noon Sunday, CBS). No, not under the radar, its a great matchup. But intriguing, in that this is the Steelers toughest game without Roethlisberger. If they win this one, look out.

Week Five:
Chiefs: at Colts (noon Sunday, CBS). Chalk this one up in the L column.
Jets: vs Vikings (7:15pm Monday, ESPN). Jets fans won't mercilessly boo Brett Favre, will they? Nah ...
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Titans at Cowboys (3:15pm Sunday, CBS). Solid inter-conference matchup.
Worst Game on the Board: Rams at Lions (noon Sunday, FOX). I feel sorry for whoever pays to watch this matchup.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Eagles at 49ers (7:15pm Monday, ESPN). One thing I loved about the prime time schedule this year -- yeah, there's your guaranteed ratings bonanza blockbuster matchups. But at least early on, the league took a chance on some frisky home teams that might be sneaky good. Like the Chiefs in week one. And the 49ers here (and week two). A solid crowd, in prime time, an up and coming team against a playoff veteran squad, these are the games that appeal to me. Good job schedule making guy!

Week Six:
Chiefs: at Texans (noon Sunday, CBS). I'll be there. Hopefully its still in the 80s, sunny, and oppressively humid for tailgating.
Jets: at broncos (3pm Sunday, CBS). Sweet, something to listen to on the drive from Houston to Frisco.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Chiefs at Texans. But Ravens at Patriots (noon Sunday, CBS) is a rematch of the playoff blowout from last year.
Worst Game on the Board: Chargers at Rams (noon Sunday, CBS). Pick your score Norv Turner. You'll hit it with 10 points to spare.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Falcons at Eagles (noon Sunday, FOX). Again, not under the radar, but another Vick v his old team matchup.

Week Seven:
Chiefs: vs Jaguars (noon Sunday, CBS). A statement game for the Chiefs, who I think will be 3-2, L2 entering this one.
Jets: bye. They'll have earned it, their first five games are as brutal as it gets.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Vikings at Packers (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). Packers fans won't mercilessly boo Brett Favre, will they? Actually ...
Worst Game on the Board: Rams at Bucs (noon Sunday, CBS). Hide the women and children. Watching this game should be a crime.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: 49ers at Panthers (noon Sunday, FOX). I think the 49ers will win the West, but this could be a big wildcard tiebreaker down the road.

Week Eight:
Chiefs: vs Bills (noon Sunday, CBS). Halloween at Arrowhead! The last time that happened was the Brandsmart Game in 1999.
Jets: vs Packers (noon Sunday, FOX). The last time the Pack played in New York, was my favorite Chad Pennington game.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Steelers at Saints (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). Finally, the NFL goes head to head with the World Series.
Worst Game on the Board: Seahawks at raiders (3:15pm Sunday, FOX). A ratings bonanza for FOX, I'm sure.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Vikings at Patriots (3:15pm Sunday, FOX). Favre v Brady perhaps?

Week Nine:
Chiefs: at raiders (3:15pm Sunday, CBS). Chiefs need to make it eight straight in the Black Hole if they intend to reach the playoffs.
Jets: at Lions (noon Sunday, CBS). Finally, a layup. Now watch the Lions pull the upset.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Cowboys at Packers (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). The 49ers need to get good again to renew the best three-way rivalry of the 1990s.
Worst Game on the Board: Patriots at Browns (noon Sunday, CBS). Belichick won't run up the score on Mangini, will he? Nah ...
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Cardinals at Vikings (noon Sunday, FOX). Two division champs battle it out.

Week Ten:
Chiefs: at broncos (3pm Sunday, CBS). No longer is a trip to fake mile high a guaranteed loss!
Jets: at Browns (noon Sunday, CBS). I'm guessing Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum won't be exchanging pleasantries beforehand.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Patriots at Steelers (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). A potential AFC Title Game preview?
Worst Game on the Board: Lions at Bills (noon Sunday, FOX). I guarantee you this will not be a sellout.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Texans at Jaguars (noon Sunday, CBS). The Jaguars always find a way to lose to Houston.

