wow. I'm 2 for 2 with the 'p' word and a new thread. Coincidence?

Jason, banish the cheese rat... discover the Backyardigans and Miss Spider.

RI peeps. Does any other entity or organization refer to Sean Taylor as the Grim Reaper or is that just us?

The Reaper wears burgundy and gold. Changing the name/mascot from the Redskins to the Reapers could have some awfully cool consequences, primarily because no other NFL team (other than Raiders fans) has yet exploited the whole skull/skeleton theme.

Given the vague pre-sprawl area heritage of agriculture, the farm implement of the Reaper (even without the obvious adjective add-on of the Grim) makes for some cool merchandise/schwag memoribilia.

The Washington Reapers. Even the throwback helment of the R and the arrow with feathers could be essentially maintained by changing the arrow to a sickle. We could keep the burgundy and gold. [I think the Red Lancers actually requires crimson red ... not burgundy.]

J-Lac!

Please tell me the Skins aren't going to let Dockery hit the open market. What's the hold up on getting him signed?

I like Reapers and it resolves the Native American issue.

New fight song by Blue Oyster Cult.

Hail to the Reapers (baby take my hand)
Death on the warpath (we'll be able to fly)
Fight for Old DC (Like Romeo and Juliet)
Come on Baby (Hail to the Reapers)

Cowbell Solo

etrod: Excellent!

Dude, I am way down with the Backyardigans and actually - I swear to you - watched a new episode of WonderPets on my own the other day while Chloe and Lauren were napping and the cell phone was quiet.
Lauren came down stairs and caught me watching those crazy WonderPets animals and I felt all creepy, like she caught me watching the Playboy Channel or something.
In hindsight, I think she would have been less skiddish if indeed I was looking at porn.

Trust me, Chloe's got love for lots of shows, but there's is something about the cheesy (excuse the pun) nostalgia of CEC videos that she cannot get enough of. Maybe if she plays here cards right my parents will take her there when we go to Baltimore to visit Saturday. Which would be perfect, 'cause then I could go down to the pub and catch a few EPL games on the dish and get my swerve on.

etrod: Excellent!

etrod, I like it ... but I gotta say one thing ... I need more cowbell!

The video for "Don't Fear The Reaper" may be the best of all time. So sublimely wacked out, yet genius at the same time.

PS - I am going to do some heavy thinking this weekend about the Pub Crawl. In fact, I am going to edit the original post here right now to get a conversation started on the possible where, when and how.

Seasons don't fear the Reaper, nor do the wind or the sun or the rain (but lots of punters do), come on baby, don't fear the Reapers!

90,000 people at every game (tolerate the losing).

J-La C, on Capitol Hill, there is a four block stretch of bars on the southern side of Pennsylvania Ave, SW btwn 2nd and 6th that has about 6-7 bars ... literally enabling a crawl by the end. Of course, it all runs downhill to the Tune Inn (which is a solid Skins bar ... occasionally visited by good natured Cowboys fans). Kind of the like the aggregation of bars in that part of Fells Point close to the water.

Just watched the second newest Backyardigans (w/guest voice Alicia Keyes in "Mission to Mars") and the song around our house has been "Boinga" all week.

In one of Clayton's articles about the shape of teams for 2007, he suggests (not sure if he is making it up or repeating rumors) that St. Joe might wipe out Blloyd and AA. Apart from their guaranteed money, isn't the reasoning cutting them is a cap killer that there contracts are something like 6 years long? Does that just mean that the dead cap money can be spread out longer (and does the amount that gets spread out diminish if they cut sooner rather than later?)? I remember that the Skins have been taking dead cap space hits for Mike Barrow for a while and still continue to do so.

If not Jason, can someone explain to me how the dead cap space rules work?

Dealer - It is now day seven. I 1st intended this to be a 'Stop Drinking Henikens' movement, but it has become something bigger. I had a few urges to resist, but I fought those easily. Now may go all the way and not break it until the Pub Crawl.....

Do we need to pick a spot that's a mutual distance from every one?? I know we can't please all, especially Nate. He can hook up via web cam, though.......

what about the Redouts?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/redout

Redscare? DC Scare? Joe McCarthy?

eh. Reapers is cooler.

When Sean Taylor does division, there are no remainders.

JLa,

Asked this in an earlier blog. I'd be interested in reading if the FO is concerned with how the Cap is run or if they really believe that they have it under control.

Each year the Chickens (read experts) run around yelling the "Sky if falling" yet it never comes. Do you think they really have it figured out? Do they really think they have it figured out? Do they really have it figured out?

Cap really not my thing, but when you cut someone any bonus you paid the player that is left on his contract is accelerated and counts imediatly to your cap number. cutting after june 1 pushes the cap hit out until the following year.basically thats it, i know there are exemptions and other details that make this very complex, but in lay mans terms dats bout it.

Now I'm sitting at my desk singing Blue Oyster Cult.

dcsween- easiest way to remember it, and I might have used this example before:

You sign a 5 year contract, with a $10 million signing bonus. The bonus will count $2 million/year on the cap if you play all 5 years of that contract. But, since you're playing for our beloved 'Skins, you only play the 2007 season, and then they cut you June 1st of 2008. So, $2 million still counts on the '08 cap, and then the remaining $6 million accelerates and hits the '09 cap as dead money.

That's why Barrow counted on the 06 cap...he was cut after June 1st 2005, for a minimal hit on that season, and the rest of his bonus accelerated and hit the cap this past season. He's off the books for 2007. (Amazing, the guy never played a down for the team, yet cost cap space for 3 seasons!)

oh, and cowbell very under rated. more bands need to utilize, if not out right feature

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2007_swimsuit/models/brooklyn_decker/07_brooklyn_decker_11.html

versus

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2007_swimsuit/beyonce/07_beyonce_12.html

Uh oh. We have an interloper.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2007_swimsuit/musicians/gnarls_barkley/07_gnarls_barkley_9.html

Yo Jason,

Its friday how about some music notes? I'm hung up on some "gang of four" stuff lately. You?

Uh, Brooklyn.

4th, i don't want to jinx you by posting under "dealer" cuz you've been sober ever since...

btw, if diddy shows up don't come to the crawl...he might talk you back into it.

my suggestion (and my chances of attending are slim to none if it's not during the day) is dave and busters in rockville, capital city brewery around 12th and f(purely guessing!)

Name not big on lancer's (to new school)

Hope we never change, but if we do Warrior's or Braves. Keep the whole Indian motif going and use a name that Native Americans might actually be proud of.

Dan -

Funny, "Damaged Goods" came up on the ipod this morning.

I know I should not bring up this topic again but here goes...

Did anyone hear Steve Czaban interview Adam Schaefter this morning about the HOF voting? As you all know, I abhor Czaban but I do like his intensity about getting Monk into the Hall. Anyway, he was being the vicious viper that he normally is...barely gave Adam S. time to answer the questions. However, he did ask Adam about his comment that "no one could remember a distinct catch that Monk made". Czaban asked Adam to tell him about a "memorable" catch that Michael Irvin made.....Adam said "well, he caught a TD in the Super Bowl." Czaban said "so did Monk...tell me what was memorable about any of Irvin's catches." Adam could not come up with an answer.

The secretive HOF rules and voting reminds me of the Masons.

Name not big on lancer's (to new school)

Hope we never change, but if we do Warrior's or Braves. Keep the whole Indian motif going and use a name that Native Americans might actually be proud of.

I'm totally in to the Reapers now. Can you imagine it's Monday night and 90,000 people are banging on a cowbell? Awesome.

But If they make the change, they should go with the RalJon Reapers.

If you spell Sean Taylor wrong on Google it doesn't say, "Did you mean San Taylor?" It simply replies, "Run while you still have the chance."

lisa, i didn't think monk ever had a superbowl TD catch.

and czabe was being childish, idiotic. he had no answers for this adam dude. he kept saying "i don't have the time to get into it..."

and the only thing he did mention he got it wrong. cuz i don't think monk ever had a td catch in the superbowls.

-dealer

Lisa

just when we turn to talk a little HOF wide (MONK) I run a hook and go. first double move of the day and move Art Monk used to run better than anyone.

