Lazy Blogging

Today I debut a new feature. It's called the Lazy Update. Basically you take a bunch of topics you care about and comment on each briefly. It's a very common feature among columnists and it's also extremely lazy, because it means you don't really want to do enough research to do it right. I'm glad to join the club.

- The NBA Draft Lottery was two nights ago and the poor Boston Celtics got screwed (again). Of course, so did the Memphis Grizzlies and the Milwaukee Bucks, but seriously, who cares about those never-has-been franchises? I do feel bad for the Celtics though. Back in the early '90s I was actually a fairly large fan of the franchise. I was, obviously a huge Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish guy. I was too young to see them in their heyday, but I saw them enough to know they were great. My friend and I would always pretend to be Larry Bird and Robert Parrish on the playground and for some reason he was always Bird. I happy to be pretty tall now, but I wasn't when I was 8, and yet I was always Parish. I really wanted to love the Celtics again. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's malaise, I don't know. But I can assure you, Yi Jianlian is not going to do it for me when I'm sitting around on a Wednesday night this fall and flipping past Fox Sports New England.

- As another side note to the draft lottery, when did Jon Barry become an idiot? I've heard him throughout this season on ESPN and I thought he was rounding into a pretty decent analyst. And then after the draft he makes some of the dumbest statements I've ever heard - saying that the Trailblazers should trade the No. 1 pick for a veteran and some lower picks. Uh, buddy, do you watch college basketball? Did you see Greg Oden play this year? Are you borderline mentally retarded? I don't really care about the fact that Barry "picked" the Celtics to win the lottery beforehard. It was stupid and pointless (because anyone with an ounce of intelligence would know you should pick the team with the highest odds), but it's a lottery, there's no such thing as a jinx and you can't change the results by a prediction. However, his comments following the draft showed complete incompetence. If you can shock Stephen A. Smith with something you said, it must be extra specially stupid.

- An interesting note, is there any other sport (or competition or whatever you want to call it) where past accomplishments are more impressive than present like with the Indianapolis 500? I was listening to commentary on the qualifying the other day and they mentioned how Rick Mears has won the Indy 500 four times. That's an amazing total (A.J. Foyt and Al Unser also did it by the way). In baseball, all the totals from the past are belittled by today. The competition is so much better in football and basketball today, with so much more parity. College sports have gotten much tougher too. Even NASCAR has gotten tremendously tougher to win in. I still watch the Indy 500, because it's a great event, but it is certainly an anomaly in the sporting world.

- Things that are not news (and the media should stop reporting): Brett Favre reporting to Packers mini-camp, Jason Giambi taking amphetamines, Henry Aaron going to the game when Barry Bonds breaks his record. Media, please take note.

- Diana Taurasi should be the MVP of the WNBA this year, as long as she gets the Mercury into the playoffs. The league desperately wants to give her the trophy, as do the voters supporting the league, but they don't want to jump the gun. If her team makes the playoffs, she'll get the award. That doesn't mean she won't deserve it, I'm just saying. Also, just wanted to mention that Erika de Souza is going to be a really good player for the Sun.

- A few UConn notes to close it out: Brandon Jennings is going to Arizona over UConn (in 2008). Obviously you can't be disappointed with that (it's like being disappointed a TV show pilot you read about wasn't picked up), but you can be disappointed with the recruiting of Jim Calhoun. I don't doubt they'll turn it around, but it's hard to get too enthusiastic about next season with no real encouraging news coming. And for the baseball team, a disappointing regular season, but a late charge from Penders' boys has me content. They won't win the tournament or anything, but it's nice to see them rebound after losing three big pitchers from a year ago. And Rob Bono (from Waterford) is going to be a nice player for them next season on what is a very young team.

- The Spurs will win the title this year. I said it at the start of the playoffs. I'm saying it now. It won't even be close. Four titles for Duncan? Unbelievable. Oh and a huge groundbreaking post coming up soon about Tim Duncan. Not an understatement at all. Stick around, because it will be the biggest thing you've ever read on a blog, anywhere. And when I say biggest, I mean in terms of size mostly, but also importance (in a way). I never lie.

