The Recycle Bin

Braves dump Vazquez

I am not sure what else to call this other than a salary dump. I really do not see how Melky Cabrera provides anything in the way of an upgrade for the Braves outfield other than a warm spot on the bench. I could do that, for a lot less money!

The only thing I can hold out hope for is that new Braves prospect Arodys Vizcaino is the second coming of John Smoltz. I assume that is doubtful, but according to Rowland’s Office, landing Vizcaino was a win for the Braves. Here’s to future days, but I’m not holding my breath!

Everywhere I look there are Apes …

I have had the “Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection” Blu-ray in my Amazon shopping cart for the better part of year, but I have held back on a purchase because I just could not justify the price. Yesterday, on an impulse purchase, I picked up the set from Amazon during one of their spectacular “Lighten Deal” specials, which made the collection $49.99.

Even heavily discounted, I thought that was a little too high, but it comes out to just $10 per movie. The set includes all five Ape movies – Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape From the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and Battle For the Planet of the Apes – plus some extra frills such as a bonus movie book and other junk fans of the Ape movies will appreciate.

To sweeten the pot, I actually got the set for free thanks to a rather large gift certificate received from trading in a box of unwanted DVDs. I wrote about this trade-in special last week, and I have to say that I am pretty impressed. My wife shipped the DVDs with a free UPS label last Wednesday, the package arrived a few days later on Monday, and by the time I got home from work yesterday, a credit had already been deposited in my account, which worked out well considering I went ape shit on the before mentioned Blu-ray set.

Tuesday Update – Christmas Week Slowdown

Things will probably be slow around here for the next couple of days as we march towards Christmas. Well, slower than normal. Towards the back end of the week I should have some time to catch up on some things I have wanted to write about for a while, but never seem to find the time.

Until then, I hope you and yours have a great Christmas week!

Falcons improve to 7-7

The Falcons managed to win a defensive battle with the Jets 10-7, and played remarkably well considering the night before they learned that they no longer had a shot at the playoffs. I wrote yesterday that I was curious to see if Atlanta would come out flat, packing it in for the final three games of the season, or if they would play for back-to-back winning seasons.

This win truly says something about Coach Smith; he was able to get this Falcons team up when realistically they had nothing to play for the rest of the way. You can always do the spoiler thing, which Atlanta did by hurting the Jets playoff chances. You can always play for pride; except for the Eagles game Atlanta has played hard all season, but the many injuries have been too much to overcome. Most importantly to Falcons fans, you can hope your team plays to get rid of this damn streak. It is hard to believe; in my lifetime (turned 39 earlier this month) the Falcons have never had consecutive winning seasons.

As Ryan faced fourth and goal in the closing seconds, I really thought this one was going to end in another frustrating loss. The offense did not play particularly well, but Ryan’s pass to Gonzalas was on the mark. On the next series the defense held on to intercept Sanchez for the third and last time. Just like that, Falcons are now 7-7 with a home game against the Bills (5-9) and a season ending road trip to visit the Tampa Bay (2-12). Both are highly winnable games.

Braves need bats – start with LaRoche

It is no secret that the Atlanta Braves need a couple of bats, so I was surprised to see that Adam LaRoche was not wrapped up for next year. According to the ajc.com LaRoche is not in active negations with the Braves

Asked Friday whether he’d heard anything from the Braves since becoming a free agent, LaRoche replied in a text message: “No talk from ATL that I know of. Guess I should have hit .400 while I was there.”

LaRoche hit .325 with 12 homers, 40 RBIs, a .401 on-base percentage and .557 slugging percentage in 57 games after being traded to the Braves from the Boston Red Sox on July 31.

The article goes on to say that Atlanta may be looking for a sort of stop-gap until their first baseman of the future is ready, but for this Braves fan, the future is now. I am not saying that Adam LaRoche is the “answer” or anywhere near the best first baseman in the league, but LaRoche may be the best fit for Atlanta. We already know he likes playing in Atlanta and more importantly LaRoche ropes the ball in Turner Field. He is going to turn 31 this year, so he should have 2-3 25+ HR years left in him. How can the Braves so cavalierly turn down this type of power?

