sports and life @ 5280
Hey! If anybody is still reading this thing after how long I’ve neglected it, that’s amazing. I didn’t plan to stop updating but I’ve kind of come to the realization that blogs are dead. I’ll probably be back here eventually, maybe with a broader focus — who knows.
For now, you can find me on Twitter (updated all the freaking time) and Flickr (I plan to update this much more often). See you ’round, internets!
I’m sorry I haven’t called or written for a while. My awesome parents were in town this weekend, and B and I spent a lot of time at Monolith (great scheduling on our part, of course). I didn’t even have time to cheer against the Broncos this weekend, but let’s say I did and that’s why they won. Oh! I did have time to think of a new advertising slogan for the Rockies. Remember how last year they had Rocktober? Well, this year, they have Sucktember.
Anyway, I just put together what I think is an excellent playlist of Monolith highlights. I submitted it to iTunes, but I’m not sure when it’ll be up there. So, here’s the track list (it’s a pdf): monolith-playlist.
I’ll update this when the iMix is up so you can easily download these tracks. If you’re not already listening to this stuff, you should be.
Update: You can get the iMix here.
Alexei Ramirez is the AL Rookie of the Month. In August, he hit four home runs, had 22 RBI, and his average was .308.
Congrats to the Cuban Missile, and here’s hoping he can help the Sox lock up the division. We have four games (two of them today) against the super-hot Toronto Blue Jays (they haven’t lost since August 29 — that’s eight wins in a row). After that comes the Tigers at home; a road trip to play the Yankees, Royals, and Twins; and a final homestand with the Indians.
The magic number is 18.
Today I am an Oakland Raiders fan.
I know, that’s crazy talk. I hear ya. But there’s a ridiculous, beer-inspired method to this Raiders madness.
I received the following text message from the White Sox at 1:21 this afternoon:
White Sox OF Carlos Quentin will have surgery to have a screw inserted into his fractured right wrist. It will be evaluated in 2-3 weeks.
Wait, what?! Surgery? Screw? Inserted? Fractured right wrist??!!!
What did I miss? I know I’ve spent the past few days drinking and making fun of the RNC but Quentin fractured his wrist and I don’t know about it? What the hell kind of lame-ass White Sox fan am I?
I found something online about him maybe getting hurt during Monday’s game against Cleveland. Okay, that sucks but it happens. Then I heard something about him punching a locker. So I spent the afternoon calling him Farnsworthian and making terrible jokes about baseball players who fight inanimate objects and lose. This kind of joking helps me get through my pain, you know?
It wasn’t until this evening that I found out what really happened. He hit his bat, not a locker. That makes sense, right?
Well, it’s not quite as stupid as it sounds, I guess. According to one article, he “repeated a habit he said he’s always had of holding the bat in his left hand and rapping the barrel with his closed right fist in disgust” after fouling off a pitch. Usually he does this and nothing happens. This time he fractured his bone.
This sucks. A lot. Is the season over? Maybe Jerry Owens will step up and lead us to the World Series. Or not. Alexei Ramirez could pull off some baseball magnificence. I don’t know. I don’t think it’s quite as stupid as people are making it out to be. It’s not like he freaked out and tried to beat up an oscillating fan or anything. He was doing a little ritualistic thing he does. Baseball players often have their little rituals, so I get that. It sucks that it has to result in fractures and surgery and pin insertion, but shit, that’s the breaks (LOL) kid.
So if the Sox are going to get anywhere, they’re going to do it without Quentin. They’re going to do it without Crede. And you know what? I think that’s just the kind of shit they can pull off. Aren’t the Sox all about coming back when they’re down and winning when you expect them to lose? Juan Uribe is going crazy hitting them out of the park tonight and, as we speak, they’re up 7-0 on the mighty Angels. Paulie even put one on the board, yeeeessssss. I don’t know who’s going to step up every game, but I’m starting to believe that someone will. I can’t stop believing in these guys.
Oh gross, that’s totally sappy. I’ll go watch the rest of the game, have a beer, and listen to some Journey, because that’s just how cheesy I am right now. Go Sox!
This is an awesome day. I participated in a fantasy football draft after consuming less than one beer. This means I made decent, logical picks and didn’t get overwhelmed by my desire to pick Garrett Wolfe (but still, you guys, he’s going to be awesome one day).
Come this way and meet my team. We’re going to win some games this year.
Hi hi! Here’s a quick, dirty, and pointless update!
First of all, thanks to dova, ramaba, ewu, and GridironGoddess for their awesome participation that made my first-ever live blogging experience fun, rather than a hellish and self-indulgent couple hours of sheer stupidity. I mean, I was pretty stupid, but that was partly the beer’s fault (Titan IPA will get you!). I actually watched the entire game and came away from the experience thinking that college football is slightly less pointless than I alleged.
Bad news today — Domonique Foxworth, my favorite Bronco, was traded to the Falcons. I hope he gets to start and I hope he and Jason Elam kick some ass in Atlanta. The truth is that Foxworth is better than Dre Bly (who makes approximately three times as much money) and the Broncos will regret this stupid-ass move. They keep getting rid of people I like, and this gives me a new idea. I will try to get through the Broncos season by cheering for their opponent each week. I’ll report on my progress. Let’s see if they can win me back (hm, maybe I just have a gene that makes it hard for me to be faithful to a team — it’s not my fault they can’t satisfy me).