Week Eleven:
Chiefs: vs Cardinals (noon Sunday, FOX). Coach Asshat against his former employer.
Jets: vs Texans (noon Sunday, CBS). A game with huge playoff and wildcard ramifications.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: broncos at Chargers (7:15pm Monday, ESPN). These two teams hate each other. Always good football.
Worst Game on the Board: Seahawks at Saints (noon Sunday, FOX). Name your score Saints, and you'll reach it with points to spare.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: raiders at Steelers (noon Sunday, CBS). The last two times the Steelers missed the playoffs (2006, 2009), they did so because they lost at home to horrible raider teams.

Week Twelve:
Chiefs: at Seahawks (3pm Sunday, CBS). I am so pumped for this roadie. And its winnable!
Jets: vs Bengals (7:15pm Thursday, NFLN). Rematch of two Jets routs to end the season and open the playoffs last year.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Saints at Cowboys (3:15pm Thursday, FOX). Winner gets home field?
Worst Game on the Board: Panthers at Browns (noon Sunday, FOX). A definite ratings bonanza for FOX.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Chargers at Colts (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). Can the Colts finally solve their Team of Horrors?

Week Thirteen:
Chiefs: vs broncos (noon Sunday, CBS). The day I live for.
Jets: at Patriots (7:15pm Monday, ESPN). AFC East and a first round bye on the line?
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: broncos at Chiefs, duh. But Cowboys at Colts (3:15pm Sunday, FOX) should be pretty sweet.
Worst Game on the Board: Browns at Dolphins (noon Sunday, CBS). Although Rams at Cardinals (3:15pm Sunday, FOX) should stink up the joint as well.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: raiders at Chargers (3pm Sunday, CBS). Over / under on number of fan arrests is at least 350.

Week Fourteen:
Chiefs: at Chargers (3:15pm Sunday, CBS). I pray this has huge divisional ramifications.
Jets: vs Dolphins (3:15pm Sunday, CBS). I pray this has huge divisional ramifications.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Eagles at Cowboys (7:15pm Sunday, NBC). The first of two meetings in the last four weeks of the season.
Worst Game on the Board: Browns at Bills (noon Sunday, CBS). I'm guessing the execs at CBS are fired up over broadcasting this one.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Giants at Vikings (noon Sunday, CBS). Rematch of last year's blowout that completed the Giants collapse.

Week Fifteen:
Chiefs: at Rams (noon Sunday, CBS). The Dome will be at least 60% Chiefs fans. At least.
Jets: at Steelers (3:15pm Sunday, CBS). Home field on the line?
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: 49ers at Chargers (7pm Thursday, NFLN). Very interesting inter-conference matchup.
Worst Game on the Board: Lions at Bucs (noon Sunday, FOX). This might be the worst game of the year, actually.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: broncos at raiders (3:15pm Sunday, CBS). The "Steve Roots for Terrorism" Game.

Week Sixteen:
Chiefs: vs Titans (noon Sunday, CBS). Chiefs haven't beaten this franchise at Arrowhead since 1995.
Jets: at Bears (noon Sunday, CBS). Don't overlook this one, Gang Green.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Vikings at Eagles (noon Sunday, FOX). Philly fans won't mercilessly boo or throw things at Brett Favre, will they? Nah ...
Worst Game on the Board: Seahawks at Bucs (noon Sunday, FOX). A battle between two former AFC West teams.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Saints at Falcons (7:15pm Monday, ESPN). The best rivalry in football nobody talks about.

