How many days till Spring Training?

I really thought until the final out of last night’s game that the Yankees had a chance. The one feeling spanning Game five, and the whole ALDS was frustration. It felt like all series, the Yankees couldn’t hit with runners on, and obviously, if you can’t do that, you’re not going to win ball games.

Still, for a large part of the season, the Yankees were the one team that weren’t supposed to make the post-season. The turnaround they made was great. They just couldn’t keep up the momentum.

Personally, I’d like to see Cashman, Matsui, Small and Chacon resigned, the bullpen strengthened and Womack gone. I’d bring back Bernie, but not as a starter. Thing is, nothing out there for Centerfield looks really good right now.

King Tom

Number Eight

Last night, my associate Gianluigi and I drove up to Cleveland to catch the Weezer-Foo Fighters show at Cleveland State University.

The Foo Fighters and openers Kaiser Chiefs rocked, but who am I kidding? I was only there to see one band, and the weez was worth it.

Last night was the eighth time (in five years) that I’ve seen Weezer live. I can honestly say (and GL concurred with me on this one) that last night, they were musically at their best. In a way, it was almost like seeing an entirely different band. They’ve always been musically tight, never playing too sloppy. Last night though, they were all that and more. They rocked and had fun doing so.

Lead singer/guitarist Rivers Cuomo was like a human dynamo. He was way more chatty than ever before, even taking a few minutes to talk about tour buses and drummer Pat Wilson’s sick baby. Rivers also didn’t mind letting others take the spotlight, letting every member of the band front at least one song. During El Scorcho, Rivers gave up lead guitar duties and actually walked/danced/staggered around the stage while singing. Like I said, totally different.

Don’t Let Go was different (in a good way), with a lot of synth added in the opening and solo. Sounded like a new song.

Last time I saw the band, I was disappointed they didn’t play This is Such a Pity, but they remedied that last night- and if I had to decide on one song, I’d say that was the song of the night.

Some other highlights:
-Brian sang lead on Why Bother, giving it a different feel- he also kicked some ass with the solo.
-Scott singing lead on Dope Nose. I didn’t see that one coming- and he did a great job.
-First cover of the night: Big Me
-Pat and Rivers switching drum and guitar duties for Photograph. After seeing Pat’s hideous pants (And non-matching shirt), I can see why he sits behind the drum kit the other 99% of the time. Although, that was forgivable as he looked like he was really having fun with Photograph. At the end of the song, the whole band just busted into Song 2, in another WTF moment. GL said they missed the first verse, but it was still rocking.

After a brief break, Rivers, from the back of the arena, played a solo acoustic version of Island in the Sun, then joined the band and a lucky fan onstage for Undone and Buddy Holly.

Like I said, the Kaiser Chiefs and Foo Fighters were great too, but this was definitely the best weezer has ever been musically. There weren’t any shenanigans like at the last weezer show (unless you count GL getting molested), but it was definitely a great time.

Let’s go Yankees!

Addendum:
-Kaiser Chiefs had a song where the lead singer banged away on a cowbell. I believe they stole this gimmick from TV’s Mike Raymond.

-On the drive there, didn’t listen to either the Foo or the Weez.

-I think it’s a rule at these things where if you’re older than 45 and have either a ponytail or facial hair, you HAVE to wear a leather jacket.

King Tom4 Comments

At least they still have a chance

So the Yankees are down in the ALDS two games to one. They’ve done it before and with Chacon and Musinna left to start, I think they can come from behind to advance to the ALCS. Especially if Torre returns to the Game One lineup, where everyone is most effective (Giambi in the field, Williams at DH and Crosby in center). Giambi might not be the best fielding first baseman, but at least he hits better when he’s not sitting on the bench while the other team is at the plate.

Speaking of Ghiambo, congratulations on winning Comeback Player of the Year, even if it was self-imposed. How great would it be if the trophy for said award was:

crockpot!

And finally, I usually don’t like to revel in the misfortune of others, but…oh, who am I kidding? When it comes to Boston, I do it on a daily basis.

Anyway, with Boston losing, at least one great thing happened this post season. I did catch Konerko’s home run in the sixth or whenever it was and I was thinking how great it would have been if he did this after hitting the ball:

The most meaningless home run ever.

You know, Karma dictates something bad is gonna happen now. Maybe I should go out and help little old ladies cross the street or something.

King Tom

Here and there

So I’m back from my jaunt through southern Ohio. The trip was productive, even if the towns I passed through/stayed in were unspectacular.

