The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 5

College Football week 4 is upon us. The standings after last week are:

Hill 80-9 (2-3 upsets)
Chesh 75-14 (3-6 upsets)

My helmet sticker from last week goes to Terrelle Pryor (20-26, 224, 4 td's passing/7carries, 104 yards, td rushing). I love me some Terrelle Pryor and I'm thrilled to see Jim Tressel open things up and utilize his unique talents. Dude can BALL. Chesh went with Cam Newton of Auburn (13-21, 158, 2 td's passing/25 carries, 176 yards, 3 td's rushing).

This week's picks:

Texas A&M 23
#24 Oklahoma State 36
Chesh: Okla St 32 TAMU 24

#7 Florida 20
#1 Alabama 28
Chesh: Bama 27 Florida 16

#2 Ohio State 42
Illinois 21
Chesh: Ohio St 46 Illinois 16

#3 Boise State 56
New Mexico State 10
Chesh: Boise St 58 NMSU 10

Game of the Week
#13 Stanford 28
#4 Oregon 42
Chesh: Stanford 38 Oregon 34

#5 TCU 40
Colorado State 9
Chesh: TCU 48 Colo St 12

#16 Texas 17
#8 Oklahoma 28
Chesh: Okla 21 Texas 14

LA-Monroe 14
#11 Auburn 37
Chesh: Auburn 52 LA-M 10

#9 Wisconsin 23
#21 Michigan State 28*
Chesh: Wisc 17 Mich St 13

Tennessee 17
#10 LSU 32
Chesh: LSU 38 Tenn 17

#17 Miami 35
Clemson 27
Chesh: Clemson 28 Miami 23

#20 Penn State 20
#18 Iowa 27
Chesh: Iowa 28 Penn St 16

#19 Michigan 42
Indiana 20
Chesh: Mich 45 Indiana 13

#25 Nevada 48
UNLV 21
Chesh: Nevada 38 UNLV 17

Non-top 25 Game
Navy 24
Air Force 34
Chesh: AFA 28 Navy 17


I am loathe to spend time writing about uber-d-bag LeBron James but some recent comments he made (and that a few other sportswriters have written about) have compelled me. James said recently that race played a factor in the backlash with his decision. Shocking! How rare it is for the race card to be thrown out. You almost never see it. James is maligned because of the way he handled the entire situation in epic diva fashion, humiliating the Cavs organization and the city of Cleveland on worldwide television, NOT because he is black. Brett Favre is maligned because he too is a huge diva and holds his team hostage every offseason and makes everyone bend to his beck and call. Favre is an a-hole too and I'm fairly sure he ain't black.

I can relate to James though. The other night, I stubbed my toe while going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I hate to be "that guy" but I do feel like race played a role in the incident. A few months ago I got two parking tickets when the parking meters had expired. Clearly to me there are serious racial undertones here. A while back I went to the movies and the movie I wanted to see was sold out. Why? Racism. The automatic windows in my car don't roll down anymore and I can't help but wonder if they would roll down if I weren't white. My Sports Illustrated issue last week came all wrinkled up and part of the cover was torn. Makes me wonder. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

As for LeBron being "so motivated" and "taking note of all the haters", keep all those clippings, son. Put all the bulletin board material up you want. You couldn't win a championship in Cleveland. You aren't a champion. The Cavs had the best record in the NBA two years in a row and didn't even make the Finals either year. We as fans have taken note of that. Too bad you weren't "so motivated" during your Cavs career.

The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 4

Current standings in football pick 'em after week 3:
Hill 60-7 (2-2 upsets)
Chesh 58-9 (3-3 upsets)

Helmet stickers for last week: I went with Ryan Mallett, Arkansas QB (21-33, 380, 3 td's), Chesh went with Colin Kaepernick, QB Nevada (329 all purpose, 5 total td's).

