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National Pastime

broderic on January 25, 2008

You know, baseball is much better watched in the middle of the day.
Especially if that day is in the middle of the work week.The Baltimore Orioles always have a day game on Sunday, yet very few on
a weekday. They have the home opener March 31 at 3:00, then a few more
day games in May: Tampa Bay on the 1st, Boston on the 14th, and the
hated Yankees on the 26th. For the rest of the season, nada.It would seem to me to be better to have these day games in the summer
rather than the spring. You can sit in the hot sun hot dog in hand and
a cold, cold beer better in the summer than the spring. You never know
what the weather's going to be in May. In July, it's going to be sunny
and hot with scattered thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Perfect
weather, if the game starts at 1:05.That's what's wrong with baseball. No day games to escape from work
when needed.

Team Slipstream

broderic on January 18, 2008

Here’s a nice little segment from ESPN about the Slipstream Cycling Team. Looks as though ESPN is doing a reality series about them. They’re trying to compete as a clean team. No performance enhancing drugs ever.

That’s pretty noble of them. I think they’ll have it easier this year because of the crack down on banned substances in the sport. So many people are going to be testing, poking, picking and prodding the professional cyclists that it would be ridiculous to be caught using. Or hopefully that would be the case. Seeing the turbulence in the sport these last few years has made me cynical. Was Armstrong tainted? It feels weird and the uncertainty of it all is the worst.

Team Slipstream has a reformed cheater in David Millar. He’s now trying to lead the way for clean riding. He’s a vocal advocate for anything that would make cycling more clean. He freely admits his mistakes and he tries to be a good example of a reformed user. He rides clean and is competitive.

They also have a wonderful kit. I have the first year version of the jersey. They had a contest for this year’s model. It’s argyle as well. I wish they would also sell that. This time I am getting a size bigger. Mine is a tad bit too snug, but this past winter I packed on some pounds. I expect to be blowing apart the seams of that jersey unless I lose some weight.

He could go all the way

broderic on January 4, 2008

For over 20 years, the Bucs couldn’t return a kickoff for a touchdown. Hell, that dude from Chicago has done it more than the Bucs. They finally got off the shnide this year! Hilarious. Although it looks like they get away with a hold, but no harm no foul. Touchdown!

They’re playing the NY Giants this weekend in the first round of the playoffs. Most likely a loss considering the Giants have played like monster killers when they lost to the Patriots and the Bucs played like wimps losing their last two games. If they make it out of this round. They’ll get beaten up by whomever they play next. Yet, with this historic touchdown return who cares.

España 2007: Ice cream on the beach

broderic on October 24, 2007

Aug 14, 2007

1:20
Done playing Texas Hold’em. Busted out on nothing. Zack takes it all w/a full house A’s and 10’s. Went to Denia early in the evening w/mom and got some ice cream. It was a nice walk on the promenade. Saw a Spanish episode of The Simpsons. Krusty the Klown’s theme park.

7:53 Villa Ellicott
Went finally to Calpe. Swam on the beach for an hour. Then got up and had helado. Ate lunch before swimming w/hamburgeusa con patatas.

Been to Mas y Mas again. Spent more time there than anywhere. Bought ceramic plate and an ashtray.

Le Tour 2007: Vino!?

broderic on July 13, 2007

Alexandre Vinokourov of Team Astana was a pre-race favorite. He’d finished 3rd in the 2003 Tour and is always fun to watch race because of his attacking style. I am in his camp and always cheer him on because he seems so wreckless.

Today he wrecked.

A nasty one. If you see the pictures, he’s pedaling with his ass hanging out of his torn shorts. Yet, to salvage his tour he kept on going minimizing the damage done. He finished 1 minute 20 from the winners. Overall he sits closer to the bottom at 2 minutes 10 to the leaders. Not far off since the race is still in the flats, but the Alps are coming this weekend. Can he do it? Can he rip off a crazy move? I am rooting for him. Allez vino.

This fifth stage was an awkward one with plenty of up and down hills, a very difficult stage. Not the mountains, but it played out like one. Le tour is cruel.

