Welcome to Dallas ~ let's get the NBA All-Star weekend started

I'm in Dallas waiting on my friend to get here so here we go...

Earlier today, I barely made my flight.  Traffic was moving so slowly, and most lanes were blocked due to snow banks.  Thankfully the flight was delayed, and YES, I should've left earlier.  I had checked in online, like a good Silver Preferred Dividend Miles member and then hustled to the airport to print out the boarding pass and check my bag.

Quick question: Are the parents of unaccompanied minors allowed to use the Dividend Preferred/First Class line?!?!  My stance, is NO.  Somebody tell me if I'm wrong.

While waiting to board my flight, I was listening to the gate announcements.  At issue was a flight to New Orleans.  Evidently these passengers have been stuck at the airport for a while.  The gate agent announces 5-6 names and then mutters into the microphone, "We're not going to board these people."  Say whaaaaaaaaaaat?  I can only imagine.  Then the same guy made an announcement asking for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for $500 vouchers.  When there were no takers, he made another announcement, "One of the people in the boarding area just had a suicide in the family and needs to get to New Orleans."  Seriously!?!?  Isn't that too much information?  Couldn't he have just said, there was a death in someone's family?

While waiting, I charged my iphone and started chatting it up with a guy from New Orleans who was trying to go home.  We started talking about Drew Brees.  For any of you that are Drew Brees fans and/or saw that video of him leading a cheer at a local bar (i.e. I saw the clip yesterday while watching "Rome is Burning") ~ that bar's name is Lucy's.  Have fun tracking him down.

Boarded the plane and then this oddly shaped older man ends up having the seat next to me.  He's shorter and kinda resembles an "egg" since he was roundest in the middle.  The egg goes to sit next to me and then notices his seat is wet.  I look and there appear to be 3-4 drops of water on his seat.  He asks me if handbag is leaking.  Really?!?!  Why would I carry anything in my Dior that would leak.  Then he says he's going to get some napkins.  My inside voice is saying "Whatever, egg...  Do what you want...  I didn't get your seat wet."  I ignored him and didn't say a word to him the entire flight.  I don't like eggs.

We get to Dallas, where the 12 inches of snow has begun to melt.  It's on the ground, but the roads are clear.  I take a cab to the hotel.  Incidentally, I see a building with a large picture of Dirk Nowitzki (duh, he plays for Dallas) and LeBron James.  Noticeably absent was Kobe Bryant.  Just saying.

Where's Kobe? 

$50 later (i.e. for the cab), I'm at the hotel surrounded by a bunch of kids with basketballs to be signed and plenty of people with cameras.  They're all camped out in the lobby.  NBA signs are everywhere and the minimum height in the lobby for adult men, has to be about 6'5".  It's either NBA All-Star weekend or I got lost and ended up at a pituitary gland disorder conference.  What's a pituitary gland, you ask?  All you need to know is that it has to do with growth hormone and it makes you tall.  You have more questions?  Well then, "Google" it... :-P

I try to check in and my name's not the primary name on the reservation.  I expected that.  Problem was, I was also not the secondary name on the reservation.  After a quick call from my friend to the Front Desk Manager, I'm "checked in" and starving.  I drop the bags off in the room and go back downstairs to survey the scene and figure out if I want to eat in a restaurant or have room service.  I cover some ground and then hit the main entrance, where within about 5 mins of checking into the hotel ~ there he is, Danny Ferry.

I immediately turn around, walk the other way and decide room service it is.  I'm not in the mood to run into/talk to/make eye contact/interact with him on ANY level after our interaction in 2008.  I can be nice and ignore him, but I'm not sure the opposite is true.

I relayed the story to my friend earlier today, before she boarded her plane and she just said, "Welcome to NBA All-Star."  HAHA.  It's going to be a long weekend!

Incidentally, did anyone check out the Rookies v Sophomores game and see Craig Sager?  Here's a pic I took of him on TV.  Yes, the TV colors are correct,  that's really Craig Sager's suit.  It hurts my eyes.

Only, Craig Sager would wear a suit like that!  :-P

THE WIRK

Valentine's Day AND NBA All-Star weekend! What could be better?!?!

