NFL Week 9

The bye week did the Redskins absolutely no good...the team is like a Peyton Place episode these days...lots of drama, but not on the field...a loss to Atlanta 31-17 is what we got yesterday...my Survivor pick was Atlanta so I am still alive for the prize...but my fantasy team The Clippers fell short against the Punishers this week...I was 3-0 with my picks for entertainment purposes!

Hull City Rockers!

Hull have come through for the first time in a month, beating Stoke 2-1 at home yesterday...Jan Vennegoor helped to ease the pressure on boss-man Phil Brown with a stoppage-time goal to secure a crucial victory over Stoke...Hull was headed for an eighth defeat after Matthew Etherington put Stoke ahead from an sharp angle.

But Seyi Olofinjana equalized with a curling effort. Vennegoor slotted home at the death after Stoke keeperThomas Sorensen failed to hold Jimmy Bullard's shot.

The result lifted Hull out of the relegation zone - a point ahead of both West Ham and Wolves...

The Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the World

Wow, I have been waiting for this for the longest time...a box set re-issue of the greatest live album ever, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! Back in 1984 as I was started college, I listened to this album non-stop every morning before class, on my commute, and again at night...Keith's chugging rhythm guitar...Chuck Berry solos from Mick Taylor, and Charlie Watts' boogaloo beat drumming throughout had me worshipping at the Stones altar ever since...This live set documents the Stones' 1969 American tour (which ended with the free concert mayhem at Altamont Speedway) with shows from the band's stop at Madison Square Garden during Thanksgiving weekend...the new box set comes with a disc of additional live versions of Prodigal Son, You Gotta Move, I'm Free, Under My Thumb, and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction...UnderMy Thumb and Satisfaction are especially funky...it's a toss up for me as to the best version of Satisfaction: the Stones' performance here or Ots Redding's Monterey version...also included are tracks from opening acts B.B. King and the Ike & Tina Turner Revue...but that's not all...there's a dvd included that has performances and outtakes of the Maysles Brothers film Gimme Shelter...Jagger provides some of my favorite concert lines..."Charlie's good tonight isn't he?"..."I think I've busted a button on my trousers. You don't want my trousers to fall down now do ya?"...and an unknown female fan shouting out a request for "Paint It Black, you devil"...before I go, let me give a book recommendation...Stanley Booth's "The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones"...a nice work of literature as well as a superb document of the Stones '69 tour...I'm re-reading my well-worn copy now!

Week 2 Football RoundUp

Another Sunday of mixed results...my fantasy outfit The Clippers lost a close game this week to the Asskickers...even in defeat it was a bounce back to respectability for my fantasy squad after last week's MIA performance...The Clippers hung 99 points...I'm not much for moral victories...but 0-2 hasn't stopped me from reaching the playoffs before...despite Ronnie Brown coming up big for me on Monday night...the A-Kickers' Dallas Clark was even bigger...figures a TE would do me in like that...

I was 10-6 against the spread again this week...1-2 in picks for "entertainment purposes only"...

I am still alive in my two Survivor pools...my picks were Washington and Minnesota...

Speaking of the 'Skins, a forgettable win over the Rams brings them to 1-1 on the season...there's talk on sports radio and in the newspaper of Coach Zzzzz's job being in jeopardy...The Rolling Stones' equally forgettable 1986 album Dirty Work contains a tune called "Winning Ugly"...I hope the lyrics aren't a hint of the 'Skins 2009 season to come!

And we're heading for the heartbreak
Heading for the blues
We're heading for the heartbreak
Heading for the blues
And we're winning, winning ugly
And we're winning, winning ugly

And of course I take no small measure of joy with Dallas losing their "Homecoming" game...three intercepts for chubby-chasing Tony R...that's Romo being Romo...

So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)

dang...recent flooding in Georgia has created a new water ride At Six Flags...

Trailin' The Tigers

Hard times for Hull City as visiting Birmingham City took a 1-0 win thanks to a 75th minute header from Garry O'Connor...Hull keeper Boaz Myhill frustrated Birmingham with some excellent saves...but The Tigers could not sustain some inspired early play to put one in the net...Hull's fourth league defeat of the season and their second home loss at KC Stadium leaves Phil Brown's side marooned in the bottom three...Relegation Talk?

