Category: Sports

Coffee Talk #562: Your Favorite Super Bowl 2013 Commercials

It began as a blowout, but Super Bowl XLVII ended up being a pretty exciting game. Sports and sports-related matters aside, I want to hear about the Super Bowl 2013 commercials that impressed you. To be completely honest, I was trying to edit video and watch the game at the same time. I’m positive that I missed a bunch of cool spots. If something nerdy came up, I paid attention. If a sexy woman was in a commercial, I paid extra attention. Here are the fun spots that I remember seeing, but…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, wrapping your head around Redfoo and Vika’s relationship, Metta World Peace throwing left hooks at The Palace, or noticing David Otunga at the Super Bowl, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It began as a blowout, but Super Bowl XLVII ended up being a pretty exciting game. Sports and sports-related matters aside, I want to hear about the Super Bowl 2013 commercials that impressed you. To be completely honest, I was trying to edit video and watch the game at the same time. I’m positive that I missed a bunch of cool spots. If something nerdy came up, I paid attention. If a sexy woman was in a commercial, I paid extra attention. Here are the fun spots that I remember seeing, but I’m counting on you to fill me in on what I missed or don’t remember.

Soda Stream: This spot was initially rejected by CBS. The network didn’t want to piss off Coke and Pepsi. Soda Stream aired a softer ad, but I wanted to make sure you saw the original. The ad itself is okay, but Soda Stream’s problems with “The Man” makes me want to buy one…and I don’t really drink soda at home.

Iron Man 3: The first two-thirds of the ad were underwhelming and I still have doubts about Ben Kingsley’s Mandarin, but the commercial ends with a thrilling flight sequence.

Star Trek: Into the Darkness: I’m so, so amped for this movie, but I was slightly disappointed in the commercial. I want more Alice Eve! She’s totally dreamy.

Best Buy/Amy Poehler: This is a cute spot featuring a wonderful comedian. Part of the reason it’s funny is because she asks silly questions that some people actually ask at Best Buy.

Motorola/Megan Fox: Remember that 2010 Motorola spot that had Megan Fox in a bathtub? The company went back to the well…and I’m totally cool with that. I could spend hours (possibly days) watching Megan Fox taking a bath.

Samsung/Seth Rogen/Paul Rudd: If watching Megan Fox taking a bath isn’t a possibility, I’d love to hang out and chat with these masters of bromantic comedy. Of course they’re a distant second (like another galaxy distant) to Ms. Fox.

Oreo Whisper Fight: I love how this silly argument starts with a whisper and ends in utter chaos. For various reasons, it reminded me of ECW shows that I attended in Queens. Good times.

Now it’s your turn! Please share your favorite Super Bowl 2013 commercials in the comments section.

Your Super Bowl XLVII Predictions

Super Bowl XLVII is nearly here! From the birthplace of jazz, Gambit’s old stomping grounds, and the place where RPadholic smartguy terrorizes his fellow accountants, millions of people are expecting a great game. How do you think it’ll go down? Kindly share your predictions, spreads, and all that good stuff in the comments section. Also, please let me know what commercials you’re looking forward to. Anyone else find it strange that several companies have released teaser trailers for their Super Bowl commercials? Have these things become so big that they need to be teased? Jeez.

Coffee Talk #561: Hating A-Roid

I’ve never liked Alex Rodriguez. Originally it was because of my duty as a Yankee homer; as a Derek Jeter fan, I had to hate rival shortstops like Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra. When A-Rod signed that ridiculous contract with the Texas Rangers, I still hated him. When he came to the Yankees…oy. Yankee fans are usually good about welcoming formerly-hated rivals. Look at Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, and Johnny Damon, for example. Fans never really warmed up to Rodriguez. With A-Rod, many fans felt that…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, whether BlackBerry 10 will change RIM’s fortunes, David Beckham playing football in Paris, or Lindsay Lohan’s mysterious triangle tattoo, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve never liked Alex Rodriguez. Originally it was because of my duty as a Yankee homer; as a Derek Jeter fan, I had to hate rival shortstops like Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra. When A-Rod signed that ridiculous contract with the Texas Rangers, I still hated him. When he came to the Yankees…oy. Yankee fans are usually good about welcoming formerly-hated rivals. Look at Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, and Johnny Damon, for example. Fans never really warmed up to Rodriguez. With A-Rod, many fans felt that he wasn’t a “true Yankee.”

Rodriguez has had numerous incidents that prevented fans from accepting him. His bat has gone impotent during many playoff series. There was that time he cheaply tried to swat a caught ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove. Last year, he allegedly tried to score a woman’s phone number during a crucial playoff game. The Miami New Times’ report of A-Rod being tied to a performance-enhancing drug dealer has raised the bar. Rodriguez admitted to using PEDs during his Rangers days, but has repeatedly said that he has been clean ever since. If the recent news is true then he’s a liar, a cheat, and a fraud.