My favorite day of the year, VALENTINE'S DAY, is approaching... I CAN'T wait to celebrate it in Dallas, surrounded by my first love ~ the NBA :-P

I've dated my share of  guys throughout my years on this planet.  For most of my life, I was someone's girlfriend.  When I was 24 I got engaged to someone who plays in the NBA and 2 years after that, although the relationship ended  ~ I'm still lucky/haunted enough to see him running up and down the court on national TV or in person.  Incidentally I'd laid eyes on him in person, 3 years prior during NBA All-Star weekend in Cleveland, although he doesn't remember and I wasn't sure who he was...  Haha.  That was a fun time of my life, when life was (for the most part) easy...  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ~ but that's not the point of this post.

I love basketball.  Yes, I enjoy football, baseball, hockey, and tennis.  Who doesn't appreciate the beauty of the completed pass that's run into the end zone for a touchdown or the occasional Pick 6 (i.e. when it doesn't happen against my Colts in the Super Bowl)?!?!  Who doesn't want to sit in the sun and have a hotdog and beers with friends in the summer, while hoping for a homerun at each at bat?!?!  Who doesn't want to see a hockey fight and then watch the game end in a shootout?!?!  Who wouldn't ask to be bumped off of her flight in 2008, when Nadal and Federer were battling for the Wimbledon championship (i.e.  Yes, I did it, and I have no regrets)?!?!  But at the end of the day I love basketball...

Basketball is fast.  For the most part you have 10 guys who are moving all the time.  It's a timed game: 48 minutes of game time, so unlike baseball ~ you make plans afterwards, since unless there's overtime, you know when you're going to be free.  Basketball players don't wear helmets ~ in fact, the closest you'll get to a helmet is if a player is suffering from a broken nose, and even then it's more Phantom of the Opera-ish...  Basketball is indoors and therefore, fans don't have to sit through rain delays, falling snow, or extreme temperatures.  There are 82 regualr season games...  Therefore, every couple of days a true fan can indulge in watching their team on TV or live...  For all these reasons and more, basketball is king.

I like people, and I love people watching.  In particular, I pay special attention to the psychology of sports.  You can see it in an athlete's eyes, walk, shoulders, etc. whether or not he's given up or his heart is still in the game.  Watch the huddles during a time out and you can see which players don't care and who the natural leader is on the team.  A coach is a coach, but each team needs an alpha that holds the other men on his team accountable on the court and in the locker room.

You learn a lot about the make-up of players by how they handle the "fake" fouls called on them, the "incidental" contact made on them by their defenders, their preparation at the free throw line, how they react when they shoot and miss, their decision to pass rather than shoot, and how the celebrate the win/loss.  At the end of the game, you witness the humanity or inhumanity of an athlete.  Whether they can muster enough strength to do a post-game interview, shake their opponents hand, or even permit themselves to be strong enough to cry tears of joy.  I watch athletes very closely and that's why even the most boring games can interest me.

I love people, and one of the most influential people in my life is my dad.  My dad is taller, 6'2" and I've always had an appreciation for tall.  Before my brother developed an appreciation for sports, it would be my dad and I watching the NBA on TNT.  I had a basketball hoop and played with a Dr. J basketball growing up.  I'd buy the Sporting New's NBA Preview magazine every year and study it more than I ever studied any book in my life.  I saved those old issues, and I refuse to throw them away ~ they're like family albums, since they've been with me all these years.  From those issues, I could tell you the names of teams, players, and coaches.  I was never a stats girl, but I could tell you where the player went to school, and if he was a journey-men, I could name the teams where he played previously in his career.  I never collected basketball cards, but I still have a Patrick Ewing basketball card, and I think it came out of an Olympics' themed cereal box.  I know where that card is ~ and I look for it every time I go back to my mom's house and make sure it's still there on my dresser and not thrown out.  I love my sports memorabilia (i.e. almost as much as I love my designer handbags), and my family knows not to touch the stuff (i.e. that I store at their houses) and not to throw it away.  Toss away old clothes as much as you like, but don't touch my sports stuff.

