Two NFL teams dashed hopes for perfection yesterday. One ruined the perfection of glory. The other ruined the perfection of shame. What two teams are these? First, the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that six days prior fired their head coach after an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets. They dashed the hopes of the Green Bay Packers and ruined their perfect season with a 19-14 victory at home to stay in the AFC West chase.
While I find it odd that the Chiefs fired Todd Haley while they were still in the Playoff Hunt I find it more odd that the Chiefs continue to play after being given the proverbial 'your season is done' kiss of death. It's definitely a long shot for the Chiefs to make the Post-Season, which requires them to win out, Denver to lose out, Oakland and San Diego to only win a single game for them to make it via tiebreakers. Kansas City can make sure Oakland and Denver lose once each, but after that it's up to Denver to lose to Buffalo and for San Diego to lose to either Detroit or Oakland. While the AFC isn't the pinnacle of the league, it's definitely turned out to be a tight race. It's a shame that it could end at any moment, just like the winless season of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts have had a terrible season and there's no way to say otherwise. They lost Peyton Manning for the entire season early on and lost their first 13 games going into Sunday like the Packers won their first 13 games. They've been blown out, they've lost close, lost leads late, and more often than not had their effort called into question given the likelihood they'd be drafting Andrew Luck first overall in the next NFL Entry Draft. Enter the Tennessee Titans, a team that just lost out on claiming the Colts' AFC South Crown for the second time in the past half decade, still looking for a Playoff berth. The Titans took a small lead into halftime, but didn't come out of the locker room for the second half as the Colts outscored them 24-7 to take their first victory of the season. For the Titans, it's demoralizing loss that will probably cost them a shot at the post-season. For the Colts, it was their Super Bowl.
The Colts have nothing to play for now. The Chiefs on the other hand do. While both teams ruined "perfection" on Sunday, no one will remember 12 months from now what they did. They say nobody's perfect, but for one Sunday, perfection was needed to deny these teams.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
SOPA and You
SOPA, or the Stop Online Piracy Act of 2011 is, without a doubt, the worst bill to come across the US Congress in a very long time. In short, anyone or thing could call the Justice Department and have a website de-listed from the internet at a drop of a hat, regardless of whether not they own an IP that is having its' rights infringed upon.
In reality, it means that the internet is going to become a very scary place for a lot of people very quickly. Some people make their living because of the internet. They make videos for entertainment, write on blogs for news, and share their creations with the rest of the world for easy access. This bill is basically going to stop that going forward, almost immediately.
I'm talking about legitimate pirates here, people that make money off of legitimate IP and/or host pirated material. Those people deserve no remorse or respect for the work they've done. I'm saying this bill basically stops people, good working people, from making a living through their own talents in which they couldn't have done before the internet.
So I urge you call you representative and tell them to vote against this bill. It's a large, sweeping, vague bill that is dangerous to the internet as you know it. While piracy is a dangerous thing, doing something like this isn't the way the handle things. Large bills are, and will always be abused by people who don't have the authority to do so. So please, call your representative and tell them to vote "NO" on this. It's the right thing to do.
In reality, it means that the internet is going to become a very scary place for a lot of people very quickly. Some people make their living because of the internet. They make videos for entertainment, write on blogs for news, and share their creations with the rest of the world for easy access. This bill is basically going to stop that going forward, almost immediately.
I'm talking about legitimate pirates here, people that make money off of legitimate IP and/or host pirated material. Those people deserve no remorse or respect for the work they've done. I'm saying this bill basically stops people, good working people, from making a living through their own talents in which they couldn't have done before the internet.
