The Recycle Bin

Why is Georgia regressing?

I have not written a lot about the ass kicking UGA took last week, but the ajc’s Jeff Schultz has plenty to say on the subject of the Bulldogs miserable season.

This isn’t a former No. 2-ranked team that has maintained its level of excellence. It’s a program that has regressed. Significantly. Whatever Richt was doing before is not working now. Either the wrong players are being recruited, or the right players are being coached the wrong way.

Blame Mike Bobo for the offense. Blame Willie Martinez for the defense. Blame Stacy Searels, the vaunted offensive line coach, who, by the way, hasn’t done bupkis. Blame anybody you want.

But it starts with Richt. It’s his program. He sets the tone and establishes direction. He is the one coaching at a school that hadn’t started a season so poorly since Jim Donnan’s first year in 1996 (3-5 on the way to 5-6). Richt is the one whose team committed three more turnovers against Tennessee and ranks as the worst in the conference and among the dregs nationally with 16 giveaways and a minus-11 turnover ratio.

Things are bad, and they will probably get worse before they get better.

Mum’s the word on PSPgo

It would appear that no one, not even Sony has anything nice to say about the new PSPgo. GamerTell thinks they know why Sony is so silent on the PSPgo – because it is doing terrible.

The PSPgo debuted October 1, 2009. It’s been out for nearly two weeks and Sony has yet to start gloating about the system’s sales. There were no first two- or three-day sales figures reported. Sony hasn’t even released first-week sales figures. This leaves consumers to wonder whether or not the PSPgo is really doing all that well.

Let’s be honest, other than writing about the excitement of the forthcoming system, and the anticipation of getting something new, I have not really had a whole lot of kind words for the PSPgo. I doubt that will change until I get one. Like I said, I am being honest. The price point completely sucks.

Is the Chase already over?

I thought this was an interesting article on how to keep Johnson from winning six Championships in a row. The premise is that Johnson is so good on the Chase tracks that title number four is in the bag; title number five is a sure thing because the 2010 schedule is already set. That leaves NASCAR with an opportunity to stop Johnson’s roll in 2011.

There are only a couple of things I agree with in the article. The season should end at Daytona, and the “regular” season points leader should get some type of bonus.

Would any of that change things right now? Probably not, but Gordon would have the title in 2007 if not for the stupid points reset. That year Gordon went from a commanding 317 points lead to a 20 point deficit to Johnson.

45 points of joy

What a difference a day makes! Unlike my article on UGA (45 points of disappointment) the Falcons left me with a feeling of elation. For all the good stuff the Falcons did in manhandling the 49’ers, I still not like the direction of the running game.

Running back Michael Turner finished the game with 22 carries for 97 yards and three touchdowns. Since he was acquired by the Falcons last season, Atlanta is 13-1 when he totals more than 20 carries per game.

Nice statistic, and there are plenty of others in the link. I guess 4 yards per carry is not so bad, but when did Turner start fumbling?

WoW – canceled account again.

Over the weekend I decided to close down my WoW account. To be fair, WoW is a fun game, but I just do not get $14.95/month out of it. Around Thanksgiving or Christmas when I have a few days off I will probably reactivate the account, but for now I will move on to other interests.

After being inactive for 18 months, what did I learn? The game world definitely focuses on multiplayer interaction and leveling up as quickly as possible for raids, instances, prestige, and other whatnots. For the most part I play WoW solo, so I am probably missing out on all the good stuff, but I just do not have the free time to focus on leveling up my characters to try to get involved with the big boys.

Maybe next time I will tackle the game from a different angle and join a guild. I did that briefly the first time I played, but I only knew one person in the guild, so it was often impossible to hook up online with someone I knew. I still think that would make all the difference in the world.

Team USA 2010 World Cup Bound

The game was not on here, so instead of watching the U.S. beat Honduras 3-2 in a hostile stadium, I was watching the likes of Colorado/Texas and Florida/LSU. Not that the college football was not enjoyable, but it just shows how far soccer has to go in the U.S. How could such an important match not be televised?

On this early Sunday morning I am lifting a cup of the black stuff (dare I say the morning version of the nectar of the gods) to a decent draw in South Africa. Still have a week and change before FIFA 2010 arrives.

SEC Roundup (Week 6)

It was a poor weekend for me going against the line, but I got to watch several games that made for compelling college football.

Georgia/Tennessee – OK, not so compelling, and very disappointing.
Alabama/Mississippi – Not much of a contest, and this was the one that scared Bama fans at the beginning of the year.
Colorado/Texas – Defense and special teams saved Texas.
Florida/LSU – Pretty damn good game, and now FL has the inside track to the SEC half of the National Championship.

I started Week 6 with a 22-16 record, and just like the Dawgs, I left with my tail between my legs. It always sucks to have more misses (Auburn, Georgia, Miss St, Vanderbilt) than wins (Alabama, Florida, Kentucky). My record on the year is now 25-20; reality is starting to set in, which is the reason I only do this sort of thing for fun.

Georgia’s Remaining Schedule
I wrote yesterday (45 points of disappointment) that it was time for the Bulldogs to focus on next year; find our QB of the future and get him some experience. At this point I can only find 3 more wins on the schedule, which is beyond disappointing.

Win – Vanderbilt (Oct 17). The Commodores have been completely disappointing this year, and I just do not believe UGA can fall this far this year.
Loss – Florida (Oct 31). Trick or Treat my ass; this one is going to get ugly quick.
Win – Tennessee Tech (Nov 7). Granted, this year’s Dawgs cannot look at any game as a cake walk, but you can chalk this one up.
Loss – Auburn (Nov 14). I was going to put this one down as a swing game, but right now, even after Arkansas embarrassed the Tigers, it is still a loss. This one could go the direction, making UGA Bowl eligible, if Auburn goes into a tailspin.
Win – Kentucky (Nov 21). If this one was on the road, my pick would have been for the Wildcats.
Loss – Georgia Tech (Nov 28). It is painful to make this prediction, which would put the bumblebees on top two years in a row.

I know only us pundits, critics, and naysayers write this kind of stuff, but reality sucks. Let’s play for next year.

45 points of disappointment

What a bummer of a game. Tennessee completely demolished Georgia 45-19. Good old fashion ass whipping behind the woodshed is too nice a description.

I am not sure what is wrong with this team. Not enough fire in their belly? Certainly undisciplined. It is a travesty that a UGA team cannot even mount a semi-respectable ground game.

Nothing against Joe Cox, but it is time for the coaching staff to look forward to next year. 3-3 may not sound like a horrible year, but it is an unqualified disappointment for a team that has better talent than they are displaying on the field. It is time for Coach Richt to figured out who is his QB of the future – Logan Gray, Zach Mettenberger, or Aaron Murray – play him now and let him prepare for the 2010 season.

U.S. at Honduras

I know it is college football Saturday, and the NFL will take center stage on Sunday, but right smack in the middle of the two, Team U.S.A. will play in a hostile environment in Honduras at 10PM EST to see if they can qualify for the 2010 World Cup. This one is a game where I just hope we come away with some points; that would be a victory for this U.S. squad. In soccer, there is no shame in a tie.

Go USA!

SEC Predictions (Week 6)

This weekend features a few interesting matchup and of course one hell of a bid for the early hold on the SEC half of the BCS equitation. So far I am 22-16 on the year, but I have a bad feeling that is about to change as I use the SPORTBETTING line (as of early Saturday morning).

17 Auburn at Arkansas
Do I really have to listen to the noise from the Planes when the Tigers go 6-0 on the year? Yes I do. Auburn easily covers the 3 points they are giving up to the Hogs.

Vanderbilt at Army
Kind of a ho-hum matchup unless you happen to be a West Point grad, or maybe spent your college days at Vanderbilt. In either case you are probably not reading this blog, so get over yourself already! Army is getting 10.5 in this one, and while the game will be close early on, Vanderbilt should cover. If they don’t, this is the last f’ing time I am going to pick them this year.

Houston at Miss. St
For the Western Bullpups there would be no shame in losing to the Cougars from Houston because this same Houston team took down a highly ranked Oklahoma St team, which happened to beat Georgia; who’s only two losses on the season have come to Top 10 teams (at the time of agonizing defeats). With that out of the way, Miss St is laying 2, which is kind of scary because I keep getting hosed by taking Miss St, but on any given week a mediocre SEC team is much better than so other junk from another conference. I am taking my chances for Miss St to cover.

Kentucky at 25 South Carolina
This one is easy. The Fighting Chickens have to give up 9.5 points to the Kitty Cats from Kentucky. No way they cover. Kentucky with the points.

3 Alabama at 20 Mississippi
I keep hearing that this is one of the marquee matchups of the weekend. Don’t go fooling yourself and get caught with your pants down. Alabama easily covers the 4.5 they have to give up to the Oxford Boys.