Ranking The Doors*

Okay, so for the most part I'll write about sports, but I also happen to be a music fan - especially of the mid to late '60s rock scene. Here's a rundown of my favorite band of all-time - The Doors. I may do something similar for The Beatles (post-Rubber Soul) and Bob Dylan (Highway 61 Revisited and prior). For the record, if I don't get around to doing those lists, the top songs on those lists would be "Eleanor Rigby" and "Like A Rolling Stone" (though to avoid cliche I'll mention "Visions of Johanna" is a top 5 song) respectively.

*Every song from their six studio albums – The Doors, Strange Days, The Soft Parade, Waiting for the Sun, Morrison Hotel, L.A. Woman


1.) The End (The Doors)
2.) When The Music's Over (Strange Days)
3.) Break On Through (To the Other Side) (The Doors)
4.) Five to One (Waiting for the Sun)
5.) Peace Frog (Morrison Hotel)
6.) Light My Fire (The Doors)
7.) L.A. Woman (L.A. Woman)
8.) Soul Kitchen (The Doors)
9.) Not To Touch the Earth (Waiting for the Sun)
10.) The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat) (L.A. Woman)
11.) The Unknown Soldier (Waiting for the Sun)
12.) Riders on the Storm (L.A. Woman)
13.) Twentieth Century Fox (The Doors)
14.) Ship of Fools (Morrison Hotel)
15.) Waiting for the Sun (Morrison Hotel)
16.) Spanish Caravan (Waiting for the Sun)
17.) Roadhouse Blues (Morrison Hotel)
18.) Love Her Madly (L.A. Woman)
19.) Hello, I Love You (Waiting for the Sun)
20.) Touch Me (The Soft Parade)
21.) Back Door Man (The Doors)
22.) Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) (The Doors)
23.) The Crystal Ship (The Doors)
24.) Love Me Two Times (Strange Days)
25.) People Are Strange (Strange Days)
26.) Love Street (Waiting for the Sun)
27.) We Could Be So Good Together (Waiting for the Sun)
28.) Been Down So Long (L.A. Woman)
29.) Moonlight Drive (Strange Days)
30.) The Changeling (L.A. Woman)
31.) L'America (L.A. Woman)
32.) Hyacinth House (L.A. Woman)
33.) Summer's Almost Gone (Waiting for the Sun)
34.) Wintertime Love (Waiting for the Sun)
35.) Wild Child (The Soft Parade)
36.) Yes, the River Knows (Waiting for the Sun)
37.) End of the Night (The Doors)
38.) I Looked At You (The Doors)
39.) Queen of the Highway (Morrison Hotel)
40.) The Spy (Morrison Hotel)
41.) Indian Summer (Morrison Hotel)
42.) Take It As It Comes (The Doors)
43.) My Wild Love (Waiting for the Sun)
44.) Land Ho! (Morrison Hotel)
45.) Cars Hiss By My Window (L.A. Woman)
46.) Crawling King Snake (L.A. Woman)
47.) You Make Me Real (Morrison Hotel)
48.) Strange Days (Strange Days)
49.) Maggie M'Gill (Morrison Hotel)
50.) Wishful Sinful (The Soft Parade)
51.) Do It (The Soft Parade)
52.) All the People (The Soft Parade)
53.) My Eyes Have Seen You (Strange Days)
54.) You're Lost Little Girl (Strange Days)
55.) Shaman's Blues (The Soft Parade)
56.) Blue Sunday (Morrison Hotel)
57.) I Can't See Your Face In My Mind (Strange Days)
58.) The Soft Parade (The Soft Parade)
59.) Unhappy Girl (Strange Days)
60.) Runnin' Blue (The Soft Parade)
61.) Horse Latitudes (Strange Days)
62.) Easy Ride (The Soft Parade)

