Is It A Blog?: Quick Hits

When we first started this site, the whole idea was to post our AIM conversations online, because they were pretty entertaining and usually about sports.  Then we got adventurous and started writing posts that were pretty long and included pictures and lots of cool effects....and well, it got hard for me to keep up.  So now when we have a good conversation, I'll put them up here ASAP with no pictures just how we originally intended, but expect new posts with pictures and other fun stuff to keep coming - Steve

CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE: 2/6/2006  POSTED: 3/5/2006 9:48 PM EST (yeah I suck at updating this lately)

Ryan: you know who i think should have been MVP?

Steve: who?

Ryan: Randle El

Ryan: he was involved in the two plays that secured the win for the Steelers

Steve: yeah I could agree with that

Ryan: nobody else has even mentioned him

Steve: Thornton High School #11 3 sport star

Steve: Sports Guy Super Bowl diary is pretty damn funny

Ryan: I should read it...

Ryan: so did i tell you about my experience?

Steve: uh I don't think so

Steve: first, why are you going to be on that hometime show?

Ryan: well, they film in chaska and they are sponsored by the Depot, so they come in and film every once in a while

Ryan: they made me ad lib and stuff... it was awful

Steve: haha cool

Steve: I'll have to try to watch it

Steve: ...if its on here

Ryan: PBS

Steve: ahh I see

Steve: good to see you like turtles

Ryan: turtles are sweet

Steve: damn straight

Ryan: so, the game

Ryan: I was exceptionally pissed

Steve: wow

Ryan: not only that, I was the only one there who actually appreciated the game

Steve: I was interested in the game, but I think the actual game pretty much sucked

Ryan: like, nobody understood it... Dave was drunk and when he wasnt talking about stupid shit he was eating his Tostitos waaaaay to loud

Ryan: well, from now on, I'm watching the game alone, inless its with someone like you

Steve: ahh I see

Steve: yeah that's always annoying

Steve: I watched it by myself, but I had Elizabeth on my speaker phone during the entire game....she was actually interested

Ryan: ouch for the phone bill

Steve: ahh it was my cell phone

Steve: free nights and weekends

Ryan: i see

Steve: did you see the Hummer commercial with the 2 monsters?

Ryan: yeah

Steve: very effective

Steve: Elizabeth HATES the Hummer H3 and is horrified by the thought that I thought about getting one, but since it was like a pregnancy/baby type commercial that appeals to women, she thinks its ok now

Ryan: haha.... are you really thinking about getting one?

Steve: its on my list

Ryan: cars arent high on my list

Ryan: I would rather overpay for a house or apartment

Steve: I already do that

Steve: so overpaying for a car is next

Steve: well underpaying actually with the employee discount

Ryan: well, I don't really have any aspirations for a fancy car... I can't see myself spending over 10K for a car at any point in my life, really

MAILBAG - POSTED: 1/22/2006 10:47 PM EST

E-mail from Maria F, Cincinnati, OH:

This is my rant about the general category of interceptions. I think it is unfair to the quarterback for all interceptions to be so labeled as "their fault". For example, most of Drew Brees' interceptions were not direct "passes" to the defense. They were catchable balls that the receiver did not catch. Rather than the stats reflecting this on the receiver, it goes against the QB. Now I don't know anything about baseball, but Jesse says there is some way to differentiate errors. Likewise, I think that football (the NFL especially) should institute some sort of differentiation. There should be two categories of interceptions - QB error and non-QB error. I am all for Brandon Kirsch getting the tick marks when he passes right to Northwestern, but not when some butterfingered receiver lets the ball slip through his fingers into a defender's hands. What do you guys think?