I totally blew it by misspelling Sean Taylor. I'm running while I have the chance.

dealer- You're right on Monk. He had the one in the SB against the Bills that was overturned by instant replay because his toe was out of bounds. I guess this Schefter idiot would say Monk's a Hall of Famer if only he had gotten his second foot down on that catch. What a crock of shti.

4-12, yeah, that's the only reason i know that stat cuz i rember the announcers saying "and art monk gets his first td in sb of his carreer, can you believe he's never had a td catch in sb before?" and then they overturned the call (correctly)...

Lisa

just when we turn to talk a little HOF wide (MONK) I run a hook and go. first double move of the day and move Art Monk used to run better than anyone.

The skins don't have a magic answer to the cap, but they are willing to spend a lot of cash up front to buy players; when you look at teams like SF and NE (37 and 25 MILLION underneath the $109M cap!!!!) what the skins have banked on is that the cap will increase --comfortably -- every year, so a promise pay a large signing bonus (or combo signing bonus /option bonus like Jansen) and keep the base salaries kind of low works well. And if they want to get rid of a player or two, they can usually take the cap hit -- as long as you don't want to get rid of someone immediately (like BLloyd or AA) or get rid of too many contracts at once.
So -- it's not magic, and as long as Snyder is happy with the big black numbers at the bottom of the balance sheet, he can afford it. The two areas of concern are that we sacrifice depth for first-string talent, and there is certainly an undercurrent of "I got paid, so I don't have to work as hard" attributed to the players by the fanbase.
And of course, eventually if the team is consistenly noncompetitive, those big numbers that Snyder wants will get smaller.

...he had one called back vs the Bills b/c his toe was on the line...that's all I can remember.

It's still an assinine thing to get hung up on. You have to look at the man's body of work. It's like saying the Stones don't belong in the hall because of 'Dirty Work'

Jason,

I think the buggest question out there right now is Derrick Dockery. Do you hear anything about whether the Skins are trying to re-sign him and how much he is asking for?

I think if he is asking for 10 mil or less guaranteed up front (and maybe something like $30 mil over 6), the Skins need to do it for many reasons: 1) Maintaining credibity in the locker room by taking care of one of their own; 2) locking up a good young lineman who has started four straight years, never been paid, and done everything they have asked, 3) providing continuity on the offensive line, 4) because he works well with pro bowl tackle Samuels and the left side of the line -- by some metrics -- is the best in the league.

I suspect if he is asking for more than $10 mil, the Skins will balk because that will make his deal significantly more lucrative than Jansen, Rabach, or Thomas.

Jason,

Since its slow, I've been meaning to ask you this since I started reading this blog...

As a fellow futbol fan, I have to ask...do you really enjoy watching Serie A futbol? I wasnt sure if you watch out of allegiance to a club or because you actually like the style of play.

I ask cause many of my futbol obsessed crew (including me)would rather watch paint dry than watch 99 percent of Serie A matches. I joke. But seriously, we watch EPL (mainly Arsenal) some La Liga, a bit of Argentina and Brazil on Gol TV, and Champions League matches if they are good or interesting pairings. And we all support our local - DC United (which I know you dont like.)

Heck, I watched PSG-Marseille and Schalke 04-Bremen in the past few weeks, and both games were better than the vast majority of Serie A games I've watched.

dealer- (if I can still call you that) I remember them saying that too. But then I thought about it and realized, yeah, Monk was injured and didn't play against Miami, then my high school jv stole the burgundy and gold and played the Raiders, then Monk was just coming back from injury against the Broncos (had one catch, but it was huge as we've discussed before), and then the Bills game.

PS - I am going to do some heavy thinking this weekend about the Pub Crawl. In fact, I am going to edit the original post here right now to get a conversation started on the possible where, when and how.

Posted by: Jason La Canfora | February 16, 2007 11:05 AM

if this thing doesn't include at least a pit stop in Camelot.....i will be very dissapointed to say the least.

Mark, no news might be good news on the Dockery front. At least word hasn't trickled out that Dockery and his agent were insulted by the Skins' opening offer, or anything like that indicating the first trickle of bad blood.

Just wish they'd get him signed already. He's seeing dollar signs across the league, which is entirely justifiable on his part, and that does not work in our favor.

I get the feeling Snyder doesn't want to think about something as un-sexy as our incumbent left guard because he's so fascinated by the bright shiny objects out there in the free agent market. "I want that one, Vinnie! I want that one, too! Ooh, I really really want that one over there!"

Perhaps it's time for Gibbs to set up a meeting in which Bugel can bawl out Snyder and Vinnie with a profanity-laced tirade about the importance of the O-line. Gibbs just stands there patiently, the kind grampa, while crazy uncle Bugges reads them the riot act at top volume.

PS - I am going to do some heavy thinking this weekend about the Pub Crawl. In fact, I am going to edit the original post here right now to get a conversation started on the possible where, when and how.

Posted by: Jason La Canfora | February 16, 2007 11:05 AM

if this thing doesn't include at least a pit stop in Camelot.....i will be very dissapointed to say the least.

PS - I am going to do some heavy thinking this weekend about the Pub Crawl. In fact, I am going to edit the original post here right now to get a conversation started on the possible where, when and how.

Posted by: Jason La Canfora | February 16, 2007 11:05 AM

if this thing doesn't include at least a pit stop in Camelot.....i will be very dissapointed to say the least.

Snyder and the skins are determined to see their strategy work. I think it would give them tremondous satisfaction to stick it to espn, SI, fox, the post, the network, everyone who has critized their strategy so publicly and I think enjoys the Skins read (snyder) continued pursuit of the holly grail.

That being said, i have said it before, its not the strategy its the execution. The draft is a total crapshoot. all the evaluation, testing film, study etc. at the end of the day you are evaluating boys to play a mans game.Until the boy plays against the men you are just using an educated guess as to wether or not he can. The skins are saying lets trade for or buy players who we know can play because they are already playing in the league of men.let another team draft them, develope them and when the are still young and productive we sign them.

This strategy works only if you 3 things.

An owner with the resources and will to pay real bonus money out of his pocket to players (we Have)

A QB to build around (Haven't had, maybe now?)

a skilled Talent evaluator of both Pro and college players (not even close).

Discuss.

Appologies to all, stupid computer, that one must have Carlos really lost.

bangbros with the triple move. carlos can't even find the g-string to put the 5-spot in at camelot after that

Len Shapiro's column on the HOF gave me a glimmer of hope that Monk might get in next year. I remain dubious, but it did give me the ecstatic realization that it's possible we could see Darrell Green AND Monk inducted in the same year.

(I know, I know, it's the offseason Happy Fantasy Funtime or whatever. I can dream.)

The HOF selectors are so petty they might induct Green and Monk together that just to shut us Skins fans up.

Hell, throw in Grimm for the trifecta while you're at it, guys! Do that and we'll leave you alone forever. I promise.

the cheat - dude, you read muy mind. I tried to watch Lazio (my team in Italia, despite their fans' well-deserved rep; I am also a Leeds supporter)-Torinio yesterday and gave up after 30 minutes. Between the style of play, constant cheating, diving and now the violence and playing to empty stadiums I am giving up on Serie A, I think. I can see enough of the quality teams in the Champ. Lg, without having to worry who rigged the refs.
Lots of wonderful players in that league, but it doesn't do it for me.

As for the Dockery questions - as of a few days ago they were still trying to bridge a divide. Dock wants to get paid and there is still plenty of time to work it out. But it hasn't been easy thus far. Should come into focues after the combine, when the Skins will be meeting with lots of agents trying to get restructurings and deals done.

As for the cap, as long as Dan is willing to front load re-worked contracts to create cap space, and the cap goes up $9 million a year, they are generally okay. Doomsday was coming last year, then the CBA extension finally got done, which saved their beacon. In hindsight, though, maybe restraint last year would have been much, much better than the path they chose.

As for new Skins names, as a journalist I must abstain from the push ... but covering a team called "The Reapers" would be killer. All BOC, all the time.
Capitol Hill is cool with me. The wife and I love Two Quall and Cafe Berlin (which I swore off for at least 9 months after my sauasage and beer fest at the World Cup last summer).Are you talking around there? Either way, that area is cool with me. Let's see what others have to say.

the cheat - dude, you read muy mind. I tried to watch Lazio (my team in Italia, despite their fans' well-deserved rep; I am also a Leeds supporter)-Torinio yesterday and gave up after 30 minutes. Between the style of play, constant cheating, diving and now the violence and playing to empty stadiums I am giving up on Serie A, I think. I can see enough of the quality teams in the Champ. Lg, without having to worry who rigged the refs.
Lots of wonderful players in that league, but it doesn't do it for me.

