1 - So it's been over two days since it came out that Frank Haith was going to be Missouri's next head basketball coach. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = AWESOME!!, 10 = FIRE ALDEN!!), where did you stand when you found out, and where do you stand now?
2 - Via Dave Matter: "On a handful of scrimmage plays, Missouri did in fact line up with what would best be described as a fullback in the backfield, in an under-center formation no less." IS THE END OF THE WORLD NIGH?!?!
3 - With Sucker Punch out and Fast (and Furious) 5 coming soon, let's talk about worst movies ever. Worst movie you have ever seen? Most disappointing movie you've ever seen?
4 - So it appears that Mrs. Bill C. and I will be having a girl this September. Tell me why that's awesome. Now tell me why that is the worst thing in the world.
The Beef: 1 - When I found out, I was probably a 6, since I am a rather large proponent of Mike Alden. After the last couple of days, I am probably to about a 3. Still some questions (which wont be answered until the season starts), and that number could still move depending on what sort of recruiting class he is able to cobble together.
2 - While it may start to silence the FULLBACK!! crowd, their new lament will be that it took Pinkel too long to make the adjustment. From a size standpoint, I don’t think either White or Culver is really what you want in someone in that position, but if it assists in short yardage (and D. Moore is pretty solid already in those situations), then I have no problem with it.
3 - I don’t take movies personally enough to remember the worst one I have seen, and I don’t typically have any expectations going in…so swing and a miss for The Beef.
4 - Because it is. And because it is
Michael Atchison: 1. I’ve had a very strange few weeks as I was a candidate in a school board election that was held yesterday (I won the KC Star’s endorsement, but, alas, the KC Star didn’t get to vote), so I haven’t followed this nearly as closely as I would have liked. When it first came out, on a scale of 1 to 10, I was a ?. Just didn’t know what to make of it. But the goal is not to win the press conference, it’s to win the future. You have to get the right guy, not just the obvious guy. And Mike Alden has been right more often than he has been wrong. I’m willing to believe it can work, but I haven’t even read the coverage from yesterday’s introduction. In my newly found free time, I’ll get up to speed and come back with more thoughts.
2. Can someone please translate that sentence? I don’t even understand it.
3. The worst movie I’ve ever seen is probably Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which featured Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees as Beatles-inspired characters. The most disappointing may have been Pay It Forward. I figured Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment might give me something that I didn’t hate with every fiber of my being.
4. It’s awesome because when you change a diaper, she’ll never pee a stream straight over her head. It is not the worst thing in the world in any respect.
I’m out most of the rest of the day. I’ll start pulling my weight again next week.
ZouDave: 1 - I was probably a 5 when I found out. I hadn't been on the internet for a few hours so I didn't know about it until a lot of nuclear fallout had already started spreading, but I looked at the headline on PowerMizzou.com of "It's Haith" and I said "It's who? What's a Haith?" My shock was always about "I've never heard this man's name before in my life." I knew when Painter fell through that we were going to end up getting a guy that at least 50% of the fanbase would immediately hate, and honestly I thought that guy was going to be Sutton. But once I started reading about Haith, I became totally fine with the hire. Bottom line, he has to produce. And he'll have the support and opportunity to do that here and I think it's great. I wasn't at all excited about Mike Anderson when he got hired until after his press conference, and this is no different. So put me at a guarded 7 right now. I think Frank Haith will give this job everything he's got, and that's all I can reasonably ask of him. I just hope his best is good enough.
2 - No, it's just a wrinkle on the greatest formation of all-time: The Double Jumbo.
3 - I think the worst movie I've ever seen in the theater is going to be a tie between Ravenous and Mars Attacks. I described both movies as "wretched abortions" upon walking out of the theater. Most disappointing? Probably Independence Day or 300. No...it's definitely Independence Day. God damn that movie sucked and it was not supposed to suck.
