The Lodges Favorite Wolverine.

In honor of JR Hasty's 1st pic on the lodge. I thought I would toss up a few photos of some of the men who had a brief impact on him

Ladies and gentlemen. I give you the coaching staff of the 2001 Newport Knights.



Far and away my fondest memories as a coach were from that season. Highs and lows. One day gentlmen. We will roam the sidelines again

Hall Of Fame Dead Head

On my desk is a 1986 Fleer Basketball card of one Bill Walton: • Born: 11/5/52 • Height: 6'11" • Weight: 225 • College: UCLA. The man is a legend. My brother bought me the card and mailed it to me randomly sometime around the turn of the century (I love being able to use that term when talking about the year 2000, only 6 years ago). Today I was perusing ESPN and found a chat trascript from earlier today where Walton expounded his knowledge about "Shaq O'Neal", tie-dyed shirts, & of course as always, Coach Wooden. That's what you get with Walton. Consistency. The man averaged a career double-double, always consistent.

So today we'll give homage to a Basketball Hall of Famer, William Theodore Walton, III. The man has a personal home page, for crap's sake! How rad would it have been to have Bill Walton speak at your H.S. or College Graduation!?! Instead of going into statistics, you can read about his accolades here. My favorite highlight is that he's won two different Emmy awards best live sports television broadcast and an environmental documentary. Walton is, as Train always says... epic.

Another great memory, relived every year when my brother & I are watching an NBA game during a visit home for Christmas, is when Walton starts spouting on about fundamentals -- "That effort was HORRIBLE!" -- "What was he THINKING!?!" -- & my dad (who hates Walton's, & Barkley's even more, commentary) saying, every time without fail, "That guy is a moron." Classic. I can't wait until next year's Christmas Day NBA game.

Employment Wanted

All of us learn skills from whatever experiences we may have, good or bad. Its only fair that as a society once restitution has been made we allow others to refocus their skills, whatever they may be, into something productive.

Former Marijuana Smuggler

Having successfully completed a ten year sentence, incident-free, for importing 75 ton of marijuana into the United States. I am now seeking a legal and legitimate means to support myself and my family.

Business Experience - Owned and operated a successful fishing business - multi-vessel, one airplane, one island and processing facility. Simultaneously owned and operated a fleet of tractor-trailer trucks conducting business in the western United States. During this time I also co-owned and participated in the executive level management of 120 people worldwide in a successful pot smuggling venture with revenues in excess of US$100 million annually. I took responsibility for my own actions, and received a ten year sentence in the United States while other walked free for theirown cooperation.

Attributes - I am an expert in all levels of security; I have extensive computer skills, am personable, outgoing, well-educated, reliable, clean and sober. I have spoken in schools to thousands of kids and parent groups over the past ten years on "the consequences of choice" and received public recognition from the RCMP for community service. I am well-traveled and speak English, French, and Spanish. Reference available from friends, family, the U.S. District Attorney, etc.

Wallyworld Should Be Closed For Repairs

After attending the Sonics/Spurs game last Sunday, (that Ray Allen won with a 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left) and staring at all of the empty seats in the Key, I started to reminisce about the glory days of Sonics basketball. I should say, that the 'glory days' for me were the early to mid 90's since I was barely walking when the Sonics won the only major sports championship that the city of Seattle has ever seen. I was raised with the Sonics. My grandmother taught me to love the Sonics....she was (and still is) a HUGE Sonics fan. I used to live and breath Sonics basketball. I watched as they came so close to the prize, only to fall to the winningest team in NBA history.....and from there? Downward spiral defined. Why you ask? ....well, arguments could be made that there are several reasons. My interpretation? Former 1976 ACC tournament MVP, and former Sonic player, Mr. Walter Frederick Walker.

"I'm not sure of his exact height and weight. All I know is that the man was a saint with children and a genius with food additives..."

Here is a guy that has taken something golden and put his stamp all over it for a full decade now, and the result isn't even a finely polished turd. Sure, the Sonics were one Ray Allen trey away from a game 7 against the Spurs last season....but I choose to give Nate all the credit for the miraculous run last year. But now, the city of Seattle is on the brink of losing the team.....if the Sonics would have asked the Washington voters for $$ in 1995 or 1996, they would have received it. Seattle was all Sonics, all the time. Wally's poor decisions are so numerous that it would be practically impossible to try and outline them all. We could 'highlight' Wally's GM/CEO career by examining the 'lowlights' of the last decade of Sonics basketball.

