Whoops

Blogger snafu... I decided to get rid of the silly Walt Clyde Frazier alter ego and post under my real name as I'm trying to consolidate the many email addresses I have... ... and all the old posts under Walt Clyde Frazier lost all the images somehow that they had. So, for all you people that go read all my old posts daily, you will have to do so without the pictures. Sorry. I'm sure everybody will survive.

New Jersey Dissected

Did we add this to the blog before?

A funny look at our beautiful home state, and I think not too far from the crude explanation I gave some time ago.

This made the rounds on email some time ago.

Ghosts of Teachers Past

I haven't shaved in weeks and have grown a full beard. This beard has some gray hairs scattered throughout. I'm only 35!

ANYWAY... as we all get older, memories of the past, unfortunately, start to fade - at least from conscious thought. Maybe all of those memories still are in our brains somewhere - like a vast file cabinet whose older papers just continue to get shoved backwards and are sitting there somewhere wrinkled and pressed together, but with the right stimulus, could be retrieved and revisited.

I was sitting here wondering if I remember not only who all of my high school teachers were, but even the classes I took each year in high school. I didn't think about this post ahead of time - I am going to try to type this and remember this information while I do it. I better start from 12th grade and work backwards. Some of this is probably inaccurate.

12th grade:
- SSMCIS (Math) - Dr. Decovsky
- AP Computer Science - Mr. Hanna
- AP English - Mrs. Twombly
- Science - AP Chemistry - Mr. Hali
- Study Hall
- Gym (I remember having Mr. Gardner, Mr. Cardell, and...? Don't remember which year was which. And I only remember Mr. Cardell because he did one-handed pushups once which I found impressive for an older guy.)
- Lunch
- No History or Foreign Language
(There is an open slot, I believe...?)


11th grade:
- SSMCIS (Math) - Mrs. Townsend?
- Computer Science - Mrs. Isaacs (I used to drive her insane)
- Science - Honors Physics - Dr. Arzt (I used to drive him insane also)
- Spanish - Ms. Torres (where I first met the Daffinator, who used to bring crosswords to class and demonstratively do them)
- Lunch
- Gym (see above note about teachers)
- English - Mr. Shanken? (this guy went to the same health club as me my senior year - Bally's in Fort Lee. One time I ran into him in the locker room and he was naked. Talk about awkward.)
- History - Mr. Burroughs. (He was a newer teacher.)


10th grade:
- SSMCIS (Math) - Mr. Elliot
- German - Ms. Mayers
- Spanish - Mrs. Taltavull?
- Science - Chemistry - Mr. Czeterko (future Superintendent of Teaneck schools)
- English - A woman named Mrs. Sumner who was older and apparently tripped over her cat and fell down a flight of stairs, causing her to miss a huge chunk of the year
- History - ?
- Gym
- Lunch
- Theater - Mrs. Johnson


9th grade:
- SSMCIS (Math) - Mrs. Delaplain
- German - Mrs. Mayers
- Science - Biology - Mrs. Jones, a red-haired woman?
- Gym
- Lunch
- History - ?
- English - ?
- Theater - Mrs. Walker


Some notes:

- I'd love to get a high school transcript to not only see my grades, but all my teachers to see how well I did on this list. Additionally, I'd love to see my disciplinary file, which was not replete with infractions but did have a couple of major incidents.

- The difference between honors and non-honors courses is striking. I remember being a kid and seeing a noticeable difference in accomplishments, classmates, classroom environment, etc... between my honors/AP subjects (Math, English, Science, Computer Science) and non-honors (foreign languages, social studies). Having taught everything in my 12 years of teaching from general levels (many, many times) to AP Calculus, I see the same differences now, and there doesn't seem to be much a teacher can do about it.

- Did we only have 8 time slots during the day? I thought we had 9. I believe it was 9.

- At age 25, I probably would have been able to recall this all accurately, fully, and with more detail.

- I think Teaneck's teaching staff was older than other towns - Teaneck was probably an attractive district to teach in the early 90s and teachers probably stayed there for a while. I don't remember too many teachers in their 20s, whereas a couple of the districts I've taught in have plenty of younger teachers.

- Interesting to think of these people as human beings, as well as teachers, now that I am one.

- I am interested to share more anecdotes and hear what other people remember about their high school setup. However, since I'm not sure if anybody reads this blog anymore, I won't go into more detail until somebody responds.

