The Quest to Watch 31 Halloween Movies: #25-31

Halloween Movies #1-9
Halloween Movies #10-16
Halloween Movies #17-24

Halloween Movie #25
Paranormal Activity 4 (Unrated) [2012]

Halloween Spook-o-meter: 4/5

Ah, now here is a franchise running on fumes.  I loved the first Paranormal Activity because I really enjoy movies rely more on the imagination than the effects.  The three previous films weaved together a story about a girl named Katie.  The first film followed Katie as demons haunt her; the second revealed that Katie's family may be involved in her possession; and the third film depicted the frightening childhood of Katie and her sister. For the fourth installment, the creators decided to focus on Katie's neighbors, instead of answering any of open-ended questions from the previous films. Although each film boasts diminishing scares, the storyline was enough to bring audiences back for more.  Now that it is apparent they're more worried on "trick" camera shots than filling in the plot holes, I'd say it is safe to pass on anymore Paranormal Activity movies, especially "The Marked Ones" when it arrives in January.  Paranormal Activity 4 (Unrated) is available on Netflix.


Halloween Movie #26
Zombieland [2009]

Halloween Spook-o-meter: 3/5

When the preview for this film came out, I couldn't believe how bad it looked.  Fatigued from the zombie craze, I thought it looked like an inevitable cash-in on a growing genre.  Four years later, The Walking Dead is the biggest show on television and zombie pub crawls are major events in every autumn social calendar.   I ended up seeing it in theaters and was blown away by how funny it was. Woodie Harrelson is hilarious as Tallahassee and his quest for Twinkies is a highlight of the film.  Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin round out a well cast ensemble, but it is the film's surprise cameo that steals the show.  I expected this film to be the final straw for the zombie comedy genre created by Shaun of the Dead.  Instead Zombieland might be the best movie to come from the recent undead craze.  Zombieland is available on DVD.

Halloween Movie #27
Trick 'r Treat [2007]

Halloween Spook-o-meter: 4/5

While there are plenty of movies to watch this time of year, there seems to be a limited number of scary Halloween films.  So I was quite excited when Trick 'r Treat was released a few years back.  The film is a horror anthology in the vein of Creepshow and Tales From The Crypt. It is kind of hard to describe the plot without giving too much away, but it involves werewolves, costume parties, ghost stories, serial killers and even some candy.   The four stories slowly come together as the movie progresses ending in with a surprising twist.  If you are looking for a Halloween-themed film this season, you can't go wrong checking this out.  (If you enjoy this film, they just announced a sequel!).  Trick 'r Treat airs for 24 hours on Fear Net on Halloween.  


Halloween Movie #28
The Conjuring [2013]

Halloween Spook-o-meter: 5/5

I don't know what to say about this one.  I definitely let other people get my expectations too high.  I found the first half fun and frightening as they depict a family tormented by the growing phenomenon of "shadow people".  Suddenly the movie had haunted objects, ghosts and possessions.  The movie is definitely creepy and worth a viewing, but I just can't help feeling I would've preferred it a little more if the director would have stuck to making a haunted house movie instead of trying to cram in every single horror.  By the time the (spoiler) exorcism happens at the end, I was wondering when the masked serial killer was going to arrive.  Truth be told, reading about shadow people is much more frightening than this film.  The Conjuring is available on DVD.


Halloween Movie #29
The Poltergeist [1982]

Halloween Spook-o-meter: 5/5

There were many moments in the Conjuring that reminded me of the Poltergeist, so I had to make it my next film.  This movie is so enjoyable because the characters act like real people would.  When Diane shows her husband that stuff slides across the kitchen floor, they aren't afraid.  Instead they're amused and filled with wonder.  As things get scarier, they start react as you would expect someone would.   It never occurs to them that something malevolent is in the home until their daughter disappears into a portal.  I've spoken about my love for the films that originate a theme and the Poltergeist is responsible for all the following movies with the "My house is haunted! You're the only paranormal investigator that can help me!" scenario.  This is just a fun film, with lots of inventive gimmicks, specifically the use of televisions as inter-dimensional communication machines.  By now you probably know I'm pretty biased toward Steven Spielberg, but it is clear why The Poltergeist remains a favorite of the haunted house genre.


Halloween Movie #30
Session 9 [2001]

Halloween Spook-o-meter: 3/5

In hopes that I boost my Halloween hipster credentials, I love reading articles entitled "The Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen!" and counting how many I've viewed.  Session 9 seemed to be mentioned in most of them, so I had been saving it for a really good fright.   The story follows an team removing asbestos from a decrepit insane asylum.  Session 9 gets the same review I've given a bunch of movies this month:  the first half is eerie and creates a great atmosphere only to unravel in the second half.  I want to contrast this film with my Poltergeist review.  In Session 9, people suddenly become crazed and angry.  Since we are watching a horror film, it seems like logical behavior, but no real person should ever get so violently upset over nothing.  The actions of the characters are used to move the story along and it just feels unnatural.  I will admit bias: I find David Caruso to be an especially awful actor.  Session 9 is available on Netflix.


Halloween Movie #31
Halloween [1978]

Halloween Spook-o-meter: 5/5

This whole list ends with the absolute best.  No movie compares to Halloween and I try to watch it on every year on Halloween.  This is the first major "slasher" film and its imitators are countless.  Scream would later mock the "rules" of horror films, most of which originated with Halloween.  The film features Michael Myers, an escaped convict who returns home on Halloween and terrorizes the community.  Later films would tie together a sibling connection between protagonist Laurie and Myers which deflates the true horror of the original: that these murders were completely coincidental.  The victims were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  The fact that Myers' psychologist, Dr. Loomis is nearby but unaware only heightens the thrills.  From the couch to the closet to the balcony, no other movie does horror quite as well as Halloween.  Throw in the chilling score and you have one of my top five favorite movies of all time.  Halloween is available on DVD.

*********************************************

Dougy's 10 Favorite Horror Films [2013 Edition]

10. Psycho [1960]

9. Texas Chainsaw Massacre [1974]

8. The Exorcist [1973]

7. Alien [[1979]

6. The Evil Dead [1981]

5. Se7en [1995]

4. The Shining [1980]

3. The Thing [1982]

2. Jaws [1975]

1. Halloween [1978]

Tap's Thursday Night Picks

Thursday night football can be entertaining, sloppy, and everything else under the sun honestly. I make picks to help clear your head.