As for the Dockery questions - as of a few days ago they were still trying to bridge a divide. Dock wants to get paid and there is still plenty of time to work it out. But it hasn't been easy thus far. Should come into focues after the combine, when the Skins will be meeting with lots of agents trying to get restructurings and deals done.

As for the cap, as long as Dan is willing to front load re-worked contracts to create cap space, and the cap goes up $9 million a year, they are generally okay. Doomsday was coming last year, then the CBA extension finally got done, which saved their beacon. In hindsight, though, maybe restraint last year would have been much, much better than the path they chose.

As for new Skins names, as a journalist I must abstain from the push ... but covering a team called "The Reapers" would be killer. All BOC, all the time.
Capitol Hill is cool with me. The wife and I love Two Quall and Cafe Berlin (which I swore off for at least 9 months after my sauasage and beer fest at the World Cup last summer).Are you talking around there? Either way, that area is cool with me. Let's see what others have to say.

bangbros, you can visit Camelot on your own time.

Jason, did you and Lauren attend the Terry McAuliffe book party last Thursday night at the Park Hyatt? Your name was on the guest list - as well as Howard Bryant's. I looked for you but there were about 1000 people there.

Monk had 7 postseason touchdown catches along with over 1,000 postseason receiving yards. Against Buffalo in the Super Bowl he had 7 catches for 113 yards. Guess none of those were 'memorable' or in 'big moments,' or came in 'crunch time.' But hey, Irvin caught two TD passes in that 'close' 52-17 Super Bowl blowout of the Bills.

The sliding scale concerning Monk among the HoF committee continues...

Snyder and the skins are determined to see their strategy work. I think it would give them tremondous satisfaction to stick it to espn, SI, fox, the post, the network, everyone who has critized their strategy so publicly and I think enjoys the Skins read (snyder) continued pursuit of the holly grail.

That being said, i have said it before, its not the strategy its the execution. The draft is a total crapshoot. all the evaluation, testing film, study etc. at the end of the day you are evaluating boys to play a mans game.Until the boy plays against the men you are just using an educated guess as to wether or not he can. The skins are saying lets trade for or buy players who we know can play because they are already playing in the league of men.let another team draft them, develope them and when the are still young and productive we sign them.

This strategy works only if you 3 things.

An owner with the resources and will to pay real bonus money out of his pocket to players (we Have)

A QB to build around (Haven't had, maybe now?)

a skilled Talent evaluator of both Pro and college players (not even close).

Discuss.

Jason, "saved their beacon" was priceless. Sir, you continue to amaze.

Truly sorry I won't be able to make the pub crawl. It sounds pretty great. I just hope you're all able to, ahem, stay awake long enough to meet the RI gang down at the bar as planned.

Poor carlos...caught in the crossfire of all the double post moves.

On second thought, "caught" is not the operative word when it comes to Mr. I-Coulda-Been-A-Pro-Bowler

oh yeah, as for the cap hits and dead money - the bloggy peeps beat me to the punch. they explained it perfectly.

Music suggestions - hmm.
Beth Orton - Central Reservation. Awesome, melodic, chill music. My favorite album of hers (the first one is so often the best, eh?).

Fishbone - "Truth and Soul" A funk rock masterpiece by a band that was undoubtedly once my favorite group (must have seen them 20 times in college). This was when the Chili Peppers were opening up for them. Awesome mix of soul, funk, rock, ska, gospel. Freddy's Dead (great cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic) and Ma and Pa bring down the house every time.

Suicidal Tendencies - "Suicidal Tendencies" - yeah, it's a little juvenile at times, but I grew up worshipping this album. Institutionalized, I Saw Your Mommy. It's a skate-rock classic. Man, did these guys put on a show. Some of the most life-threatening pits ever back in the day.

Okay, gotta make a few calls. Will check in later. Cheers.

bangbros, you can visit Camelot on your own time.

Posted by: Lisa | February 16, 2007 12:13 PM

OK, thanks.

bangbros, you can visit Camelot on your own time.

Posted by: Lisa | February 16, 2007 12:13 PM

OK, thanks.

Oh yeah, P Diddy, I'll be in Seattle next weekend.

If you're in town we could meet up for a drink Saturday (24th). Sort of a Pacific Northwest chapter meeting.

No pressure. I know you don't need somebody cramping your inimitable style. I'm going to a show at Tractor Tavern that night, so you needn't worry about me sticking around all night, making an ass of myself, and falling asleep on someone's couch. Hehehe.

Lisa - I really wanted to go to that party. Steve Kettmann, who wrote the book, is one of my best friends and he and Howard and very close, too. (Howard went to the cocktail party for the book up in NYC as well).
But I was gone for a long time at the Super Bowl, Chloe had been very sick, Lauren was feeling awful and that Friday we had like 7 relatives from out of town coming to stay at the house for Chloe's B-day party. So I had a ton of stuff to do and Lauren just wasn't feeling good enough to go and I wasn't going to leave her at home, so I got the house in order instead and helped make stuff for the party.

I heard it was a blast and Steve and Howard said it went really well. I really wanted it to be a big night out for me and Lauren, but it wasn't meant to be.

Old School - you nailed it bro. they are stubborn, they are consumed with proving people wrong (rather than adjusting their tactics) and you summed up what they do and why it does not work so well.

Lisa - I really wanted to go to that party. Steve Kettmann, who wrote the book, is one of my best friends and he and Howard and very close, too. (Howard went to the cocktail party for the book up in NYC as well).
But I was gone for a long time at the Super Bowl, Chloe had been very sick, Lauren was feeling awful and that Friday we had like 7 relatives from out of town coming to stay at the house for Chloe's B-day party. So I had a ton of stuff to do and Lauren just wasn't feeling good enough to go and I wasn't going to leave her at home, so I got the house in order instead and helped make stuff for the party.

I heard it was a blast and Steve and Howard said it went really well. I really wanted it to be a big night out for me and Lauren, but it wasn't meant to be.

Old School - you nailed it bro. they are stubborn, they are consumed with proving people wrong (rather than adjusting their tactics) and you summed up what they do and why it does not work so well.

4-12, maybe all these double post moves and even triple post moves are exactly what Carlos needs this offseason, to improve his game. After getting schooled up here day and after day, hitting the field this fall will seem like child's play.

Re: Reapers, if we adopt that as our preferred alternative team nickname up here, I must insist that we first come up with a new nickname for Sean Taylor.

Too confusing otherwise, like when someone posts about Rocky McIntosh but just says Rock (which makes me think of Mr. Cartwright).

"I'm a Reaper, he's a Reaper, she's a Reaper, we're a Reaper, wouldn't you like to be a Reaper too?"

Somebody asked where the nickname reaper for Sean originated... wasn't it from or announced by LaVar, during Sean's rookie year when everyone was amazed with what a freakishly good ballhawk/hitting machine he was?

"I ain't tryin to diss but I
don't be tryin to fcuk with Limp Bizkit" (What the fcuk is on your mind)
When I get down in my zone I be rockin
Bad Brains and Fishbone."

-Mos Def "Rock N Roll"

Truth & Soul is a must have. Saw Fishbone at Lollapalooza in Raleigh. They rocked it.

Nate- I think we'll coach him up better on the blog than Steve Jackson will on the field. Or is he the safeties coach and Jerry Gray is the CB coach? Man, there's too many to keep up with. Maybe the blog can get hired as Carlos' personal CB/anti-double move coach

Our song would be perfect for the name change because NOBODY FEARS the REAPER!

Nate- I think we'll coach him up better on the blog than Steve Jackson will on the field. Or is he the safeties coach and Jerry Gray is the CB coach? Man, there's too many to keep up with. Maybe the blog can get hired as Carlos' personal CB/anti-double move coach

Reapers is perfect b/c they've reaped what they've sown personnel wise.

Well then, that double post move won't look good on our coaching resume...

CT- great stuff on Monk.

Happy Fantasy Funtime is upon us so grab that burgundy and gold tab of LSD and tuck it behind your eyelid.

Danny's got jocks to sniff.