Where did the time go?

It was only a matter of time.

I had *the talk* with Nicholas this past weekend.

I think it went pretty well. I didn't stutter or stammer at all (as I feared I would).

2 more years, then Thomas.

Wow!

I’m usually behind the curve when it comes to new technologies. However, once I come around, I can’t believe that I went so long without it. Here are some over the past few years that I should have been doing from the onset:

1. Online banking. What was I thinking writing checks and keeping track of my balance on paper for so long? I was basically sticking to using an abacus, when a calculator was free and readily available. It’s free, easy to use, and you handle all your bills within seconds, as well as know how much is in your account.
2. GPS. For years I drove around with MapQuest pages, checking the odometer if I went “ .whatever” miles. The GPS is so great; I never even try to figure out where I am or where I need to get to …just listen to the machine.
3. Online food delivery. No more grocery store for only a few bucks, you say. Sold!
4. Smart Phones. I got my first one in 2008 and once you go Smart, you don’t go back. E-mail, Internet, Camera, Recorder, etc... All at your fingertips.
4A. TXT Messaging. How did anybody ever live without this?
5. Social Networking. I passed on Friendster and MySpace, but I compulsively check my news feed on Facebook. Its fun, easy and a great way to keep up with old friends, and link with new ones.
6. Netflix. To think, I used to have to drive to the blockbuster and put up with their late fees and bullshit! I don’t miss those guys at all.

Classic Posts - Family Feud

An old post about Family Feud from my old blog follows. BOTG talked about how ridiculous it was that the "triple" round basically decides the game, and renders the first two or three rounds as useless. Anyway, apparently it is still on TV. My thoughts from years ago follow.

The last time I've seen the show, I believe J. Peterman from Seinfeld was the host.


Why did I watch this show often as a kid, even though the structure of the show was ridiculous? Allow me to explain.


The overall premise wasn't too bad. Each family would have to guess what responses "100 random people" gave to random questions, usually about ordinary aspects of life. Whichever family performed better did the same in a final round with a chance to win money. Family Feud certainly is part of our cultural lexicon and has been a successful show for a long time.
 However, here are the three things that have started to bother me over time, in increasing order of annoyingness:



1) Why do they ask if a family wants to "Play" or "Pass" when they win the toss-up question? Theoretically, you'd see why a family would want to pass, I suppose... but, I'm sure in my lifetime I've watched this show at least 100 times and I've seen a family elect to pass maybe twice. It seems analogous to winning a coin flip in overtime in a sudden-death football game, and electing to "kick" rather than "receive". The best case scenario is that the other team fumbles or has to kick back, resulting in your possession... why not just receive in the first place?



2) It's annoying that sometimes a family gives what seem like "better" answers and they can't win a board because they miss one answer that is ridiculous that nobody would ever guess. I think the show's writers shouldn't use results to surveys if they are counterintuitive.



3) (This is what prompted me to write this post): The scoring structure is dumb. The family that gets to 300 points first wins. The first two rounds are usually worth close to 100 each, as the "top x answers are on the board" - and since 100 people were surveyed, the maximum amount of points each round is worth is usually somewhere between 80 and 100. 

Round 3 is worth 200 points, since scoring values are doubled. So, from time to time, a family will not only sweep each of the first three rounds, but also do so by sweeping the answers, and win after three rounds. However, this is not common. What usually happens is the game goes to a fourth round, where point values are tripled. So, often, the team that wins the triple round winds up winning the entire game, hence making the entire game up until this point almost insiginifcant. It would be kind of like a basketball game entering the 4th quarter and the referee going "Ok, since nobody is up by 30 points yet, let's have every basket for the last quarter count for 8 points each."


"Cold" does not equal "cool"

We all know it's "cool" to be "cool." But it is definitely not "cool" to be "cold." At least, not according the the pre-teen population here in Highland Mills, NY. As the splashing and bickering began to escalate in the pool today between my 8 year old, Thomas, and 10 year old, Nicholas, the following conversation was overheard:

T: (to Nick) "You're colder than me!"
N: "No. You're colder than me!"
T: "Oh yeah? You're always 3 times colder than me!"
N: "Well, you're 5 times colder than me!"
T: "Well, you're pi times colder than me!"
N: "You're infinity times colder than me!. Hah!"
T: "Pi is better because it never ends."
N: "Oh yeah? So is infinity! It never ends also!"