NFL
Cincinnati (6-2) (-3) at Miami (3-4) 7:25 NFL Network - There are times in life where you almost need to open an account with a sports book. This is one of those times. Cincinnati screams to be bet on tonight as Miami has a myriad of problems. Starting out, they have an offensive line full of ghosts. Like seriously, I am pretty sure Casper is playing at center and not trying to make some witty Halloween joke. Their offensive line is a goddamn sieve. Currently, Miami is on pace to give up 76 sacks which would be the NFL record. The team they face Cincinnati absolutely gets after it with their front seven. Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will send the house consistently at Ryan Tannehill.

To make matters worse for Miami, offensive tackle Johnathan Martin had a breakdown at the cafeteria because no one would sit with him. Now I am a big dude whose a bit too sensitive at times and it seems like Martin finally had the last straw with his teammates. Many people will probably call him a pussy or something to that effect, but in reality, there is really no business for grown men to be taunting and making fun of other men.

If you have read this glorious site, you know I am struggling a bit with Andy Dalton's recent success.  After watching him play a couple times earlier this season,  I did not think much of him but he has came on strong as of late. Marvin Jones is the soup de jour for him right now as the young wideout is becoming an excellent compliment to A.J. Green on the other side.  To help Cincinnati, they get dynamic receiver Andrew Hawkins back in the slot tonight. This will be another dominating win for the Bengals. CIN 34-14

CFB
Arizona State at Washington State 9:30 pm ESPN - There is a lot to love here and if you do not think there is a lot to love, you know nothing.  Washington State pulled a Jon Taffer shut down move on their classes to get prepared for this Halloween game. Washington State also has a fanbase that chugs Fireball Whiskey from the crowd. It is an awesome crowd and now they threw the flames on it figuratively and literally.  Additionally, the weather is going to be around 40 degrees for this Arizona State team.  I like what the Sun Devils have with Taylor Kelly and Will Sutton, but let's be honest here, Washington State is winning this football game. WSU 21-17

Charlie.

SnoTap's NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers

The Wine and Gold as they're being marketed in Cleveland in 2013-2014 enter season four of life without King James or also known as A.L.[1]Many may view this city and franchise as a group that has moved on and built a new identity; not dwelling on the past and looking towards the future. This would incline you think city no longer checks in on King James and he never follows the city.

This headline will follow the Cavs and Heat throughout the season, and will pick up serious momentum by May 2014. Newsflash Tappers, LEBRON’S COMING BACK.

Yes call me crazy, not stupid Tappers as many as you have before. Being a transplant in this city for over 100 days now, I have yet to get an Ohio I.D. [2]but when talking to educated people about the Cavs, Dan Gilbert and learning about LeBron’s early years this story is not over, but just finishing book two in King James' bible of basketball.

Before all of that we can concentrate on the team Cleveland will roll out this year.  In person against Detroit, the Cavs looked impressive for a half-assed preseason game in my first visit to Dan Gilbert’s shrine [3]. Kryie hit a buzzer-beater following the third quarter and really did “Kyrie” things whenever he wanted against WWII Vet Chauncey Billups. Anderson Varejo was hitting elbow jumpers and trying to stay healthy long enough to make it in the team photo; Rookie Russian Sergey Karasev can really shoot and moved well off a few screens set for him. Overall this Cavs team has great depth with players like Jarrett Jack and Earl “The Squirrel” Clark who have people thinking he actually can hit 3’s and play defense in the same game in Cleveland. The Cavs are still equipped who two young assets than run with Kryie well in Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson; both who need to grow this season in the subject of shooting efficiency. 

Well now I have made it almost 350 words, without mentioning the two biggest question's in the 2013-2014 Cavs campaign; Anthony Bennett and Andrew Bynum. Only Las Vegas knows the over/under amount of which games the center Andrew Bynum will participate in. Mike Brown is back on his second stint as coach with the Cavs and the job will be to maximize Irving as a superstar. Major contributions from players like Bynum and Bennett could have Cleveland aiming for the fourth seed. 

The Cavs are built like a team that could have the highest of ceilings or completely tank. Players like Jack and Varejo could be major role players and leaders for Brown and the troops. In picking the Central division and the Eastern Conference bracket, I talked myself into four teams from the division qualifying; Chicago, Indiana, Detroit and Cleveland. This season will not be viewed as one that Cleveland is just rolling over waiting for LeBron. Kyrie Irving needs to decide if he is an actual franchise player or just another Robin looking for his Batman and assets that the Cavs have in young players either need to grow up or they will lose their value. End of the day, the summer of 2014 will be quiet the ride again for 216 and Cleveland.

Reporting live from SnoTap’s Cleveland office!

Nolan Murphy

---

[1] After LeBron and the Decision

[2] SORRY MOM!!

[3]  “Q” arena or Quicken Loans is covered with sponsors of company’s Gilbert also owns from Fat Heads to Horseshoe Casino; this man has it figured out.

SnoTap NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks

It's finally here. I'm going to preview the team with the most depressed, ambivalent and apathetic fanbase in the entire Association and maybe in all of sports, the Milwaukee Bucks. I personally have become a diehard fan since moving to the city of Milwaukee a few years back.

I've always been a huge fan of both the Bucks and the Milwaukee Brewers but now the Bucks have almost moved to the forefront of my sports fandom. I'll break it down to you like this: the Brewers are like my first son, they've had their struggles and now they've figured it out (to some degree). The Bucks are like my younger son that just can't seem to get their life turned around and I'm putting a lot of energy into staying after them.

Anyway, that's enough about me and my trials and tribulations and on to the team. There are 11 new faces on the Bucks from the playoff (!!!) team that was routed and embarrassed four straight games by your NBA Champion Miami Heat last year. Let's take a pretty detailed look at these guys:

The X-Factor: C Larry Sanders - LARRY SANDERS! was rewarded this offseason with a contract extension (that doesn't kick in until next year) for the huge strides he made last year. He's also become the unquestioned 'face of the franchise' with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis being gone. With great power comes great responsibility, Larry. Thus far in the real early-going, he's looked a tad bit shaky. I'm also concerned about his temper and foul trouble. After all, if he can't stay on the court at all, he can't help the team now or in the future.

The Big Question: How will the Bucks score? - Now that the "$wag Twins" are gone (Jennings/Ellis), the Bucks will look for new guys to score the ball. Who might that be? We know it most likely won't come inside, unless John Henson shows us a little more consistent, efficient offense. That's one thing that Henson struggled with last year was scoring efficiently as a big man. That, and defensive awareness but that's neither here nor there. Sanders, Zaza Pachulia and Ekpe Udoh are not offensive big men either. So, scoring will have to come in the form of three point shooting and good ball movement. Fortunately, the Bucks are a pretty solid all-around three point shooting team. Caron Butler, OJ Mayo, Ersan Ilyasova and even Brandon Knight are going to give you around 40 percent from three point range this year, assuming they're healthy.