If we adopt the Reapers, we can translate Sean Taylor to "La Cosechadora".

Unless that's too close to La Canfora. Hmmm..may have to rethink that one.

Reaper is just too perfect for Taylor. Maybe King Reaper?
Death?
Chupacabra?
After Life?

We won't have to worry about giving him a new nickname after he leaves in free-agency next year.

etrod- The Punter Hunter signed a very cap friendly 7 year, $18 million rookie deal. Probably why he wanted to renegotiate about an hour after he signed. He's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Good call. I thought it was a 4 year deal. My Bad.

Great nickname, too.

Sean Taylor can speak Braile

I'm sure there's escalator clauses and voidable year stuff in it, but I'd figure at least 2 more seasons before the 'Skins start the renegotiating thing

7 yrs, $18 mil. How does he eat?

Hey, y'all in DC and points north by northeast, is it still as icy and messy as it's being reported over there? Sounds like school are still shut down, etc. Which is kind of a surprise two days after the storm.

What I'm really asking is, did Dorf get to sleep in again? Golly, I sure hope so.

Mos Def is the man. A true eclectic music fan. And we all already know that Bad Brains rules on this blog.

Reaper's deal is plenty fair. Once he makes the Pro Bowl (as voted in not an alternate) his deal goes to like $10 million a year. The last year is voidable -it's essentially a 6 year deal if i remember correctly (don't have my contract info in front of me right now), so he's got 3 years to go.

LaVar did give him the nickname. one day in his rookie yr sean walked thru the locker room with this dark black hoodie pulled down near his face and LaVar said, "Damn, there go the Grim Reaper."

7 yrs, $18 mil. How does he eat?

Posted by: SMACK | February 16, 2007 01:11 PM

Sean Taylor eats pencils and markers for breakfast, and he craps out masterpieces.

SMACK- Good question, because I don't know how much is left from the huge retainer he must pay the law firm of Payne & Suffrin.

Nate, Beantown, or South of Beantown where I live mostly got 2-3 inches of snow, then rain, but then it froze right there-after, and has been frozen since. Sidewalks are pretty much sheets of ice. Streets aren't too bad though.
However, Pitchers and Catchers reported yesterday, so hope springs eternal. Matsuzaka-Mania is almost too much to bear.

"Heading into 2006, the NFC East was arguably the most complete division in the conference.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning was poised for a breakout season; head coach Bill Parcells was entering year four in Dallas; in Philadelphia, Donovan McNabb was healthy and sans T.O.; and Washington, with its usual assortment of high-priced off-season free-agent additions, was readying for a playoff run. Some strange things happened on the way to Miami -- Tom Coughlin lost control of his team, Dallas' defense lost its way, McNabb was lost to injury, and the Redskins lost 11 games, in part, because of poor personnel decisions last off-season.
Although three NFC East teams qualified for the postseason, the Giants and Cowboys faltered down the stretch, while the Eagles exceeded expectations by making it to the NFC Divisional game without their starting quarterback. "

"Washington Redskins
Joe Gibbs is entering his fourth year of un-retirement and in that time the Redskins have drafted 16 players, acquired just as many big-name players through free agency or trades, and posted a 21-27 record. Owner Daniel Snyder would never fire Gibbs, but until the three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach gives up his personnel duties, Washington will continue to stumble through the NFC East.

Who Could Leave?

The Redskins have 11 unrestricted free agents but only linebacker Warrick Holdman was a starter. Holdman was often overmatched last season and will likely be replaced by 2006 second-round pick Rocky McIntosh. Running back T.J. Duckett was acquired last August for a third-round pick and then spent the season buried on the depth chart. Duckett's a free agent and wants to be a starter. With Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts firmly entrenched in Washington, Duckett won't be back. Neither will oft-injured kicker John Hall, who is still under contract but seldom healthy.

In an effort to create cap room or to just cut dead weight, Washington could choose to release David Patten, Brandon Lloyd, Adam Archuleta, and maybe even Mark Brunell. Archuleta is possibly the biggest free-agent signing-turned-bust during the Gibbs regime. and the team would eagerly listen to any trade offers.

Whom Should They Sign?
(Projected Cap Space: -$2.4 million)

Unlike last off-season, the Redskins will be relatively quiet during free agency. The defense ranked last in the NFL in 2006. The pass rush was nonexistent, and as a result the secondary floundered. Opponents threw away from cornerback Shawn Springs when he was healthy enough to play, which meant 2005 first-round pick Carlos Rogers was exposed as the weak link. Washington would love to upgrade the position with Samuel or Clements, but don't have the cap space to do so.

There were rumors during the season the Redskins would make a typical off-season run at Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, but Indianapolis will either sign him to a long-term deal or franchise him. Defensive ends Patrick Kerney and Charles Grant are unrestricted free agents, but Kerney, who is 31, could re-sign with the Falcons, and Grant could be too expensive for Washington given their cap constraints.

The Redskins have the sixth overall pick in the April draft and will in all likelihood use the pick to draft a pass-rushing end. "

I return to my oringial handle in honor of Lisa whom I wish to remain on the blog.

I've no personal stake in the name the Red Lancers - it came to me purely out of a desire to go back to old unis with spear and gold pants.
Pedantic nature (my superhero name is Pedanta) rears up once again - yes it is funny to mock the French and their military but once again folks bear in mind the U.S of A would literally not exist without them. And Napoleon kicked every a$$ across Europe and revolutionized military strategy. His downfall was not understanding how far away and cold Russia is, how nationalistic/tribal Russians are and trying to beat the British at sea. So the Red Lancers have a proud heritage.

But hey new name suggestion/adoption is cool. I don't know if I can get behind Reapers cause it will make us too much like the Raiders with all the paraphanelia and frankly we're already too much like the Raiders as it is.

I do love me some cowbell though.

Blue Oyster Cult story - so my friends and I used to go to Tuscon Cantina which was a bar/resta on Connecticut Ave up by Cleveland/Calvert st. bridges. We started going there when we were about 14-15 . . . yeah trust me I don't know who we were fooling cause I looked like I was 12 at best much less 21. But we befriended the bartenders and they always gave us beer. Yum $5 pitchers.
Anyhoo one night I'm standing at the jukebox and Don't Fear the Reaper comes on. A guy standing next to me in an noble effort at dropping a line in hopes of . . . said to me "Don't you love this song? Doesn't it remind you of high school?"
Now I was 15 and had the social graces/skillz/abilities of a sheep. My response was "Yeah I do love this song it's great." pause "But I'm in high school right now so maybe when I'm older it'll bring back good memories." A look of horror crosses the guy's face and he practically ran out the door.

The Sean Taylor jokes are killing me. Keep 'em coming, folks. (I am purposely avoiding the Chuck Norris sites which helps keep them 'fresh'.)

As far as DC bands, Fugazi has been bringing the top-quality goods forever (and making many more of the indie goods available via Dischord), but I agree that if the blog had an official band, Bad Brains would be the best pick.

NYC is pretty much the same. A few inches of snow and then ice, which made it rough conditions for a little while. Lots of people falling down. Not too bad now except for gross brown snow banks and it's cold. Not nearly as bad as the weather porn would have you believe.

No I'm here... couldn't blog all day... rough Friday for sure. Did Dealer change his name? Jason, where's the TCCLs?

5 TCCLs Jason La Canfora... for putting his family before the blog.
1 TCCL to Daveb55 or whoever... go make a sandwhich you hungry bama
5 TCCls to Nate for holding up the highest standards on the blog
4 TCCLs for the outsiders that have showed up. Wish you came sooner.
5 TCCLs to Dorf... I feel crappy and needed a pick me up

Dorf, be strong, brother! The holiday weekend is upon us.

sfskin, terrific story. Whenever I get down to the Bay Area we'll meet up for a (legal) pitcher of beer.

4th, was that John Clayton or someone else's preview? Happy all the Media are forecasting doom and gloom for our Reapers. Again, we play possum all offseason and then POW! hit 'em right in the kisser come September.

Agree with Dorf. 5 TCCLs to Nate.

Leading hand sanitizers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Nate in the PDX can kill 100 percent of whatever he wants.

Thanks, dudes. You're too kind. Just trying to take all the joy I get from the blog and 'pay it forward.'