Week Seventeen:
Chiefs: vs raiders (noon Sunday, CBS). I pray this is a "win and we're in" situation.
Jets: vs Bills (noon Sunday, CBS). I pray this is a "win and get home field" situation.
Game I'm Most Looking Forward To: Chargers at broncos (3:15pm Sunday, CBS). Two hated rivals go at it.
Worst Game on the Board: Rams at Seahawks (3pm Sunday, FOX). Good luck getting anyone to show up for this one.
Under the Radar Intriguing Game: Jaguars at Texans (noon Sunday, CBS). Could definitely be a "win and you're in" for both teams.

And with that ... its on to tomorrow. Defend the Fortress on Fourth! We will ... we will ... we will ... protect this house! Go Bucks Go!

coming later today ...

Sorry the live blog crashed last night after pick 16. For some reason, when it rains, my internet connection is pretty crappy. It crashed about 9pm last night and didn't come back up until almost 10pm.

Anyways, another massive multi-page Word doc post coming later today! (aka, "Steve blows off work to write about stuff he actually cares about!")

Lots of stuff I want to hit on, including ...

* David Stern's ridiculous, pathetic, offensive defense of NBA officiating.
* Team Durant's home crowd last night. (Note to Atlanta fans: THAT'S how you (color) out an arena!)
* NBA playoff thoughts.
* Potential NFL schedule overview. (still thinking this one over. Might be a separate post, as I usually do. Because the prime-time schedule this year really is that damned solid, and major props to Howard Kutz, who creates the schedule, for making the 3pm games just as solid as the prime time offerings, that rarely happens).
* Chiefs first round draft thoughts.
* AFC West rivals first round drafts thoughts.
* The dumbest "Survivor" player ever? JT has to be in the conversation now ...
* "Lost" thoughts. (My quack "yeah right" theory is still alive!)
* Bowling thoughts.
* Potential mini-fake-mailbag. (still thinking this one over. Not enough funny, stupid, intriguing, and/or inquisitive emails lately to comment on).
* some political thoughts. Including Hillary's Esquire interview that in my mind all but guarantees ... well, you have to wait for my thoughts.

And most stunningly of all ...
* Steve defends Trey Hillman?!?! Really?!?! My most hated manager / coach in sports, presiding over a 6-9 club, a club I swore I'd boycott because of his utter incompetence, and I'm gonna defend him?!?! Its must read blogging!

(beavis and butthead voice) huh huh. He said "6 9". Yeah, I can find a sexual reference in just about anything. Good grief, I need to pay a visit to everyone's favorite shack in unincorporated Douglas County ...

as our great history teacher in high school would say, "stay tuned ..."

nfl draft! live blog ...

the latest happenings

(its must win saturday. 6pm, espn. come on guys, don't make me go "steve inspirational speech before a chiefs game" on you ... photo: bucks.com)

An interesting few days, that's for sure.

* Saturday I spent the day helping some friends move some stuff and cut down some trees up in beautiful Missouri City. You really couldn't ask for a better day than Saturday was. Pushing 70, not a lot of wind, not a cloud in the sky. I've gotta say, I'm loving the direction spring is headed in. If we're in the low 90s for race weekend next week, I'll probably arrive to tailgate, get out of the car, and just start clapping like a trained seal with joy.

* Then Saturday night came the Bucks watching party for game one of the playoffs. Too bad the Bucks failed to show up until halftime. Call me crazy, but when you're down 22 after a quarter, and down 23 at the half, you didn't play very well. At the half, BJ had 20 points ... and nobody else had more than 4. That's not good.

The Bucks did rally, and had (what I thought was) two huge opportunities to put the fear of Sherman in the Atlanta natives. They cut it to 8 with 3:12 to go. Horford missed a 2 foot turn-around, and down the court came the Bucks. BJ stops and pops from the top of the key ... in and out. Ugh. But Delfino gets the board, and a few seconds later, pops it from the corner for three ... off the far side of the rim. Hawks rebound, and Josh Smith goes coast to coast to all but seal the game. Two three's in a fifteen second span, both an inch off. If either one goes in, and that 23 point lead is down to five, with still three minutes to go ...