I say sign LaRoche to help steady the offense; he can always be traded later down the road. Of course Atlanta still needs a big bat in right field, but that is a different post. My guess is Atlanta does not have the money, and may not until they dump one of the starting pitchers, which is really a shame. We are not talking Yankees money here; “just” 7-8 million a year for 3 years.

Atlanta’s playoff thread was cut …

Dallas ended New Orleans bid for a perfect season with a 24-17 victory Sunday night on the NFL Network, which is not in the homes of millions of NFL fans. In the process, Dallas saved their own season, solidifying their playoff positioning, and officially ended Atlanta’s thin hopes for a spot in the playoffs. The reality is that Atlanta never really had much hope; as a famous Jedi would say, only a fool’s hope.

Now the Falcons can focus on closing out the season with three victories in a row to end on a high note: back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. For those of you keeping notes at home, we are talking about never have consecutive winning season since 1966. Ouch.

It will be interesting to see if the Falcons continue to fight, or if they pack it in to go home for the winter.

Will Falcons D turn Sanchez into a super star?

This summary from the AFC East blog at ESPN is certainly one way to look at the Falcons/Jets game:

What is the opposite of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object? That would be Mark Sanchez facing the Atlanta Falcons’ pass defense. Something has to give — and give and give and give. Jets coach Rex Ryan announced Sanchez will return from a knee injury and start Sunday at the Meadowlands. Sanchez’s interceptions have cost the Jets a legitimate shot at the playoffs, but the Falcons have the 30th-ranked pass defense. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a cumulative 98.2 passer rating, second-highest in the league.

The Falcons tend to make everyone look like a winner; that’s just how they roll this year. Besides, the Falcons injury report is still a mile long. Abrham, Jamall Anderson, and Babineaux are all shown was “questionable” after limited practice yesterday, and Chris Houston is out for the second week in a row. I never cared for Houston, but the Falcons do sort of need a defensive line to have any chance at forcing Sanchez into mistakes.

If Turner is healthy, I say the Falcons win. A battering ram that controls the clock does wonders for keeping a piss poor defense from being exposed. I would hate to think a rookie QB could put up winning numbers vs. Atlanta, but let’s be honest, our defense stinks.

Friday hodgepodge of anniversary goodness

Friday December 18, 2009. What I like to call my 16th Wedding Anniversary. With lots of love to my better half for sticking with me this far!

I am taking the day off, which sets me up for a nice three day weekend. Technically I took half a day off yesterday as well, but since I was in the office butt early, it almost doesn’t count. Then again, whenever I can get out of the office before 5PM I count that day as a win. I hardly ever write about work, so work with me for a minute. The point here is that I have the day off; what to do and how to spend it?

Tonya and I have a babysitter lined up for tonight, but it is a long push from 5AM to 6PM before the babysitter arrives! Plus the weather sucks – rain, rain, rain. The boys are going to be stuck in the house; who wants to go out and get seriously wet in the process? Besides, it is the week before Christmas; every store this side of the Chattahoochee will be packed.

Thankfully we got all our shopping done early. 95% accomplished via Amazon. What would we do without internet shopping? If I could get beer delivered direct to my front porch I would never have to step foot in a store again!

I was thinking about having a Star Trek the Original Series (Star Trek TOS) marathon – the Blu-ray versions are spectacular – but no one else in the house appreciates the classics. I watched several episodes on Season 1, Disc 2 last night, which means I still have 18.25 discs of Star Trek TOS of joy in front of me. Needless to say, the family is thrilled.

I’m sure we will sort it out – trying to figure out what to do with the kids on a day off, even a rainy day, is a good problem to have to sort out.

Congratulations to Dunn

I was happy to see that Warrick Dunn now has an ownership stake in the Atlanta Falcons.