Walker joined the Sonics as GM in 1994, taking over for 'Trader Bob'. At that point, Whitsitt had helped establish the Sonics as a leading contender in the Western Conference. All Walker had to do was maintain things and make minor adjustments from year to year. After the loss to the Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals, Walker couldn't resist the desire to begin exercising his newly found power and he began tinkering with the roster. He didn't renew George Karl's contract, and he has moved on to successful playoff appearance since his departure. He also refused to re-negotiate Shawn Kemp's contract after one of the worst signings in Sonic history. There are two roster moves that stand out the most for me, the infamous $35 million contract for Jim McIlvaine and trading lottery pick Corey Maggette for Horace Grant. During his first 4 years as GM, the Sonics continued to succeed....but with trader Bob's players. Once the roster consisted of Wallyworld acquisitions, the cheese really started to stink.....and the results were consistent 4th & 5th place finishes over the next 5 seasons.

"Ain't never seen anyone so shit-all stupid as you driving off that road. You musta got manure for your brains."

Jimmy Mac....does everyone remember this guy? Since leaving the game, he has now grown out his 'business in the front, party in the back' and relocated to enumclaw where he lives in a modified quadruple-wide manufactured home and slowly sips his lifetime supply of Rainier beer that he has stocked in a shed on his property. His idea of a good investment of his 35 mil...."Enumclaw's gonna take off dude, you just wait". His career high of 12 points in a game is overshadowed by his inability to do anything in the post. At one point, the Sonics actually printed a new jersey for Jimmy Mac that resembled a 'welcome' mat on the front since opposing power players walked right over him on their way to the hoop. Already knowing that this issue may come up, the 'no welcome mat jersey' clause was actually inserted into his $35 million contract before it was signed. The aftershock of this deal can be traced up to recent events. Shawn Kemp got pissed at the amount of money that they paid this idiot, so he started to get whiny and was traded for Vin Baker. Vin Baker comes to the Sonics and has one good year, gets the friggin' maximum contract from Wally (something like $87 million for 7 years) after which he gets fat and out of shape and completely forgets how to play basketball. This gets Gary Payton all pissed off.....so he gets even more surly than usual causing him to be traded for Ray Allen......and we arrive at the present.

Trading the rights to lottery pick Corey Maggette and a few other players to Orlando for an over-the-hill Horace Grant? I was stunned by this one. At the time, just like everyone else in Seattle, I tried to put a positive spin on things by saying "Saweeet! Now we have that championship experience!" I don't like this deal even if Ho-G is in his prime. Sure the guy could rebound....but I've never seen a guy miss that many layups in my life.....just painful to watch. And by the time he was a Sonic....he had been on the statistical downside of his career for a full year, and that only continued to get worse. For the record, it should be noted that during that season, Corey Maggette averaged more points that Ho-G and had a higher field goal % in almost 20 fewer minutes per game than Ho-G.....and that was Maggette's lowest averages in his short career......he has averaged about 20 points per game the last two seasons.

I can note ONE good thing about Wallyworld....he did negotiate the trade that sent Hersey Hawkins to Chicago in exchange for Brent Barry....that was a good one, because Brent gave Seattle some quality years and Hawkins basically dropped off the map.

In 2001, when Howie Starbucks bought the team...he moved Mr. Walker upstairs to become part-owner-CEO-President of the "Basketball Club of Seattle LLC", which includes the Seattle Storm......and Wallyworld was officially born. Immediately following this promotion, it was almost as if Howie realized his mistake...and he quickly brought in Rick Sund to be GM. Wow, follow up a poor decision with another one. Rick Sund comes into town and sells his 5 year plan to everyone....and they buy it. Rick Sund...fresh out of jobs with the Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks. Hmm....what have the Pistons done recently? Oh, just a couple NBA Finals appearances...winning one...and continuing to be one of the most dominant defensive teams in the game. This is the result of Rick Sund's 5 year plan in action! Wrong. This is the result of the Pistons realizing that the 5 year plan was a sham....and completely abandoning it in favor of an opposite, more defensive approach. The Wallyworld 5 year plan is heavy on marketing and light on providing an actual, quality product. I feel like we have been sold something that we didn't ask for....and it is killing me.

"Now, I owe it to myself to tell you, Mr. Griswold, that if you are thinking of taking the tribe cross country, this is your automobile. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster. You think you hate it now, but wait till you drive it."

The 5 year plan has turned the Sonics into one of the worst defensive teams in NBA history. The young disciplinarian, well paid head coach was not part of the 5 year plan.....the plan calls for a cheaper, yes-man head coach. (Wallyworld seems to believe that the Sonics can be successful without leadership, talent or passion) Once the 'showtime' approach and Bob Weiss got the team nowhere in a hurry, they made the change to Bob Hill. Now, I like what Hill has done. Swift and Petro wouldn't see anything besides the end of the bench on Weiss' Sonics....but Bob Hill comes in and puts those guys in the game. The result, two young players gaining confidence and showing the promise that was the vision all along. I think Hill deserves a full season with a well built basketball team before we can throw him out....whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

"We're ten hours from the f*cking fun park and you want to bail out. Well I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun."