So I urge you call you representative and tell them to vote against this bill. It's a large, sweeping, vague bill that is dangerous to the internet as you know it. While piracy is a dangerous thing, doing something like this isn't the way the handle things. Large bills are, and will always be abused by people who don't have the authority to do so. So please, call your representative and tell them to vote "NO" on this. It's the right thing to do.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Final Batch of 3DS Ambassador Games
Nintendo finally found the time out of their cold, dark schedules to release the 10 Game Boy Advance games to 3DS Ambassadors over the past two days on unsuspecting gamers. I must say that I haven't played the overwhelming majority of these games, so it's nice to have something new to play on my system, despite those games being pretty old. In the season of giving, I've decided to share my thoughts thus far on 8 of those 10 games. Don't worry, I'll talk about why I haven't played the other two.
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
I'm not a particularly big fan of F-Zero. I've also heard that this incarnation isn't that great, so I've put off playing this one for now. Hopefully I'll get back to it sooner rather than later.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
While I love Mario Kart, this is one I've always missed out on. I've never heard particularly good things about it, and after playing 2 Grand Prix's of it, I can safely say it's the worst Mario Kart on paper. While not as frustrating as Mario Kart Wii, the game is just boring, and the controls are pretty off. Therefore it's not high on my list to continue playing it.
Wario Land 4
I was always a big fan of the first Wario Land game, but I never played sequential releases of it for some reason. While my re-introduction to the series has started a bit slow, I'll continue forward since I know it'll be good later on.
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
I think the Super Nintendo version of this game is technically the superior product, but since I don't have a functioning SNES, this one is passable. Yoshi's Island is still a very fun romp of a game that no one has really tried to emulate for some reason, but it is a joy to play.
Metroid Fusion
I'm a big Metroid fan, and while Fusion isn't something I love, I decided to see the opening and save. I'll get back to it later since I want to focus on other games I haven't played out of this batch of games.
Wario Ware: Mega Microgames
This game has always been at the top of my list since these games have always intrigued me. While it is a bunch of mini-games, they're very short and enjoyable. I plan on doing all of the mini-games until I beat it, but since each section only takes about 3 minutes, I'm guessing it won't take me more than 2 hours to beat everything.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
Kirby games are a mystery to me. I liked the first one on Game Boy, and then I never played another one, like the Wario Land games. I played some of the other ones on Wii, but the only one I liked was Kirby's Adventure. When I started playing Amazing Mirror that question of 'why am I playing this?' creeped into my head until I shut it off. Sorry Kirby, you're just not for me.
Mario vs Donkey Kong
I loved March of the Minis on DS, but I knew going in that this was vastly different from that concept. What I didn't realize though was how close it was to Donkey Kong '94 on the original Game Boy, a game that I really should get back to finishing at some point. It's something I plan on completing, despite only being done with World 1 of.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
I haven't played this one, so I can't comment on it. While I liked what I played of Radiant Dawn, and I liked what I played of Shadow Dragon, it will probably take a lot for me to get into the Fire Emblem series.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
This is my favorite GBA game of all time. I started the game and played through the intro, but I'll get back to it later. I've had my fill of Zelda this year with Ocarina of Time, the original Zelda, Adventure of Link, Link's Awakening DX, Four Swords Anniversary and Skyward Sword. It's time I gave Zelda a break, she's been through a lot this year.
Alright, so those are my thoughts thus far on the 10 Game Boy Advance Ambassador games. Some I enjoy, others not so much. I appreciate what Nintendo did for early 3DS adopters, since they really didn't have to do anything for them. I enjoy my 3DS, and carry it around with me everyday. These games, in addition to the 10 NES games they released in September are great gifts, and motivated me to keep my 3DS at my side almost the entire time.
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
I'm not a particularly big fan of F-Zero. I've also heard that this incarnation isn't that great, so I've put off playing this one for now. Hopefully I'll get back to it sooner rather than later.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
While I love Mario Kart, this is one I've always missed out on. I've never heard particularly good things about it, and after playing 2 Grand Prix's of it, I can safely say it's the worst Mario Kart on paper. While not as frustrating as Mario Kart Wii, the game is just boring, and the controls are pretty off. Therefore it's not high on my list to continue playing it.