“This opportunity fulfills one of my professional goals to expand my knowledge and experience in the area of NFL team management, branding and operations,” Dunn said. “I am excited to be back as part of the Falcons team and, in particular, to work with Mr. Blank.”

Dunn is one of the all around good guys; charity work and all the important stuff other than football. Glad to see him sticking around in some capacity with Atlanta.

OOTP Baseball 10 on sale – $24.99

If you have been sitting on the fence thinking about purchasing OOTP X, now is the perfect time as the game is $15 off to close out 2009.

It’s a perfect time to buy OOTP Developments games, because from now through December 31st, we’re offering discounts on THREE different OOTP Dev games: $15 off of Out of the Park Baseball 10, $10 off of Inside the Park Baseball, and $15 off of Title Bout Championship Boxing!

Baseball season may be over, and OOTP 11 may be in development, but $24.99 is a great deal if you are looking for some hot stove action to hold you over until spring (or the next OOTP release).

PSP goes digital with comics

I thought it was interesting to see that the PSP now offers some sort of digital comic reader application, with the PSP store currently offering 550 comics.

SCEA has announced that all PSP owners can now select from hundreds of digital comics on the PlayStation Network; included in the gigantic list are the likes of Marvel Entertainment, Disney, IDW Publishing, iVerse Media and more. There are a grand total of 550 comics now available on the Store and more content will continue to be added weekly.

Once upon a time I was a fairly big comic collector and avid reader, but I cannot see the switch to digital format. I don’t know, maybe I am just too damn traditional in some respects, but comics seem to be one media where things are not better without the traditional paper format. Digital would be interesting for archival purposes, and read hard to find comics, back catalogs, and expensive collectables. The price point ($.99-2.99) does not seem like a big advantage to what I see over the newsstands, which is rather irksome. Much like games, digital distribution of any media should be significantly cheaper than the traditional format.

A reader comment also mentioned that DC comics are not being offered, which seems to be a limiting factor – how can you not have Superman in your library?

Tony Gonzales trade – what is a Second Round pick worth?

The Falcons just cannot seem to escape their history. Landing Tony Gonzales for a 2010 Second Round draft pick seemed like a good idea at the time. In fact, I was enthusiastic. Gonzales was supposed to be a key component in the Falcons potent offense. Gonzales was also billed to be Ryan’s “go to” receiver; Gonzales was going to help Ryan avoid a sophomore slump.

There is no doubt that Gonzales has contributed, and he is a fan favorite in Atlanta judging by the #88 jerseys I see at every home game. Gonzales currently ranks in the Top 10 in receptions (75), Top 30 in yards (788), and Top 30 in TDs (5) among all receivers. If you compare just TEs then Gonzales lands in the Top 5 in receptions and receiving yards, but is further back in TDs.

Gonzales’ numbers are more than reasonable, but I did expect him to have 10 TDs by this point in the season. Gonzales should be the goal line weapon of choice if Ryan has to go to the air in the Red Zone. Little did we know that Ryan would miss multiple games because his toe was sore, Turner would pull up lame, Norwood would miss five consecutive games, and the list goes ever onward.

If the Falcons fail to make the playoffs, and if Atlanta does not manage to pull off three victories in a row to get back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, I think I am going to regret this trade. The 2010 draft should be plenty deep, and the Falcons need all the picks they can get.

A Second Round pick is worth plenty. Now you are asking “just what can you get for a Second Round pick?” Looking back over the last few years, the Falcons drafted:

William Moore, S (2009) – Plenty of upside, but a bum knee in college made his stock fall. Landed on IR; the verdict is still out.
Curtis Lofton, LB (2008) – Steal of a pick. He should anchor the Falcons defense for years to come.
Justin Blalock, G (2007) – Solid starter the last three years.
Chris Houston, CB (2007) – Plenty fast, but should be a nickel back, not a starting CB.
Jimmy Williams, DB (2006) – Wasted pick and a pot-head.
Jonathan Babineaux (2005) – Solid DB, but wants to join the thug crowd as a pot-head.
Bryan Scott, S (2003) – Contributed for a couple of years before being traded to the Saints.
Alge Crumpler, TE (2001) – A fan favorite during the Vick years. Alge was dumped in 2008 when the new front office took over.
Travis Claridge, G (2000) – I had to look this one up because I do not remember the pick. A busted knee ended his career in 2003, and he passed away in 2006.