BREAK DOWN BY CD

The Doors

1. (1.) The End
2. (3.) Break On Through (To the Other Side)
3. (6.) Light My Fire
4. (8.) Soul Kitchen
5. (13.) Twentieth Century Fox
6. (21.) Back Door Man
7. (22.) Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
8. (23.) The Crystal Ship
9. (37.) End of the Night
10. (38.) I Looked At You
11. (42.) Take It As It Comes

Top 10 Songs: 4
Bottom 10 Songs: 0
Median Song: Back Door Man (No. 21)
Total (All Songs Added): 214
Average Position: 19.45

Strange Days

1. (2.) When the Music's Over
2. (24.) Love Me Two Times
3. (25.) People Are Strange
4. (29.) Moonlight Drive
5. (48.) Strange Days
6. (53.) My Eyes Have Seen You
7. (54.) You're Lost Little Girl
8. (57.) I Can't See Your Face In My Mind
9. (59.) Unhappy Girl
10. (61.) Horse Latitudes

Top 10 Songs: 1
Bottom 10 Songs: 5
Median Song: Strange Days/My Eyes Have Seen You (No. 48/No. 53)
Total (All Songs Added): 412
Average Position: 41.2

The Soft Parade

1. (20.) Touch Me
2. (35.) Wild Child
3. (50.) Wishful Sinful
4. (51.) Do It
5. (52.) All the People
6. (55.) Shaman's Blues
7. (58.) The Soft Parade
8. (60.) Runnin' Blue
9. (62.) Easy Ride

Top 10 Songs: 0
Bottom 10 Songs: 4
Median Song: All the People (No. 52)
Total (All Songs Added): 443
Average Position: 49.2

Waiting for the Sun

1. (4.) Five to One
2. (9.) Not to Touch the Earth
3. (11.) The Unknown Soldier
4. (16.) Spanish Caravan
5. (19.) Hello, I Love You
6. (26.) Love Street
7. (27.) We Could Be So Good Together
8. (33.) Summer's Almost Gone
9. (34.) Wintertime Love
10. (36.) Yes, the River Knows
11. (43.) My Wild Love

Top 10 Songs: 2
Bottom 10 Songs: 0
Median Song: Love Street (No. 26)
Total (All Songs Added): 258
Average Position: 23.45

Morrison Hotel

1. (5.) Peace Frog
2. (14.) Ship of Fools
3. (15.) Waiting for the Sun
4. (17.) Roadhouse Blues
5. (39.) Queen of the Highway
6. (40.) The Spy
7. (41.) Indian Summer
8. (44.) Land Ho!
9. (47.) You Make Me Real
10. (49.) Maggie M'Gill
11. (56.) Blue Sunday

Top 10 Songs: 1
Bottom 10 Songs: 1
Median Song: The Spy (No. 40)
Total (All Songs Added): 367
Average Position: 33.36

L.A. Woman

1. (7.) L.A. Woman
2. (10.) The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)
3. (12.) Riders on the Storm
4. (18.) Love Her Madly
5. (28.) Been Down So Long
6. (30.) The Changeling
7. (31.) L'America
8. (32.) Hyacinth House
9. (45.) Cars Hiss By My Window
10. (46.) Crawling King Snake

Top 10 Songs: 2
Bottom 10 Songs: 0
Median Song: Been Down So Long/The Changeling (No. 28/No. 30)
Total (All Songs Added): 259
Average Position: 25.9

BEST ALBUMS (By Average)

1. The Doors
2. Waiting for the Sun
3. L.A. Woman
4. Morrison Hotel
5. Strange Days
6. The Soft Parade


I don't think there are a ton of surprises on this list. Obviously it is a matter of personal taste with these things, but no great surprise with The Soft Parade being the worst album. I'm fairly certain even The Doors themselves would agree with that - if they'd stop suing each other long enough to comment anyway. As a note, I put "The End" first mostly because of its totality of artistic impression. It's obviously not a song you are going to listen to for fun, but it's an amazing piece of art from start to finish. I like "When the Music's Over" for much the same reason, and though I like the writing of "When the Music's Over" better than "The End," I chose the latter because it was a more important work and, I think, more enduring. "Break on Through" comes in at No. 3 because, in addition to being amazingly energetic, it must have been one of the most impressive and jolting debut songs ever on an album. Imagine a first time listener putting The Doors on the turntable back in 1967 and being blown away by that song. "Five to One" closes out the top 5 because it is a call to wake up better than any song ever written- you can feel Jim Morrison jumping out of the speakers. Not to mention it contains some of the best lines ever written - "Five to one, baby, one in five, no one here gets, out alive" makes the hair raise on my arms every time I hear it.