Week 4 college football picks:
* denotes upset

#19 Miami 32
Pitt 21
Chesh: 20 Pitt 14

#5 TCU 45
SMU 24
Chesh: TCU 41 SMU 27

Game of the Week
#1 Alabama 24
#11 Arkansas 27*
Chesh: Arkansas 28 Bama 24

E. Michigan 12
#2 Ohio St 52
Chesh: Ohio St 56 E. Mich 0

Oregon St 24
#3 Boise St 30
Chesh: Boise 38 Ore St 26

#6 Oregon 42
Arizona St 27
Chesh: Oregon 38 ASU 27

S. Dakota St 3
#7 Nebraska 48
Chesh: Nebraska 58 S. Dak St 6

UCLA 24
#4 Texas 36
Chesh: Texas 28 UCLA 10

#9 Oklahoma 41
Cincinnati 21
Chesh: Okla 51 Cincy 28

Kentucky 17
#8 Florida 34
Chesh: Florida 33 UK 17

Austin Peay 14
#10 Wisconsin 37
Chesh: Wisconsin 37 A. Peay 16

#15 South Carolina 21
#14 Auburn 27
Chesh: Auburn 27 S. Car 19

San Jose St 12
#13 Utah 48
Chesh: Utah 48 SJSU 10

Cal 27
#16 Arizona 34
Chesh: Ariz 34 Cal 21

#21 West Va 21
#12 LSU 30
Chesh: LSU 34 West Va 21

#17 Stanford 35
Notre Dame 28
Chesh: ND 31 Stan 28

Ball St 7
#18 Iowa 37
Chesh: Iowa 44 Ball St 10

Bowling Green 28
#22 Michigan 42
Chesh: Mich 38 BG 14

Temple 10
#20 Penn St 38
Chesh: Temple 28 Penn St 24

N. Colorado 7
#23 Michigan St 40
Chesh: Mich St 38 N. Col 13

Miami (OH) 23
#24 Missouri 42
Chesh: Mizzou 31 Miami 23

Non Top 25 Game
Fresno St 14
Ole Miss 34
Chesh: Fresno 23 Ole Miss 16

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One of the hallmarks of The Bizniz has been the recognition of special achievements in the world of commercials. Since I didn't write for a long period I feel the need to give love to two commercial series, one a little older than the other.

First, the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man In The World". These are still on periodically but their hay day was a year or two ago. Among the most classic lines: "He's a lover, not a fighter. But he's also a fighter, so don't get any ideas." Also, "He can disarm you with his looks, or his hands...either way." The tone and tenor of these commercials, along with the narration and the music equals some legendary material.

Second, the current "Old Spice Guy" commercials. Isaiah Mustafa is the man. These commercials are so random and so awesome. The initial spot (at least the first one I recall) may still be the best. In this commercial, the Old Spice Guy goes basically non-sequiter with lines like, "Look at my hand. It's two tickets to that thing you love. Now look again, the tickets are now diamonds." I also love the one where he has a mustache, tears it off, then tears off the mustache-less area again revealing a mustache. And you have to love the Old Spice whistle. I'm on a horse.

While I'm at it, I've gotta put the new Burger King breakfast commercial series on blast. Awful. Epic fail. Nein. They're trying to be funny and cool but it just does not work. The grub looks solid though.

The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 3

It's been a minute. I was having some internet/computer issues for a while. We're coming up on the 3rd week of college football. Throughout the season fellow blogger Jimmie Chesh (jimmiecheshsports.blogspot.com) and I will be predicting scores and winners for all top 25 games (based on USA Today poll) and Chesh will be breaking down matchups so check his blog for that. We will keep our standings throughout the season. We pick a top 25 game of the week, a non-top 25 game, and we have to pick at least one upset (broad term, for our purposes a lower ranked team beating a higher ranked team). Just winners and losers, no point spread nonsense. Through 2 weeks the standings are as follows:

Hill 38-5, 1-1 on upset picks
Chesh 37-6, 2-3 on upset picks

So here we go for week 3:

* denotes upset

#13 Arkansas 23
Georgia 14
Chesh: Ark 28 UGA 17

Maryland 24
#21 West Va 36
Chesh: W. Va 33 Mary 17

UMass 7
#22 Michigan 56
Chesh: Mich 47 UMass 6

Ohio 13
#2 Ohio St 48
Chesh: Ohio St 55 Ohio 10

Kent St 10
#20 Penn St 41
Chesh: Penn St 30 Kent St 13

#8 Nebraska 20
Washington 21*
Chesh: Nebraska 38 Wash 26

Ariz St 14
#11 Wisconsin 38
Chesh: Wisc 37 ASU 17

#7 Florida 42
Tennessee 17
Chesh: Florida 27 Tenn 16

Air Force 21
#9 Oklahoma 40
Chesh: Okla 41 AF 24

#1 Alabama 38
Duke 16
Chesh: Alabama 48 Duke 16

Baylor 14
#5 TCU 40
Chesh: TCU 43 Baylor 10

Portland St St 7
#6 Oregon 65
Chesh: Oregon 58 Port St 3

Furman 10
#16 S. Carolina 41
Chesh: S. Car 45 Furman 7

Miss St 20
#12 LSU 31
Chesh: LSU 24 Miss St 13

Clemson 21
#15 Auburn 36
Chesh: Auburn 28 Clem 26

#3 Boise St 40
Wyoming 21
Chesh: Boise 51 Wyoming 7

#14 Utah 45
UNM 10
Chesh: Utah 44 UNM 17

#4 Texas 38
Tex Tech 23
Chesh: Texas 24 TTech 18

#23 Houston 36
UCLA 21
Chesh: Hou 44 UCLA 23

Game of the Week
#10 Iowa 24
Arizona 32*
Chesh: Iowa 27 Arizona 24

Wake 14
#19 Stanford 38
Chesh: Stanford 38 Wake 13

SDSU 17
#25 Mizzou 42
Chesh: Mizz 28 SDSU 10

#24 Cal 45
Nevada 24
Chesh: Nevada 27 Cal 17

Non-top 25 Game
Ga Tech 26
UNC 20
Chesh: UNC 28 GT 17


Gotta check in with a few thoughts on Reggie Bush too, as word came out yesterday that Bush would give his Heisman trophy back in the wake of the entire USC improper benefits scandal. Bush becomes the first Heisman winner to forfeit the award, although according to sources he would have become the first winner to have it stripped so perhaps he was acting preemptively. I was a huge fan of Reggie Bush as USC. He is among the three best college football players of all-time in my opinion, along with Tim Tebow and Vince Young (no particular order). He was electrifying in space, whether as an edge rusher, out in the flat as a receiver, or as a return man. He deserved to win the Heisman no question (sorry VY heads, the award was given out weeks prior to the Superman Rose Bowl performance, and even with that game it's still a close race to me). Bush's infractions seem rather mild, albeit illegal based on NCAA rules. Some sleazy "marketing" people sought to get hooks into Bush, a future pro, by giving Bush's family a house to live in for free. This is essentially the gist of his catastrophic rule breaking. How much Bush himself benefited is up for debate; perhaps he got money under the table, etc. But it's interesting that Bush felt compelled to return his Heisman (USC had already removed its copy from the school's trophy case, along with all Bush images and references) while fellow Trojan O.J. Simpson keeps his. True, the Juice did not commit his... uh... indiscretions (whether the whole Nicole Simpson "thing" or the armed kidnapping rap for which he is currently in prison) while at school and Bush did. But if Bush felt (or was) compelled to forfeit his Heisman, many other trophies/awards in many locations from many sports could likewise be returned if all the facts of those athletes' careers were known. Perhaps it was the right thing to do, at least from the perspective of taking some heat off USC (although the aftershocks will still be felt in the form of sanctions) and allowing the Bush and, to a lesser degree, the Saints to focus on defending their Super Bowl crown. It would be cool if the Heisman trust eventually gave Bush the award back, maybe after he retires in the future and has paid whatever dues he still has outstanding. Maybe he could visit O.J. in prison as goodwill.

The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 2

Wanted to check in with a few thoughts.

