Month: February 2008

The Matt Ryan trashing continues. Interesting FanNation blog entry on why a rebuilding team should not gamble on Matt Ryan:

Let’s not kid ourselves; this is a very weak quarterback class that will be lucky to produce a couple quality starters in the league, let alone a franchise quarterback. Matt Ryan exhibits good size, above average arm strength and accuracy, an over-rated report of his leadership abilities, inconsistent play, and an average ability for a quarterback to not fumble the football (6 fumbles over 68 rushing attempts and 21 sacks). If any team uses a 1st round pick on this guy, they will be making an expensive gamble; which I believe, will be an expensive bust that will ultimately destroy a rebuilding franchise and cost a GM and coach their jobs.

This post outlines some good reasons why Ryan would be a mistake as a top pick. Unless the Falcons know they are getting a future Hall of Fame QB, I think they should stay away from Ryan with the third pick.

ajc.com is speculating that the Falcons may trade down. At least GM Dimitroff is trying to hold everything close to see what he may be able to get in return.

This team suddenly is in the best of situations. If Dimitroff acquires a first-round pick for Hall as expected, the Falcons will have four selections in the first two rounds, pending other deals. With their first pick, there is a pretty good chance they will be staring at defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, running back Darren McFadden or both. (Forget quarterback Matt Ryan. Remember where Dimitroff came from: New England, which took a future Hall of Fame QB with the 199th pick.)

Dimitroff also knows there are advantages to trading down to accumulate more picks. “If you look at my past in New England, I’m preconditioned to certain things, and I realize that trading down for added commodities is an effective way to build a roster,” he said. “If there’s not a player there at three we really like, I would definitely consider it.”

As I said in my post earlier today, I agree that the Falcons should pass on Ryan or any other QB with the number three pick. If there is a great QB for the taking with their second pick (regardless of the round the selection occurs) then taking a QB there may make sense. I think the Falcons should concentrate on everything but QB this year. It is not like they are going to be good this year, so why bother? With two picks in the second round, and hopefully more to come with a trade of Hall, the Falcons should be able to fill some gaps and get a QB of the future. The extra second round pick is almost like a freebie. Of course the book is still out on how smart a move it was to land that extra second round pick.

A bright future for the Falcons? For the first time in a while, that seems possible.

Last Friday the Falcons won some convoluted coin toss with the Chiefs and Raiders, in turn winning the prize to select third overall in the draft.

So what does this mean? Atlanta’s hopes and dreams of rebuilding are somewhat depend on what the Dolphins and Rams do with the first two picks. Jake Long (OT Michigan) has to be my pick. There is really no point in burning a first round selection on a QB such as Matt Ryan (Boston College) because the Falcons have so many other holes to fill.

For a while I was on the Darren McFadden (RB Arkansas) bandwagon, but I keep reading more and more that this guy’s stock is falling.

“Mike Mayock and Todd McShay (or Todd McFraud, as Matt McGuire has dubbed him), have expressed their disdain for McFadden. Mayock went as far to say that he wouldn’t touch McFadden with a top-20 selection. I respect Mayock’s opinions, but the dude needs to lay off the crack pipe on this one. McFadden is the top runner in this class. Unfortunately, the statements Mayock and McShay have made over the past few days may drop his stock just a bit.”

Long term durability may be an issue; I have also heard some pundits say that McFadden is not very elusive and seeks to make contact. I guess this is how rumors get started. Much like taking a QB, a RB may not help much if there is no offensive line to run behind.

Chris Long (DE Virginia) and Glenn Dorsey (DT LSU) also seem to be top picks in most mock drafts. I have no problems going with a stud defensive lineman because a solid defense can take some pressure off of what is likely to be a shaky offense.

There are also plenty of rumors circulating that DeAngelo Hall is being shopped. This is great news if the Falcons can parlay Hall into another first round pick. Or maybe multiple picks; say a second and fourth pick.