Key Additions: SF Caron Butler, SG OJ Mayo, C Zaza Pachulia, PG Brandon Knight - All of these guys were brought in this offseason to be key contributors for the upcoming season. I'm sure they will. Zaza has looked good in his short season thus far. He's a big body that can step in when Sanders is in foul trouble and set real screens to initiate the offense more effectively. Butler can still shoot, even though he's lost a step and Mayo is a former top three pick in the NBA Draft that is yet to realize his potential. He could be the Bucks' version of Carlos Gomez in that there were a few teams that gave up on him and he might be able to do things being the focal point of the offense. Then there's Brandon Knight, another guy that was given up on by the Pistons. The former number eight overall pick in the 2011 draft might thrive in Larry Drew's offense much like Jeff Teague did after his first few seasons in the NBA. We shall see.

Key Departures: PG Brandon Jennings, SG Monta Ellis, SG JJ Redick - Bucks lost all of their vaunted backcourt from a year ago and good riddance. That's all I have to say.

Bucks Draft: Giannis Antetokounmpo, G Nate Wolters - I couldn't be happier with John Hammond's first round draft pick, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was the ultimate unknown going into the draft. The kind of boom/bust guy that the Bucks need to be taking chances on. Thus far, he's shown flashes of both boom and bust but the flashes of brilliance have shown us how special this kid can be. He's only 18 years old. It's tough to give Giannis a position because he can handle the ball so well at 6'9"ish and can pass really well. He will probably be a point forward at some point in his career. As for Wolters, he's a second round pick from mid-major South Dakota State. His ceiling is probably Luke Ridnour but if he can have a career like Ridnour's he's been a success.

Prediction: I'm really not trying to be cryptic here but I just don't think there's a lot on this team. Larry needs to stay on the floor. If he can do so and be the rim protector this team needs, the defense can be really stout. Knight and Mayo will be upgrades defensively on the perimeter over Jennings and Ellis and the Bucks are bigger and longer across the board, which should be beneficial to the defense. Offensively, as I previously stated, I fear this team will be challenged greatly. They'll live and die by jumpers without a go-to low post scorer or anybody that can get to the basket at will. Sure, they'll have their good nights but they'll more than likely have more off nights. Gun to my head, I really see this team finishing somewhere in the 30-35 win range, possibly higher if they see no more major injuries. They may sneak in as an eight seed, which is a nightmare if we get an eight seed based on middling vets playing and not by featuring youth.

Tapping The Keg Episode 62: NBA Preview Podcast

Look when you open the podcast with NBA on NBC's theme music, you know this is a good one. Charlie Tritschler and Mitch Pratt talk about Milwaukee Bucks for a good 10 minutes before getting into the rest of the league. We start off in the Central working our way to the Southeast and the Atlantic. At about 25-30 minute mark, we head out West to talk about the Pacific, Southwest and Northwest in that order. This is a fun podcast with many different opinions about teams and what the outlook could be for them this season. If there is ever a time to sham Mitch, it is after this one with him saying he does not like watching Swaggy P or JaVale McGee. Unbelievable.   Here are our NBA playoff picks.

Charlie's East/West                                      

1.) Miami, Oklahoma City                    
2.) Chicago, Houston
3.) Indiana, Golden State
4.) Brooklyn, San Antonio
5.) Detroit, Los Angeles Clippers
6.) Milwaukee, Memphis
7.) New York, Los Angeles Lakers
8.) Washington, Minnesota

Mitch's East/West 
1.) Miami, Oklahoma City
2.) Chicago, Houston
3.) Indiana, Golden State
4.) Brooklyn, Los Angeles Clippers
5.) New York, San Antonio
6.) Detroit, Memphis
7.) Washington, Denver
8.) Milwaukee, Los Angeles Lakers

The Boston Bounce Back

Boston Red Sox hit rock bottom in 2012. It is tough to talk about a team hitting rock bottom when they had two World Series titles in the last eight years, but the fact of the matter remained, they were irrelevant in the Boston sports scene, a city who had a Super Bowl participant and a Stanley Cup winner from the year prior. Sure, the diehards were there, but the Red Sox had to begrudgingly give up their sellout streak as well as go one and done with manager Bobby Valentine.

General manager Ben Cherington made sure it would not happen again. He hired John Farrell away from Toronto who Boston had general interest in before hiring Valentine. He also admitted faults of the former management by dealing away Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez and began to rebuild a team full of role players and clubhouse guys basically what brought the first title to Boston in 2004. Cherington drew it up perfectly and delivered this team a World Series crown. 

One of those signings played a large part in the clinching win was Shane Victorino. Some people questioned Cherington for giving the Flying Hawaiian 34 million dollars over three years. He justified the contract in one postseason. He did not have the most consistent October yet Victornio seemed to be the man of the big moment.  In the American League Championship Series, Victornio hits a grand slam to send this team to the World Series and saw the bases full again Wednesday night in Game 6. This time it was not a homer rather a three-run double giving them a 3-0 lead against the golden child Michael Wacha. Victorino did not stop there as he drove in another run as Boston put up three more runs in the following inning.

Even though Cherington made some big moves, sometimes as a general manager you need to trust veteran players will return to form. John Lackey did just that for Boston. He had a good regular season, but his moments happened in October. He outdueled Justin Verlander in Detroit and did not get any credit which almost fueled the fire of the starting pitching.  Lackey came into relief in Game 4 to help bridge the gap to Koji Uehara. This situation could have blown up in Farrell's face, but it did not with Lackey having a scoreless inning.  Lackey took care of business in another World Series close-out win for Lackey going 6.2 innings with nine hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts. Only Sandy Koufax and Lackey as MLB pitchers with multiple wins in clinching games. So much for chicken and beer worries.  

'This is our fucking city.'  

David Ortiz uttered these words on a beautiful Saturday afternoon as Boston took the field at Fenway for the first time since the horrific Boston Bombings. It seemed to be a theme of the season moving forward with this Boston team. They kept a 'Boston Strong' jersey in the dugout with the numbers 617 showing the team never forgot what happens and it honestly tied them closer to Boston, the city than ever before. When a tragedy happens in life, sports are sometimes the healing cure.  

Ortiz finished his great year with one of the best World Series performances of all-time. Every time Ortiz stepped up to the plate he made an impact at the plate. He finished the series with a .688 batting average with two home runs and he scored a run in four of the six World Series games. Ortiz is the catalyst of this team and has been for quite some time. He picks up this team when they are down, and Ortiz also provides emotional support to this squad when they needed to picked up. There is no doubt in my mind amid the steroid allegations from mid-2000s that Ortiz will be a Hall of Famer with his postseason performance putting him over the top.