While the results have been mixed, overall I think the Falcons have done well with their Second Round picks. Let’s hope Gonzalez stays with the Falcons another couple of seasons, helps us get over the hump, and forget about giving up a valuable rebuilding tool.

Brian Finneran lands on IR

The hits just keep on piling up for the Falcons, but seeing Finneran land on the IR is especially disappointing. The poor man had to battle through two wasted seasons (2006 and 2007) recovering from knee surgeries.

Apparently Finneran messed up a knee [technical terms are my specialty] in last Sunday’s loss to New Orleans. The Falcons say that this injury is non operable, or at least does not require surgery. That is good news for an all around good guy. Hope Finneran has a speedy recovery!

Believe it or not, Falcons are still in the playoff race.

I was surprised to see that Atlanta is still “officially” listed as being a possible playoff team by NFL.com. I am not sure how these odds work out, but if the Falcons managed to win out,

REMAINING OPPONENTS (13-26): at N.Y. Jets (7-6), Buffalo (5-8), at Tampa Bay (1-12)

and Dallas stumbled three times in a row,

REMAINING OPPONENTS (26-13): at New Orleans (13-0), at Washington (4-9), Philadelphia (9-4)

Atlanta could sneak into the playoffs. If the Falcons can manage to get a little healthier I think they could run the table. If nothing else, I hope they are playing for back-to-back winning seasons.

Things get interesting if you consider Dallas; their schedule is actually difficult. New Orleans is playing for history, so I do not think they are about to lose. While Washington sucks, and I don’t think Dallas will lose, the Skins could be playing for pride. Plus it is a rivalry game. The Eagles game is where it gets interesting. What happens if the Eagles still have not locked up the NFC East, or if the Eagles still have a chance at a better playoff seed? I guess the Falcons are eliminated at this point if the Eagles consider their last game of the year against Dallas a “must win” affair.

The playoffs are really so far out there for Atlanta that I am not sure why I am writing, but these are the sort of things that cross my mind at 3:30 in the morning! The Packers have the inside track in the Wildcard race, I did not mention the Giants who are a game in front of Atlanta and hold a tie breaker over the Falcons, and finally Dallas also has a tie breaker over the Falcons.

The Giants are in prime position to make a run

REMAINING OPPONENTS (20-19): at Washington (4-9), Carolina (5-8), at Minnesota (11-2)

Too many “if’s” for the Falcons to have any sort of chance. There is always next year, right?

Now Drinking – I’ll have a stout.

I thought the timing on this article on stouts was perfect. Just a couple of days ago the mercury was dropping fast, so I picked up some Guinness Draught (4 15oz cans). Tonight the low is all of 61F; more nasty wet weather.

Whether we’re talking imperial stout, oatmeal stout, or even the nearly extinct oyster stout, these are not beers to be shotgunned. Stouts are made to be sipped and savored while lingering over a pint in a warm wood-paneled room near a roaring fire, making occasional references to football of either sort. And while traditionally stouts contain less alcohol than other beers, many modern stouts have upped the alcohol content – perfect for wiling away the hours.

While Guinness, an Irish stout, is by far the most popular, the brewing renaissance of the last decade hasn’t left stouts behind. Literally hundreds of intriguing and incredibly tasty takes on the genre are available from liquor stores around the country. We rounded up several of these in a recent tasting. All should be available in any reasonably well-stocked shop, or online.

I love a good stout, but it is definitely a cold weather only beer of me.