I understand that commercials, like traffic lights, are a necessary evil in everyday life. Other than the Super Bowl, commercials are just in the way. But, if commercials weren't around then there would be no way for TV networks to make money and shows that I enjoy would never make it to the airways. So, I am willing to put up with the annoyance of commercials. However, there is no need for me to see the same commercial 30 times in an hour long broadcast. These companies must have more commercials in the archives that they could break out. If a company is willing to spend all this money to broadcast this many times then they should also spend some extra money to make sure that I don't have to see one commercial over and over again. What ends up happening when I see a commercial that many times is it makes me want to not buy what they're selling. I figure that if I don't buy this product, the company will make less money, they will not be able to afford air time and I'll never have to see that stupid commercial ever again. Clearly, it backfires.
The only thing worse than seeing the same commercial over and over again is when I have to repeatedly see a commercial for a product that is not readily available. For the last couple of days I have seen the same promotion for Chick-Fil-A dozens of times. The gist of it is this: go into a Chick-Fil-A on Labor Day wearing the logo of your favorite team and get a free chicken sandwich. Awesome. I like chicken sandwiches and I have dozens upon dozens of shirts with team logos on them. There is only one problem - there isn't a Chick-Fil-A in this area. In fact, there isn't even one on the south shore. I know there is one in Nashua, but I'm not about to spend the gas money just to drive up to New Hampshire to get a sandwich that normally costs a dollar.
So, here's what I would like the inventors of the world to work on: some sort of program that weeds out ads for stores or restaurants that aren't within a 25 mile radius of the viewer's home. This would be a great way to cut down on wasted air time appealing to consumers that aren't going to take part in your services. TV stations could charge more for advertising with this specific focus and people wouldn't be annoyed with ads for restaurants they can't possibly go to. Everybody wins. For me it would cut out Buffalo Wild Wings, Papa Johns, Golden Corral, Red Lobster, Sonic and Pizza Hut (at least for delivery). With as much sports as I watch, taking those out has got to be a couple hours worth of commercials that could be replaced with ones for places I may actually go to. Think of it as my own version of a stimulus package. You're welcome, TV executives.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Add Another Jersey to the Pile
As I've talked about before, my closet is full of jerseys for players who no longer play for that team. I've got many jerseys that seemed like sound investments at the time, but are now just hanging there, probably never to be worn again. (I will not, however get rid of them because if any of these guys make the Hall of Fame suddenly I've saved $150 by not having to buy the retro jersey.) At this point I'm used to it and so I have stopped getting bent out of shape when yet another player gets traded or released. Still, with today's trading of Richard Seymour I'm down to pretty much one Patriots jersey to wear on game day. It's kind of annoying.
The trade itself surprises me because the Patriots are usually pretty good at keeping guys while they are still productive. This leads me to 5 possible conclusions:
1. Maybe he is on the downturn of his career. He hasn't made a Pro Bowl in a couple of years but I attributed that more to the fact that he's been fighting double teams.
2. The Patriots didn't think they would be able to re-sign Seymour once his contract expired after this season and wanted to get while the getting was good.
3. The defensive line is one of the deeper units on the team and thus the team figures his loss would be lessened.
4. This could mean that a long term extension is on the horizon for Vince Wilfork. They weren't going to be able to afford Seymour and Wilfork, so this could be their way of making a decision.
5. Perhaps they need an extra first round pick because they intend to trade their own for a player of high value (Julius Peppers, anyone?).
The trade also marks the end of an era. Seymour is one of the last guys who has been here since the beginning of the team's resurgence and I thought he was going to go down as an All-Time Patriot. I guess how long he plays beyond his Patriot career will determine that. But, it shouldn't change the fact that he's probably the greatest draft pick of the Scott Pioli/Bill Belichick regime. Brady was luck - Belichick himself would tell you as much. But you need to nail top 10 draft choices or you could set the franchise back years. Ask Lions fans.
Or, you could ask Raider fans. I'm not sure why the Raiders would make this deal. I highly doubt he'll re-sign with them after his deal expires, unless they throw a ton of cash his way. And while I have no doubt that AL Davis would be more than happy to do just that, I don't know why Seymour would stay in a team that looks to be at least 2 more years away from contending. They're deep into a rebuilding project - a project that just got a lot harder when they gave the Patriots a pick that could be in the top 20 in 2011.
-One more football note: if you are playing for a Division 1 school in the opening game against a 1-AA school, please tone down the strutting. You're supposed to be beating those teams by 50 points.