Take Another Hike

After a mid-week visit to the chiropractor my back is still on the slow track to recovery...the good news is it does not appear to be a permanent injury...the bad news is I am still having to settle for a low impact hike as my exercise these days...Saturday was the date for my first half-marathon...

it was another bright sunny start to the day...cool 53 degrees...hiked the bus depot trail up to the river trail loop and came back by way of the stairway trail...took a couple of brief 20-30 yard jogs...leg felt a bit sore and numb...but nothing that was capable of stopping me from hiking...onward!

Trailin' The Tigers

Hull City traveled to Sunderland over the weekend to face The Black Cats and fell to 4-1 defeat. The Tigers played a spirited first half with Zayatte equaling the score in the 44th minute at 1-1. The second half was all Sunderland as they found the net three more times. Yank Jozy Altidore came on as a sub in the 64th minute, but was not able to proveide any Instant Karma...coming up for the Tigers is a match against Birmingham City on their home grounds...the Tigers have only four points earned through the first five games of the sesaon...

Week 1 Football RoundUp

A mixed bag of results for me this weekend...

The Redskins lost to the Giants in the swampland of New Jesrsey...not only did the 'Skins loss to the G-Men closely resemble last year's seson-opening loss, but the entire team's performance looked not to have changed much at all since last season ended...the defense was on the field too long...the 'Skins offense had less than fifty total plays...and when they were on the field looked blah at best...the Rams come to town for the home opener on Sunday

My fantasy team, The Clippers, pulled up lame against the Camel Jockeys...there were no bright spots to speak of really...Steven Jackson, Ronnie Brown and all my receivers were junk...hopefully we'll "Shake It Off" in week two...

on the bright side...I was 10-6 with my picks against the spread...usually it's hard to read the games the first week of the season...

and my three picks that were not for "entertainment purposes only" all came up winner$!!!

Back On The Trails...Sort Of

the recovery progress is still going for my aching back...however, I was feeling frisky enough to head over to Jug Bay this morning for a hike on the trails...the cool, quiet conditions were just what I am used to for September...my favorite time of year for running happens to be September and October...I hiked 3.4 miles in 1:08:39...included some hills...didn't have to stop to rest my back and was able to maintain a comfortable pace...the trails were a little damp and I saw a snake of some kind slithering across a section of trail...I did have the urge to break out into a trot, but resisted...there was some soreness in my leg/knee afterward, but not too bad...all in all a small step in the right direction!

NFL 2009

The NFL kicks off the 2009 season tonight with the Titans of Tennessee taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Steeltown...I hate Thursday games, by the way (except for Thanksgiving)...pro ball should be played only on Sundays and Monday night...I'll add my own contribution to the glut of predicitons out there...maybe the brilliant Gregg Easterbrook will evaluate my predicitons at the end of the season...

NFC East

NY Giants 11-5

Philadelphia 11-5 (Wild Card)

Washington 10-6 (Wild Card)

Dallas (7-9)

NFC North

Green Bay 11-5

Minnesota 10-6

Chicago 7-9

Detroit 4-12

NFC South

New Orleans 11-5

Carolina 8-8

Atlanta 7-9

Tampa Bay 2-14

NFC West

San Francisco 10-6

Seattle 9-7

Arizona 8-8

St. Louis 4-12

AFC East

New England 12-4

Miami 10-6 (Wild Card)

NY Jets 8-8

Buffalo 6-10

AFC North

Cincinnati 10-6

Pittsburgh 10-6

Baltimore 7-9

Cleveland 5-11

AFC South

Houston 10-6

Tennessee 10-6 (Wild Card)

Indianapolis 9-7

Jacksonville 7-9

AFC West

San Diego 11-5

Oakland 7-9

Kansas City 5-11

Denver 4-12

NFC Playoffs

Philadelphia over San Francisco

Green Bay over Washington

New Orleans over Philadelphia

Green Bay over NY Giants

New Orleans over NY Giants

AFC Playoffs

Tennessee over Cincinnati

Houston over Miami

New England over Tennessee

Houston over San Diego

New Englnad over Houston

Super Bowl

New England over New Orleans

Fantasy Football Legend

apparently it's the height of "who cares" to announce your fantasy football team roster to the world, but who cares...here's my championship team for the 2009 Spectators league season...





