Baseball Fever.....Catch It!

Baseball Fever....Catch it! Wasn't that the marketing slogan of MLB back in the late 70s or early 80s? Do sports even have slogans now? Baseball....Now 97% HGH Free! That could work better than the new NBA slogan "NBA...No Bitches Allowed" or the NHL's "Does Anyone Even Care Outside of Canada?" marketing slogan. The NFL of course doesn't need a marketing slogan. When you have a league that features: accessories to murder (Ray Lewis), dogfighting (Mike Vick), drunk driving (Leonard Little), drunk boating (Eric Steinbach), Not to mention the entire Cincinnati Bengals roster...this laundry list doesn't even include convicted murderer Rae Carruth. If the NFL had a slogan would be "The NFL...No Matter What We Do...You'll Watch."

Today of course marks the start of the baseball playoffs. I'm already sick of the national media pining for a Red Sox and Yankees ALCS and for the Cubs to go to the World Series. I gotta be honest...I HATE the Red Sox and the Yankees. I hate everything about them. I think their payroll spending has been bad for baseball. That being said....I don't think either of them get out of the first round. I don't like the way either team finished the season. I'm taking the Angels in the upset over the Bo Sox. As much as I hate the Yankees, I gotta say I'm amazed they made the postseason considering how awful their pitching is. I think pitching is what eliminates them in the playoffs tho. I think Sabathia and Carmona keep the Yankee bats in check and the Indians win.

I don't hate the Cubs nearly as much as I hate the Bo Sox and Yanks but I do despise them. The Cubs made the playoffs because someone needed to win the NL Central. As much as I hate the Cubs, I hate the Arizona Diamondbacks even more. It pains me that the Dbacks have more World Series titles in my lifetime than do the Indians. I think Arizona beats up on the Cubs. Colorado had an amazing ride to the postseason but it comes to an end in Philly. I'm hoping the Phils make the World Series but fear the Dbacks could knock them off.

All games are on TBS by the way.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 was one of the greatest TV Shows of all time and the episode where they skewer Manos the Hands of Fate was its single greatest episode. Now a theater company is putting on a rock opera production of Manos:http://manos.nmtchicago.org/

Note to self...unless you want the house to be set on fire don't hire star of Supernanny:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=485195&in_page_id=1770

John Mellencamp has written a song about the Jena 6 and you can download it here for free:http://relative-way.com/jenastream/

Radiohead's pay what you want to pricing has caused their website to overload:http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003649835

Time is running out if ya wanna go to melodicrockfest in South Bend this Saturday. I won't be there...nor will I will be able to go to Wapak to see Rhino Bucket and American Dog. I'll be watching my daughter sing in her school program...which will have more people in attendance than the melodicrockfest in South Bend:http://melodicrock.com/southbend/index.html

Opening night review from Springsteen in Hartford:http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/reviews/hc-springsteenrev.artoct03,0,6996727.story

If you disregard those weekend games in London (and I do), then tonight is opening night of the NHL season. The kids at Melrose Rocks tell ya what to look for in the opening week of action:http://melroserocks.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-to-watch-for-week-one.html

Dear Lord Stanley is another fine hockey blog and like me, they don't recognize that the NHL season started four days ago:http://dearlordstanley.blogspot.com/

I'm off to go watch the debut episode of Caveman....Tivo it while you can kids...soon you'll only be able to find them in commercials...again

Kamelot- March of Mephisto

Another off the wall choice for today's Rocktober feature artist. Not my kinda music but they are singlehandedly keeping prog rock alive. Plus the guitar player is a friend of a friend.

Here Comes Your Man - Pixies

Probably the obvious choice from the Pixies, but a killer tune all the same. One of the great bands of my college years and a perfect choice to be one of todays Rocktober feature artists.

Digipaks, baseball and Other Worthless Stuff

Picked up the new Springsteen cd this morning and much to my dismay, its packaged in the Digipak format rather than in a jewel case. I realize the digipak is more earth friendly but I prefer the jewel box. Gotta say Magic just might be the worst Springsteen album cover ever. Kinda looks like they were going after a Darkness on the Edge of Town vibe. While I'm not crazy about the cover, the music itself is top notch. Beyond a doubt the best rock record Springsteen has made since the River. Best of all, its short. 12 songs and 40 some odd minutes. I'd rather have a dozen quality songs than 12 good and 6 filler which is usually the case in the cd age.

Did ya stay up and watch the baseball game? That Rockies and Padres game was one for the ages. 13 innings before the Rockies emerge with the 9-8 victory and a trip to the playoffs to take on the Phillies. The playoffs by the way are on TBS for the first time. Early starts too. Game one of the Indians & Yankees is scheduled for 630pm on Thursday while game 2 is at 5pm Friday.

Why does the Today show still book Ann Coulter as a guest? I can't imagine she brings in ratings.

Today of course also spent a lot of time dealing with Britney losing custody of her kids. I guess thats a more important story than the piece in the NY Times today about how the world is ending:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/science/earth/02arct.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

One last Britney note...how great of a reality series would this be...you take her, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and all the other people who are famous for being famous....you set them each up with a mountain of blow (like at the end of Scarface) and you see who can snort themselves to death first....too harsh? Not harsh enough?

Jon Stewart now decides what's news and what isn't:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100587.html?hpid=news-col-blog

The guy behind the Backstreet Boys and other boy bands is a pedophile....thats a shock:http://www.nypost.com/seven/10022007/gossip/pagesix/pagesix.htm

This Jerry Seinfeld Bee movie looks funny:http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1665827-2,00.html

Another fine ep of Journeyman last night.

