Category: Archive

Archives – the Good, the Bad, and Ugly pre May 31, 2015.

Falcons Host Buccaneers – Does It Matter?

It will suck for me if I take the 90 minute trip to ATL only to find out that the Lions wrapped up the 5th spot, and the Falcons decide to treat this New Year’s Day game like a 3rd preseason game.

Of course we will enjoy the beautiful weather (60’s with plenty of sunshine), tailgate, delicious adult beverages, and all the general fun that goes into an afternoon of family tailgating.

Landing the 5th or 6th spot is probably equivalent to having to decide  [… pick your poison … I was going to make some reference to sisters and fat girls, but decided it wasn’t very funny …] It’s not going to matter if this ATL team has to travel to San Fran or New Orleans. And I doubt that they will make the NFC Championship game, so heading back to Detroit is probably not in the cards either.

Unless Green Bay plays their starters and gives the Falcons a shot at the 5th seed (we will know before our 4PM kickoff), I think ATL is going to rest everyone after the 1st QTR, which means Ryan better get to work quickly …

Erasing Jeff George: Like the Saints, the Falcons also are saying they’ll play their starters. Let’s hope that’s true and let’s hope Matt Ryan at least plays long enough to throw for 73 yards. If he does, he’ll set the franchise record for passing yards in a season. The record is 4,143 yards and it was set by Jeff George in 1995. No team should have George at the top of its record book for 16 years.

Jeff George. What an awful memory.

Go Falcons!

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Texas hooks turnovers into Holiday celebration. UGA Escapes Bama in 2012.

That was a nice 21-10 win for Texas Wednesday night over Cal in the Holiday Bowl. By nice I mean, at least Texas won. Unlike the pathetic showing by the Falcons on Monday Night Football …

Yes the Saints are good, but 45-16 is disgraceful. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I suspect that the Falcons’ win percentage is sub 0 when Ryan has to chunk the ball 50+ teims.

Bitch and Moan Session: How can ATL’s D not even bother to show up on third down? Special teams (kickoff and punt return coverage) also completely sucked. Roddy cannot hold onto the freaking rock. Untimely penalties (as if there is every a good time to rack up 7). Last, but certainly not least, the offense still cannot convert a solitary yard on 4th f’ing down.

I digress, back to Texas …

And as Mack Brown said, “There is a huge difference between 8-5 and 7-6.”

Agree. 8 is higher than 7. Hopefully Texas will recruit a Championship caliber QB. I saw screw it; throw ‘em in as a true freshman because I doubt that David Ash (or even Case McCoy) will make some major off season improvements.

“We’re not throwing Gatorade,” he said. “We’re not jumping up and down and screaming.

“But hopefully this is a step forward.”

To illustrate his point, Brown pointed to 2003 and ’07. Texas played in the Holiday Bowl both years. In 2004, Texas was in the Rose Bowl. In 2005, it was in the national title game. The progression was the same in 2008 and ’09. [Source: Same as previous]

The difference was that those teams had a decent QB situation, unlike this current squad. I still say Hook ‘em, but Good Lord, without a decent QB, Coach Brown is going to have a long 2012 campaign.

UGA Skips Out On Bamma …
And LSU, and Arkansas, and anything else worth a lick in the SEC West. If you are a Dwags fan, you have to like the way the 2012 schedule falls.

Back to the here and now. I skipped out on Bowl predictions this year, but I expect UGA to win, covering the 3.5. Love this article from the AJC:

Georgia has had a good week. There has been no news of academic suspensions — fill in name of oft-speculated freshman running back — and I think the Dogs already have clinched the 2012 SEC East title, given Alabama has been dropped from the Hostess-wrapped schedule.

Here’s a nice consolation prize for having their limbs ripped off by LSU: sunshine (Outback Bowl) and Michigan State (good defense but No. 60 offense). And to think, 12 months ago, Georgia was losing to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl.

A season completed in the alternate universe: Dogs cover 3½.

Funny. Any week where players are not suspended is a good week in my book. It’s bad when it comes to keeping score of which players didn’t toke on lefty wacky weed, which ones didn’t get an unnecessary traffic violation, which ones didn’t get a night in the county jail for underage drinking and bar fighting, and so on and so forth.

Go Dawgs!

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Vita – To 3G or Wi-Fi?

Speaking of Christmas, I have been having dreams and visions of a Vita dancing in my head. Alas, I am not going to import, so the wait continues for few more weeks. Which version will I get?

I have multiple pre-orders with Amazon. An early edition bundle, Wi-Fi version, and of course the dreaded ‘how much will AT&T screw me over on pricing’ Wi-Fi + 3G version.

If I decide to go with an AT&T 3G contract, I will get the First Edition Bundle, which has the advantage of a memory stick, storage case, and a game. Honestly, I could care less about Little Deviants, but it is nice to get a bundled game. Interesting enough, Amazon no longer shows the memory stick as part of the bundle.