Team Name: Clippers





QB - Aaron Rodgers (I'm thinking he can have the type of seson Drew Brees had for me last year)





RB - Steven Jackson (my first overall selection with pick #5...I was loathe to draft any Rams this year...but something tells me this guy will bring it)





RB - Ronnie Brown (hopefully lots of Wildcat-related TDs...plus it's his second year back after ACL repair can only mean good things)





WR - Calvin Johnson (Motown's best hope...I hope the rookie QB will look his way often)





WR - Braylon Edwards (I'm hoping he'll get a jar of stickum and get back to his 2007 form)





WR - Bernard Berrian (Farve's gunslinging should put the ball in Bernard's hands quite a bit...looking for him to rack up some Yards After Catch points)





K - Mason Crosby (it's good!)





Def - Tennessee (that fake punt in the Hall of Fame Game was brilliant...lots of TDs for this unit in 09)





Reserves:


Cedric Benson (RB)


Reggie Bush (RB)


Antonio Gates (TE/WR)


Lendale White (RB)


Laveranues Coles (WR)


Shaun Hill (QB)


Fred Jackson (RB)


Nate Washington (WR)





Here we go Clippers...HERE WE GO!

Recovery In Progress

Boy do I miss running...I've completed my third week on injured reserve...soreness in back and right leg persist, but I am getting better (slowly)...a colleague mentioned sciatica healing can be an eight week ordeal...great...oh well, maybe by next Sunday I can take a hike!

Tiger Time

Not a bad week for the Tigers of Hull...mid-week, Jozy Altidore scored his first goal in English soccer to help Hull into the third round of the League Cup in a 3-1 victory over Southend...

On the weekend Hull visited the Wolves of Wolverhampton and played to a 1-1 draw...diminutive Brazilian Geovanni nodded in a Stephen Hunt cross in the third minute to give the Tigers an early lead...Wolverhampton equalized after halftime in the 46th minute...fortunately for Hull, the Wolves are woeful at finishing and the point was earned...Jozy Altidore came on in the 63rd minute

Another Week Off

Still in recovery mode from the back ailment...no running...if I can be back on the trails in two weeks, I'll be happy!!!

Let's Hear It For Hull

I've settled on a club to follow for the 2009-2010 English Premier League, and the winner is...

Hull City AFC!!!

Why Hull?

Well, they feature up and coming Team USA sensation Jozy Altidore (on loan from Villareal)...they're a smaller club just promoted two seasons ago and barely avoided relegation last season (I always pull for the underdog)...I don't know anyone who is a Hull supporter so I'll be unique in my neighborhood...cool colors and nickname (The Tigers) will appeal to my 13 year old soccer playing daughter...so Hull it is...

The Tigers opened the season two weeks ago with a 2-1 loss at (I Don't Want To Go To ) Chelsea...followed by a 5-1 pounding delivered by Tottenham...but then this past weekend a glorious home win against Bolton 1-Nil...I caught the highlights of this match, noting that Altidore had a couple of good chances to net his first EPL goal...I think he will break through soon...

Hull is in action tonight against Southend United at home in a Carling Cup match. Many of Hull's regulars will have the night off, giving second line players a chance to show their stuff...anyone making a good impression tonight could find themselves in the lineup Saturday against the Wolves of Wolverhampton...

Wikipedia has an article on the club here

Hull for the Cup!!!

Sidelined

the last day of beach vacation I noticed my back started to tighten up on me...progressing throught the day until it became, well, a pain in the back...I've only run twice since then, including 6.5 miles last Sunday at Jug Bay...that's when the pain really started to flare up...by Wednesday I was unable to report back to work for the new school year and finished the week on the couch taking it easy and following the prescription my doctor gave me...

so, no running this or for the forseeable future I'm afraid...this back injury is going to mess with my fall running plans...races, going for 1000m...as disappointing as that is, I really just want to be able to get around without any pain again!

