COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? JUST WANT TO TELL ME I'M NUTS?
EMAIL ME: mfrsig83@gmail.com

5/16/12

If you ask 9,999 people out of 10,000 they will tell you that they care about the environment. But I would be very curious to hear the response to that question from the people who are funding commercials asking people not support a proposed law that would limit certain industry in an effort to reduce pollution – because it might cost people their jobs. What would they say? “Well sure, I support the environment, but ahh, mmm, let me see…THIS doesn’t harm the environment because, ummmm…” In other words, people care about the environment only until it suits them not to. George Carlin WAS right.
In any great TV show the supporting characters are just as good - if not better - than the leads. That's why Mike & Molly is so good: Molly's mom & sister, hysterical fiancé of said mom (over-the-top!) and - the funniest of all - Mike's mom, make the show the classic that it is (already, after only 2 seasons).

5/9/12

At long last...MIKE'S BURRITOS!!!!!

5/1/12

Just got done with the Game of Thrones 3rd book - by far the best. Mind-blowing. You never know what is going to happen next. Highly recommended.
This draft might go down as the best in Steelers' history. OK that's a stretch...but c'mon! Need a guard? How about the best in the draft? Need a tackle? How about one of the best in the draft (who fell to the 2nd round because of controversy). Need that ILB? Check. Need that scat back? Check. Need a NT? How about what some consider the best pure NT in the draft?
PERHAPS THE GREATEST INVENTION OF ALL TIME.
I really hope the Pens don't do anything drastic after the early exit. Let's face it - that was a CRAZY series that simply wasn't reality. Total fluke. I call it the "Cody Carlson" effect. Back in the late 80's all the Steelers needed to get into the playoffs was to beat the Warren Moon-less Oilers and their backup QB Cody Carlson. Instead of getting walked over, Carlson had just about the most perfect game ever by an NFL QB. Ever heard of Cody Carlson? Of course not, that's my point.
Waste a great hour here.
Only the Redskins could be stupid enough to draft another QB in the 4th round. Maybe its for the best, RG3 is going to be a bust anyway.
After a month of record-setting pitching, the Bucs' bats are starting to wake up. Dare we hope...?
It never ceases to amaze me how celebrities are so desperate to be noticed that they name their babies ridiculous things just to get some level of headline. Jessica Simpson, whose lack of talent and resulting head-scratch-celebrity is eclipsed only by Paris Hilton & "Snooki", named her little GIRL Maxwell. Well, congrats Jessica - it worked, people paid attention to you for another day. I'm sure your daughter MAXWELL will understand your motives when she is 15.

4/23/12

Woe is me, and every other Pittsburgh sports fan. It's not only that they lost - but that I was absolutely sure that NO ONE was going to beat this team in a 7 game series. So let's examine the corpse...
REASON #1 THE PENS LOST: the obvious - the worst defense I have ever seen. The Penguins spent most of the series standing around watching the Flyers taking their good old time finding the wide open guy for the one-timer.
REASON #2 THE PENS LOST: Fleury. He played as good as any goalie in the history of the playoffs in the 3rd period of game 5. Other than that he was horrifying. Words can't describe how inept he was. I would consider cutting him he was so bad.
REASON #3 THE PENS LOST: the curious case of the disappearance of one Sidney Crosby in game 6. Did he even play in game 6?
REASON #4 THE PENS LOST: the Flyers played an offensive series for eternity. Lost in the sea of blame on the Pens one gets lost in the fact that every bounce went the Flyers way, and they capitalized on every one.
REASON #5 THE PENS LOST: they didn't have a "heart & soul" guy. These guys are never stars, they are the all-guts, limited-glory players that inspire everyone else. They had two when they won the Cup a few years ago - Bill Guerin and Max Talbot. I still don't blame the Pens for letting Max walk a few years ago, but I seriously underestimated what a guy like that can do for an NHL team.
Everyone can get off of Malkin's case - no he didn't light up the scoreboard but he gave more effort than anyone else on the ice. For the Pens anyway.
The Pens will make us all forget this travesty half-way through next season when they are leading the league in scoring. It's hard to find fault in a team like that, or criticize an organizational approach like that. But ask Ottawa and San Jose fans from the last 10 years how well high-scoring #1 seed teams fare in the playoffs.
HBO strikes again: "Veep" and "Girls" look like keepers.

4/17/12

I can sum up the Penguins disastrous playoff performance with this video. One of the funniest things I have seen in a while...potty-mouthed, so watch who you watch it with.
I will say this: you know its bad when the Flyers are the good guys.
Note to Pirates fans: mark April 8th in your calendars, your Buccos were 2-1 and that seems to be the one & only & last time they will hit the +.500 mark this season.
I see The Hunger Games was #1 again at the box office, meaning that I will have to wait longer to go see it. I'm afraid people will wonder why that dirty old man is seeing the movie. My plan is to avoid as much exposure as possible and venture out when the teenage masses have cleared.

