across the universe.

February 10, 2008
hfgds
the latino illuminatti.

as compared to the tales recounted by that giant fan who snuck into the team’s private celebration last week, i don’t have anything quite so interesting to say. nevertheless, i think i am finally done with my super bowl hangover and ready to get back into the swing of things. i thought a sports-related post might serve as a nice little transition… so without further adieu, here is me pontificating about the athletic achievements of others:

- the lakers look pretty damned serious now that pau gasol is playing in los angeles. all the talk about kobe skipping town has subsided – i guess bitching and whining truly does net you some results in this world. i wouldn’t expect that this is a championship formula for the lakers, but who knows? no other western conference team has really stood up to claim the “top dog” position.

bgd
gasol good?

some folks think that phoenix acquiring shaq makes them serious players. i’m not a believer yet, simply because the big man’s body has broken down (even during miami’s title run). the suns like up-tempo basketball, and need to preserve shaq’s health for the playoffs. when the tempo slows to the typical post-season crawl, he may turn out to be effective. i will say this: i would pay all sorts of cash money to see kobe versus shaq in the playoffs this year.

- paul williams had no business losing to carlos quintana on saturday night. so much for his being touted as the man who had the talent to beat floyd mayweather. williams was hit by every left-handed punch possible. seriously, did he spend the entire time training for this bout against amputees? i’m pretty sure that after the fight i saw an elderly woman in the parking lot land a solid left to paul williams’ jaw.

that was an embarrassing fight for williams, but this bout proved to be another proud moment for puerto rican boxing. the ricans have three welterweight boxing champions at the same time (miguel cotto, kermit cintron, and now quintana). too bad miguel cotto already wiped the floor with carlos quintana, or we might have to stage a boricua elimination match.

opiu- the success of quintana only slightly dulls the pain felt after watching the once legendary felix “tito” trinidad get butchered by roy jones jr. this was a fight that never should have occurred in the first place. why? for the simple reason that in order to calculate the combined ages of these fighters one needs access to radioactive carbon dating equipment.

tito has never in his life been able to find success against boxers who naturally fight in higher weight classes (see: bernard hopkins). in addition to that, trinidad had been on the shelf for a few years while roy had been busy fighting the chump of the month. all the pre-fight indicators spelled doom – and doom is exactly what trinidad received. hopefully, tito will keep his ass on the sidelines and stop ruining his own legacy.

- it’s been a week, now. the moment after i forked over some money to buy the sports illustrated fanboy “thrill pack,” i put in some research time and tried to find another play that could top it. no results. the final tallies are in… this play is without a doubt the greatest in super bowl history:

evWFV

- it sucks that HBO has finally cancelled “inside the NFL.” while the commentary was always mediocre, i absolutely loved their unique brand of highlights. for those of you who don’t appreciate the sport, i invite you to check out some field-level slow motion video of game action. baring witness to the physics of professional football can be pretty jaw dropping.

i’ve always compared it to watching slow motion replays of pool balls ricocheting off one another, or frame by frame photos of a bullet being fired from a gun. those shots, along with the candid commentary of players and coaches on the sidelines made the program worthwhile. i expect the NFL network will co-opt this type of programming somehow, but i’m still sad to learn such a brilliant show has come to an end.

- it would appear that the best pitcher in baseball – johan santana – is now a new york met. while i applaud general manager omar minaya’s plan to transform queens into the mecca of latino baseball, i’m not sure this move is enough to win my heart back. the sting of last season’s collapse is too harsh. this was the type of move the mets needed LAST SEASON in order to slow their free fall. hopefully, santana can help prevent any similar slides from occurring this go ‘round. i remain skeptical, and cautiously optimistic.

yt
perfect.

- the miami dolphins are officially groupies for the 2007 ny giants. even so i have to admit that the perfectville ads during the super bowl were great comedy. peace to reebok for also releasing the alternate version that featured the patriots winning the game. another fine twist: these commercials invited me to recall fiona apple’s cover of across the universe, which was done for the pleasantville soundtrack. “nothing’s gonna change my world,” indeed, 1972 undefeated dolphins…

jai guru deva om.

(RIP maharishi mahesh yogi)


the new york giants and my unbridled joy.

January 21, 2008
sdvz
my face aches from smiling.

******

its taken a few hours to get my head wrapped around the idea that the giants are going to the super bowl… but they are. this really happened. the general mis-en-scene in my brain is disbelief, mixed with unbridled joy, mixed with even more disbelief. also: that pleasant buzz that washes over you in the wake of an adrenaline crash. exhausting, but delicious.

and now that a few hours have passed, i have been able to reflect upon some things the previous evening’s events have taught me:

vss8. field goal kickers have been placed on this earth for the sole purpose of testing your will to live. after the super bowl is over, lawrence tynes and i are going to have a fist-fight.

7. the $1.99 i spent on one of those squishy stress relief balls was the best investment i’ve made in years. i surely would have suffered a stroke without it.