The driving though, was fun. I was surprised by the number of interstate quality highways, especially U.S. 32. The best road (and of course, this was under optimal conditions), was OH-247 between Hillsboro and West Union. Lots of hills along that road, but still a fun drive.

Monday night, I caught the special three-hour Raw, and while it wasn’t enough to get me watching full-time again, it was an entertaining show. Two thoughts:

-Was it me, or did Koko B. Ware have Frankie stuffed?

-Did we really need to see the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man oops, I mean Shamu, oops (again) Triple H beat up Ric Flair for a whole 15 minutes? First of all, it made me want to throw up hearing Flair refer to Jean-Paul as the greatest wrestler ever, but then for JP to take out his roid rage on the Nature Boy was just a total waste of time. That’s one of the big reasons I don’t watch wrestling anymore.

I spent Monday night in Piketon. As exciting as it sounds. Tuesday night was in Jackson, where they have a Bennigans. I ate at said Bennigans. Don’t ask me how/why I remember this, but I also ate at a Bennigans the night Jack McDowell became the Yankee Flipper.

I succeeded with my two goals, catching Tuesday’s ALDS game one and making it home in time to catch Lost. I’m not worried about the Game 2 loss, but I’ll be much happier when the Yankees put the Angels behind them.

As for Lost: Damn, this show is addicting. It’s getting weird, but that’s what makes it fun.

I also caught Alias tonight, and damn, I would have never though Ted Williams was behind it all.

King Tom

The season begins now

As my associate GR pointed out yesterday, the Yankees clinched the American League East title for the eighth straight year.

Yeah, they lost today, but I wasn’t really thinking they’d win with Wright on the mound. Obviously, I”m glad they’re in the post season. I had grown up watching the Yankees end their season in the regular season. And while for the past ten years, they’ve been in the post season, with their horrible start this year, I was looking at a possible return to the Octobers of my youth. (I’m beginning to sound poetic- I better stop). But the team pulled through and proved the naysayers wrong.

I really believe the Yankees made some serious mistakes last off-season (Womack, relying on Sierra as a fourth outfielder, one of Wright/Pavano). But they’ve gotten some great contributions from the usual suspects (A-Rod, Jeter, Matsui, Sheffield, Rivera), some suprises (Chacon, Small, the Rookie Invasion minus Melky) and one player who got off the crockpot and proved everyone wrong (Giambi). It’s been a fun season and I think this teams has 11 wins left in it.

For the next few days, I’ll be on the road for a work related trip throughout Southern Ohio. I have two goals:
-to catch ALDS game one on TV
-to make it back in time Wednesday night to catch Lost

See you when I get back.

King Tom

Freedom

-I don’t know what took me so damn long, but I finally got some type of broadband Internet access. And it’s like a whole new world. Or something.

-Watched Alias last night. It was okay. I bought the explanation behind last season’s cliffhanger. They didn’t try and shoehorn it in too much. On the other hand, I’m not happy with the other big event, and if they did this because of her personal life, I’ma be really pissed off.

-Yankees’ magic number is 3. Gonna be an interesting weekend.

King Tom

Jack-Jack Attack!

Tonight, one of the few TV shows I make it a point to watch, Alias, has it’s fifth season premier. And while for now, I find Lost to be a more compelling show, Alias still has some great characters, especially Jack Bristow, played by Victor Garber.

I’ve been thinking about this, and this Jack has a lot in common with another similarly named character, 24’s Jack Bauer. The crack research staff at the King Tom Institute for Television Awareness have been combing through old shows and have put the following chart togetether. As Warner Wolf would say, “let’s go to the videotape!”

(Continued on the click-through for those of you who don’t want to be spoiled by various 24 or Alias plot points)

Continue reading “Jack-Jack Attack!” →

King Tom

good career move, Beetlejuice!

Lost was good. More clues and hints, but no real answers. The Michael/Sawyer stuff was unintentional comedy at its finest. I would say more, but I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it.

I read today that Michael Keaton was originally offered, but turned down the role of Jack Sheppard. Supposedly, he didn’t want to do a TV show. You know, because the theaters were just packed when he did that movie about the guy who was reincarnated as a snowman.

King Tom

Concert etiquette/preference?

Question for all you people out there:

If you’re going to a concert- do you listen to the band/act beforehand? (like on the drive to the show, or if you’re just hanging out before hand)

Just looking for other views to settle a disagreement.

King Tom