The trade itself surprises me because the Patriots are usually pretty good at keeping guys while they are still productive. This leads me to 5 possible conclusions:
1. Maybe he is on the downturn of his career. He hasn't made a Pro Bowl in a couple of years but I attributed that more to the fact that he's been fighting double teams.
2. The Patriots didn't think they would be able to re-sign Seymour once his contract expired after this season and wanted to get while the getting was good.
3. The defensive line is one of the deeper units on the team and thus the team figures his loss would be lessened.
4. This could mean that a long term extension is on the horizon for Vince Wilfork. They weren't going to be able to afford Seymour and Wilfork, so this could be their way of making a decision.
5. Perhaps they need an extra first round pick because they intend to trade their own for a player of high value (Julius Peppers, anyone?).
The trade also marks the end of an era. Seymour is one of the last guys who has been here since the beginning of the team's resurgence and I thought he was going to go down as an All-Time Patriot. I guess how long he plays beyond his Patriot career will determine that. But, it shouldn't change the fact that he's probably the greatest draft pick of the Scott Pioli/Bill Belichick regime. Brady was luck - Belichick himself would tell you as much. But you need to nail top 10 draft choices or you could set the franchise back years. Ask Lions fans.
Or, you could ask Raider fans. I'm not sure why the Raiders would make this deal. I highly doubt he'll re-sign with them after his deal expires, unless they throw a ton of cash his way. And while I have no doubt that AL Davis would be more than happy to do just that, I don't know why Seymour would stay in a team that looks to be at least 2 more years away from contending. They're deep into a rebuilding project - a project that just got a lot harder when they gave the Patriots a pick that could be in the top 20 in 2011.
-One more football note: if you are playing for a Division 1 school in the opening game against a 1-AA school, please tone down the strutting. You're supposed to be beating those teams by 50 points.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Welcome Back, College Football
Mostly, I prefer pro football instead of the college game. It's just a personal preference of wanting to see completed passes and well run plays, versus the occasional misfires that are bound to happen when you have college kids out there. They're not all going to be playing at the next level and there is a reason for it. When you go into a 5-wide formation then odds are you've got a walk-on out there who is about to get lit up if the QB can find the guy he's lined up against. Doesn't make for the most aesthetically pleasing game, is all. But, there is one aspect that makes college football so much better than the pro game and that is the do-or-die mentality that has to be taken on every week. With the BCS as messed up as it is teams can't afford to lose more than 2 games and still expect to be in the National Championship picture. And for teams from non BCS conferences like Boise State there is absolutely no margin for error. They need to be on their game for 13 weeks or they can forget about playing a New Year's Day bowl. The desperation just adds another level that is often missing with pro sports. If the Patriots stumble against the Bills in week 1, they could still go 15-1 and make the playoffs. It's no big deal. If Alabama loses to Virginia Tech today then they're simply playing out the string and waiting on next year.
As for my team, I expect a good year out of Notre Dame. Those expecting an undefeated season should brace for disappointment, though. College football is mostly about how well your quarterback plays and I'm still not sold on Clausen as the savior of the program. I think the Hawaii Bowl win was a good confidence booster and the fact that he's now a junior should lead to some marked improvement. I'm just not sure he's elite level yet. I think that he's gotten to the point that there should be no more Syracuse-like stumbles this season; it's whether he can beat USC is the question. They've got an easy schedule and should handle the likes of Nevada, Navy, Washington and Washington State. I have them at 7 wins without much worry and think they could go as high as 9. That should be good enough to get them to a big(ger) bowl along the lines of the Gator Bowl and a tough opponent. Avoiding a BCS bowl will be a tough blow to Charlie Weis, but still I think if they can win that game and get to 10 wins he'll be back beyond this season.
-I understand that this is supposed to be national sportsmanship week and so that's why all the coaches think it's a good idea for teams to shake hands before the game. But, when you've just spent 8 months thinking about this first game and the chance to let out 8 months of frustration, I don't think it's the best idea to get these kids too close before kickoff. They're about to go out and try to kill each other, they don't need to pretend like they're all friendly beforehand. Up until yesterday I was actually thinking that doing it after the game would be the better idea, like hockey teams do after a playoff series. By then tension should have subsided and everyone should have calmed down. But, now I realised that some people may still need some time to cool off. Maybe they should just forget the handshake.