I'm completely burnt out on all things LeBron, but I will say that with a lot of time now passed to digest the entire "Decision" ordeal, I can't really call myself a LeBron fan anymore, and it's a shame because he was one of my two or three fave NBAers. Articles have been written ad nauseum on the move to South Beach (telling that he said "South Beach" and not "Miami" or "the Heat" by the way). The "King" cannot win on his own and at 25 had a mid-life basketball crisis, becoming so paranoid that he'd never win in Cleveland, that he had to head for greener pastures as a complementary player on Dwyane Wade's team (Wade has already delivered a championship to Miami). My main thought in the whole soap opera isn't so much whether it was right/wrong/honorable/disloyal/etc. to leave the way he did as it is how can a guy that always seemed to be media savvy and conscious botch this so badly? You cannot go on worldwide television in a one-hour special to do anything but announce you're staying in Cleveland. Even in retrospect it's hard to fathom that LBJ did what he did. I'm sick of it so I will leave it at this: just remember that Kobe will be chasing the hallowed "MJ" ring #6 and Phil will be chasing 3-peat #4 so don't hand Miami the trophy just yet. No one will be more motivated than the Black Mamba. And Boston, along with every other contender, will be sta-raight hungry to shut the Heat down. If nothing else, I did get a hearty laugh at LeBron proclaiming that the Heat would get "not six, not seven..." championships. LOL. I predict one (and only one)--if indeed any--championship in the Wade/LeBron/Bosh 6-year contract era.

On a different note, on the heels of last night's Matt Garza no-hitter, I want to give a few thoughts on the no-hitter itself and when it is actually a notable accomplishment. Garza walked only one batter, who was then wiped off the ledger with a twin killing so Garza faced the minimum 27 batters. This is a dominant pitching performance. To contrast, Edwin Jackson pitched a "no-hitter" (in sarcastic quotes) last month with 8 walks. 8 walks! Of course he didn't allow any hits, he didn't throw many strikes. So while many or most no-hitters represent good (or better) pitching performances, not all no-nos are created equal. And in speaking of no-hitters relative to quality pitching performances, Armando Galarraga is not on the list of pitchers who've thrown no-hitters with his 28 out perfect game but guys with 8-9 walk no-nos are. Go figure.

Movie review: Inception. This movie is the rare gem that lingers long after the credits roll. The concept involves multiple levels of dream manipulation and the depth of scale was incredible as the viewer gets lost in level after level after level. The performances were money from the ensemble cast and Christopher Nolan's crisp pacing was perfect. The visuals were awesome as well. One notable part was where a dream construct of a cityscape created by Ellen Page's character folded over on itself, creating a "mirrored" effect. DOPE. Probably not since The Matrix has a movie bended my mind to this degree. And the ending joins the list of greatest movie endings with the "is the top going to stop spinning?/i.e. is it real?" interpretation (which if course only makes sense if you've seen it). One small criticism is that the engineering company that was mentioned early on (I can't even recall the name since it was only obliquely mentioned) wasn't fleshed out. It was an intriguing almost shadowy company that seemed like it could've played a bigger role in the story (especially as to the characters' motivation) and could've been explained a little more, even just through a few lines of dialogue. Regardless, Nolan is the man. Easy A for me.

The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 1

I have not written for some time but I have recently decided to once again take up the cross… er, keyboard, and distill knowledge, humor, and fer shizzleness.

Today being July 1st, the natural topic is NBA free agency. We now enter the biggest free agent extravaganza the league has ever seen, with available superstars abounding. Clearly the crown jewel is two-time MVP LeBron James, with Dwyane Wade a close second. In my mind, those are the only maximum contract guys out there. However, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce all figure to be asking for close to max dollars and David Lee, Ray Allen, and Richard Jefferson, among others, will be seeking higher end ducats as well. (As an aside, it is humorous, and must be underscored, that, along with Carmelo Anthony who can opt out next year, 4 of the top 5 picks of the 2003 draft will all be making at or close to max money as bonafied NBA superstars. The lone exception? Darko Milicic. Good times.)