Steve: I think Maria makes a pretty good point and I think it would definitely be an interesting stat to track
Steve: the one problem I have with it not counting against the QB is that he is still the one that throws the pass, and maybe if he had thrown it at a different speed or to a different location the reciever would have caught it
Ryan: The point about baseball, she means E-6 for an error for the shortstop, etc. makes me think that baseball isnt the only sport that assigns blame statistically, like soccer keeping track of own goals, or basketball keeping track of fouls
Ryan: The NFL does keep track of dropped passes though, so if a throw is counted as a drop, and it's intercepted, I guess that would be a convenient way to adjust interception statistics
Steve: yeah that's a good point
Steve: I think it definitely could be something that could be talked about on TV to defend a QB/bash a receiving crew
Steve: maybe they could even rate interceptions in some way based on the situation they happened in
Ryan: I think Matt Hasselbeck would have been helped a lot by that last year... I think on the same note, you could introduce an "accuracy" rating along with the completion percentage, combining drops and completions versus total passes
Steve: like a ball thrown right to a guy or one in the clutch could be more hurtful to the stats, but maybe a receiver tip or a hail mary at the end of a half wouldn't be too bad
Ryan: yeah
Ryan: statisticians would love that
Steve: yeah the one thing that really surprises me about football is there aren't more stats like that
Steve: baseball can have stats about the craziest stuff you'd ever imagine and they get talked about like they mean something, but in football you could have stats like this to better describe a team's situation but they aren't kept
Ryan: well, in baseball, there is a lot more cut and dry fact, where as, what is and is not a drop? what is and is not clutch? Football has a lot more gray area
Steve: yeah it does
Steve: and maybe the fact its much more of a team sport hurts the validity of any individual stat
Ryan: I think that's what it all comes down to
Steve: like in baseball home runs are the hitter's doing, but in football, rushing yards aren't a RB's doing completely because they need the line to accomplish anything
Ryan: exactly. I think, we can both agree that interceptions will probably remain categorized as they are because football, in general, is a very difficult sport to quantify with any validity
Steve: yeah
Steve: you can even factor in that teams pass more than others, so the offensive strategy can effect the totals too
Ryan: So, basically, we just pointed out that Dan Dierdorf may actually play an important role in today's game
Steve: how is that?
Ryan: as a color commentator... you cant just rely on stats, you have to UNDERSTAND the game, the flow, the way things go, etc.
Steve: definitely
Steve: its not a stat geek sport, and that's why football fans always win the bar fights over baseball fans

POSTED: 1/16/2006 10:03 PM EST

Ryan: stupid stars
Steve: but they provide light and heat
Ryan: Yeah... not the celestial bodies or hollywood big shots... th Dallas Stars
Ryan: particularly Johan Hedberg
Steve: I spent new years in the home city of their AHL affiliate
Ryan: how exciting
Steve: http://www.iowastarshockey.com/
Steve: their rival is the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights
Ryan: the... ak-sar-ben?
Steve: yeah
Steve: I went to their site just now to figure it out
Steve: they were founded by a community group in Omaha in in the 1930s called the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben
Steve: Ak-Sar-Ben is Nebraska backwards
Ryan: how did we NOT notice that
Steve: I don't know
Steve: I went to a sorta AHL game once when it was the IHL
Ryan: awesome
Steve: Chicago Wolves vs. Peoria Rivermen
Steve: looks like they're both in the AHL now
Ryan: Kid I went to HS with plays for the Rivermen
Ryan: Blues farm team
Steve: this was like in 1994 or something probably
Steve: I remember the Wolves won and it was their first ever shutout win
Steve: I think it was their first season
Steve: and I remember when the Manitoba Moose was the Minnesota Moose
Ryan: yep
Ryan: they also had the fightin' pike
Steve: yeah the AFL team
Steve: awesome name
Steve: still not as good as the Miami Hooters but close
Ryan: oh yeah.. afl
Steve: the Wolves don't have an affiliation listed on their site
Steve: I think its the Thrashers
Ryan: it is
Steve: makes perfect sense of course
Steve: so the Wild have the Houston Aeros
Steve: the Lowell Lock Monsters are the Avalanche and the Hurricanes
Ryan: hockey is just so fun

POSTED: 12/21/2005 8:45 PM EST

Ryan: I think the NFL should instate a lottery as well, so we don't have to worry about games like San Fran vs Houston, and having both teams trying to lose

Steve: yeah this year could be a good argument for it

Ryan: I could really see that game ending in a tie

Ryan: 0-0

Steve: and maybe just because they suck that bad

Ryan: Well, if you are a wide receiver, you catch the ball and you are running downfield seeing nothing but green, don't you just fall down?