I've often contemplated law school, but at this point in my life, I never found a convincing reason to go.  I'm sure my father would like me to go into corporate law, but to be honest sports agency was appealing.  Remember the show Arliss?  I do.  It was entertaining.  However, after the NBA Lockout, I never really saw the need for an agent once the salaries were more or less predetermined by the CBA (e.g. collective bargaining agreement).  Further, once I actually met some sports agents, I decided that that path wasn't for me.

Valentine's Day connotes love to me, and love is born out of trust and consistency. Basketball has been as consistent a force in my life as my family.  Basketball games are where I would bond with my brother on my visits to Duke, with my father on Friday nights when I was in my teens (i.e. because he was strict and always tried to keep me at home), and where I would take my friends back when you couldn't GIVE AWAY Cavs tickets in the pre-Lebron era at the old Gund Arena.  I looked forward to seeing my basketball family of players, wives and girlfriends, ushers, and security, 41 times a year in Cleveland for 4 years.  Unsurprisingly players and coaches leave and find new gigs on different teams, and therefore my network expanded to numerous cities.  All-Star weekend is one time of year when we can all take a break and get together in one location, reminisce, make new friends, and celebrate our love of the game together.

Last Valentine's Day I got a ring and the stone fell out 6 months later.  YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!!  Talk about a "sign".  Forget about going to Jared's...  For anyone looking to get me a present this year, below is my suggestion.  Talk about an upgrade from the ball, I played with when growing up...

 
















THE WIRK

Wow... Now, Zydrunas has a puppet... Ummm ~ Thank you, Nike!?!?!

Any Cavs or NBA fan has probably noticed that the "handshake" with Lebron is different (depending on who you are), but I have officially seen it ALL now with these Nike's MVPuppets...  GO CAVS!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ytOjwv5lbQ




THE WIRK

The Blind Side ~ Yes, I'm going to read a book

Alright, better late than never. I'm going to start and try to finish "The Blind Side" before I go and see the movie later this week. My friend, Ricky, wore Ravens' purple when we were in Indianapolis for the Ravens v Colts game and wouldn't stop talking about Michael Oher. Additionally, Ricky went to Ole Miss and so did Michael Oher.

I was at the Philly airport on my way back from Miami, saw the book, and decided to grab it. People always say that the book is better than the movie, and this movie has been receiving rave reviews. Sooooo, we shall see...

Let's hope my attention span can handle the read...

Buy the book, and check it out for yourself. It's not even $10...


THE WIRK

Super Bowl XLIV ~ Saints 31 - Colts 17, but the score doesn't tell the story

Yesterday I went to Super Bowl XLIV...  It was my first Super Bowl ever.  Notice, I said "first", which implies maybe there's a "second" or a "third", etc.  You never know..  I could score another ticket and go again...  As long as I'm breathing, there's always a chance!

Transportation to Sun Life Stadium was provided.  We meet up with a group of guys and we're off to the stadium ~ we probably left close to 1:30 and were parked by about 3.  Plenty of time to check out the scene, take a few pics outside, buy a program, get some grub, and sit in the seats to take in the whole experience.  My brother has been to the Super Bowl before.  He lives in South Beach.    Soooo, guess who got to go also?!?!  This girl!!!!  I've been a Colts fan since 2002, when I dated Jason.  Jason and I met when I lived in Atlanta.  He was from Indiana and a huge Colts fan, and I ended up falling in love with the team and having such a great time at the RCA Dome  and in Indy a few times a year, that I adopted the team also.  I went with Jason and his friends to the AFC Championship game in 2004, and saw the Colts lose to the Patriots at Gillette...  Yes, this is serious and I told you I was a Colts fan...

I didn't go to the Super Bowl 3 years ago.  I didn't see Prince and watch the Colts win it all.  Have you ever looked at ticket prices for the Super Bowl?!?!!?  Wow.  They definitely make it tough for the gen pop (i.e. general population = those of us without agents, grammys, oscars, guaranteed contracts, etc.) to get into the stadium!  This was going to be my year.