4/12/12

Thanks Matt for reminding me of my neglecting of duties.
Every Stanley Cup Playoff season never ceases to amaze me. When the Pens win a game there is joy and jubilation in the streets and no one thinks we will lose another game on our way to hoisting the Cup. When the Pens lose a game there are people jumping off buildings. It's 48 hours of hell until the next game. OK I'll admit, I'm one of the worse culprits.
Don't worry, Pens in 6. Let's face it, even though Philly dominated the 2nd half of the game their first goal shouldn't have happened (I saw offsides from my couch, how did that idiot ref miss it?) and their second was a one-in-a-million lucky bounce. Geno's line didn't do anything, and that won't hold - that line will break out. That alone will put the Pens over the top. So don't worry.
I'm not sure if Ozzie Guillen should be fired or not, but him praising Fidel Castro while being the manager of a team based in Little Havana would be like the coach of a team based in Tel Aviv saying how much he admired Hitler. Regardless of his fate as a baseball manager, his fate as an idiot is sealed.
OK I admit it, the new "Two and a Half Men" is officially watchable. And yes, even Ashton is holding his own.
I truly hate one thing about the new season of "Game of Thrones" - it's only on once per week.
Who is going to hire former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino? He abandoned the Falcons mid-season in the NFL and disgraced himself at the college level. I see Arena Football in this man's future. I hope that chick was mega-hot at least.
Steelers' draft if it were up to me (and one day it will be): R1 OG, R2 ILB, R3 OG/C, R4 RB, R5 OLB, R6&7 best players available.
The Pirates set out to build a team of good pitching. Congrats. Now please spend a buck or two on someone that can produce a run. Jeez.
So much for worrying about North Korea's missile program. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! I've seen kids in their back yards launch better rockets!
Axl Rose told the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that he won't be attending the induction ceremony. A 45-year-old guy in Boise with a mullet and tattoo-covered arms broke down in tears while at his his 10-minute oil change job. No one else cared.
The freakin' buzz I get off of a 16 oz. can of Monster drink wasn't enough, now I gulp down a 10 oz. can of EXTRA STRENGTH Monster every morning. Talk about WIRED. Plenty of chemicals, but no calories!! Hard to believe Diet Mountain Dew used to do it for me. Now I drink that stuff before bed.
Lot's of new movies to review - coming soon.

3/19/12

Denver, Peyton? After playing in New Orleans (high school), Tennessee (college) and in a dome in Indy for the last 21 years?
I guarantee you Elway told Manning that he would trade Tebow...there is no way Manning wants to have to deal with those religious nuts/Tebow fans.
So who picks up Tebow? Easy answer: The Jags. Tim is from Jacksonville, and they can't sell tickets. Marriage made in heaven.
KILLER ending to The Walking Dead. Next season is going to RULE. There are so many good stories from the comic book series about the prison, I hope they use all of them. GREAT to see Michonne's debut...even though we haven't seen her face yet (I actually read somewhere that they haven't actually even cast the role yet! Hence the hood...)

3/16/12

HBO has decided to cancel "Luck" after three - THREE horses died during production accidents. Not one, not two, but THREE innocent horses had to die before they finally decided that this terrible show was worth ending. What's really funny is that if the show wasn't the worst show HBO has ever come up with it would not have been cancelled - I don't care if they slaughtered the Budweiser Clydesdales on a weekly basis.
But the one show on TV that is even worse than Luck is still going - at least for now. "Comic Book Men" is SO BAD Kevin Smith should be banned from any form of entertainment anywhere going forward. The intense drama on a weekly basis hovers on these incredible losers getting chills when the first comic book with the appearance of Wonder Woman comes in their shop door. I am a pretty big geek - and even I think that is beyond geek, this show is serial killer-in-training.
Really, since "Clerks" what has Kevin Smith done that was any good? Answer: NOTHING!!!
And through it all, Fox's "New Girl" has joined "Mike & Molly" & (of course) "The Big Bang Theory" as the only watchable sitcoms on TV. Lesson learned, yet again - lead characters are nice, but its the supporting people that make or break things in the long run (SEE: Seinfeld).
I have a crazy "Game of Thrones" thing going: I bought season 1 on Blue Ray so I am watching that before season 2 starts on HBO, but I just finished book #2 (Clash of Kings) that will be the storyline for season 2 on HBO. Do I start the 3rd book even before I watch the 2nd season on HBO? These are the things that keep me up at night...
Do you know why the Redskins stink every year? Because they throw huge money on day 1 of NFL free agency at marginal players like former Colts WR Pierre Gaicon, just to ensure that they are the ones to make the "splash" in free agency and make the headlines. $9 million/year for this guy? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't care so much except that they drove up the market for much better WRs, like the Steelers' Mike Wallace. Daniel Snyder is such an idiot.
The Steelers, Patriots, Packers, Ravens, etc., i.e. the better teams in the league, don't need to make the headlines by over-signing players in March, they do so by being in the headlines in January.
Steelers draft: gotta draft a guard in round one, then a nose tackle in round 2, then another guard in round 3, then a WR in round 4 (since there is no way they will give Wallace the $10 mil/year someone else will next year), then an ILB in round 4.
Who exactly is going to play guard for the Steelers next year, anyway? The 2 starters from last year were only tendered with no guarantee of return. I smell blowing off the O-line again...
The Pirates - SCORING RECORD RUNS in spring training. Meaningless? Maybe...but they couldn't score in spring training in years past. NOTHING would make me happier than being proven DEAD WRONG about Bob Nutting being the worst owner in pro sports. The money they have spent on draft picks and also extending McCutcheon shows good things...I would LOVE a winning Pirates team. I can't even tell ya.
Penguins - with everyone healthy, and as long as they stay that way - start engraving the Cup.
I don't usually go to the movies, I typically wait until they come out on video...but I can't wait that long to see "The Hunger Games". What's particularly painful is that I will end up going by myself in a sea of teenagers. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do.

