It's the new anthem for NYC

The Yanks pulled out a huge win last night thanks to AJ Burnett and Mo Rivera. I think it is a legitimate question to ask if Rivera is the best pitcher in the clutch ever, starter or closer. Tonight is an off night and I hope to catch up on a few of the shows. Always Sunny and the Office will be tops on the must watch list.

Jay Z and Alicia Keyes performed what Derek Jeter calls the new anthem of NYC before the game. Click here to watch the performace. The new Ronan Tynan?

A couple of quick hits as I have been woefully neglectful in this space.

- I am surprised at how much I have enjoyed Grey's Anatomy this year. I thought it was over for me with this show, but it has been very good. Ditto Parks and Recreation.
- My two fanboy shows, Smallville and Heroes, have been better than I anticipated. Heroes will never be what it could have been, but it is not horrible. Smallville isn't what it used to be but this Smallville 2.0 is pretty good.
- Fringe is phenomenal. And the promos they are running are great.
- I have every Flash Forward on my DVR unwatched.
- Cougar Town is secretly my favorite new show. Modern Family is great. Community is eh. Accidently of Purpose is a little less than eh.

I am writing often at Northstationsports.com. Please check it out.

I am building a Navigator nation

Do you believe how much TV our nation's kids watch? Well, actually, I do. I love kids shows. Noggin is a good time. Click here to see how many hours per week?

And we're back

Sports Sports Sports

Penn State looked nasty crushing Michigan in the Big House. It was nice to get that monkey off our backs...speaking of monkeys...

There will be no rally monkey this year as the Yankees finished off the Angels yesterday. This is a dream match up for me as there is nothing better than crushing the spirit of a Philadelphia sports fan. This is must see, appointment TV of the highest order.

I promise a return to normal posting as soon as I catch up on it all.

What to Watch tonight - 10/22/09

Tonight is a very busy night of TV. There is 4 and 1/2 hours of TV shows that I follow. And I will probably not watch any of it. The YANKS-ANGELS Game 5 is on Fox at 8pm. If you are crazy enough not to watch, watch this instead...

• 30 Rock - NBC @ 9:30/8:30c
• Community - NBC @ 8/7c
• Flash Forward - ABC @ 8/7c
• Grey’s Anatomy - ABC @ 9/8c
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - FX @ 10/9c
• Parks & Recreation - NBC @ 8:30/7:30c
• The Office - NBC @ 9/8c

JoePa is the man.

Watch the Penn State football game this weekend. They play Michigan in Ann Arbor this Saturday at 3:30PM. Michigan owns Penn State almost as much as Iowa does. And SI did a long and pretty good profile of the legend. Check it out. It is a must read.

Steve Phillips's crazy affair

In other sports news, former Mets GM and ESPN talking head Steve Phillips was laying down a 22 year old Production Assistant. And she went crazy. Never promise crazy a baby. (That's a line from Arrested Development).

Must read.

Yankees and Phillies - Very different 2-1 leads

How good have the baseball playoffs been? Wow! I am hanging on the edge of my seat for hours on end. As a Yankee fan and a Joe Torre fan, it was rough night for me last night.

This is baseball at its best. This is why I love sports. It is killing my TV watching though.

If you have a TV, watch the Yankees tonight at 8 on Fox. Let's Go Yankees.

Side note on Girardi: CC on 3 days rest is the right move. In fact the only move I question is taking out Robertson because he looked really good in getting the 1st two outs. But Girardi has been very active and using the whole pen all year so I am not gonna kill him for it here. The Yankees really have a hard time winning in Anaheim.

Side note on Phillies: I love the middle of the order for the Phillies. They are relentless. I would love to see the Yankees and Phillies in the Series for so many reasons. I just hope the Dodgers can send it back to LA. Rack up those miles.

Update: 5:07 PM: Forget to mention, the TBS crew is the worst booth ever. And Craig Sager is ridiculous. They make McCarver and Buck look like rock stars.

Mad Men - All Eyes on Don

Anyone else creeped out by the afflicted brother of the teacher? He has "fits". It is wild that "fits" is what we boiled epilepsy down to in the 60's. I don't know if everyone caught this but Betty mentioned Thanksgiving plans and being that we are in 1963 it looks as though we are heading straight for Nov. 22, 1963.

Peggy continued to amaze and the scenes with Roger were awesome, but the focus was on Don. Betty is freaking over the whole Don/Dick thing. I wonder if she put it together or just thinks he was previously married?

I love that the show turned away from Hilton. He was getting far too much play. Three episodes left. Western Union...it's been in my family for generations. I liked Peggy's idea better anyway. Do telegraphs still exist, as a novelty?