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have averaged for their careers 28/7/7 and 25/5/7, respectively. And Wade has the upper hand as a champion (although many agree that the ’05-‘06 Heat were one of the worst teams to win a title). Wade has established himself in Miami but is from Chicago, thus the Bulls beckon. It seems that Wade only has two destinations, staying in Miami or going to Chicago. However, I don’t see how a backcourt of Derrick Rose and Wade would work. Frankly I don’t see how Rose and LeBron would coexist, but more on that to come. Miami is attempting to be pluckers, rather than pluckees, by going after, among others, James, Bosh, Stoudemire, and Boozer. Pat Riley is already waiting in the wings with a freshly pressed Armani suit and a gallon of hair gel to once again patrol the sidelines, helming a Heat team with Wade, James, AND Bosh. At least, that is the fantasy. If nothing else, the Heat could obtain another superstar to complement Wade, likely one of the power forwards mentioned above. As for LeBron, his future is much hazier. Personally, I think Cleveland is the best fit in multiple ways. First, the Cavs can pay him more as the incumbent team thanks to the current CBA arrangement that favors the home team. Second, he is a native of nearby Akron. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I think he has a better chance to win in Cleveland. Back to back 60 win seasons and a solid, if unspectacular, supporting cast (Mo Williams, 16/5; Antawn Jamison 19/8 and role guys like Anderson Varejao [can someone explain to me the difference between Varejao and Joakim Noah, one of the guys inevitably mentioned as one of the key pieces for LeBron in Chicago?] and up and comer J.J. Hickson). I certainly think Cleveland can use to add (frankly anyone who does not win the championship has room to improve) but a nice nucleus is in place, a good combination of veterans and young players. You can’t tell me that the Knicks or Nets offer James a better chance to win. The Knicks haven’t won a playoff game in 10 years and have to be wondering what they’re getting for the big money they are paying Mike D’Antoni. The Nets flirted with the worst record in NBA history. I think Chicago and Miami offer LeBron a chance to win but each comes with a caveat. In Chicago, no matter what he ever does, he will NEVER surpass the level of Michael Jordan. His best hope is to be a franchises’ all-time #2. And Derrick Rose needs the ball in his hands so having another alpha dog, even if it's LeBron James, could be a problem. And word is that LeBron wasn't crazy about playing for a defensive minded coach (i.e. lacking offensive creativity) in Mike Brown, but Chicago is going to have a defensive minded coach in Tom Thibodeaux. In Miami, he would join Wade as Alex Rodriguez joined Derek Jeter, a hired mercenary that comes in to help out an extant star, both on and off the floor. That is Wade’s team and it’s hard to envision the Heat as Wade and James’ team. Other destinations have been thrown out, such as the Clippers and Mavericks, but neither is likely to happen. Basically it comes down to what LeBron really wants. If it really is the glitz and glam and global icon status he could obtain in New York (Manhattan or Brooklyn) then fine. If it’s a business decision, I understand. However, if the decision is based on basketball, then Cleveland makes the most sense. Plus he will be expected to be a franchise savior in the Big Apple, and frankly he hasn’t delivered so far in his otherwise brilliant career. New Yorkers are not the most patient fans. If The King does not deliver a championship (or more likely many championships) there will be hell to pay. Conversely, no matter what he does in Cleveland, he will be beloved as the hometown kid who stayed true to his roots. If he leaves, Cleveland (and many other NBA observers) will forever look at him as a coward who left with the job unfinished. If he stays, he will rule Ohio with love and adoration. LeBron must really decide if the allure of New York is truly worth it. So do I think James will do the right (and what is ultimately, to me, the best) thing and stay in Cleveland? I would not bet on it (but I hope he does).