1969

This summer I've noticed an awful lot of media nostalgia for pop culture events that happened 40 years ago in 1969...here is a list of some events I've heard in the news lately and others that are stuck in my memory drawer somwhere:


The Miracle Mets win the World Series
Drugs and Mud invade Woodstock, NY
Broadway Joe Namath guarantees victory in Super Bowl III and delivers
Sesame Street and The Brady Bunch debut
Hurricane Camille devastates the Gulf Coast
Neil Armstrong is the first Man on the Moon
The Beatles recording career ends with Abbey Road
Charles Manson and his cult of followers murder five in LA
Tricky Dick Nixon takes office
Ted Kennedy drives off a bridge in Chappaquidick, killing a female passenger
250,000 anti-war protesters march on Washington
The Gap opens in San Francisco
The Who release Tommy
The Rolling Stones retrun to America...ending at Altamont
Midnight Cowboy is released with an X rating
Pele nets his 1,000th career goal

That's quite a year!

Camels Rock

Went to see Wilco last night at Wolf Trap...and once again I was highly entertained by the band's musicianship, energy, and performance! Initiated BJ and Hannah with their first Wilco experience, and I think they enjoyed the show too...it took a little arm-twisting to get them to go, but they'll thank me for it later...

highlights included:

near-perfect weather for a summer evening concert...Wilco performed the song I had requested through their website, "How To Fight Loneliness"...according to Jeff Tweedy I was one of 36 who made the request, a new Wilco-Request-A-Song record! They played half of their new album...those tunes rise to another level live...as do most Wilco songs...Nels Cline's solo on "Impossible Germany", a Santa Claus sighting! Seriously...a fellow concertgoer with flowing white hair and beard was there and bore a stunning resemblance to jolly ol' St. Nick...he wasn't dressed in his red uniform, but even in his summer clothes I could tell who he was...

the only quibble I have is the band seemed to cut the show short a bit by running up against a curfew...that only leaves me more eager for my next Wilco show!

Here's the set list courtesy of WilcoBase:

1. Wilco (The Song)

2. A Shot In The Arm

3. At Least That's What You Said

4. Bull Black Nova

5. You Are My Face

6. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

7. One Wing

8. How To Fight Loneliness

9. Impossible Germany

10. Deeper Down

11. Jesus, Etc.

12. Sonny Feeling

13. Handshake Drugs

14. Hate It Here

15. Walken

16. I'm The Man Who Loves You

17. Hummingbird

Encore:

18. You Never Know

19. Heavy Metal Drummer

20. Misunderstood

21. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

22. I'm A Wheel

Not Feeling It

Totally blew off running this week...except for a mild Monday afternoon run...even that was only a "fun run" of 1.14 miles running in the 'hood and doing some soccer sprints...too busy at work, blustery weather, and an aching body kept me out of the mood for some running this week...

Meltdown

No running this week until Friday as the snow slowly disappears...Friday was a mild day with temps at 66 degrees in the afternoon as I started out for my run...the Jug Bay trails were muddy and there were still patches of snow in shaded parts...ran 4.15 miles in 38:55...a nice, steady run...

Got up at sunrise on Saturday for my birthday run...43rd...covered 3.54 miles of neighborhood at a race pace clip of 31:34...

Back to Jug Bay on Sunday for a sleepyhead run...not only is it the morning after my birthday celebration, but the clocks sprung forward an hour overnight...so I was sluggish to say the least...8.21 miles in 1:20:01...after 5.7 miles took some periodic walk breaks...

Don't Eat The Yellow Snow

A rare March snow storm barreled through my neck of the woods late yesterday and all night...looks like no school for a couple of days! Haven't had to shovel the driveway for many years now, but that streak is over!

February: That's A Wrap

ran three days this week...did a mile fun run on Monday...ran down the street a bit, a few loops around the barn and finished with a set of the old soccer sprints I used to run...Thursday after work I headed over to Jug Bay...was feeling good and completed 5.77 miles at race pace...I felt "cleansed" after this run...nice and mild for February...and early Saturday I ran just over 4 miles in the 'hood...Haley (the dog) joined me for a good bit of the workout...