Curb - Denise Handicapped

Last week I talked about how easy it is to lose interest in any non-Seinfeld reunion episode. I feel myself getting impatient. But this week's episode was so funny that it made me (almost) forget about the Seinfeld reunion. Larry attempting to make a move on the Denise in the wheelchair was ridiculous and hilarious. It was equaled by Larry finding himself attracted to the benefits of dating the handicapped. It is classic Larry, isn't it? You get all the benefits without any of the hardships.

Did you bring it, Larry?

The best NBA teams of all time.

My buddy Nick and I posted our arguments for the best NBA teams of all time. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Hint: 1996 Bulls were overrated.

Mia Michaels is out on SYTYCD?!?

Mia Michaels, the free spirit who always makes people (not me) cry on SYTYCD, has twittered what appears to be a goodbye to the show. While I know nothing about who's good or not at dancing or choreographing, the people on the show couldn't make a bigger deal out of her.

Click here for the link to E!'s story.

Bird and Magic have an HBO doc!

HBO is making a documentary about the rivalry and unlikely friendship of Magic and Bird. I love the HBO documentary crew and can't wait to watch this. The Bird-Magic rivalry is the ultimate in sports rivalry in the last 30 years. The doc is set to debut in March.

Click here for more details.

Gilmore Girls creator gets a new gig on HBO

Amy Sherman-Palladino has a new series on HBO. As a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and a devotee to every show on HBO this side of Carnivale, I will be on this show like white on rice. Click here to read the release.

Tracy Morgan drops F bomb on SNL castmates

Check out this link to an excerpt of Tracy Morgan dropping the F bomb on Mango and the female cheerleader. He loves Will Farrell though.

Who's dying on Heroes?

Kristen from E! is reporting that a major male lead will be killed off in the next couple episodes in hopes to stir some water cooler buzz.

So who is it going to be?

The most positive buzz would come from killing Hiro. His character went from being the most important and powerful, where we see future Hiro as a super-samurai, to a clown with an 800 number.

Nathan would have the least impact. His character has died in every season already and he is already dead technically.

That leaves Peter, HRG, Sylar, or Parkman. Sylar is the best character but was the worst current story line. HRG is the last non-hero on the show but he is a shell of his former self. Come to think of it, every character on the show is worse than when it started. Smaller. Think about it. And don't even get me started on plot holes and character arcs abandoned.

This show is like a girl you fall for right away. There is a lot of flash and sizzle, but she cheats on you (season 1 finale). You then spend the next two years trying to forget while the relationship slowly deteriorates. If we just took a step back and got a little perspective, we would realize the show will never be what we wanted it to be. It is ruined.

This is what I want to be when I grow up.

Alan Sepinwal is a phenomenal TV writer. His blog, What's Alan Watching?, is fabulous. I encourage everyone to check it out. He has been blogging for a couple years, but more than that he has been a TV critic for a long time. He is currently at the Star Ledger.

He has a wicked episode by episode Wire recap.

How I Met Your Mother - Cat Funeral

HIMYM can throw some lame episodes out there. The show can fall into a rut. But the show can also have some amazing home run episodes that have you seriously cracking up. It can be funny and original. Last night was an A+ home run episode.

Marshall's song/photo montages alone require you laugh. Click here to see the best night ever song.

Ted is an after-thought and no one cared who the mother was. This was about the two couples dating each other and it was awesome. The cat sitting/cat funeral song is required listening. It was...dare I say...legen...wait for it...

Glee Tour?!?

I have to admit that Glee is starting to wear on me. It is feeling a little to plastic and I am finding myself waiting for the songs to be over. But I am in the minority as the show and the songs on it are huge.

Due to the success of the songs on iTunes and the expected sales of the upcoming soundtrack, it looks as though a Glee Tour is in the works.

Click here for more details.

Smallville - The Best Podcast out there

The guys over at Starkville's House of El run the absolute best Smallville podcast. I have been with Derek and Steve since an episode or two before Steve joined the show. I liked it so much I listened to some old episodes as well.

If you watch Smallville, this should be on your iPod.

Also, the best Smallville spoiler site out there is Kryptonsite, if you are into that sort of thing.

Curb - Eh, where was Seinfeld?

The problem with all the hype about the Seinfeld reunion business is that the episodes without it. They better be top notch, otherwise viewers may become anxious. This episode was good but felt a little flat, like the osso bucco from last night's episode.

On the other hand, Mary, Ted, and Bookman are great and LD shutting down the horrible singing of a little girl is hilarious.