I do believe that the Sonics have drafted a little better and made a few good moves since Sund was named GM.....so I can can give some credit for that. Unfortunately, this has only glossed over the citywide negativity towards Wallyworld....and now, Wally comes out and says that they may have to move the team. Is he the next Ken Behring? Is he going to drive the moving truck? The funny thing here is that Wallyword has stepped up and taken full responsibility for the state of the team. This is a perfect illustration of how disillusioned this guy is....he can step up and say that he is responsible...but he won't hold himself accountable, because he knows what that might mean. He knows that he is not well liked....and he doesn't seem to care. Wally needs to wake up and smell the garbage.....he needs to be a man and walk away. Unfortunately, I think Rick Sund needs to pack up his stuff as well. The time has come to clean out the executive offices. 10 years should be enough time to make something happen. We need to shut this thing down for repairs boys.....in an effort to make Wallyworld a safer, funner, happier place for everyone.

Appier reassigned

Sad news on the Joe camp. Kevin Appier has been reassigned to Tacoma. Along with Appier, Gregg Dobbs was also reassigned. See the list of people that have made the 40 man roster here.

Opening day is three days away. One other note, if the Raineirs game is rained out at Cheney Stadium, they will open up Safeco to the general public to watch the game and admission will be free.

MLB Predictions

Now that we've tackled the Mariners situation. Below are my predictions for the year for the remaining MLB standings. I like Minnesota much better than the Sox this year in the Central (while CLE doesn't have the pitching to hang, I see the Indians sliding back a few games), but when I look at the Sox, they're better than last year. That doesn't make sense, but either did the Sox winning it all last year... with apologies to the Dude. I'd love to hear the rest of the Lodge's thoughts on the upcoming season.

AL EAST: Boston
AL CENT: Chicago Sox
AL WEST: LA Angels
WILDCARD: NY Yankees

ALDS Winners: Boston & NY Yankees
ALCS Winner: Boston



NL EAST: NY Mets
NL CENT: St. Louis
NL WEST: San Francisco
WILDCARD: Atlanta

NLDS Winners: NY Mets & San Francisco
NLCS Winner: NY Mets
World Series Winner: Boston

The Mets now have the bullpen and lineup to finally take down the Braves. Philly's pitching is horendous, and Houston can't win without the Rocket. Plus, the Cubs missed their window on Prior & Wood's shoulders. Bonds will carry SF to win the NL West while the Cards will win the Central again. I can't see anybody beating the Mets in a series with that lineup and Pedro (although if Pedro goes down, they're in trouble... I know, big IF!). But Boston has the big guns to do it with Schilling now pitching off of 2 ankles and Beckett & their still deadly lineup. Best lineup in the league when it counts. The Yankees may score more than Boston this year, but not when it counts.

Oh, and here's a quick shoutout to the big guy. Last week we had the Chewy iPod case. This week we move into Goose's arena with a cell phone case:

A solid move

Seahawks promote Marshall to D-coordinator.

Solid move by the team.

Rhodes will stay on as a consultant. Out of respect for his colleague, Marshall refused to move into Rhodes' office last season, but will do so now. It is not yet known how much Rhodes, 55, will work during the week.

I also like the addition of Larry Marmie as assistant secondary coach. Solid "Old School" coach. Marmie made a great instructional video I saw called "Linebacker Drills and Techniques".

The Black Lodge 2006 Seattle Mariners Guide

So last week I ventured down to Safeco Field on my lunch break (I work a hop, skip & a jump away in the International District, i.e. "Chinatown") and bought 7 single-game tickets to various Seattle Mariners day games throughout the season... starting with next week's Wednesday afternoon affair against the Los Angeles Angels. I'll get to see Washburn pitch his Mariners debut against his former team. I love baseball season. Sure, it'll loose it's luster when the dog days of summer in August roll around... but for now, I'm pumped. Let's break down this year's Seattle ballclub:

PROJECTED LINEUP:
RF Ichiro
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
LF Raul Ibanez
1B Richie Sexson
3B Adrian Beltre
DH Carl Everett or Matt Lawton
C Kenji Johjima
2B Jose Lopez
CF Jeremy Reed

Rotation: Jamie Moyer, Joel Pineiro, Jarrod Washburn, Gil Meche, Felix Hernandez and Closer: Eddie Guardado


• In Ichiro's "down year", he still managed to hit for a .300 AVG, 200 hits, 30 steals and 100 runs scored for the 5th straight year since coming over from Japan. Solid. Plus, the WBC emotion was nice to see. He's the best RF in the game, electrifying to watch at bat and in the field & is Seattle's only legit superstar left (with a nod to the always quiet Ray Allen & to Shaun Alexander's large ego). I think Ichiro will hit above .340 and win his third batting title this year. You heard it here 1st. And he does it with style.