4 - It's awesome because my streak is still alive: If I attended your wedding, your first child will be a girl. I've lost track of how many couples this is true for because the number is so high, but there is not a single instance of me attending a wedding (dating all the way back to my uncle's wedding in 1982) where their first child was not a daughter. So that's awesome. And I don't think there's any reason at all this is the worst thing in the world (Hi, Mrs. Bill C!)
ZouDave: DOH! I used the scale wrong in my first answer. I meant I was at a 5 and then moved up to a 3, not down to a 7. This stuff is too confusing.
Bill C.: Oh, make no mistake: Mrs. Bill C. was hoping for a boy.
ZouDave: Same thing she said when she found you, so now she's 0-2.
BOOM!
The Beef: ZD bringin’ the HEAT.
Say…what happened to your morning staff meeting?
ZouDave: No meeting today, thank the heavens. Our CIO has been laid up for the past 6 weeks after having surgery on his neck/shoulder so we've had no meetings. It's been glorious, I've gotten so much more work done.
But I am leaving at 11:30 today to go to the Royals game, so there's that.
Bill C.: In me, she got a man, not a boy.
/obviousretortisobvious
ZouDave: Yeah, I definitely saw that response coming. I'd give it a 7...or a 3...I don't know which way is good.
The Beef: Give it both…that will probably screw up his standard deviation or something
ZouDave: I figured that's what his daughter's name was going to be. Standard Deviation C. has such a beautiful ring to it.
The Beef: Alright…secondary question to everyone:
What are your thoughts on the Northern Arizona Basketball Head Coach voting Ohio State #1 and UCONN #3 in the final poll. His explanation is that he is voting on the body of work, not just the tournament.
Is this right? Is this wrong? Is it strange that this now almost starts to form something of a bowl-system argument? We all love the tournament, but are we now starting to realize it is not quite the guaranteed way to crown a champ we all thought it was?
ZouDave: Oh it's the guaranteed way to crown a champion. The wins prove that. It doesn't mean UConn was the best team for the entire season, it means they were the Champions. History is filled with teams that won without being the best. Champions =/= Best Team, though they can end up being the same team. I'd rather be Champions.
The Beef: I guess the question now becomes…does this initial move start to move people away from the sort of group-think which had everyone always voting the Champ #1 in the final poll? Could you envision a scenario where you have a mid-major or another somewhat unheralded team make a 6/7-game run and win the title, and not be the #1 team in the final poll? I realize it wont matter much, but I would have to say that does start to break a bit at the mystique and position of the NCAA tourney.
ZouDave: It only becomes a question if people pay attention to it, and I'm not sure anyone will. The tourney decides the champ.
The Beef: People never paid attention to it before…and it made news this year :-)
ZouDave: Yeah, but I didn't know about it until you said something and I still don't care.
The Beef: Is there any thought at this point to the eventual spot for Aaron Crow? Is he going to spend some time in the bullpen this year before maybe developing back to a starter, or are you guys thinking career bullpen/potential closer for him?
ZouDave: Honestly, nobody really knows what the Royals are doing with Crow. The consensus from those who cover/write about the Royals was that Crow needed another season or partial season in the minors attempting to be a starter, and if it wasn't going well through part of the season then you move him to the bullpen in the minors and then bring him up to the majors. Most of those writers still believe Crow's future should be pointing towards rotation right now, because of his high draft slot and high ceiling. While it's obviously too early to tell what kind of year he's going to have, this could end up being the kind of move the Royals took with Greinke back in 2007 where they let him come in out of the pen, go 1-2 innings of just blowing people away, and using that experience to make you a better starter. In 2007 Zack posted his then career-best ERA at 3.69 in 52 appearances (only 14 starts) and had a very good 1.29 WHIP. The next year he started 32 games, went 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Then 2009 he was ridiculous at 16-8, 2.16 and 1.07 respectively. So MAYBE they're wanting to take the same approach with Crow.