Baseball ends another great year.  Hope will spring eternal in 107 days when pitchers and catchers report to all 30 MLB teams and all will believe they have a chance to have at the World Series crown.  On a personal note, Milwaukee had a horrible year, but I enjoyed writing more and more about baseball. Hope it continues next year.

Charlie.   

Grading Northern Illinois 'Stars & Stripes" Uniforms

We graded out the Lone Survivor kits from Texas Tech yesterday and today, we look at another thing representing soldiers and America from Northern Illinois. They will be wearing these on November 13th against Ball State. They change it up a bit putting the flag on their shoulder pads and it looks pretty nice.  As I said yesterday, I can get behind most things for America except for South Florida's digital camo kits a couple years ago. My only beef with these ones is the stars might not match up with the Black/Red design, other than that, they look pretty good. GRADE A-  (H/T Uniwatch) 

First Taste: Eagles - Bun B

Bun B is a legend in the rap world. He is one of the first southern hip-hop artists and many of the things he used/still uses are utilized by different rappers across the spectrum. Bun has his final Trill album coming out on November 11th that I would say a good deal of people are waiting on. This song features just Bun going in like he normally does and naturally he delivers a pretty solid song with a nice beat. Good way to start a jam-packed Thursday.

Charlie.

Closing Time: TKO (Music Video) - Justin Timberlake

I am rather behind on my music. When it gets sent to me, I stay caught up (Thanks, Dougy!) but I have yet to check out the new Justin Timberlake album besides the singles. One of the songs on the album is TKO and currently can be heard all over Top 40 radio. I personally like it a lot. There is a video for it featuring Riley Keough, a young actress who happens to be Elvis Presley's granddaughter. The video tells the story of the song seeing Timberlake suffer ups and downs of the relationship. Keough and Timberlake have good chemistry making the video. Good night Tappers.

Charlie. 

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 61

On the latest Tapping The Keg Podcast, Charlie and Mitch talk about whether Halloween is properly rated, overrated or underrated. Charlie provides sound advice for those trying to talk to women this weekend. We preview Game 6 of the World Series tonight with how Michael Wacha will pitch tonight, the dominance of David Ortiz and what would happen if there was a Game 7 tomorrow night. The discussion moves to Green Bay Packers and their dominance over Minnesota and a preview of what might happen on Monday night against Chicago. To that point, Mitch and Charlie rank the top three teams in the NFC along with some surprises in the league including THE RAAAAAIDEERRS.

Charlie.

SnoTap NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies

Andrew Kasmarek, Mitch Pratt and Charlie Tritschler are getting you ready for the NBA season. The previews feature all sorts of information to get you ready for the start of the season. Yes, we will be a little late, but they will all be done by November 1st. 

What I know

• Memphis is in the weirds - I have no idea where to slot this team. They had their best season of their franchise last season, and it feels like they did not really improve themselves in the offseason almost hoping they will get the same result. That's a problem seeing as multiple teams in the Western Conference got better. 
• Even though they play ugly, I could watch Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol play together any day of the week. Memphis is not the prettiest team in the NBA yet I love watching how these two big men play together. I also enjoy how they seem like the best of friends and yes I do think they need a reality show together.  
• If one team needs to make a trade, it is Memphis. They really need to trade for a 3-point shooter. I could have probably wrote this in the 2012 Memphis Grizzlies preview too. They need to find a way to make themselves better in January and February.  
• Quincy Pondexter has a husky dog named Buckets and he is the coolest. The backup small forward has a husky that I want to be best friends with. He has a Twitter and an Intsagram account if you want to follow a dog.   

Big Question
Will regression hit Zach Randolph? - Let me preface, this is a little ridiculous of a question to ask given Randolph still averaged a double-double last year and led the league in offensive rebounds yet he is not getting any younger. 32 years old with bad knees and Randolph's weight would worry a bit if I were a Grizzlies fan.  He can still get boards which is great yet this was the first full season Randolph played since 2007-2008 that Z-Bo did not average at lest 20 points a game. My assumption is Randolph will be just fine, but he for sure is on the wrong side of 30 given everything.

X-Factor
PG Mike Conley - He had a decent season in the regular season, but where he shined was the postseason. Now, there are times when postseason success does not translate into the following year, but I feel Conley will have an eye-opening year for Memphis. I am not sure if he will be an All-Star, but he might be the reason why Memphis could become a player in the top half of the Western Conference. I have a hard time seeing Conley revert back to how he played in the regular season.

Key Additions
SF Mike Miller, C Kosta Koufus - The corpse of Mike Miller lives on!  I have no idea how he is still playing basketball. He is supposed to be their difference maker off the bench when it comes to 3-point shooting. Look, he will still have a 'Mike Miller Game' where he goes off for five threes and everyone gets excited yet that will happen once or twice a month like a full moon. Koufus is interesting.  He averaged eight points and six rebounds per game last year as a backup for Denver, and he is the young age 24. Koufus will also be learning under Randolph and Gasol which will be huge for him.

Key Subtractions
C Darrell Arthur - They traded for Koufus and used Arthur as the chip along with a second-round pick, Joffery Lauvergne. I think this was a smart deal from Memphis' perspective. They get a legit seven-footer in Koufus without any sort of injury issue like Arthur had with his bum Achllies in 2011-2012. This will not be a big loss to the team.

Grizzles Draft
SG Jamaal Franklin - Is he allowed to wear long-sleeves in the league? That's an honest question because I do not know nor did I watch Memphis preseason games. Franklin is an energy guy. Someone who could come off the bench and give the Grizz a couple big dunks exciting the crowd.

Prediction
I do not see them finishing in the top four in the Western Conference. There is no way I could justify putting them there with Houston and San Antonio in their division. They will still make the playoffs but somewhere in that five to seven range.

Charlie.

NFL Mid-Season Right Calls, Screw-Ups and Second Half Predictions

I do not think people who make predictions talk about them later on in the year. They think 'OH THESE WILL GET BURIED, NO ONE WILL REMIND ME HOW MUCH I SCREWED THIS UP.' See people will remind the big guns as fans hold bigger grudges than most sane people. No one reminds the little guys like me so that's why I am here to play the role of the self-depricating blogger.  Things I got right, things I did not and more predictions to make me look stupid in January.

Nailed it
New Orleans setting the world on fire - If Sean Payton did not go Ted Cruz in the final couple of drives against New England, this team is undefeated. Payton and Brees are in sync again. Rob Ryan looks great as a defensive coordinator. Extremely interesting in their game against New York Jets on Sunday.