As for my team, I expect a good year out of Notre Dame. Those expecting an undefeated season should brace for disappointment, though. College football is mostly about how well your quarterback plays and I'm still not sold on Clausen as the savior of the program. I think the Hawaii Bowl win was a good confidence booster and the fact that he's now a junior should lead to some marked improvement. I'm just not sure he's elite level yet. I think that he's gotten to the point that there should be no more Syracuse-like stumbles this season; it's whether he can beat USC is the question. They've got an easy schedule and should handle the likes of Nevada, Navy, Washington and Washington State. I have them at 7 wins without much worry and think they could go as high as 9. That should be good enough to get them to a big(ger) bowl along the lines of the Gator Bowl and a tough opponent. Avoiding a BCS bowl will be a tough blow to Charlie Weis, but still I think if they can win that game and get to 10 wins he'll be back beyond this season.
-I understand that this is supposed to be national sportsmanship week and so that's why all the coaches think it's a good idea for teams to shake hands before the game. But, when you've just spent 8 months thinking about this first game and the chance to let out 8 months of frustration, I don't think it's the best idea to get these kids too close before kickoff. They're about to go out and try to kill each other, they don't need to pretend like they're all friendly beforehand. Up until yesterday I was actually thinking that doing it after the game would be the better idea, like hockey teams do after a playoff series. By then tension should have subsided and everyone should have calmed down. But, now I realised that some people may still need some time to cool off. Maybe they should just forget the handshake.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Almost There
It's the Friday before a holiday weekend and it's freaking gorgeous out, so I'm putting a big old stamp on this post...
-Hold on, Michael Jackson hasn't been buried yet? Then what the hell was that whole spectacle at the Staples Center? Seriously, you're making me think about taking back my positive thoughts about the man, Jackson family.
-I'm not sure which type of elderly driver is worse: the ones who drive 20 miles an hour, but at least stay in one lane or the kamikaze ones who just pull out into traffic without really looking because they figure they're just going to chance it at this point.
And with that, I give you the comedic stylings of John Pinette.
-Hold on, Michael Jackson hasn't been buried yet? Then what the hell was that whole spectacle at the Staples Center? Seriously, you're making me think about taking back my positive thoughts about the man, Jackson family.
-I'm not sure which type of elderly driver is worse: the ones who drive 20 miles an hour, but at least stay in one lane or the kamikaze ones who just pull out into traffic without really looking because they figure they're just going to chance it at this point.
And with that, I give you the comedic stylings of John Pinette.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Meet Madeline
Remember yesterday when I said that my sister was due to have her baby any day now? That actually should have read "tomorrow." We welcomed Madeline Johanna Waldron to the family this morning at 11 a.m.
She doesn't have as much hair as her big sister did when she was born, but trust me, there is still a good amount under there.
When her doctors projected her weight out a couple weeks ago they said she was going to weigh around 7.5 lbs. While that may be a big baby to some, in this family we were all wondering why she was so small. Turns out it's a good thing those guys became doctors, because they're not very good at math. She clocked in a very healthy 8 lbs, 10 ounces.
She's also 21 inches long, so we've got another tall girl on our hands.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
At Least The House Is Clean...
My sister is due to have a baby any day now (actually, my family knows the exact day and time but because we're 1/2 Irish I will not be divulging that information). When a birth is this imminent, a weird vibe comes over a family - it's like waiting on Christmas and a tornado to roll through at the same time. And when your family is as close as mine is that means everyone is covered. So, we're all walking around with bounding, nervous energy ready to just get the whole process over with and start spoiling this little lady. Add to that I'm also waiting to hear back about a job and I'm bouncing off the walls over here. Because of all this energy I've spent the day working on stupid projects, just to try and keep my mind occupied.
First thing I tackled was cleaning off and organizing all the clutter from the top of my bureaus. After about 20 minutes I realised that I wasn't really doing much of either, more like just moving stuff around. I then spent some time dusting and rearranging the stuff on my desk. Then I just started to get stupid, like when I spent 20 minutes going around and to make sure all my footballs were inflated. I'm not even sure why this suddenly seemed important; I'm not playing football this weekend - I'm probably not going to be playing football this month. But if anyone needs a football to celebrate college football kicking off this weekend, I'm the guy you should call. In the meantime, I'll be running around in circle and organizing my sock drawer.
-What happened to last season's improbable World Series run being the thing that got people to care about baseball in Tampa Bay? I'm watching the Sox play the Rays in what amounts to a do-or-die series for the Rays and there is almost no one there. I know they fell in love quickly last October, but I didn't expect the fling to be over by this season.
-Speaking of the Red Sox, Curt Schilling said he's thinking about running for Ted Kennedy's now vacant Senate seat. I got to be honest Curt, it's a waste of your time and money. This state isn't going to line up behind you just because you pitched great in '04. Not to mention, you sticking your head out of your car window before the victory parade and giving us an unsolicited "Vote Bush" really sullied the moment for a lot of diehards. That combined with the fact that you actually told people to vote for Bush is pretty much going to kill your campaign before it started, and that's without going into the fact that you have never served public office before. Really, stick to the blog.
