Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Monday, March 30, 2015

AZ Tidbits

Sunday, March 29, 2015

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1977

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1977:
  1. Star Wars - Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford
  2. Slap Shot - Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean
  3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Richard Dreyfuss, Terri Garr
  4. The Spy Who Loved Me - Roger Moore, Barbara Bach
  5. Saturday Night Fever - John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney
  6. Annie Hall - Woody Allen, Diane Keaton
  7. The Gauntlet - Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke
  8. Smokey and the Bandit - Burt Reynolds, Sally Field 
  9. The Deep - Jacqueline Bisset, Nick Nolte
  10. One on One - Robby Benson, Annette O'Toole
There is no way that "Star Wars" doesn't top this list.  "Slap Shot" is one of my all time favorite movies, I loved the Hanson brothers.  "Close Encounter of the Third Kind" is one of the all time great sci-fi flicks.  "The Spy Who Loved Me" was probably Roger Moore's best James Bond film, and Barbara Bach just may be my all time favorite Bond girl.  "Saturday Night Fever" is vintage 1970's and a cult favorite.  "Annie Hall" is one of Woody Allen's best films.  "The Gauntlet" is early Eastwood at his finest.  What kid didn't want a Trans-Am after watching "Smokey and the Bandit"?  "The Deep" is deep ocean mystery and intrigue at it's best.  "One on One" is a highly under-appreciated basketball movie.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Friday, March 27, 2015

POTpourri

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Herb Sendek Fired

Arizona State University has finally fired head basketball coach Herb Sendek.  IMO, it was about 2 years too late.  Don't get me wrong here, by all indications Herb Sendek is a very good man, he's very well liked in the community and he knows his basketball, that doesn't mean he was the right fit for the Arizona State basketball program though.  After 9 years at the helm, the program was mired in mediocrity and extending his run wouldn't have changed that, it was time for a change.  With all of this being said, don't get your expectations too high on Arizona State finding a top tier replacement, the program is just not that attractive, so don't be expecting a Mark Few or Gregg Marshall hire.  That's not to say that they can't find a desirable candidate to take over the helm though.  I suspect that they'll want a young up and coming guy who can recruit.

Here are my Top 15 candidates to take over the ASU basketball program:
  1. Jeff Capel - current assistant coach at Duke, former head coach at VCU & Oklahoma, he's young and reportedly a very good recruiter, he's also apparently already the clear front runner.  
  2. Josh Pastner - current head coach at Memphis, he's young, he's driven, he's a very good recruiter, he's got a ton of Arizona ties and most importantly he's interested, it sounds like he could be had too.  
  3. Steve Lavin - current head coach at St John's, probably the biggest name out there who may have some interest, he's got a big personality and lots of west coast ties.  
  4. Randy Bennett - current head coach at St Mary's.  He's got a great track record and a ton of west coast ties.   
  5. Eric Musselman - current assistant coach at LSU, former Arizona State assistant, former NBA head coach, the guy knows how to coach and his ASU ties could pay dividends.  
  6. Archie Miller - beyond the great storyline this would make, Miller can coach, he's had a nice run at Dayton, he's got ASU ties and the chance to be close to his brother may actually have some sway.  
  7. Michael White - current head coach at Louisiana Tech, he's young and has a very impressive track record.  
  8. Steve Prohm - current head coach at Murray State, he's another impressive young coach on the rise.  
  9. Dan Majerle - current head coach at Grand Canyon University, he is extremely well liked in the community and he wouldn't have to leave the Valley.   
  10. Bryce Drew - current head coach at Valparasio, coaching runs in his family.  
  11. Jim Hayford - current head coach at Eastern Washington, he's got west coast ties and a nice looking resume.  
  12. Ben Jacobson - current head coach at Northern Iowa, another young guy with an impressive track record.  
  13. Brad Underwood - current head coach at Stephen F Austin, former Kansas State assistant, he's had an impressive start to his head coaching career.  
  14. Bobby Hurley- current head coach at Buffalo, he's got a lot of steam right now along with lots of name recognition, he also comes from a legendary coaching family. 
  15. Randy Rahe - current head coach at Weber State where he's had a nice run
If I were a betting man, wait I am, I'd put my money on Jeff Capel getting this job fairly quickly.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Monday, March 23, 2015

