WILD WEDNESDAY

If you didn't enjoy the back and forth in three games last night to decide the last playoff spots, you didn't have a pulse. Unbelievable drama happening simultaneously to end a few seasons.

Division Series predictions:

AL
Tigers over Yankees in 4
Rangers over Rays in 5

NL
Phillies over Cards in 4
D'Backs over Brewers in 5

And for everybody asking me about Reyes and his "back-door" batting title.

Don't care.

Sunday Funday

We have our annual town festival, street fair, excellent day today. Postponed from a non-rainy yesterday. Greasy food, fake Oakley sunglasses, people who can't control their dogs...sounds like fun.

Randomness:

Only caught the last 30-35 minutes of Person of Interest, but it looks good.

Season premiere of Supernatural was excellent. Of course!

MLB Playoffs in 5 days. Boston is still in the hunt and it looks like the reigning champions SF Giants is out.

My FF team is a hurtin' unit. And Dez Bryant is, once again, a game-time decision. I've got less than nobody to replace him, so I gotta cross my fingers here.

NBA looks like a no-go this season. Could be a big bonanza for L&O reruns!

Boardwalk Empire is back tonight to make my Sunday evening special.

Topps sent me two full sets of their 2011 MLB sets. Awesome.

My pool pump motor died last week. I'll wait until Spring to replace. Major overhaul in 2012!

Freefall

The Brewers clinched a playoff spot last night. The Brew-ers. Brew Crew. Sausage races. In the playoffs.

And my Mets will finish under .500 again. I bought a carton of milk the other day and Johan Santana and Ike Davis' faces were on it. Six games left in the season.

What does the future hold?

Bringin' in the fences. Uhhh, duh.

Free agency with Jose Reyes.

Trade rumors with David Wright.

Yankee baseball in the playoffs. Go Texas.

Hot stove blather.

I have the distinct feeling it will be a long winter of false hope. Again.

Neither Here Nor There

That is the way I can best sum up the 2011 NY Mets. A sometimes scrappy bunch who grind it out hard and get the win, but also a group of under-achieving ballplayers who get rolled like industrial carpet the next day.

With about two weeks to go in the season...here's the way I feel about the main position players:

Wright - season cut by 1/3 due to injuries, he is a streaky guy. Feast or famine. But still the guy we count on more than anyone else. I'm sure the Mets will be listening to trades for him during winter. If he goes...
Reyes - some say he's the most exciting player in MLB. All-world, legit 5-tool guy. And he'll probably be wearing a different uniform next season.
Davis - gone so long you forget what he looks like after a season-ending (freak) ankle injury.
Bay - what happened to this guy? I guess we should have spent the dough on Matt Holliday (like I said then).
Pagan - great skill and athleticism wrapped in a 25 cent head. To sign Reyes, they will jettison this guy for the moolah-di.
Duda - better get somebody to work this guy in the outfield hard, or he becomes another...
Murphy - another guy who doesn't have a position. Can hit though. And the fans love him. They loved Benny Agbayani too.
Thole - ummm, no.
Paulino - like the facial man-scaping. A good platoon guy. I'm sure he'll be gone.
Turner - A pleasant surprise, but you gotta produce for a full season.
Tejada - the heir apparent at SS if Reyes leaves. He's no Reyes.
Evans - maybe they will leave this kid up in the bigs next year as a utility guy and stop messing with him with the up and down to minors. He's as good as the bench guys we've been carrying all season.

I'll blather about the pitchers over the next couple. Because this is too depressing to keep typing.

Amish Crimewave

There is absolutely no reason for this post other than the fact that I love this picture.

Get your shoe-fly pie and story here.

Civic Duty Cha Cha Cha

Had jury duty in Morristown N-J today. Some people made the comment that "wasn't I smart enough to get out of it?"

I think jury duty every few years is a great responsibility that comes along with democracy and freedom and all that other stuff we celebrate when we get a long weekend in the summer. But the other 360+ days a year it matters as well. So I went, was picked for jury selection for a civil trial and ultimately was excused.

Duty fulfilled. Like all good Americans should do.

Aldo Nova's Favorite Pastime

Who?

With a bit of literary license, we're talking Fantasy Football!

The journey begins again my loyal listeners. My team (appropriately named SoulSlam) began the season with an almost win. Almost since my foe (the Kiss fan) has a player going tonight. But just a Tight End, so good luck getting 23 points out of him.

Anyway, here's the team:
QB - Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford (ir bound?)
RB - Jamaal Charles, Brandon Jacobs, Jahvid Best, Derrick Ward and Maurice Morris (not Mercury)
WR - Dez Bryant (!), Hakeem Nicks, Jacoby Ford, Jacoby Jones and Malcolm Floyd (I cornered the market on guys named Jacoby).
TE - Heath Miller, Todd Heap
K - Matt Bryant
DST - Ravens

My DST and Dez B. hooked me up pretty good. So I am the driver's seat this week.

Check me back...

And in honor of this post's namesake, check out this gem.

More Of The Same

So the flooding continues...my neck of the woods is OK, but there are a lot of people in hurtsville if you get my drift. Good luck to all.

Random:

The series finale of Rescue Me (along with wedding episode) were great

Mets = .500 = where do we go from here?

10th anniversary of 9/11 is this weekend

I have jury duty next week

I am watching a lot of Gordon Ramsey lately

NFL opening weekend. I am an Oakland Raider fan. How long until we are out?

I'm hoping Notre Dame has a little better showing this week

Angry Birds is addictive

I keep telling myself the smell in the air around town will disappear

New season of TV coming up

I really want summer to last

Harsh Realm

So since my last post (which you needed a twitter account to enjoy):

1. There was major, major flooding in my neck 'o' the woods
2. The House of SoulSlam was not spared
3. But we are luckier than most (I guess)
4. A lot of friends homes were not so lucky
5. I did a clean-up job in my basement that would make Mike Rowe proud
6. We went on vacation three days late (or so)
7. Had a fun time in Rehoboth Beach
8. Got to stay a couple extra days
9. Came home to a local apocalypse
10. Back to work

That's it in a nutshell.