It is nice to have options, and the Falcons have nine picks including two second round selections. I would love to see the Falcons go with Long in the first round and a QB in the second. The other second could fill many gaps – running back, defensive line – they need help all over the board. If the Falcons can hang onto their picks and pull in another first round selection for Hall, their rebuilding process will be starting off on solid footing.

Today’s Sunday ad section for Best Buy has an amazingly good deal if you are in the market for an HDTV and PS3 (or Blu-ray player). For $1899.99 you get:

• 40″ Sony Bravia 1080p HDTV (KDL-40V3000; newer version of my great Bravia KDL-40V2500)
• Uncharted or Rachet & Clank
• Super Bad or Surf’s Up (Blu-ray versions of course)
• PS3 40GB
• Geek Squad Installation (not how useful this really is to most folks)

That is one heck of a deal. Great strategy by Sony. Sell some TVs and increase the PS3 user base. License royalties roll in for all the new Blu-ray movie purchases.

Regardless of Sony’s (and Best Buy’s) motives, this is a great deal.  Sorry … guess I already said that a few times.

I was debating if I should throw up a prediction, but what the heck.  Why not?  I do not see any surprises today.  It will be the Hendrick cars vs. the Joe Gibbs Racing boys.  I really do not see any outsiders breaking into the party.

I am going to pull for my usual three Gordon, Junior, and Stewart.  I would really like to see Earnhardt or Stewart take the flag this year.  Earnhardt because he is finally in a great car and has a shitload of pressure on him to win.  Stewart because he is a tremendous talent that is just begging for a Daytona 500 win.

If podcast of a PSP nature are your thing, you may want to check out The PSP Show. I was looking for some info on Atari Classics Evolved and came across my first run-in with this podcast. Let me just call it “interesting” and move on to something else.

Baseball fans that love going into the numbers have long contended that Jeter is overrated as a defensive shortstop. I have seen a number of articles over the years that draw this conclusion, but today was the first time I had seen something in the paper. I found this gem in the local paper and a NY Post link for good measure:

“Using a complex statistical method, researchers concluded that one of the worst at shortstop is A-Rod’s teammate, three-time Gold Glove winner Derek Jeter. The findings were presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.”[Source: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Feb 17, AP]

There you have it; Jeter is not the best shortstop to play the game. Shocking as it may be, it will be difficult for Yankee fans to accept.

Nice way to start a Sunday!

We (that is those of us longer for a universal HD format in the form of Blu-ray) have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Finally, Reuters is reporting that Toshiba is giving up on HD DVD.

“The move will likely put an end to a battle that has gone on for several years between consortiums led by Toshiba and Sony vying to set the standard for the next-generation DVD and compatible video equipment.

Toshiba’s cause has suffered several setbacks in recent weeks including Friday’s announcement by U.S. retailing giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc that it would abandon the HD DVD format and only stock its shelves with Blu-ray movies.”

All I can say is it is about time. Anyone remember what the PS2 did for DVD? Blu-ray is next, and now the sleeping giant starts to slowly wake.

Thanks to the use of eBay and some older games that were collecting dust, I have had $60 burning a hole in my pocket for the past couple of weeks.  I have been targeting a PS3 purchase:  Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune or Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.  $60 a pop for a PS3 game is a little too much for me to make casual purchases.  It would not matter so much if I actually had a lot of time to play, but these days I do not have a lot of video game time, so my purchases have to count.

After a family breakfast at Shoney’s, a quick stop in the local B&N, we managed a detour to Toys R Us to pick up my next PS3 game.  Of course the kids were gung-ho for a purchase of their own, but today’s video game trip was all about me.  I could not decide between Uncharted and Ratchet.  I would like them both, but I was determined to be fiscally responsible, which meant I could only claim one game today.  Ultimately I decided on Uncharted because I think it will be a more unique experience.