Death has come to Meerkat Manor. If you had Flower in the dead pool...score your points:http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=aae5f3c2-252d-4b7a-a8ff-fefedddd4d62&sid=fd-news

Did you see Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne have a suicide pact? My question is, can they kill themselves now?

Say what ya want about Ronnie James Dio, but the last surviving Munchkin doesn't sugarcoat his feelings about Vivian Campbell:http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=81899

Padres fans are having a tough time accepting defeat:http://mvn.com/mlb-padres/2007/10/01/rockies-celebrate-but-he-still-has-not-touched-home-plate/

Hey Bengals fans! Your team sucks!:http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-10-01-patriots-bengals_N.htm

Your Columbus Blue Jackets have nearly finalized their roster for their opening night loss to Anaheim:http://blog.dispatch.com/cbj/

I've saved the best news for last....It looks like the end has come for the Best Damn Sports Show...thank you Jebus!:http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2007/10/aa-breaking-news-best-damn-sports-show.html

King Diamond - Abigail (The Stone, San Francisco 03-08-1987)

My college friend John Homan, who later went on to play drums in Rough Cutt, introduced me to these guys. King Diamond was arguably, the worst metal singer ever.

GENE VINCENT - RACE WITH THE DEVIL

Without Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, Brian Setzer would probably be a mechanic on Long Island.

Rocktober is here.

These are good days....the Browns destroyed the hated Baltimore Ravens yesterday, the Indians face the Yankees in the playoffs on Thursday, NHL season is underway and the new Springsteen cd comes out tomorrow....and best of all its Rocktober. All month long I'll find videos from bands who have nothing in common and post them on the blog. Today's Rocktober feature artists are Gene Vincent and King Diamond.

Watched the Springsteen appearance on last Friday's Today Show over the weekend. Band sounded great but I gotta say, the Boss is definitely looking all of his 58 years. A post I read online said the man looked positively scary on the HD broadcast (who doesn't look awful in HD?). The new record is amazing, the tour starts tomorrow (and the boots I've heard are great) and the New York Times dedicated 3 pages to the man yesterday: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/arts/music/30scot.html?_r=1&ref=music&oref=slogin

Spent a lot of quality time watching television this weekend (thanks to the wonders of my DVR). Journeyman, Bionic Woman and Life are all quality new programs and I plan to keep watching them. I'm a sucker for time travel, hot cyborg chicks and kooky cop stories. Perhaps my fave new show is the Kevin Smith produced Reaper. The pilot was well written and Ray Wise as the Devil is a hoot. I'm gonna give Aliens in America a shot tonight and I'm also anxious to see Pushing Daisies. Started to watch Ken Burns the War as well and is amazing. Gonna have to plunk down the 79 bucks and get it on DVD.

Shows what I know....I thought George Michael was dead...turns out he's just on ABC:http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-George-Michael/800023248

RIP Lois Maxwell. The original Moneypenny in the Bond flicks has died:http://news.aol.com/entertainment/movies/movie-news-story/ar/_a/lois-maxwell-miss-moneypenny-dies/20070930092209990001

I boycotted the season premiere of SNL out of protest. LeBron James may have taken the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals...he may be the best athlete to hit Cleveland since Jim Brown, he may crap out more money in a single bowel movement then I make all year...but LeBron made a huge PR blunder last week when he said he'd be rooting for the Yankees to beat the Indians in the playoffs. LeBron is not only stupid but according to this review, he's a lousy host:http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/09/30/saturday-night-live-lebron-james-kanye-west-season-premiere/

Further proof of why no one should feel bad for that whore Britney Spears...she actually tracks the paparazzi so she can guarantee herself some press time. Pathetic. By the way, I'm going with January 16 2008 for my prediction of Britney's death...cause of death will be a lethal mix of drugs and booze....:http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/zwecker/581838,CST-FTR-zp01.article

Whats worse, the fact that Steve Guttenberg is writing a memoir or the fact that someone is willing to publish it? I'd have more interest in reading a bio on that sound effects guy from the Police Academy movies. Maybe we'll find out if the Stonecutters are in fact responsible for Steve's career:http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/10/01/2007-10-01_guttenberg_knows_the_ropes.html

This is why Radiohead is so well respected...they let their fans determine the pricing of their records:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7021743.stm

If you were one of the 1 million people entered in the Led Zeppelin ticket lottery, you'll find out today if you're one of the 20,000 winners.

Bret Michaels finds true love.....and it has pink hair. The Poison front man picked a winner last night in the finale of Rock of Love:http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/09/30/bret-michaels-picks-jes-on-final-episode-of-rock-of-love/#more-4008

I have to say, this baseball season was one of the best in recent memory. You have the Bonds home run record (if you hit 756 and no one cares is it still a record?), ARod bashing them left and right, The Rocket taking surely his final trip, the Indians surprising division crown, the Cubs, the Dbacks, the collapse of the Mets and todays one game playoff between the Rockies and Padres:http://deadspin.com/sports/daily-closer/rocky-mountain-high-in-colorado-305495.php

I hate all New York teams (except for the Jets....and thats only cuz of Joe Namath) so I take great joy from the epic collapse of the Mets:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/10/01/2007-10-01_mets_lose_nl_east_title_to_phillies_on_s.html

I'm going with an Indians vs Cubs World Series. I think the Yankees pitching is week, I think the Bo Sox are running on fumes and I think its time one of these long suffering teams wins a World Series. I can't be objective when it comes to the Indians in the post season. This is the year....your 2007 World Series Champion Cleveland Indians.....

I'm glad I'm not alone in not being able to get into the opening NHL games from London over the weekend:http://melroserocks.blogspot.com/2007/10/trying-to-make-sense-of-real-actual.html

Bengals take on the Patriots on ESPN's Monday Night Football (still can't get used to it not being on ABC)....Pats smack the Cats in prime time.