I started chronicling this year's football travels, in this blog, with my trip to the new Cowboys Stadium and then subsequently stopped off in Indy and Minneapolis on my way to the Super Bowl.  Incidentally, I hit Heinz Field earlier this year also.  Obviously I kept up with the NFL season, but I skipped traveling to the AFC and NFC Championship games.  I was exhausted from the travels the week before.  Lucky for me, early last week my brother sent me an email asking me what was better: (a) lowers in the corner or (b) uppers in the center...  The answer for me was obvious ~ lowers in the corner as long as corner didn't translate to "endzone".  Sure enough, he was asking, since one of those tickets would be mine!!!

Insert happy dance.

On the "coach" to the stadium, we hear about an auction the night before at the Hard Rock in Laudy and that there were a couple of tickets to the Grammy's and a Grammy's after party up for bid.  I love my brother, because he thought the same thing I did.  We both asked if the guy had another pair of tickets.  The guy makes a call and leaves a voicemail.  So now, we wait...  Seriously ~ how cool would it be to go to the Grammys?!?! 

Around the stadium, I was so excited to see more people in Colts' blue walking towards the building.  In the security line it seemed like the Saints to Colts fan ratio was about 5:1.  I have no idea why I had a pack of about 6 Jets fans (in Jets jerseys) to my right.  Carlos, a Jets fan, was cool though...  Oh well ~ to each their own.  Security was tight ~ bags bigger than 12X12 inches weren't permitted.  My Dior made it through.  I don't even want to get into what sort of scene would've occurred if my bag had to stay out. There would've been a problem...

They have rides at the Super Bowl!

On the concourse for $22 you could have a Cuban sandwich and for about the same price you can have some freshly cooked paella.  I found that interesting ~ loved the fact they featured local food, but seriously, $22 <-- really?!!?  The Saints fan in front of my brother had the paella (which looked AMAZING) and then proceeded to fall asleep for the 1st HALF of the game!  I couldn't believe it.  LOL.  It's almost as if he knew that his team would have very little for him to see in the 1st half!  His buddy said his friend hadn't slept in 2 days.  I believe it.  It'd been a party in South Beach the past few days, regardless if you went to a star-studded party or not!

Steve Winwod's performance at the Tailgate Party was being broadcast in the stadium.  I'm actually not sure if he sang anything except for "Higher Love".  Emmit Smith was getting his picture taken with the Zebras before the game.  Queen Latifah sang "America the Beautiful".  Carrie Underwood sang the "National Anthem".  Ashton Kutcher was with Demi Moore on the Colts' sideline and he was shooting pictures ~ perhaps it was another Nikon add in the making... 

Emmit Smith with the Zebras

Ashton Kutcher next to Demi Moore

Did I mentioned that our seats were amazing?!?!!  Row 9. 9...  Yes, I said 9. The seats were in the Lower Level.  Santa Claus came early this year!!!  The seats were just perfect.  Free and perfect.  I couldn't have been happier.  It was a little cooler temperature wise, but there was no rain ~ excellent, fall football type weather!

The teams were warming up and I noticed Freeney was in uniform and running through some drills.  That was reassuring.  Everyone on the Colts looked loose, but focused.

Freeney was ready to play

Coin toss - Saints won it.

Game started and it looked like the Colts would have the game.  "3 and Out" described the Saints' performance.  The Saints finally had a first down and the place erupted.  Very little trash talking was going on.  People were focused on the game and let's face it, the game was a tight one.  At the half, the score was 10-6.  Colts had the lead, but there was a noticeable/palpable lack of ease on behalf of Colts fans.  Where was the expected Colts scoring surge?!?!  Shouldn't we have at least another touchdown?!?!  Did I miss something?

Colts offense

The extra point was good!

Saints offense

I saw myself on the jumbotron twice during the 2nd Quarter.  That was pretty cool and the exact reason why I own that lime green sweater!  Haha.

The Who came out at the half and did their thing.  I recognized a few of their songs, but I didn't do the cell phone movements that were broadcast on the screen so that the crowd could participate in their performance.  For those of you, who see me, I'll demonstrate the moves if you want ~ but trust me, they're not that special.  The performance was good ~ but, it was no Prince... 