Running Roundup

this weekend I ran in some cold temps and not so great weather, but my mood and mojo have improved...ran 4 miles in the 'hood on Saturday...today over at Jug Bay I did 5.5 miles which put me over the 100 mile mark for the year...it took me 53 days to reach this milestone...

Still Draggin'

President's Day run in the neighborhood...3.32 miles...and not liking it so much...

Where Has My Run Gone?

A sunny and cold morning with a slight breeze...ran in shorts any way...a sluggish effort today...had to take walk breaks...feeling tired and worn down...ran up croom airport road to the side trail entrance...looped around to cross the road over to bus depot trail...ran down to the boardwalk and back up and then down to base...felt OK...although I finished the week on a downer...I did get four runs in this week!

Running Is My Valentine

out the door for a cold sunrise run...typically quiet run in the neighborhood...ran fast pace (sub 9min/mile)...felt good...

The Hills Are Alive

still on the mild side today, but with a strong wind blowing...decided at the last minute to try a hill workout...my first in ages...ran up camp hill to camping grounds...down hill to trail loop...back to camp hill...ran up hill from marker A to marker B...15 sec x 8 reps...felt good...

Winter Mild

nice and mild for February today...high of 58...whoo-hoo! At Jug Bay, I ran the camp trails and looped over to the bus depot trail by crossing the road...labored to begin with, but ran steady once I found my pace...felt OK...

Now Reading

Finished up the Namath biography...a good read about the party boy/drunkard/gunslingin' QB...keeping with the football theme, I'm now tackling "Life Its Ownself" by the great Dan Jenkins...

Three-Day Weekend Warrior

this week my running covered Friday-Sunday...too busy/cold to get out during the workaday week...I covered nearly 15 miles over the weekend including a long run over 8 miles on Sunday...though I did need about ten minutes worth of walk breaks...my breathing and running were both labored for these three days of running...not in good shape at the moment...call it the winter time blues...

Weekend Warrior

My running was limited this week to Saturday and Sunday runs...first, was a cold sunrise run in the neighborhood...ran thru some left over snow near the woodline in back of the house...kept a nice even pace (9:11/mile) for 4.3 miles...no tunes on this run...

Sunday I was back at Jug Bay...a sunny morning with a mild breeze warming things up...I ran the camp trail over to merkle...took the side trails out to the fork and made my way back...the camp trail was covered in ice and snow left over from the snowfall this week...patches of ice and snow throughout the route...kept a good pace...saw my runner friend with his border collies back at base...felt good...totaled 6.58 miles in 1:01:28...

Totals for January:

14 Running Days
54.3 miles (I was shooting for 60)

Not bad, but room for improvement...

My Super Bowl Pick

Another Week in the Books

my mileage went over 14 for the week...a nice increase over last week...two frigid runs bookend the week with a nice 52 degree run in the middle...MLK Monday saw me do a little over 3 1/4 miles...the warm up on Friday saw me do 5m...and Sunday in 18 degree temps I did nearly 6 1/2 miles...after my Sunday run at Jug Bay a ranger, who had drove by me on the course earlier, rode by my truck and shouted "beats a treadmill any day!" amen, brother, amen!

44

Change (hopefully for the better) has arrived...

The Running Week That Was

Got in three solid runs this week at Jug Bay...did a little over 3 1/2 on Monday when I broke my ice bug shoes out of hibernation...did just under 3 1/2 on Tuesday...my breathing was labored on Monday, but easier the next day...today I ran 4.6 miles out/back on the bus depot trail...there were patches of ice on the trail...felt sluggish the first 3 miles, but got a clear head for the home stretch...not a bad week for winter running...I'd like to step up the mileage next week...

Friday Night Lights

Returns to broadcast TV tonight for Season 3...I think it's the best show on any of the networks...teenage angst, substance abuse, sex all tastefully done...what's not to like? Down, Set, Hike!

Smiles Everyone...Smiles!