Still time to decide, cancel orders, and watch the Japanese Vita news and updates. Sony will fix Remote Play and support PSOne classics before the U.S. launch, right?

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No Falcons? Red Zone to the Rescue

I’m sitting around on my bum today because the Falcons have a rare ‘off’ Sunday. Nice little ‘reward’ for getting my family safely back home from the Georgia Dome Friday morning, 2AM’ish. The Falcons absolutely demolished the Jaguars 41-14 on Thursday Night Football, NFL Network style.

Thankfully I have the Red Zone in HD for my ADD viewing pleasure. Never had crack, but I think going full throttle from game to game from kickoff to 7:30PM (or whenever the last afternoon game is over) is more or less addicting.

Meanwhile, the Falcons have another couple of days off, as they push forward to secure their grip on the #5 Wild Card seed.

Smith set off a minor celebration after the game when he told the players they don’t have to practice again until Tuesday.

“Four or five days off couldn’t come at a better time,’’ Ryan said.

The break might also allow the Falcons to get injured cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) back on the field. Having a fully healthy secondary could be crucial against the pass-happy Saints, who defeated the Falcons in overtime in their Nov. 13 meeting in Atlanta.

It’s doubtful that the Saints are going to go down two of three times against the Vikings, Falcons, and Panthers, so they pretty much have a lock on the NFC South.

With that said, I like the Falcons position; having to play the Giants or Cowboys is not very intimidating. I will go so far as to say the Falcons will actually get three points against either team.

Go Falcons!

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FF XIII-2 (Rewarding FFF XIII Fans)

I love the concept of getting bonus goodies as a ‘reward’ of sorts for playing previous versions of a game. As long as the reward doesn’t cause game balance issues – either too powerful or you are shit out of luck because you didn’t play the previous installments.

PSB: Are there any special treats reserved for those who are holding on to their Final Fantasy XIII save files? Can you share any details on how that will work?

Toriyama-san: If you have any save files from XIII, they will be recognized upon the start of XIII-2, and you can get extras. Some of the bonuses include adornments for monsters that can be used in-game, and a bonus that can be obtained from the title screen. You don’t necessarily have to have save data of the finished game; you can still get something even if you’ve only played a little.

Cool concept. Now just have to actually find some time to watch, play, and finish FF XIII.

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FIFA 12 Vita – No PS3 Save Transfer Capability

WTF is wrong with EA? I’m sure there is a very valid and reasonable explanation for EA not offering Vita-PS3-Vita game save transfer capabilities. EA is not rushing FIFA 12 to market quickly, delivering a sub-par handheld FIFA outing in order to capitalize on early Vita release opportunities.

EA must really care about their core target audience, and are showing a willingness to do anything to get the Vita version of FIFA 12 in the hands of demanding FIFA fans – because EA cares.

It would be a terrible precedent if all the first generation Vita sports franchises (looking at MLB: The Show, FIFA, and Madden) do not offer the ability to switch from console to portable gaming via game save transfers just to make an early release date. Thankfully MLB: The Show gets it and allows gamers to do just that:

Then there’s the hotly anticipated PS Vita version, which will mirror virtually every game feature, mode, and mechanic from the PS3 version and displays graphics that sparkle on the system’s 5’’ OLED screen. You’ll also be able to share your PS3 save files to the cloud, then pull them down on PS Vita and pick up your progress seamlessly.

Of course the San Diego (SCE) team behind the MLB: The Show franchise continues to push the boundaries on sports franchises. Following the same link from above, we learn:

… ultimately thought it made the most sense to recreate the entire PS3 experience on PS Vita. The Vita’s powerful enough to do that. So every single feature this year, from MLB 09, 10, 11, and 12 are all in the PS Vita version.

… research shows that handheld players play for 15 to 30 minutes, tops. We give you the ability to fast-play through a game by cutting out a lot of the presentation, the camera cuts, to shorten the length of games.

Unlike EA, Sony is going balls out with its franchise. I understand that time to market is important, but color me very disappointed with EA’s approach to FIFA 12 for the Vita.

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Kissing Belmont Adieus

Imagine my surprise when I opened up the latest edition of Qore (#43 – December 2011 – via my PS+ subscription) and noticed some dude that is NOT Veronica Belmont doing the opening junk. My first thought – oh no, WTF is Veronica?

A quick search and a couple of clicks later revealed the harsh reality – Veronica is no longer the cute (almost sexy) hostess of Qore. Too bad. Not to say that the new guy will not do a good job. He is just not the cute and dare I say it again, semi sexy, Veronica Belmont.

Qore will never be the same …

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The End of Me?

Or rather The Last of Us looks absolutely fantastic.  These days, with so many games, and such a huge backlog of titles, it takes a lot to get me excited about a game.  And I am excited about this one, just from watching the trailer.

That’s rather unlike me, but The Last of Us looks compelling and captivating.  I doubt it is just another take on a post-apocalyptic survival horror setting, but more info needs to surface before we can be sure.

Really excited to see how this one progresses.