Wario Land 4
I was always a big fan of the first Wario Land game, but I never played sequential releases of it for some reason. While my re-introduction to the series has started a bit slow, I'll continue forward since I know it'll be good later on.
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
I think the Super Nintendo version of this game is technically the superior product, but since I don't have a functioning SNES, this one is passable. Yoshi's Island is still a very fun romp of a game that no one has really tried to emulate for some reason, but it is a joy to play.
Metroid Fusion
I'm a big Metroid fan, and while Fusion isn't something I love, I decided to see the opening and save. I'll get back to it later since I want to focus on other games I haven't played out of this batch of games.
Wario Ware: Mega Microgames
This game has always been at the top of my list since these games have always intrigued me. While it is a bunch of mini-games, they're very short and enjoyable. I plan on doing all of the mini-games until I beat it, but since each section only takes about 3 minutes, I'm guessing it won't take me more than 2 hours to beat everything.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
Kirby games are a mystery to me. I liked the first one on Game Boy, and then I never played another one, like the Wario Land games. I played some of the other ones on Wii, but the only one I liked was Kirby's Adventure. When I started playing Amazing Mirror that question of 'why am I playing this?' creeped into my head until I shut it off. Sorry Kirby, you're just not for me.
Mario vs Donkey Kong
I loved March of the Minis on DS, but I knew going in that this was vastly different from that concept. What I didn't realize though was how close it was to Donkey Kong '94 on the original Game Boy, a game that I really should get back to finishing at some point. It's something I plan on completing, despite only being done with World 1 of.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
I haven't played this one, so I can't comment on it. While I liked what I played of Radiant Dawn, and I liked what I played of Shadow Dragon, it will probably take a lot for me to get into the Fire Emblem series.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
This is my favorite GBA game of all time. I started the game and played through the intro, but I'll get back to it later. I've had my fill of Zelda this year with Ocarina of Time, the original Zelda, Adventure of Link, Link's Awakening DX, Four Swords Anniversary and Skyward Sword. It's time I gave Zelda a break, she's been through a lot this year.
Alright, so those are my thoughts thus far on the 10 Game Boy Advance Ambassador games. Some I enjoy, others not so much. I appreciate what Nintendo did for early 3DS adopters, since they really didn't have to do anything for them. I enjoy my 3DS, and carry it around with me everyday. These games, in addition to the 10 NES games they released in September are great gifts, and motivated me to keep my 3DS at my side almost the entire time.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
No Euro To Go?
The Euro is a relatively infant currency, created roughly a decade ago to unite all of Europe under a go-to currency for all European countries in case you were visiting another. While the Euro maintained success for most of its' life, the days of the Euro do not look bright going forward. Why is this?
For one, while the Euro is a united currency, the political powers at be are not united. In essence, they wanted they wanted the shared wealth of the United States of America while maintaining the separation of powers between them. This worked in the past since all countries were, by and large, not in a state of fiscal crisis. The World Economic Crisis continues on, and Europe is at the forefront of it now, like the United States was when it started. Unlike the United States however, Europe wanted to keep control for themselves. So, while everyone wanted to reap the benefits of the Euro, no one wanted to own up to the responsibility for cleaning it up, if that ever occurred.
Germany is currently the only country in the EU that has the money to help out the rest of Europe now, Greece included, the ones who are really bringing the whole thing down. Germany won't be able to maintain it forever, and some point will say "nein" to yet another bailout request. When that happens, no one will be left to bail them out, since everyone left the check at the table.
For one, while the Euro is a united currency, the political powers at be are not united. In essence, they wanted they wanted the shared wealth of the United States of America while maintaining the separation of powers between them. This worked in the past since all countries were, by and large, not in a state of fiscal crisis. The World Economic Crisis continues on, and Europe is at the forefront of it now, like the United States was when it started. Unlike the United States however, Europe wanted to keep control for themselves. So, while everyone wanted to reap the benefits of the Euro, no one wanted to own up to the responsibility for cleaning it up, if that ever occurred.