First thing I tackled was cleaning off and organizing all the clutter from the top of my bureaus. After about 20 minutes I realised that I wasn't really doing much of either, more like just moving stuff around. I then spent some time dusting and rearranging the stuff on my desk. Then I just started to get stupid, like when I spent 20 minutes going around and to make sure all my footballs were inflated. I'm not even sure why this suddenly seemed important; I'm not playing football this weekend - I'm probably not going to be playing football this month. But if anyone needs a football to celebrate college football kicking off this weekend, I'm the guy you should call. In the meantime, I'll be running around in circle and organizing my sock drawer.
-What happened to last season's improbable World Series run being the thing that got people to care about baseball in Tampa Bay? I'm watching the Sox play the Rays in what amounts to a do-or-die series for the Rays and there is almost no one there. I know they fell in love quickly last October, but I didn't expect the fling to be over by this season.
-Speaking of the Red Sox, Curt Schilling said he's thinking about running for Ted Kennedy's now vacant Senate seat. I got to be honest Curt, it's a waste of your time and money. This state isn't going to line up behind you just because you pitched great in '04. Not to mention, you sticking your head out of your car window before the victory parade and giving us an unsolicited "Vote Bush" really sullied the moment for a lot of diehards. That combined with the fact that you actually told people to vote for Bush is pretty much going to kill your campaign before it started, and that's without going into the fact that you have never served public office before. Really, stick to the blog.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
What's the Etiquette Here?
Today I went out to lunch with my mom to the Halfway Cafe in Canton (which was excellent, by the way). Anyways, we were seated right next to the station where all the waitresses entered their orders and while we were there we noticed that our waitress appeared to have either leaned up against or sat in something kind of dusty because she had specks all over her butt. Now, before you accuse me of staring at some girl's ass while having lunch with my mom I just want to say that it was especially noticeable because she was wearing all black and the dots were white. It was the color scheme, not me being sketchy.
Now, on the one hand I would like to be a helpful person and tell her so that she doesn't walk around with this stuff for the rest of her shift. On the other hand, it's not easy to tell someone that they have crap all over their butt when you're a guy. She'll think I'm a leering pervert. Girls can just tell each other this stuff and it'll be one girl looking out for another. It's just not a topic that you can ease your way into when you're a dude. Really, there is no way to bring it up to a complete stranger without being obvious about how you noticed it in the first place. Plus, she hadn't taken our order yet and I wouldn't want her messing with my lunch. Food and talk about a stranger's butt just should not be mixed.
-If I could take a second to talk about the Brett Favre block from last night's game - yes, he went low and yes, it was dirty and he should be fined. That's what'll happened when you close your eyes while trying to block. Idiot. But, I have to ask: what the hell was Favre, who earlier in the day disclosed he has a cracked rib, doing out there anyway? Who risks their quarterback's shoulder, and by extension their entire season, on a meaningless preseason gimmick play?
-There can't be any easy way to give someone this as a present. "Hey Dave, I saw this ad for a pocket breathalyzer and just thought of you. You damn lush." What's weird is that just the other day I had an ad for this emailed to me. How the hell did I end up on that mailing list?
Now, on the one hand I would like to be a helpful person and tell her so that she doesn't walk around with this stuff for the rest of her shift. On the other hand, it's not easy to tell someone that they have crap all over their butt when you're a guy. She'll think I'm a leering pervert. Girls can just tell each other this stuff and it'll be one girl looking out for another. It's just not a topic that you can ease your way into when you're a dude. Really, there is no way to bring it up to a complete stranger without being obvious about how you noticed it in the first place. Plus, she hadn't taken our order yet and I wouldn't want her messing with my lunch. Food and talk about a stranger's butt just should not be mixed.
-If I could take a second to talk about the Brett Favre block from last night's game - yes, he went low and yes, it was dirty and he should be fined. That's what'll happened when you close your eyes while trying to block. Idiot. But, I have to ask: what the hell was Favre, who earlier in the day disclosed he has a cracked rib, doing out there anyway? Who risks their quarterback's shoulder, and by extension their entire season, on a meaningless preseason gimmick play?
-There can't be any easy way to give someone this as a present. "Hey Dave, I saw this ad for a pocket breathalyzer and just thought of you. You damn lush." What's weird is that just the other day I had an ad for this emailed to me. How the hell did I end up on that mailing list?
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