The Recycle Bin

Heading to ATL to take on the Skins

Looks like the weather is going to be glorious today, which means exactly what? I will be sitting in the Georgia Dome missing most of the beautiful afternoon weather! Clear skies – mid 70’s – like I said glorious weather.

Of course I will get to enjoy a little bit of the sunshine this morning in the pregame tailgate activities. For most of these games I do not really do anything over the top. Just me, my two boys (my youngest one is not old enough to enjoy the games), and my Weber Q220. We toss around a football; dad enjoys a couple of cold ones, and take in all the sights and sounds of gameday. Over the last could of years, ATL tickets have been a great investment for quality time with my kids!

At the beginning of the year, and up until the last few days I have looked at the Washington game as a win. The Falcons injury report is pretty lengthy, so this one may be closer than expected.

I still expect that Atlanta will give us a victory; there should be enough offense to overcome a really poor Redskins team.

Go Falcons!

SEC Roundup (Week 10)

You know it is a good weekend of football when you go 5-3 with your picks, and end up with a Georgia victory! Winners included Arkansas, Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia. I missed on my picks of Florida, Kentucky, and LSU. My total on the year is now a much healthier 37-29; keeping my head about water!

No comments on the Dwags because I did not get to see Georgia’s 38-0 dismantling of Tennessee Tech. I was going to watch it on ESPN360, but a regional blackout was in effect.

FIFA 10 (comparing scores)

When the game was first released I mentioned that I was surprised at the metacritic scores; reviewers gave much higher rating than fan votes. After playing the game over the last few weeks, I think it is a real winner, which brings me to the point of this post.

I am surprised to see the metacritic reviewer (91% for 53 critic reviews) vs. user (7.7 user score based on 50 votes) discrepancy remain so high. I really thought they would trend towards each other, but for some reason that is not the case. If only a few of the reviews were high, and they were from mega sites, the cynic in me would say that EA paid off the reviewers. The reviewer sampling is much too high, so the only thing I can assume is that the user scores are full of bunk.

It just seems really strange to me that this game is universally acclaimed by most reviewers, but the users say it is average at best. I have not even begun to explore the depth of FIFA 10; most of my games are really just quick pick up and play games (Team U.S.A. vs. random opponents). I think the gameplay is beyond solid, and the game will have a ton of staying power (i.e. replay value).

SEC Predictions (Week 10)

This week’s SEC action features Alabama playing host to LSU. The winner is pretty much guaranteed to be the SEC West Champion unless something fluky happens. As for the rest of the action, most are “get healthy” type games against teams looking for a pay off. When SEC teams host Eastern Kentucky, Furman, Northern Arizona, and Tennessee Tech, something is wrong.

I am using Danny Sheridan’s odds as seen in the USA Today for today’s picks, and most of the games are off the board due to inferior opponents. I could go with a different line, but why bother? Just to make things interesting, for the games off the board, I am going to say that the SEC team has to cover 31. We will go it Calvert’s Odds.

Going into this weekend I am 32-26 through the first 9 weeks of SEC action. Let’s see if I can bump up the winning percentage a little!

South Carolina at Arkansas
Arkansas by 7; they cover, they win, and pig fans everywhere rejoice.

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky
The Wild Cats have to win by 31 [Calvert’s Odds].

Furman at Auburn
Another Calvert’s Odds game; Tigers will cover the 31.

Memphis at Tennessee
Every once in a while Memphis will jump up and play a hell of a game, but the way Tennessee is playing right now, I think they will cover the 26 points.

Vanderbilt at 1 Florida
Florida is giving up 35, which is a lot of points. I am kind of snake bit with this one. When I go for the team that should win by a lot, I almost always have a miss, but I am done picking Vanderbilt this year. Reluctantly, the Gators cover the 35.

Northern Arizona at Mississippi
I am sure Mississippi will use this game to knock out some frustration, but I just do not like the way they are playing right now. I’ll take Northern Arizona with the points; Mississippi does not cover the 31 [Calvert’s Odds].

9 LSU at 3 Alabama
In the best game of the weekend, that somehow was not good enough to earn a prime time slot, Alabama is favored by 7.5. I think Alabama is the better team, but I think it is time for them to slip up. Maybe. I am going to take the points and LSU; not sure if they will win, but I do not think Alabama covers.