Signing Day

Yes, I'm one of those losers who pays attention to National Signing Day for NCAA football - waiting with bated breath for some 17-year-old high schooler to sign on the dotted line and commit the next 3 to 5 years of their life to pursuing their dream of moving on to the NFL. I mean, going to classes and getting an education. Yeah, that's what I meant.

I follow the recruiting web sites (Rivals, Scout, et. al.) and pretend they know what they are talking about, assessing the skills of a kid who can't yet vote, let alone drink (legally, right Willie Williams?). The coaches don't know what they're getting, so the scouting sites don't know either. So why do I love Signing Day?

For just those reasons. It's a crapshoot. And I love every minute. We can analyze things after the fact, and that's fun too, but it's even more fun to dream. And that's what Signing Day is all about. I like to dream.

So let's talk dreams.

-One of the things I found interesting over the past year was the ranking of Jimmy Clausen. He was the consensus No. 1 rated player forever - over a year. He was the Golden Boy, the second coming of Montana or Elway or Manning. He committed to Notre Dame ages ago, was a So Cal pretty boy with a big arm and he comes from a family of quarterbacks (brothers Casey and Rick). So I wasn't surprised at all to see him slip in the rankings over the past month or two. Rivals kept him No. 1, among others, but Scout and ESPN both dropped him. Scout dropped him to No. 4 and ESPN dropped him all the way down to No. 9. Clearly they got tired of writing about him. They'll say that other players (Joe McKnight, for instance) emerged and that warranted the demotion. They're lying. It's tough to keep talking about a guy like Clausen for years - anointing him. The analysts start to get scared heaping all of this praise on him and they should because the kid has proved nothing. I just find the psyche of the analysts interesting. The same thing has happened to O.J. Mayo in basketball. Two years ago the kid was the second coming of LeBron James, now he's just one of a mix of good players - just like Jimmy Clausen.

-I mentioned Joe McKnight, the running back from Louisiana, who ESPN ranked No. 1 overall. He looks pretty talented, but that's not the point I want to mention. Why would you go to USC when they already have Marc Tyler (another top 15 overall recruit and running back)? I understand the desire to compete and the necessity to "fit in" at a school. Maybe he didn't feel as comfortable with the coaching staff at LSU (his second choice), which is a fine excuse, but he's put himself in a dumb position. McKnight has one of two options at USC - either he works his ass off and beats out Tyler to start or he doesn't. And even if Tyler is terrible in summer conditioning and early practices, he's going to at least get a look by the coaching staff. So why are you putting yourself in that position? I know what people are going to say - he wants to give himself a challenge and that's a good thing. Give me a break. Stop being so rosy-eyed and fancy-free. Joe McKnight wants to play in the NFL and he wants to make a lot of money in the NFL. Sure, he wants to win games in college and the pros too, but if you don't think McKnight wants to be a millionaire in the NFL, you are insanely narrow minded. Heck, if McKnight doesn't want to play in the NFL and be a millionaire, he's an idiot. That's what you are - a very good football player. Putting roadblocks in your way to success is stupid and it's your own fault.

