Is Seattle Giving Up Coffee for Skittles?
Image via Wikipedia
I love Skittles. They are simply delicious, yet my adoration for their sweet tastiness is complex. So I am getting a kick out of the crazy run they are getting as a result of a football player and his mom.
Marshawn Lynch is a running back for the Seattle Seahawks who is also known for being very hard to tackle. Sometimes, he will run over every player on the other team and keep going.
A couple of weeks ago, he made one of his folk legend type jaunts. Then the cameras showed him meeting his mother on the sidelines. It was a sweet moment. The announcers explained why she was holding a bag of Skittles, because when Marshawn was a kid he used to get them for great runs or touchdowns.
I. Love. That. This kid’s running down the field just smashing other children and thinking “Skittles Skittles Skittles…” That’s just a funny thing for a football player to even chant. Read more »
Look At Me In Tennessee!
I am uber proud today to announce that one of my favorite guest posts I’ve ever written is appearing live at Jessica Buttram’s site.
Not only is Jess a terrific person who’s insanely funny but she’s also a terrific person. And while I’m at it I should mention that she’s also now a fellow resident with me in Knox McCoy’s Awesometown. So congratulations to her on this week’s induction!
Today’s topic is hopefully timely and should make you smile. Or laugh. Or at least think about where I stand with the Rockettes. Haha, that will make sense to you later. Maybe. It’s what we in the trade* call a “teaser”.
But don’t hang around here all day, the fun’s over at the Buttram’s! Be sure to take your comments there too because I’ve left a challenge for you to do better than me. See you over there!
*The trade of tomfoolery.
I’m a Big Loser
When I was in my early 20s I got sucked into the fun world of betting football games online. Yes, I was stupid but then again scientific studies* show that most guys are at their worst between the ages of 21-23.
Let’s just say what started off well sure didn’t end that way. But hey, it was the 2000s and we were young, crazy kids. That’s what free credit cards were for.
Next time Gadget...
*throws self into steel radiator*
One particular Sunday afternoon, I was in my room watching the hapless San Diego Chargers play the solid Baltimoron Ravens (who would go onto win the Super Bowl) before dinner. My relatively safe wager was somehow reliant on the Ravens holding a big lead at halftime.
I was in great shape when the call for dinner came, but as I walked down to eat the stupid Ravens fumbled. The Chargers recovered and were suddenly in field goal range as I picked up my fork. Unbelievable, their kicker John Carney kicked a long field goal as the first half expired. I lost my bet. And my money. It was the only points the pathetic Chargers scored all day. I wasn’t very hungry after that. Read more »
Steelers-Ravens: Chick Flick Edition
Nothing like a good rivalry to get the juices flowing. By juices I mean that sweet Skittles flavor that will soon be mine after my Pittsburgh Steelers take out the Baltimoron Ravens of Miss Thoughts Appear.
To be fair, Thoughtsie doesn’t follow her team that closely. You can read a funny story about this over at her site today.
I’m really putting myself on the line for this one though, so you know I’m counting on the Black & Gold to payback those dirty birdies for week one’s Baltimore smackdown.
What’s at stake, you ask? Well…
If the Ravens win (gag) I have to watch whatever chick flick TA says. Then I have to write a “Movies Teach Us” guest post for my Maryland pal.
However, after my Steelers take out the Ravens, she has to send me some sweet treats. She is, after all, known for her delectable treats. All I know is Skittles need to be included somehow! Hmm, can you make Skittle cookies? Cupcakes? I need ideas. That’s where you come in. Read more »
World Series At Work
A lot of us have history right under our feet. Some of it changed the world while other events are just fun to talk about.
My hometown of Pittsburgh is loaded with historical landmarks and significance. A short walk through Oakland reveals markers and statues and great, old buildings where important things took place.
Today’s short video is timely as the World Series is currently going on between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals. I thought I’d show a little glimpse of one of my workplaces where one of the biggest moments in the history of sports occurred.