Jeff Hayes, you asked about tee shirts a while back. When you get a chance, mail me at nateinthepdx at gmail dot com for a sort of update.

i'm kinda hurt. even my two year old noticed i'm not wearing glasses anymore! i thought you paid attention.

-dealer (4-12, i'm only keeping "daniel cook" until 4th starts to drink again...)

ps...i've also gained 50 pounds ever since i broke my 5 guys virignity (get your minds out of that filthy place!)...people, my name is dealer and i'm an addict. addicted to those burgers and fries.

NAte - FOX Sports. They don't know what they're talking about after I read, though. We have 2 Unrestricted FA who are starters. So, they get no cred as to what is going on Up Here......

I got over my Five Guys addiction when I picked up my back and the bottom fell out because of all the grease.

I've been Five Guys sober for 9 months. Chipotle is my Methadone clinic.

Okay in honor of Silly Season and because until the Combine I'm hard pressed to come up with anything original regarding football here's some topics for discussion. We've covered most of them already but figured it's worth rehashing and organizing.

1. What are your Musical Guilty Pleasures - these are songs and/or artists whom you secretly love and know all the words to but if for example the song is playing on the radio and you are at a stop light you roll up every window so no one can hear you singing at the top of your lungs.

2. What are the top worst really bad movies made? Movies so bad you can't believe people spent money to make them or see them and you want those precious minutes and hours of your life back.

3. What are the top magnificently bad movies made? Movies that are so magnificently bad all should see them and be in awe.
For movie categories I'll put the restriction of movies made after 1980 otherwise we'll have 1000 posts about the 70s

4. Finally who was your favorite teen idol when you were a teen?

Discuss.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/02/15/mock.draft2.part1/index.html

so, any of you dweebs know where I can find a good tuna fish sandwich?

sfskin,

3 great questions.

1. If you could only see my ipod...well, lets just say I should kick my own a$$. My current guilty pleasure is 'Listen to your heart' by Roxette. Don't judge.

2. Based on the reaction of my friends and family, my worst really bad movies choices will be unpopular but here goes:
the Cameron Crow flicks 'Say Anything' 'Singles' and 'Jerry McGuire' or as I like to call it, 'The shoot myself in the face trilogy'

3. In the Best Worst movies category, I'll offer up 'Clash of the Titans'.

"What are the top worst really bad movies made?"

Two worst movies I ever saw - I watch to the end if I'm in a theater.

Dr. Detroit - Dan Ackroyd is some type of pimp.

The Incredible Shrinking Woman - Lilly Tomlin (who I really enjoy) The whole movie was done in pastel colors. Overall, horrible.

OK...I just figured out that five guys is a food establishment. I was confused there for a bit.

Horrible, worst movies: Caddyshack 2, the final Jaws movie (Jaws 4 maybe?), and the ultimate worst movie ever- Showgirls... Bangbros, I know you can't even find anything good to say about that debacle.

so, any of you dweebs know where I can find a good tuna fish sandwich?

Posted by: daveb55 | February 16, 2007 02:14 PM

Yup, in the town of Phan Thiet, Vietnam on the southeast coast. There is a food market in the main town square. Ask for Ly Thi Seo and he will make you a wonderful sandwich made from real fresh tuna.

musical guilty pleasure? Does Queen count? They've been heavy on my iPod rotation. Royksopp? Yes. Also, Beethoven's 9th symphony with the germanic opera... I orchestrate while I'm driving my car, I bet I look like a fool

BAD MOVIES: #1 is mission to mars. They had a Kumbaya session at the end with an alien. Uffda! Don't ever rent The Last Drop with Billy Zane... tries to be a "Snatch" type movie but there is nothing to plot weave... horrible.

awesomely bad... All I got is the Evil Dead movies... Question: has anyone seen Dolemite??? That movie was amazingly awesome. my lax buddies and I would watch it on game day to get pumped. Don't ask why.

Good Bad movies: The Final Destination movies. The makers of those figured out that plot, character development, dialogue and acting just get in the way of very entertaining death scenes, so why bother?

Bad bad Movie: 'Diabolique' with Sharon Stone. I had so much fun sitting in an empty theater with my friends making fun of that movie MST3K style.

Best Worst Movie Ever

Rocky IV

To quote others "Ronald Reagan is often incorrectly cited as the man who ended the cold war. In reality, it was ended by Sylvester Stallone's speech at the end of Rocky IV"

I also have a soft spot in my heart for the Blues Brothers and the Blues Brothers 2000 (if someone were to cut all of the non musical scenes from BB2000, they'd have a hell of a movie), but while the sequel qualifies as a bad movie, the original installment was a hell of a flick.

Adam

PS sfskin, do you mean the Cactus Cantina (http://www.cactuscantina.com/), the Alero just past the Uptown (http://www.alerorestaurant.com/), or was/is there another similarly named tex/mex place in DC?

Adam

1) Guilty pleasure music: Mariah Carey, the Corrs, Madonna and, gasp, the Wallflowers.

2) Worst awful movie: A Walk in the Clouds

3) Greatest awful movie: the correct answer is Big Trouble in Little China

4) Favorite teen star from youth: Kelly Kapowski

Actually, Sean Taylor ended the cold war with a lights out hit on Gorbachev as he went upd for a High pass over the middle.

To respond to my own questions:

1. I have a deep and abiding love/hate relationship with Celine Dion. I simply cannot get enough of her - awesome power ballads, horrible yet easy to learn lyrics, French Canadian accent, inability to dance and of course fashion sense. Je t'adore Celine! And Air Supply - quick name five Air Supply songs.

2. Worst movies that made me want to stab my eyes out with a meat thermometer - #1 by far is Pearl Harbor, Mission to Mars, Titanic, The Ring ('merican version), Star Wars Episode 1 - I have many many more.

3. Magnificent bad movies - #1 of all time is Show Girls - I laughed, I cried, I cried with laughter. Beast Master, Star Wars Episode 2 (or as I call it a porno with no actual sex scenes), Legend - I have many many more.

4. Teen idol love - hmmm - Duran Duran for sure, Rob Lowe, lead singer for English Beat/General Public

dude, sfskin, i deleted Pearl Harbor before I posted. i didn't even want to admit seeing it....

Adam - Tucson Cantina is not there anymore. I think it's an Indian place now. It was on Ct Ave right at Calvert where there's a liquor store and the Omni Shoreham (Prom '89!) and People's now CVS.

I hate Cactus Cantina mostly because it's full of Cleveland Park snobs who wouldn't know good Mexican food if it smacked them in the face. I went to high school with many many people like that, in fact some are still good friends but they're still snobs.

Thank you guys for helping me through a rediculously slow day on the job (As evidenced by the 700 Sean Taylor posts).

peace out homeys.

1. The Outfield

2. Miami Vice and (I know I'll catch some heat for this BUT...) Crash and Mystic River...both total pieces of shti.

3. Showgirls, Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct 2 LMAO on that one

4. Samantha Fox

Great questions, sfskin (and I'm glad to see the old monkier back.)

1. Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." If this song were a movie, it would be the answer to question #3.

2. Star Wars Episodes I, II, III. I waited my whole life for these movies, and they failed me in every possible way.

3. I'm with LWC on "Big Trouble in Little China." So very bad, so deliciously good.

4. I want to say Mad Max/Road Warrior-era Mel Gibson (before he fell into the Hollyqood abyss) but the true answer is Chevy Chase.

"Fletch F. Fletch."
"Occupation?"
"I'm a shepherd."

Ugh, Jeff Hayes, ugh on 'Crash.'

Like everyone who voted against Monk for HOF, everyone who voted for 'Crash' as best picture should lose their voting privilege.

so, any of you dweebs know where I can find a good tuna fish sandwich?
Posted by: daveb55 | February 16, 2007 02:14 PM

The Avon Pier on NC's Outer Banks. Walk down the pier, past the bait shop, past the anglers, until you've reached the end with the wooden rail and the old guys with the heavy duty fishing outfits. You're almost there.

Take one more step.

etrod
im not sure what football games you watched but sean burnt toast taylor was terrible,and it hasnt changed.you point out the hit on the kicker in pro bowl but not the TD he got burned on?Hes a STUPID player with great ability.(so was Lavar)snyder will not make the same mistake twice(as he shouldnt)and pay him the kind of contract he hasnt earned!He will want a rediculous amount of money(he got burned on 1st contract)and wont get it.

Does it smell like updog in here?

