Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Harry Kalas calls the final Phillies out
What's amazing about this video (thanks Pollack) is that it appears as if Chris Wheeler develops a soul in the background.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Submit your picks for the Election Edition of the Weekly Mix
Submit your picks by Friday for the News Cycle Soundtrack (Election Edition). I'll post the mix on Friday in time for GOTV weekend.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Change Ups We Can Believe In
Tonight, the Phillies will attempt to do what no other major Philadelphia sports team has done since 1983...win a championship! 25 years....a quarter century...more than 90% of my lifetime. Tonight, if Cole Hamels and the Fightins do their job, the city will be absolute bedlam.
My core group of friends and I have been diehard Phillies fans for years. From the powder blue of the Von Hayes-era, to the 1993 National League Champion/Professional Softball Team years. From the Curt Schilling years to the Tyler Green year. From the Scott Rolen highlights to the Mark Leiter as our closer.
We've watched year after year as other teams had their moments (and for the Yankees and Redsox, one could argue too many moments) while the Phillies planned hotels early for the Winter Meetings. We watched players come and go, play well then mediocre, love the city then fight with management, sign long term deals and land on the DL. We watched and waited when year after year free agency would create a shopping spree for teams like the Indians, the Mets and the Marlins (the f'n MARLINS!!!) while our team ownership tried to convince us that Danny Tartabull and Gregg Jefferies were the missing pieces to this "middle market" ballclub.
Tonight, that will hopefully end. You couldn't ask for a better situation in an elimination game for the Phillies: Your ace is pitching, you're at home, and you just came off a game where your power hit decided enough was enough and clubbed two homeruns in a rout of the AL champions. This could be it. The stars are finally seeming to align. We've played an entire 3 week period of playoff baseball without bringing our "A" game (as so aptly put by Alan Pollack on the car ride back from the 2 AM craziness that was Game 3). We've been winning games not by playing our best, but by not playing as badly as our opponents. Game 4's rout was the first time we've seen the real Phillies since September. You can't help but think the Rays are in trouble now. Their middle of the order hitters aren't hitting (and in Longoria's case, aren't fielding either) and now the team is poised to play the same type of baseball that put them in first place for most of the season. The same type of baseball that allowed them to catch the Mets in the last two weeks of the season and win a division title. The same baseball that has given Philadelphia something to distract them from the mediocrity of the Eagles and the struggles of the Flyers.
We've watched as ESPN and every other publication threw out the "Rays in 6" garbage, and dealt with it. Tonight is our night. The team that had been counted out more times than any other team in baseball and found a way in its 126-year history to lose over 10,000 times is on the brink of a world championship. Led by a new hero every night, this team is knocking on history's door and giving us something to believe in. You can best believe that if and when it happens, you'll never hear the end of it. And no one should hear the end of it. Because for the first time in long time, we deserve it. We've paid our dues. We've cheered for our teams. We've booed our star players in the hard times and cheered them in the good times. We've had the 45-year old lead our team in wins. We've dealt with the obnoxious shadow of NY and Boston sports for long enough. In years past, Philadelphia teams would fold under this type of pressure (2000 Flyers anyone?). But not this team. This is our time to believe and when all is said and done, the world will add "Phillies Fans" to the list of people who won't shut up about our sports championship...and you know what? They can bite me.
Go Phillies and Cole Hamels. Change Ups We Can Believe In!
PS - Dear Fox: Stop allowing Apple to push the Ipod Nano ad buy during the playoffs. It's getting to be a little much.
My core group of friends and I have been diehard Phillies fans for years. From the powder blue of the Von Hayes-era, to the 1993 National League Champion/Professional Softball Team years. From the Curt Schilling years to the Tyler Green year. From the Scott Rolen highlights to the Mark Leiter as our closer.
We've watched year after year as other teams had their moments (and for the Yankees and Redsox, one could argue too many moments) while the Phillies planned hotels early for the Winter Meetings. We watched players come and go, play well then mediocre, love the city then fight with management, sign long term deals and land on the DL. We watched and waited when year after year free agency would create a shopping spree for teams like the Indians, the Mets and the Marlins (the f'n MARLINS!!!) while our team ownership tried to convince us that Danny Tartabull and Gregg Jefferies were the missing pieces to this "middle market" ballclub.
Tonight, that will hopefully end. You couldn't ask for a better situation in an elimination game for the Phillies: Your ace is pitching, you're at home, and you just came off a game where your power hit decided enough was enough and clubbed two homeruns in a rout of the AL champions. This could be it. The stars are finally seeming to align. We've played an entire 3 week period of playoff baseball without bringing our "A" game (as so aptly put by Alan Pollack on the car ride back from the 2 AM craziness that was Game 3). We've been winning games not by playing our best, but by not playing as badly as our opponents. Game 4's rout was the first time we've seen the real Phillies since September. You can't help but think the Rays are in trouble now. Their middle of the order hitters aren't hitting (and in Longoria's case, aren't fielding either) and now the team is poised to play the same type of baseball that put them in first place for most of the season. The same type of baseball that allowed them to catch the Mets in the last two weeks of the season and win a division title. The same baseball that has given Philadelphia something to distract them from the mediocrity of the Eagles and the struggles of the Flyers.