If you’d like to see the short clip of this historic blast click here. You’ll see what Forbes Field and Pittsburgh looked like a half century ago as the camera follows the flight of the ball through the air and over Yogi Berra’s head.
Do you have any cool landmarks near you?
Music City Miracle
Kerry Meacham and I will be rooting against each other on Sunday when his Tennessee Titans visit my Pittsburgh Steelers for a game at Heinz Field. But if my boys have to lose, I’ll be glad for Kerry and his wife. He’s a great guy and the author of today’s guest post in which he recounts a rare perspective of one of the greatest plays in NFL history. You should read his blog and find him on Twitter. Okay Kerry, the field is yours!
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When Clay asked if I would write a guest post for his blog, the first thing that popped into my head was the Tennessee Titans. Just so you know, I’m a true fan, but my wife is a fanatic. One of her parameters for me accepting my current job in St. Louis was that we would still go back to Nashville for all Titans’ home games. Done.
My wife and I at this year’s first home game, where we WAXED the Baltimore Ravens 23-16 thank you very much.
Yes, you’re right. When I wear that jersey people are constantly bugging me for an autograph thinking I’m the real Chris Johnson (#28). I constantly have to remind them that he’s the one with the dreads. Sheesh, people can be so annoying when you look like a sports celebrity.
Each year when we go to the first Titans’ home game, I get a feeling of anticipation like I did that first season the Titans came to Nashville in 1999. It was an exciting time, and Nashville was all abuzz. My wife and I bought season tickets when they became available, and we ended up with seating on the second row in the south end zone. It was truly a Cinderella year where the Titans won every home game during the regular season. Momentum built each week they won. Read more »
Whose Side Are You On?
Time for a little friendly wager my lovelies. Actually, I don’t call people “my lovelies” but rather stole that turn of phrase from Miss Alberta herself, Leanne Shirtliffe. And I don’t channel her without cause. You see, Ironic Mom and I have issued stakes for this weekend’s hockey opener in which my Pittsburgh Penguins, beloved hockey team of me youth, travel to Calgary where Leanne’s Flames await their defeat.
What’s on the line you ask? Good question, lovely even.
We’ve wagered the finest chocolate from our hometowns, but here’s the extra sweet hook: YOU are the one with a chance to win our booty. Or bounty. Our bountiful booty? Hmm, this paragraph just got awkward like Flames goalie Mikka Kiprusoff who’s lost to the Pens every chance he’s had since 2005.
So here’s how this works for yous. Nevermind if you are a hockey lover or completely clueless about the sport. To get in on the fun and take a shot at winning some exotic chocolate from a faraway land, just do the following:
1. Predict the outcome/score of the game. (Hint: make up numbers and put a team name by each one)
2. Share a hockey or skating memory that you experienced or made up.
You can leave your hockey or skating memory at one of our blogs (like here in the comment section) and leave your prediction for the game’s outcome at the other blog (like IronicMom.com). Entries close before the start of the game on Saturday.
This is gonna be fun like playing Jenga with an igloo.
Of course, this is a competitive wager with tasty stakes. As such, you should feel free to layeth the smack down and talk it up. For example, we know the Penguins are superior to the Flames, but why? How many ways are there to make fun of Canada?
In the name of diplomacy I would like to point out that the letters in Calgary Flames can be rearranged to spell the following phrases:
Flyer Scam Gala
Gram Lays Fecal
Cagy Elf Alarms
Clay Frames Gal
So there you have it, a showdown for the ages, or at least all ages, is upon us. Whose booty will you back?
What’s your guess for the final score?
Be sure to check out Ironic Mom’s site and leave something north of the border.
Gamer Girls
A 14-year-old girl named Lexi Peters is tired of looking like a boy. On video games that is.
The Buffalo teenager loves hockey and plays the NHL video game put out by Electronic Arts (EA) each year. EA games have long allowed players to create their own characters that can be customized by name and appearance. The thing that bothered Lexi is that created characters are always male.
Someone else to beat the Flyers. You go girl.