• The news on Mariners sophomore Jeremy Reed isn't nearly as bad as first feared, which is odd. How could a wrist be diagnosed as broken, then it's not? Reed might be ready for opening day. The Mariners might opt to bat him second after all.

• Get ready for another 40 HR, 120 RBI... in a .250 AVG season from Richie Sexson. He hits the longball... and not much else.

• Adrian Beltre is not likely to hit 48 home runs like he did in 2004 for the Dodgers. That is obvious, but needs to be pointed out. He was a 20-80 guy for years, and his contract run has messed up the perception of him. Beltre should hit for a higher average than last year, and I'd think he'll eclispe the 25-100 power line, probably topping 30 HR, riding his WBC hot streak.

• I love the Right-Left-Right-Left look that the lineup could pose against opponents. If Pineiro, Meche & Felix live up to their potential, the M's will be dangerous at home in the friendly confines of The Safe. On the road, they'll suck. But, oh well.

• We've already talked about the amazing potential of a Carl Everett dinosaur blow-up this season and the even better potential for unintentional comedy. Man, I can't wait.

• I predict Train will get a Jojima jersey by next Christmas.

• Yuniesky Betancourt has also impressed me during spring training, and might bat second ahead of Richie Sexson and pals if Jeremy Reed's wrist isn't fully healed by opening day. His glove has been compared to Omar Vizquel's. I'll take that with above-average defense, a .270 AVG & 25 steals out of my SS anyday.


So, there you have it. Your 2006 Seattle Mariners. All in all, I'm guessing they don't lose 93 games again and rebound back to a .500 season. I also believe they have a chance of moving out of the cellar and overtaking the Rangers. In addition, they'll also trade Eddie Guardado before the trading deadline to move Rafael Soriano into the closer role. I can't wait to walk down to the games to meet Jimbo as we fill our 16 oz. Pepsi bottles with our ass-flasks full of golden whiskey goodness to watch the M's battle. It will be glorious.

Plus, there's the most appealing youngster of all: King Felix, who was every bit as good as advertised following his promotion on Aug. 4. King Felix made 12 starts for Seattle, registering a 2.67 ERA, 0.996 WHIP, 9 quality starts & averaging better than 7 innings per outing. And that's something that I'll make my way to the ballpark to see or flip on the TV to watch every 5th day. The M's first legit #1 starter since the Big Unit roamed the astro-turf of the Kingdome.

Heat Vision and Jack

Below is the full thirty minute pilot for Heat Vision and Jack, the legendary rejected Fox pilot produced by Ben Stiller and starring Jack Black and Owen Wilson (as a talking motorcycle) has been posted by a fan to YouTube and is quickly getting around on the World Wide Web. Sorry to the Pemco geeks that can't view YouTube at work. Special thanks to the Intern for linking this glorious find.



I especially like the That Guy sitings of Vincent Schiavelli and Ron Silver. Almost everything in the show has some kind of reference to shitty, but classic, 80s shows. Night Rider, Greatest American Hero, The Hulk, and other shows during that time. Simply amazing.

Gooses "Forgotten" Movies

So last night I managed to catch another one of those movies that is 25 years old, not a blockbuster, but definately one of those Ive seen "That" movie but it has been forgotten. Uncommon Valor was one of those movies. Here is another.

The movie for this week is TAPS
1981 George C Scott, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise.

Here is the plot... Upon hearing that Bunker Hill Military Academy will be demolished to make way for condominiums, the cadets barricade themselves inside. The kids prove formidable foes of the local police and the parents laying siege to the Academy.

Things rapidly escalate out of control with the boys fortifying the campus and arming themselves to the teeth with all manner of automatic and heavy artillery. When it is clear that the boys are not moving, the heavily armed National Guard arrives with all manner of weapons including some armoured tanks at their disposal. Surely they won't be forced to use them against a bunch of kids, will they? From here the story spirals towards the dramatic conclusion and along the way the resolve and determination of the cadets. I wont spoil the ending for those in the Lodge that havent seen it.

I remember watching this movie. I especially remember that many of the cadets were around my age at the time. Seeing this movie in 1981 as a young gossling of 9. It was Gooses 1st foray into words like Honor, Loyalty, dignity. The backbone of many of Gooses principals.

The movie reminds me a little of "Lord of the Flies". The William Golding novel (Im sure you all had to read it in school). What happens when children assume the role of adults, and create their own society. However instead of a deserted island, its a military acadamy. Divisions are created. Groups and social levels are formed. There is an elitist group of "Red Berets" led by Cruise. (By the way, this role for Cruise is a far cry from his future of scientology). There are the older and the younger kids. The film examines the way in which the students interact and react to the pressures put upon them, especially due to the outside actions that try to drive out the kids. Its not a cheery film. But interesting nonetheless.

For those of you that have not seen it. I would recommend a weekend of Taps, Uncommon Valor, and then Top it off with a Police Acadamy Movie to clean the palate. All are available for your NetFlix viewing pleasure. Happy Viewing!