Redeeming my 2012 Kansas City playoff pick - Last year, I picked Kansas City to make the playoffs and they only won two games. This year, I picked Kansas City again and they have yet to lose a game. Yes, I feel vindicated and would like to eat copious amounts of barbecue with Andy Reid.  CUE UP THE DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL.

Let's settle down with Colin Kaepernick - At the beginning of the year, I expressed concern about Colin Kaepernick and his options. Sure, San Francisco have won five straight games but there is really nothing to be excited about from Kaepernick. The 49ers are 31st in passing and Kaepernick has only went over 250 yards of passing once since his masterful Green Bay performance. There is a lot more needed from him if the Niners want to go deep in the postseason.

Minnesota's regression - Saw this one from a mile away. I hope my friends who were in Las Vegas took the under on Minnesota's win total like I told them to but then again I am an idiot. Minnesota went from a playoff team to a mess. Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel and right now's version of Josh Freeman are all backups at this point. Adrian Peterson is getting older, the whole defense is getting older, not good.

Not trusting Miami - There were some people who picked this team to make the playoffs. I saw right through that even if I respect Ryan Tannehill more than I did last year. This team is clearly a player or two away from actually being a playoff team. Also when I say player away, I clearly mean two competent offensive lineman.

Being concerned with Atlanta's defense and their team - I still thought Atlanta could win 10 games so I am not completely in the clear here, but I did have my worries with their defense from the start of it. They happened to get injuries left and right plus a weak defense leading to the team collapsing from within.

Super Bowl Curse being real - For a long time, I mentioned how no team hosting the Super Bowl has made the playoffs since 2002. New York Giants lost their first six games while the Jets are hanging in their .500 looking a bit like paper tigers. Face it folks, the curse is a real thing.

Missed It
I thought Pittsburgh would make the Super Bowl - Yup, feel free to shame all you like with this one.  I did not want to pick Denver and New England still felt still trendy. I should have went with Cincinnati if I wanted to be obscure, but then again, I do not want to support Andy Dalton.

HAHA I THOUGHT TAMPA BAY COULD GET EIGHT OR NINE WINS - Honestly with that roster, there were some people who probably thought this would be a playoff team. Greg Schiano is a horrible coach and is stealing money from this Tampa Bay team. I would not be surprised if they win two games and then make the playoffs in the following year.

'San Diego will be one of the five worst teams in the NFL' - I thought we would see a massive regression from San Diego forgetting Mike McCoy hired Ken Whisenhunt whose known for putting older quarterbacks back together. San Diego is looking a fringe playoff team right now.

Hahaha 'Nine wins for Houston might be too low.' - After the second game of the season, I realized this team was not that good and they have not won since. They lost their quarterback and are now relying on Case Keenum. They need to win on Sunday if they want to even have a chance at the playoffs this season.

Believing Chicago could win 10-12 games (Not my fault and not wrong yet) - I will not take the full blame for this one, but as I went to bed last night, I started to think why the Bears could be scary late in the year if they keep their head above water. If Cutler, Briggs and Tillman all get healthy at the right time, I might be hoping Green Bay knocks them out of the playoffs before the postseason starts in the final game of the year.

'Daryl Richardson is the sleeper of the year.'  'Rams might squeeze into the playoffs.' - I missed the boat on my one fantasy projection of the year. I thought Richardson would be great this year. I turned down a deal for Fred Jackson in Week 2 for Richardson. St. Louis is not making the playoffs because of Kellen Clemens.

Let's get bold
It will be a war for the NFC top spots - Green Bay, New Orleans and Seattle are all there right now. They are all teams who thrive on having homefield advantage. It will be intense to the very last game of the year which will benefit each team moving forward in January.

Root for Kansas City to win the AFC West because Denver's Wild Card game could be fantastic - Think about if Denver is a five seed, they are likely going to play either Indianapolis or New England in the Wild Card game. Two of their biggest rivals. Denver plays New England in a couple weeks at Foxboro and a round two on a Saturday night would be terrific.

San Francisco will only be a Wild Card team - Look at their schedule in the last month, they played Jacksonville, Houston, St. Louis, Arizona. That is not very strong. I am not ready to believe San Francisco can win the NFC West with how their team is passing the ball right now.

I have no idea whose going to take the sixth spot in the AFC - Looking at who is there, it is really hard to pick a team. It is probably San Diego, Baltimore, New York at this point and if Tennessee and Miami win this weekend, they are still in the mix. It should be fun and I hope they win nine wins, no need for an 8-8 team.

Dallas will run away with the NFC East - I hate this nonsense about New York possibly being in the playoff mix. The Cowboys will win nine or 10 games with the rest of the AFC East only coming within two games of them. Sure they have four losses, but none of them are against the division. They play each of those teams three more times and

Charlie.

SnoTap NBA Preview: Orlando Magic

This one is probably the most painful of previews to do, personally. There's the obvious pain from the epic fail of a trade that was the Tobias Harris for JJ Redick move, and then there is the pain from the overall rebuilding philosophy that the Magic are displaying so well. It helps when a dysfunctional franchise, like the Bucks, gifts a team a talented young player (that they some how failed to evaluate) in Harris.

Anyway, the Magic are young and should get good pretty quickly. It will take a couple more seasons before they can compete for a playoff spot but they are certainly pointing themselves in the right direction.

The X-Factor: C Nikola Vucevic - Arguably the most important piece of their good, young core, Vucevic was given a chance to start after coming over in the Dwight Howard trade before last year and didn't disappoint. He averaged 13 ppg and 12 rebounds per game for the Magic last year. If he can take another step forward, the Magic have a pretty special player on their hands. He just turned 23 on October 24.

The Big Question: Who will play small forward? - Basketball fans have wondered this since this Magic acquired an unknown commodity (at the time, outside of Milwaukee -- excluding Bucks team facilities) Harris and already had a young prospect in Maurice "Mo" Harkless. We know one thing for sure, it won't be Hedo Turkoglu. Harris burst on the scene when given his opportunity with the Magic but some view him as more of a power forward and thus, the two might share a lot of time on the floor.

Key Additions: PF Jason Maxiell - Maxiell signed with the Magic out of nowhere. I guess he doesn't mind playing out the duration of his deal on a team that's so obviously building a young core.

Key Departures: None, unless you want to count them getting rid of the middling vets (Redick, Josh McRoberts, Al Harrington's corpse) at the trade deadline last season. Expect more to follow this season. Guys like Jameer Nelson, Aaron Afflalo and Big Baby Davis will be on the block.