Squirrels

Squirrels, in my opinion, are in the same category of pest as the cockroach, the pigeon in NYC, and rats/mice. They are the rats of the tree world.

If you've ever lived in the suburbs, which almost 100% of us have, you've seen this crafty tough animal scamper around the trees in your yard. And if you've ever had a bird feeder, you know that these squirrels can perform almost impossible, remarkable physical feats to get at the feeders and eat the seed intended for birds.

Objectively, squirrels should be cute and harmless. However, I find them creepy, invasive and annoying. Mrs. Frazier has hung various feeders and the like around our yards in our various apartments, and now in our house. And, despite her best efforts, squirrels are almost impossible to keep away. Many people you'll talk to have "war stories" about keeping squirrels away from places in their yards.


Watch the following video as an illustration of their prowess as a squirrel runs an obstacle course. Amazing.





There are also many videos on YouTube of squirrels getting into bird feeders, such as the following, which for some reason creeps me out. It's like finding a rat in your kitchen pantry.

NBA Lockout

The more I think about the NBA lockout, the more I laugh and then almost cry (not literally, but I’ll be pissed if we miss any of this season). I was reading a couple of different sites, and the request from the owners seems to stem out of their bad decisions. Now, the owners want reform! But, they want to reform themselves. It also appears like the owners are outright bullshitting. So, in order for an NBA season, we have to hope the owners save themselves from … themselves.

From what I read a major problem with the current collective bargaining agreements is bad contracts. The Eddy Curry (or Sandman) example is constantly referenced and for good reason. Eddy had made 31 million over the course of the past three seasons and apparently, only played in 10 games. Also in those ten games, he wasn’t effective. The reasons behind Eddy’s failure to produce are due in part to his physical conditioning. Clearly this was a bad contract. The argument is put forth by the owners that contracts like Eddy’s, or Gilbert Arenas, is that they are stuck paying millions for long term deals for players who do not produce. Now, the funny thing about this “complaint” is that it is the owners who create the contracts they are complaining about! Nobody held a gun to James Dolan’s head and told him to give an overweight, unproven center millions. If Dolan overpaid, let him live with the consequences of being a bad owner and manager. On the other hand, Buss is not complaining about having to pay Kobe millions because he got the return on his investment. It’s called a business and there are no guarantees. If you want to help increase the probability that you make a profit, don’t make bad decisions!

Now, to the underlying issue… the owners are saying that only a few teams are profitable. I call bull shit! Granted I haven’t seen the books, but I’m inclined to believe the players that some of owners are hiding some of their revenue and inflating some of the costs. NBA games sell out on a regular basis, even in small markets, not to mention merchandise, and what TV and Cable Stations pay the NBA to broadcast the games. How many billion is collected in revenue from that? Also, I find it hard to believe that teams have been not making a profit for years. If they weren’t making a profit, did they run the teams out of charity? To entertain us? Bull! To steal a line from Uncle Junior from the Soprano’s this is clearly the case of a woman begging for food while holding a Virginia ham under her arm.

The owners need to be willing to budge, because, unfortunately, I like watching basketball, and they are clearly bullshitting. If the players make some concessions with their salaries, I guess the owners should have to learn to be better decision makers if they want to make a profit.

The King of Comedies

Mrs. Frazier and I were re-watching Talladega Nights the other night ("Why, if it isn't our mangy, transient grandfather"). By the way, I know my brother Beer-on-the-Girl is not a Will Ferrell fan. I do maintain that Talladega Nights is a consistently funny movie, even if its perhaps a bit over the top.

Anyway, afterwards I commented to Mrs. Frazier, "Wow, Will Ferrell's been in a handful of decent comedy movies. I wonder if there's anybody that's been in more than him." She responded, "Oh sure, there must have been. What about Eddie Murphy? How about Bill Murray?"

A good question... "Which actor has been in the most decent comedy movies?"

So we started naming famous actors that have been in a handful of comedy movies and going over their resumes. There is, of course, always some discussion about if particular movies qualify as "decent" or not.