We've watched as ESPN and every other publication threw out the "Rays in 6" garbage, and dealt with it. Tonight is our night. The team that had been counted out more times than any other team in baseball and found a way in its 126-year history to lose over 10,000 times is on the brink of a world championship. Led by a new hero every night, this team is knocking on history's door and giving us something to believe in. You can best believe that if and when it happens, you'll never hear the end of it. And no one should hear the end of it. Because for the first time in long time, we deserve it. We've paid our dues. We've cheered for our teams. We've booed our star players in the hard times and cheered them in the good times. We've had the 45-year old lead our team in wins. We've dealt with the obnoxious shadow of NY and Boston sports for long enough. In years past, Philadelphia teams would fold under this type of pressure (2000 Flyers anyone?). But not this team. This is our time to believe and when all is said and done, the world will add "Phillies Fans" to the list of people who won't shut up about our sports championship...and you know what? They can bite me.
Go Phillies and Cole Hamels. Change Ups We Can Believe In!
PS - Dear Fox: Stop allowing Apple to push the Ipod Nano ad buy during the playoffs. It's getting to be a little much.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Terry Tate Returns To Fight Sarah Palin
Thank you to Robinson for this hilarious video of Terry Tate (Office Linebacker) pummeling Sarah Palin during her recent CBS Interview. Enjoy!
http://withleather.uproxx.com/?p=11016
http://withleather.uproxx.com/?p=11016
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Vote for my friend Brian Smith's photo in Washingtonian Magazine
Check out Washingtonian Magazine's Monthly Photo Contest and vote (hopefully) for my friend Brian Smith's excellent photo of the Flaming Lips concert. Thanks!
http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/9767.html
http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/9767.html
Rays Fans Don't Know Suffering
From Todd Zolecki's blog on Philly.com:
"Rays fans don't deserve this. They don't. The Rays were 645-972 (.399) from 1998 to 2007, so I've been hearing a lot about the "long suffering" Rays fans. That's not suffering. The Phillies were 1,752-2,941 (.373) from 1918 to 1948. They've won one World Series in 125 years. Now that's suffering. If the Rays lose, Rays fans will shrug their shoulders and continue their lives. Phillies fans will be crushed. If the Rays win, Rays fans will shrug their shoulders and continue their lives. Phillies fans will party like it's 1983."
Why Can't Us
Tonight is Game 1 of the World Series featuring my Philadelphia Phillies battling against the Tampa Bay Rays. The entire city is pumped for this. We've been waiting for this moment since Mitch Williams hung that slider on Joe Carter in '93. I'll be watching the game at my good friend Matt Pollack's house with a spread provided by Kenny's North Carolina style BBQ.
"Why Can't Us?" is our mantra right now....let's do this!
If you need any more reason to get excited about the Phillies in the World Series, just check out this Fox Promo Video of Lenny Dykstra singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" from 1996:
"Why Can't Us?" is our mantra right now....let's do this!
If you need any more reason to get excited about the Phillies in the World Series, just check out this Fox Promo Video of Lenny Dykstra singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" from 1996:
Monday, October 20, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
The Berg Standard News Cycle Mix #2 (Week of 9/29) is now available!
This week's Berg Standard News Cycle Mix is even better than last weeks. Love the suggestion of "Comfort Eagle" by Cake and Sallie's pick of "Ring of Fire" (though I think the Social Distortion version works well for this past week versus Cash's version) takes the top prize. The mix in total is posted below and we'll do it again next week and post on Friday. Tomorrow is Jeans Day...yes! Go Phillies
The Berg Standard News Cycle Mix #2 (Week of 9/29)
1. "The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning" - Smashing Pumpkins
2. "Mercy" - Duffy
3. "Ring of Fire" - Social Distortion
4. "Shankill Butchers" - The Decemberists
5. "Where is my mind?" - The Pixies
6. "The Great Depression" - The Jam
7. "Po' Folks" - Nappy Roots
8. "Comfort Eagle" - Cake
9. "It's the end of the world as we know it" - REM
10. "Fix You" - Coldplay
11. "Down in a Hole" - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Check out the mix at 8tracks.com here
The Berg Standard News Cycle Mix #2 (Week of 9/29)
1. "The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning" - Smashing Pumpkins
2. "Mercy" - Duffy
3. "Ring of Fire" - Social Distortion
4. "Shankill Butchers" - The Decemberists
5. "Where is my mind?" - The Pixies
6. "The Great Depression" - The Jam
7. "Po' Folks" - Nappy Roots
8. "Comfort Eagle" - Cake
9. "It's the end of the world as we know it" - REM
10. "Fix You" - Coldplay
11. "Down in a Hole" - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Check out the mix at 8tracks.com here
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Hilarious Fox News Video/Weekly Soundtrack Submissions
Check out this Fox News video on PA being a swing state. Watch the old lady in the background when he does a show of hands for Obama. Hilarious!
Make sure you submit your weekly soundtrack submissions and I'll post the mix tomorrow in time for the weekend. Once again, we're looking for songs that best exemplify the past news week. You can check out last week's mix here.
Make sure you submit your weekly soundtrack submissions and I'll post the mix tomorrow in time for the weekend. Once again, we're looking for songs that best exemplify the past news week. You can check out last week's mix here.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Those gosh darn media elites...
Sarah Palin out Palin'd herself in the final installment of her interview with CBS's Katie Couric when asked what newspapers she reads regularly. It's far and away the greatest train wreck answer I've heard yet. Like I said, put all politics aside on this woman...if she came into your office to apply for a executive level position, you'd be as foolish as the people running Fannie and Freddie to hire her. Politics has nothing to do with it. Enjoy!
PS - I'm working from Philadelphia the next two days at the Phillies playoff games and Rosh Hashanah so submissions may be off-topic (aren't they always?) until Friday. Make sure to submit your tracks for this week's news cycle soundtrack.
PS - I'm working from Philadelphia the next two days at the Phillies playoff games and Rosh Hashanah so submissions may be off-topic (aren't they always?) until Friday. Make sure to submit your tracks for this week's news cycle soundtrack.
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