Germany is currently the only country in the EU that has the money to help out the rest of Europe now, Greece included, the ones who are really bringing the whole thing down. Germany won't be able to maintain it forever, and some point will say "nein" to yet another bailout request. When that happens, no one will be left to bail them out, since everyone left the check at the table.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
No Article Today
There won't be a written article for now at least since I ultimately can't think of anything to write about. If I can clear my mind and focus on what to write about later on, I'll do so. But for now, this is just one of those days where I ultimately can't think of anything to write about.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
A Penguin's Headache
Truth be told I'm not a big fan of Sidney Crosby or the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, they're one of only two sports franchises that I legitimately hate, the other being the Dallas Cowboys. Crosby got his first concussion on January 1, 2011 against the Washington Capitals on New Year's Day. 48 hours afterwards, he was back on the ice again where he suffered yet another concussion. After that, he was on IR for the last 10 months.
When he came back, he came back in style, looking as if he hadn't lost a step. However, against the Boston Bruins a week ago, we sustained a blow to the head that has once again left him out indefinitely, this time leading many to wonder if the NHL's Golden Boy will ever return. First I'd like to ask a question: Why was Pittsburgh's Head Coach given the coach of the year award last year? Despite making the Playoffs with a shorthanded roster, he's ultimately the one responsible for putting Crosby on the disabled list. It was the by far the worst coaching decision any coach made over the last 12 months. While most people don't blame the Penguins coach for Crosby's headache, they probably should.
When he came back, he came back in style, looking as if he hadn't lost a step. However, against the Boston Bruins a week ago, we sustained a blow to the head that has once again left him out indefinitely, this time leading many to wonder if the NHL's Golden Boy will ever return. First I'd like to ask a question: Why was Pittsburgh's Head Coach given the coach of the year award last year? Despite making the Playoffs with a shorthanded roster, he's ultimately the one responsible for putting Crosby on the disabled list. It was the by far the worst coaching decision any coach made over the last 12 months. While most people don't blame the Penguins coach for Crosby's headache, they probably should.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Tebowmania
Tim Tebow has done it again. After last week's heroism against the Vikings, Tebow seemingly willed his team to yet another miracle win at home against the Chicago Bears, winning in Overtime 13-10.
The script, while different in circumstances, seemed oddly familiar. Down 10 late to the Bears, Tebow led the Broncos down the field for a late touchdown to put them down three with less than two minutes to play. After an onside kick that they almost recovered, the Broncos forced the Bears to punt after Marion Barber stepped out of bounds, leaving Tebow and crew with 56 seconds left to play. Since neither team had a timeout left at that point, if Barber went down instead of trying to get a couple of extra yards, while they would've had to punt, would've left the Broncos with much less time on the clock.
Tebow put his team in field goal range, allowing Prater, the Broncos kicker to tie the game with :02 remaining on a 59-yard field goal. The crowd had seen Tebow work his magic before, three weeks prior against the Jets, when people started taking Tebow seriously in his 4th quarter magic. In overtime, the Bears got the ball first, and drove down into field goal territory rather quickly. Then on a run up the middle, Marion Barber once again gave Tebow another chance at a miracle, by fumbling the ball, which Denver recovered.
After a few plays, Prater kicked a 51-yard field goal to give Broncos their 6th win in a row, 7 of their previous 8, all with Tebow under Center. With the exception of a 14 point win over Oakland, all of their wins in this stretch have been by 7 points or less, 3 of which happened coming in Overtime. While I'm not a numbers guy, these numbers do get people excited since the games are close and Tebow is a fun Quarterback to watch. When games are close, Tebow and the Broncos step up and make plays, shinning when the game is on the line, something good teams thrive at.