TPSG 2015 NFL Mock Draft 3.0

With NFL free agency having shaken out for the most part, I think it's time to update my 2015 NFL Mock Draft.  So, here goes with post free agency version 3.0.
  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jameis Winston - QB - Florida State
  2. Tennessee Titans - Leonard Williams - DT - USC
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Randy Gregory - DE - Nebraska 
  4. Oakland Raiders - Kevin White - WR - West Virginia
  5. Washington Redskins - Dante Fowler Jr - LB - Florida
  6. New York Jets - Marcus Mariotta - QB - Oregon
  7. Chicago Bears - Danny Shelton - DT -  Washington 
  8. Atlanta Falcons - Vic Beasley - LB - Clemson
  9. New York Giants - Shane Ray - DE - Missouri
  10. St Louis Rams - Amari Cooper - WR - Alabama
  11. Minnesota Vikings - Brandon Scherff - OT - Iowa
  12. Cleveland Browns - DeVante Parker - WR - Louisville
  13. New Orleans Saints - Trea Waynes - CB - Michigan State
  14. Miami Dolphins - Dorial Green-Beckham - WR - Oklahoma
  15. San Francisco 49ers - Bud Dupree - OLB - Kentucky
  16. Houston Texans - Jalen Strong - WR - Arizona State
  17. San Diego Chargers - Todd Gurley - RB - Georgia
  18. Kansas City Chiefs - La'el Collins - OT - LSU 
  19. Cleveland Browns - Malcom Brown - DT - Texas
  20. Philadelphia Eagles - Landon Collins - DB - Alabama
  21. Cincinnati Bengals - Andres Peat - OT - Stanford
  22. Pittsburgh Steelers - Marcus Peters - CB - Washington
  23. Detroit Lions - Ereck Flowers - OT - Miami 
  24. Arizona Cardinals - Owamagbe Odighizuwa - DE - UCLA
  25. Carolina Panthers - D.J. Humphries - OT - Florida
  26. Baltimore Ravens - Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin
  27. Dallas Cowboys - Kevin Johnson - CB - Wake Forest
  28. Denver Broncos - Maxx Williams - TE - Minnesota
  29. Indianapolis Colts - Cameron Erving - OT - Florida State
  30. Green Bay Packers - Benardrick McKinney - ILB - Mississippi State
  31. New Orleans Saints - Eli Harold - OLB - Virginia 
  32. New England Patriots - Jalen Collins - CB - LSU
Jameis Winston looks like a lock at number one overall.

The Vikings trade for Mike Wallace seems to have diminished their need for a number one WR, pairing him with Kevin White or Amari Cooper would be tempting though (especially given the release of Greg Jennings).  Outside of WR, the Vikings OL needs some major upgrading, the versatile Brandon Scherff would be a perfect fit given his ability to play multiple positions.  Trea Waynes would also look nice opposite Xavier Rhodes at CB.  I wouldn't discount the Vikings trading down in round one either.

The Cardinals still have me guessing, they desperately need help with their pass rush so an edge rusher (at either DE or OLB) seems like the logical pick.  A RB like Melvin Gordon would look good in that Cardinals offense too though (unless they can swing a deal for Adrian Peterson).  Another CB to replace Antonio Cromartie is also a possibility.

Previous Versions:  1.0 & 2.0

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Saturday, March 21, 2015

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1978

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1978:
  1. The Deer Hunter - Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken
  2. Animal House - John Belushi, Tom Hulce
  3. Midnight Express - Brad Davis, Bo Hopkins
  4. Halloween - Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence
  5. Heaven Can Wait - Warren Beatty, Julie Christie
  6. Superman - Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder
  7. Coming Home - Jane Fonda, Jon Voight
  8. Grease - John Travolta, Olivia Newton John
  9. The Buddy Holly Story - Gary Busey, Don Stroud
  10. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams
"The Deer Hunter" is as powerful a movie as you'll ever see, it'll stick with you for awhile.  "Animal House" is my all time favorite comedy.  "Midnight Express" is a real haunting tale of international drug smuggling.  "Halloween" is probably my favorite horror movie of all time.  The original "Heaven Can Wait" was a terrific football movie.  When I think of "Superman", I think of Christopher Reeve.  "Coming Home" is a very powerful look at the consequences of war.  I can still see Olivia Newton John in those leather pants in "Grease" and who doesn't still sing along with that soundtrack?  IMO "The Buddy Holly Story" is easily Gary Busey's best film.  "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is creepy at it's finest.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Lindsay Pelas

I think I'm in love!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

AZ Tidbits

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

2015 March Madness Predictions

March Madness 2015 is upon us!

ROUND of 64 PREDICTIONS: 

Midwest
Kentucky over Manhattan/Hampton
Purdue over Cincinnati
Buffalo over West Virginia
Maryland over Valparaiso
Butler over Texas
Notre Dame over Northeastern
Wichita State over Indiana
Kansas over New Mexico State

West
Wisconsin over Coastal Carolina
Oklahoma over Oregon
Arkansas over Wofford
North Carolina over Harvard
Xavier over BYU/Mississippi
Baylor over Georgia State
Virginia Commonwealth over Ohio State
Arizona over Texas Southern

East
Villanova over Lafayette
North Carolina State over LSU
Northern Iowa over Wyoming
Louisville over UC-Irvine
Providence over Boise State/Dayton
Oklahoma over Albany
Michigan State over Georgia
Virginia over Belmont

South
Duke over North Florida/Robert Morris
San Diego State over St John's
Stephen F Austin over Utah
Georgetown over E. Washington
SMU over UCLA
Iowa State over UAB
Iowa over Davidson
Gonzaga over North Dakota State
______________________________