Here are a handful of the first few famous comedy actors we thought of, and what may qualify as their "decent" comedy movies:

Will Ferrell: Austin Powers, Zoolander, Old School, Anchorman, Wedding Crashers, Talladega Nights

Bill Murray: Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, Scrooged, Groundhog Day

Steve Martin: Three Amigos, The Jerk, Little Shop of Horrors, Parenthood, My Blue Heaven, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Eddie Murphy: Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Golden Child, Coming to America, Boomerang, The (first) Nutty Professor


Certainly, one could add or subtract comedies from each person's resumes, depending on one's opinion of what a decent movie is or not.

But the point: Two things stood out...

1) All of them have been in plenty of shitburger movies. Check out any of their resumes on IMDB. You will see a handful of movies in each person's resume that will have you saying, "Wow, they must have cashed in when they did that movie."

2) Look at the number of movies in each person's resume. What do you notice? They all only have 6 "decent" comedy movies! Why is there not one comedic actor that has 10 good comedies or more? Maybe many of them seem to have lost their comedic touch after they've been around for a while and aged. Bill Murray started doing serious, artsy films. Eddie Murphy got stuck in the kids movie rut and seemed to forget how to be funny.

So who is the king of comedy movies? Who did we overlook? Who has been in the most decent movies? And, what are the best individual comedic movie performances of all time?

True Blood!

True Blood is back for Season 4!!! My major concern regarding the show is this will be the season when it jumps the shark, but, once committed to a show, I stick with it despite how bad it gets, like I did for the Soprano’s despite the drop off in quality for the 5th season and huge decline in quality for the 6th. The worse show I ever stuck with was Beverly Hills, and that really jumped the shark, but I hung in there for 10 god damn seasons. However, after watching the first two episodes of True Blood I’m optimistic that the Season will remain high quality television.

Season 4 starts with Sookie going to fairy land, which turned out to be filled with goblins. When Sookie first goes to fairyland, she is supposed to eat some glowing fruit, which makes everything in the land seem great. Sookie realizes this is a trap. While in fairyland, Sookie runs into her grandfather who was unaware that he had been in the land for 20 years, and it “felt like only a few weeks.” This storyline was very 1980’s fairies and goblins, and reminded me of a bad take on Labyrinth, with David Bowie. Sookie quickly leaves fairyland and returns home to find she has been gone for a year, despite the fact that she feels like she has only been gone for about 15 minutes, but in fairyland, “time works differently.” This whole storyline sucked and was a huge “Ho yes!” I was concerned that we had just jumped the shark, but it got better.

Upon Sookie’s return we find out Jason has become a cop, sold Sookie’s house, and is helping the hillbilly Ringwood people. But, I’ll return to Jason in a minute. We find out that Bill is now Vampire king of Louisiana. We then find out in the second episode that Bill trapped previous Queen Sophie Ann, with the assistance of Nan Flanagan, the head of the Vampire something-or- another League. Bill lies to Nan and tells her there is nothing special about Sookie.

We find out at the end of Season 4 Episode 1, and the beginning of Episode 2 that Eric bought Sookie’s house. Eric informs Sookie that he could feed off her without her consent but wants her to give herself to him (Eric) and he will protect her, which she will need once other vampires find out she is a fairy. The sexual tension between Eric and Sookie grows and grows, but with no delivery.

Jason, upon trying to help the hillbillies, who are also were-panthers, is trapped by his former potential romance from Season 3 (Crystal) and her new boyfriend, Filton, the one who took her at the end of season 3. Jason is tied to a bed and is informed that he is going to need to mate with Crystal. This was a pretty funny scene, which is hard for me to say because the Jason sub-plots generally have been the worst part of the show, like when Jason became religious in season 2 (yawn) but I digress. So, Jason asks how Filton is okay with her (Crystal) having sex with him (Jason). Jason also wants to know why Filton is removing his pants when Crystal informs him that she wants to make a baby with him. Well, Jason is told that he is going to be converted to a were-panther to ensure “the blood line” and he is selected because Filton can’t make babies. The scene ends with Crystal and Filton turning into panthers and biting Jason.

In the most interesting story line, Lafayette has joined a witch coven, which he initially is skeptical of, but comes to give it try by being convinced by his boyfriend, Jesus. Bill summons Eric to investigate the coven as he learns that this coven is using some witchcraft that can control the dead. Eric busts into the coven, and Lafayette says “oh shit!” Eric tells the head of the witches that she needs to cease practicing witchcraft. Lafayette tells the head witch “do what he (Eric)says; he tends to get what he wants.” Lafayette knows this because he was held captive by Eric in Season 2 for selling vampire blood. Tara, back from New Orleans where she is now in a lesbian relationship and lying about her identity, attempts to stab Eric who grabs her. Lafayette regretfully stands up to Eric to save Tara. The witch is able to presumably cast a spell on Eric, and last we see of him, Eric is wandering shirtless unaware of his identify. Eric is discovered by Sookie who is looking for him to get her house back, which Eric has purchased, but Eric does not recognize her because of his witch induced trance, and wants to know “why she smells so good.”