Tim Tebow, whether he deserves all of the credit or not, isn't what's important here. What's important here is that people are flocking to Tebow over these situations. Whether it's to mock his religious nature, to watch him thrive, fail, etc. Tim Tebow has become a media darling in a few weeks time due to the way the Broncos are winning games. Tebow has won games with his arm, his legs and with the help of everyone around him. This is a phenomena. The way the Broncos are winning shouldn't be happening, but they are. Will it end in a Super Bowl? I don't think it will, but it's certainly fun to watch, at least for this season.
The script, while different in circumstances, seemed oddly familiar. Down 10 late to the Bears, Tebow led the Broncos down the field for a late touchdown to put them down three with less than two minutes to play. After an onside kick that they almost recovered, the Broncos forced the Bears to punt after Marion Barber stepped out of bounds, leaving Tebow and crew with 56 seconds left to play. Since neither team had a timeout left at that point, if Barber went down instead of trying to get a couple of extra yards, while they would've had to punt, would've left the Broncos with much less time on the clock.
Tebow put his team in field goal range, allowing Prater, the Broncos kicker to tie the game with :02 remaining on a 59-yard field goal. The crowd had seen Tebow work his magic before, three weeks prior against the Jets, when people started taking Tebow seriously in his 4th quarter magic. In overtime, the Bears got the ball first, and drove down into field goal territory rather quickly. Then on a run up the middle, Marion Barber once again gave Tebow another chance at a miracle, by fumbling the ball, which Denver recovered.
After a few plays, Prater kicked a 51-yard field goal to give Broncos their 6th win in a row, 7 of their previous 8, all with Tebow under Center. With the exception of a 14 point win over Oakland, all of their wins in this stretch have been by 7 points or less, 3 of which happened coming in Overtime. While I'm not a numbers guy, these numbers do get people excited since the games are close and Tebow is a fun Quarterback to watch. When games are close, Tebow and the Broncos step up and make plays, shinning when the game is on the line, something good teams thrive at.
Tim Tebow, whether he deserves all of the credit or not, isn't what's important here. What's important here is that people are flocking to Tebow over these situations. Whether it's to mock his religious nature, to watch him thrive, fail, etc. Tim Tebow has become a media darling in a few weeks time due to the way the Broncos are winning games. Tebow has won games with his arm, his legs and with the help of everyone around him. This is a phenomena. The way the Broncos are winning shouldn't be happening, but they are. Will it end in a Super Bowl? I don't think it will, but it's certainly fun to watch, at least for this season.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Changing Things Up
I've decided that I'll start writing more often here. Because of this, at least early on, the quality of the writing will most likely suffer a bit and be shorter as well. I'll also be talking about sports more, since the NFL, NHL and NBA are going to be in full swing very soon. While I consider to be an expert of the NFL, I feel I am confident enough in my writing in regards to the NHL. For the NBA, while I know some fundamentals, I'm not what anyone would consider to be an expert.
Sports, by and large, are the same for me. While they're inherently different, I can still gauge if games can go certain ways or not and see where it changes. Statistics are superficial at best to me, as a superstar can only do so much to make their team a winner. They're only as good as their weakest link, and by and large, even the strongest teams have a gigantic target on their back that others can exploit to make the game theirs. To me, sports are about flow and momentum instead of hard numbers. While some say numbers don't lie, I say the opposite since statistics can say anything you want them to say in order to make an argument that is, by and large coincidental. So while I may not delve into a lot of stats, I'm hopeful you'll be able to see the game through my eyes when I do write about them.
Sports, by and large, are the same for me. While they're inherently different, I can still gauge if games can go certain ways or not and see where it changes. Statistics are superficial at best to me, as a superstar can only do so much to make their team a winner. They're only as good as their weakest link, and by and large, even the strongest teams have a gigantic target on their back that others can exploit to make the game theirs. To me, sports are about flow and momentum instead of hard numbers. While some say numbers don't lie, I say the opposite since statistics can say anything you want them to say in order to make an argument that is, by and large coincidental. So while I may not delve into a lot of stats, I'm hopeful you'll be able to see the game through my eyes when I do write about them.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Pujols Ascending
Albert Pujols, the most dominant baseball player of the past decade has left the St. Louis Cardinals for greener pastures with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for $254 million over 10 years. Pujols helped the Cardinals win 2 World Series in his tenure there, becoming one of the most feared players in recent memory. Pujols now looks to add to his already impressive numbers, 445 Home Runs, .328 batting average and 1300 RBI's; with the possibility of him becoming a designated hitter over the next 2-3 seasons, he can do so with minimal wear and tear on his body.