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UGA – Marshall Adds Depth

As longtime readers know, I never put much stock into rating recruiting classes. What does it mean if a university lands a Top 5, Top 10, or subpar class? It is all based on conjecture and predictions, only no one can predict how a young kid is going to react once they get away from home for the first time.

With that said, how can you not like UGA signing RB Keith Marshall, who some pundits have rated as the #1 RB prospect in the nation?

At a minimum, Marshall should add depth, and dare I say hope, that UGA can have one of the top backfields in the nation. Aaron Murray + (a healthy) Isaiah Crowell + Keith Marshall could be something special.

Go Dawgs!

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Yummy Eye Candy … Or Why I Love The UK Press

A tale of two links, and how cultures are so drastically different between the US and UK (at least when it comes to the press). Let’s face it; Americans are prudes when it comes to nudity.

Case in point:

 

I don’t think I will ever understand why it is OK to show graphical depictions of violent acts (i.e. dead soldiers, bodies from natural disasters, etc.), but we go all numb nuts over a pair of tits.

Lucky for me outlets such as The Sun post delicious Pirelli eye candy goodness without any squeamishness. God made beautiful women to be admired, not censored.

Do I want my boys ogling Kate? Of course not. It’s called responsible parenting. And it has nothing to do with being a prude. If they are clicking on these links, dad will find out … just saying.

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Well duh …

Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is not exactly creative, and let’s be realistic – 100% unimaginative. I have been critical of him and his play calling all year, so it was rather amusing to see that he could be made the scapegoat if ATL crashes and burns its way out of the playoffs.

3. Mike Mularkey, Falcons offensive coordinator. Atlanta came out very aggressively, throwing a couple of quick deep passes against Houston. That didn’t work. Didn’t the Falcons learn anything early in the year when they were trying to force things downfield? Their offensive line isn’t really good enough to block for the deep ball, unless Michael Turner and the running game have softened up a defense first. If the Falcons somehow don’t make the playoffs or have an early exit, there’s probably going to be a scapegoat because expectations were so high at the start of the season. Mularkey’s looking like the leader in the scapegoat clubhouse.

Of course if ATL didn’t drop so many passes things could be a little different. Having another win or two at this point in the season would have held off the scapegoat comments.

The Falcons have to change directions this offseason. I’m convinced that Mularkey’s system and play calling is holding back Ryan. While Ryan has success in the hurry up offense, he is constrained by what is in the playbook. i.e. WTF is the screen?

Next season the Falcons need to go all in with a Buffalo Bills Jim Kelly style hurry up offense. Of course the Falcons have to get past the next few weeks – at Carolina, Thursday night Dome date with Jacksonville, MNF at New Orleans, and a New Year’s Day Dome game hosting Tampa Bay.

The Falcons should win three out of four, which will be enough to get them in the playoffs, however if they play like they did last week against Houston, they are toast.

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Sony Says No To Vita PSOne Support

To me it is a major bummer that the Vita, at least upon its initial release, will not support PSOne titles. Having 25+ digital PSOne classics, many of which were obtained via PS+, available gives me more options for my PSP and Vita.

Sure these games are old, but some of the RPGs are pure gold, and the catalog is too amazing to ignore, perfect for gaming on the go.

Hopefully Sony addresses in the very immediate future.

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Weekend Workouts with Mel B

No workout today; heading to ATL to watch the Falcons beat down the Vikings.

In order to balance Trophy whoring and real life fitness objectives, I have decided it makes sense to do at least two workouts, instead of one longer routine. This should actually burn calories, keep things interesting, and get me to those ‘complete 20 xyz routines’ that much quicker.

Hopefully I will be able to knock off a couple before Christmas.

Saturday
Started the morning off with a 20 minutes Fitness burn of 159 calories, which was good enough to bump me to Level 65.

Tracing issues on some of the floor exercise probably prevented me from going higher. I normally get solid scores on the various pushups and crunches, but not so much during this 20 minute routine. I am going to chalk this up to the morning lighting in the room interfering with the camera’s tracking.

Next up was a 20 minutes Combat workout, which burned up another 136 calories. I’m a little disappointed that more calories were not burned, but that is OK, because I actually enjoy the Combat workouts. At least the ones that track correctly with the camera + Move.

This was another solid workout, good for a 5% boost to Level 80. My second 5% boots this week; in one day.

I started to do one more 15 minute quickie, but decided to call it off so I could watch the kickoff of the Georgia – Tech game. Go Dawgs!

Friday
As has been normal this week, I started with a 20 minute Fitness workout, which was good for 163 calories.

I followed up with a 15 minute Advance Cardio routine, which, while good for 103 calories, left me huffing and puffing. Talking about being out of shape!

Of all the Mel B fitness levels, Advance Cardio may be my lowest. Some of this is due to periodic tracking problems; the sometimes gets confused and does not seem to track the Move even when I think I am following Mel B 100%. The rest has to be attributed to my poor ‘real life’ fitness level. Working on it. Working on it …

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