3/9/12

GOOD NEWS: I found out today that when the Mayans made the calendar that expires this year, they didn't figure in the leap years. So by that logic, the end of the world by Mayan calendar standards actually should have happened 11 months ago! So that's one less thing to worry about. I hope.

3/8/12

If Crosby comes back soon as speculated, and can stay healthy this time, they can start etching the name "Pittsburgh Penguins" on the Cup.
I'm not a huge follower of the election process, but in what little I have seen has proven nothing more to me than this group of GOP hopefuls have PERFECTED that art of saying a lot without saying anything at all.
Waitaminute...$9 million plus/year by the Pirates for a good home-grown player...? I'm dizzy, I need to sit.
Mitt Romney? Really?
Probably landing spot for Manning: Miami. Best landing spot for Manning with at least one title for sure: San Francisco.
What kind of a name is "Mitt" anyway?
"Game of Thrones" season 1 came out on Blue Ray and I have to say it is one of the most visually stunning Blue Rays I have ever seen. That, and the content (top-5 all-time show), make it one of my better purchases in some time.
Someone I work with asked me if Games of Thrones is like Lord of the Rings, and I said its close...minus all the huge plot holes and plus all the better story, characters, violence and sexuality. In other words, its better.
Boy, the media sure knows how to overkill something. Every media outlet from here to Tokyo has to interview every person that ever played a down of football in a desperate attempt to get that one special angle that no one else might. In other words: reporting the news isn't good enough anymore. You have to find that shocking item that will sell one more magazine, or score one more web site hit, or have one more person watch your show.
Sorry, that Lemieux statue is the dumbest thing I have ever seen. Why include 2 opposing players getting beat by Mario in the statue? Who's idea was this?? And how did Mario OK it??

3/2/12

Wow - Hines Ward, James Farrior and Aaron Smith all gone from the Steelers. From a business perspective it was a no-brainer to release these guys, but it's emotional nonetheless. Hats off to these guys - they are among the greatest Steelers of all time and they will never have to pay for a dinner in a Pittsburgh restaurant the rest of their lives.
The NFL thinks it has problems with player concussions, but it pales in comparison to what the NHL is dealing with. The Pens' Kris Letang is the latest Pittsburgh victim. Here;s how you fix this - are you listening NHL?? - NO MORE hits in the back (like NFL clipping) and no more hits into the walls. No more, none, end of story, no excuses. THAT will solve the problem, without question, and even the NHL knows. The problem is not ignorance, its the Canadian hit-and-fight mentality that the feeble-minded people that run the NHL cling to. I have no idea why, but they feel that anything less that gladiator-style hockey simply is not good enough.
Who told Kelly Osbourne she was qualified to criticize what people wear??

3/1/12

It blew my mind today how many people called into radio shows today complaining that the Steelers should have kept Hines Ward, that he deserves to stay with the team based on all he has done. It s amazing how many people watch the Steelers without any real clue about how things work. One knucklehead actually said they should keep Ward and let Mike Wallace go... ONCE AGAIN, football is not about who owes what to whom - the Steelers paid Hines Ward over $40 million, they don't owe him anything. Hines Ward does not owe the Steelers anything either. Do people think that Hines wouldn't have bolted from Pittsburgh in his prime if he had the chance to score more money elsewhere? Its a business folks. A BUSINESS. Hines can't play...NEXT.
Y'know I'm getting really tired of being right all the time...after restructuring contracts and the release of Ward and Aaron Smith they are now about $10 million UNDER the cap and they haven't even cut Keomouatu yet. Mike Wallace long-term deal and Saints All-Pro FA guard (because they have to pay Brees) here we come!

2/23/12

I found out that my Great Uncle Carl, my grandmother Rosemary's brother, passed away. It had been many years since I had seen him, until when Rosemary passed away several years ago. I will remember him always as a person that I felt like I had known well all my life - he was warm, funny (we gave each other numerous Seinfeld lines) and I loved talking to him. If I felt that about him after only a few hours I can only imagine how loved he must have been by everyone close to him. My most sincere condolences to his family, RIP Uncle Carl.