* Ooh, I forgot to mention, I spent Saturday morning in pool school. Yup, I now (allegedly) know what I'm doing for pool maintenance this summer. Actually, it was pretty interesting, learning how the various chemicals interact, how you can adjust one chemical while maintaining the others. I used to know how to manage chlorine / ph / alkalinity when I lived with Gregg and we had the hot tub, but that's four years ago now. I'll say this though -- salt water pools are the way to go. They feel much better, they're easier to maintain, and no chlorine to boot. Well, unless the water temp gets below 60, then the salt stops working. But definitely the way to go.

* Sunday was all about getting the garden in. Planted 40 some odd tomato plants, about two rows of cucumbers, a row of squash, ten rows of corn, and other assorted mixed vegetables. Then dug up the flower beds to plant only God knows how many canna plants. Good God, those things multiply like friggin rabbits.

Most importantly though:


(some special little sprouts, uuh, sprouting through. photo: my quickfire phone).

* Monday was possibly the most stressful day of the last year for me. We'll just leave it at that. Very, very stressful. I would not wish my Monday on anyone. Well, except maybe john elway. That guy can never suffer enough in this life. So, how do you deal with a bad, stressful day?

* By going to a Shiner Bock tasting the next night! Last night's presentation was five Shiner products, and three from the Avery Brewing Company in Boulder.

There are events in life that you hype, that you get excited for, and then (peter griffin voice) they're more disappointing than striped gum. There are events in life that you hype and get excited for, and they pretty much meet your expectations.

And then there are events in life that you hype, that you get excited for ... and its even better than you hoped.

The Shiner tasting was one of those rare moments. Even better than advertised.

First off, there were only about 20 people there. Usually there's 55-60 at a beer tasting event, but only about 20 showed up. And at least half of us were huge Shiner enthusiasts. We showed up thinking we'd be cool, and drink out of our Shiner mugs (instead of the serving glasses they provide). Uuh, well, that was a neat idea in theory ... because the good folks from the Spoetzl Brewery had provided a brand new Shiner glass for everyone there. Since only about 20 people showed, I made out with a six pack of new Shiner glasses. The guy across from me (who showed up in a Shiner t-shirt, I wish I'd remembered to wear mine dammit), kept joking about how he was "building his six pack of glasses", so I stole the idea from him.

The first beer up was Shiner Blonde, a very good beer to be sure, but not in my top 10 favorites. It'd be probably in the fifteen, sixteen spot of my favorites. Next up was Shiner's answer to Boulevard Wheat, the Hefeweizen. I'd never had it before, to be honest. It was rather disappointing. Very orangy, very citrusy. Then again, I'm not a big fan of Boulevard Wheat, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Then the moment I was anticipating. Shiner Bock! The best beer in the world! OK, probably not, but it's definitely my favorite beer I've ever had. Because the crowd was so small last night, we had "unlimited sample sizes" last night. Suh-weet! I polished off about two bottles of Shiner Bock before we got to the next product, the 101. (Shiner started making a new beer every year about 8 years ago, as they approached their 100th anniversary. Since this is the 101st year of Shiner's existance, this year's new beer is the 101. Neat stuff).

Unfortunately, the 101 was awful. Would not recommend it. Last year's (the 100) was ridiculously good. I keep hoping they'll bring it back as a permanent fixture, like they did with the 97, which was beer number five, under its reborn name of:

Shiner Black Label. If you like Boulevard Bully Porter (which I do), you will love the Shiner Black. Very dark, rich beer with a solid kick to it.

After enjoying another Shiner Bock while things switched over, it was time for the Avery products. OK, first off, you know a brewery is good, when every beer they make is AT LEAST 8.2% in alcohol content, and 13 of the 19 beers you offer are over 10%. Secondly, I enjoy a brewery with a sense of humor in their naming features. Like how Westin Brewing Co has the Dropkick Ale they developed for Wizards game. This place takes naming to insanely hilarious levels. Their darkest, most potent beer, is called the Mephistopheles, named after of course Satan's alter ego. (So brilliantly played on SNL back in the day by Jon Lovitz).