In terms of the remaining free agent class, as I said before, there are many really good, All-Star caliber players, but none worth max money. Chris Bosh seems to be a lock for max money (depending on whether the Trinity unites for slightly less). He’s a good player, 20/9 career. Amare Stoudemire career: 21/9. Bosh is two years younger, which I guess is his best asset in the comparison between the two. As a Suns fan, I really like, but do not love, Amare and I do not think he is worth max money. Thus, the fact that he was not traded at last year’s deadline looms large with the thought of no compensation coming back to Phoenix (assuming, as with all deals, it is not a sign and trade scenario). But I would rather him walk than to overpay. Maybe it’s because Bosh has played his entire career in relative obscurity in the basketball hotbed of Toronto but I am just not blown away by the guy. Again, he’s a very good player. But max money for him would be hard to swallow if I’m an NBA GM (which the Suns need… and I need a job… hmmm). One rumor that’s floated around is that if Amare walks, the Suns would then target David Lee, who despite averaging only 13/10 career is coming off a 20/12 year and is only 27 (almost 6 months younger than Stoudemire), and could be had for far cheaper than Amare. Lee is your classic hustle garbage man, a position the Suns could use. (And as for Suns’ free agents, lock up Louis Amundsen and Channing Frye on the double!) It’s looking like the Hawks are going to overpay Joe Johnson (a Yahoo sports article today decried the possible signing as “the worst ever”). This is what I’m saying. It’s not worth overpaying a guy just because you’re more afraid of losing him with no compensation. Johnson is a good player (18/4/4 career) who is now a 20-a-night guy. But he’s a complementary piece, not a franchise player. The one guy that is both worth it and not worth it in terms of max money is Dirk Nowitzki. Dude is the most unique 7 footer ever. Big and physical, yet silky and clutch anywhere on the floor, Nowitzki is a fabulous player with some questions; namely, does he make you a championship team? He’s been an MVP and led his team to the Finals but somehow he hasn’t sold everyone on his status as franchise cornerstone, myself included. Basically, a max money guy to me is a guy that can deliver a championship and/or is an All-NBA first team no-brainer year in and year out. This year’s stellar crop includes many great players, but few max money guys in my estimation. That said, I foresee more guys than perhaps should walk away with max deals walking away with max deals.

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Since I did not write at the time regarding the Lost finale, I will do so now. Lost is my favorite show of all time. I did not watch season 1 when it aired. I remember seeing the commercial and thinking, "So it's a dramatic Gilligan's Island?" But prior to the beginning of season 2, I caught an hour long recap of the first season and I thought it looked incredible so, armed with the knowledge gleaned from the recap, I began watching season 2, and never missed another episode (and I subsequently watched season 1 in its entirety on dvd later that year). After a lot of thought and reading of forum boards and talking to other Lost fans, I have determined that Lost was a show broken into two main camps-1) those for whom the show was entirely based on the characters and their relationships and 2) those for whom the island's mysteries and the show's mythos was the most important thing. Obviously, most people are a combination of both camps, on some sort of sliding scale. For me, Lost was about 65% about the characters and 35% about the mythos, give or take 5%. The finale did an amazing job of wrapping up the character end of things. Absolute love letter to the fans in terms of the relationships we have come to love in 6 seasons. Very emotional. But as a big fan of the mythology side, I was rather unfulfilled. With mysterious websites and alternative reality games, among other things, the show clearly established a major aspect that was tied into the mysteries of the island itself. And these questions were left almost entirely unanswered (I do concede that this is stated with somewhat of an asterisk because there have been promises of dvd extras for season 6; here's hoping). Also, I would say that the series finale did an amazinng job of wrapping up season 6, but not the series as a whole. It was, after all, a series, not season, finale. I read an article following the finale where the author stated he "loved and hated" the finale. I think that exactly sums up my feelings. All in all, I still freaking love that show and I'm still in a bit of post partum depression now that it's no more. I own season 1-5 and will be first in line for season 6 so I can always, and believe me I will, have The Island in my life. To Jack, Locke, Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Jin, Sun, Desmond, Penny, Sayid, Charlie, Claire, Michael, Walt, Rose, Bernard, Mr Eko, Ben, Richard, Christian, Juliet, Faraday, Charlotte, Miles, Frank, Widmore, the Dharma Initiative--and especially Nikki and Paulo--etc, etc, etc (for the Danielle's, Ana Lucia's, Boone's, Shannon's, Tom's of the world), and to J.J., Carlton, and Damon, thank you for 6 years I will always cherish (make fun of me all you want... I love Lost!)