The Office Wedding - Maid of the Mist

What a great hour of TV. I feel like the Office never intended this to be the show but it evolved into wanting to tug at your heartstrings as much as make you laugh. The Jim and Pam scenes were so great. I love to see that Michael is rubbing off on Jim like Dwight has rubbed off on Pam in previous seasons (secret number 2). I loved the montage of the wedding dance and the actual wedding, aboard the Maid of the Mist (Side note: I have done that ride twice, one of which was on my honeymoon!).

If you are one the dozen or so people who haven't seen the you tube video that the wedding dance was based on, click here.

The rest of the gang had a themselves a time.

Michael slept in the ice machine/vending room. But I do think he is going to bed Pam's mom.

Dwight is a playa! And his toothpaste is a butter and hay mixture.

Andy suffered a scrotum injury but moved ever closer to the new receptionist.

Finally, Kevin had shoe (and hair) issues, but managed to pull off the appearance of being Oscar's man.

What to Watch tonight - Office Wedding!

Tonight is another big night of TV. The DVR is going to be smoking tonight.

For the network TV fan...
Community (special time) - 8pm on NBC
Parks & Rec - 830 on NBC
Flash Forward - 8pm on ABC
Fringe - 9pm on Fox
Grey's Anatomy - 9pm on ABC

For everyone...The Office (1 hour) - 9pm on NBC

For those with a sense of humor...Always Sunny - 10pm on FX

For the sports fan...
Cardinals at Dodgers - 6pm on TBS
Red Sox at Angels - 10pm on TBS
Nebraska at Missouri - 9pm on ESPN

WOW! Is it time to set up a 2nd TV? Can I watch 2 shows at once? I have done the 2 TV's to play video games and watch TV at the same time but never 2 TV shows at once. The biggest event is the Office wedding in Niagara Falls. The Gang gives Frank an intervention on Always Sunny. Olivia breaks on through to the other side? Parks and Rec keeps getting better and better.

I wasn't speeding was I weaving?

New Line Cinema is looking to do another Vacation sequel, sort of. This one will feature Rusty taking his family on vacation. Chevy Chase and Bev DeAngelo may appear as the grandparents, although no deals have been struck. Who should play Rusty? Will they go to Wally World?

Click here for the story.

Ahh, playoff baseball with the Yankees.

I became a Yankee fan around 1984, when Don Mattingly was in his heyday. It was anything but a heyday for the Yankees as a team. They didn't make the playoffs between 1981 and 1995. I was a fan in the worst of times. In 1994, the Yanks actually were one of the best teams in baseball and would have made the playoffs, but the strike preempted the postseason.

In 1995, the Yanks were the first ever AL wild card team. That was my first taste of playoff baseball as a fan of the team. I remember the magical moments of the playoffs before then. Kirk Gibson's homer stands out. But from 1995 until now, the Yankees have missed the playoffs only once.

Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neil, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada. Legends. The games go on forever and I could care less. The colder the better too. LET'S GO YANKEES!!!!!

8:19 pm - Jeter and Matsui have homered and it is 6-2 Yanks. How good is Jeter? The guy will never win an MVP but he is in the Hall of Fame within the Hall of Fame.

8:21 pm - If you aren't into the Yankees, you should get into them. If you are hopeless, then watch SYTYCD. They are at Vegas week, which is the equivalent of Hollywood week on Idol. There is also a new Old Christine, Cougar Town, Modern Family, Top Chef, and Mythbusters.

Gossip Girl - This is why I watch this show...

Gossip is going for it this year. Check out this.

TOP TEN - Shows I Want To Re-Watch

This week's Top Ten list is a very common topic in my head. I have an almost constant craving to re-live the drama or comedy of my favorite shows. It is very mood oriented and changes constantly. The rules are that it has to be a show I have seen. More important, it can be just a season or partial series. Oh, and the list is 15.

15. NYPD Blue - Season 1 and 2 only. Maybe season 3. Times watched: 2. Caruso is the man. This show was so much more than a procedural murder per week show. It was so raw and original. The writing and acting were top notch.

14. Six Feet Under - Seasons 1-3. Times watched: 2. Season 3 is the peak for me. This show had moments where it was gut wrenching and tragic and morbid and terrifying and plain sad. But to me those moments only served to set up the show's true core of family, comedy, overcoming adversity, and genius. The scenes where the kids talk to their dad and the dead bodies are so brilliant they are reason enough to watch again.