Ricardo Montalban Dies at Age 88

From AP...

LOS ANGELES – Ricardo Montalban, the Mexican-born actor who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later as the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday morning at his home, his family said. He was 88.
Montalban's death was first announced at a city council meeting by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. He died "from complications of advancing age," his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith, later said.

The funniest phone call of all-time occured pn the Howard Stern show when "Ricardo" called Star Trek's George Takei on his new car phone!

RIP Ricardo

Quickie

finished up the Benjamin Button book in no time...an amusing tale and I really enjoyed sepia-like watercolor illustrations...nice to see it has a (somewhat) local setting in Baltimore...it's doubtful I see the movie...at least anytime soon...

now it's on to read about Joe Namath in honor of the 40th anniversary of his famous predicition of taking out the mighty NFL Colts in Super Bowl III...

Now Reading

finished Back Spin...the name I took for my fantasy golf team this year, by the way...and now I'm starting a graphic novel interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Long Lost Run

made it over to Jug Bay for a long run for the first time in two months...and it was a happy reunion...I've missed the trails since I peaked last fall...today I did an out/back on the bus depot trail...ran at near race pace on the damp trail...didn't quite make an official long run...my standard is 8 miles...did just over 6m...saw lots of geese out there!

Post Holiday

back to work...back to the grind...and little time for a run during the week...this morning I hit the mean streets for near 3 1/2 miles including a tour through the woods...took it nice and easy...

Weekend Roundup

a couple more sunrise runs this weekend...ran 3m on Saturday and 3.75 Sunday...ran easy...haven't missed a day of running in 2009!

Two For Two

haven't missed a day of running so far this year...an overcast and cold early run...not much to note except I ran 3.3 miles at a near race pace time of 28:43...

Currently Reading

Harlen Coban's "Back Spin"...an older one of the Myron Bolitar series with a golf theme...in mass paperback format...

Running Ahead

Another year of running awaits...



trails, long runs, hills, foot blisters, toenail damage, mileage goals, sweat, frozen gatorade, races (or not), garmin, playlists, wildlife, change of seasons, vaseline, blogs, shoes & gear, beer, alone time, runners world, good health...



that's a lot to look forward too!



Starting the New Year optimistically on the prospect of a trailblazing running campaign...



Pounding out 1000 miles is again my top priority for the next twelve months...the early months I expect to fall behind because I am really a coward when it comes to the cold...I hope to maintain a 60m/month pace for January thru March...I can make up those miles in the warm weather months...I aim to peak again in the Fall...Sept-Oct were primo for me this past year...let's see if Ican top 120 miles this time around...



As for races...I have come up with a base list of 4 regional, if not local, races I might like to do...all trail...so that's nice to have on paper, or on blog if you will...to raise my game from '08 I need to actually participate in some of them!


I have an additional three races in reserve that I can add if I catch that elusive racing bug...since you asked, here are the races I have in mind...



March 29 - Backyard Burn 10m

May 17 - EX2 Adventures Trail Half Marathon

September 19 - North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon

November 15 - Backyard Burn 10m

all of these races are on trails in the Northern Virginia...I'll run the same BYB trail in spring and fall so I can compare times...

so that's two ten milers and two HMs...enough to keep me busy...


and if things go well I might slip in a trail race in Pennsylvania, a trail race in northern md, a local 10K road race, and another trail race in the fall BYB series...

looky here, I am serious about getting some racing in this year, that I am even keeping a two year race plan in mind...I can do the Maryland Double in 2010 which is running the Frederick and Baltimore marathon/half marathon...and maybe even ponder running my fourth marathon beyond that!

happy new year...

New Year's Run

a bright sunny 2009 awaited me as I laced up the North Faces and hit the pavement...temp was a cold 21 degrees...since I passed out prior to the ball dropping by a good half hour I felt refreshed and ready to go...the ground was frozen...the hellacious winds from yesterday were gone...said hello and happy new year to a neighbor who I see walking the mean streets from time to time...and the friendly pooch Haley was out and ready for a run too...she hung for a mile or so...did a brief tour in the woods and finished the first run of the year after 4.1 miles in 37:47...