2/22/12

Sports fans in Pittsburgh are funny when it comes to the Pirates. Take the case of the acquisition of AJ Burnett...here's a guy who has pitched - at BEST - mediocre over the last 2 seasons. This mediocrity when he has an All-Star lineup to scores runs for him. How do you think he is going to do with Garrett Jones batting cleanup? Pirates fans, however, have been deluded by tram ownership once again: fans get a "name" player to come to Pittsburgh via free agency. OOOOOOhhh-AAAAAAhhhh... Said ownership has the fans thinking the Pirates are relevant with this move, ownership pays next to nothing for the player, fans buy a few more tickets. You can call me cynical if you want, I prefer realistic.
FOX's Napoleon Dynamite TV show has been a tremendous disappointment. The beauty of the movie were these uber-weirdos amongst normal society. The TV show has turned the entire world into an uber-weird fantasy where Barney the Dinosaur is just as likely to show up as Uncle Rico. They put the fish right back into the water. Too bad, I had high hopes.
Rick Santorum is brilliant: he sits back and does pretty much nothing while the 2 GOP favorites bash each other and bring each other's popularity down...guess who's left?
Megadeth & Rob Zombie at Stage AE in May!! See you there!!!
I really have to say - even though I have only watched a fraction of this season's American Idol episodes - that the contestants this year are incredible. Pretty much all of the finalists I have seen so far sing better than anything I hear on the radio lately. What's frustrating is that many of them will get bounced because they aren't the liking of the bubble-gum airheads that vote their favorites and will see an early exit.
It's amazing that that the first season of "Eastbound and Down" could be so incredibly good but everything since has been so bad. Season 2 was awful, and the first episode od season 3 forebodes that it might be even worse.

2/15/12

So who at HBO thought that "Luck" was a good idea? Yes, I can just hear it now: "there is a huge void out there for a show about the world of horse racing, we have to capitalize on the mega-popularity of the sport at all costs". This might be the most boring show I have ever seen.
What is the issue with the Hines Ward situation? There shouldn't be one, the path is clear: CUT HIM! He can't play anymore! Gotta love Hines for all eternity, but you don't win championships by keeping guys on the team that can't play, even at 3rd-string, even at minimum wage. And no, the Steelers do not owe him anything, they have given him enough money to keep generations of his family living large.
Another team will sign him, probably someone like Jacksonville who will think he can help sell an extra ticket or two. But that's why the Jags are the Jags and the Steelers are the Steelers.
Actually I predict one season for Hines with the Falcons, his home state team. He'll catch 20-25 balls and then that will be it.
Have you seen a monologue for the Conan O'Brien show on TBS. It has been so unfunny the times that I have watched it that I am actually embarrassed for them. Its uncomfortable to watch.
The Walking Dead came back strong, but one must ask the question - outside of actor salaries, what does it cost to produce an episode of that show? $500? I've said all along that the show isn't about zombies, its about the people - and good thing. The obvious lack of budget definitely wouldn't allow any worthwhile large-scale scenes of zombie devastation.
As I suspected, as the economy grows, as unemployment goes down, President Obama's approval rating rises (back up over 50% these days). I've said it all along, if things can recover steadily, the Democrats claim responsibility and Obama gets back into office. This is NOT a knock on Democrats, the GOP would do the same thing. Its just how the whole thing works. The in-seat President and their party have very little to do with the economy, good or bad, but they take the heat for the bad and reap the rewards for the good all the same.

2/8/12

The NFL is going to have to figure out what to do about their half time show at the Super Bowl. For years everyone wanted Aerosmith, because they were a rare band that brought in multi-generational audiences, having peaked in both the 70's and the 90's. That kid of band - one that can pull in multi-levels of fans - does not exist right now. So having to make a choice the NFL is targeting the younger crowd. But they are finding out, the hard way, that the "sell" in a lot of these hip-hop style singers is shock value. Great for album sales, not so much for family-friendly programming. They got it right in the recent past with Prince and U2 - acts that no longer need to shock to make a buck. Here's another idea on those lines: Ozzy, baby! Based on his new-found commercialism you can pull in any number of crowds - old, new, rock, metal, young, old, you name it.
Todd Haley: GREAT hire. He had Kurt Warner and crew in AZ and went aerial, in KC he had RB's and led the league in rushing. In other words, he will play to the strengths that currently exist. Too many people fear that ownership wants the offense to run the ball a la Jerome Bettis days - NOT the case, what Mr. Rooney wants is an offense that throws the ball quickly, that has a FB to block and/or be a check-down options, that throws to the TE 10 times/game, etc. And he wants an offense with an OL that can block. He does NOT want an offense that has all the receivers running 20+ yard patterns behind a bad line that forces the QB to run back into the teeth of a pass rush and sprain his ankle, ruining the season. He does NOT want a version of the run-and-shoot offense that works great from the 20 to the 20 and then stalls.

