Words, Words, Words and the Super Bowl

Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) vs. Green Bay Packers


Its Super Bowl Monday. Media Day is tomorrow, so we can look forward to cliche after cliche after cliche. And then the two teams get down to business. I don't know if it will happen, but this version of the bowl has the potential to be fantastic. After the Steelers wins in the Divisional round over the Baltimore Dirty Birds and the AFC Championship against the Rex Ryan Jets, they seem incapable of not playing a tight game. The Packers nearly lost to Philly, they blew out the Falcons, and won by a touchdown at Soldier Field against the Bears third-string QB, the mustached Caleb Hanie. I am not as sold on the Pack that everyone else seems to be. As a Steeler fan, its nice to see them the underdog in this game. I thought for sure this would be at most a Steelers -1 line. Maybe even -3.

All I know is that this seems like a 30-27 game if the Packers win, and probably 27-14 if the Steelers win. The Steelers #1 ranked defense is getting absolutely no pub. Everyone wants to talk about what Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson will do blitzing the Steelers O-line. Well, what are James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley going to do to Chad Clifton and rookie Brian Bulaga? Isn't it reasonable to assume that they could get 3+ sacks between the two of them, knock A-Rod around a bit, maybe force a fumble (like they seem to do in every playoff game)? The only issue I have with the Steelers line is that C Maurkice Pouncey is unlikely to play with an ankle fracture. Backup C Doug Legursky will need to play the game of his life if the steelers are to win this game. That said, I think they have a great chance to ascend the stairway to 7. Either way, it should be and epic battle. And this gets me pumped up...

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Listening to: Bo Burnham, David Cross, Wiz Khalifa (for obvious reasons), 3OH!3, Jonathan Coulton, Stephen Lynch, The Lonely Island
Watching: Breaking Bad, The Wonder Years, The Office, OSN SportsDome, Archer, Fringe, Super Bowl XLV
'Music I am ashamed I downloaded' of the Day: 'Burt Bacharach Sings His Hits'
Next on the Netflix queue: 'The Other Guys', 'Who's Harry Crumb?', 'Salt'
-Awesome non-sports related web site: Victims of Dexter Morgan (Major spoilers)

Take me home, Wiz.

My Love Affair with Showtime's 'Dexter'



As the title might imply, I love this show. It is fantastically entertaining, suspenseful, dramatic and funny in a demented sort of way. Michael C. Hall, who plays the role of Dexter, was a perfect casting decision, and is by far the best part of the show. However, every single supporting character, with the exception of Jimmy Smits character, Miguel Prado in Season Three, is entertaining and important to the story arc, and some cases, very likable (see the Trinity Killer). And unlike a lot of Dexter fans, I love Rita. She was a very important part of the first four seasons. Definitely something that Dexter got right, through no fault of his own.
Sgt. James Doakes may have been my favorite character just because he hates everybody and lets us know it.

NSFW, lots of cursing and a spoiler:



Dexter is a good man. Socially incapable and unable to express any type of emotion except for apathy, he is not wired correctly, which throughout the run of the series, he explains in great depth what is wrong with him and how he remedies this (the whole point of the show). I just can't figure out how he has never been caught. Eventually, this will have to happen. I am just as interested to see what happens after that as what happened before.

I can't help but think that there is some moral to be learned from Dexter's plight, what kind of human being he is. I think that all of us struggle in some way day to day with some of the same things that Dexter does. Social awkwardness. Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings. Putting on a certain face or a certain crowd. Juggling these faces between family, friends, colleagues, foes and strangers. All of us have these issues to some extent, none of us have the urge to kill, like Dexter, thankfully.

Its a wild ride, with lots of jokes, swearing, murder, surprising guest stars, and redemption. So, if you haven't seen it, get the dvds of the first four seasons pronto. It will be worth it.

Revised pick for BCS Championship: Auburn 22, Oregon 19.

On the docket:

Arrested Development and its greatness



and

Steelers-Ravens Look Ahead

Back from the Bye Week

Going to try to make this a regular thing now. Its 1/10/2011, the BCS championship game is tonite, the wild card round of the NFL playoffs has just passed, we are at the midway point of the NHL season, NCAA hoops is beginning conference play, Lebron got booed when he returned to Cleveland wearing a Miami Heat jersey. A few quick takes.

-Oregon wins, 48-42
-I think the Patriots, Steelers, Bears and Packers winning this weekend.
-With a healthy Crosby, the Penguins are the best team in hockey.
-Who will stop Duke? As much as I want to think Pitt, but it won't happen.
-I will never be convinced that Lebron can carry MJ's jock strap.

Fantasy Baseball, I finished in 2nd place. Too many injuries down the stretch, and a bad trade on my part. Those things happen. Still, $200 is $200 and its all about the Benjamin Franklins.
I made the playoffs in three football leagues, winning won (on the strength of Michael Vick), finishing second in another (thanks to LeGarrette Blount, Vincent Jackson and Phil Rivers) and bowing out in the first round of the playoffs in a third. Overall, a good and profitable year.

Listening to: Black Keys, Old 97s, The Beatles, Train, Maroon 5, The Commodores
Watching: Breaking Bad (THE most underrated show on TV in my opinion), The Wonder Years, V, A Nightmare on Elm Street (new edition)
'Music I am ashamed I downloaded' of the Day: Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream'
Next on the Netflix queue: 'Inception', 'Family Guy: Its a Trap', 'Vampires Suck' (for Jen)
-Awesome non-sports related web site: http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/full_loop.php

Finally, if there is one thing you should do in 2011, you should hide your kids and hide your wife, like that home break in dude said a bit ago. Cheers.

Coming up: Dexter and the people I have spread it to.