But best of all, I know I'm going to love a brewery when the presentation begins with the vendor saying "now, its probably fitting we're presenting Avery on 420 day, because the owner is a huge marijuana fan. I've never met the guy without him offering me a beer and a joint". I think this guy and I would get along just fine. :)

The three we tried were their three "most popular", the Salvation, the Reverend, and Hog Heaven. (I should probably also note, almost all their beers are only available in pint sized bottles). The Salvation was awesome. It had the citrusy taste of an unfiltered wheat ... only it was also laced with cinnamon. I polished off nearly a full pint of it, it was that good. The Reverend was every bit as good. Another wheat type beer, only this one was laced with sugar. Phenomenally good. The last one, Hog Heaven, was not heaven for me. But I wouldn't turn it down if that's all there was to drink.

(dusty voice) come on Stevo! You'd drink gasoline if someone labeled it as "beer"! So true. So sadly, sadly true ...

But the best was yet to come. After sticking around and having another Shiner Bock and some more of the Salvation and the Reverend, it was picture time!


(its a bird! its a plane! its one big ass beer bottle! photo: my quickfire phone).

I loved that Shiner cutout. Awesome stuff. So as I'm checking out and buying some Shiner Bock and a couple of the Salvations, I ask the presenter "how big a bribe do you need to give up the Shiner cutout?" His response? "I'm not looking! If I take a look in a couple minutes and its gone, well then its gone!" So hell yes, I made off with the huge Shiner beer bottle! That'll class up the joint. Sadly, we didn't make out with the Shiner flag. That would have classed up tailgating this fall. Then again, I've been informed that we now own one of those flags with just the giant beer mug on it, so its all good.

After a late night dinner and some more Shiner Bock, it was off to analyze the main event of the day.

* The Chiefs schedule!

When Gregg called me with the home opener information, I was beyond ecstatic.

When the presenter last night dropped the "I believe the Royals are home that day too", I nearly hyper-ventilated.

It seems I was premature in noting the double header day this summer. I miscalculated Opening Weekend. So dare a kid dream? Could it be a true double-header day, with TWO games that count? A quick look at the schedule ... yes!

What a day September 13th is going to be! Possibly the best Monday this town has seen since when, 1995? Ironically also against San Diego? Just picture it. Gates open at 9am. Royals first pitch at noon. Then SIX FREAKING HOURS until kickoff for the Chiefs! Tuesday Morning Football!

I can hardly wait.

Because if I can't beat Dusty at washers with 12 effing hours to try, it's just never going to happen.

My thoughts on the schedule:

Week 1: Monday, September 13th, vs Chargers (9:15pm, ESPN). My good buddy Gregg has noted this many, many times ... sadly, not so much the last few years ... but there is NOTHING like the walk into Arrowhead for a prime time game. Nothing like it. My single favorite moment of any season, bar none, is that magical moment when the PA system starts blaring the opening notes of "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. I always just stop, and look. You have the ominous, creepy music playing, as the smoke from 70,000 tailgaters wafts into the sky, hovering over the stadium, hazing out the rising moon to the east, and the setting sun to the west. Its awe-inspiring.

We haven't had that moment since 2006, against denver. I don't think its a stretch to say that week 1, 2010, is the biggest regular season game the Chiefs have played since that night. Win, and you likely open 3-0. You get a quick tie-breaker over the rest of the division (and don't underestimate how huge that is. The sole reason we got in the playoffs in 2006 was that we beat the Chargers at home, while denver did not). And even better, you send what is likely to be your largest, most fired up crowd of the season home with some hope.

Week 2: Sunday, September 19th, at Browns (noon, CBS). Very winnable road game to open the away part of the schedule.