2/5/15

Eli MVP? The short-minded writers couldn't think any further than the QB. More than ever this should lend credence to eliminating the MVP designation altogether. He played well, but better than their FB Henry Hynoski, who CRUSHED Patriots defenders all night?? Or Jason Pierre-Paul, who was dominant on the DL all night??
Patriots in Super Bowls when cheating: 3-0. Patriots in Super Bowls after getting caught cheating: 0-2.
This Super Bowl is totally scarred for me. What bush-league BS. The Patriots LET them score? C'moooooon...where have you gone, Mike Ditka?
MOVIE REVIEWS: two good ones, 50/50 and Our Idiot Brother.
6:43 left in the 3rd, Pats 17-12. Pats will win. I really don't care.

2/3/12

Around the corner: The Hunger Games movie, The Walking Dead starting up again, Rancid's 20th anniversary album & tour, a sequel to "Taken", The Hobbit movie and (finally) a winning season for Pirates baseball. As long as the Mayans weren't right about the end of the world, 2012 is going to be pretty cool.
I wish I could get excited about "The Avengers", but these Marvel Comics movies are just so ridiculously average. I would love to say "I wish they would use the same cool stories they used when I read comics", but I think they ARE - its' just that what was great when I was 12 doesn't necessarily translate into greatness at 43.

2/1/12

PLANETRODI EXCLUSIVE!!! (not really but I always wanted to say that) The first 3 minutes of the new Walking Dead episode!!!!
Much like I watched every Seinfeld rerun, I'm now stuck on every Big Bang Theory syndicated rerun on TBS. Can't get enough - every episode is hilarious! It has the element of every great show - lots of characters, all of them interesting. Hopefully Mike & Molly, the only current show that fills the same criteria (in my mind), will have said syndicated status after it hits 100 episodes.
Here's why Geno Malkin is playing like a hockey god again: several years ago he had Peter Sykora (the finisher) and Ryan Malone (the physical presence who can also score) as his wings; now he has James Neal and Chris Kunitz filling those same roles respectively.

1/30/12

I can't believe it is the end of January already.
If the NFL's Pro Bowl is going to be like this they should just blow it up and pave it over. That was embarrassing to watch. The both lines were just standing there & backs and receivers were falling down before anyone could tackle them. It ended up being a throw-it-up-for-grabs-fest with no NFL validity whatsoever. People in attendance were booing loudly, and I don't blame them!

1/27/12

Live's "Lightning Crashes" is the most intense video ever made. I really can't ever watch it without emotional - and I still have not totally figured out the video's exact meaning, despite the clarity of the overall premise. Every time I watch it I notice something new and/or different. But without question it is incredibly emotionally powerful. Particularly the angel - terrifying and beautiful all at once.
I've always liked Marilyn Manson. I'm a huge tech-metal junkie, of which he is upper-echelon of the genre, but beyond that I always thought he was a great performance "shocker". There are Hollywood directors that make movies like "The Exorcist" or "The Omen" and they are considered genius, but Manson makes a crazy video and he is a pariah. Go figure. Art is art, we can judge the "taste" as such but that is all just rhetorical opinion (for example: I love Manson, and I think Monet had the talent of a 5-year old water colorer). Hollywood directors are not Satan-worshippers, they are entertainers, and so is Manson. I can never understand the people that protest outside his concerts, all they do is ensure a sell-out crowd of rebellious teenagers, and they never looked to see the method behind the madness. He is an intelligent person - love him or hate him that is indisputable based on the insightfulness he provides in any interview. One thing that really stood out to me about him was in Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" movie: Moore interviewed Manson about the Columbine kids, as they referenced his music as inspiration for their deeds. Moore asked him what he would have said to them and Manson said "I wouldn't have said anything, I would have listened". Anyway, here is the video for "The Beautiful People" by Manson. It's genius in my mind, but will probably cause severe nightmares to the unprepared, so I must warn you. To be clear, they played it on MTV so its not like I'm linking anything obscene! But oh my goodness it is like a trip through the mind of an insane person...
So if you watched that and still have your wits intact and are a glutton for punishment I suggest Personal Jesus, Mobscene & perhaps the most strange of all, Tourniquet.
The first week of the new WDVE Morning Show line-up had come and gone, and my general comment is: uuuuummmm......??????........not quite sure what to make of it so far. Scott Paulsen is back, but I am never sure exactly what his role is. He will make a comment and then you don't hear him again for about an hour. And the other new guy - not sure his name - and that pretty much sums it up. He was the best they could do...? The show is still worth listening to only because of Randy Baughman - he's the best DJ I have ever heard, period, and can carry a show all by himself just by talking about whatever comes to mind. It's just too bad they haven't been able to find anyone else as good to compliment him. The Paulsen thing is just plain weird, but I suppose let's wait and see if the other new guy can get any better.
How long is the Post-Gazette going to try and pass off Gene Collier as a serious sports writer? He's a great satirist, but that makes him a great satirist. Its very frustrating when you start to read one of his articles hoping for some serious sports expertise and instead get a column using his trip to Wal-Mart to try and make a funny (?) point. What's worse is the only alternative that paper offers is Ron Cook. UGGH.
NICE, Grace & Co.