Things have gotten so bad that the Yankees are allegedly trying to void Rodriguez’s contract. The crazy thing is, most Yankee fans would love that. (I’d be one of them.) Yankee fans are usually great homers that make good excuses for players’ character flaws. We lauded Mike Mussina’s Stanford education and didn’t mind that he clearly thought he was the smartest man in the league. We described Paul O’Neill’s childish dugout tantrums as “fiery competitiveness.” We dismissed Bernie Williams’ idiotic base running by saying that he was a great clubhouse guy that played a mean guitar. Excuses were never made for A-Rod. He was always an overpaid embarrassment.

A-Roid. A-Fraud.

I’ve never seen anything like him. In my lifetime, I don’t recall a Yankee that was so reviled by Yankee fans. Well done, Alex.

AFC/NFC Championships: What You Learned

Super Bowl XLVII is set with an all-Harbaugh extravaganza between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Before I ask for your Super Bowl picks and predictions, let’s talk about the  AFC/NFC Championship Games. Were you surprised by how thoroughly the New England Patriots were shut down? Remember when 49ers fans weren’t sure that Colin Kaepernick should be starting? Does anyone else scream, “Gore! Gore! Gore!” (think JR calling a WWE Rhyno match) whenever Frank Gore scores a touchdown? Kindly discuss and dissect the Championship Games in the comments section.

MLB Interview Caps: Why?!?

In the quest to increase revenue, sports uniforms have gotten stupid. There are alternate uniforms, alternate road uniforms, practice jerseys, batting practice jerseys, warmup uniforms, throwback caps, commemorative caps, World Series caps, and more. Hell, the NBA recently had special edition Christmas uniforms for the teams that played on Christmas 2012. The latest batch of tasteless greed comes from Major League Baseball in the form of “interview caps.” According to Uni Watch, MLB will have interview caps for all of its teams. While not mandatory, players will be “encouraged” to wear them during interviews and off-the-field functions like charity events.

Clearly, tradition isn’t sacred to sports commissions.

A lot of people hate on the New York Yankees (somewhat understandably), but one of the reasons I love the team is that is has maintained the traditional variety of uniforms: home and away. It makes the organization seem classier and less desperate than other ball clubs. (To my good friend Justin Killian: your Mets sold out bro!)

I hate the look of most alternate uniforms (thought admit the NBA variants are better than most MLB alternates). I hate that they’re pure money-grabs. The MLB interview cap is just more of the same. I wish commissioner Bud Selig would settle down with the greed and add things like, oh I don’t know, effective instant replay.

Ugh. I hate these things.

Source

Los Angeles Clippers: 30 Minutes or Less

There’s something strange and fascinating going on in Los Angeles Clippers Land. If you’ve looked at the box scores of the team’s games over the last couple of weeks then you’ve seen that several of the team’s best players have been playing less than 30 minutes per game. If you’ve actually watched the games then you know it has been common for several of the starters to sit for all of the fourth quarter or the majority of it. Taking a quick glance at the Clippers’ stats shows that Chris Paul is averaging 32.8 minutes per game, Blake Griffin is averaging 32.4, and DeAndre Jordan is averaging 25.7. According to Basketball Reference, their respective averages were 36.4, 36.2, and 27.2 minutes per game for the 2011-2012 season. If the Clippers continue to win and coach Vinny Del Negro continues to sit his starters during the fourth quarter, the gap between last year’s numbers and this year’s will get even bigger.

For teams with older superstars (hello San Antonio Spurs), this practice is common. Older legs need more rest. While Paul’s surgically reconstructed knees need to be managed carefully, it’s highly unusual for two young, blossoming stars like Griffin and Jordan to be restricted. This is a testament to how well the Clippers have been playing and the uncommon roster depth the team enjoys. Limiting the starters’ minutes could help avoid injuries and limit the usual wear-and-tear of the NBA season. Come playoff time, the Clippers could very well be the freshest team in the playoffs.

In the decades that I’ve watched NBA basketball, I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve never seen a team give so much rest to three young — two very young — starters this often and this early in the season. It’s a fascinating tactic and I’m looking forward to seeing if it pays dividends in the playoffs.

Do any of you recall any teams that were so liberal about resting young players this early? Do you recall a team resting its starters for most of the fourth quarter for long stretches of games?

My Favorite Manny Pacquiao KTFO Pics

Over the weekend, Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Manny Pacquiao. It was a spectacular counter right from Marquez that caused Pacquiao to get KTFO. Naturally, boxing fans with a modicum of Photoshop skills have pasted Manny’s prone body on all sorts of scenes. Here are three of my favorite Manny Pacquiao KTFO pictures. Enjoy! Continue reading “My Favorite Manny Pacquiao KTFO Pics”