The Who onstage

The Who up close.

At the start of the 2nd half, if you have a TV, you already know what happened.  The Saints' trick play...  Sean Payton was a genius ~ ONLY because the play worked.  If it would've failed and the Saints had lost, I'm sure he would be crucified all day long and there'd be a joke about him that would be told every year.  I could've sworn that onside kick was a mistake by the Saints' team ~ I didn't expect it.  From the looks of the replay, neither did Hank Baskett since the ball bounced off of his helmet.  @#$%@$#@#@!#   For all you ladies, out there ~ Hank is married to former Playboy Playmate, Kendra.  Among other credits, she was featured in the Girls Next Door show on E.

Were my eyes deceiving me, but I swear I saw Matt Stover miss a field goal in the 4th Quarter.  $#%^$%#$@#  I watched the 4th Quarter with such a sense of urgency, and yet I felt hollow.  It was almost as if the Saints had deflated me.  Unbelievable. Yet I still thought that the Colts were still "in it" since we were driving and had a little more than 3.5 mins left in the game.  With a little more than 3.5 mins in the game, and a Saint's player down on the field, I decided I could run up the steps to the bathroom and make it back before play resumed.  Yes, I have tiny tanks.  Believe it or not, I did make it back in time.  I made it back in time to watch Tracy Porter pick off Peyton Manning's throw to Reggie Wayne.  I turned my back, and when I got back I witnessed a "Pick 6" that resulted in a 74 yard return for a TOUCHDOWN...  &^%^%#$@$#!@!

For those of you trivia buffs ~ Porter is also the guy that picked off Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game.  I'll never forger that guy's name.  Did you know he's from Louisiana, but went to Indiana?  Neither did I...

Saints win!

Now THAT'S a lot of confetti!

The final score was 31 to 17.  The score doesn't tell the story, but it's all that most people will remember.  At the end of the game I think I was just trying to take it all in...  "I'm sorry," my brother said.  What's there to be sorry about?  Sure, I wanted the Colts to win.  Yes, I was bummed about the outcome ~ but I was able to go from "start to finish" more or less with a Super Bowl weekend and experience.  I saw the Saits' franchise win their first Super Bowl ever.  And even though, they lost ~ I can say that I saw my Colts in the Super Bowl...  Not many people can say that.  And I did it for FREE, so even though the Saints knocked the wind right out of me ~ I'm gonna be just fine!

My phone died right after the game.  I think it was the ATT&T gods trying to save me, so I wouldn't "lose it" as all my friends who were Saints fans started blowing up my phone.  I get a text from a friend that he's headed to LIV at the Fountainebleau.  I was not going to go.  I had nothing to celebrate and I was mentally exhausted.  My brother and I went for a slice of pizza as we headed back to his car.

I got home and my friend Jack who's also watching Sportscenter starts blasting texts to me about points he wants me to include in this blog.  Jack is a Redskins fan, but let's not hold that against him.  He does make some points that I agree with and one that I'll take his word for.

• Jack: "The Saints appeared to have a better game plan."  My thoughts: The Saints kept Manning off the field.  It reminded me of the Georgetown v Villanova game in 1985 , when the Wildcats slowed down the offense and basically just "held the ball"... Manning can't be effective if he's not on the field.
• Jack: "The commercials were mad weak, u missed nothing."  My thoughts:  I'll take his word for it.
• Jack: "The Saints have like 13 contracts up of starters."  My thoughts: I just saw this stat on TV and I counted about 10 unrestricted/restricted free agents.
• Jack: "I bet they (i.e. the Saints) go 6-10 next year."  My thoughts:  We shall see.
• Jack: "Gregg Williams was the X factor."  My thoughts: I needed Jack to explain this one and tell me who Gregg Williams was ~ but based on this link, that my brother just sent me: http://espn.go.com/blog/NFCNorth/post/_/id/9853/jumping-the-colts-routes, Jack is correct.
• Jack: "Both are class acts"  My thoughts:  He was referring to Brees and Manning.  I watched the post-game interviews on TV and I agree.  Brees was gracious as a winner, and as the loser you could see the frustration in Manning's face and hear the irritation in his voice, but he said all the right things.  I felt like the reporters were trying to get Manning to "flip out", but he handled the questions fairly well.