Now, the boring subplots… Arlene is concerned her baby is evil. In another boring subplot, head sheriff Andy Bellflur is hooked on vampire blood (yawn.) Slightly less boring (and ever so slight) Sam is hanging out with a group of shifters and has a new love interest (Luna).

So, the stories are weaving together nicely, at least the vampires and the witches, and should provide for some good plot twists and drama. There have been some funny parts already. Also, True Blood has stepped up their nudity and sex as each episode has contained several graphic scenes so far. I’m already looking forward to Episode 3!

If I was James Dolan…

I would be a douchebag (HY)! Now seriously, with draft day looming it’s time to start thinking about what the Knicks should do. The Knicks have one more year with D’Antoni. The Knicks are obviously locked into Melo and Amare who account for roughly 40 million under the cap. Unfortunately, they picked up the pricey extension for Chauncey to come back for about 15 million. Aside from these three, they don’t have any big contracts. As far as movable assets, Fields and Douglas cost practically nothing, and are both young decent players which make them attractive in a trade. Also, the Knicks have the 17th pick in the draft. Thus, the idea of a combination of Fields and/or Douglas with their draft pick is being floated in various scenarios.

Of course, the summertime for the NBA is time for the rumor mill to be in full effect. The rumors so far for possible Knicks moves have the possibility of trading one their assets (Fields or Douglas) plus their pick for Minnesota’s point guard (PG) Johnny Flynn. Flynn was a top ten pick two seasons ago, but had a hip injury and a sophomore slump. This move doesn’t make sense to me (aside from the fact that we could have had a number of better PG’s in Jennings, Lawson, and Holiday and passed on all them for Jordan Hill, SMH!). I think Douglas is as good Flynn plus has more size and shooting range. Next, is the idea of trading one of their assets and pick to move up to land BYU’s Jimmer Freddete. Jimmer was the country’s college leading scorer. Concerns about Jimmer (as with every white guy) is his speed and defense. I think the knock on his speed is not well founded; however, his defense does remain a question mark. The big gamble with Jimmer is his ability to make the leap. The upside is his range and desire to be a Knick, which he has said would be his 1st choice (mom is it my choice). In other moves, the idea of trading Chauncey for Steve Nash has been floated. What the Knicks will probably do is draft the best player available with their pick, like a Chris Singleton guy, and stay put on all these moves and make a move next season.

What I would do if I were the Knicks GM is to go after the best big man available. Restricted and unrestricted big men include Tyson Chandler and Marc Gasol. Rumors have the Bucks wanting to trade Bogut. I would also make the Chauncey for Nash trade if I could. I would stay away from Vince Carter and Bonzi Wells, both of whom are available and have been talked about in connection to the Knicks. I think we should go after any of these legit big men, hopefully Chandler, and with a good PG like Nash, plus Melo and Amare, the Knicks are in the mix in the east. I would also use the pick and one of my assets to move up for Jimmer. I believe he is worth the gamble.

Now, if the Knicks are unable to sign a big man or trade Billups I would stay put and look to get Deron Williams or Chris Paul at the end of the season. As an aside, I can’t see Deron signing an extension with the Nets but who knows. I think the Knicks are in decent position moving forward. My major concern is still Melo’s ability to become a leader and bring a championship back to the Garden. Also, after next season I would say goodbye to D’Antonti. Let’s go Knicks!!!

Prayer Answered

Dear God,

Thank you.

Walt Clyde Frazier

A Prayer

Dear God,

If you can hear me... let Dallas beat Miami in the NBA Finals.

Walt Clyde Frazier

My Fiancé

I met her in 2007 when I was supervising at DYFS, in NJ. I always found her pleasant, caring, attractive, and fun to be around. She moved away, closer to her home, and we both went on with our lives. Then, two years ago we went out to dinner and everything changed!

When we went to dinner something happened. I found that I was interested in her, and she found that she was interested too. We clicked, and started to hang out every weekend. I drove down to the shore, or she would drive up to me.