The impact of Pujols leaving St. Louis will be felt immediately, leaving the Cardinals with the task of filling the hole at 1st base, the position Pujols played, with a competent bat to be able to compete again for the World Series. With a newly incoming manager, the Cardinals will more than likely fill the position with a glove since a bat is not really available at the current time, and hope for a better bat next off-season.
The Angels on the other hand, who finished finished 10 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West last year, took away pitcher C.J. Wilson from them, strengthening a rotation that will undoubtedly make them the odds on favorite to win the division, and go onto the World Series.
The impact of Pujols leaving St. Louis will be felt immediately, leaving the Cardinals with the task of filling the hole at 1st base, the position Pujols played, with a competent bat to be able to compete again for the World Series. With a newly incoming manager, the Cardinals will more than likely fill the position with a glove since a bat is not really available at the current time, and hope for a better bat next off-season.
The Angels on the other hand, who finished finished 10 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West last year, took away pitcher C.J. Wilson from them, strengthening a rotation that will undoubtedly make them the odds on favorite to win the division, and go onto the World Series.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The NHL's Radical Realignment
Earlier this week the NHL Governors approved a makeover for the League's Conferences. This was brought about, by and large because the Atlanta Thrashers became the Winnipeg Jets over the off-season. Instead of two conferences housing three divisions each, starting next season there will be four conferences, two housing eight team while two house seven. While the Conferences don't have names yet, one has teams across the western part of North America, one is across Central North America, while the other two consist of Atlantic Teams and Northeast Southeast Teams.
The only surprising change appears to be that Tampa Bay and Florida will be with teams in the Northeast instead of being with Washington, Carolina and perhaps even Nashville who will be in the Atlantic, Atlantic and Central conferences, respectively. They're really the only teams left out in the cold with Atlanta becoming Winnipeg since they're not close to any potential Conference rivals. The only rationale I have for this realignment is a potential expansion for the league soon down the line, potentially trying again with Atlanta and maybe expanding to Oklahoma City.
What's not up for debate is the new Playoffs Format, which will by and large stay the same. Each "Conference" will have four Playoff teams instead of eight since there are twice as many Conferences now, for the normal amount of 16. Once each Conference Champion is crowned the final two rounds will be 1 v. 4 and 2 v. 3 and then the inevitable Stanley Cup Finals. It sounds more complicated than it actually is, but making it look like they're changing the formula when they're not will be a clever marketing tool for them. Not only that, it will probably allow for more Washington v. Pittsburgh Playoff Matchups in the near future.
The only surprising change appears to be that Tampa Bay and Florida will be with teams in the Northeast instead of being with Washington, Carolina and perhaps even Nashville who will be in the Atlantic, Atlantic and Central conferences, respectively. They're really the only teams left out in the cold with Atlanta becoming Winnipeg since they're not close to any potential Conference rivals. The only rationale I have for this realignment is a potential expansion for the league soon down the line, potentially trying again with Atlanta and maybe expanding to Oklahoma City.
What's not up for debate is the new Playoffs Format, which will by and large stay the same. Each "Conference" will have four Playoff teams instead of eight since there are twice as many Conferences now, for the normal amount of 16. Once each Conference Champion is crowned the final two rounds will be 1 v. 4 and 2 v. 3 and then the inevitable Stanley Cup Finals. It sounds more complicated than it actually is, but making it look like they're changing the formula when they're not will be a clever marketing tool for them. Not only that, it will probably allow for more Washington v. Pittsburgh Playoff Matchups in the near future.
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