I'm watching TV now and it turns out the TV rating for Super Bowl XLIV surpassed the numbers for the final episode of "Mash".  Yes, I witnessed history...  Thank you!  Thank you!!  Thank you!!!  :-P

My brother and I after the game

THE WIRK

Saturday before the Super Bowl ~ DirecTV Celebrity Beach Bowl, All American Rejects, and Lario's

I need to go to sleep, since my brother informed me that we're leaving the condo at 11AM to get food and then heading to the stadium around 1PM...  Instead Desperate Housewives in playing on my TV, and I can't sleep since I'm too excited for what's to come tomorrow!  OK, technically I mean later today since it is almost 3AM, but you get my meaning...

Today I started the day with the DirecTV Celebrity Beach Bowl.  This started off a bit of a cluster, but sure enough we got in with relative ease.  I went with my brother and a group of his friends.  We could hear the players getting announced as we rolled into the venue. "Who's Michael Clarke Duncan?" asks my brother.  "The guy from the Green Mile," I replied.  "Well, why didn't they just say so," he said.  LOL.  Yeah, it was going to be one of those days.

The venue, right on the beach

We find seats in the stands and we're waiting for the "game" to begin.   Suddenly every 13 year old girl starts screaming and heading for the railing.  I can't figure it out.  I think to myself, maybe it's a Jonas Brother or something.  I overhear my brother telling his friend, "It's that guy from Twilight. His name is Taylor.  He dates Taylor Swift."  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!  Why does my brother know who that Taylor kid is, but yet he didn't know who Michael Clarke Duncan was?!?!  What is this world coming to?  I take the obligatory pic of the kid and then start chatting it up with Peter, my brother's sailing friend and hopefully a new TheWirk.com devotee.  By now there's a guy a few rows behind us, and he's getting frustrated that all the teenage girls are standing in front of us.  He starts yelling at them to sit down and eventually they do.  Next thing you know it's time for Brian McKnight to sing the national anthem and everyone stands up again.  Sorry guy, you lose again.  Seriously though, people like that I'll never understand.  If you don't want the people in front of you to stand, make sure there's no one in front of you OR feel free to use your legs and stand up also...  Simple solution to a simple problem. That's right, I solve problems.

That Twilight kid, Taylor Laughtner

Eli Manning coached a team and Mark Sanchez coached another one.  Good to see one Manning today and the better Manning tomorrow.

Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez getting it done

The game was the game, and for details, you can check out the following link:  http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/article.jsp?assetId=P6610011

Admittedly between talking to Peter and the following view, I barely watched the game.  The ocean looked great, and I failed by not throwing on my bikini...  For all of you in the DC/MD/VA area playing in the snow, I thought about making you a sand angel :-P

Game ended and we all took to the sand for a concert by the All American Rejects.  Not bad...  I managed to work (i.e. WIRK ~ wink wink) my way up to about 4 "rows" from the stage to take in the show.  They played several of their songs, and I recognized a few of them. "Gives You Hell" was their last song, before we all started heading back to the madness of Ocean Drive.

All American Rejects concert anyone?

Ocean Drive is already a scene in Miami.  Block off car traffic and add a Super Bowl and you have plenty of foot traffic!  Ocean Drive is basically Bourbon Street "light" right now.  Don't believe me?  Get on twitter and see for yourself.   I even retweeted (is that even a word?!?!) the following from OchoCinco ~  "OGOchoCinco Wtf! Is this Mardi Gras or a superbowl game, the entire city of new orleans has taken over south beach, all I see is black n gold"  He isn't kidding.  Good luck finding a Colts fan out there!