She agreed to move to Boston with me. She decided to go to school, and I took a new job. Every day I spent with her the feelings grew and grew. I knew she was the one…

So, I bought a ring, and waited and waited. I knew I wanted to give to her when the time was right. I waited until a day before her 27th birthday. Then, I asked her to marry me. She said “of course.” I love you baby, more than anything!

Kobe's Attitude

I was so glad to see the Lakers get swept by the Mavericks yesterday. It was even better to see the Lakers sit there in the press conference knowing that Phil is leaving and even better that this current era for the Lakers is coming to close. One of my many problems with the current era of the Lakers is Kobe. He is a smug, pompous, bitch! Now, the surprising thing about the Lakers losing was that my brother Walt was justifying Kobe being an asshole. My position (and also the correct position) is that there is no excuse for Kobe being an asshole!

To explain what I mean, YouTube search Kobe Bryant + press conference. Click on any single one and you will know right away what I’m referring to. I’ve waxed philosophically about the stupid questions and commentary in today’s sports culture, but Kobe responds to the stupid questions like a dick. For example, in 2010 after a Lakers loss to the Celtics a reporter asked in a press conference if Kobe felt confident about being down 3 games to 2, going into game 6. Kobe said “No, I’m not confident; I’m not a confident person.” Then, starred at the reporter, gave a sarcastic smile, and didn’t say anything else. Kobe, dick, the guy is just doing his job!

Walt asserts that somehow Kobe needs to be a dick because he is the best in the world and everyone is trying to knock him off the hill. Walt feels (I think) that Kobe needs to be on edge and brush off commentators and reporters to maintain his status, and at a minimum we should understand Kobe’s plight. My contention is that Kobe is blessed to be one of the most gifted athletes ever, and is in the unique position of being one of the best at his craft and gets more than enough compensation for the work he does. I’m not saying that he should be stating how grateful he is in every interview, but I would like someone to say to Kobe, “Lose the attitude, tough guy.”

Lucy, You Got Some Splainin to Do!

Osama Bin Laden is dead, nothing that we will make run to the streets chanting “USA, USA”, but it is a huge event in history. Out of all the stories and questions being examined the one that fascinates me is, “What did Pakistan know?” In the movie Casino, Robert DeNiro says to an employee who he suspects to have scammed his own Casino out of money “Listen, if you didn't know you're bein' scammed, you're too fuckin' dumb to keep this job. If you did know, you were in on it. Either way, you're out. Get out! Go on. Let's go.” Pakistan, after accepting approximately 20 billion dollars in aid over the past decade, with over 10 billion towards the military, including money for intelligence, claims to have had no knowledge about Bin Laden’s whereabouts. Yet, Bin Laden was found, not in cave or under a rock, but in an affluent suburb, in a house six times the size of most surrounding houses, not far from their “west point” in a town comprised of many military retires. Well Pakistan, as Ricky Ricardo would say “you have some splainin’ to do.”

The more I read about Pakistan’s denial of Obama’s whereabouts, and, as of today, Pakistan’s objection to not having notification of the US invading Osama’s compound, it’s becoming pretty damn clear that, at the very least, something fishy is going on. Let’s try to examine this rationally. Bin Laden had a wall built around his compound, with barbed wire. Let’s pretend that Pakistan did not know who moved into the compound some six years ago. Did nobody in their intelligence community think to look at the person who purchased the biggest house in town, built a wall around it, and then asked for no internet/cable service, and denied garbage pickup? Was the prevailing thought that the new rich neighbor is just some eccentric dude?

And now, Pakistan is saying that they should have been consulted prior to us going in. Brother, please! Forgot about the consultation, I think we need to cut aid to them till we get to the bottom of this, and if gross negligence is found, we need to recoup some of those funds used for their so called “intelligence.”

Getting Off The Highway

Recently I visited Boston to watch our beloved Knicks lose a heartbreaker Game 1 to the Celtics at the TD Garden. It was an awesome trip despite the loss.

Here's the gang getting warmed up for the game:

Moon, Eric, Jay, Walt Clyde, and Beer-on-the-Girl.

But before I digress and complain about the Knicks' lost opportunities, poor coaching, and the like, I wanted to discuss the following issue that arose on the trip.