Tennessee Tech at Georgia
At this point, I really do not care. The Dawgs are not looking towards the future, so even if they get healthy in a hurry, will anyone care? What a meaningless game. In fact, a buddy of mine offered me tickets, which I turned down in favor of family weekend activities. Just for the hell of it, I am going to say that the Bulldogs manage to cover the 31 [Calvert’s Odds].

Go Dawgs!

Falcons Injury Report a Mile Long

The Falcons are bruised and battered. According to ESPN, the injury report is pretty impressive (if you want to call it that).

Atlanta’s injury report was just about as lengthy Thursday as it was on Wednesday when the Falcons had to estimate an injury report because they didn’t practice. Eleven players are on Thursday’s report and running back Jerious Norwood, tackle Sam Baker, defensive tackle Thomas Johnson and receiver Roddy White did not participate in practice. Defensive end John Abraham, defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux and linebacker Curtis Lofton were among those who were limited. Stay tuned on Atlanta’s injuries as we get closer to Sunday. Although the Falcons seem to be catching a break with a home game against struggling Washington on Sunday, this team is beat up right now.

This does not even include long snapper Mike Schneck who was placed on IR this week. I hope Norwood can get back in action this week; he really helps with those dinks and dunks out of the backfield. Baker could probably use the time off after getting embarrassed on MNF. If Lofton is more than a little banged up, the defense can throw in the towel.

Friday = Date Night

I’m taking today off from blogging activities, unless I see something that really floats my boat in a few minutes over a cup of coffee.

Hopefully I will not get a chance to write tonight. My wife lined up a babysitter for a well earned date. We love the boys, but they can drive you batty at times, so getting away for dinner and drinks is always a real treat.

Happy Friday!

OOTP 10 – Hot Stove Style

Before game six of last night’s World Series I was torn between spending $29.99 on OOTP 10 (or OOTP X) or waiting for a while (i.e. until the next installment in 2010). I finally decided to download the game, went to order a license, and then pulled the plug. I figured if the Phillies pushed for a Game Seven, then I world order.

As circumstances would have it, I had to be at work very early this morning, so around 3AM I checked the OOTP site and the game was still listed at $29.99. So I figured what the heck, no time like the present; ordered a license. Timing is everything I guess because the game is back to its regular price of $39.99.

I started not to get the game because I have lived this long without the game, and I am not sure if I can get my money’s worth before the next installment. Then I started thinking that if nothing else, I could use OOTP 10 for some hot stove excitement. Hope springs eternal.

PS3 RPG fans get relief from Japan

If you are an RPG fan, it looks like there are plenty of titles on the way, but for now you will have to import these titles since they are being released in Japan first. According to andriasang (via N4G) there plenty of major RPGs being released in Japan.

And you thought your RPG schedule for the next three months was packed when it was just Final Fantasy XIII, End of Eternity, Ar Tonelico 3 and Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope International! Add another major release to that list. Nippon Ichi announced today a January 28 release date for Last Rebellion. Pricing is set at ¥7,140 — pretty low for a big name RPG.

Last Rebellion promises orthodox RPG gameplay with a less-than-orthodox premise. You take control of Nine and Aisha, two main characters who share a single HP and MP. You’ll have to switch off between the two as you work your way through command-based battles.

Once upon a time I would pick up every RPG that game my way, but with work and family (three growing boys) I am much too tired these days to even attempt to play through one! There are just not enough hours in a day.

Falcons-Saints (one that got away)

After the first half, I did not think that I would actually write about a game that the Falcons could have – let’s say should have – won. The game was much more interesting than the final 35-26 score would have indicated. This brings me to three points.

Turner looked fantastic
Turner and the Falcons rushing attack is back. Turner looked explosive for the first time this year, racking up 150 yards on 20 carries. This is probably the first time ATL has lost when Turner has rushed for 100+ yards. In fact, this is the first time ATL under head coach Mike Smith (and in the Matt Ryan years) has dropped back-to-back games. MNF put up a stat that the Falcons were 6-0 under coach Smith after a loss.