Using your whole fist there doc? Ever do time?

Fun topic sfskin
1) Guilty pleasure music: 10,000 maniacs.

2) Worst awful movie: Almost anything with Tom Cruise, although I also agree with Nate on the Star Wars I,II, III

3) Greatest awful movie: The Final Countdown, The Waterboy

4) Favorite teen star from youth: I've still got Phoebe Cates from "Fast Times" on my brain from yesterday - thanks 4-12. Really.

I'm giving Taylor a mulligan on last year due to horrendous secondary play around him. Dude still makes a lot of plays and is young.

Outside of sports, most of what I watch is movies since I hate reality tv which is what tv is mostly nowadays. Anyway without giving it too much thought, recently saw Lady in the Water. God awful. Shymalan's movies got worse and worse by a huge margin every time. Also saw History of Violence on HBO recently. Stupid as hell also. Wanted the hour and a half of my life back.

Whoever suggested Over the Edge a couple weeks back during a discussion of Grunge music/Seattle, thanks. Hadn't heard of it and checked it out. I used to drink and get into a little trouble as a teen but damn. Netflix is a beautiful thing.

Is Starship Troopers the one based on the L.Ron Hubbard book and John Travolta? That was the worst movie ever, followed by Highlander 2 (or maybe it was 3 ... whichever one introduced aliens to the plot).

First celebrity love was Tatum O'Neill based on her performance in Bad News Bears.

On that Clayton article, pissed me off that he said Holdman was the only UFA starter ... esp. given all of our unresolved Dockery anxiety.

On pub crawls, I think the G-town/M Street crawl route also works, but would propose starting on the eastern end of M Street b/c Garretts gets so crowded so quickly.

Nate,

Are you crazy. CC is horrible now but in the 80's the man was a comical genius. I have a theory about this.

Before auditioning for SNL in the late 70's Chevy and Satan were watching their favorite team, the Cowboys. CC sold his sold his soul to the devil in return for being said comical genius until the apple dropped on time square to end the year 1989.

Guilty pleasure music: All the crap from my college years: Soul Asylum, Gin Blossoms, the Corrs, Collective Soul. But no Hootie. Never with the Hootie.

Worst movie: Howard the Duck, John Tucker Must Die, all of the Scary Movie movies.

Worst movie I like: Easy, Buckaroo Banzai.

Teen idol: Joe Gibbs. No kidding.

Nate, would love to host a drink in Seattle next weekend. Name the time, I'll name the place.

Is Starship Troopers the one based on the L.Ron Hubbard book and John Travolta? That was the worst movie ever, followed by Highlander 2 (or maybe it was 3 ... whichever one introduced aliens to the plot).

First celebrity love was Tatum O'Neill based on her performance in Bad News Bears.

On that Clayton article, pissed me off that he said Holdman was the only UFA starter ... esp. given all of our unresolved Dockery anxiety.

On pub crawls, I think the G-town/M Street crawl route also works, but would propose starting on the eastern end of M Street b/c Garretts gets so crowded so quickly.

Nate,

Are you crazy. CC is horrible now but in the 80's the man was a comical genius. I have a theory about this.

Before auditioning for SNL in the late 70's Chevy and Satan were watching their favorite team, the Cowboys. CC sold his sold his soul to the devil in return for being said comical genius until the apple dropped on time square to end the year 1989.

4) Favorite teen star from youth: I've still got Phoebe Cates from "Fast Times" on my brain from yesterday - thanks 4-12. Really.

Posted by: skinswest | February 16, 2007 03:33 PM

LMAO skinswest. I'm right there with you. Getting out of the pool in that red bikini.....

P D,

Are you really learning Portugese? You like brazil or portugal? I love traveling through Portugal. Can't wait to go back. Really mellow place.

Anyway I gotta get off RI - gotta go to work.

No, not learning Portuguese. It's my standard line when someone tells me to do something I don't want to do. "Sure, I'll get on that, as soon as I finish learning Portuguese."

sween, was it Battleship Earth or Battleground Earth, the Scientology movie?

Favorite teen idol, Skinz, favorite. Chevy Chase was high on my list. Not just "Fletch," but "Vacation," "Three Amigos." He had a great run, but you're right about his later career sucking.

Just thinking about his facial expressions, his delivery of some of those lines, still cracks me up. Would have named John Belushi, but tragic death ain't funny.

Three Amigos is comic genius. Whenever I get dumped or otherwise feel sad, that's the first movie I watch.

Correction: worst movie ever = Battlefield Earth (starring John Travolta)

Also, though I've never been to Brazil, I have been to Portugal and its awesome ... plus a few years ago, their national futbol team had a captain with one of the best names ever ... Figo.

Diddy, very cool on next weekend. I'll post late in the week so we can make a plan.

DC folks, we are throwing down the gauntlet. If we far-apart Pacific Northwesterners can make a plan to get a drink, you guys have no excuses. (Except kids, bad weather, work, other plans, etc.)

It's time to get a drink, or if you're on the wagon temporarily or permanently, to watch other blog peeps get a drink. A pleasant time is guaranteed for all.

sfskin/lancer,

Please don't feel you have to change your name back for me :-) I'm fine with whatever you choose.

Dealer, when did you change your name? And why? Have to say I had not noticed it either. But I've actually been really busy with work and so have been scanning the blog quickly.

I am still here El Juapo!!!!

Sparky turn off the television and come to bed.

Speaking of Brazil.......I suggest anyone interested, to check out "Mike in Brazil", of the dot com variety. Dude runs some serious game.

Football related, from John Clayton:

7. Different approach for Redskins' Snyder? Even though this would be Dan Snyder's type of market, watch for a change in the Redskins' strategy. Snyder and Joe Gibbs are starting to realize the dangers of free agency. Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and safety Adam Archuleta didn't work out last year. Plus, it's becoming harder and harder to get players in the restricted free agency market. The Redskins will be shopping their first-round pick at the combine with the idea of moving down and getting more draft picks. They will dabble in free agency but not as aggressively as in the past.

Interesting that he thinks we might be trading back. Clayton, I've found has few agenda's, other than reporting on football. Unlike Lenny, and others...

LWC - Pearl Harbor is absolutely the worst movie ever made period. At one point I yelled out in the theater asking someone to please bomb the theater to put us out of our misery.

Jeff Hayes - thanks for the correction on Michael Bay and the 300. He's doing Transfomers which bodes very ill unless he recaptures his Armageddon glory and then it will be magnificently bad. I think based on the trailers for 300 with the non-stop slo mo I assumed it was Bay.

Can we talk about Star Wars Episode II for a moment because it still makes me weep with laughter thinking about it. My favorite scene was when they're on Princess Amadalinejad's planet and the have the Sound of Music moment when they are riding the giant creatures.

That is followed by the bug gladiator scene where the bug swipes at Princess Amalgesics form fitting spandex outfit (one of several hundred she wore) and rips it perfectly at the navel and transforms her into Britney Spears.
A recreation of a scene I wish had been in the movie:
Anakin - 'Natalie Portman, I have to go to the bug planet to rescue Obi Wan. I may not come back. I love you.'
Amaladdin - 'No Anakin I will not let you go alone. I am coming with you. But if you could just wait here for a few hours because I have to go pack my 7000 outfits. A girl has to always be prepared for every occaison and I am not sure what the right ensemble for a rescue from bugs is.'

On the Holdman being the only UFA thing, I'm sure that means that the deal's done, but you have to be a league insider to know it.

Nate had asked about the weather -- I have about 100 yds. of driveway, thankfully got it scraped by my neighbor Wed. morning, because I just spent about four hours hacking my way through the last ten feet in order to get the wife's car out of the garage. There's about a three inch sheet of ice underneath the snow, and with temps in the 20s, it's still pretty dangerous.
That said, I was supposed to get a break from the kids for at least a little while this week. I think I got a half hour Tuesday...

lisa, i hadn't posted in a long while, decades it seems, for me and 4th floor (since he had a drink). and it turns out that 4th hadn't had a drink since i posted. so i posted under "daniel cook" from The Daniel Cook Show on Disney or something. don't want to jinx him.

have a good weekend guys.

ps... lisa, i still can't get over how stupid czabe sounded when he said "monk has TD(s) in the superbowl too". if I knew that stat everyone who watched the SB teams should know that stat let alone "an expert" on all things skins on RADIO.