With the encouragement of her father, Lexi wrote a letter to EA executives explaining that a lot of women and girl hockey players around the world would enjoy being repped by the proper gender. Lexi was soon told sorry but nothing could be done, especially with the NHL in control of licensing. But the story didn’t end there.
According to Ben Maller of The Post Game where I discovered this story, lead producer David Littman of EA heard about Lexi’s letter and took action. He received approval from the company’s legal team and the NHL. Not only will NHL 12 include a female avatar but the company is even using Lexi’s likeness as the base template.
Girl gamers are a dominant force in the multi-billion (with a B) dollar industry and EA is finally catching on. According to a 2010 study by the Entertainment Software Association, women are more than casual participants in the world of gaming. Consider the following stats: Read more »
When A Diamond Was A Guy’s Best Friend
Image via Wikipedia
I used to live for baseball. Hard to believe now, but when I was a kid my life revolved around the game.
I could play with my friends in the backyard all day every day of the summer. As soon as I was old enough I joined a local team and played for years. Shoot, I’d even go inside early some nights (before the street lights even came on!) just so I could watch the Pittsburgh Pirates on TV while I dutifully kept stats in my score book.
I dreamed of being a big leaguer some day and making a living on that field they called the diamond. Just about anybody who met me after the age of 13 would probably be surprised to learn of this childhood passion of mine.
The game we once called America’s past time is more past its prime than anything these days, but few things can pour nostalgia over me like baseball. When I put on a glove and catch that first long throw in many months, the muscles in my hands and arms remember. And when I hear that thump in the glove or crack of the bat, my mind recalls a thousand days beneath a ball cap cursing the sun for blinding me in the face of a high fly ball but then begging that same sun not to go so I could have just one more turn at the plate.
Baseball is as close to poetry as I’ve ever come. Read more »
March Movie Madness!
Image by Australian War Memorial collection via Flickr
We’ve been pitting movies one against another for months around here. I often hear from folks who would like to see different options. Here’s your chance.
It’s time for you, yes you, to take control. We gonna have us some fun ’round these here parts.
As many of you know, March is the season of America’s great college basketball tournament, a time when millions of people fill out brackets despite never watching the sport or knowing where Gonzaga is located. Making picks is just fun.
I’ve come up with a way we can use that idea to get jiggy, chat about a few movies, and get to know each other better because you can use your site to build support.
Welcome to March Movie Madness. It’s just like the real tournament only we don’t have to run or sprain ankles. Or play basketball.
A few months back, I threw options out for the 12 Days of Christmas Movies. That was fun, but many of you wanted to see the tourney go a different direction. So I propose a movie bracket designed by you!
College hoops hosts 64 teams, an awfully high number. I’m shooting for 32. Get it? “Shooting” is what you do in basketball! I’ll wait for the laughter to die down as you wipe those joyful tears off your face.
In the sports world, this coming weekend features Selection Sunday when all the team seedings are announced. So today we’ll start the submission process and have our own selection. I’m hoping to use this Friday’s post to announce the field and participants, so be sure to get yourself on record in the comments here.
The b-ball tournament goes from next week until the first week of April. We’ll mirror that time frame as we work from 32 movies down. Like Highlander, there can be only 1 in the end. Let’s begin.
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The Rules Committee (read: 2 people that pretended to listen while I brainstormed) has come up with the following humdingers. Please don’t commit any fouls. Get it? FOULS? Ha!
- Give me 2-3 movies that you want to be in the bracket. Some picks will be chosen by others. Some (like Christmas Vacation which already won the Christmas poll) will not be included.
- Depending on response, you may be teamed up with another person in support of the same film. Kind of like Team Edward and Team Jacob only without the vampires, werewolves, or ripped abs.
- When your movie comes up in the bracket, all you have to do is write 3-4 sentences on why it’s the best. You can do this here and I’ll link back to your blog, or you can do that on your blog and I’ll link to your post! Yay for you! We can do four head-to-head matchups at a time.
- If you don’t have a blog you can be part of a team with someone who does or maybe pick a site that you support.
- Seeding will be completely random.