13. Smallville - Seasons 1-6. Times watched: 2. Martha and Jonathon. Lex and Lionel. Lana before she was terrible. This show was once about Clark as a high school student. He had parents and a curfew and Lex wasn't evil yet. The show was about Clark becoming Superman and Lex becoming an evil master mind. Skip some of the freak of the weeks and 70% of the loft scenes and this is a SuperShow.

12. Northern Exposure - All but the last season. Times watched: 2. This show is so quirky. It is Picket Fences without the crazy. The characters make the normal people seem like the weirdos. The central love story between Maggie and Joel is legit. So are Adam and Eve.

11. ER - Season 1-5. Times watched: 1. The Clooney Years. This show was so energetic and chaotic and stressful. It was revolutionary. And the best part was the docs had lives and flaws and moments. And no one did sweeps like ER. The tragedy episode was never better.

10. Gilmore Girls - Seasons 1-6. Times watched: 3. The all time fast talking feel good show. How can you not love Stars Hallow and the crazy folks that run around. The ultimate show to watch with spouse. It is a "her" show but one a guy can get into as well. Skip the last season. It was terrible.

9. West Wing - Seasons 1-4. Times watched: 3. I love that this show is about the smartest people in the world running the country. And they are trying their hardest to do their best and to do the right thing. So naive. Sam leaves at the end of season 4 and the show is never the same. As I think about it, I did like the last couple seasons, but for re-watching I will stick to the prime cuts.

8. Cheers - All seasons. Times watched: 3. This show is home. It is funny in the kind of way where the episodes feel like memories. Like I was there. And there are so many episodes. You can really get to know everyone's name. (Nailed that play on the theme song, right?)

7. X-Files - Mulder seasons. Times watched: 5. I have previously professed my love for this show. I have nothing against the Doggett episodes, but they are such an after thought in my mind. I would probably only re-watch the Mulder years. The Erlenmeyer Flask is the first episode that comes to mind. And Colony/End Game. Alien Bounty Hunter.

6. Scrubs - JD seasons. Times watched: 3. This show was such a surprise to me. I had no expectations. My brother-in-law had the DVDs and I took a shot and watched them. I was shocked with how smart and sincere the show can be along with being hilarious. As with a lot of these shows, I love people who can have a sense of humor in a high stress environment.

5. Arrested Development - All seasons. Times watched: 5. This show demands being watched over and over again for three reasons: 1. There are only about 53 episodes, so it isn't a huge commitment; 2. There are so many insider jokes you will find new layers of funny every time. It is one of the best written comedies ever; 3. It is ridiculously hilarious.

4. The Wire - All seasons. Times watched: 3. The sheer number of characters and depth of the story demands multiple viewings. It is only 60 episodes and all but a handful are riveting and fascinating.

3. Deadwood - All seasons. Times watched: 1. I have been wanting to re-watch this show for a long time. The number one reason why? This show was an acting clinic, especially Al Swearengen.

2. Sopranos - Seasons 1-3. Times watched: 3. It has been so long since I have watched an episode of this show that I feel like I am starting to forget it. Seasons 4-6 were a gradual decline so I would start with the first three and go from there. Junior as a player. The mom. Tony as an (almost) likable character. Some of the best TV I ever saw.

1. BSG - All seasons. Times watched: 1. I watched this show for the first time ever last year, right before the final episodes aired. I had heard it was a fanboy must. This show is one of the rare things in life that deliver on unbelievable expectations. I can't wait to through the ride of this show again. This show is so under watched by the masses that to have watched it is like being a member of a very exclusive club of smart TV watchers. The only thing that stopped me from doing so yet is that I don't own the show. I will have to add it to the queue or break my self imposed moratorium on buying TV show DVDs. I have a bit of an addiction.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 - How far can it go?

Let's call a spade a spade. Jon and Kate are the show. The kids are cute and all, but the show is the crazy drama between Jon and Kate.

Jon has forbidden TLC from filming at the house. Hilarious.

Now, Kate is reporting that Jon has stolen $230K from a joint checking account, leaving Kat high and dry.

The show, whether it is called J&K+8 or K+8-J, is such an after thought. The real reality show is taking place on the Today Show, Twitter, the View, in court docs, and in the clubs where Jon is pimpin.

Check out this site!

My friend Nick is the creator of North Station Sports, an NBA blog with a Celtics bias. Nick is a big reason I started this blog and want everyone to check out his site. If you need any more reason, I have written two pieces and have a third on the way. www.northstationsports.com

Nick and I have a section called One On One, where we argue like the good old booze soaked days in the back of a bar. It has been a ton of fun doing this with Nick. I have written about how Michael Jordan is overrated, college hoops are a better spectator sport than the NBA, and next I will be defending Allen Iverson.