We walked down Ocean Drive and headed to Lario's.  I love Lario's ropa vieja.  Every time I come to South Beach, I go there.  Say whatever you want about it ~ I love it!  The meat is excellent and the plaintains are so sweet.  They remind me of the fried bananas, my grandma made for me in the Philippines.  On the way to the restaurant, my brother informs me that some creepy old guy was staring at me as I passed him, and he defended my honor.  Yeah, thanks.  $10 says it's the guy that greeted me with, "Hola" as I walked by.  This is South Beach, and just because I'm brown DOESN'T mean I speak Spanish.  Just saying.

We get to Lario's and are told it's a 30 min wait for a table outside.  Peter decides to speak Spanish to a waiter inside and sure enough we have a table outside in less than 10 minutes.  Score one for Peter!  Excellent meal and fun conversation as more and more of my brother's friends trickle down Ocean Drive and join the table.  And before those of you start blasting me on my choice of Lario's ~ Yes, I know it's touristy...  But I still love and recommend it!  Here's a link: http://www.yelp.com/biz/larios-on-the-beach-miami-beach

After dinner we all disbanded, and I never made it out again. 

I need to rest up!  I have a big day tomorrow, with my FIRST Super Bowl!!!  Ok - it's today...  I really need to get to sleep!!!

GO COLTS!!!

THE WIRK

Friday before the Super Bowl ~ Vegas, NFL Commish Party/Lockout, Caps, and Go Colts!!!

Today,  I wasn't able to get out since I was jockeying con calls and working.  HOWEVER, I was able to watch a little bit of TV, check some schedules, and gather my thoughts before trekking out to Laudy for the NFL Commish party.

My predictions for the night:
Winners: I liked the Hawks, Pacers, and Nuggets.  I liked the Nuggets even after I heard that Kobe was playing and Carmelo Anthony was out.  It was a hunch ~ but it was dead ON.  Did you see that Nuggets v Lakers game?!  If not, you missed a good one.  Chaucey was shooting the lights out of the arena and left with a career high of 37 points.  I need to get to Denver when they're all healthy and see them play, in person, for myself...
Loser: I also liked the Hornets, even though CP3 wasn't playing, since I read that AI was out also.  No idea what happened with that game, since I was up to my eyes in football stuff, but according to the ESPN crawl, the Philly bench "stepped up"...  Yeah, well you're just as shocked as I am... Who cares ~ you can't predict them all, and that's what you get when you pick a lame game to guess about.

So, what's the verdict?!?  Well, I'm not 100% psychic, but I'm 75% psychic...  I would've gone 3/4...  Can you tell that I'm jonesing for a trip to Vegas?!?! I looked at flights to Atlantis last night and the RT fare was a hair under $200.  I always carry my pasport with me (i.e. since you "never know") and almost bought the ticket to head out there tomorrow, but I held off.  Sure enough when I looked for the same flights on the way to Laudy, they flights were sold out.  Oh well.  It wasn't that serious for me to head out there for THE DAY. 

I wish I had enough time to head to Vegas before the Super Bowl.  I love the Venetian Sportsbook.  Ask anyone who knows me, has spent any amount of time with me in Vegas, or is looking for me when I'm in Vegas and they'll tell you where I am and they'd be willing to bet on it.  I'm a creature of habit.  I like familiarity.  I know the guys there in that book, and they have served me well throughout the years.  I'm superstitious (i.e. just a little),and I study that board (with all the games listed) ridiculously well.  As a gambler, I believe in the streak.  I believe in momentum, and I have a firm grip on the psychology of sports.  I've seen what it's like for athletes to travel, to wake up for film, and to have to go to the arena early for treatment/shoot around.  I've seen how quickly or slowly some bounce back from injury,  I know that back spasms is a fake diagnosis, when listed as an injury, and I also have a clue as to who's a headcase and who has brains.  OK - so maybe I don't KNOW, but I'm VERY confident in my hunches. 

When in the book and in preparation for my trips to Vegas I watch plenty of games, look up the trends, and crunch/examine the numbers just as much, if not more than the investors that watch the companies in their stock portfolios.  I get a little obsessive compulsive.  Instead of buying and selling Coca Cola, I decide whether I want to pick up teams that are improving and try to time it right, as to when to jump off of another team's bandwagon...  My brother looks at health care com[anies/technology etc. for work, and he always tells me he hates gambling.  BULLSHIT.  He's a gambler ~ he does the exact same thing I do.  He just chooses health care related companies, and I'd rather watch sports.  Ever get tickets to go watch Pepsi , Boeing, or Wendy's do anything!?!  Yeah, I didn't think so.