- I reserve the right to screw up the mathematical and scientific portions of this contest. So please help me.
- Winner will receive a prize ranging from $1 million dollars to nothing.
That’s it. Are you in? Just use the comment section to say so. Even if you don’t want to participate, help us out by suggestion a couple flicks that should be in.
Give me the names of movies YOU want in this bracket!
[UPDATE: I will post the bracket Friday morning with further instructions for ya. It'll be simple!]
How To Discuss The Super Bowl Even Though You Didn’t Watch
Some of you missed the Super Bowl. Maybe you hate football. Maybe you couldn’t watch the game even though every other American adult did. Perhaps you just live in a whole other country and think football has something to do with soccer.
But now everyone’s talking about the big game, and you don’t know how to fit in. Social status is at stake. What if the boss or that hottie in accounting thinks less of you now? The water cooler just became a nightmare.
Fear not. I’m here to offer you some great ways to get in the conversation even if you have no idea what the people who actually watched the game are talking about.
Important Fact: The game took place in North Texas.
Things To Say At The Water Cooler:
A) Historical setting
Say this: “Can you believe how many people were at that Super Bowl? That was the highest attendance ever! Imagine, over 100,000 fans.”
[Bonus Tip: try name dropping here, preferably how you knew someone whose aunt went to the game.]
Sure fire way to blow your cover: Add that all those people at the game are stupid to want to watch a bunch of men in tights kick a ball around for 3 periods.
B) Vague analysis
This part’s actually simple. Just use phrases from the MadLib school of TV journalism. Meatheads have gotten rich off these phrases for years. Read more »
FFF: The Greatest Golf Movie Ever?
I am pleased to bring you another guest poster for this fine Friday Flick Faceoff. Lary Hehn is here from his site Christian In The Rough by way of Toronto, Canada. Larry’s a great guy and multitalented. He’s a gifted cartoonist in addition to writing and speaking. Best of all, he’s real. I knew he was coming from the right place when I read this quote from his site: “I will never have all the answers, but I love finding them.” You can also find him on Twitter.
The first idea Larry had for a FFF nailed me right between my frigid little eyes. With two simple words he seemed to melt just a bit of the fresh, white powder chilling the ledge outside my window. ”Golf movies,” he said. After a series of cold weeks interspersed with snow and ice storms my chapped heart throbs for those warm, summer days on the golf course, cool beverage in hand. So hook it, slice it, or knock this baby flush, but be sure to take a swing at what Larry’s teed up.
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My Dad and I have always been sports buffs and enjoyed each other’s company on the playing field. For years he was my coach and sometimes even my teammate. But now that he has turned 80 and has three knee replacement surgeries under his belt, there’s pretty much only one sport left that we can enjoy playing together.
That’s golf. 
I always look forward to our annual father and son golf game, even though I’m a lousy golfer. Yes, “Christian in the Rough” is both the name of my blog and a very accurate description of my golf game.
But sometimes golf is about more than just knocking a little white ball around some very expensive real estate. It’s also about character. Friendship. Bonding. Reflection. Taking stock. Sharing. Frustration. Encouragement. Discouragement. Fun. Angst.
Golf makes for great drama. And comedy. Sometimes on the very same shot.
So when Clay graciously invited me to guest post today for the Friday Flick Faceoff, and to choose a topic, I knew right away that our quest would be to determine…The Greatest Golf Movie Ever!
Of course, golf is made up of foursomes. So we have four gems for you to choose from today spanning 20 years of film making. There’s comedy. There’s drama. There’s gophers. Romance. Improbable comebacks. Fist fights with game show hosts.
Who ever said that golf was boring? Read more »
Considering The Heavens
I know I’m not the only one who was bummed when Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet in 2007. That’s just insulting. Pluto was always there for me. No matter how much I botched the order of those other planets I knew Pluto was 9th.
Pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope: Clockwise from the upper left, the "Tadpole" galaxy, the "Cone Nebula," two colliding spiral galaxies dubbed "The Mice," and stellar birth in the Omega Nebula. (Images from NASA)
You know who was happy about Pluto getting the galactic smackdown? Neptune which became the new planetary caboose. Now everyone will remember the swirly blue body named for the Roman god of water and sea. But Neptune comes with controversy all its own, and that brings us to December 28, 1612 and this week’s Wikipedia Wednesday. On that day, Galileo discovered the 8th planet whether he knew it or not. That’s the disputed part.
Fast forward a few centuries to December 30, 1924. That’s when Edwin Hubble announced the existence of other galaxies and forever changed our understanding of the universe. Named in his honor, the Hubble Telescope has been capturing the greatest images in history for the past couple of decades.
Speaking of space traveling objects, Maurice “The Rocket” Richard made history on December 28, 1944 when he became the first player in National Hockey League history to score 8 points in one game. The Montreal Canadian legend was also the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games, unheard of and mostly unreachable unless you’re one of the all-time greats. By the way, Sidney Crosby is flirting with that very milestone right now.
While we’re mentioning athletes, now’s a great time to say happy birthday (tomorrow) to one of my favorite baseball players of forever. Sandy Koufax–greatest left-handed pitcher of all-time–was born with a cannon on his arm in 1935.
Bill Shatner's passionate about Wiki Wednesday
I suppose we could also recognize the birth of Woodrow Wilson, who managed to overcome the name Woodrow to become president of the U.S., in 1856. I’d rather talk about a man who died at this time in 1999. I know very little about Clayton Moore other than the fact that he was The Lone Ranger and I was named after him. Guess mom was a big fan.
Mostly though, today is about frontiers which makes this a great time to mention how Iowa was admitted as the 29th state in 1846. Over time our expanding frontier revealed fruited plains and purple mountain majesty that would galvanize environmentalists into the 20th century. The Endangered Species Act was eventually passed by the U.S. Congress in 1973 under President Nixon. That statute helped out many beautiful creatures and even protected some slithering reptiles. Oh, that reminds me, Saddam Hussein was executed on December 30, 2006.
Part of that fruited plain is in Illinois, a great state to bring us home. I mentioned earlier that others were unhappy with Pluto’s demotion. Some of those folks were from Illinois, birthplace of Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto who got robbed. The state government passed a law pooh-poohing the scientific community. New Mexico reps (where Tombaugh lived much of his life) did the same and even declared a Pluto Planet Day once a year! They said Pluto will always be considered a planet when it appears over the New Mexico sky.
Stan Lee w/ Kevin Smith and more
Also coming out of Illinois is Nichelle Nichols, born on December 28 in 1932. She played Uhura in the original Star Trek cast which I know way more about than you would ever believe. Yes, I like the new movie too.
For a brief time after the late 1970s, Marvel Comics held the license for Star Trek. All of you should now that the godfather of Marvel is Mr. Stan Lee who turned 88 yesterday. What a legend. All he did was create (along with Jack Kirby) such characters as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil (my fave as a kid), the Incredible Hulk, Ironman, and so many others.
Another creation of Stan “The Man” Lee is the Silver Surfer, an intergalactic traveler who certainly breezed past Pluto and Neptune more than once, and whose conceptual journeys wouldn’t have been possible had the infinity of the universe not been discovered by folks like Tombaugh, Hubble, and Galileo.
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On Wikipedia Wednesday I take the Wiki’s word for it about what happened on this date in history (give or take a day) and vamp up the rest to connect the events. It’s okay. I’m a trained historian. You won’t get history like this anywhere else.
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Did you learn somethin’? Connect with me on Twitter @eduClaytion.
Psycho Coaches, Snoop Dogg, & Spider-Monkey Parents
What is it about youth sports that can turn seemingly normal members of society into psychopaths? One minute you’re sitting in the bleachers enjoying a nice game of pee wee football when all of a sudden some woman from the stands is lying on the sidelines covered in blood, her nose broken by a football coach. I think I speak for middle America here when I ask the probing question: What does this have to do with spider monkeys? Let me back up.