24 HOUR WEEKEND - A Live Blog

I am attempting to watch 24 hours of TV over the weekend. I am going to mix in TV from the DVR and the DVD, a couple movies, and a lot of football.

FRIDAY
8:50 pm - And we are off with the season premiere of Fringe. I have been looking forward to this show for months.

9:22 pm - Walter loves custard but hates flan while eating licorice with bloody hands. I know Charlie is going to die but I don't know how and the not knowing is killing me.

9:26 pm - Why can't Olivia load her gun?

9:28 pm - The robo-armed girl goes with Lt. Daniels?

9:32 pm - Woah, the shape shifter can take a bullet and leap out a window, but couldn't choke out Olivia in less than 10 seconds? I was just wondering if he had the strength of the guy or of the girl.

9:34 pm - And Charlie's dead. That sucks. I like Charlie. The reason I like him reminds me of why the Star Wars prequels didn't live up to expectations.

9:37 pm - So the shape shifter is stuck looking like Charlie. And the new agent is correlating the season 1 cases with Bible verses? Cool.

9:52 pm - A 15 minute break to take the dog out and to re-fill my gin and club (w/lime). I am not counting this time. The stopwatch is off if you will.

10:02 pm - Starting episode 2 of Fringe. Found the stopwatch app on my blackberry. I am counting the first Fringe as 45 minutes. I blue hand just pulled a construction worker underground.

10:11 pm - I wonder what the other versions of me are up to?

10:26 pm - That guy is such a fake Jon Voight.

10:30 pm - It was a big mistake to move this show to Thursday. I really hope Fox is patient. The little boy dug out of his grave...

10:38 pm - The sheriff in the episode is named Golytely, which is also a colonoscopy prep. Nice.

10:48 pm - Olivia is with the bowling alley guy and fake Charlie is using the cosmic email machine. Cool show.

10:50 pm - Switching things up, I am watching Cougar Town episode 2.

10:58 pm - Emergency work underwear. 10 date rule. Defense. Phoosh Phoosh Phoosh. Monster! This show is my underdog show of the year.

11:02 pm - Just watched the montage of a night out. Hilarious. This is definitely my show of the year. I hate hangovers and regretting the night before.

11:12 pm - I remember being able to party on consecutive nights. Then I did it for 5 consecutive years. Now my liver is a shadow of its former self. And I get tired. And lazy. It just isn't worth it anymore. Do I miss it? Yes. 1000% yes. But I did it right and everything turned out great for me so I have no regrets. And as they said in the show, I can still muster up the strength to hang once a week. And I enjoy the crap out of a Friday night in front of the TV with friends and family.

11:18 pm - 2 hours and 2 minutes of TV so far. I am switching to Big Bang season 2 DVD. I am on the XMas one.

11:24 pm - On a checking fantasy baseball break. I really could use 6 innings out of Randy Wolf right now.

11:26 pm - I am in 2 fantasy baseball head to head leagues (snake draft with keepers), 1 baseball roto league w auction draft, 2 fantasy football leagues (snake and auction), and a NFL pick em league. Yes I am a freak.

Saturday

1:08 pm - Last night on Big Bang, I watched the Christmas episode and the one where Penny ripped Howard and the killer robot battle. What a great show. Today I am starting with SYTYCD from Tuesday. Boogie Lynx's salsa was guacamole. I am at 3 hours and 2 minutes right now.

1:13 pm - Little C is my favorite 3rd judge. Dude is cool.

1:24 pm - I am flipping between football and the second half of the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy. It is disappointing that this show is crushing Fringe in the ratings. I don't hate Grey's. I still sort of like it. But it is feeling a little full of itself. The mom who can't quit and who doesn't sleep reminded me of Battlestar Galactica. I miss that show. Top 10 alltime for sure.

1:42 pm - Pumped for 30 for 30 to start. The first one is directed by Peter Berg of FNL fame and is about the trade of Wayne Gretzky.

1:52 pm - Big 10 football blows...the Slow 10.

2:00 pm - Needing a break from bad football, I am turning to the season premiere of Smallville. I am hearin good things about the first two episodes.

2:31 pm - Was kind of ho hum until Zod appeared. Clark's training has been coming for five years so that doesn't move the needle for me. 4 hours 24 minutes.

2:34 pm - Brian Austin Green is a great addition. He was the best thing about the Terminator TV show.

2:51 pm - Oliver as a cage fighter is so lame. This show puts some great storylines along side some really lame and weak ones.