On our way up, friend-of-the-blog Jay generously offered to drive him and myself from North Jersey to Boston. On our trip, there were a handful of times we had to exit a highway. Each time the exit ramp was filled with a line of cars waiting to leave the highway, Jay would pull the following move: not wanting to wait in this line, he would drive up as far as possible, passing the growing line of cars on his right. Then, at the last possible instant, he would abruptly cut back into the line of cars, "cutting" the line of cars.

Incredulous (and also wanting to bust his balls), I brought it up around the guys in Boston, who all admitted that they do the same thing! Moon even justified it by bringing up the fact that no traffic laws were technically being broken. My stance remained constant: I can't think of many things that are as blatantly rude as this - and maybe I would have done the same as a younger man, but now I can't imagine doing this with such a cavalier attitude and with no guilt.

Is this an egregious act of road rage carried out to the nth degree? Or just something that people do on the rough roads of the Northeast?

D’Antoni’s D’ohs

I don’t hate Mike D’Antoni, he’s just not the guy who will lead you to the promise land. It is clear on championship teams that the coach is the alpha dog, like Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers, and on NY it’s clear that D’Antoni is not. D’Antoni creates a nice offensive system where the ball moves and everyone takes shots, but to win it all it’s going to take someone better. Here is a list of some of what I will call D’Antoni’s D’ohs since arriving in NY:

1. Mishandled the Marbury situation. It was clear that D’Antoni wanted no part of Marbury, and for good reason, and it became clear that management would not buy out his contract on principal (pretty dumb). But, after it became clear that Marbury wasn’t going anywhere, D’Antoni should have found a way to work him in as he was clearly their best player and the team sucked! Instead, Marbury sat on the bench like a cancer, as a constant reminder of Thomas and Dolan’s ineptitude and the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in sports.
2. Got involved in the Melo deal. D’Antoni was very vocal along with Dolan that the Knicks “needed “to get Melo, thus overpaying for him and depleting much of their roster.
3. Could not find a role for Anthony Randolph. It didn’t surprise me that as soon as Randolph got traded he had a 31 and 10 night for the Wolves. Randolph was the perfect guy for the D’Anotni system. Randolph was big, young, and liked to run. How could D’Antoni not find a way to work an 18 year old rookie was tons of talent into the rotation when the Knicks were playing mediocre ball and struggling at times?
4. Of course, doesn’t encourage defense, at all, under any circumstance.
5. I’m going to combine two gripes I have about D’Antoni, and that is he doesn’t make mid-game adjustments, and doesn’t appear to give good direction. This happens all the time but I’ll use the most recent game against the Celtics (Game 2 of the playoffs) as an example. Rondo started the game with a flurry of layups, six of them to be exact within the first six minutes of the game. D’Anotni should have called for time after the third lay up (at the latest) and changed his strategy. Instead, all Knicks fans watched and yelled at the screen for someone to play defense(<-see point 4 above) And, onto point 2, to end game 2, with the Knicks down by 1 with 4.5 seconds to go, out of a timeout, nobody knew who they were guarding or they should foul. This error in judgment has to fall on the coach!

D’Antoni has done some good things, but I think it’s time to move on. Thanks Mike, for all your hard work, now here are your walking papers!

NBA Playoffs Predictions 2011

1st Round East:

(1)Bulls over (8) Pacers- (Sweep)
(2)Heat over (7) Sixers- (Too young vs. too talented. Sweep!)
(6)Knicks over (3) Celtics (Yes I’m biased, but the Celtics are skidding and the Knicks are hot. In six)
(4)Orlando over (5) Atlanta (Howard’s too big. In five)

1st Round West:

(1)Spurs over (8) NO (In five)
(2)Lakers over (7) Memphis (Sweep)
(3)Mavs over (6) Portland (In six)
(4)OKC over (5) Denver (In seven. Too bad, cause I like Denver. Maybe b/c they have the Knicks whole team)

2nd Round East:

(4)Orlando over (1) Bulls (In six. Finally all the hype about the Bulls will be over!)
(2)Heat over (6)Knicks (Sweep. Hate to say it, but it’s true)

2nd Round West:

(4)OKC over (1) spurs (In six.)
(2)Lakers over (3)Mavs (In five.)

Conference Finals

East: Heat over Magic (In five)
West: Lakers over OKC (In five)

Finals: Lakers over Heat (In six. Hate to say it, and I hate both these teams, but Lakers!)