Magic Draft: SG Victor Oladipo, PF Romero Osby - Oladipo was the most dynamic player in Division 1 basketball last year at Indiana. I think he'll be a good pro for a while. Being compared to Dwyane Wade is a lot to live up to but it's plausible. Osby didn't make the team out of camp. He was beat out by 29 year old drifter, Solomon Jones.

Prediction: The Magic likely have a long year ahead of them but with all the young talent that has great potential and a likely shot at another top 5 pick, the Magic will be highly competitive in no time...I would imagine.

Grading Texas Tech Lone Survivor Uniforms

I mailed a fruit basket to Lubbock, Texas last week after dashing their BCS hopes rudely in a post. I did not mean it Texas Tech I swear, I really like you, second favorite Big 12 school next to Baylor. This is another reason to like the Red Raiders with their cool new 'Lone Survivor' uniforms. These are being worn to help the Lone Survivor Foundation, a program to help wounded service members ease back into life after being hurt in combat. There is really no reason to criticize these jerseys. You might find them ugly or too flashy, but they are going to a good cause as the uniforms will be auctioned off after the game. Texas Tech will wear these next week against Kansas State.  GRADE A+  (H/T @PhilHecken) 

Charlie.

First Taste: Jet Blue Jet (Music Video) - Major Lazer

You ready for me to sound like a complete square? I spent at least 10 minutes trying to wonder how marijuana could be the drug of choice whilst listening to this song. I mean I get weed can concentrate your focus and make the sound come in clearer yet the EDM community is all about the Molly life. This is why I am not a rager folks. Also shoutout to the girl I saw doing cocaine at 3LAU concert. She tried to be sneaky about it, but nope, I eagled eyed it. As for the video, I mean it is pretty basic. Just girls in next to nothing smoking weed.  Little know fact about the owner of SnoTap.com, big fan of girls with multiple tattoos. Cannot shake it, blame Christy Mack.

Charlie.

Closing Time: My Jeep - Joey Bada$$ (feat. Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers)

I am going to keep jamming Joey Bada$$' music down your throats until he is a popular rapper among the mainstream. There are underrated rappers and then there is Joey Bada$$. I worked at The Rave in Milwaukee when he was there on Friday and regret not sneaking down to catch a couple songs of his set. I have a feeling he will be coming back.  It is not just the whole 'real rap' bullshit people will tell you when they are talking about Joey; it is the fact the music is different than what you are hearing from the mainstream rappers of today. That's what make it great. The fact he is only 20 years old is just the cherry on the sundae.

Charlie.

NFL Liquor Cabinet Week 8

For the entire NFL season, we will be breaking down the rest of the NFL not named Green Bay by looking at it like a liquor cabinet. Why did we choose this method? I like to booze and it makes things really easy to determine what's great, average and poor. 

TOP SHELF
ALL HAIL BREEZUS - Buffalo is a team who has shown they can play with anybody for the first seven weeks of the season but Week 8 was a different story. Drew Brees played on another level only missing eight passes and going for well over 300 yards with five touchdowns. This is probably Brees' most efficient performance of the season and one of his best in recent years. Brees looked he hit his stride on Sunday and that could be a real bad thing for the rest of the National Football League.

Is Andy Dalton a competent quarterback?  I do not want to live in this world - My new Ryan Tannehill
scenario. Last year, I would write every week about Tannehill throwing shade left and right hoping I would be right about him  Dalton is this year's version. I am not ready to admit the Red Rifle knows what he is doing at the quarterback position. He dominated again against the New York Jets in a Bengals 40-point rout at home. Dalton has eleven touchdowns in his last three games. Miami has some faults, but they do have a good secondary so I will be interested to see how Dalton handles them on Thursday.

Terrelle Pryor and the future of Raider football - First play of Pittsburgh-Oakland featured Terrelle Pryor taking the ball 93 yards for a touchdown on the ground. Pryor ended up finishing with 106 yards on the ground with 88 through the air leading Oakland to their third win of the season. They play a hapless Philadelphia team at home meaning they could get to 4-4 which would be one of the biggest shocks of the season.  People thought this team would be lost at quarterback, but it is apparent they have one in Pryor. He seems more than able to carry this team moving forward and now Oakland has to build around him.

MIDDLE SHELF
Oh settle down about the Giants - Everyone is freaking out about New York's other football team. They have won two games in a row and people are semi-serious about them getting back in the playoff hunt. This is somehow not a joke. New York beat Minnesota and Philadelphia which neither team is really worth a damn at this point of the season. The leader of division Dallas lost on the road to Detroit, Kansas City and San Diego then a home loss to Denver. Even though they have four losses, they are a far superior team than New York. Wake me up when they beat a real team.

Yes, Matthew Stafford made a great play but let's not get excited about Detroit - Another team that everyone needs a big glass of 'Chill the f--- out' about in the NFC. Detroit beats Dallas on arguably the best play of the season with Stafford faking a spike for a touchdown yet they have so many flaws. Let's just forget they had four turnovers and had trouble for awhile moving the ball on this Dallas defense. I still think this team is a pretender because of their defense and their turnovers. There is no reason to be scared of Detroit... yet.

Will the Chiefs ever cover? - I do not gamble, but if I did, I would have bet on Kansas City the last two weeks. They played a Case Keenum-led Houston team and then a Jason Campbell-led Cleveland team. You would think they could cover a spread in both of those games... Nope. They play close games with both of them. That's when you know Vegas has you by the balls.

BOTTOM SHELF
Dez Bryant criticism is unwarranted - I guess I really did not understand all of this on Sunday, Monday and probably the rest of the week. People overreacted about Dez Bryant getting all mad on the sidelines. Heaven forbid some player gets mad that his team is struggling and maybe he is a bit too much demonstrative yet Bryant is a young player. NFL.com released some of the sideline audio and it just seems like a passionate guy playing football. This was not good enough for some pundits as they wanted to see the other video that led to Demarcus Ware grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. Bryant seems like he is the next receiver to be under the biggest microscope.

Kellen Clemens sucks so goddamn bad - Just a poor excuse of a quarterback really. He had a chance to beat Seattle on Monday night.  He did not really lead the team down there as Daryl Richardson was pounding the rock yet Clemens made one big pass down the field to keep the ball moving. They ended up at the goal line only to do absolutely nothing. I really do not think there is a better option than Clemens at this point given where the Rams are with Bradford. They just have to ride it out and hope their defense keeps coming to play for them.