3:07 pm - Decent premiere for Smallville. I am digging Metallo and the Zod army. Michigan and Mich St are heading to OT and Minnesota is trying to go the length of the field with 2 minutes left needing a FG to tie. Big Ten making a comeback. Michigan is an exciting and dangerous team. They really haven't played anyone yet but they are going to be interesting to watch.

3:10 pm - Minnesota throws up-for-grabs type bombs on 1st and 2nd down.

3:11 pm - Nice move by the wideout on 3rd down. Wisconsin brings the heat on 1st and 2nd down and Minnesota is running out of time and downs.

3:14 pm - Forcier makes a bad throw that is tipped and picked. It isn't beyond Mich St. to blow this opportunity.

3:23 pm - Nice win for the Spartans. Time for PSU. A championship caliber team bounces back with a vengeance. 31-7 PSU.

4:56 pm - Penn State looks so inept on offense. I don't know if they don't have the talent or it is the playcalling. The defense is stout. The play conservative and sound. They tackle and they can make the big play. That being said, I don't care if they ever win a game again as long as JoePa is there. He is the classiest guy going. He is Penn State. And I believe he is still a hell of a coach. I will revise my prediction to 24-10 PSU.

5:03 pm - I like Jesse "the Bachelor" Palmer. He is working out really well in the studio on Saturday afternoons.

5:05 pm - 6 hours and 56 minutes of TV down, 17 and change to go.

5:10 pm - Taking the dog for a walk. Speaking of dogs, the LSU-Georgia game is a dog of a game. They are at least as boring as PSU.

6:48 pm - Beat down in the 2nd half. Penn State took it to Illinois and ran the ball all over Illinois. I am going to catch the end of the Georgia-LSU game. Horrible execution and these teams are both terrible. Also, ND-Wash is winding down and the Irish look like they are going down.

8:37 pm - I am back after making pumpkin ravioli with a sage brown butter sauce for dinner. It was very labor intensive and I even took the short cut of using wonton wrappers. Watching SYTYCD from Wednesday with the wife-y. We are in New Orleans without Nigel.

9:00 pm - The bounce guy was great. Ain't nuthin changed since tha hurricane.

9:07 pm - 8 hours 59 minutes

9:21 pm - Flipped to the football game (Miami - Oklahoma) while my wife cleans the kitchen. I love big time college football. I think Oklahoma is the real deal and pulls away in this one.

10:12 pm - Miami is flying around like the good old "U", the team everyone loves to hate. The more teams I get a look at the more I like PSU.

10:24 pm - This game looks over right now. 21-10 Da U. I am going back to Dance. The wife is ready.

10:50 pm - Back to football. Just saw Clayton Kershaw has 7 K through 3 innings. That 21 year old can really pitch. He is almost impossible to hit.

11:05 pm - Watching Big Bang...the episode where Sheldon is trying to scientifically make friends. He is so amusing.

11:47 pm - Video game break at 11 hours 39 minutes

SUNDAY
1:16 am - And back to Big Bang. It is the episode where Leonard's mother comes to town. This promises to be hilarious.

7:04 am - The three of us, my wife, my puppy, and I, all fell asleep on the couch last night. I am at 12 hours 10 minutes. I just put Sicko, the Michael Moore movie, on. I have never seen it.

9:37 am - Just finished the movie. I am not going to use this space to be political so my thoughts will be kept largely to myself and those I force to listen to my various rants. I will say that it worth watching given that the current debate consuming DC right now. I am off to do some chores...run and get some toys for Bruiser, cut the grass, and start a pork roast.

9:40 am - 14 hours 8 minutes BTW.

12:59 pm - Back in front of the TV in time for kickoff of the Giants game. Ten hours of TV to go and a full slate of NFL games and Sunday night TV in front of me. No problem. I also managed to cut the grass, steam clean the rugs of the living room and dining room, ran to the store, and got the herbed pork roast in the crock pot.

1:10 pm - Poor Chiefs fumble the kickoff and the GMen cash in on a Manning to Steve Smith connection. I can't say enough about Eli Manning watching him week after week. He has cut down on the terrible mistakes and bad picks. He is money in the clutch. He is a class act. He is a top 10 QB no doubt, bordering on top 5.

1:19 pm - JINX! Eli fumbles...forced by PSU alum Tamba Hali. Here come the Chiefs.

1:23 pm - Chiefs held to a FG and a girl on a horse rides onto the field. Fair enough.

1:36 pm - Eli picked as that Michigan kid keeps dropping balls. Chiefs do nothing and go 3 and out. I really like the way Eli went over and put his armj over Manningham. Meanwhile, I flipped to the Pat-Ravens band saw a weak roughing the passer on Brady. You can't touch the QB. I guess it is good, keep guys healthy and increase scores.