After making a decision I decided to check out the PSP section to see if I wanted to get the new Atari Classics Evolved, but decided that Uncharted was enough for today.  Then I noticed that LocoRoco was $9.90.  I have read a lot of different opinions on this one, and have often thought adding it to my PSP library.  In the end, I always skip it, figuring it would end up being a waste of money like so much of my PSP library.  This time I figured that for under $10, I did not have much to lose.  I could always dump it on eBay.

Next up was a stop at the local ebgames.  I figured I would check to see if they happed to have a used copy of Ratchet for under $35.  I know, so much for being fiscally responsible.  Used games at ebgames are pretty much a rip off.  Uncharted, Ratchet, and Heavenly Sword were all $54.99.  Used.  For those prices, I may as well buy new.

I also ducked into Circuit City to see if they had anything interesting in the clearance bins.  Nothing that I could not live without.  I came real close to throwing some money at Rock Band, but quickly came to my senses.  I have no musical talent.

More to come later on Loco and Uncharted.

Two more significant wins for Blu-ray were reported today by blu-ray.com (and I am sure many other sites.

First, Best Buy will officially recommend Blu-ray over HD DVD:

Brian Dunn, Best Buy’s president and chief operating officer commented, “Consumers have told us that they want us to help lead the way. We’ve listened to our customers, and we are responding. Best Buy will recommend Blu-ray as the preferred format. Our decision to shine a spotlight on Blu-ray Disc players and other Blu-ray products is a strong signal to our customers that we believe Blu-ray is the right format choice for them.

Second, Netflix will exclusively carry Blu-ray:

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix commented, “The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition. We are now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly.”

Blu-ray is going to propel the PS3 forward. Some would say kicking and screaming, but the situation is no longer dire for Sony. In fact, today is another feather (or two) in Sony’s cap.

According to espn.com, last Sunday a whole lot of folks watched the Super Bowl.

The 97.5 million viewers who saw the New York Giants’ last-minute win over the New England Patriots made it the most-watched Super Bowl ever and second biggest event in American television history.

Only the “MASH” series finale in 1983, with 106 million viewers, was seen by more people, Nielsen Media Research said Monday. Sunday’s game eclipsed the previous Super Bowl record of 94.08 million, set when Dallas defeated Pittsburgh in 1996.

Brady, Manning, and Vick. Which one doesn’t belong? It looks like Vick will have some money in his coffers to use in his defense against various lawsuits coming his way.

Jailed quarterback Michael Vick can keep all but $3.75 million of the nearly $20 million in bonus money he received from the Atlanta Falcons following a ruling Monday by a federal judge.

I am not sure how all the salary cap nonsense works, but I do know that the Falcons would get some salary cap relief for any of the $20 million they could recover. The Falcons are putting on a brave face by saying this did not really affect them for next year. I have my doubts.

Switching gears to college football action, the January 14, 2008 SI listed Georgia as their number one team going 2008.

“QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno are among 17 starters expected back on a team that closed with seven strong wins.”

If it were only that easy. Going into Signing Day, or Super Wednesday, the January 25, 2008 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer ran an article that Georgia’s 2008 recruiting class was full.

Even if Georgia doesn’t add another commitment to its 25-man class, the group will rank among the nation’s best as long as there aren’t numerous defections. Legge [publisher of dawgpost.com] said it would be “stunning” if the Bulldogs’ class didn’t finish in scout.com‘s top five. Georgia’s current crop of commitments is rated third in the nation by scout.com and fourth by rivals.com.

Tomorrow may be more fun to watch than the results tonight.

I am not sure what I can say that has not already been said in the paper, on sports talk radio, or on TV. I do hope that the focus stays on Eli Manning and the Giants’ superb defensive effort, and not so much on spygate. Actually, the best thing about the Patriots losing may be that the spygate chapter will finally come to a close.

I have a feeling that this Tom Brady led Pats team was my best shot at seeing a team go undefeated in my lifetime (I was too young to remember or watch the 1972 Dolphins). Then again, I doubt that we will ever see brothers quarterback teams to Super Bowl titles in consecutive years.