Anyway... Enough about that.

So today was Roger Goodell's State of the NFL press conference and his Super Bowl party...  I missed the press conference.  I told you I was working...  Anyway, the gist of it is this.  I firmly believe there will be an NFL Lockout next season in 2011, and I'm not in the minority.  Why?!?  Because everyone wants to get paid and $8 billion in gross revenue is plenty of money to fight over.  (Shoot, I'll lock you out of my car for $20...  I can't even fathom what I'd do if I had to fight for a cut of $8 billion...  But I digress... ) Another reason I think a lockout will happen, is because I've seen it happen in basketball.  I've seen what happens when the bluff is called.  I remember when my ex had to go workout with the college kids at Cleveland State or the Cleveland Indians, since the Cavs facility was off-liimts.

I mentioned the strong possibility of no football in 2011 to my brother at the Commish's party.  "There going to strike?!?" was his reply.  No, Grasshopper ~ let me school you and any other person with incorrect ideas about this issue.  The players aren't going to strike.  The owners will lock them out ~ hence, LOCKOUT.  Just like in basketball...  Don't believe me?  Here.

According to Wikipedia ~ A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.

As a fan, a lockout would be terrible.  I've seen the movie "The Replacements".  It was good, but that's a movie.  I was having drinks with my friends yesterday and my friend MW had me laughing.  He pointed to his 3 friends and said, "They're going to put us in uniforms, give us helmets, and call us the Dallas Cowboys!"  How can you not laugh at the thought?!?!

We also talked about the Pro Bowl and the movement of the game to the week before the Super Bowl.  Consensus at the table and the ratings showed me that this was a good move.  Although, I'm not sure that anyone of us actually watched the game.  Sure, fan attendance was better ~ duh, has anyone compared airfare price differences between a trip to Honolulu v. a trip to Miami?!?!  The argument is that people need something to fill the void preceding the Super Bowl.  Yeah ~ but does anyone even know who won the game?!?!  I think it was the NFC...  Dammit ~ just checked it, and I was wrong ~ the AFC won.

Oh well, if you would've asked me to put in order the musical performances at the Grammy's I could've done that quicker.  I actualy ended up DVR'g the Grammy's and waching 2 crappy ACC basketball games that Sunday ~ but let me tell you, that if I had to do it all over again, I still wouldn't want to watch the Pro Bowl.  I've never been to the event, but any event that the PROFESSIONAL athletes are given the PRIVILEGE to play ~ and the athletes bow out ~ well, why should I watch?!?!  The player himself doesn't want to play...  What is that even about?!?!?  If anyone honored me enough to pick me to represent whomever/whatever in the internet shopping and text message olympics I'd be there with bells on.  I just don't understand it. Some people want to play, some people don't.  It all boils down to this ~ if you're not psyched about your own gig/product, how am I supposed to be psyched about your gig/product?!!

One last thng, and I realize that this is selfish ~ I met my last fiance during the NBA Lockout so who's to say an NFL Lockout would be so bad?!?!  Just saying...  Haha :-P

Anyway...  Enough about that.

The Caps have won 13 in a row.  The record in hockey is 17...  I say the Caps go for at least 18!  Let's go Caps!!!

I can't think of anything else right now.  So that's all I have for now.  Time to light a candle and pray for Dwight Freeney's ankle.  GO COLTS!!!

Wait...  Speaking of the Colts check out the pics from the NFL Commish party today.  I'm a Colts fan so I'm partial to the Unitas pics...  Incidentally, Unitas was Lithuanian..  Hahaha:-P

Tickets to the party looked like credentials...

The Pointer Sisters ~ Jump was the last song they sung.

The Vince Lombardi trophy

Unitas' helmet

Unitas' game jersey from the Super Bowl

THE WIRK