1/26/12

Movie Reviews: Fright Night, The Drawn Together Movie, & Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
More of the Steve Harris cover guy, here, here and here. I'm just a Steve Harris junkie - I love bass guitars and Harris is the best that ever lived, hands down. It just amazes me that this guy can keep up with Harris - almost!

1/25/12

I was never really a Bruce Ariens "basher", they went to 2 Super Bowls with the guy, but they needed to change the offense. That much is certain. Here's what they need to incorporate: 1) many more three-step-and-throw plays, 2) throw to the backs out of the backfield, including adding a FB and throwing to him, and 3) more and more and more Heath Miller - they guys needs to catch 80 passes next year. Here's what they need to shoot between the eyes and feed to the buzzards: the WR screen.
C'mon, this is a no brainer - you release Peyton Manning and you draft and play Andrew Luck right away. Look at a team like the Bears - when is the last time they had an All-Pro QB? Sid Luckman? How about the Steelers in-between Bradshaw and Roethlisberger? The Colts totally lucked into the situation they find themselves in (no pun intended), anything other than moving on to the next QB era is madness.

1/20/12

I was seriously considering lasik surgery...until I heard a radio ad recently that gave one of those of those fast end-commercial "fine print" reads and it said that a "side effect" might be loss of vision! Funny thing to read at hyper speed!! It was listed right in there with "dry eyes". No thanks, I'll stick with my glasses. I'm pretty sexy with them anyway.
A tale of 2 CDs: I was standing in line at Best Buy the other day and on the last-minute-purchases rack was the CD Foreigner 4 - I WORSHIPPED that CD back in the early 80's. It was $4, I bought it. My sister bought Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell" for Marco this Xmas and I have re-assigned it to my car (for now!). I had not listened to either in many years - Foreigner was really, REALLY, 80's...Meat Loaf holds up to this day. What an awesome album. If it was released tomorrow it would sell just as many CDs new, while Foreigner is just nostalgic. The exception: "Urgent", because they went with sax instead of keyboards.
This Penguins season is uncanny - much like the Steelers, every once in a while they show what they can do with the firepower they have, but just imagine what they could do if everyone was healthy... Can you imagine this team with Crosby and Staal back full-time?
This guys nails it! But here he KILLS IT. Maiden fans enjoy. If I start a band I want this guy on bass!!

1/17/12

It wasn't bad enough that the All-American kid had to leave Pitt, he couldn't just shut up and go away, he had to run his mouth. Among other things, he said the program was "too rigid", which proves (to me anyway) what I suspected all along - he's been catered to all his life and no one actually ever tried to coach him, and as soon as Dixon has the nerve to play a team-first concept he bails...no doubt to a coach who promised him he can do whatever he wants. Good riddance.
Pitt's program won't be destroyed by this down year, but it will be some real work on Jamie Dixon's part to right the ship. Missing the NCAA tournament by no means is disastrous, NC, Duke, Michigan State, Kansas...they have all missed it at least once in the last 10 years than Pitt has been there. The real trick will be convincing recruits that, like those other schools, this year was an aberration. If they go into a 3-4 year skid, then maybe its time to start over.
Super Bowl prediction: THE REMATCH - Pats vs. Giants.

1/15/12

You may or may not know, but Planet Rodi recently almost ceased to be. No need to dwell on the reasons, all is well, but the change in set-up of the site has given me reason to adjust strategy...going forward I am going to post all of my pictures on Facebook. Yes, Facebook...might as well join the rest of the world. So "friend" me, or whatever you call it, to see pictures. I will announce here when I post them.
So alright then...yes I just posted a bunch of pictures of Facebook last night - go check it out.

1/14/12

You can hate the Patriots all you want, but the innovation this team does never ceases to amaze.. Need something in the backfield? Let's put TE Aaron Gonzalez at RB and have him run for 10 yards a pop.
As suspected, the passing Tebow did against the Steelers was an all-time aberration. He never did that before in the pros, never did it in college, I'd be willing to bet he never did it in high school, and I'm pretty sure he'll never do it again. Unless he someday plays QB in his son's 7-year old flag football league. Then maybe (but I doubt it).
BIG TIME shout-pit for the new member of my "9.5+" club in the PlanetRodi beer universe (9.8 to be precise, see the BEER PAGE) - Blue Moon Grand Cru. I always liked regular Blue Moon, but it was a little too commercial and non-daring for me to gain elite status. But this version is bigger and bolder and 8.2% ABV (double the alcohol content of the original version), and with the add of a squeezed orange it drives right to upper echelon with the others. Awesome beer.