1:45 pm - Chiefs flagged on another weak hit around the head call. This was a classic safety hit on a post. It seemed to be shoulder on shoulder but the fact that the DB was so much bigger than the WR made it seem like hit to the head.

1:55 pm - Whenever JB gives a gamebreak and throws it back to the booth, he says, "back you Kenny, Goose, and Moose". Very annoying. Meanwhile Flacco is taking a beating and the Pats have had the ball most of the game putting a lot of pressure on Ray Lou and Co.

2:06 pm - Hey Family Guy is doing a Jew-based episode. I think this is the 13th time Peter turns Jewish.

2:49 pm - A failed onside kick and a 4th down conversion to start the 2nd half. This one is the Giants' and the issue is the cover.

3:04 pm - The Giants have a really nice, long, controlled dominating drive and then miss a FG. Standard GMen. And Boss looks hurt. He would be a real loss because her has been a reliable receiver and an above average blocker. I wanted the TD there so I could switch full time to the Ravens-Pats.

3:21 pm - Nice play by Nicks. The Giants really can draft. They needed WRs and they got some good ones. But the big deal is Eli. It is the one injury that would be devastating to the season. The Mannings' never get hurt. Ever. Payton and Eli have never missed a start.

5:03 pm - Taking a football break and going to the third and latest episode of Fringe. I am really finding these episodes riveting. This show is really really good.

6:05 pm - Redzone pick for Romo. Wah Wah...I am turning to another Big Bang to keep the laughs rolling. I love the smell of paintballs in the morning. Penny just shot Sheldon's seat. Ut oh.

7:42 pm - Caught a little Football Night in America...some highlights from Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. These guys were legends on SportsCenter and now they seem somehow dated. Less than. Not that SportsCenter got any better or funnier either... it kind of sucks now. There is something not right about it.

8:01 pm - Watching this week's Glee. Kristen Chenoweth is guest starring. I have reached the point where the songs are my least favorite part.

8:04 pm - 2 1/2 hours to go.

9:40 pm - Watched a little of the Steelers, the Simpsons, and am now starting Curb. Classic Flanders: "A Cran Bran for the Flan Man". Classic Simpson's Family Quote: "The Simpsons never give up until they try at least one easy thing".

9:53 pm - I have had a couple glasses of red wine and now I want a bowl of cereal. Milk and red wine? This could get ugly.

10:49 pm - And I am done...final tally...

3 Fringe
2 SYTYCD
1 Cougar Town
1 Glee
1 Curb
1 Smallville
1 Simpsons
1 Grey's Anatomy
6 Big Bang Theory
1 Movie (Sicko)
College Football (at least parts of the following games)
- PSU v. Ill
- ND v. Wash
- Mich v. Mich St.
- LSU v. UGA
- Miami v. OU
NFL (at least parts of the following games)
- Giants v. Chiefs
- Patriots v. Ravens
- Cowboys v. Broncos
- Steelers v. Chargers
Assorted ESPN/NBC/CBS/Fox sports highlight programs

Goodnight. I am beginning to see the matrix.

24 hours of TV - A Live Blogging (and Bruiser) Weekend

I am home bound this weekend to train a puppy and do some house cleaning. So I get to thinking that between my backlogged DVR, the football games, and throw in some movies, I am going to be watching a hell of a lot of TV this weekend.

I think the over/under is 24 hours of TV this weekend. I don't think I can do 24 hours straight. I have to come into work tomorrow morning and I don't want to ruin Sunday. But I think I can cram 24 hours in from 8pm tonight to midnight Sunday.

I will keep a log of my progress here on the blog and you can openly mock me if you like. I would if I were you.

What to Watch this weekend

Here are the football games to watch this weekend.

SATURDAY
LSU v Georgia 330pm

Oklahoma v Miami 8pm

PSU v. Illinois 330pm (homer pick)

Michigan v. Mich St 12pm

SUNDAY
Ravens v. Patriots 1pm

Giants v. Chiefs 1pm (super homer pick)

Jets v. Saints 4pm

Chargers v. Steelers 8pm

State of Sports - October

October is a funny month in that it is the cross roads of virtually every major sport. You have Baseball playoffs, NCAA and pro football hit their stride, the NBA and NHL tipoff and drop the puck on new seasons, and you even have the President's Cup for golf fans. Here is my recap and predictions.