I did not see much point predicting the Pats over the Giants, but what the heck.  Hopefully it will be a close game.

I am not sure what I can do to fix this issue, but as I posted below, I just cannot get Remote Play to work correctly.  I just tired a few more different ways to get this setup, with no luck.  At this point I have to assume that there is some sort of incompatibility between my ISP, my router, and my PS3.  I guess it could be user error, but I have no idea what to try next.  Very frustrating!

If I enable Remote Start, the PS3 will turn on every couple of minutes.  I know that if a PSP does not connect within a limited time window, the PS3 will power down.  At this point, I will not be able to get the PSP to connect via Remote Play.  I keep turning the PS3 off (press the O button to return the XMB and then power down via the controller), but it will power on again within two minutes.

Where to begin?  Recently Sony updated PS3 to PSP Remote Play capabilities to allow for remotely turning on the PS3 with a PSP and to allow playing Original PlayStation (PSX) game disks.  This sounds great.  If only I could get it to work.

Remote Play mode in itself works great, if I put the PS3 in Remote Play mode.  I can then connect my PSP to the PS3, view videos, play music (in theory, but all my iTunes music does not work), browse the internet, go to the PlayStation Store, and of course play original PlayStation games.  For testing purposes, I tired remote play with Road Rash and with Moto Racer World Tour.  Needless to say, it is very cool making use of my long forgotten PSX games.

As far as I can tell, Remote Play also works from within a closed network (i.e. within my house), but not over the internet.  The upside here is that I can play PSX games on my PSP within my house.  Nice feature, but not really what I want.  I would like to put a game in my PS3, and play it on demand outside of my house.  This would be extremely cool for my next trip to Costa Rica or the UK, or even on a visit to my in-laws house.

Now for the hard part.  I cannot get Remote Play to work correctly if I want to control turning on my PS3 and starting Remote Play from the internet.  If you do a few simple Google searches you will find that I am not the only one with the problem.  There is so much misinformation about this feature, and how to get it working correctly, that it comes across as black magic.  One commonality between all the issues and mine is that I have a Linksys WRT54GS router.  I upgraded to the latest firmware, but that did not solve the problem.

The problem if fairly simple, so it would seem.  Once I register my PSP, setup my PS3 for Remote Play (enabling the option by allowing internet startup of the PS3), and turn off the PS3 the problems begin.  My PS3 will randomly turn on and go into Remote Play mode.  When I use the term randomly, I mean that I did not invoke my PSP to start Remote Play, and I did not press any PS3 controller (or Blu-ray remote) buttons.  The PS3 just fires up and eventually shuts off.  The turning off part is normal behavior according to the PS3 manual.  The problem is that once this behavior happens, Remote Play startup no longer works correctly.

I have tried everything under the sun.  I assigned the PS3 a static ip, within the DNS range and outside of the range.  I have put the PS3 in its own DMZ.  I have made sure UPnP is enabled, and setup port forwarding for 9293.  The list goes on and on, but to no avail.

At one point yesterday I thought I had everything working (static ip within DNS range, and PS3 DMZ).  The system did not randomly turn on, so I was able to go into Remote Play mode using the Internet option (from my house, which is not a good test since technically that is almost the same a private network) and then turn off the system.  Very nice, however, later in the day while I was running errands, I attempted to start Remote Play mode from two different internet hot spots, only to have the connection to the PS3 timeout.  Once I returned home, I attempted to start Remote Play, but could not get it started with the internet connection option.

I am pretty much at the point of throwing in the towel, but not ready to give up yet.  If this is a router issue, I am not prepared to purchase another router when everything else works fine.  My PS3 has no issues connecting the internet, and while PSN downloads are slow, all other activity associated with my router works fine.  Wii?  Check.  Personal laptop?  Check.  Work laptop?  Check.  PSP?  Check.  Remote Play via internet?  Black magic.