Okay raise your hand and fingers for every time you made a mix tape for the one you loved and included "Total Eclipse of the Heart" because Bonnie's emoting through the lyrics and the "flashing lightining and thuder sounds" perfectly captured the depth of your viral pre-teen/teen love.

And I need you now tonight (and I need you)
And I need you more than ever
And if you'll only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong together
We can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don't know what to do, I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
- big musical build-up -

I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love
Now I'm only falling apart
Nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart. . . .

Y'all are singing it. You know you are.

AWESOME SONG!

Hi there.

You know you like to Hold my Hand P Diddy.

Hi there.

From Jeremy Green's chat on ESPN.com:

Tootie (Tootsville): Would you rather have Eli Manning, Jason Campbell or Tony Romo as your QB of the future?

Jeremy Green: (4:17 PM ET ) That's a good question. I'd say Jason Campbell at this point. Tony Romo's been in the league for four seasons now. I liked what I saw from Campbell - his arm strength. I think Campbell's going to have a breakout year for the Redskins.

While I hope we stay away from the Mark Twain sweepstakes, I don't see any other way to upgrade at MLB than through free agency.

Mista Kotter, I gotta note... Dear Mista Kotter, Please excuse Epstein from his test today, I died.
Signed, Epsteins Mother

Nate, my take on the snow here in DC. It has not been bad - maybe all the other posters live in the burbs. We have a few snow/ice banks on the street corners but nothing closed down here in the city :-(

Who?
What?
Where?
Why?
When?
Huh?

TIME TO GET DRUNK.....WAAAHOOOOO!!!!!!!!

1) Any cheesy stuff from the 80s-Paul Hardcastle "19", Peter Schilling "Major Tom", Baltimora "Tarzan Boy", and absolutely anything by Sigue Sigue Sputnik

2)I agree with the above takes on Pearl Harbor, Crash, Titanic, etc. Leslie Nielsen once made a movie called "The Creature Wasn't Nice" that was unbelievably horrible, and believe me, I can withstand the worst stuff imaginable, which leads me to my next answer....

3)Arizona Heat, Delta Force

4)Billy Idol

Just received a coporate email concerning the new dates for DST. Taken out of context, this is very funny: "refrain from scheduling meetings across the 3 week timeframe (March 11-April 1.)". I will certainly comply.

The last two days have been very busy at work, so I was just able to scan the recent blogs.

I did see a post from another "Mark". Since my favorite music is still the old Motown stuff, and my teen idol (crush) was Hayley Mills, perhaps I should change to Old Mark.

Good blog stuff yesterday and today.

1) Guilty pleasure music: Justin Timberlake's Justified (don't know why I'm calling this a guilty pleasure it's quite good).

2) Worst awful movie: Anything produced by Golan Globus, especially those Death Wish sequels and Chuck Norris flicks.

3) Greatest awful movie: Purple Rain.

4) Teen Idol: None really. Do boys have teen idols? When I was younger I was a big big OJ Simpson fan. I even wanted a pair of Dingo boots.

1) Guilty pleasure music: Preface I do not own any of this but am not nearly as repulsed by it as a man of my taste should be. The Spice Girls (first album only), early Brit (Hit Me Babay One More Time is a great pop song, no matter what a crappy mom she might be). Rod Stewart (actually even up to the Young Turks/Infatuation stage. Yeah, it's scary, but I'm a big enough man to cop to it and If You Think I'm Sexy is one of the great karaoke tunes ever.

PS- I love the Go-Gos and some might think they fit this category, but those girls came from serious punk roots, Belinda and Jane were way too cute and they had killer hooks and partied like rock stars. they were the real deal, peeps.

2) Worst awful movie: Cocktail. I believe my hatred for this is butressed by the fact the wife loves it (as do all of her sorority sisters). Painful is the rare afternoon we have to chill out on the couch and god forbid it's airing on TBS or something. Makes me want to remove my spleen with my bare hands.

3) Greatest awful movie: Victory (honestly, nothing else is close - a cliche-driven soccer flick with Pele, Michael Cain, and Stallone made when I was like 12 years old How could not hold an enternal flame for this movie.

4) Favorite teen star from youth: Does Madonna count? Let's just say she entered the pop world at a very crucial point in my life. I actually saw her live on the Like A Virgin summer tour at Meriweather Post. And, believe it or not, The Beastie Boys opened up and had all the teenypoppers running to the exits by setting land-speed records for number of F-bombs launched and number of male anatomy jokes in a 30-minute set.

Seriously what happened to John Travolta? He was so good as Barbarino and Danny and SNF. . . stupid scientology.

He's turned into the Stay Puff marshmallow man.

Speaking of which - do they still make fluff? It's an east coast thing for sure cause my kids ain't never heard of it.

Fluffer nutter sanmiches mmmm

By the way if you're wondering why I'm en fuego today on the blog i.e. wishing I'd stop the maddness it's cause I'm giving a test all day and next week I AM ON VACATION!

Oh yeah, more guilty pleasure music: Abba, Adam Ant (The Ant Music CD still gets play on the Ipod, I confess), Culture Club (Do You Really Want To Hurt Me is a great tune).

Some might put Duran Duran here as well, but, like The Go-Gos, they made great music. First two albums were classics. Save A Prayer is still one of my favorite songs. Once they got to The Reflex they lost me, but for a few years there they were bringing it. Nile Rogers is a legend producer and he had them bringing the funk with the base way up in the mix on some tracks.

childhood idol was barry bonds with the six 6 1/2 ball cap. not so much now with the size 8 3/4 cap from the ahem flaxseed oil

I don't have much of a vote on the singing and acting and generally running about thing, but I must say that one of my earliest memories of a woman as Cheryl Tiegs in the fishnet one-piece "swim" suit on the cover of Time.
The author wrote "Questions of taste do not arise"; perhaps not, but a lot of questions did arise, among other things...

J-La nice selections. I was a huge Rod Stewart fan until he sang Forever Young and now I just want to kill him. Same thing happened with Billy Joel - loved him until Uptown Girl.

Baltimora! Woo! And how about "Der Kommisar" by Amadeus. God Germans make crappy rock music except for the Scorps. . .ride me like a hurricane . . .

DC - You heard the Interview too???

That was THE WORST CZABEN INTERVIEW OF ALL TIME. I was waiting for it since he was saying he was gonna get into Adam Schefter, cuz I don't like the dude. BUT, he takes us and Adam around the world asking the DUMBEST Questions just so he can say what AS said was ignorant/made no sense. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.........

DC - You can keep the name dealer. I only meant to stop drinking Henis. I usually drink Remy Every other day, but I was thinking how FREAKIN light you are and how heavy I think I am in my mind so I am basically sort of competing in my mind to get thinner vs you but not as light as you since you are 1 skinny mofo. One of my nightmares is to become a (in Swarttzanaggers's voice) Flab-O-Monster...

This is my longest drought in about 3 years, though. 5 TCCLs for me!

4th- Congrats. Definitely 5 TCCLs for you. 0 TCCLS for me, as I'll sip an extra ounce of GM in your honor tonight!

czaban, is a total assclown. If you are going to bring on someone from the national media to draw him to expain why monk is not in the Hall at least get your facts right! Cause you know as so as schector got off the air, he had some staffer on the phone checking monks superbowl stats.

What f#$k*&G A@#hole

Hey Chris Larry

F czaban

JLaC

The Beastie Boys cite from when they opened for Madonna ROCKS! Every time I tell people about this, they claim I'm bsing them.

Did the BB show at MP have the gigantic penis that soaked the front rows of the audience with beer?

Adam

In the same awful/delightful song category as "19" and "Rock Me Amadeus" I give you... "One Night in Bangkok."

sfskin, you are taking care of business up here today. Love it.

I believe I saw jarred marshmallow fluff recently in a grocery store, out here on the left coast, not sure about the brand name but I think it was Fluff.

http://www.marshmallowfluff.com/pages/Fluff_Finder.cfm

The Fluff Finder is not altogether helpful, but perhaps one of the 'selected Fluff stores' has a branch near you.

J-La...it's Friday and you've got it all.

Abba is a good one. I think I'm reaching for the La Chouffe tonight and it's generous 8% of alcohol.

Again,

My disconnect with you guys are demostrated when it comes to music. Where did all these musicians come from that I neva heard of??