Pass protection sucked
Now that ATL has shown a rushing attack, WTF happened to the pass protection? I think the Saints ended up with 3 sacks, but it seemed like Ryan was under constant pressure. In fact, the Saints were able to seal the deal because they could get pressure with a three man rush. That is a huge let down.

Defense was solid
I have not crunched the numbers, but the Falcons defense played solid, aggressive, blitzing football. Yes, in general the secondary sucks, but they played well. I am not sure how the final statistics will stack up to the typical numbers New Orleans has been putting up, but I suspect that the Falcons were better than average. I appreciated the fact that they were fighting until the bitter end, forcing a late fumble, which setup the successful on-side kickoff recovery.

Looking forward
The announcers carried on about how the Saints would not lose another game, but if I am the Falcons, I like my chances against them when they visit the GA Dome. It is not as if the Falcons did not give the Saints a good game; ATL could have one this one. The no call against White on the interception before the half ended up being the difference in the game.

The NFC South is lost, so it is now time to play for a wildcard spot. The good news is that the Falcons can get health quick with games against Washington (home), Carolina (away), New York Giants (home, but not playing well), and Tampa Bay (home). The Falcons could be looking at a 7-4 or 8-3 record when Vick and the Eagles come calling Dec 6. So there is still hope and optimism.

Falcons-Saints (first half notes)

The Saints are up 28-14 at the half. ATL should have gone into the half trailing by a respectable seven points, but Ryan threw a pick-six with less than a minute to go. Too bad because the game was even at 14 a few minutes ago when I started putting this article together! For what it is worth (absolutely nothing) the replay showed that Roddy White was knocked out of the play on your basic version of a football pick and roll. Not sure how illegal contact (or some other pass interference penalty) was not called on that one!

Win or lose, maybe Turner is back, which will only mean good things for the Falcons the rest of the way. Turner has broken a couple of long ones including a nice 35+ yarder, netting a solid 90’ish yards in the first half. Turner looks like he is on fresh legs tonight; he does not look like he is running in mud. I have to wonder if the Falcons will stick with Turner in the second half, or if ATL will panic now that they are down by two TDs.

Grimes hasn’t done it for me (or the Falcons) this year. I keep reading that he is athletic, but that has not really paid off until he made an amazing high jump type interception. It should make highlight reels; it was very impressive.

Jenkins dropped an easy pass that would have given the Falcons a nice first down inside of the 15 yard line. Instead of getting a new set of downs, and a shot at going up 21-14, ATL had to settle for a 34 yard field goal. Too bad Elam hit the left post, which sucks because 17-14 would have been better than 14-14. Right now 28-17 would have been helpful. Elam also missed a 51 yarder at the end of the half. Not sure you could call it a miss; that is being too generous.

When does Abraham start getting some sacks? The defense is getting decent pressure on Brees, including a nasty sack, resulting in a fumble returned for a TD. Can the Falcons sustain the pressure, without exposing the secondary?

Saints get the ball first to open the third quarter, so things will go down in a hurry if the Falcons do not pick up a quick stop or two.

Falcons – Saints Predictions

Jeff Schultz of the AJC predicts that the Saints will win by 10.

Falcons at Saints: The problem isn’t just that Matt Ryan has looked ordinary the last two weeks, or that Michael Turner has looked ordinary all season. The problem is that what the Saints do best (pass) exposes what the Falcons can’t do at all (stop the pass). The Birds will be fine — until Drew Brees gets out of his car. Saints cover 10.

In other words, the Falcons don’t have a chance. On paper I would agree. ATL has not been able to get a running game started, the defense is injured and maligned, and the Saints have been just about perfect. Ah, but this is a rivalry game, and I think (hope) the Falcons have something to prove after getting thrashed in Dallas.

Peter King of SI predicts a 23-20 Saints win, which while very respectable for the Falcons, means that the Saints would not cover the line (New Orleans is giving up 8.5 pts).

Here’s a sports quiz for you. True or false: The Saints’ running game is ranked higher in the NFL than the Saints’ passing game. True. New Orleans is second in the league with 154.5 rushing yards per game. The Saints are sixth in passing yards. Now that is one unexpected little factoid.

No doubt; the Saints are a damn good football team. This is really one of those games where I do not expect a win, but want to at least get out with a respectable showing. While there are no moral victories (a loss will set ATL back to 4-3), I do not want to see the Falcons get embarrassed on Monday Night football.