He can't be being considered as our future closer, because he's only 3 years younger than Soria and Soria is one of the best (if not the best) closer in the game right now. He could certainly be a good setup man for Soria, but we already have that in Tejeda. Our bullpen was considered a strength prior to the season and certainly hasn't disappointed, but like all things with the Royals right now it's supposed to be even better next year when all the young kids get here. So Crow might just be doing his time in the pen now and will get serious looks as a starter for 2012.
Rany Jazayerli is the best Royals blogger out there and he descrbied Crow recently with this gem: "But it would be foolish of me to not acknowledge that he’s looked pretty damn impressive so far. In particular, that slider is just…I’m not sure it’s illegal, but it’s definitely immoral."
The Beef: Not to make this into a STL/KC thing (since I really don’t care about either team), but it sounds similar in nature to what the Cardinals are doing with Kyle McClellan, who had been out of the pen the past few years, but who most believed to be (and who now finally is) a starting pitcher waiting to happen.
Looking forward to the day it is Crow vs. Gibson or Scherzer in there too. Will be interested to see if Zagone can make the jump too (think he is in the O’s organization)
Doug: 1 - What's the level of pure confusion without being pissed off at Alden (and, in fact, a little bit happy that he wound up with Haith)? Would we say 4-5? Then, yes, let's go with that. I think I haven't wavered much from that position, because, what the hell do I care?
My big thought, recently, the more you considered Mike Anderson's departure: who here doesn't think that thing was scripted from, say, October of 2010? Seriously, the man does little to no recruiting for Missouri, leaving the Tigers with no signed recruits, one extremely soft verbal, and three open scholarships. Frankly, I never disliked Mike Anderson, but considering how he handled the second part of being a basketball coach for Missouri this season, it made me lose a lot of respect for him.
2 - Um, yes?
3 - Worst movie, I don't really have a strong stand-out. Disappointments could go on and on. Most of the movies on the list would be those effect-laden, green-screen-shot films that are becoming more prevalent with each summer blockbuster season. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow being chief among them. Beautiful to look at, but a story and plot line that was kind of weird and pointless. Seriously, Michael Bay might make some cheesy movies, but at least he blows up real cities.
4 - There is no greater joy than bringing life into this world. However, you remember what your brain was thinking when you were a teenager... approximately 13 years from September, your daughter will be around teenage boys. Try not to kill any of them when they come over to your house.
ghtd36: Ahoy-hoy, fellow Internet travelers!
1 - I was a 1, as in I thought it was the greatest hire ever. What? What's that? I called it the suckiest bunch of suck that ever sucked? Oh. Yeah. I guess I did.
Admittedly, I was not in love with it at the time, but I think I made a key mistake that a lot of people made that night: mistaking confusion for anger. I think the hire came so out of left field -- no, scratch that, the hire came from outside the stadium in the parking lot behind left field -- that I was shocked and translated that into misplaced anger. If I had thought it through -- or, you know, slept on it -- I probably would have been what I am now (a 3) as opposed to what I was (a 9).
So, yeah. My bad.
2 - We're doomed.
3 - The worst movie I've ever seen? Wow, that's a toughie, because I've seen a lot of bad movies. "Going the Distance" is pretty horrendous. Actually, anything with Drew Barrymore is pretty horrendous. "The Majestic" is up there, too.
Most disappointing movie is easy: "Napoleon Dynamite." After hearing for three months from everyone about how this was the funniest movie of all time, I get Uncle Rico and a bunch of unfunny other characters. No, Napoleon's not funny. He's aggressively unfunny. He's the opposite of funny. He makes "Amistad" look amusing. "Napoleon Dynamite" is my cinematic kryptonite.
4 - She hot?
ZouDave: Could you have been any more confused if it had been the confusingest day of the year and you had an electrified confusing machine?
SleepyFloyd7: Sorry for the late check in. I was up until 2 watching The Killing (recorded from Sunday on AMC - FANTASTIC), and Party Down (thanks for recommending it, someone on RMN).