Howard the Duck was Good. I like all of the Preppy Teen Movies (Name it, I'll like it). Showgirls was quite good to me...

What about Lisa Turtle people? I'll even take Jesse Spano before Kelly. I make my 1yr old and 8 yr old watch Saved by the Bell every morining while I am making thier lunches from 7 - 8 am on TBS.

When I wake in the Morning and alarm starts to ignore me, and I think I'll never make it on time....
By the time I grab my books and Give myself a look, I'm at the corner just in time to see the bus fly by...
It's allright, Cuz I'm saved by the Bell!!

the local radia station in Philly (WMMR) used to run an Amadeus parody song called "Ooh, Eat Me I'm a Danish". freaking hysterical.

They also used to play Alice's Restaurant at least 6-10 times on Turkey Day. I'd put this song in the guilty pleasures section, but it's so much more than that since for several Thanksgivings, it may have been the only thing that stopped the shouting/arguing during the family meal

Adam

Funny that no one mentioned "Swordfish". I love that scene with Hugh Jackman. You know exactly which one I'm talking about.

Golan Globus: brilliant reference. Absolutely brilliant.

I'm debating the alcohol this evening. No, not whether or not to drink, and not even whether or not to get blitzed. I'm debating whether it's a gin, tequila, vodka, or red wine night. My date tonight is a bartender. She's going to drink me under the table, but I'm okay with that, I really am. Seriously.

4th - who was your go to at age 13 music wise frequently guilty pleasures come from that moment.

Adam- Action News theme song rules. I went through a bunch of old news clips today and newscasts were waaay cooler 25 years ago. The music, the talent, the stories. These days...f it...we're going to hell in a handbasket people.

Fluff- I remember catching those guys with Jawbreaker at the Black Cat back in the glorious '90s...great show.

To my great embarrassment, I had not one but two Loverboy records. Hey we are still Workin' for the Weekend, right?

Well, when I was 13, I was a rebellious SOn of a Gun. My boy Eazy E came out with '187 Um' and My song was Real Compton City Gs. He basically b*tch slapped Dre and Snoop.

Hmm, Arrested Development? Naw, they were cool....

...still love Eazy, NWA, the first few Ice Cube records

Here's a great Loverboy review someone posted on Amazon. It doesn't get more insightful than this...

The vinyl album's second side began with another MTV and rock radio staple Lucky Ones which its lyrics talk about how some people have better luck than others. Another great social commentary by the band.

SMACK, the Loverboy references made me remember the great/terrible Billy Squier.

I dug his first record (featuring "The Stroke") but was really, really into "Rock Me Tonite," the hit single from his great/terrible 1982 album 'Emotions in Motion.' Something tells me that song had an awful video as well.

And I really liked the Bryan Adams 'Reckless' album with "Summer of '69." I like how in the dumb video he played "himself" in flashbacks to the summer of '69, which when I did the math made it seem like he was about fifty years old. Or maybe it was the craggy face which made me think that.

Boy, once it starts these blasts from the past keep comin.'

One last: I knew all the words to "We Are the World" and all the participants. I say participants rather than musicians because Dan Aykroyd somehow snuck into the back row, and I love the dude, but he should have been barred from that studio.

You're treading on dangerous ground now... soon, somebody's going to go for it and mention Michael Bolton. Then everyone will have a meeting to go to.

I have a dumb question: If an NFL player is selected to the Pro Bowl but he does not play - either because of injury or ala Tom Brady simply chooses to forego it - does it still count on his NFL "resume" or on the player who replaces him?

I'm just curious....

Can't forget the one hit wonders from when I was 13: Dexy's Midnight Runners- Come on Eileen, and Kajagoogoo- Too Shy.

Nate,
I love the people who bought this also bought this feature on Amazon. Loverboy runs with...

April Wine
Night Ranger
REO Speedwagon
Foreigner

and, wait for it

Billy Squire

It turns out that 80s music is actually magnificent. I know everyone says this but I feel like the crap pop today doesn't hold a candle.

Please give me the 90s/00s equivalent to:

Kajagoogoo - Too Shy
Asia - Don't Cry
Yes - Owner of the Lonely Heart
Corey Hart - I Weat My Sunglasses at Night
Flock of Seagulls - any song
Howard Jones - No One is to Blame
Eddie Murphy - My Girl Wants to Part All the Time
Dude who sang - I Always Feel like somebody's watching me and dozens more.

It just isn't the same. Listen Flock of Seagulls hair alone makes the 80s.

sfskin- That's Rockwell! Can't believe I forgot to mention that.

And "Maniac"- the Flashdance song. Who did that?

Lisa, that's a great question. I wonder if, for example, Sean Taylor's last-minute addition to the game means he will be hereafter considered a Pro Bowler.

Get them while they're hot!

http://store.redskins.com/productinfo.asp?item=324&deptcode1=512&sn=1

OK, OK

Here's a one-hit wonder that sometimes gets stuck in my head for days at a time. The song is "Break My Stride," the guy you've never heard of is Matthew Wilder.

"Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
Nobody's gonna slow me down, oh no
I got to keep on moving
Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
I'm running and I won't touch ground, oh no
I got to keep on moving"

It's not a guilty pleasure, but it's not exactly cool, either: Paul Simon's "Graceland."

Okay, the hit single "You Can Call Me Al" was regrettable -- whoa, there's Chevy Chase hamming it up in the video! -- but that album was terrific. The collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo alone puts this one over the top.

We gonna rock onto Electric Avenue
and then we take it higher.

Great one Nate. Ugh- now I'm singing it in my head. Quick..."Tainted Love" by Soft Cell!

Nate,
That is possibly one of the worst songs of the 20th century. It ranks right up there with Tiny Tim and "Alone Again Naturally".

I'm hoping this hasn't been put out there but "Break My Stride" by some-dude-who's-name-turns-out-to-be-Matthew Wilder (It's a Wiki-world and we're all just contributing to it).

Sampled by Diddy's namesake later on . . . and please don't let the Reaper's Pro Bowl junket count. Next thing you know, Double-Move will claim HE was one because he started in the backfield with a guy who happened to go . . . and his missing on the unstoppable double-move allowed all those voters (ok: fill-in voters) to see the Reap getting futilely close as D-M's man ran into the end-zone.

Brief break from resume-polishing only, thanks y'all.

Electric Avenue via YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtPk5IUbdH0

The 80's may have been great, but now, we have WEEN! If you ever have the chance to see them in concert...do it! This might be the oddest video ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kkJPiTIyZ8

DAM YOU, Nate. You're, like, omniscient or some shti. And I'm a painfully slow typist.

Rule 36d. of blogging: always, ALWAYS refresh before sending . . .

SMACK, the 'also bought list' featured April Wine.

One of the best little recurring jokes in the brilliantly funny Canadian teevee mock-reality series 'Trailer Park Boys' is that the main character, Ricky. loves April Wine.

At the end of the Trailer Park Boys movie -- shot in the same mock-reality style -- Ricky, deadly earnest, addresses the audience and outlines his plans for the evening (I'm paraphrasing because of course I was half in the bag when I saw this):

"I'm gonna smoke some dope, get drunk with my friends, then get in my car, put on some April Wine and have sex with my girlfriend."

hopefully there are some boobies in my future 2 night!

hopefully there are some boobies in my future 2 night!

sfskin-
If you liked "Owner of A Lonely Heart" by Yes (West), then do yourself a favor and find the CD it came from (90125) and listen to "Hearts". (Yes lead singer Jon Anderson also does it on one of his solo albums - slightly different arrangement.)

Was Lionel Richie the 80's or the 90's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDY52SAL3Aw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c7dONn9cNo&NR

Who would have guessed he would have been the less annoying and more talented of the Richie clan?

Adam

stevie- What's Carlos Rogers gonna do now...he's got "gonna break my stride" coming at him from two directions with you and Nate. He might just fall down, cry, and throw up in his mouth a little.

Lionel Richie, who could ever forget his timeless great/awful video for "Hello." Admit it, that album had us all dancin' on the ceiling.

And I know the 80's were weird and all, but something still strikes me as odd about Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson dueting on "Ebony and Ivory."

Good grief, I meant Stevie Wonder...

Nate, I liked the Joe Piscapo/Eddie Murphy version of that song better.

Adam