SEC Roundup (Week 9)

Yesterday was a horrible day for the Dawgs (41-17 loss to the Gators) and for my picks. I only had three wins; if you want to call them that – Arkansas (just .5 shy of covering the 36.5), Vanderbilt (it sucks that I had to pick Georgia Tech), and of course Florida (I picked this one to be 33-17 so I was pretty damn close). My four losses included Mississippi (what a serious let down), LSU (I really thought they would save some for Bama), Kentucky (I almost picked Mississippi St), and South Carolina (looks like Tennessee has their grove on).

After a disastrous weekend of predictions, my record on the year is now 32-26. I was hopeful of going 4-3, so 3-4 was a letdown, as my record creeps ever so close back to .500 on the season. I am glad I am playing with funny money and not betting the mortgage.

I am not even sure what to say about Georgia. I expected them to lose, but coming out in black helmets and black pants was not going to save the day. I wonder if the Dawgs are going to try their best to become Bowl eligible. They are sitting at 4-4, looking at home dates vs. Tennessee Tech, Auburn, and Kentucky, followed by a short trip to end the season against the soon to be Top 10 ranked Bumble Bees. Things are not going to be pretty; a Bowl date at this point would be one of the petty, meaningless Bowls that only matter for practice time. Lord knows the Dawgs need practice time, but at this point practice is not going to help Cox. Where is the QB of the future? I think it is a terrible mistake not to get another QB more playing time. If the season is lost (and for all intents and purposes it is lost) then please get next year’s starter some playing experience.

The only solace for me this year is that Texas is playing well, and they are in the driver’s seat to land the non SEC half of the BCS title game. Hook ‘em!

4E Monster Manual 2 (random comments)

This is not so much a review of the 4E Monster Manual 2 (MM2) as it is a few random comments about one of the newest books in my 4E library. I order this one earlier this week from Amazon, which means the MM2 only set me back $23.07 (no taxes; free second day shipping via Prime service) instead of the suggested retail price of $34.95.

I do not have the time or inclination to research older versions of the various Monster Manual releases to see which of the approximately 170 monsters spanning 223 pages of the MM2 are new to Dungeons & Dragons. Suffice it to say that there are obviously many repeats, but that is too be expected.

The MM2 is fairly standard fare; presented in the same format as the first Monster Manual. Each monster entry has a brief description and ample statistical game information. Most also include some background information on tactics, lore, and encounter groups. For what is presented, it is fairly down to earth, but I wish that more time were spent on ecology type information. In 4E ecology information is sparse, but perhaps it is better served in other accessories, Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons being a perfect example. It is worth noting that there is a special call out section on the Rust Monster (“A Guide to Using Rust Monsters”); more of these types of call outs would have been appreciated.

Speaking of dragons, the MM2 introduces several Metallic dragons: Adamantine, Copper, Gold, Iron, and Silver. Each entry includes statistical game information for Young, Adult, Elder, and Ancient forms. If you like dragons, the MM2 gives you 14 pages of dragon goodness.

For some longtime Dungeons & Dragons fans, the appearance of Demogorgon (L34) may be a selling point. Dagon (L32) also makes an appearance, but I do not remember this Demon Lord from my younger playing days.

As you can see from the chart below, the MM2 contains a fairly diverse range of monsters, but I could not help myself for wanting to see more lower level creatures, especially humanoids. I guess there is always the Monster Manual 3. I have already alluded to two of the three 30+ level monsters. The third is the Ancient Gold Dragon (L30).

Rounding out the MM2 is a 4 page glossary. If you are picking up the MM2 you probably do not need a 4 page glossary. While it is helpful to newer 4E players such as myself, it is really throw away material. There is a single page covering the Racial Traits for possible playable races: Bullywug, Duergar, and Kenku. While this section is interesting, I would rather see more details or have it removed all together to a future Dungeon Master’s Guide. Finally the MM2 wraps things up with 3 pages of Monsters by Level. This section is certainly helpful, but I wish there were also encounter tables – by level, terrain, etc. I really miss those from my AD&D days (before there edition designations).