6. certain white people seem to think that they are impervious to frostbite. WHY?

erfv
fuckouttahere.

5. the cowboys and packers had no business being flummoxed by new york’s secondary. regardless of their being outmatched, the giants defense has proven to be phenomenally clutch.

4. tiki barber is now the new poster child for the “ewing theory.” still glad you retired, #21?

3. if everyone expects you to lose, then the pressure to confound those expectations is relieved. life as the underdog truly set the giants free. for what its worth, the patriots are already favored by two touchdowns in the super bowl.

2. this year eli manning has been the anti-peyton… mediocre in the regular season, brilliant in the playoffs. i can live with that.

1. eddie murphy knew this was going to happen all along:

respect goes to the packers for putting up an incredible fight, thereby making the giant’s victory that much more memorable. to my giants – kiss that hallas trophy and appreciate the amazing moment that your talent and passion has afforded you. just remember… your story needs a brilliant ending before it can truly be considered a classic.

FEW

one last jab at dallas cowboys fans.

January 19, 2008
ger
but wait, it gets funnier. 

far be it from me to heap any additional misery on to the lives of dallas fans…but this video is hilarious:

you know who else was a cowboys fan? HITLER!

 

yes, i’m petty.


ny giants enjoy win, terrell owens’ popcorn.

January 14, 2008
gdfs
how ’bout them cowboys?

now, before i say what i have to say about you-know-who… let me examine the positive:

the ny giants beat the dallas cowboys last night in gut-wrenching fashion. as a giants fan, i am of course ecstatic. i couldn’t be more impressed with eli manning’s new found poise, and the courage the new york defense showed. the d was thoroughly out-gunned, and this was true before half the squad found themselves injured. despite their disadvantages, the giants held one of the best offenses in football to 17 points. IN DALLAS.

afgsdamazing.

that 21-17 win was easily the highlight of the football season for me. no matter what happens the rest of the way, i’ll remember this giants team and be proud.

regarding that “other” matter…

you know, you go through life trying to be a good person. you try to do right by your friends, family, and neighbors while scraping out an honest life as best you can. but despite those efforts to live righteously, you often find that the arrogant, deceitful assholes of the world succeed more than they fail… and you’re left to wonder why whatever force that controls the universe allows such travesties of justice.

and then a humiliating / pathetic moment happens for an epic douchebag like terrell owens that restores your faith in the concept of balance and order in the universe.

if that sounds cold, remember that terrell owens is the same guy who when beefing with his old quarterback suggested to the MEDIA that dude was gay. the same T-O that accused everyone in the press of being racist because he didn’t get enough attention during the super bowl. the same terrell owens that spit in the face of an atlanta falcons player last year (no, it wasn’t michael sfdvick). the same terrell owens that is known to taunt fans and disrespect opponents, and even went out of his way to embarrass one of his own teammates (see: donovan mcnabb).

ever the attention seeking self-promoter, T-O is famous for encouraging people to “get their popcorn ready” to watch him. congratulations, ass-hat. NOW you have my attention:

gdf

clinton portis is hilarious.

January 5, 2008
jerome
southeast jerome is no mohel.

even though i am a ny giants fan, i absolutely LOVE clinton portis. i know pemora is with me when i say that clinton portis has got to be the funniest professional athlete around. if not the funniest, then certainly the most bizarre.

this week – with an improbable playoff game looming for the washington redskins – clinton portis has insisted that his teammate santana moss has become quicker and more aerodynamic. why? because of his recent circumcision:

…the showstopper was obviously Clinton Portis, who has been insisting all week that Santana Moss’s play has taken off since he was circumcised. He was at it again today, repeatedly.

rvfad“He had the big one. I told you, he tried to take a manly step at 29,” Portis said, overstating Moss’s age by one year. “After he took that step, his healing process, he’s getting better. He’s getting better every day.”

Later, Portis said how he had learned so much more about his teammates this year, in turn allowing him to be a better teammate. I asked what he had learned.

“Santana to go that long without getting his tail clipped, that was the most interesting to me,” Portis said. LINK

GRIMEY!

i love clinton, but blowing up his boy’s spot is like that is downright foul. FUNNY… but foul. still, funny is nothing new to CP. i’ve always been a fan how he does press interviews while portraying ridiculous characters in equally absurd costumes. my all-time favorite has got to be “southeast jerome,” but choo-choo is not to be slept on either:

choo-choo teaches endzone dancing.

sadly, those shenanigans are just the tip of the iceberg. portis has a whole collection of alter egos that you should take a moment to check out on his website.

bwre
drugs are BAD.

i’ve never been one to criticize the next man for acting the fool. sure, it may be a distraction for some other players, but who cares? sports are supposed to be entertaining, and this cat definitely amuses. he’s sort of like the kool keith of athletes. so props to you, CP… like how you’re living. just be easy when you’re playing my boys twice a year, and i’ll stay rooting for you on general principle.

P.S. – clinton, i’m not so sure that aerodynamics work like you think they do. you may want to investigate that a bit further…