The Recycle Bin

With the price of PS3 games being so darn high, I decided not to preorder MLB 08.  In the past I preordered everything I wanted.  This saved me the hassle of driving to a store, plus it was convenient having manna from heaven show up at my door.

I think those days are gone.  $59.99 + next day shipping + tax means that PS3 games run close to $75, which is just too much for me to stomach.  I have not owned very many PS3 games, and have preordered exactly two (last year’s NCAA and Madden).

As much as I want MLB 08, it begs the question if I really need something next day.  In another day and time, there was enough time in a day to fully enjoy the fruits of a new game, rush some quick impressions, post in forums, and call it a day.  No longer.  Well, maybe every once in a while, but not for MLB 08.

I will either pick up MLB 08 later in the week (or this weekend), or use Amazon’s Prime service and save a boatload on shipping.  I won’t get the game on release day, but does that really matter?  I guess it depends on how much time I have to cruise the forums that are gushing over the game.  Then I will have to get me some of that.

Yesterday the Falcons signed Michael Turner.  Turner’s contract is somewhere in the neighborhood of $34.5 million, for six-years, with $15 million guaranteed.  From a value standpoint, this is very comparable to Dunn, whose contract was valued at $28.5 million (I think for six years and I am not sure how much guaranteed money).

Today Warrick Dunn was released by the Falcons.  I have read that this will free up $3 million towards the salary cap.  Signing Turner now, gives the Falcons some more free agency flexibility, but maybe more importantly it gives Atlanta plenty of options on draft day.  For starters, they no longer have to go after McFadden, who may be a once in a generation player or he could be a bust.  Hopefully the Falcons will go after Jake Long (OT, Michigan), and go QB and DE with their two second picks.  Things will look even brighter if Atlanta manages to dump Hall for more picks.

Yesterday Atlanta signed a couple of defensive backs – Erik Coleman (FS; New York Jets) and Von Hutchins (CB; Houston) – presumably to start rebuild a new secondary without the soon to be departed DeAngelo Hall.

To be honest, I do not know much about either guy, but they are both very small. According to the Falcons site, Coleman is all of 5’11, while Hutchins is 5’10. I know Hall was not very tall, but he compensated with speed. At least he tried to compensate with speed as he was getting toasted every over weekend. These new guys just seem awful small to combat today’s taller and faster WRs.

This afternoon was absolutely beautiful, so I decided to take the Sierra Pro out for a few rounds of plinking.  This was the first chance I had to shoot the gun since Crosman returned it from repairs.  The repair order said that they put in new screws with Loctite.  They must have also sighted it in (original front optical and rear sights) because the gun seemed plenty accurate.  More accurate than I remember without the Centerpoint scope.

After growing to love my Beeman R7 it was a strange experience shooting the Sierra Pro.  This gun is certainly heavier, harder to break/cock, and much louder than the R7.  I am sure it has its own merits as a mass market $150 airgun, but I do not think I am going to keep it around much longer.  At one point I had myself convinced that I would use the R7 for most of my plinking, and the Sierra Pro for occasional pest control.  R7 for lower power, and the Sierra Pro for 1000 fps jobs.

The reality is that I want to move on to something else.  Before getting the R7 I struggled trying to decide between an Beeman R1, Beeman R9, and R7.  In the end I made the right decision – the R7 is perfect for my backyard shooting needs.  It was also a nice compliment to the Sierra Pro.

Now I am debating on my next purchase.  Crosman Discover, R1 or R9.  Of course I am also trying to sort out if I want to go with another .177, .20, or .22 caliber. For some reason I have had a major burr in my crawl for a .20, but this does not seem like a practical decision since there is such a limited selection of .20 ammo.  .177 would seem to be a good choice since it could also be used with my R7.  Since I was going to keep the Sierra Pro around for pest control, going .22 may be my best option.

I plan to sell the Sierra Pro to help start a new gun fund.  Stay tuned.

After a long stretch of not getting any time to shoot, last Sunday (and hopefully today) I was able to get out the R7 for some plinking action. This is an incredible gun – light weight, easy to shoot, very quiet, and extremely accurate. I cannot imagine a more perfect backyard gun.

Let’s roll back a few weeks. In early January I placed an order with Straight Shooters to pick up Beeman’s R7 Rear Sight Plate and Universal Muzzlebrake (I also got some filler screws for good measure). The gun looks rather silly with a Leapers 6×32 Bug Buster 2 scope and front and rear sights. I removed the front sight, and put on the Universal Muzzlebrake; much better looking. I still had the rear sight on the R7 because Beeman recommends the use of Loctite when screwing in the Rear Sight Plate. I figured I would leave well enough alone, and placed an order with Amazon – Henkel Loctite 6-ml Threadlocker 242 #01-24200 $7.90.

Much to my dismay, my perfectly accurate R7 now shot way off center. Something to do with barrel harmonics. Good stuff, but this gem of a gun was easy enough to get back on target in short order.

A couple of weeks ago I removed the rear sight, installed the Rear Sight Plate, and took her (I guess the R7 needs a name) shooting. Perfect. No issues with harmonics. Just plain old fashion plinking goodness. My typical shots are at around 18 yards. From that distance I can easily hit the gold medal on a Miller Lite can. When squirrel season opens again, the varmints better say the hell out of my yard because I think I can easily make head shots. Yes, the R7 is a lovely backyard shooter.

Atlanta’s biggest splash in day one of free agency was resigning Chris Redman to a two year deal. I think this is good news. Not that Chris is the end-all-be-all QB for the Falcons, but Redman could be a decent – serviceable – QB, allowing the Falcons to pursue a QB in the later rounds of this year’s draft. I do not think the Falcons should bust their 2008 draft by taking a QB with the number three pick.

What does this mean for Joey Harrington? I am surprised that the Falcons have not already cut Joey, but I assume it has something to do with waiting unit the right time for salary cap reduction. I am not sure what will happen with D.J. Shockley. I hope Shockley has a chance to move into the backup slot (assuming he is healthy this year).

So while the Falcons sat tight on day one of free agency, big news may be coming. According to ajc.com, the Falcons are hot and heavy after Michael Turner (San Diego):

That the Falcons are trying to sign Turner (228 carries, 1,257 yards, 6 TDs in his career) points to the expected release of Warrick Dunn, the team’s main ball carrier and goodwill ambassador for the past six seasons. If a deal is completed, Dunn likely will be cut immediately to clear nearly $3 million in cap space and to allow him to catch on with another team.

This would be a great move. Dunn has done a great job for the Falcons, and seems to be a terrific guy off the field – an all around good guy. The problem is that Dunn is getting old, and is not worth $3 million per year.

Hopefully Falcons fans will have something to cheer about before the weekend is over. Lord knows suffering Falcons fans need some good news.

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.