1/13/12

Happy Friday the 13th!!
Yesterday I put a link of the band GWAR singing Christmas songs, and I had to share a few more things I found on You Tube on them. If you have never heard of GWAR, they are friggin' hilarious - a metal band that always is in character (and it's an hysterical character). Here are Joan Rivers & Fox News interviews.
My brother-in-law forwarded me a response from one of his co-workers on my Steelers comments yesterday. Below are his comments, my responses are in bold. I'm not going to lie, its not pretty, and not for the squeamish. I like kids as much as the next guy, but sometimes tough love is required, even if said love is delivered by a battle axe.
If you release Hampton who plays nose? The Steelers haven't drafted a nose so there is no one available. Keisel plays nose in a pinch while Casey is hurt but the couldn't be effective there for an entire year. He is losing his job anyway due to Heyward and Hood. Undrafted free agent Steve McClendon played NT every time Hampton was out this year. And guess what? The Steelers led the league in yards against. They won Super Bowl XL with Chris Hoke at NT for most of that year when Hampton tore up his knee. The Steelers have gone from Gary Dunn to Joel Steed to Casey Hampton - are they that lucky or does is just take an athletic fat guy to clog the middle? Here's your solution: tell Ziggy Hood to put on 30 pounds and play NT for the next 10 years. Next...? Not having Farrior AND Foote makes us one ILB short - again, with no young blood in the mix. Timmons can play one of the spots but who plays the other? Also releasing these 2 guys plus your starting nose makes the entire defense soft up the middle. We already have problems stopping the inside run. Jeez, where to start here...Farrior and Foote platooned all year. Each are at least 34 years old and each have a HUGE cap hit. You don't keep guys who can't play because you fear the unknown. You probably are too young to remember, but the Steelers were paralyzed with fear to release Joe Greene and LC Greenwood, and the fact that those guys were WAY over the hill caused the D of the early 80's to be TERRIBLE. You FIND someone. Stevenson Sylvester is the guy for this role. You paid Timmons a ton of money, time for him to make the guy beside him look good, like Farrior has for years. If that can't happen then you clearly made a mistake signing Timmons to the kind of money that you did. There is a salary cap in question here, and tough decisions need to be made. Out with the old, in with the new, and cross your fingers that you made the right succession planning. McFadden and Scott I agree with - let 'em go and draft 2 young corners that can play man coverage. Jeez, you're right - why didn't I think of this? Drafting a shut-down CB is easy. Everyone does it every year - no problem! And the way the NFL is set up for 300 yard passers in every game its easy to get a CB that can shut down Tom Brady every week. You're right, you SHOULD be a GM in the NFL. Oh and by the way Jonathan Scott doesn't play corner, but you are so smart at this maybe he can play CB for your team since he is such a bad offensive tackle. It is documented that the Steelers do not have a good record in free agency. This is almost too easy. Check that, this is WAY too easy. What is your benchmark for not having a good record in free agency? The fact that they don't sign many free agents? Do you mean like Washington or Philly? The Steelers do it right - build in the draft and off-set in free agency where you can. Are you too young to remember Jeff Hartings? Our best players were drafted an groomed here and we should continue to build that way. Now if I were the GM: Restructure Hampton - he is old and will play for less to remain on a Super Bowl contender. Oh yeah, he's old, and can't play anymore but let's sign him just because we fear the unknown. When he gets run over by the Ravens guards again next year lets hear him say again "they cut block me, I wasn't ready for that" - only see it happen again in the 2nd game against the Ravens. Cut block? It took you until after the game to decide you needed to adjust to it? Not after the first time it happened? Believe me, I do HR for a living, people do not want to admit their faults. He COULDN'T do anything about it, pure and simple. Sign Keomuato - He is just NASTY and he gives the line attitude. Yes, of course, this is the same guy that they benched because he couldn't pass block (FACT - not my opinion), but because he is nasty he should be re-signed. He and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Hey, Austin is nasty, right? Let's sign Danny Devito & Joe Peschi too! Keomoautu is TERRIBLE. If you think he is good I can't believe I am even taking the time away from my family to respond to you. It's like trying to teach accounting to a monkey. Ward - should retire (extend the entire young money crew - Brown, Wallace, Cotchery, Battle, Sanders) and elevate Tyler Grisham TYLER GRISHAM??? HA HA HA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HA HA HA HA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HA HA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HA HA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HA...I'm done. I'm going to go teach accounting to my monkey.
Sorry to be so mean, it was all in fun!!
I hope this doesn't discourage people from responding to my website...

1/12/12

OK, I have to admit, the new new 2.5 Men isn't THAT bad. I've watched the last 2 and I didn't have to choke down any vomit or anything. Not close to the Sheen era, but watchable. And in a time a few-n-far-between watchables I'll take what I can get.
It's a little after the season, but this is really funny.
WHAT THE HELL??? Steelers are done, Pitt hoops is terrible, Pens lost 6 straight...its a sad day when I am looking forward to the day that pitchers & catchers report...
My dad did some research and sent it to me, and it bears observation...below are the highest cap hits for the Steelers next year. In red are the people who should NOT be back. They are projected to be $22 million over the cap next season, and if you total the red you get around $30.6 million. You have 2 things to do: lock up Mike Wallace and sign Ben Grubbs, free agent guard from the Ravens. Wallace is the X-factor as a restricted FA - if someone offers him big bucks you will have to match. If not you can get away paying him much less, grab another decent guard besides Grubbs in free agency, and then squeeze one more year out of Harrison and cut his $10 mil next year. I should be GM.
Roethlisberger: 16,900,000
Polamalu: 11,300,000
Woodley: 11,500,000
Timmons: 9,125,000
Harrison: 9,030,000
Hampton: 8,056,000
Taylor: 7,562,000
Miller: 7,070,000
Colon: 5,700,000
Keomuato: 5,262,000
Ward: 4,600,000
Keisel: 4,500,000
Clark: 4,250,000
Farrior: 3,825,000
Foote: 3,600,000
Scott: 2,700,000
McFadden: 2,600,000