-Since I'm a UConn graduate, I'll break down the UConn incoming class a little too. Randy Edsall was smart in bringing in a junior college quarterback like Tyler Lorenzen, but I'm not sure he's the slam dunk many are thinking. He appears to have the size and ability to be a pocket passer, but the highlights I've seen show him to be anything but. If Edsall can turn him into a pocket passer, then the Huskies have a chance to be decent (at least better than last year). If he can't do that, I'm afraid he's going to be just another D.J. Hernandez or Matt Bonislawski. The first step to improving the Huskies is bringing in the right type of quarterback, even if it's not the right guy. What worries me is that Lorenzen may not be the right type of quarterback, which was pretty obviously shown to be a pro-style, pocket passer over the past two underwhelming seasons. I like the addition of some speed on defense in guys like James Nixon, Marcus Campbell and Jonathon Jean-Louis. And Jasper Howard is an interesting prospect too, because previously all of the speedy Florida athletes Edsall brought in were majorly undersized guys (like Larry Taylor), where as Howard is a step in the right direction at 5-foot-9. He's still not the likes of the athlete top schools get, but at least he's not 5-foot-6. I think Aaron Bagsby is an encouraging prospect (good size and speed at safety) and Kashif Moore is as well, though I think Terence Jeffers will improve a lot this season.

Okay, that's enough of my impressions from Signing Day. Sweet dreams.

Manning's Place in History (so far)

Okay, so Peyton Manning finally won his title. And all I've heard for the past few days is where he ranks in the list of all-time great quarterbacks. They talked about it on Cold Pizza and Skip Bayless put him behind Dan Marino. That is ludicrous. He's won a title and will break or come close to breaking all his records. He's ahead of Marino. Anyway, here's the list.

The last number is titles, not just games played in.

1.) Joe Montana (40,551 yards, 273 TDs, 63% pass comp., 4 SB)
2.) Johnny Unitas (39,768 yards, 287 TDs, 55% pass comp., 2 NFL, 1 SB)
3.) Tom Brady (21,564 yards, 147 TDs, 62% pass comp., 3 SB)
4.) Terry Bradshaw (27,989 yards, 212 TDs, 52% pass comp., 4 SB)
5.) John Elway (51,475 yards, 300 TDs, 57% pass comp., 2 SB)
6.) Otto Graham (23,584 yards, 174 TDs, 4 AAFC, 3 NFL)
7.) Peyton Manning (37,586 yards, 275 TDs, 64% pass comp., 1 SB)
8.) Troy Aikman (32,942 yards, 165 TDs, 61% pass comp., 3 SB)
9.) Roger Staubach (22,700 yards, 153 TDs, 57% pass comp., 2 SB)
10.) Dan Marino (61,361 yards, 420 TDs, 59% pass comp., 0 SB)

Positions six, seven, and eight are the hardest on that list. Otto Graham was an amazing quarterback. He revolutionized the position in almost as big a way as Unitas. He played in 10 straight championships and won 7 of them. The only problem is that he played in an era before the Super Bowl. Unitas at least got to cross over into the modern era and start a Super Bowl (though he was hurt in it), which his team won. Graham never got that chance, so it's pretty hard to measure him up, but he was a great player and NEEDS to be in the top 10. Troy Aikman is hard too because his numbers are pretty uninspired, even with so many Hall of Famers on his team. He did win 3 Super Bowls though, and it's not like he was carried along like a Trent Dilfer. He's a bit like Terry Bradshaw in that regard, but Bradshaw has 4 titles and more TDs (though more interceptions too). I'd like to put him lower, but it's hard to put him behind a guy (Elway) with half as many titles.

Tom Brady obviously earns his rank with 3 titles, already tied for third all-time. He may never win another title (though he certainly could), but he'll certainly put up numbers similar to Unitas if he stays healthy. And there's no reason to think he won't. I don't see him ever moving up on the list, but he also will only be knocked down by 1 guy.

That is, of course, Peyton Manning. Manning would have to win at least 1 more title though. If he gets 2 titles in his career, his numbers will dwarf Brady (and everyone but Marino) and he will certainly be in position for second place. I don't see Manning ever passing Montana though. Even though he could compete at a high level for another 6 years or so, it's pretty tough to win 2 titles in 6 years in the salary cap era. He gets those 2 more titles though and he's no worse than second on the list.

Oh, and for the record, Brett Favre is probably 11th. Though he's doing his best to ruin that legacy.