MM2 is certainly a quality book that will give Dungeon Master’s a new set of tools to play with, but future versions could be improved by expanding ecology information, and this old gamer believes that encounter tables are a must. I will probably rate the MM2 on Amazon as 4 (out of 5) stars.

SEC Predictions (Week 9)

This is going to be a quick pick day; been sick as a dog the last 24 hrs, so I want to get these posted and go back to bed. I am using the Danny Sheridan odds as seen in USA Today.

Going into today I am 29-22. I will be happy if I escape for a 4-3 record, but will gladly go 0-7 if the Dawgs beat the Gators!

24 Mississippi at Auburn
After getting off to a 5-0 start, Auburn has found itself in a tailspin, dropping the last three games. The Tigers are getting 4.5 at home, but it will not matter as the Ole dudes win, cover, and send the boys from the Plains spiraling with four straight losses.

Eastern Michigan at Arkansas
At 0-7, it is painfully obvious that Eastern Michigan sucks, and Arkansas will use the Eagles as part of their get healthy plan and stop their two game losing streak. The hogs are giving up 36.5, which is an awfully big number to cover, but just for shits and giggles I am going to say the Razorbacks only win by 35. As a Native Texan, I don’t care for Arkansas; never have and never will.

11 Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt
The Commodores are getting 11.5 from the Bumble Bees. Obviously I have some serious hatred for Tech, but I have to pick them here (to cover and win outright) as they continue to march to a one loss season.

Tulane at 9 LSU
This is another game with a boat load of points to cover; LSU by 36? Tulane stinks (2-5) and their wins (McNeese State and at Army by 1) do not exactly inspire confidence that they have a chance keep the Tigers from lighting up the scoreboard. With that said, the Tigers have not scored more than 31 this season, so it is hard for me to say that they are all of a sudden going to light things up.

I think LSU is better than BYU (they beat Tulane 54-3), but you just have to expect LSU is looking towards next week’s SEC West showdown against Alabama. It is with some trepidation that I say LSU does not cover the 36. I came this close to saying they will cover, but even if the Tigers have this one in hand, I expect they hold something back for the Tide.

Mississippi St at Kentucky
I think this is one of the better games (from a competiveness standpoint) this weekend. Kentucky is expected to win by 3.5. Before looking at the line I was thinking this was going to be one of those games that ends on a last minute field goal, which means Kentucky does not cover, right? I do not see how Mississippi St gets back up after that tough one against the Gators, so I am going to say Kentucky covers.

21 South Carolina at Tennessee
The Volunteers seem to get better with each passing week, and they should have upset Bama last week. With that said, the Fighting Chickens are the ranked team, but are getting 6 in this one? Win or lose, I have to take South Carolina and 6; Tennessee is not going to cover.

Georgia at 1 Florida
I long for the days when this game actually mattered; when it was a rivalry. Some pundits (I would expect mostly Georgia homers) are saying that Georgia can pull the upset over Florida because the Dawgs are coming off a bye week. They go on to say that these #1 ranked Gators are just not playing well. I don’t buy it, and can easily see a 33-17 Florida win, which would be just enough for Florida to cover the 14.5 they are giving up to the struggling Dawgs.

The Bulldog fan in me looks back to 1985 when Georgia upset the #1 Florida 24-3, so there is some history of the Bulldogs doing the unthinkable. Of course deep down inside I want a win, but I just do not see my beloved Dawgs winning this one (outright or via the 14.5 line). Hope I am wrong on this one!

Go Dawgs!

Good Fox ratings equal bad press for the Falcons

According to the AP, last Sunday’s Atlanta-Dallas game was a huge rating success for Fox.

The late game, led by Atlanta-Dallas, earned a 16.8/32 with 28.4 million viewers. It was Fox’s most watched Sunday NFL game in 13 years.

This Monday night will be the last in a three-leg National ratings bonanza, providing tons of exposure to the Matt Ryan led Falcons – Oct 18 (ATL hosted and beat Chicago on NBC Sunday Night Football), Oct 25 (ATL visited Dallas and laid an egg on Fox), and Nov 2 Atlanta comes calling on the Saints on ESPN Monday night football. I do not expect the Falcons to beat the dreaded Saint, but I hope they put up a respectable showing.