Dream Job?

Well, surfin' the web and I find out that the former Cougar B-ball coach is heading for Hoosierville.

Calvin Sampson is replacing Mike Davis at Indiana. Why would you make this movie...several reasons...one it's Indiana a basketball haven. Two it's still one of the premo places to recruit and it's part of one of the great basketball conferences in the nation. Good luck on being under a microscope.

Check this out if you want the full story. Question was Sampson the best you could get for the job?

Salut

I really wanted to write this post a week from today, following a tourney win and the NCAA hoops title coming to Montlake, but alas poor Brutus, the failure is not in the stars, but in ourselves…or something like that…anyway here’s the post that I’ve been prepping for ever since the Gonzaga win in December…consider this the proper eulogy to an overachieving season, w/ help from Billboard’s 100 hits of 1984…why?...why not…

The I'M SO EXCITED-Pointer Sisters/LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY-Denise Williams, two soundtrack favorites for the award going to 5’11”Freshman Point Guard Justin Dentmon…numbers: 8.3p/ 3.8a/ 3.5r/1.6st/81%ft while playing an average of 27min a night and key stat of 1.41 a-t ratio…the amazing thing is, all those numbers will be the lowest in his Husky career. Like the 4th Pointer Sister, I’m revved up for the next couple of seasons to see what the kid from Illinois can do once he gets past the freshman tendency to make quick shots and force the ball…he played at a high level for a good team all year long at arguably the toughest position on the court, this position only gets better, plus the ability to hit big free throws late in games next year will be key. My only fear is that the Aaron Brooks syndrom will effect Dentmon's game, and the assists will go down as will the FG%, but the shots attempted will go through the roof.

The CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE-Quiet Riot award for the guy your just glad is on your team and you want on the court for a full 40 minutes a night, Vern Lundquist’s favorite from Snohomish, WA: 6’7” PF Jon Brockman numbers: 8.4p/.7a/6.5r/1.1stl/24.1min/51%fg…really, what’s not to love about the game? He’s got the chip…he’s got the heart…he’s a North End guy…started picking it up in tourney time, by hitting that 10-15 footer that will be crucial for him next year to draw anybody out. His relentless pursuit of offensive put-backs is a key for any team, and I don’t think it’s far-fetched to image a double-double average from him next year. However, he needs to learn how to stay in games and make his fouls count; too many times this year was he a non-factor late, including UConn because of wasting fouls in the first half. Also needs to continue to work on his jumper to become an honest College threat from anywhere inside the three line and get 66% from the line up to 75% range to be able to effect the game late…this position only gets better. Maybe don the Rip Hamilton face-mask all season?

The CRUEL SUMMER, Bananara award to 6’4” 205 G Harvey Perry, who never got out of boot camp with the Dawgs, but apparently rehabbed well and could've played, but Romar saved a year for him. Could be big factor for the Dawgs in his last three years.

The BORDERLINE, Madonna/SELF CONTROL, Laura Branigan award goes to 6’4” G Joel Smith…who was one of the few disappointments this year dropping his bench contribution by a almost a point to 3.7/2.1r/1.2a/1.1a/13min, but the hardest stat to swallow is that he dropped 11% in 3pt shooting, something you need coming in from the bench. Also, he took 14 fewer 3pt this year, hopefully not a trend that will continue. I’d also like to see some more steals and D pressure from Smith, a lot of the time this year, a streaky 2 matched up against him went off (Chamberlin Aguchi?). This is the wild card of the team, could come in and average 25min a night and 10-15pts or could average 10min and 2pts…interesting to see his development and whether or not he cracks the starting five next year, plus, please bring back the Afro.

The SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME-Rockwell award goes to the 6’4” 190 G walk-on from Mercer Island Brandon Burmeister, who will be called on next year to back-up Dentmon and control the ball more than his 7.7min a night this year, as a Senior he’s going to have to manage the game and not push the Dawgs into bad plays. I enjoyed his game this year and think with work in the off-season could be a quality 10-15min a night guy off the bench next year, also needs to improve his perimeter shooting and defending.

The HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN-The Eurythmics award goes to 6’2” 170 G from Stanwood, the Pistol Pete of BOA Ryan Appleby…I’m not going to lie, if for the next two years he can play 20minutes a game, shoot 45-50% from halfcourt, not make stupid passes and play just a hair above a sieve defense…than I’m happy…and the honest reality is that’s what’s going to happen…don’t see a lot in his game that's different than Bankhead with Gonzaga a couple years back. I like the quick release…like the range…you need guys like this on your bench. Plus, slowly turning into the cult favorite follow Potter's graduation.

ROUND AND ROUND-Ratt, to 6’8” C Artem Wallace…really have nothing on this guy other than I wanted to get a Ratt song in here…remember this video? w/ Milton Berle? Also, like the Russian connection here, a little E. Bloc never hurt anyone, espcially if you're a 6'8" C.

SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT, Corey Hart to 6’9” F Hans Gasser…see above for for song relavency, but substitute Corey Hart and this guy is from the ‘Quah too…represents Indians (Lodge will not recognize the Eagles)

The LUCKY STAR, Madonna / AGAINST ALL ODDS (Take a Look at Me Now), Phil Collins award goes to none other than…6’6” F Zane Potter…Walk-on, former UW Crew member, competed at the Junior Olympic’s at 13 in Downhill Skiing, from Boring, OR, had some of the best seats at BOA and NCAA tourney for four years, also tons of free Husky Gear and oh yeah a college degree...not a bad four years of college…going to miss the Pott on the bench looking lost and out of place…you can’t get those types of players back...just ask the Mamba about MadDog...

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN, Cyndi Lauper/99 LUFTBALLONS, Nena…Train’s K-town representation…6’8” F Mike Jensen...words really escape me…I don’t know who my patsy is going to be next year for the player most likely to be a) out of position and make a stupid foul late b) make an errand pass that goes five feet over the head of the intended player, c) be 6’8” 250lbs and score all their points from 20ft and more importantly, we’ve lost 2.0’s clone, and this my Lodge friends is something that will definitely never be replicated…like the California Condor…here’s to the Vanilla Gorilla, the greatest Roommate in UW athletic history…and hoping I get to see 2.0 go up against him at Greenlake someday…and the witness the Earth finally stop on its axis...

The AUTOMATIC, The Pointer Sisters/ IF THIS IS IT, Huey Lewis and the News award…(wow two Pointer Sister songs, big year in '84)…goes to 6’6” 235 F Jamaal Williams, the 2nd most consistent scorer on the squad all year and a position that will leave a big void for Hawes/Brockman next year…one of the best touches around the basket, from a guy who knew how to move w/o putting the ball on the ground, did take plays off on D, and was generally porous the rest of the time, but his O more than made up for it, always seemed to be the guy that was able to break the other teams momentum at the right time, and had a knack for scoring big buckets late…not sure what his next move it going to be, but the guy is a proven scorer inside the paint…maybe Israeli leagues w/ Khalid El-Ameen?

JUMP-Van Halen/ BREAKIN'...THERE'S NO STOPPIN' US, Ollie and Jerry award goes to Jimbo’s favorite Dawg for the last two/three years…6’7” F from Dominguez High in Compton, CA…ladies and gentlemen Mr. Bobby Jones…the most complete player outside of Roy on the team…best defender on the team, able to hit from 20 or low-post…quick, w/ and w/o the ball…and by far most athletic on the team…great transition D and O…the ‘Pip to Roy’s MJ (even though, they were both a little ‘Pip)…also author of some of the best throw downs at BOA for the last several years (forget the 5'9" freak)...huge loss for Jimbo and the Dawgs, but someday we'll get somebody in his mold…here’s to Jones stock hopefully rising enough to get an invite to some camps…could possibly have an impact on the bench for some team in the “The League

Finally, the BREAK MY STRIDE, Matthew Wilder/THE HEART OF ROCK & ROLL, Huey Lewis and the News & THE WARRIOR, Scandal Featuring Patty Smyth…(yeah he gets three songs)…award for the Pac 10 POY, 1st Team All-American 6’6” G from Garfield HS…Brandon Roy…final stat line this year 31.7min/20.2pts/5.6r/4.1a/1.8a-t/1.4stl/.8blk/.508fg%/.810ft%/.402 3pt%/…amazing, I’m going to miss watching the guy run the team and command the offense and make the key defensive stop. Not sure what my favorite moment of the year was, but probably the first weekend of Pac 10 play vs. UA (Sucks to UA C-town) , where he put the team on his back and never let them off the rest of the season. Even thought they lost the game and his agressiveness on the defensive end hurt him, he earned all his awards right then.

This is the great side of collegiate athletics, to watch a player develop with a high basketball IQ(that's for you 2.0 and Jay Bilas), personality and attitude into one of the five best in the nation. His stock is high, what he does on the next level is unknown, could be the best player out of the draft, who knows. Has the intangibles to go along with the skill, Supes at #7?...#3 is going to be missed and not sure where the team makes up for those numbers…that’s the beauty of the game however…the hits just keep coming or they don't.

So that’s it, I’m leaving the coaches out, although I would drop a MAJOR TOM (Coming Home)-Peter Schilling and a SISTER CHRISTIAN, Night Ranger for Romar and Dollar, good job of coaching and motivation after the mid-season slump, let’s see how this team reacts next year as a young, dumb and full of __ squad. Could be the down year, before another tourney run. Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back next week as we countdown the Hits!!!