1 Florida 4 LSU
Of course this one is the marquee matchup of the weekend and all we keep hear is will Superman play? If LSU needed a miracle in the closing seconds to beat the Bulldogs, I do not see them beating the Gators. Even if the game is in Death Valley. At night. With Florida’s backup QB. The Gators are giving up 7.5, which seems like a hell of a lot, but I am sure that line is out there to entice some fools to take the Tigers. Except for possibly Texas, Florida is the best team in all the land, but those 7.5 points scare me. I am still going to pick ‘em to cover and win outright!

Georgia at Tennessee
I need more coffee before tackling this one in any significant detail. This one is Georgia’s season. Win and they have a change to recover to a decent Bowl. If they do not man up after that heartbreaking travesty last weekend against LSU, their season goes down the pisser in a hurry. They get one measly point, but for some reason I think they win big. Call me a fool.

Go Dawgs!

Marauder goes under the knife (update 1)

My Marauder completed its journey to Crosman earlier today courtesy of UPS. Unfortunately no one is available in the warranty department today; not sure if that is the case for Friday in general or just today.

So now the real waiting begins. Will be interesting to see how quickly my Marauder is repaired or a replacement is sent.

Stay tuned.

Falcons still seeking a new home

It looks like the Falcons are still intent on moving into a new stadium. According the ajc, Arthur Blank is pretty insistent on a new home for the Falcons.

Whatever happens, Blank said the Falcons need to play in a new stadium not only to keep their competitive edge but to help Atlanta maintain its image as a world-class city. Blank has said previously that he wants a new stadium when the bonds sold to the Georgia Dome are paid off, probably around 2015 to 2020. He mentioned Thursday that the team’s lease of the state-owned facility expires in 2020 or when the bonds are paid.

“The Falcons are falling behind other teams in the NFL in terms of the experience for our fans,” Blank said at the Atlanta Press Club Thursday.

It is not like 2020 is just around the corner, but I guess it is never too early to try to protect and capitalize on your investment.

Demon’s Souls is not your average cup of tea

I thought this article from Punch Jump hit the nail on the head. Demon’s Souls breaks the normal chains of gaming convention.

The most important part of Demon’s Souls is that the game’s no-save policy, clever enemies, and traps all coincide in a masterful design that allows the player to learn with each level attempt. Much like a classic 2D side-scroller, users will learn to defeat known enemies quicker, avoid traps, and become accustomed to the no-save policy.

I haven’t gotten to log much time with the game yet; hopefully have some time over the weekend. The user views on the game are starting to roll into Metacritic. Demon’s Souls is still rated at 90% (based 33 critic reviews), but perhaps most important is the 9.4 user score (based on 87 votes).

The world is truly Obama mad

I really don’t know where to begin with this one. President Obama was just awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

The stunning choice made Obama the third sitting U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize and shocked Nobel observers because Obama took office less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 nomination deadline. Obama’s name had been mentioned in speculation before the award but many Nobel watchers believed it was too early to award the president.

As an American I want to be proud, and certainly not be disrespectful to my President, even I disagree with his politics and policies. With that said, how does President Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize based on his portfolio of work as the current President of the United States of America? Is this now a lifetime achievement award?

Shocking is the only way to describe this tomfoolery.

For Your Eyes Only

A couple of weeks ago Amazon run a Deal of the Day on the Blu-ray James Bond collections. I ended up picking up all three for a smidgen under $30 each. That is a lot of Bond; a lot of duckets for a lot of Blu-rays!

Last night I watch For Your Eyes Only which happens to be on Volume 2, and is also one of my favorite Sir Roger Moore Bond movies. I am not going to spend time reviewing the movies – other more capable reviewers have already done that part for you. I will say that I was impressed with the quality of the Blu-ray, and the extras are outstanding, especially the commentaries and featurettes. Last night I listened to some of the Moore commentary, which at times was kind of dry, but equally entertaining and informative. Then again it was closing in on midnight when I decided to call it a day, so my impression may have been different if I were not so sleepy.

I already had the James Bond Collection Volume 1 on DVD, so the real question was if the “upgrade” was worth the money. In short, yes, I think the video quality is exceptional, but I think you have to be more than a casual Bond fan to “upgrade” over your DVDs because (A) you are basically double dipping for the same content, with improved video quality (B) there is some overlap, but the DVD and Blu-ray collections do not contain the same movies. After purchasing all three Blu-ray collections, I do not have all the movies that are on DVD Volume 1. Missing movies are Diamonds Are Forever, The Man with The Golden Gun, and The Living Daylights. I assume these will be released in subsequent Blu-ray collections.