ROUND of 32 PREDICTIONS: 

Midwest
Kentucky over Purdue
Maryland over Buffalo
Notre Dame over Butler
Kansas over Wichita State

West
Wisconsin over Oklahoma
North Carolina over Arkansas
Baylor over Xavier
Arizona over Virginia Commonwealth

East
Villanova over North Carolina State
Louisville over Northern Iowa
Oklahoma over Providence
Virginia over Michigan State

South 
Duke over San Diego State
Georgetown over Stephen F Austin
Iowa State over SMU
Gonzaga over Iowa
______________________________

SWEET 16 PREDICTIONS:

Midwest
Kentucky over Maryland
Notre Dame over Kansas

West
Wisconsin over North Carolina
Arizona over Baylor

East 
Louisville over Villanova
Virginia over Oklahoma

South 
Duke over Georgetown
Gonzaga over Iowa State
______________________________

ELITE 8 PREDICTIONS:

Midwest
Kentucky over Notre Dame

West
Arizona over Wisconsin

East
Virginia over Louisville

South 
Gonzaga over Duke
_____________________________

FINAL FOUR PREDICTIONS:

Arizona over Kentucky
Virginia over Gonzaga
______________________________

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Arizona over Virginia


Monday, March 16, 2015

John Oliver on Infrastructure

Good stuff from John Oliver on infrastructure spending.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

POTpourri

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Friday, March 13, 2015

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1979

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1979:
  1. Apocalypse Now - Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando
  2. Escape From Alcatraz - Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan
  3. Breaking Away - Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid
  4. Alien - Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt
  5. The Jerk - Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters
  6. Kramer vs Kramer - Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep
  7. 10 - Dudley Moore, Bo Derek
  8. Manhattan - Woody Allen, Diane Keaton
  9. Meatballs - Bill Murray, Chris Makepeace
  10. The Warriors - Michael Beck, James Remar
Martin Sheen & Marlon Brando are both brilliant in "Apocalypse Now".  "Escape From Alcatraz" is easily one of the best prison movies you'll ever see.  "Breaking Away" is a fantastic coming of age film.  "Alien" may just be the best sci-fi film of all time, Sigourney Weaver is terrific and Ridley Scott's direction top notch.  "The Jerk" is probably not for everyone but I loved it, I couldn't stop laughing.  "Kramer vs Kramer" is a touching film about divorce and child custody of all things. Who can ever forget Bo Derek in "10"?  "Manhattan" may be Woody Allen's best film, and that's saying something.  "Meatballs" is highly under-appreciated.  "The Warriors" is a cult classic, give it a watch!

Thursday, March 12, 2015

AZ Tidbits

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Sahara Ray

Kinda hot don't you think?

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Liberal Quotes

I'm a liberal and damn proud to admit it, here are some of my favorite liberal quotes:

“You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break.” - Harry S. Truman 

“I believe that, as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil.” - Robert Kennedy 

“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism – ownership of government by an individual, by a group.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt 

“Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.” - Ronald Reagan 

“We establish no religion in this country. We command no worship. We mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are and must remain separate.” - Ronald Reagan 

“Taxes, after all, are dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt 

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little." - Franklin D. Roosevelt 

"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." - John F. Kennedy

“We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.” - Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

“Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism.” - Hubert Humphrey

“America was established not to create wealth but to realize a vision, to realize an ideal – to discover and maintain liberty among men.” - Woodrow Wilson

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” - John F. Kennedy

“Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”  -Abraham Lincoln

“It was once said that the moral test of Government is how that Government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.” - Hubert H. Humphrey

“I believe that there should be a very much heavier progressive tax on very large incomes, a tax which should increase in a very marked fashion for the gigantic incomes.” - Theodore Roosevelt

“It is essential that there should be organization of labor. This is an era of organization. Capital organizes and therefore labor must organize.”  - Theodore Roosevelt

 “Today’s so-called ‘conservatives’ don’t even know what the word means. They think I’ve turned liberal because I believe a woman has a right to an abortion. That’s a decision that’s up to the pregnant woman, not up to the pope or some do-gooders or the Religious Right. It’s not a conservative issue at all.” - Barry Goldwater 

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Once you leave the womb, conservatives don’t care about you until you reach military age. Then you’re just what they’re looking for." - George Carlin

“No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level – I mean the wages of decent living.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

 “Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” -  John F. Kennedy

 “While I am a great believer in the free enterprise system and all that it entails, I am an even stronger believer in the right of our people to live in a clean and pollution-free environment.” - Barry Goldwater

"Have you ever wondered why Republicans are so interested in encouraging people to volunteer in their communities?  It's because volunteers work for no pay. Republicans have been trying to get people to work for no pay for a long time." - George Carlin




Monday, March 9, 2015

Hannah Davis

I'd say that Derek Jeter is doing okay for himself, even in retirement.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

POTpourri