SOAP

Apparently there really is nothing like Snakes On A Plane. I just can't get enough of the spin the studios are selling SOAP. I've included some highlights below from "1000 Reasons this movie will kick ass" taken from a ridiculous IMDb thread:

1. Samuel L Jackson on a plane with snakes.
   
2. Samuel L Jackson on a plane with snakes.
   
3. Samuel L Jackson on a plane with snakes.
   
4. Samuel L Jackson on a plane with snakes.
   
5. Samuel L Jackson on a plane with snakes.
   
6. There are snakes, on a *beep* plane, bitch!
   
7. David R. Ellis is directing, known for his tear-jerking work playing "Ski Lodge Killer #3" in Blind Fury, and for his directing debut in the critically acclaimed "Cellular"
   
8. It has a cool acronym, way better than girly-man LOTR.
   
9. It has Samuel L. Jackson saying "mutual-funding snakes" and "mutual-funding plane" in it. This is the exact same line only differnt that made Jackie Brown such a good movie.
   
10. FRIGGIN SNAKES ON A PLANE!!! HELLO!
    

If you liked that, you also might like this Snakes On A Plane "Quote Tracker" with classic suggested quotes by creative "fans" like: Do I like snakes? Man, if Indiana Fucking Jones hates snakes then there's no fucking way in hell that I'm gonna like'em! Oh yeah, and the finished product reportedly has more gore, deaths, nudity and snakes. Thank you, Samuel L. Jackson. Thank you.

Be careful, this is the Lodge...

So following last week were I was shorted quality work time to dedicate to making a long-winded post, I’m taking a moment on Monday to catch up on a few things from last week, the initial post being this:


First, in my quest to view the other four pictures nominated for best picture in ’05 and disavow the tragedy that was Crash, I finally watched what was a far better nominee and excellent film entitled: Good Night and Good Luck. An extremely well written piece by Grant Heslov and Batman 4.0 that highlights the talents of the underrated David Strathairn, who prior to this was just AJ’s creepy school counselor on the Sopranos, but proved that he could run a movie on his own merits and excellent writing. Good call for producer Clooney on getting the right guy for the lead, and for not putting himself in that spot. The direction was solid, with great use of lighting and smoke along with the b&w cinematography (Jimbo’s always a sucker) to create the mood of behind the scenes 1950’s CBS Television. Clooney gave heart to the lead-supporting role as Edward R. Murrow’s behind the scene’s partner Fred Friendly as crusaders for truth and knowledge in a one hour program before the Steve Allen Show. Also kudo's to getting original footage of McCarthy and the trials for added authenticity. Overall, I’m not sure if this film was well-rounded enough to be the top pic, but as an uber-High School historical narrative that follows Saving Private Ryan week, it does quite well for itself, even in the Red States of America. However, compared to Crash, this was f'n Citizen Kane.

The political component of the film, with blatant ties to the 2006 American politic-sphere shifted my thoughts during the viewing of this film to the current crusade by the most courageous and somewhat idealistic Junior Senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold (sorry to go political on Monday, but hey wtf?). As the lone nay in the 2001 Patriot Act vote, that in hindsight proves not only foresight, but the ability to actually read, Feingold represents the last democrat in the country that is still able to use a urinal standing up. His most recent campaign for censure of the 43rd President has sparked debate and created a “who’s coming with me?” movement for Democrats moving into the ’06 Elections. Apparently holding the president accountable for burning the constitution is not as popular as some would think, considering that he has currently only two other Democratic Senator’s on board. More to come on this nothing-but-overtly-symbolic-move-that-could-ultimately-decide-the-power-of-the-Executive Branch-for-the-next-two-years.

Even though GN&GL was made prior to the Feingold censure, but after the vote against the Patriot Act, it demonstrates a work of political/historical entertainment that succeeds in proving to America audiences that dissent on the “perceived” values and morals of a minority is not un-American or un-Patriotic, but in fact the very foundation that this whole damn thing we call the USA was built on. The ability of Murrow to fight not only the momentum of fear that the then Junior Senator from Wisconsin had perfected, but also the bigger enemy to truth via media: corporate affiliates, in this case, the damning ALCOA.

The modern day struggles of the current Junior Senator from Wisconsin will not be as easy however, and the ability of the populist to dilute the facts and statements of not only the dissenting voice, but also the truth distracts the attention from the honest concerns of the majority and leaves it to the CEO’s and back-pocket politicians regardless of what letter they place in front of their name. The times they might be a changin', but the constants remain the same, whatever's good for big business isn't necessarily good for the people. As I type this on a laptop provided for me from the largest design-software company in America right now, irony? not lost on me. The issues that Murrow and Feingold attached themselves to were not for the sake of partisan flag holding, but for the dwindling obligation to a cause that is higher than one's own political identity. The innundation of World pop-culture distracts us from the ugliness of our nation, myself being one the biggest examples. Feingold’s crusade to improve America will hopefully speak for the 68% of the US population that currently says “nay” to what decisions are being made on behalf of them. For more information try : Google.