Capitol Swell asked where the podium girls are. He should check out the pictures posted at the end of the stages on the official site. They’ve changed their style and the podium shots are starting to include the girls. Or he can check out a flickr photo pool.

Le Tour 2007: Yellow Jersey Wins a Stage

broderic on July 11, 2007

Ever since Miguel Indurain won his 5 tours in the early 90s, the way to win was a big show at the time trials but keep contact in the mountains. This continued with Lance Armstrong with his seven wins, but adding kicking ass in the mountains instead of staying with the pack. It’s been a while for the yellow jersey to go out and win a stage that should’ve been for the sprinters.

Fabian Cancellara goes into time trial mode in the final kilometer to take out the breakaway and beat the sprinters to the line to take the stage for the yellow jersey. It was awesome.

Except for the breakaway. Two of the riders were away since the 6km mark. The stage was the longest in the Tour 236kms. That a long way to lose it in the final kilometer. They spent that final kilometer jockeying for position. Did they not care about the peleton closing on them? Perhaps. Too much playing not enough doing. That’s unfortunate.

What a strange stage this one was. The cyclists took six hours to finish the stage. My Tivo didn’t even record it, because the finish occurred past the designated time. They lollygagged for quite sometime letting the breakaway go. Yet, they kicked it into to gear to make the stage exciting in the end. Except for the breakaway.

Le Tour 2007: Day one

broderic on July 8, 2007

I’m blogging while watching the first stage of Le Tour de France. My legs are somewhat stiff from riding 30 miles yesterday. It was an adventure!

Anyway, vive Le Tour!

UPDATE: Robbie McEwan the ozzie rocket comes from back of the pack to take the sprint. Can anyone stop this guy? Watching the replay and he comes flying through leaving Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd bobbing in his wake. Damn! That guys a fast finisher!

UPDATE 2: Even better than the sport are the podium girls. I love ’em. Girls in white and navy for the winner of the stage. Girls in yellow for the tour leader. Girls in green for the points leader. Girls in polkadot dresses for the King of the Mountain. Girls rock!

March Madness

broderic on March 14, 2007

Filled out my tournament bracket. I have Louisville losing to Kansas in the finals with a score of 86 to 79. Why did I pick Kansas who are known to lose big time? Perhaps because that coach is now at UNC?

Oregon and Texas round out my final four.

I don’t think I’ll be getting far this year.

Super Bowl Post

broderic on February 4, 2007

Super Bowl Sunday! A non-sanctioned American holiday. It’s probably the only collective event that almost everyone in America watches.

I am rooting for the Colts. Blasphemy from one Baltirmorean whose father had some season tickets before they slunk out of town twenty some years ago.

I am rooting for them, because they have the least wankery fans. Chicago is the third wanker fan town. Boston first. New York second. Chicago third. It’s like they lord over the other cities who don’t know what it’s like.

So go Colts. Beat those wanker Bears.

Adventures From My Netflix Queue: Hell on Wheels

broderic on December 5, 2006

Hell On Wheels documents the 100th vesion of le Tour de France by following Team Telekom as they compete in that edition. It was funny to watch a tour from another countries side. If this was an American film it would’ve been about Lance Armstrong notching his fifth straight tour victory. Or even about the herculean effor put in by Tyler Hamilton to go the distance and finish fourth with a broken collarbone. Yet, this was a German film and being such, it focused on Team Telekom, a German team.

Funny that. This was the most exciting race of the seven that Lance Armstrong won, and this film barely mentions him. Hamilton got more coverage and even then it was bare.

The film follows several team members on this tour: Rolf Aldag, the consummate gunny-sargent, Erik Zarbel, the sprinter on his last legs, Andreas Kloden, wiped out and abandoned with a broken cocyx. It also shows some behind the scenes of Aldag and Zarbel with their massuese. These scenes were very reminiscent of the end of an era. Showing the humanity in the racers and their desire to finish. Zarbel especially comes off as being on the verge of losing his legs with his buddy, Aldag and his massuese by his side as his chances of being a force in the cycling world dim.

Anywhoo, I want to go out and ride right now, but it’s late. When’s summer coming?

4 of 5 stars.