I’ve been around youth sports for a few years now, football for 8-12 year olds in particular. Last weekend I took in the first half from the opponents sideline, just behind the other team’s coaches. After watching a season’s worth of games, I had already seen the rantings of some crazy people who are apparently justified by virtue of being football coaches. I’ve had a lot of coaches in my life. Yelling and screaming is sometimes necessary as urgent moments will arise. There is a difference, however, between intensity and psychosis. I think we’ve blurred that line a bit much.
So there I am the other day, taking in the game, when a receiver on my boy’s team catches two deep balls in a row and scores. Judging by the reaction of the sideline coach, you would’ve thought his defensive player had just lost the Super Bowl, only instead of just losing the world championship, this coach would have to be strapped naked to an outgoing missile. He looked like a crazy person. A rather large crazy person. The kids on the field were 9-years-old. Despite sitting there by myself, I made a comment which he heard. He turned and glared, a rather large glare. I held my ground and returned a Forrest Gump glare, you know the one where Jenny gets on the bus in D.C. and the psycho boyfriend looks back. It’s the kind of look that says learning disability or not, I will fight you in the middle of a Black Panther Party. Imagine if he had been coaching my boy.
That brings us to crazy parents. You know who you are. Actually, you probably don’t because many psychopaths are delusional.
How do I even set up the scene that took place in Ohio this past week? It all started at a game of the Wee Aviators of Vandalia, a suburb of Dayton. Things were said in the stands, tempers flared, a coach became involved. According to reporter Cornelius Frolik (I swear I am not making up his name or story), Coach Jeff Starnes was attacked by a crazy woman while confronting her for some nastiness toward a teenage girl.
The woman jumped on the coach’s back and started punching him in the head. According to Brian Baird, a parent accompanying the coach into the parking lot confrontation, “She jumped on him like a spider-monkey and started wailing on him.” Seriously. The situation got way out of hand when the woman’s partner, who is on dialysis, got pulled into the fracas and ended up being kicked until his pelvis broke. The coach took care of his female attacker by breaking the woman’s nose. Whether he punched her in the face or acted in self-defense is in dispute.
I’m sure the coach shouldn’t have pursued the woman and her companion out of the stadium. On the other hand, any woman who goes all spider monkey on someone in public is clearly in need of some anger management or at least a few anti-psychotics. Read more »
The Greatest Homerun Ever
When you grow up in Pittsburgh and part of your childhood dream is to play professional baseball, there are certain names you learn before ever hopping out of the crib. Stargell, Clemente, and many others really meant a lot, especially when this city had an actual professional team.
Here’s a little midweek treat because today is the 50th anniversary of the greatest home run ever hit in baseball at any level. (You can try to argue with me, but you’ll lose). I’ve seen this clip hundreds of times but today is the half-century marker. At 3:36 in the afternoon on this date, the unlikely hero stepped to the plate and made history in the final game of the 1960 World Series. Maybe one day we’ll be able to enjoy meaningful baseball in the Burgh again.
Here’s what thousands of kids have dreamed about for more than a century. It’s the World Series. Game 7. Bottom of the 9th. Tie game. You step to the plate. One swing can make you a legend. You hit the ball out of the park for a walk-off world championship winner. Only one man ever actually did it.
Related Articles
- Bucs to honor Maz on anniversary of blast (mlb.mlb.com)
- This day in baseball history (powerlineblog.com)
Life. Culture. Education.
Life as Pop Culture Professor Clay Morgan
In The Matrix, Morpheus tells Neo he can take the blue pill and go on believing whatever he wants to believe. Or he can take the red pill to stay in Wonderland and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.
This is a red pill type site that provides information in an entertaining way. It’s about clear thinking and good writing. It’s about finding meaning amidst the absurd. It’s about humor and truth.
I’m a writer / speaker who teaches history and political courses at a couple of local colleges. Where is local, you say? Well, that would be Wonderland of course.
On topics ranging from pop culture to the meaning of life, my brain’s always poppin’. Take the red pill and unplug.