Ryan Tannehill might die before the season is done - The Dolphins quarterback is on pace to get sacked 76 times this season. That is two more than David Carr's record of 74. He faces Cincinnati this Thursday and the hashtag #PRAY4TANNY should be out in full force because it could get real ugly. Miami needs Jake Matthews, Taylor Lewan and anyone else.

Atlanta is not a good football team - I realize this is not a #HOTSPORTSTAKE yet it is pretty evident they are not going to be good this year. They might surprise a few teams at home, but they look useless on defense especially in the secondary plus Steven Jackson might have hit the famous running back wall.

Charlie.

SnoTap NBA Preview: Miami Heat

Andrew Kasmarek, Mitch Pratt and Charlie Tritschler are getting you ready for the NBA season. The previews feature all sorts of information to get you ready for the start of the season. Yes, we will be a little late, but they will all be done by November 1st. 

What I know…

• Miami is trying to go all Tom Emanski on us and win “back-to-back-to-back NBA Finals Championships”! Miami somewhat glided to their first ring, but faced a series of challenges in repeating last year. To win again this year would mean the Heat would put themselves in an elite category of franchises that have achieved three-peats; joining Chicago, Los Angeles, and of course Boston.
• To squash the rumors before they start, although LeBron will opt-out, he will not be leaving South Beach. One does not simply leave Miami. Not to mention Miami is equipped (basketball-wise) with everything LeBron needs. They have a cool ass owner named Mickey Arison. Just how cool is he? This is a guy whom has multiple yachts in the Greece area just in case one is in the shop for maintenance when he happens to be there. Arison has no boundaries. They have Pat Riley. They have Erik Spoelstra who like him or not, has found a way to get LeBron to play a smarter brand of basketball. Mike Brown never got him to go down low and rebound. He never had a post game until Miami, and Spo has definitely put LeBron in positions to succeed and shake his always-alarming lapses in confidence[1]. Add all those things plus weather and Miami’s cap space next year… It will be LeBron recruiting players to come play with him, while Dwyane Wade slips away to…Chicago.
•  I once asked my friend Sofi who her least favorite NBA player. Much to my surprise, her response was, “Mario Chalmers because he is bitch made” That is a direct quote. I am quickly going to tell you why I know Mario Chalmers is in fact not bitch made, but is actually quite gangster[2]; first, he hits as big ofshots as he does bongs, ask DRose. Second, he actually does smoke big bongs ask Darrell Arthur and Michael Beasley[3]. Third, The kid exposes thirsty groupies like its nuthin’. I’m rooting for you ‘Rio. Keep doing your thing.

Additions/Subtractions…

They lost Mike Miller. To most this might not seem like much, but if the Heat are to win the their third championship, it will be a bummer that Mike and his creeky back/ankle/ear/wrist/calf/fingernail will not be out there canning back breaking threes while simultaneously needing immediate help off the floor. Also his dream catcher tattoo is a thing a beauty and needs the proper amount of exposure it was getting while being a member of the Heat. This is something I cannot guarantee in Memphis.

Although a lot of fun was lost with the Miller departure, they did bring in Michael Beasley and Greg Oden, and who is not ready to cheer for this? I know people are quick to hate the Heat, but c'mon, Oden and Beasley??? Together with a redemption[4]chance on the line?? How can you not be pumped? They are both playing on incentive-based deals, so the Heat lose essentially nothing except needed playoff depth if they both flop which is totally plausible. But if (and this is a big if), somehow Beasley learns to crash the boards, plays good defense and scores within the offense, all while finding a way not to punch himself in the head, AND not be completely cheddered-out[5]all the time. While, Oden FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, just stays healthy, the Heat front office may have pulled off the most best under the radar move of the offseason.

What I have been pondering…

I was very excited when ESPN debuted their LeBron issue. It added to my excitement when I saw they might be able to achieve this season. included one of my favorite pastimes last year the, “Add LeBron to any NBA roster and talk about how good do they become” game. ESPN’s version of the game, showed things like the Heat being worth 37 wins without LeBron, The Spurs being projected to win 74 games with him, and even the lowly Bobcats becoming a 53-win juggernaut. So with this game finally being on paper, I created a new game called, “Outrageous Ceilings”, where I sit around and think about all the things LeBron

(Here was my list; I would be interested to hear what others could come up with...)

     1.)  LeBron James will get his headband caught on the rim during an alley-oop attempt, slice his head open[6]enough that it requires stitches, and then Twitter will explode.

     2.)  LeBron will shoot over 60% for the year. I really actually do believe this one. He said he has added “counters” to all his post moves, which to me should translate to more time around the basket. Thus, a higher shooting percentage. Keeping in mind, he shot 56% last season, I really do not see this one being out of the realm of possibility.

     3.) 2013-14 will be the year LeBron adds his name to the short list of MVP’s that have also won Defensive Player of the Year. The list, as of now includes, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwan, and Kevin Garnett. Of those, only The Dream won the award during the same season he won the MVP. If LeBron knows the history of the game as well as he says he does, then should we not expect him to try and put something on his resume that neither Kobe Bryant nor Jordan can claim? I say yes, and that is why LeBron will MV-3Peat, win his first defensive POY and for good measure, another NBA Finals MVP.

     4.) This one is probably the most far-fetched but there is a oft-chance he scores 35+ points per game this season. I thought about this, and lets say, even though all signs are showing that D-Wade is healthy and kicking, that he ends up having knee problems and has to sit out a number of games. Then Chris Bosh gets tangled in his bra, and Beasley gets suspended. Would LeBron not go from hucking 17 shots a game to nearly 30? And at that point, if he is scoring 26.5 points per game on 17 shots, what does 30 shots translate too? Especially if his high shooting percentages somewhat maintain. I am starting to think that this is not actually unrealistic, but what we might get to see this season. Time will tell. For the sake of the Heat's record however, I hope not.

Prediction…

We are in the thick of the LeBron era. The GM poll showed everyone’s collective agreement that the Heat were the favorite, and that LeBron was in line to win another MVP. I love this thinking. I second this thinking. If this happens, we are looking at a six year run that would include five MVP’s, three championships, three Finals MVP’s, four Finals appearances, six first team All-NBA selections, six All-Star games, and  twoOlympic Gold Medals, just to name a few of his accolades during the run.

Do not get me wrong, I love what Chicago has. I love what Indiana is doing. I think Doc and Chris are going to be a couple of dogs in LA, and that is before I even speak of Houston or Brooklyn or Oklahoma City. There is parity in this league, and a lot of it. But this is LeBron’s league, and his title will not be taken from him in 2014.