Ryan: the only player I see trying hard is Domanick Davis or Kevan Barlow, or whoever they have as a running back

Steve: yeah

Ryan: Actually, if I'm Houston, I would only want that first pick to trade it for some semblance of an offensive line... Davis can be a serviceable back if you give him an offensive line... just trade down and pick Greg Eslinger from Minnesota as a center and be happy with that

Steve: that's what I've been saying too

Steve: no one agrees with me on that though

Ryan: Well, for the first time in perhaps 6 months, we have agreed on something sports related

Ryan: of course, if they trade out of that spot and Bush becomes a legend, they will be ridiculed until the end of time

Steve: yeah but they're the Texans

Steve: not like they won't be anyways

POSTED: 11/30/2005 4:26 PM EST

Steve: booya keeping Konerko
Ryan: meanwhile, it appears the Twins may lose their biggest free agent to the Royals
Ryan: so, our teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum, really
Steve: that's pretty sad
Steve: I like how the White Sox could have lost him if they didn't offer him a 5th year
Steve: so they had to decide if they wanted to keep him until he is 33 or 34 basically, like it would matter
Ryan: hold on... phone
Ryan: Ok I'm back... the Twins want me to play second base
Steve: ok I'll type this when you're gone...if they wind up getting Juan Pierre their lineup will be
Steve: 1 Podsednik LF
Steve: 2 Pierre CF
Steve: 3 Dye RF
Ryan: I asked for 45 dollars a game, but that was too much for them
Steve: 4 Konerko 1B
Steve: 5 Thome DH
Steve: 6 Iguchi 2B
Steve: 7 Pierzynski C
Steve: 8 Crede 3B
Steve: 9 Uribe SS
Steve: I would have said, ok 42
Ryan: the Twins organization is terrible
Ryan: here is what I think the Twins lineup will be
Ryan: LF Stewart
Ryan: SS Bartlett
Ryan: C Mauer
Ryan: 1b Morneau
Ryan: CF Hunter
Ryan: 3b Tiffee
Ryan: RF Cuddyer
Steve: Iguchi said he'd rather hit for power and rbi's like he's used to in Japan, so they'll probably move him to 6th or 7th
Ryan: DH Ford
Ryan: 2b Henning
Steve: what about Punto?
Ryan: Punto can kiss my ass
Ryan: I'm playing second
Ryan: I'm actually convinced that the Twins arent going to sign anyone this offseason
Steve: but will he do it for less than $40
Ryan: and inexplicably, they turned down a trade to deal J.F.C. Romero to Colorado
Ryan: I would have taken a weekend in Vail in exchange for romero
Steve: lol
Ryan: teach Rincon to pitch lefthanded if we wanted a lefty that bad

POSTED: 11/27/2005 1:06 AM EST

Ryan: I love my NBA live... its 2004

Steve: ok?

Ryan: The Suns traded DerMarr Johnson to the Hornets for Jamaal Magloire

Steve: DerMarr?

Ryan: oh yeah

Steve: don't know him

Steve: best name in the NBA: Zarko Cabarkapa

Ryan: yep

Ryan: suns, right?

Steve: Warriors

Ryan: used to be the suns

Steve: yeah

Steve: I kind of want D-Miles

Steve: since he's ghetto as hell

Ryan: oh man! I was watching some of the POR-MIN game

Ryan: Darius Miles and Richie Frahm should not be in the same profession

Steve: Richie Frahm?

Ryan: Richie Frahm

Steve: there's a white guy on the Blazers?

Ryan: Well, he plays for the wolves now

Steve: this needs to be my wallpaper

Steve: http://www.nba.com/media/blazers/richifrahm800.jpg

Ryan: lol

Ryan: But yes, there is a white player on the blazers

Steve: he's got tatts though

Steve: so he's ok

Ryan: So, Stephen A. will definitely hate the Timberwolves this year

Ryan: Way too many white guys

Steve: http://www.nba.com/media/bulls/piatkowski0506_large.jpg

Steve: that would be good too

Steve: Marko Jaric is on my fantasy team

Ryan: http://espn.go.com/media/ncb/2002/0207/photo/a_ridnour_vt.jpg

Ryan: http://www.hornetsreport.com/images/hoopics/3-2-2005-Bobcats/02defuzDan.jpg

Steve: http://www.nba.com/media/bulls/40th_large.jpg

Steve: that one is actually pretty cool

Steve: why the white guys?

Ryan: I think Luke Ridnour and Dan Dickau are the two most out of place players in any league, and this includes kickers in football