MLB playoffs -

In the AL - Yankees in 4 over the Tigers, Red Sox in 5 over the Angels, Yankees in 7 over the Red Sox

This seems to be the Yankees year. They will have to beat Verlander/Jackson at least once, but the Yanks have the superior pen and CC is ready to roll. The Red Sox own the Angels but this seems to be a bit of reversal this year with the Sox being banged up and the Angels putting it together. But I need to predict Yanks-Sox in 7 games. It needs to happen.

In the NL - The matchups are TBD by the Dodgers and Rockies series this weekend. Bottom line is this...the AL is winning the World Series as long as the Tigers don't make it. The Phils have no closer. The Dodgers have been treading water for months. The Rockies don't have AL caliber pitching. The Cardinals will make it interesting because they have the two horses and Pujols. But Holliday was junk in the AL and I don't just don't see them holding up against the mighty Yanks.

Prediction - Yanks over Cards in 6.

NCAA football - A month in and nobody is good. It seems to be a down year overall. I like Oklahoma to rebound. I like Florida to hold off LSU and Bama. I still think we are looking at a Oklahoma - Florida championship game. I don't want to say another word about PSU because 8-5 is more likely than 12-1.

NFL - A month into the season, the top three in the NFC are the Giants, Eagles, and Vikings. In the AFC, the Ravens, Colts, and the Jets have been the standouts thus far.

NBA - As the season starts, I find myself being able to get into a storyline here or a game there. I am very curious to see how the Celtics will come out of the gates. I think the Lakers take a step back. Artest is a clown. LeBron v. Boston in the East and Lakers v. Spurs in the West. I am kind of rooting for LeBron.

NHL - I am not a hockey hater, but I find myself grossly negligent in my knowledge of the sport. I followed the 1999 season and watched the playoffs when they were on ESPN, but I have watched one hockey game in the past 5 years. So my prediction is worthless...but it is Detroit and Pittsburgh for the 3rd time in a row.

The Office - Two Bosses equal no bosses

It was a great Office last night. I really liked the Jim and Michael dynamic. At the beginning of the episode Jim was very formulaic and believed his decisions would be respected by the non-sales masses. Michael sensed, nay rooted, for disaster. He didn't want to cede any power to Jim until he realized that it was nice to have someone understand what it was like to be him. The two end up bonding over some gin and a humorous mug while the peasants gathered their pitchforks...speaking of which...

Dwight was stirring up chaos in the hopes of inciting a riot and possibly a revolution. He loathes having to answer to Jim to hilarious results. His revolutionary speech invoked memories of Dwight doing his Nazi speech at the sales conference a couple years ago.

The wedding is next week and you can be sure Dwight will be humiliated and Michael will embarrass everyone while still being sweet. How drunk will Meredith get?

What to Watch tonight - 10/01/09

I can't believe we are into October. Is it me or does time speed up the older you get. I think it has something to do with the amount of perspective you have to look back on and how repetitious our lives get. To wit, here are the Thursday night shows to watch.

Flash Forward (ABC at 8pm)
SNL news (NBC at 8)
Parks & Rec (NBC at 830)
Fringe (Fox at 9)
Grey's (ABC at 9)
The Office (NBC at 9)
Community (NBC at 9)
Always Sunny (FX at 10)

Still haven't seen the first episode of FF but I hear it is pretty good...SNL news has about 8 minutes of funny in a 30 minute show...Parks & Rec has been a very pleasant surprise thus far...I haven't watched any Fringe yet and that shames me...I am about halfway through the premiere and it is very ehh...I can't wait to see how Dwight takes Jim's promotion as the Office is leading up to the wedding...Community has me to the point that I really want it to work and all it has to do is not suck and I am in...Always Sunny is a classic night cap to a great night of TV. There is a shanty town being set up outside the bar.

Gossip Girl - Hits and Misses

I caught up on the previous two Gossip Girls last night and I find it to be very uneven so far. There are story lines I think are funny and I can get into and there are others that I just don't care about at all.

I enjoy the college stuff. Georgina and Blair and Dan...I am OK with all of it. It is funny and a little interesting. I want to see how they adjust to college and interact with regular students.

I also like Blair and Chuck. I was a little uneasy with the idea of them as a couple, but I have been pleasantly surprised.

More on the blah side is Serena's story so far this year. I don't yet care about her dad and Carter. Maybe the story will pick up but for now it is easily glossed over.

Worse yet is Nate's storyline so far. Why should I care about this relationship? Something to do with family politics again...yawn.

Then there is Rufus, Serena's mom, and little J. Uh, anyone know where these people are and what the point of their existence is right now?

I think last season was uneven as well but it finished strong. The show has shown an ability to shrug off bad story lines.