Not One. Not two. Not three…

~ Andrew

---

[1]These lapses in confidence are the only things that separate LeBron from Jordan and Kobe in basically all of his naysayer’s minds. Kobe and Jordan, never shied away from the moment win or (statistically in most cases) lose. LeBron has backed away from said moments at times, but statistically is no difference, if anything, LeBron might be better then both.

[2]Despite being from Alaska.

[3] I was going to make a they clearly brought Beasley back to give Chalmers a smoking buddy joke, but I ruined the opportunity by giving ‘Rio a mini-feature so it got resorted to a footnote. Arthur and Chalmers obviously got kicked out of the rookie symposium for smoking back in ’08. Beasley WAS part of the incident, despite initially saying he was not there. You have to love Mike Beasley.

[4]What’s the over/under on joints Beasley has smoked to Bob Marley’s Redemption Song? I’m putting the line at 103.

[5]Slang term for really high on Marijuana.

[6]I’m assuming you all were not hardcore Streetball Fans, but remember when Robert “50” Martin slices his head open on the rim? One of my favorite moments of the show, plus in a player profile “50” lets us know that Janet Jackson is the hottest female alive. I loved that show.

TFR: Week 8

TFR: Week 8

Here at SnoTap, we will be helping you weekly throughout the football season. We will recap what happens each week on Tuesday, and also give you some advice on how to use these happenings to win your league. If you have any questions, put them in the comments below, or email SnoTap12@gmail.com, and we will answer them in a future post.

Each week, we create a list of players that can help teams win their bye weeks, using players that do not appear to be owned in over 50% of leagues. We’ve used the free agency percentages of a few different leagues we use, mostly espn.com. While doing this exercise, it has become obvious that there are a lot of high quality players that are available in way too many leagues. We’ll give some love to those players this week, and perhaps convince some fantasy owners to pick these guys up for the rest of the season.

Terrelle Pryor: Generally, it isn’t necessary to own a second quarterback, if you have one of the stud QBs, (Rodgers, Brees, Manning,) however, if you have a quarterback that is under performing, or generally inconsistent, adding Pryor to the end of your roster would be a great move. There are very few players in the league that can break a 93 yard touchdown run, regardless of position. Pryor has the ability to make up for shaky passing statistics with consistent running ability. Especially in leagues where passing touchdowns are only 4 points, Pryor brings a ton of value.

Zac Stacy: In most drafts, teams were trying to find out who the Rams’ number one running back would be. Many guessed it would be Daryl Richardson or Isaiah Pead. Through the first few weeks of the season, it looked like the backfield to avoid. Stacy only got 1 carry in the first four weeks, but in the last four, he has 75. Stacy has been running hard, and seems to be the only back in St. Louis, both of these things make him worth a pickup in your league.

Andre Brown: The Giants’ backfield has been such a mess this season, that Peyton Hillis has been getting carries the last few weeks. Both Hillis and Brandon Jacobs seem washed up, and Michael Cox doesn’t seem to be anything special. David Wilson and Andre Brown are due to return in the next few weeks, with Brown potentially being ready for Week 10 after their bye. Brown was drafted in any league that held its draft before his leg broke, and has since been dropped. He has some talent, and will have a starting job if he comes back before Wilson. Brown is a good add and stash, if you can hold his spot during this bye week.

Percy Harvin:People were going crazy in the preseason, saying that Percy Harvin was exactly what the Seahawks, and Russell Wilson needed in order to take the final step to a Super Bowl winning team. Harvin quieted that talk down with a hip injury, and was dropped in most leagues. Harvin has started practicing and will likely return in time for the end of the fantasy season.  There are not many chances to add a potential top-10 wide receiver at this point in the season, if you have the chance to stash and wait for Harvin to perform, do it.

Tim Wright: Tight end has been a position with a lot of breakout players so far, Julius Thomas, Jordan Cameron, Jordan Reed, etc. Wright’s play since Mike Glennon has taken over gives him the opportunity to affect fantasy football leagues this season. Wright has established himself as one of Glennon’s favorite targets, and has 19 catches, 195 yards, and a touchdown in his last four games. Wright isn’t ready to become a must start player yet, but if he can keep improving, he can be a dangerous add for the stretch run.

Add some of these players to your team, and you likely will be stacked at the end of the season. Depth is the key to being able to make trades and overcome injuries late in the year.

Lester and Ross Bring Red Sox One Step Closer

On the weekend, things happened that could be out of the ordinary. For example, I had bottle service for a friend's birthday, and it will probably not happen again for a very long time. It is not a weird thing, but it is definitely not a weekday thing.  Over the weekend, St. Louis and Boston got very weird and did non-weekday things. Games ending on obstruction and pick-off calls yet when Monday's game ended, it was about as vanilla as a game can get with another bright lights, big game performance from Jon Lester including another big inning by the Red Sox's offense.

Lester caught a ton of heat after Game 1 for a suspicious substance on his glove. Red Sox people said it was rosin and St. Louis' fanbase and others said it looked like something else as it did not look white, rather a booger-like green liquid. Lester took all sorts of criticism from people and stood up to it just acting like the whole ordeal was not a big deal. The substance did not get spoken about and it looked missing yet Lester dominated St. Louis for the second game of the series giving the Red Sox a commanding 3-2 advantage heading back to Boston. 

He made one mistake to Matt Holiday but other than that, Lester had a flawless outing. He only had 91 pitches in 7 2/3 innings only giving up four hits and seven strikeouts. Lester had David Freese on second twice in the game and both times he shut down St. Louis's bottom of the order. Lester did get some support by opposing manager Mike Matheny. It made no sense for him to move Carlos Beltran down to fourth and move Shane Robinson of all people to the second position. Not bailing out St. Louis offensive ineptitude against Lester but Matheny made Lester's life easier on Monday night.

The Red Sox ace bested Adam Wainwright for the second consecutive game. Wainwright did pitch much better than the first time against Boston yet he like his other St. Louis starting counterparts could not avoid the big inning. Wainwright faced the bottom of the order in seventh inning and started off right by striking out Daniel Nava. Xander Boegarts singled off the second time in the game and somehow walked Stephen Drew leading to a David Ross ground-rule double giving Boston the lead. Ross hit .216 in the regular season and had the second-biggest impact on Game 5 of the World Series. Once again, another reason why postseasons in any sport are great.

Boston is now on the brink of the their third World Series in ten years. John Lackey will pitch Wednesday for the Red Sox whose been great thus far in October. To think, these two players were heavily involved in the chicken and beer scandal of 2011 leading to a lashing by the local media and now they have a chance to bring another World Series crown to Boston. As always, sports are weird and people's opinions of athletes change by the minute.   

Charlie.