1 - 4 for me. A surprising hire, for sure, but for me, Alden has earned at least a little bit of credit when it comes to coaching hires. I guess I shouldn't be surprised any more by the venom that comes from some fans, but that caught me off guard as much as the hire. Now, it seems like the standard to which Haith will be held seems unnaturally high. I guess that's what you get now-a-days in big time college athletics.
2 - I can't wait for a "4 Horseman" formation with Franklin, Gabbert2, Glasier and Berkstresser.
3 - I didn't see it in a theatre, but sometimes Saturday afternoon tv can sneak up and bite you...
4 - I have 2 girls - they are sweet and loving, and fill me with the strength to be the best I can be. I also have to do this twice a day, every day:
* Please brush your teeth.
* Would you brush your teeth please?
* Please, sweetheart, brush your teeth.
* Where are you going? Brush your teeth.
* Wait, put that down, please, and brush your teeth.
* No, I don't need you to draw a picture of me right now, I need you to brush your teeth.
* Yes, thank you, it's a very nice picture. Now, brush your teeth.
* No, I'll clean up the spilled shampoo bottle later. Brush your teeth please.
* That's nice. I'm glad Emily showed you her ear infection. That sounds very educational. Please brush your teeth.
* Did you know that we had 2 daughters before you? We sold them to the Gypsies because they didn't brush their teeth when we asked them to.
* My darling daughter, I'm going to call the Gypsies if you don't brush your teeth.
* They are migrants who trade goods and services.
* Yes, I imagine they might entertain an offer for a healthy young girl like you, regardless of the state of her dental health.
* Sweetheart, I was just trying get you to stop messing around and brush your teeth.
* No, I would never really do that.
* No, I was joking about the other daughters.
* Stop crying please.
* OK, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for making up a story about having other daughters that we sold to the gypsies. I promise that I won't do that again.
* Would you brush your teeth, please?
* No, after the toothpaste falls off your brush into the sink, please don't scoop it up with your finger and put it back on the brush. Just get new toothpaste.
* Now, brush please.
* No, I don't think Mrs. Ramirez is a Gypsy.
* She does have a lot of cats.
* OK, it's past your bedtime. Would you brush your teeth, please?
* No, don't grab it out of the toilet. We've got a new toothbrush in the cabinet.
* Yes, Mom and I buy new new ones almost every time we go to the store, just in case.
* But this one has Nemo on it. You loved that movie.
* Please brush your teeth.
* Brush your teeth, please.
* OK, now floss.
every night.
ZouDave: This contest is over. Give that man the $10,000!
(I'm going to only speak in Homer Simpson quotes for the next hour)
ghtd36: Dave, that confuses me.
Also, I brought this up in the comments yesterday, but if we ever get Team RMN together again, we need to shoot a fake Mizzou commercial, a la the Jon Hamm commercial.
Me scrolling through gifs: "Z-O-U."
ZD frantically covering up his sister: "Z-O-U."
Atch signing his book and giving it to a confused child: "Z-O-U."
Beef with his face in his hands, wondering why he hangs out with us: "Z-O-U."
Sleepy screaming into his microphone: "Z-O-U."
RPT counting millions of dollars: "Z-O-U."
Bill watching football with one of those old-timey adding machines while a pregnant Mrs. Bill carries a couch upstairs: "Z-O-U...forever."
ZouDave:
SleepyFloyd7: The Name-Of-The-Year bracket is out.
Who you got?
I'm kind of pulling for Basil Smotherman, Jr.
ZouDave: Joey Jo-jo Junior Shabadoo
ghtd36: You know, I think Taco B.M. Monster is a real sleeper.
Doug: My 12-5 upsets are Leviticus Payne and Quadrophenia Taylor (yes, the last name is a bit pedestrian, but holy crap, that first name is something else.)
ZouDave: That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! (aka, to see the Royals)
ghtd36: Now that you mention it...there is a certain awesome baseball team of note...