The White Sox are sucking it up and making it look like it would be a good idea to have Jose Mesa come out of retirement to play for them. WTF pitching? The good news? Guess who’s up and got some playing time? My guy Jerry Owens. I love him! He just grounded out as we speak, but still. If he ever gets on base, watch his feet! Seriously!
Omar Vizquel is destroying the Rockies, who were destroying Tim Lincecum, who is, without question, the most exciting pitcher in baseball. Like Jose Mesa, I do not appreciate Omar Vizquel.
Finally, guess what? Tomorrow is a very important day — the day of my fantasty football draft. As usual, I am not prepared. On the plus side, the draft is scheduled to begin at 3:45 pm (I have to leave work early!), so I will probably not be totally soaked with alcohol. This year, we’re playing with people we know, so it should be more exciting if my team does well and more painful if it totally sucks ass again. Here’s the story of my draft from last year (which I am horrified to realize is done in a live-blogging format; however, looking back, taking Randy Moss in the seventh round and saying “you’re going to have an awesome year” was brilliant, but let’s be honest that any brilliance indicated by that move was canceled out by some very questionable picks). Hopefully this year will be better, right? I’ll let you know how it goes — don’t worry, I won’t live blog that shit.
In an attempt to prove that college football is boring or, in the alternative, establish that I am wrong in thinking that college football is boring, I am going to live blog the Colorado/Colorado State football game, which starts in approximately 10 minutes. I think. If I can figure out how to do this.
Click here to view the live blog; apparently the box thingie doesn’t work on WordPress. Please remember that I’ve never done this before. I have no idea what I’m doing and I’ve been drinking. Woohoo!
Sorry I’ve been about as thrilling as college football lately (which is my way of saying NOT EXCITING AT ALL — shit, I don’t even want to watch my team win 43-3). I think I’m having a bit of excitement hangover. The Olympics were exciting and having the DNC in town was exciting and now there’s just, um, Republicans and college football, which are boring. I wrote about how college football is boring and irrelevant last year, and I’ve already had all the same thoughts again this year.
Of course, there’s baseball, and my Sox are hanging on to the tiniest of leads in the A.L. Central, so that’s good. Did you know that during today’s win over the Red Sox, Jim Thome hit home run #536, tying Mickey Mantle (14th place)? I love Jim Thome. I’ll have to write about the Sox this week. I hope we’ll see Jerry “Watch My Feet” Owens on the expanded roster.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the Patriots cut former Denver Bronco John Lynch. They might pick him up again in the future, but who knows. I’m bummed for him, because I like him and he wants to play. However, I’m a relieved that we won’t have to see a former Bronco playing for the Evil Empire.
From what I’ve been reading on these here internets, the yuppity VIP DNC parties aren’t all that — there’s a lot of waiting in lines, crappy liquor, swag that isn’t quite phenomenal, and snobby attitudes. Well, visitors to our fair city, fear not. I am here to tell you about the best thing to do in Denver.
Basketball hasn’t exactly been the first thing on my mind these days. I watched Lithuania get dismantled by Argentina (WTF hair?) in the Olympic bronze medal game and then drank myself unconscious to forget the misery I just witnessed. That was awful, even considering how much I love yelling all the Lithuanian names until B gets annoyed and falls asleep on the couch. Other than that, though, I haven’t thought much about basketball lately.
But! I had the best idea ever — an idea that can solve at least 2/3 of the problems that will plague the Nuggets in the upcoming season. Curious? Come with me, to a land where a Nuggets championship is possible!
Here are a few more DNC events for the week; all events listed are open to the public. You can find a full list of events here.
No sports news today — we were out all day hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, getting caught in an afternoon rainstorm, and then enjoying beer and pizza.
Things are starting to get exciting and convention-y here in Denver. I was just scrolling through the list of DNC events on The Denver Post website — holy crap, there are a million events. Here’s the highlight for tomorrow:
Shake Your Money Maker — Denver Mint
Monday, Aug 25 12:00p
at United States Mint, Denver, CO
Open to the public. Join us as we encircle the Denver Mint (where U.S. currency is produced) and use our collective power to raise the mint building in the air and shake the money out of it for the people.
I might have to take an early lunch and check this out.
Good news! J.R. Smith (who used to be a player we didn’t like all that much, but that changed last year when he got his shit together) just got a new three-year deal with the Nuggets.
Trust me when I say that he’s going to be even more awesome this coming season. He’s been working out all summer and if you combine his pure athleticism with his improved attitude and new-found maturity, he’s going to be in-freaking-sane.
Keeping J.R. was crucial, considering what the Nuggets have lost in the off season (especially Marcus Camby). Currently, the team is worse off than it was at the end of last season, but hopefully things will go better than I expect.
In other news, the Broncos are in action tonight, with the starters expected to play approximately three quarters. I’m still calling for them to go 8-8 this year. The Rockies are out of it and the White Sox are up against the Rays (which is okay because the Twins are at the Angels this weekend).
There’s also some breaking news about a new Olympics scandal, this time with boxing scoring. Some Romanian dude commented on the fact that the scoring has been grossly inaccurate and unfair (true). The boxing and Olympics people promptly responded by suspending him and instituting some kind of disciplinary procedure against him. I’ll try to find out more about this and update tomorrow.
Until now, I’ve managed to refrain from discussing anything related to Olympic fashion. This is more of an achievement than you might think, because I’m kind of into that sort of thing. I’m also extremely bothered by the gymnasts and their scrunchies and 900 barrettes, but that’s already been covered all over the world. So I’ll try to focus on more obscure style statements, and how they might translate to the rest of us.