We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

A New Poison Pill

I am almost too excited about this to even type right now. Excited that the Seahawks have just acquired an additional WR....sure. But, I am even more excited that the Seahawks are flipping a big one to the Vikings and the NFL for creating creating the BS situation with the transition tag.

Nate gets a 7 year, $49 million offer....exactly the same as Hutch. The deal supposedly contains, 2 "poison pills". One poison pill states that his entire contract is guaranteed if he plays more than 5 games in one season in the state of Minnesota......oh, just read it for yourselves.

GO HAWKS!!!

Is there anything they can't do.

Why do they keep on coming out with the most incredible stuff: link. About 40 seconds into the vid it gets pretty dope.

Breaking it down GU style.

So just to preface...my friend went to GU right when they started to be good...so he has invested some time in this... Although his analysis is pretty on...sorry buddy if you read this...:

I need to preface this email with the following-

I don't want anyone to speak to me this morning. Nobody. People have already tried and I simply walked away. I work in a building of over 200 people (including children) who all know who I am and all know I'm a huge Gonzaga fan. I advertised it more often than Frontier Airlines' stupid "basketball blows up when it hits the rim" commercial (do you guys get those in Seattle?). The next person who tries to talk to me might get punched in the face. That being said, I deal with a lot of kids with grief/loss issues and one of the steps towards healing is always to make sure that your feelings are put into words somewhere, only to be shared with people close to you.

Gonzaga Bball is like that b**** of a girlfriend we all had once that we knew wasn't "The One" but we kept around anyway for a variety of reasons. She was hot. Its fun walking around with a hot chick that you can show off a little bit . . . everyone loves the hot chick and strangers sneak glances and might even say something to the effect of "Welll Plaaaayed!" There were two outstanding qualities about her (Morrison and Batista) that made you feel good and brought thoughts of long term bliss to your head. 1) She was a freak. She did an impression of a wet dry vac that still brings a tear to your eye. 2) She was always there for you. When you had a bad day, she was there with a killer HJ that made you forget about everything (remember she was a freak). Or, if the day was really bad, she let you stick it in her butt. She was so reliable.

But, what always happened with "the b**** of a girlfriend we all had once that we knew wasn't "The One" but we kept around anyway for a variety of reasons"? You got attached. You started overlooking some of the drawbacks of dating a hot freak. 1) She had herpes (Mallon). The symptoms would disappear from time-to-time, but just when you took a vacation to Hawaii or Hedonsim, she'd have a flare-up. 2) When you went on a break, she slept with 3 guys from her work because she was a hot freak who played no D and let people score in bunches. Unfortunately, you got attached and the big, red, blinking warning lights that were present at the beginning of the relationship were but a blip in your rearview mirror.

And, what happened after you got attached? That's right, she dumped your sorry a**. Just as soon as you thought something really serious was happening, she blind-sided you with the, "It's not you, its me . . . well, it's kinda you . . . I'm not sure how to say this, so I'll just be direct . . . size does matter ya know." That's right . . . she didn't let you down easy. No real forewarning. "Things were going so well" you thought. Until she went for the kill-shot. The heartbreaker. Right in the babymaker. You felt like a shell of a man.

The good part is that we all know the solution to this. How to feel like a man again. We've all relied on two things to get us through some of the hardest times of our lives. You might not of thought of this yet, because times are rough, but the answer lies right in front of our eyes. Whether its Gonzaga Bball or women . . . the recipe is simple: drinking and screwing. Its an important task . . . so lets get started!! Hell, I don't care if I'm at work right now . . . I brought the Miller Hi-Life and the Magnums . . . there's a cute teacher right down the hall . . . everythings in alignment . . let's do it boys . . . let 's do it for the team . . . let's do it now and let's do it later . . . its time to break one open and break one off! Let the healing begin!!!!!!!!!

Taking it back to the Old School....

I came across this in the Seattle Times today while drinking my morning cup o’ Joe(not 2.0). Looks like the men at Mountlake or the State however you want to look at it are slowly bringing back the old UW that we all know and love. Might this be the first step in the eradication of the weasel?

Please excuse the WSU portion

I liked V

Last night, 7:45pm showing...

"This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V. " ~V

It was good. The comic is more poignant, the movie is still daring. Viva La Revolution!

Hawks sign "Zero Liability"

The Seahawks reached agreement with former New England Patriot and unrestricted free agent Tom Ashworth. The four-year veteran was signed to a 5 year contract.

Both Hutch & Ashworth are the same age at 28. ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports that the Seahawks' brass seems confident that Ashworth will earn a starting spot on their offensive line. But it's a great move for the organization to fill an obvious need after Frosty Balls left for Minnesota.

And that's another Seahawks... FIRST DOWN!!!