1/9/12

REASON #1 THE STEELERS LOST: I can't knock them for this, because I would have done the same thing...they played 2 rush edges, had the LB's stay put to play the run, brought up both safeties, played man on the corners & took their chances with Tebow's arm. Whouda thunk it.
REASON #2 THE STEELERS LOST: this one I CAN knock them for - they played all-out stop-the-run on the first play of OT, the whole team crowded the line. What more did Tebow need to do to prove he could pass the ball this game?
REASON #3 THE STEELERS LOST: Ben's ankle wouldn't let him be mobile, so they threw immediate fade routes and WR screens (snap, throw) in the first half and none of them worked. That is not Roethlisberger's game, they might as well have had Charlie Batch out there if that's what they wanted to do. Ben finally started moving around later in the game and look how much better they fared. If he does that early they might have scored TD's early instead of FG's.
REASON #4 THE STEELERS LOST: injuries, injuries, and more injuries. They love to parade the "the standard is the same" mantra but they fact is that if the guy on the bench was as good as the starter they would be starting.
REASON #5 THE STEELERS LOST: catch the ball, Limas!!
REASON #6 THE STEELERS LOST: the offensive line was run-blocking well, for sure. As much as I hammer on Chris Keamouatu he run-blocked like a beast. But they can't pass block. Just plain can't pass block. Once again Ben had no time to throw most of the night, when the Broncos wanted to get pressure they just did.
Hines Ward wants to come back he announced today...if the Steelers wanted to bring him back they wouldn't have made sure he got those 5 catches he needed in the last game for his 1,000. If he does come back he needs to take a monster pay cut, but I don't see it happening. He fell so far off the chart this year he would probably have a hard time making any NFL roster.
Bye bye to: Hines, Mendenhall, Farrior, Starks, McFadden, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton. More on this later this week.

1/8/12

I read in the newspaper this morning that the Steelers used the low round pick they got for trading Santonio Holmes to the Jets for Antonio Brown. Funny how things work out, doesn't it? Teams like the Jets just don't get it, that they hire blowhard look-at-me idiots like Rex Ryan and bring in punks like Holmes and then they can't put it together. Everyone moped that the Steelers couldn't get more than a 5th-round pick for Holmes - do you think the Jets would take that 5th rounder back for someone to take team-wrecker Holmes and his guaranteed 2012 $8 million off their hands?
What happens with the Steelers today? Probably a win, but who knows. They way the Steelers' offense has been a complete dud lately, and throw a slew of injuries on top of that...but I just can't see how they lose to Tim Tebow. Steelers 16-6.

1/7/12

Winners this weekend: Texans, Saints, Giants, Steelers.

1/6/12

There are many Penn State alumni up-in-arms about the school hiring a non-Penn State guy (Bill O'Brien), but they need to realize: who was going to take this job? It's going to take 5 years until the nastiness of Penn State washes off a little bit...think about it, if you are a parent of a top-notch high school football player, do you let your kid go to Penn State right now?
What the hell happened to Pitt hoops? Losing to Depaul is down-and-out frightening, not mention it was 3 losses in a row. But then again the next day Duke lost to Temple...look, all you need is 3 guys out of 5 to have a good day against you, that's all it take. Basketball is such an individual sport, its not like football where 11 guys have to come together on every play. Any college team can beat any other at any time period. Position, then tournament, and everyone forgets the past.

1/5/12

Roethlisberger hurt? Sit him. Pouncey hurt? Sit him. Anyone else have a hang nail? Take the week off. The Steelers' 2nd team could beat the Broncos, Tebow's 15 minutes is long gone.
There are many that are reacting negatively to Jim Krenn being removed from the WDVE Morning Show, particularly since the show is far-and-away #1 in the market. But praise to station management for big-picture & forward thinking from me - the show was good despite Krenn, not because of him. He was to the point of painful to listen to.
Krenn's fate, I think, was sealed a year again when Randy Baughman (the true strength of the show) was gone for a month in a contract dispute and Krenn was left to man the show - what a TRAIN WRECK that was. It was unlistenable, literally.
The greatest short film of all time.
I started Dead Space 2 several months ago and didn't finish, but at the behest of a co-worker I tried it again, and I'm glad I did. Its difference from the original was what I did not like initially - the original was more of a closed-in setting a-la the original "Alien" movie...but if you stick with this follow-up you are eventually rewarded with everything this entry has to offer. In particular: some of the most mind-blowing sequences in gaming history. Highly recommended.

	\|	PLANET RODI WEATHER: getting warm!