Week 3: Sunday, September 26th, vs 49ers (noon, FOX). Very winnable home game heading into the bye.

Week 4: bye. I'm not a fan of the early bye, although it can legitimately be argued the early bye saved the season in 2006. I'd rather have the bye in late October / early November.

Week 5: Sunday, October 10, at Colts (noon, CBS). Whoa, the Chiefs on the road on NASCAR weekend? Hot damn!

Week 6: Sunday, October 17, at Texans (noon, CBS). Great spot for this roadie. Should still be humid for tailgating, and air conditioned for the game.

Week 7: Sunday, October 24, vs Jaguars (noon, CBS). Good gauge game. Playoff contenders find a way to hold serve at home.

Week 8: Sunday, October 31, vs Bills (noon, CBS). I'm guessing Chan Gailey and Todd Haley won't be exchanging pleasantries beforehand. Only drawback to what should be a win is that the game is on Halloween. Which means the "Super Tools" will be prominently featured on the video boards.

Week 9: Sunday, November 7, at raiders (3:15pm, CBS). Chiefs have won seven straight in the black hole. They probably need to make it eight if they're going to be playing beyond my birthday.

Week 10: Sunday, November 14, at broncos (3:05pm, CBS). The fake mile high curse is broken. Now San Diego returns to being our House of Horrors inside the division.

Week 11: Sunday, November 21, vs Cardinals (noon, FOX). The only home game in November. Another good gauge game for the Chiefs.

Week 12: Sunday, November 28, at Seahawks (3:05pm, CBS). Thank you schedule makers, for ensuring I only have to take one vacation day for this trip! Very winnable road game for the Chiefs. The last time we faced a Pete Carroll coached team, the impossible happened -- Adam Vinatieri, for the win, from 23 yards out ... WIDE LEFT! Amazing game that day back in 1999.

Week 13: Sunday, December 5, vs broncos (noon, CBS). The day I live for. Could have huge wildcard ramifications.

Week 14: Sunday, December 12, at Chargers (3:15pm, CBS). One of two games you can effectively write off in the loss column five months prior to the season getting underway.

Week 15: Sunday, December 19, at Rams (noon, CBS). A must-win game for the playoff hopes. The Dome figures to be at least 60% Chiefs fans for this one.

Week 16: Sunday, December 26, vs Titans (noon, CBS). The last time the Chiefs beat this franchise at Arrowhead, I was a freshman in college. Let's just say we're overdue to (mr. william grigsby outside a nashville establishment voice) "beat those f*ckers!"

Week 17: Sunday, January 2, vs raiders (noon, CBS). January 2, 2000, the raiders played the Chiefs at Arrowhead, and you can argue the Chiefs still haven't recovered from that defeat. A chance to exercise a few demons by clinching a playoff berth in the exact same spot 10 years later?

Its a really balanced schedule. Every "quarter" has 2 home games, and two road games. Three back-to-back road trips sucks, but each of them features one very winnable game for the Red and Gold. Six of our ten home games (counting preseason) done by Halloween, keeping cold weather games to a minimum. In fact, unless something screwy goes down in denver in mid-November, the only cold weather games we'll play will be played at Arrowhead.

The schedule ensures this is a playoff-contending team. Unlike last year, when we were doomed from the start (at Baltimore, at Philly, vs Giants, vs Dallas, vs Chargers in our first seven games), the schedule is set to have us open 3-0. To be 5-2 when trick-or-treating Halloween night. 6-4 at worst after ten.

This is a 10 or 11 win team with a couple shrewd moves over the next three days. The end of the misery is in sight.

* Finally, its the last time bowling ever at King Louie, aka AMF West, tonight. I have many memories of that place as a kid. Trust me -- when you're a January baby and you live in cold weather, there ain't much to do for a birthday party other than bowl and ice skating. The place is shutting down at the end of May. I'll be sad to see it go. So if you have nothing better to do, feel free to come out and have one last cold one at that fine bowling institution ...