Friday, September 18, 2009

Armchair Superstars Watch Sox Get Smoked


Tonight was our great friend Steve Noffke's 'bachelor party,' part one. This would be the co-ed part, where we all went to the Sox game, without any strippers, and plus the wife to be and other ladies.

It was a good time, overall. At least as good a time as you can have while semi-watching our South Siders get hosed by a bunch of guys that live in the middle of nowhere, Missouri. This while battling Our Hero, Mark Buehrle, who also lives in Middle of Nowhere, Missouri.

Damn.

Hopefully we'll have some pictures up soon. I'm hoping they don't shut down Buehrles and Floyd, since Mark is on my fantasy roster and I still have a good chance of winning in the semifinals and going for the CHAMPIONSHIP in Yahoo!Public345602.

Among the top prop bets for the night;

Over/under 4 pitches on any given at bat
Over/under 15 pitches per inning

Despite Ozzie's comments last night and earlier today, the Sox continued to not hit worth a damn. The playoffs are looking further and further away.

At least we got a great tailgate in. Update coming tomorrow on what will hopefully be a great Saturday watching college football.

Can Northwestern hold off Syracuse? Can Indiana ( the underdogs ) take out Akron at home? And so on, and so forth. College Football is great.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Top Chef Power Rankings (09/17/09)

So Top Chef was a struggle for most of the chefs last night as the had to work outside their comfort zone, but some dishes really shined. Top 3 remain the same but in a different order, the rest of the list remains almost unchanged and Armchairsuperstar’s lowest ranked contestant from last week was sent pack this week. One item before the rankings, is anyone else getting annoyed with the obligatory zoom in on the sprint phone while the contestants are making phone calls. I know DVR saves us from commercials, but these in show ads are getting really annoying.

Here how it rolls out.

Top Shelf

1. Bryan Voltaggio



Bryan claims the overall number 1 spot on the heels of a victory from last night’s elimination challenge and his second straight. This is his 3rd elimination challenge victory which now puts him 1 ahead of “Red Beard”. He is almost always in the finals for the elimination challenge even when he doesn’t win.


2. Michael Voltaggio



With a top 3 this close it’s all about what have you done for me lately. He was a top finisher last night and “Red Beard” was not, so he gets the nod.


3. Kevin “Red Beard” Gillespie



I was surprised that he didn’t finish as a top finisher last night the way the judges were raving about his dish. He didn’t make it however, and because of that he falls two spots and ends up here. I liked his little clip about playing Horseshoes, I mean really, who has a regulation size horseshoe pit in their back yard?


4. Jennifer Carroll



A pretty quiet episode for her last night. She is still a top competitor and stays in the elite class.


Best of the Rest


5. Eli Krishtein



Nothing he did last night warrants him to stay at this spot, but nobody impressed me enough to jump past him.


6. Ash Fulk



Same as Eli, didn’t have a spectacular show, but didn’t do anything bad enough to warrant a fall from grace.


Could go Either way


7. Michael Isabella



So I continue to think he’s not that good of a chef but apparently other’s disagree. In the opening of the episode, one of the brothers said they thought the top 3 Chefs were, himself, his brother and Mike. I fail to see how “Red Beard” could not be mentioned with 2 elimination wins and Mike’s 0. He talks a big game and seems to know food, but doesn’t always translate to making good dishes. He excelled in the quickfire, but I think that was because he was the only chef to have worked with cactus before. Does working with cactus make him a good chef for having that experience, or lucky that he had? I couldn’t tell you, and I still can’t decide where he will end up.



Middle of the Pack


8. Ashley Merriman



She moves off the chopping block and back into the middle of the pack. She was a finalist last night for what Tom called “Her best dish to date.” This however doesn’t erase all the problems she has had before. I still she is a better chef then she has been performing, but she’ll need more dishes like last night to move her up.


9. Ron Duprat



Ron only drops 1 spot for his bottom finish. For as much as the chef’s complained about dishes last night I was surprised to see him on the chopping block. It seemed like his dish was solid except for the drink, but I guess the drink put him over the top. He said he doesn’t drink, so I think he should avoid drinks while making dishes and he will be fine.


10. Laurine Wicket



I debated about leaving Laurine on the chopping block, but she did have a top finish last night. I feel this challenge was right in her wheel house and she took advantage of that, she has had a lot of poor performances, but if she decides to stay true to herself, she might be able to stick around

Chopping Block

Robin Leventhal



Robin barely staved off elimination last night out lasting Mattin for 2 reasons I believe; 1. Mattin was on the bottom the previous week, and 2. She knew her dish sucked, compared to Mattin who enjoyed his. If she produces another subpar dish, she will be gone next week.

Myles Brand, Former IU President, Dies at 67


One day after pancreatic cancer claimed the life of Patrick Swayze, NCAA President Myles Brand has passed away from the same disease.

Here at Indiana, Brand is best known as the man responsible for firing the legendary Bobby Knight back in 2000. I guess he's best known for that overall, since ESPN mentions it in their lead.

You can read the ESPN obit here.

As NCAA prez, Brand pushed for a higher academic standard in athletic programs around the country. He took over the job in 2001 after leaving Indiana following the uproar that accompanied the Knight termination. Whether he was right or wrong in firing The General (and, in my book, he was wrong), Brand was a hard worker and a man of high moral standards.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Urlacher Out For Season: Paging Derrick Brooks?

As if last night wasn't bad enough (and let's not overstate this. It really wasn't that bad, despite Cutler's four picks and the injuries. That's par for the course when you run a country club-style training camp like the Lovie Smith Editions. The Packers are a good team, our defense played well, and it was a close game the whole way through.), the news today is that six-time Pro Bowler and Heart of the Defense Brian Urlacher is out for the season with a dislocated wrist.

I think free agent MLB Derrick Brooks is a must-add. He can still play, he worked with Lovie in Tampa Bay, and he is available. Various sources are reporting that the Bears have already been in contact with his agent, so let's get Derrick up to Halas Hall ASAP.

Hunter Hillenmeyer is smart, but he can't keep up with NFL receivers up the middle like Urlacher. He just doesn't have the speed for a Cover Two. Brooks does. Let's get it done.

Here is a diagram from the Tribune explaining what went wrong: