My Christmas Present to you, Upset Specials in a big gift wrapped box with a tag that says, "Do not Open til Christmas!"

Hi There and Merry Christmas too. Last year on this very day I was lying on the floor of my sisters home in Cary, North Carolina typing an entry on what was then the new laptop I got for Christmas. It was in the mid 50's and I was thinking how could I convince my brother-in-law to drag out the golf clubs, sneaking over to Lochmere and playing 9 holes Christmas day. Fast forward to a year later. I'm home in Chestertown, its a seasonable 20 something degrees outside and there's about 6 inches of snow on the golf course across the street and I'm typing an entry on the laptop I got last Christmas.
Well because its Christmas and I'm in a giving mood and you've been such good little readers this past year, you'll get some extra presents known as upset specials in your stocking and under the tree or festivus pole. If they turn to coal, well don't blame me. I tell you not to actually pick them. O.K. some college bowl upset specials first. In the Emerald Bowl in San Fransisco take Boston College over USC who aren't used to playing in a bowl game before January 1st. In the EagleBank Bowl in our nations capital, go with the Temple Owls over the UCLA Bruins who backed in because Army lost against Navy. If you want to know who is one of best upcoming college coaches its Temple's Al Golden. One more, in the Texas Bowl take Navy over Missouri. For the NFL lets see what Santa has in his sack. Take the Houston Texans over the Miami Dolphins and the Denver Broncos over the Philadelphia Eagles.
I don't what has made me more depressed during the holidays. Dubray is dating yet another attractive blond girlfriend or that comedian David Brenner is dating figure skater Tai Babilonia. I thought David Brenner had either died or was doing stand up at retirement communities in Florida or Arizona.
If you honestly believe there is someone for everyone out there, take these words of wisdom from me. They are liars!
I have a confession to make. I tried online dating this year.
The age spots will be exploding on my arm Sunday like a choreographed fireworks display. The Giants are playing their last regular season home game at Giants Stadium. Another stadium of my youth being torn down because its supposedly out dated with not enough corporate amenities. Having grown up in New Jersey which is often the butt of many jokes, the Meadowlands being built gave my state some credibility. I've been to Giants Stadium 3 times. To see the Cosmos play soccer, a Giants pre-season game, and a Rutgers/Army football game. When the Giants are playing well in December, Giants Stadium could be the worst nightmare for opposing teams between the winds and the Giants fans starting the "de-fense" chant. Like that place where the Mets play is a tribute to the Brooklyn Dodgers, the new Meadowlands stadium is all about the other New York football team that wears Green and White and shares the building with them.
It's been a whole year since I've eaten ice cream and I don't miss it. Next up snack cakes. Sorry Hostess, Drakes, Little Debbie, and Tastykake. No more Twinkies, Yodels, Cup Cakes or other sugary frosted cream filled sins for this guy. If you own stock in any of those bakeries, sell it now before it takes the gas pipe cause I'm not padding the dividends.
Got a busy week ahead. Filling in for Dan and Pete during the morning and Grandstanders hockey on Tuesday evening. By the way, the resolution list is now officially at 7.
Enjoy the Christmas holiday and treasure the moments with your family. That is best gift of all no matter how annoying the relatives are.
Finally, if you don't like a gift instead of re-gifting, quietly hint and ask for the receipt 24 hours later so you can return it...Leccese out.

Is it Christmas yet? I'm feeling a little like scrooge.

Hi There. Just 3 days til Christmas and I'll admit that at times I'm feeling like Scrooge. Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of buying gifts for my friends and family and the notion of helping people who are in need through the radio station. However, there are parts of the holidays that are really starting to bug me and fray my nerves. The kamikaze attack of mail order catalogs, newspaper inserts, sales, and specials. I don't like decorating my home for the holidays. Going into my garage dragging out 5 or 6 plastic containers filled with tacky stuff that you put up for 6 weeks and then having to take it all down and put it away again around January 1st. When it comes to my home, I'm a minimalist. Couple of pieces of stylish furniture, nice carpeting, a plant or two, artwork hanging on the wall. Then there's Christmas cards. I'd rather get a phone call on an insignificant day of the week or weekend every once in while because you were thinking of me, than a card annually wishing me happy holidays.
Last but not least Christmas music. There are radio stations that the day after Thanksgiving change its format and play nothing but Christmas music through the new year. I'll give Dan credit, here at WCKM we build your holiday music tolerance up slowly. Just enough but not too much that you become aggravated and want to commit suicide. Christmas music to me is like decorating my home for holidays, only you play the songs for five to six weeks and then put them back in the attic the rest of year.
On to other things. The New York Post had Tiger Woods and his troubles on its front page for 19 consecutive days! It broke a record that was held by the September 11th attacks. To make matters worse they've also hired Ashly Dupre former governor Elliot Spitzers friend, to write an advice column. Give it up to Rupert Murdoch!
One good thing about the Cowboys beating the Saints Saturday night, and that was game was on the NFL Network, which because of cable company disputes most people couldn't see it.
The Jets and Giants want to host a Super Bowl in the new Meadowlands stadium. Why? I'm still trying figure out how the Cowboys built a 100 thousand seat retractable domed stadium, the Colts built a retractable domed stadium, plus the Cardinals built a retractable domed and removable natural grass field stadium all of which cost less than the1.6 billion dollars its costing the Jets and Giants with their new open air digs. In defense of the teams here's 2 of the many reasons why there's no dome. One, the Giants didn't want one, and two if the weather gets below a certain temp, the NFL can tell you to close the roof.
0 for 2 on the upset specials last weekend. The Pack lost in the last second to the Steelers and the Redskins got thumped by the Giants. Don't get me wrong I was happy the Giants won, but watching the first half I was waiting for the defense to stink up the joint or Eli to throw a pick. Neither happened and I went to bed either numb or in shock. Since I never watch Monday Night Football, note to Jaws and Coach Chucky Gruden. If you guys don't already, start drinking de-caf please.
As a Rutgers football fan, I'm going to enjoy the next couple of years with Tom Savage under center and Mohamed Sanu running and catching the ball for the Scarlet Knights.
Outside the Lines has been doing a month long feature on the NCAA and the cost of doing business in college athetics. Last Sunday they featured Rutgers and its former A.D Bob Mulcahy and how he brought the football program from a national joke to national prominence. Mr. Mulcahy was fired a year ago over some issues within the department. What didn't get mentioned in the feature was that the academic integrity of the university was never compromised. In fact the football team has been ranked in the top ten nationally for graduation rates and overall grade point average. If done properly, big time college athletics and academics can work together and peacefully co-exist.
Got to thank Eric Thomas at 900 Global for coming through with a bowling ball for Bowl for Kids Sake. Yep, I've got it already. If you want to see it's called "The Head Hunter." Go to 900global.com and go to the balls section. You'll see it in the novelty section. It's the red one.
Finally a Merry Christmas to all the loyal readers of, "The Greenhouse Effect" and don't forget to leave out the milk and cookies for Santa...Leccese out.

Thanks for the reminder of that wedding I have to go to in 6 months and upset specials

Hi There. Well as I type this entry its a nice warm 3 degrees outside at the home office between Warrensburg and Chestertown. I've got some other things to talk about, but first as always the Upset Specials. I sent Jim Mora a Christmas card with a lump of coal included for letting me down last week as the Seahawks decided not to show up in that loss to the Texans. Maybe they should have worn those lime green third unis, especially on offense. Would you want go near and tackle someone wearing one of those hideous looking things. I didn't think so either. O.K. Two upset specials for you, both pro. Game 1 Monday night, take the Redskins over the Giants, whose defense I could score on. The second game, go with the Packers on the road over the Steelers who have had 10 days off since losing to the Browns, but its not gonna help.
A year ago I watched my favorite baseball team suffer through a collapse in the last season of Shea Stadium. Now its deja vu all over again with my favorite pro football team in their last season at Giants Stadium and its not the Jets I'm talking about.
Maybe I'll start rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals. They're 9-4 and between what just happened tragically to Chris Henry and earlier this season the wife of the teams' defensive coordinator passing away unexpectedly. They need some good vibes as they make a play-off push, so show the Bengals a little extra love this holiday season.
If Elin Nordegren files for divorce from Tiger in California, pre-nup or no pre-nup he is soooo screwed.
Now for some Phantoms talk. The problem hasn't been the goaltending, its been the offense or lack of. So how does the parent club help us out, by signing John Grahame and Michael Leighton. Hey Paul Holmgren, if you want to really help; send down James VanReimsdyk for a 2 week conditioning stint. I was sort of disappointed that their was only 3,200 fans last Saturday night. The weather wasn't a problem, and we're talking about the Penguins farm team here. What's gonna happen when Norfolk actually does show up on Saturday night. Remember there's still plenty of time to get things in order and make a run at Hershey and the Rats at the top of the division.
I'm also saying this about the Rangers, who's offense is just as bad as the Phantoms.
Got a grocery store alert for you. Go out and buy a box of Wheat Thins Flat Bread crackers. Good Stuff.
Have you been fascinated by James Cameron's latest, "Avatar?" I am and I think I might have to make a run to the theater and see this movie. I have to ask, how could a movie that hasn't been in theaters yet get nominated for awards?
This weeks sign of the apocalypse. ABBA is getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before KISS does? What's up with that and who are The Stooges anyway? I am not the most music savvy individual on the planet, but is Iggy Pop that much of a musical genius or has been that much of an innovator on the music scene.
I got a note from my cousin and her fiance the other day. It was a reminder that their impending nuptials are only 6 months away. Let's see what do I have planned on that day. Nope can't make it. I'm finally going to have that growth surgically removed and my doctor and HMO won't let me re-schedule. My mom explained that this is proper protocol and it was very thoughtful of them to tell us and to plan ahead. I guess she doesn't have enough on her plate between handling my late uncle's estate and trying to build a home in South Carolina. Needed one more thing to keep her mind busy and it was channeling Emily Post. My mom told me that a relative gave a manners book to her as a gift way back when. Its nice to know she read it. Yo Mom, did you read that chapter on thank you cards and send one? I have a suggestion for my cousin and her future husband. It's called eloping.
My parents will be in the area for Christmas and New Years so the tree is up and somewhat decorated. The lights are on. The decorations get added this weekend. We go real tree in the Leccese family and this year it was a little too easy picking one and getting it set up. Why do I have this uneasy feeling something will go wrong.
I'm getting my resolutions ready for 2010 and I've got 4 etched in stone and one or two more maybe coming. Last year it was only one.
Weekends full between the Phantoms game and watching Rutgers play in its insignificant bowl game. I think I'm also on holiday cookie baking detail.
Finally, this is a warning is for people who are either vegans, gluten intolerant and or have food allergies. The cookies and brownies I bake will and do contain some of the following ingredients: whole eggs, real butter, flour, peanut butter, and nuts...Leccese out.

Can Anybody Tell Me What Christmas is all about? Plus your upset specials.

Hi There. Lets get started with the upset specials. O.K. Last week 1 for 2. Rutgers lost, but the Cardinals won over Vikes and you know who. Now for this weeks upset special. In honor of the Seattle Seahawks wise decision to never wear those day-glow lime green third jerseys ever again, I'll take them to beat the Houston Texans.
If it wasn't for the Giants, all my favorite football teams that play and come from New Jersey would have lost in New Jersey. Rutgers lost to West Virginia at home. My high school Alma mater Middletown South also lost in the Central Jersey Group 3 championship game. At least the Giants came off life support for one week and beat the Cowboys.
If you don't believe that one player can make a difference, just ask the Steelers. They are not the same team when Troy Polamalu is not in the line-up. Think about the Giants last year after gun toting Plaxico Burress wore his piece tucked in a pair of sweat pants and it went off at that night club.
Well Brian Kelly did not take my advice and took the Notre Dame job instead of staying at Cincinnati. Good for the Bearcats higher ups who told Mr.Kelly to pack his things and don't let the door hit you on the way out. No coaching in the Sugar Bowl for you! Since I'm already 0 for 2 in what coaches and universities should do, I'll just concede that Randy Edsall will leave UConn to take the Kansas job and become the new coach of the Jayhawks.
One more item from college athletics. If you thought the Ivy League was the civilized conference. Think again. The President of Dartmouth had to apologize to the President of Harvard because their students were taunting the Crimson at a squash match. Yes, a squash match See what happens when the Grey Poupon runs out at the consession stands.
I forgot to mention this in Saturday's entry. Maybe the reason why we have so many security breeches and we can't find the terrorists and other criminals we're looking for is the fact we tell them what's going on, what we are doing, who we are looking for and how we are going to catch them. All they have to do is watch CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, or other media outlets on cable or satellite TV. Case in point. Tareq and Michaele Salahi. They're the Virginia socialite couple that crashed the Obama's first White House state dinner for the Indian Prime Minister. Got love those two, another happy couple looking for that 15 seconds of fame and they're really looking for it. They auditioned for the Real Housewives of D.C. They were recently found guilty of not paying their landscaper and also skipped out of paying a dinner bill at a restaurant in a DC hotel. This weeks sign of the apocalypse, Bluewater Productions is coming out with an Ellen DeGeneres comic book.
If you get the chance, check out Robin Williams' new HBO special, "Weapons of Self Destruction." I was laughing so hard, my ribs hurt. It is that funny.
The guy who filmed Bristol Tech's Erin Andrews through a peep hole may only get 5 years in jail plus a fine? His attorney says he's apologized to Ms. Andrews and should not face any jail time. Not only should they lock this perv up for a minimum 10 years, the lawyer should be disbarred for stupidity and taking the case to begin with.
Normally I stay away from writing about local politics, but I am really disappointed that Warren County supervisors have decided to raise the sales tax instead of cutting spending to balance the county budget.
"How I Met Your Mother" was great this past week. My favorite part was Marshall's note to himself. I thought about what I would have written to 30 year old me when I was 16. The song that would have been playing while writing it, "Down Under" by Men at Work. Thinking about it, I only have accomplished one thing that would have been on that note. Working in radio. When I was 16 my goals by the age of 30 were the following. Marrying my college sweetheart and having one kid. Working as a program director at a medium to major market radio station somewhere in the Northeast, and owning a nice English Tudor style home that had a circular driveway with a basketball court set up on it somewhere so I could shoot baskets. Talk about me being a complete and utter failure.
A positive note to leave you readers with. Thanks to everybody again for your generosity with the Adopt A Child program and the charity auction for Operation Santa Claus. We raised $8,100 in the charity auction. Also thanks to my friends who I called and donated items for the auction. I've said this many times and I'll repeat it again. The giving nature of our listeners and the people of Warren, Washington, and Saratoga Counties overwhelms and amazes me. Enjoy the weekend. See you in the gym where I workout at or at the Phantoms games this weekend...Leccese out.

Its good to be back in business and some other observations

Hi there. First off, a big thanks goes out to whomever brought wckm.com back from the dead and to all you loyal readers who were wondering what the h e double hockey sticks was going on. Trust me I was dying inside knowing there was a lot of good A-list material to write and comment about and the blog was down. It was like I'd lost a good friend or my pet died. Don't worry I don't own a pet.
Let's get this bad boy in high gear with the upset specials. This weekend there's a lot of college football conference championship games being played with BCS bowl bids up for grabs. No way am I touching any of those games. I've been saving my Rutgers upset special pick card until now and I'm finally throwing that card on the table. Like the Scarlet Knights to finally beat West Virginia for the first time in 15 years. As for the pro, even though there are 2 pick 'em games this week, I'm taking the Arizona Cardinals as home underdogs to knock off the Vikings and you know who.
Message to Brian Kelly and Randy Edsall. I don't care how many Benjamin Franklins' Kansas or the Golden Domers throw at both of you, stay at Cincinnati and UConn and keep fighting the good fight with your other Big East coaches and force those Midwest and Southern holier than thou uber conferences take notice that the Big East is a legit football conference. Let me also remind you that the same thing could happen to you that has happened to Bobby Petrino and Rich Rodriquez when they left the Big East for so-called greener pastures. To quote Phil McConkey, "The grass is always greener my a--."
When Rutgers lost to Syracuse 2 weeks ago, I became so angry it turned me into one of those stark raving mad college football fans from the midwest and south I despise so much.
The Leccese Curse reared its ugly head on Charlie Weis earlier this week when Notre Dame did not read or take my advice from an earlier entry and fired him after 5 seasons at the helm of the Domers.
The Nets axed Lawrence Frank after losing 16 straight games. F.Y.I when he replaced Byron Scott in mid season, he won his first 13 games as head coach. Talk about starting in the penthouse and ending up in the outhouse.
It must have nice for Nets radio play by play guy Chris Carrino to finally call a win after New Jersey beat the Charlotte Bobcats to end that 18 game skid. Chris called 17 of those 18 losses and he is also the back up play by play guy on Giants radio broadcasts. He got to call that Thanksgiving night no-show performance by the Giants in Denver.
If Forrest Gump were a quarterback, he'd be Eli Manning. Show some emotion will you Peyton's little brother. Get in the face of one of your blockers or skill position players when they screw up and lead this team! I am so sick of that dumbfounded look before or after every play, good or bad. A quote from Eli, "My daddy always said throwing a forward pass is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
Mark Sanchez got sliding tips from Yankee manager Joe Girardi. Don't you think he would have been better off getting advice from someone who might have actually stole some bases instead of the guy whose job was to throw runners out or block the plate.
We interrupt this entry to inform you that the Las Vegas Locomotives have won the first UFL...Wait a second here's a second bulletin. The World Cup of soccer held its draw yesterday. Back to our original bulletin...championship game defeating the Florida Tuskers.
The Phantoms played their "home" game in Philly last night and attendance was just over 13 thousand, which would have been about 9,500 more than if the two teams had played in the Civic Center. Told you it was a good move. Now they'll play the Rats in front of a full house tonight.
Why do I have this feeling that when we finally do get snow, it will be a doozy of a storm.
Did Heat Mizer lose a bet to his brother Snow Mizer and that's why Houston Texas and the rest of the South got snow before we did?
Sorry E.K. at Bristol Tech, "A Christmas Story" is a better movie than "Christmas Vacation" hands down.
Did we really need to know that the reason for Meredith Baxter's three failed marriages were due to the fact she's lesbian. And did we had to find this epiphany out during a chat with Matt Lauer on the Today Show. Frankly, its none of mine and nobody elses business. I really don't care and I really don't want to know these things.
Finally, if you think that I'm chomping at the bit looking to rip into Tiger Woods (I'm calling him Tiger and not Eldrick this time) over his marital infidelity, you're wrong. It was a private matter that never should have been allowed to be leaked out. Police report or no police report or hospital discharge. I feel bad and sad at the same time for Tiger and his wife Elin. I want them to work things out in the counseling sessions and not with an increased financially cushioned pre-nup. It disturbs me that many of the same people who've put Tiger up on his pedestal, are roasting him for his mistakes and trying to shake him off it. What really pisses me off is all these women who he supposedly have had affairs with are coming out of the woodwork with attorney's by their side and are getting their 15 seconds of fame looking for that big payday to tell or not tell what transpired between them. Jesper Parnevik also should just shut up saying he should have never introduced them after Tiger had asked him for over a year to get the ball rolling. Would he be spouting off at the mouth bragging and taking all the credit for being the match maker who brought them together if their marriage had been perfect? Jesper if you want to talk, talk to that Tim Guy dude or Stacy London and get a wardrobe makeover please. It might help your golf game which has been in the tank for the last couple of years. Its good to be back...Leccese out.

Time for "Sing A Long with Colin" and your upset specials

Hi There. Its Friday and that means your upset specials, but before we go in depth on this weekends' picks. Lets take a look at some other things I've noticed this past week or have forgot to mention.
The Greenhouse Effect is a "Twilight-New Moon" free zone. An observation: This country sort of has this curiosity/infatuation with vampires and organized crime shows and movies. I'm not immune to this either. If I'm channel surfing and I find it on, I'll watch "The Sopranos." FYI- I never watched it and didn't care about it when it was on HBO. Love the theme music on the opening credits.
Kellogg's is telling us that there will be a shortage of Eggo waffles due to damage to one of its bakeries in Georgia caused by flooding. Why do I have this strange feeling during this shortage, some mentally unstable individual will make a 911 call registering a complaint to police that their favorite supermarket is out of Eggo's and something has to be done. Remember I told you that a person actually called 911 complaining there wasn't enough cookie bits in a milkshake and another person called complaining that a fast food restaurant was out of chicken nuggets.
Stop the presses! Oprah will end her talk show in 2011. Has anyone told Steadman yet? What is the book club supposed to do when this happens in 20 months? Yet another sign that the apocalypse is upon us.
If you're a loyal reader, I've written a lot about celebrities who have passed away this year. There have been many. Here's another one for the file. Ken Ober. Remote Control, the best thing I ever loved about MTV. Sorry Jenny McCarthy and Carmen Electra, Singled Out did nothing for me. I would love to see some reruns of Remote Control for old times sake. When I heard of Ken Ober's passing, a flood of memories came back and a couple of new age spots exploded on my arm. One of my worst nightmares will be my niece asking me one day, "Uncle Kenny, is it true that MTV actually played music videos?"
Now on to sports. 86 year old Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 for giving Buffalo Bills fans the "We're Number 1" salute with his middle fingers raised on both hands. Luv Ya Blue!
I forgot to mention this, but in all the glory of the AFL throwbacks, the Tampa Bay Bucs turned backed the clock 2 weeks ago and wore their original Tangerine and Ruby Red Grapefruit unis to victory. They looked good and it brought back memories. On the other hand, "Buccaneer Bruce" on the helmet is still creepy looking and causes some children to have nightmares or seizures.
Another reason to love the NHL. How they report injuries. They keep it simple and vague at the same time. Upper body or lower body injury. Day to Day. It makes the NFL weekly injury reports and their use of doubtful, questionable, probable, most likely, out and other terms read like a masters thesis.
The New Jersey Nets are 0-12 and Lawrence Frank still has a job. What's wrong with that picture? The other thing I find interesting about the Nets they've had a rash of early season injuries. Don't you think it would make sense to call up some bodies from the Development League instead of playing with only the league minimum of 8? Yep, Nets have definitely returned to the abyss of being the LA Clippers of the Eastern Conference...Again!
College basketball's silly season is underway and I'm wondering when I'll see Syracuse or some other big conference school play the South Harmon Institute of Technology on ESPNU.
O.K. for the Upset Specials. Got to keep the momentum going after finally having a 2 for 2 weekend last time out. College upset special. I've got the PAC-10 on my mind again and its a toss up between 2 games. I've flipped the coin and it comes up the Cal Bears over the Stanford Cardinal who has a let down after thumping USC. Now for the pro upset special. Its not a great week but I have to pick one so we go with Denver at home over the Chargers. Knowshon Moreno runs roughshod through the Bolts "D"and the Broncos end that 3 game slide before their Thanksgiving night match-up with the Giants.
One last thing. If the administrations of both Notre Dame and Michigan had any common sense, they would keep Charlie Weis and Rich Rodriguez as their football coaches. Enough with the rumors and the possible Bataan death march sentence that might be coming their way.
Enjoy the weekend...Leccese out.

Just fix the stickin' bridge will ya please!

Hi There. Well another exciting weekend has past and it had drama, entertainment, laughter and a pinch of aggravation all rolled into one.
Let us begin with the aggravating part. Saturday night I go the Phantoms game, between the monsoon weather and parking behind the bar on South Street, I was about a minute late for opening face off. So I get to my seats and two women from out of town with a youth hockey group were there. I politely explained that they were in my seats asked them to move. One of them gave me this look like I was nuts and said, "Can't you sit somewhere else, there are other empty seats in this section." I said no. Look lady, what don't you understand? You're in a season ticket holders' seats! Get out! This woman looked like and sounded like one of those people you deal with on the phone from technical assistance to whom English is a second language.
Last night was totally f---in' awesome. I went to Proctors in Schenectady and saw the "The Man" Anthony Bourdain. It was part Louis Black HBO comedy special and part Q and A session rolled into one great event. It was 2 hours of observations, opinions, and stories from the road. Right off the bat he started in on Rachel Ray, Sandra Lee, other Food Network stars, chain restaurants, vegans, vegetarians, and the Food Network who by the way just bought the Travel Channel which his tv show happens to be on. No one or one topic was off limits. He answered every question asked of him. I was smart enough not to go up to the mic and ask one. I probably would have made a complete jack a-- out of myself going jojo monkey boy nervous like and screwing the question up. Tony if you want to sell out, start selling, "No Reservations" T-shirts. Since he brought up the topic last night, here's my take on Sandra and Rachel. Sandra Lee is a Martha Stewart wanna be who just happens to be one hot looking blonde. Giada is the brunette version. When it comes to Rachel, I've got to be careful what I write. To start, I know her brother and consider him a friend. She's given a lot back to this area with her annual show at Lake George High School. She has helped our charity auctions with donations, and gone on the air with Dan and Pete. Here goes. Rachel is that cute girl who lives next door with just a touch of tomboy. If you were one kid short for a backyard game, you'd ask her to play to even out the sides. She just happens to host both a talk and a cooking show. As someone who loves to cook and is always looking to improve my culinary skills, both Rachel's and Sandra's shows are too beginner for me. I like learning the advanced stuff and the actual technical terms that chefs use.
For this past weekends' upset specials. I went 2 for 2 . In the "How 'bout them Cowboys" weekend, Wyoming came back from 21 points down in the 4th quarter to beat San Diego State and the Packers knocked off Dallas on the Indian Summer tundra of Lambeau Field.
Finally, could both New York and Vermont please just get together and fix the Crown Point Bridge? Enough with the hemming and hawing and do something! Towns on both sides of the lake are suffering economically from the closure and not one but two states are doing nothing but sit with both thumbs up their buts making excuses and a solution hasn't happened...Leccese out

Going to see "The Man" and Upset Specials

Hi There. Busy weekend of things to do and lucky for me the Giants aren't playing. It started off on a good note with my favorite college team from Piscataway NJ thumping South Florida 31-0. That got the ball rolling so now I need the Phantoms to get a couple of home wins and to cap it off Sunday night I go to Proctors to see who I call, "The Man" speak. Anthony Bourdain host of "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel. He was an award winning chef in New York City, best selling writer and his show is awesome. He's not your typical host. This should be interesting.
The NFL is at it again and Brett Celek has become my favorite Philadelphia Eagle because of this. He did the "Captain Morgan" pose on national tv after scoring a touchdown. Captain Morgan's donated money to Celek's favorite charity and made another donation to a charity that helps former NFL players. As always the NO FUN LEAGUE has banned the pose and threatened fines and bodily harm to everyone who does it. Remember this league fines players for petty uniform infractions such as not enough color on your socks showing and excessive celebrations. They got Chad 85 for wearing the wrong color chin strap! You heard right, CHIN STRAP!
The sneaker and apparel company Adidas has something stuck up their tuchis. Michael Jordan's son plays plays basketball for Central Florida. Now before he decided to attend the school, he asked if he could wear his dads' Air Jordan sneakers on the court instead of Adidas which outfits the Knights. Originally there was no problem. However one of higher up stuffed shirts at Adidas found out about it and had a big problem. Well in the end nothing could be resolved and Adidas broke a 3 million dollar contract with UCF and will no longer be outfitting the school with unis and other apparel for its teams. Honestly do you think if it was any other kid but Michael Jordans' would there have been such a hissy fit? Give me a break! I remember when I was in high school and college in the 80's, there was a hoops player at Kentucky named Roger Harden. The Wildcats for a long time played in Converse sneakers, then switched to wearing Nike. Roger's dad was an executive for Converse. Believe it or not, Nike made an exception and Harden continued to wear Converse. For one shining moment, Pat Knight wasn't that much of the bridge troll that he is.
Is there anything I'm forgetting? Oh yeah upset specials. Well it's a,"How 'Bout Them Cowboys!" weekend. For the college upset special, take the Wyoming Cowboys to upset the Aztecs of San Diego State. The pro upset special takes us to Green Bay where Aaron Rodgers and the Pack beat the Dallas Cowboys. Enjoy the weekend and I have to ask Roger Goodell, "Gotta little Captain in you, Commissioner?" Leccese out.

Next time, wait to feed the horses and other observations

Hi There. Had the chance to experience something that was amazing and humbling at the same time. It was a funeral. I know you're saying, "a funeral?" In July my Uncle Al past away at 88 years of age. He was a lieutenant in the Navy. The more I've gotten to know about him, the more I've realized what a fascinating person he was. His funeral took place Monday at Arlington National Cemetery and it was a full military funeral with honors. It had a 21 gun salute, military band, and a horse drawn carriage taking the casket to his final resting place. It was classy and my uncle wanted it that way. The only draw back was the horses having to...you know...do their business along the route to his grave site. We had the option of getting in a car or walking behind them. I walked as many of my family members did. I thought it would make me depressed seeing all the tombstones and passing where President Kennedy was buried, but it didn't. I felt a sense re-affirmation about the values and beliefs this country was founded on and are still trying to uphold. I've never really spent any time in Washington D.C. and just driving around, you get a history lesson just looking through the window of the car. Seeing the dome of the Jefferson Memorial. The beauty of the three spires of the Air Force Monument and the Pentagon itself. The immense size of the Iwo Jima Memorial and the presence of the Washington Monument everywhere in the background. It is interesting that I'm writing about this experience on Veterans Day, so a big thanks to those who have served and are serving.
On to other stuff. First it was Rachel Alexandra and then Zenyatta beating up the boys, winning the Breeders Cup Classic. If Rachel Alexandra had run and won in the Breeders Cup, she would have won the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. It's now Zenyatta's to lose.
Loved that one fans' sign that CBS put on screen during the Giants/Chargers game. I told you LaDainian Tomlinson, L.T. stands for Lawrence Taylor. In a sad coincidence, the Giant linebacker got arrested again. This time for leaving the scene of an accident later that night.
As for the upset specials. Another 1 for 2 week. Lost on LSU, win on the Titans.
Normally, I love to slam and mock Bristol Tech when I get the chance; but I do praise them on occasion when its justified. Today is one of those days. In celebration of their 30th anniversary, they are doing a short film series called 30 in 30. I've watched a few of them and they've all been great. Last night saw one on the life of Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder. This movie was that good. Learning about his life. He and his wife lost 3 children to cystic fibrosis. The memories of the original NFL Today on CBS with Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and Phyllis George. That was the pre-game show, before there were pre-game shows. If they re-air this short film, it's a must watch. Phyllis George still is stunning looking by the way.
Thursday night Big Brothers/Big Sisters is honoring our morning show at their annual awards banquet. So props to the boys for a job well done. Hurray for us!
I thought choosing nine football games to broadcast was hard. I just got the Foothills Council and Adirondack League Basketball schedules, both boys and girls. There's a lot of work ahead of me.
Adopt a Child has started, so don't forget to help a kid have a merrier Christmas. Your generosity always amazes me and you've never let me down.
The British soccer hooligans must have loved seeing the two videos of those women's soccer games that have gotten so much air recently. Punching, shoving, violent tripping and tackling, and hair pulling. It probably brought a tear to their eye.
I know, still no photos of me with a beautiful woman in the "Greenhouse Effect." Keep holding that candlelight vigil.
Upset specials later in the week and the countdown to seeing, "The Man" has begun...Leccese out.

Upset Specials and thuuuuuuh Yankees win

Hi There. Before we get to the upset specials an observation on the World Series. For all the folks who say the Yankees bought a title, you're right. However they are playing within the rules. Just like the players who did PED's during the late 90's and earlier this decade. There was nothing in the rules against it, but they're still called cheaters. The Yankees were the best team. Both the Yanks and Phils have problems with their bullpens. Heading into next year, the Yankees also have two of the same issues the Mets do. They need a left fielder and who should be playing behind the plate?
Now for the upset specials. For your college, I'm picking another big game this week and its in the SEC where the Crimson Tide of Alabama host the Bayou Bengals of LSU. Take LSU in this one. Now for the pro, there's not a lot calling my name saying, "pick me!" but I'm going back to well for a second time with the Tennessee Titans as they score an interconference win over the 49ers.
I'm looking forward to the Chargers/Giants game. There's only one L.T., LaDainian Tomlinson and Sunday you're playing in his house. His name was Lawrence Taylor. Hope the Giants fans remind him of that.
Manu Ginoboli swatted a bat that was buzzing fans and players at a recent Spurs game. He took shots for rabies afterwards and the mentally challenged at PETA are complaining that he committed animal cruelty. Get a life please! I'm thinking something right now, but I can't express it in this entry without the PC Police coming after me.
The Breeders Cup is this weekend and I'm going to watch some of it. The usual debate will take place over synthetic or natural main track surfaces. I prefer the natural stuff.
Lots of sectional finals taking place in high school sports and I'm not just talking about football. Soccer, field hockey, volleyball. Go and check some of it out and support the kids. Enjoy the weekend...Leccese out.

Just call the damn play Eli! And other stuff

Hi There. Well another weekend has passed and so has the high school football season. Hudson Falls lost, so really there is no local team we cover left. Please take no offense Greenwich, Saratoga, or Ballston Spa. I'll enjoy the wait for basketball and hockey seasons.
As for the upset specials, went 1 for 2...again. Oregon thumped USC and the Eagles thumped the Giants. Now for all you Giants fans which I am one, if you want to know why this three game nose dive into the abyss has taken place, it comes down to a variety of problems. Starting with the lack of a pass rush. Everything the Giants do offensively and defensively is built around Osi, Justin, and Co. getting to the quarterback. When a good QB like Brees, Warner and McNabb gets pass protection, it exposes the Giants beat up secondary and they'll just pick it apart. As for the offense, the young receivers are holding their own, but my one gripe with Eli has always been this obsession of his to constantly change the play at the line of scrimmage pointing everywhere left and right and just barely getting it off. How can a quarterback get into any sort of rhythm when half the time he's flailing his arms pointing out things to the lineman? Get up under center and call the damm play!
Sorry UConn fans, I know the Huskies needed the win badly to help with the healing over the tragic loss of Jasper Howard, but I was very happy that Rutgers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final minute Saturday afternoon.
Oregons' uni's weren't the ugliest things I saw on the college football field Saturday. The black tops that Tennessee wore were kind of gross looking. Stick with the orange, Vols.
To all you fans of "The" Ohio State Buckeyes, please accept this piece of reality. The Cincinnati Bearcats are the best college football team from the state of Ohio this year. Most college football fans are delusional about how good their team really is anyway. Especially the fans from the south and midwest.
This weeks sign of the apocalypse comes from the supermarket where I saw chocolate covered Ritz. I'm not making this one up. To quote Andy Griffith, "Mmmmm, good cracker."
Is it true that Brett Favre played at Lambeau Field wearing a Vikings jersey? No, it can't be. Say it ain't so cheesehead fans? Must have not been paying attention. This will take awhile for me to digest.
I have no problem with the Phantoms moving their December 4th home game to Philadelphia. I thought they were going play one there anyway. Besides its Norfolk we're talking about. The Admirals rank up there with the old Newmarket Saints and Cornwall Aces (Remember them?) As a season ticket holder the options presented to us were great. It also pads the attendance figure and if you look at how other teams in the league are drawing so far this year, we're holding our own.
Personally, I'd rather see a Directv commercial with Kim Basinger doing a scene from "Blind Date" than "Wayne's World II." I must admit the ad is very funny though. Next I'd like to see Mike Myers or Anthony LaPaglia do Directv spot which uses a scene from, "So I Married An Axe Murderer." Love that flick.
New episodes of the Monday night comedies on CBS...Leccese out.

Upset Specials and Tommy Boy

Hi There. The weekend is here and that means its time for your upset specials. For the pros, normally I stay away from the Giants, but it's a pick em game on the road in Philadelphia against the Eagles across the parking lot from where the Yankees/Phillies game 4 will take place. Go with the Giants. Now for the college upset special. This should be a heck of a game at Autzen Stadium where the Oregon Ducks, who have the ugliest unis on the planet thanks to Nike founder and alum Pat Knight are playing the USC Trojans. Go with the Ducks ugly unis and all to win as a home underdog and squash the Trojans national title hopes.
On to some high school football. We are not doing a game this week on WWSC and here's the main reason. Logistics. We had 2 playoff games available. Greenwich/Spa Catholic or Hudson Falls/Lansingburgh. Neither of which are easy to reach or get good cell phone service from. Now if Hudson Falls wins, we will go to Schenectady for the Class B Final. We also had one crossover option that in a normal year would be good game to do, but not this year. I thought at the beginning of the year that I didn't think there would be a team like Hudson Falls from our listening area to make a run at the State Finals and its held true. Well basketball and hockey seasons are a month away.
Finally the PC police are at it again, and this time it revolves around the late Chris Farley and a Directv commercial with David Spade. If you've seen it, it features a memorable scene from the movie "Tommy Boy" where Farley is doing "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" and there's Spade watching and promoting Directv and at the end he says, "That never gets old." Its exploiting a dead guy, that's tasteless. Give me a break. The spot is hysterical and it was a great scene that showed off Farley's comic talent. His weight, combined with the addiction to drugs and booze led to his tragic, untimely death. Lighten up people and enjoy the humor.
So if you're at some Halloween party this weekend and some guy is dressed as Billy Mays carrying Oxy-Clean, that could be me. Now there's a real example of somebody making fun of and exploiting a persons' untimely death.
Don't forget to turn back the clocks, check those smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and enjoy that extra hour of sleep...Leccese out.

Rain, Rain go away and other thoughts from the mind of the Garden Boy

Hi There. I know usually I produce an entry Monday, but I needed a little extra time to think. First for the upset specials 1 for 2. Kansas fell short to Oklahoma, but the Bills had a big win over the Panthers. In other news, did I call it or what? Yankees in 6, Phillies in 5. Should be a great battle. Now for the World Series prediction. It goes 6 games. I'm leaving you hanging on who'll win. Bud Selig and his cronies should figure out some way that the World Series should begin earlier and not end on the 5th of November.
My cousin Andy Basso and his son Brent came up for the weekend. Checked out the Phantoms game Friday night and Brent competed in the Head of the Fish regatta in Saratoga Springs. Saturday was one of those cold, rainy days that seemed to last forever. It was too long a day. When I got home from the football game we did on WWSC it was about 5:30 and as soon as I got out of that long, hot shower, I fell asleep on the couch. I will say that Brent was a trooper. He's not a big hockey fan, and he had to put up with his cousin and Dad catching up during the game. I'm proud of that kid. He's a senior in high school, just became an eagle scout, and he wants to be a doctor.
Steve Phillips checked himself into rehab for a sexual addiction. Did he go to the Wilt Chamberlain Clinic? Is it some 12 step program or do you take high school health class over and they teach you about abstinence.
I'm not ashamed to admit this, but I watched "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" last night. I'm a hard core Peanuts fan and I'm fascinated with the life of Charles Schulz. My sister thinks I'm the real life Charlie Brown. (personally I'd like to think I'm Schroeder).
I thought I was an intelligent person who appreciates smart comedy. I'm having a hard time understanding "Community" and "The Office."
Who had it worse, the Oakland Raiders who lost to the Giants and Jets by a combined score of 79 to 7 this year or the Corinth Tomahawks, who in the past 2 years have lost to the Chatham Panthers by a combined score of 132 to 20.
This could only happen to the Clippers and maybe the Nets and Timberwolves. Blake Griffin the number one pick in the NBA draft is already out for 6 weeks with a broken knee cap. If it wasn't for bad luck, the Clippers would have no luck at all. I'm so excited the NBA is back... NOT!!!!!!!
Many Rangers' fans like myself are mourning the loss of Bill Chadwick, "The Big Whistle." Former NHL referee and color commentator for those Rangers broadcasts on Channel 9 with Jim Gordon I would watch as a kid. Good times and even better memories. Could I hop in the DeLorean and go back to some Saturday night about 34 years ago to see a Rangers/MapleLeafs game from the old MapleLeaf Gardens and watch The Big Whistle interview King Clancy? Dad please just let me stay up a little longer. I'll go to bed at the start of the third period, I promise.
I'm going as Billy Mays for Halloween this year. Upset specials on Friday...Leccese out.

Upset Specials and other stuff

Hi There. Well the weekend is here and its time for your Upset Specials. Last week 0 for 2. Remember these are all in the name in fun and don't blame me if you actually take my advice and end up losing. First the college upset special where we go the Big 12 where the Kansas Jayhawks are home underdogs to the Oklahoma Sooners. Now if a healthy Sam Bradford was playing, no chance in hell would I pick Kansas. Well, no Sam Bradford, so Rock, Chalk Jayhawk. go with Kansas. For the pro upset special, lets take the Buffalo Bills over the Carolina Panthers. T.O. has a big game and defends his quarterback...again.
As for high school games this weekend. Not a lot of great match-ups. One intriging one is Corinth/Chatham. Last year Chatham won 70-20 and this will be a battle between Josh Keyes of Chatham and Jordan Charbonneau. Wish this game could have been in Corinth instead of down in the Capital Region. The game we are doing on WWSC Saturday, Hudson at Hudson Falls. The BlueHawks are very athletic and should give the Tigers a run for their money.
Hard to believe but Morgan Pavlot is gonna be 4 years old tomorrow...Leccese out.

Lucas actually caught the football and other observations

Hi There. Before we get to Bearskin Bowl 4, we'll talk about the weekend that was. Upset specials tanked. Lost on both Army and Da Bears. Rutgers tanked. Giants tanked. I thought the Bills/Browns game was ugly, we had a repeat with the Jets/Bills. I'll repeat what I said to all the Jets fans who have anointed Mark Sanchez saint hood, rookie quarterbacks will stumble along the way and have bad games like that.
Then there was my latest attempt in the kitchen. I discovered that trying to make homemade cider donuts is hard! It was a total culinary disaster. I may try it again sometime. For now, I'll leave them to the experts at Hicks and Saratoga Apple.
First we had David Letterman, now Steve Phillips at Bristol Tech. I'll never understand why someone would want to cheat on their wife or husband. My dad said it best to me to one day. Be totally sure that he or she is the right one and get it right the first time.
Is the NBA sure they want to bring back its real officials? Look it won't make a difference who is making the calls. The officiating in the Association just plain sucks and is the worst of the 4 major sports. Oh and they've finally admitted that you can take 2 steps now before putting the ball on the floor and traveling maybe called.
Was the guy who created the hoax with the helium balloon in Colorado wearing purple sneakers waiting for aliens to come get him? His family actually appeared on Wife Swap. The dumbing down of America continues.
Finally onto the Bearskin Bowl. Thanks to everyone who showed up. The miracle occurred and Lucas (that would be me) caught a pass. Yeah it was for only 5 yards and a 2pt conversion, but I have to give Doug Duell all the credit. Everyone who went out for a pass caught one and he found us open. He spread the wealth. Would we have liked to have won of course, but that isn't the point of game. It's about raising money for a good cause and having fun doing it. What's next for Lucas and his mediocre athletic ability? Playing in the Lake George Booster Club basketball tournament just after the new year. Hopefully I'll score some baskets this year. I better start practicing so I'll be ready. New upset specials and other football previews Friday...Leccese out.

Upset Specials and some other observations

Hi there. We kick off the weekend entry with your Upset Specials. There are some seriously good rivalry games in the college ranks Saturday. USC/Notre Dame and Texas/Oklahoma. Neither of which I'm touching with a 10 foot pole. Here's your college upset special. Take the Black Knights of the Hudson, that's right Army over the Temple Owls. Now for your pro upset special, we're on the midnight train to Georgia where da Bears will beat the Falcons Sunday night.
Earlier in the week I brought up Rush Limbaugh and furor over him being involved with a group of investors that is looking to buy the St.Louis Rams. The PC police have won again and he was dropped. Look, we all know that 99.5 percent of politically driven talk show hosts are bitter blowhards with incurable foot in mouth disease. What's more disturbing is free publicity Rush and all the nay sayers got from this. Enough with the conspiracy theories please.
World Series predictions. Yankees in six, and Phillies in five.
I'm predicting 5,500 attendance for Phantoms/Rats Saturday night at the Civic Center
Love this quote from Rangers coach John Tortorella, "A pat on the back is just few feet away from a kick in the ass."
Lots of great high football match-ups this weekend. Lake George/Rensselaer, Hoosick Falls/Corinth, Niskayuna/Troy, Saratoga/Shen, Granville/Cambridge, and some others. Enjoy the weekend...Leccese out.

Frost was on the windshield and other observations

Hi There. Had to bring the ice scraper out from the garage this morning. It was definitely cold this morning and I felt like I was coming down with one. First the upset specials. Another 1 for 2 week with UConn losing a close one to Pittsburgh, but you gotta hand it to the Bengals who pulled one out in last minute to beat the Ravens.
How bad was it for the Bay Area football teams? The 49ers and Raiders lost by a combined score of 99 to 17 and it would have been worse if Eli had played more than a half. The Raiders are so bad that if they took on Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake, my money would be on the Spartans.
Aren't you glad the Browns/Bills game wasn't on Sunday or Monday night?
Now for an another edition of The Greenhouse Effects' "You Make the Call!" Whose unis are more uglier. The choices: The Seahawks alternate Day-Glo Lime green jerseys or the Denver Broncos AFL throwbacks with the vertical striped socks.
You know your football team is having a good day when the Presidents Cup golf matches are more compelling to watch and you don't want to switch back and forth between the two.
Rush Limbaugh wants to buy the Rams and people are upset because?
Just want to take this time to thank the RedSox, Cardinals, and Twins for playing and don't forget to take a copy of the home game before you leave.
For all those critics of the Metrodome, it was 33 degrees outside at game time in Minneapolis last night. Hope Target Field has seat warmers as one of its fan amenities.
I'm fascinated that everyone has an opinion about David Letterman's recent troubles. One report I've read has people urging Dave to enter a sex rehab clinic. PETA wants him to be a spokesman to promote having your pet spade or neutered. I could name about 10 to 15 NBA players who would be better choices for that job.
Then there's Jimmy Kimmel who obviously isn't taking heed of what Dave did. He's supposedly dating the head writer on his show.
No truth to the rumor that Mike Dubray is in training for the US Olympic Beer Pong team.
I would love to see a new "Vacation" movie with a grown up Rusty on a trip with his family paying a visit to see Clark and Ellen at their retirement community home somewhere in Arizona and then going to Wally World. No cousin Eddie please.
Finally, the place in South Carolina where my folks may build a home made the paper Saturday. It was an alligator attack on one of the golf courses. When I was there last month, I saw a gator on the course that I played. I read an article that stated people actually feed these reptiles. What are these folks thinking? I'm sorry, but this is not a case where your little kid says, "Daddy, can pet the kitty or puppy please?" Where was the late Steve Irwin when we needed him?...Safe from gators, Leccese out.

Upset Specials and its, "Hammer Time!"

Hi There. We'll get to the upset specials in a second, but first we know the Bay Area is a little strange but what's truly going on there?
First there's Michael Crabtree who finally realized that holding out and blowing a big first round draft choice paycheck is not the smart thing to do. Mr.Crabtree was insulted because he felt he was worth more than the Raiders first pick Darius Heywood-Bey. He finally got a deal done with the 49ers and who helped in brokering the deal? MC Hammer! I can just see it now, Hammer explains deferred money to Michael and says, "Can't touch this." The other strange thing coming out of San Fransisco this week happened at Harding Park, a beautiful municipal golf course where they are playing the Presidents Cup. Michael Jordan is one of the honorary captains. He was seen walking the course, smoking a cigar. Since it is a public place, technically its illegal to light up there and some of the idiot PC police were actually thinking of charging him with a crime. Look there's a lot worse that goes on at a golf course, and my friends are guilty of this. Loading up a cooler with cheap beer that Dubray drinks, sticking in the golf cart and playing a round while getting a buzz on.
This weeks sign of the apocalypse. Michael Vick is getting a reality TV show.
The pickings must have been real slim when President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and that ultimate fascist Michael Savage will have a field day over this choice.
From the home office in Pottersville, New York enough with David Letterman and his private life.
If there is only one good reason to see the movie, "Couples Retreat" its because Peter Billingsley directed it. Who is Peter Billingsley you ask? It's Ralphie from "A Christmas Story."
Alright now on to some football. Some great high school games this weekend that have play-off implications. Cambridge and Hoosick Falls, Glens Falls and Queensbury, Saratoga and Ballston Spa. Now for the upset specials, we'll start with the pros. There are some brutal games this week but we have to pick one and here we go. Take the Bengals over the Ravens. Yeah you heard right the Bengals over the Ravens. Now for the college. Once again not a lot out there that catches my attention but I'll throw my dart (its not always poison) at the UConn Huskies to beat the Pitt Panthers on the road at the ketchup stand (a.k.a Heinz Field). Enjoy the weekend...Leccese out.

Opening night observations from Section P and some other stuff

Hi There. Hoped you enjoyed the weekend. We'll talk about the Phantoms home opener later on, but other observations first. Had another week of going 1 for 2 on the upset specials and so far this year I'm 3-5 through the first 4 weeks. Lost on Mississippi/Vandy, won on Broncos/Cowboys but that one had me sweating bullets like everyone else who picked Denver. O.K. through the first 4 weeks of the NFL's regular season here are a couple of observations. The Saints are the real deal. Everybody who questioned the Giants receivers and the Patriots in general should know better, and what's gotten into the Titans? Jeff Fisher is a heck of a coach but somethings' not right in Nashville? Now this maybe a good thing for the NFL, its nice not to hear the word parity bandied about as much. There are some read good teams and some real bad teams out there.
My choice for coach of the year among the local high school football teams. Mario Torres of Granville. The Golden Horde are 5 - 0 with 2 tough games left on the schedule, plus they play in a division with Cambridge and Hoosick Falls. I also don't want to leave out a good Corinth team. The C playoffs in Section 2 will be 3 weeks of all out war with only one team left standing.
The Mets season came to an end yesterday. That's the good news. The bad news is no matter how many changes to the roster are made, they still have to play their home games at CitiField. Now for more good news for all you readers out there. You'll won't be reading my hatred of the ballpark for at least 6 months. One more Mets note, I read somewhere that a home uniform change may occur. I'm dreading this one, another tribute to the Giants or Dodgers is in the works. To Fred and Jeff Wilpon, please sell the team.
Do we have to place blame for Chicago not getting the 2016 Summer Olympics? It's not worth it to host. Putting a burden of even more debt on an already overtaxed public is not worth it. Let someone else have it and deal with the aggravation. Just ask Atlanta. Personally, I blame Oprah and not President Obama or former President George W Bush. The Brazilian delegation brought Pele along with their president. We should have countered with Michael Jordan or Coach Ditka.
Finally onto the Phantoms home opener. Tough loss. Great crowd, great atmosphere, saw a lot of my old friends, classy opening ceremonies although I wish some mention of the Redwings should have been in the script and the spotlight put on those banners. Now for the downside. I have an aisle seat and across in the next section there was a hyperactive child who was jumping up and down and dancing non stop. To make matters worse, he had these sneakers that constantly lit up. Thank god there was no one around with epilepsy. Those shoes could have caused seizures. I was also surrounded by some of the many people who made the trip up from Pennsylvania and one kid was wearing a costume of "Phlex" the mascot. How much will the cost of therapy for that kid run someday? If this keeps up all year, I might be searching for a therapist. Monday night comedies on CBS and who cares about Packers/Vikings and more mentions of #4...Leccese out.

Upset Specials and what were the Seahawks thinking?

Hi There before we get to the Upset Specials here's got a couple of random thoughts from the week.
If you had Kathy Ireland outlasting Chuck Liddell in your "Dancing with Stars" office pool...You lost! She should now audition for that roll in "Necessary Roughness II, I've got eligibility left." She may not be able to dance, but she'll always be my favorite Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.
I know we've seen some ugly looking throwback uniforms in recent memory, but none could be as bad as the alternates the Seahawks wore over the weekend. Was that day glow lime green? They used to have the coolest looking helmets and unis. Go back to the silver and blue. The teal doesn't cut it.
How I Met Your Mother was awesome. Especially the doppelgangers. I've thought about some for some of the guys here at the radio station. Nice haircut Cloutier. Never drink Dubray. Sexually promiscuous Leccese, and finally Sidekick Miner. O.K., I have way too much time on my hands. I was wondering if the actress who played Ted's date was the same one who was "Crazy Rose" from Two and a Half Men.
On to the Upset Specials. For the college we go to SEC where Mississippi is favored on the road over Vanderbilt. Take the Commodores. For the pros, the Denver Broncos are home underdogs to the Cowboys. Knowshown Moreno has another big day and Broncs go 4-0 on the season. Quick re-cap Vanderbilt and the Denver Broncos.
Hudson Falls and Cobleskill Saturday on 1450 WWSC. See you at the Phantoms game...Leccese out.

Say Goodbye to September and other observations

Hi There. This weekend seemed pretty much like a blur. Two high school football games and a remote on Sunday. In between I think did some laundry and waited for my fantasy hockey league draft to take place. First the football. You don't win fumbling the ball 5 times like Warrensburgh did. However, Brendan Frye has a cannon of an arm. One more take on that game. What was more disheartening, Warrensburgh having only 22 players or only having 3 cheerleaders on the sideline? As for Saturday, Greenwich just methodically pounded the ball down Fort Edward's throat. It wasn't pretty for a young Forts team.
Now that we've reached the half way point of the regular season, some interesting observations. If you would have told me that Granville would be 4-0 and Schuylerville 0-4 in C North I would had you take a drug test. Cambridge has outscored their opponents 166 to 7. They're baaaack and in a big way. Certain teams just seem to never let down, they just re-load. How about Corinth being 3-1 and the year Jordan Charbonneau is having? Can't wait to see him play basketball this year. Another guy having a great year is Mico DeloSantos from Rensselaer. Unfortunately the closest we'll get to see him is if the Class D Sectional Final is in the area. I feel bad for Glens Falls. The Indians homecoming game opponent is Burnt Hills.
As for the upset specials, well I went 1 for 2 with Iowa knocking off Penn State and the Titans losing to the Jets.
Watching the Giants beat the Bucs was like watching the Greenwich/Fort Edward game I called the day before. A total dominating performance on both sides of the ball.
I was upset that the Lions won. I wanted them break the record for consecutive losses. The Redskins must now know how the Saints felt when they were the first team to lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Don't ever count out the Patriots or the Steelers.
The Greenhouse Effect is officially becoming a Brett Favre free zone. If I hear one more thing about him and his greatness, I'm going to hurl.
Picked up my Phantoms season tickets, and yes I'm ready for hockey. The season can't come soon enough for me...CBS comedies tonight and upset specials Friday...Leccese out.

Upset Specials and thoughts of the Monday comedies on CBS

Hi There. Well its Friday and before I delve into the upset specials I'll talk about the Monday comedies on CBS. Of the three, I thought Two and a Half Men was the best. I did not watch "Accidentally on Purpose." How I Met Your Mother was fine and yes I'm O.K. with Barney and Robin as a couple. Still having a hard time with Big Bang Theory at 9:30 though.
On to the upset specials. Last week lost on East Carolina/North Carolina, had my first winner of the year with Cardinals/Jaguars. O.K. for the college upset special heading to the Big 10, which is really 11 and I see the Iowa Hawkeyes heading to Happy Valley and beating the Nittany Lions of Penn State. Now for the pro upset special take the Tennesse Titans to beat the Jets just to shut Rex Ryan's big fat mouth up for one week. Talk about an annoying blowhard.
I have to take TV-8 to task about the stories they are airing on when the Phantoms are going to leave town a week before they play the home opener. The team hasn't played a game yet and we are putting the nails in the coffin. I am really getting annoyed with all the negativity. There are many positives in regards to the team and the Civic Center like the one I read in Friday's PostStar about the concession stands being fixed up. It's been long overdue. Are you people ever satisfied? All I hear is complaining. Tell me what do you as patrons of the Civic Center really want besides the subsidy the city provides to go down? I'm getting the impression you don't want anything. You'd rather see the building closed and torn down.
High School football tonight and tomorrow on WWSC, and then its a visit to the apple orchard on Sunday. Get the cider and donuts ready. Enjoy the weekend...Leccese out.

Summer is officially over and other weekend observations

Hi There. Well summer comes to an end Tuesday and that means a new tv season is upon us. Tonight its the return of the CBS comedies I profess my loyalty to. How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. The only new show that I may check out is Community on NBC. Its got that strong lead in from 30 Rock and The Office and from what I've read Chevy Chase is funny again. It's kind of depressing seeing him as one of my parents peers. To me he'll always be Ty Webb or Clark W. Griswold.
Did anyone really pay attention and watch the Emmy Awards last night? You did. You have my sympathy.
Speaking of television, if you happen to be a Food Network addict like I am, you wouldn't believe who's got a cooking show. Brian Boitano! The highlight of this cooking tour de force is the opening which is the song from the SouthPark movie. There's hope for me yet if I weren't so camera shy and I hate having my picture taken in general. Maybe if Marc Sommers decides to give up "Unwrapped," I could take over as host.
O.K last weekend we went 1 for 2 on the upset specials. Lost on the college, but won on the pro. I did not watch any of Giants/Cowboys game though it was nice to see arrogance humbled and I wish Lawrence Tynes or Jeff Feagles would have kicked the ball and purposely hit the mega/uber hi def jumbotron scoreboard just once to make Jerry Jones cringe even more. Look spend the extra 2 million bucks and raise the thing up another 10 feet so no one hits it.
If you would have predicted that Granville would be 3-0 and Schuylerville 0-3 to start the high school football season, I know I wouldn't have believed you.
Normally when I speak of the New Jersey Devils it revolves around the fact the organization has the personality of wet flatulence, but I'm giving them props for a change. On March 17th, they'll turn back the clock and wear the original red, white, and green jerseys that they first wore after they moved from Colorado. Yes Virginia, there was NHL hockey in Denver before the Avalanche arrived and they were known as the Rockies. Yep, just like the baseball team.
How come 2 private multi-level parking structures can built so easily in downtown Glens Falls, but the city can't find a way to do it to ease the parking problem it has?
One last thing, if you're a baseball fan it was sad to hear the news regarding Ernie Harwell. What a great guy! I got to meet him after he spoke a few years ago at the Baseball Hall of Fame and I was humbled in his presence, but he made feel like he was just as excited to meet me as I was him. If the world had more Ernie Harwell's, it would be a better place...Leccese out.

Tales from the Low Country of South Carolina

Hi There. Well I'm back after 3 days of playing a little golf, admiring beautiful views and amazing sunsets, and eating great seafood off the coast of South Carolina. Here's a rarity. No complaints about the flights. The Charleston Airport needs more food court options once you get past security. The weather was in the 80's and the humidity was bearable. Some interesting observations about South Carolina. You can buy a bottle of champagne for $70.00 at Publix supermarket. Gas was 40 cents cheaper and every gas station I saw also sold fried chicken. (Fill it up with super, and I'll take 3 pieces of extra crispy.) There were fireworks stores everywhere along route 17 from Charleston to Beaufort. (We need to legalize fireworks here in New York. Those shops would be perfect for parts route 4 in Washington County.) I noticed a Dairy Queen advertising "Happy Hour everyday from 2 to 4pm." What the heck are they putting in the Dilly Bars down there? Went to a great chocolate shop in Beaufort called The Chocolate Tree. You enter this shop and the chocolate smell envelops you. It was that intoxicating you could drop dead on the spot and die happy. I got some chocolate bark with cashews and malted milk pieces in it. Killer stuff.
Onto the upset specials. Last week 0-2, this week I get back to the 500 mark. Your college upset special comes from North not South Carolina where the Tar Heels host the Pirates of East Carolina. I had the Pirates in an upset special last year against West Virginia, so lets go with them winning on the road in Chapel Hill. As for the pro, this weeks games don't inspire a lot of confidence, but here goes. The Arizona Cardinals normally don't play well when they travel to the east coast, but they'll win at Jacksonville over the Jaguars.
Who had the bigger case of foot in mouth disease. Serena Williams for her verbal, obscenity filled tirade on a linesman at the US Open. Kanye West for getting on stage, taking the microphone and dissing Taylor Swift while she accepted her VMA award. Last but not least there's Michael Jordan and his so-called acceptance speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Instead of ripping everyone who hurt his poor feelings like his high school coach who made him play on the jv squad, he should have been at the podium genuflecting and thanking everyone like Dean Smith, Jerry Krause, Phil Knight at Nike and all those NBA officials who took a blinds eye to all the traveling violations and other fouls he committed but were never called. Greatest player ever. I don't think so. Top 5 yes.
Who would of thought we see both Eldrick Woods and Roger Federer go down to defeat in a major championship within the same 30 day time period.
Juan Martin del Potro? Isn't that one of those all inclusive Caribbean resorts with white sand beaches.
Got South Glens Falls at Queensbury on WWSC tomorrow at 1:30pm. Enjoy the weekend...Leccese out.

They're Back! and other things of interest

Hi There. Well with the first week of the NFL season officially here, back by popular demand its time for the triumphant return of, "Opie's Upset Specials!!!" That's right fans of The Greenhouse Effect, its your opportunity to bet the ranch and lose the ranch on your choice of either a college or pro game in which I pick the underdog to win outright. No point spreads here folks. O.K. opening with the college ranks there were three games I liked. Well I start the 2009 upset special campaign in the PAC-10 where the Oregon Ducks, smarting from the spanking at the hands of Boise State play their home opener against the Purdue Boilermakers. The Ducks with the ugliest looking football uniforms on the planet are still in shock and lose to the team with the nickname that is a beer with a shot of whiskey chaser. My pro upset special sees the Browns and whoever is starting at quarterback for them to beat "As the Brett Favre turns" and his new team the Minnesota Vikings.
If I had a son, there are very few athletes I would want him to be like. Derek Jeter is one of those few. His parents brought him up the right way. We need to hear more about the Derek Jeters' in the sports world.
Got high school football Friday under the lights at Kim Miller Field in Corinth. Lake George and Corinth. It features two terrific athletes. Caleb Meroski for the Warriors and Jordan Charbonneau for the Tomahawks. Should be an interesting crossover game. Looking forward to doing this game, since we've never done a game from Corinth before. A few years back we took the Game of the Week to Schuylerville and had a great time. The people were terrific and we were welcomed with open arms. Saratoga Apple is right next to the school and I got my fill of cider and donuts. Down the road I wouldn't mind trying to do a game from either Granville or Greenwich.
Got more signs of the apocalypse for you. Disney is considering bringing back "Captain Eo" as tribute to Michael Jackson. It gets worse. I'm not a fan of American Idol and I've never watched it, but are you telling me the best person they could find to replace Paula Abdul at the judging table is Ellen DeGeneres? Also, why is Ellen DeGeneres doing commercials for Cover Girl make up? Talk about scraping under the bottom of the barrel. The 40 gallon industrial drum size of foundation can't help those looks.
Haven't made a decision on the personal trainer yet. Enjoy the weekend...Leccese out.

The first ones' out of the way and other observations

Hi There. Well the first week of football season is in the books. My first impression after week one. Maybe there was a reason none of the locals showed up at that media event, they aren't going to be very good. In reading news paper accounts, no team really stood out. Warrensburg got what they needed, a win and positive vibes going into their game with Rensselaer Friday night. I took two things out of the Glens Falls/Niskayuna game on WWSC Saturday. The spread offense that Niskayuna ran looked more like the pistol Lake George runs. (If you watched Nevada's offense against Notre Dame, that's what Lake George uses.) I thought Niksayuna would throw it more. The other thing is Pat Lilac hopes Steve O'Sick comes back sooner rather than later from his leg injury.
Watching a decent amount of both college and high school football over the weekend I noticed a lot of teams weren't actually getting in a huddle . It was more like get the play from the sideline, line up and checkdown the defense pointing out where certain guys are and then run the play from the shotgun. I didn't see as much QB under center snaps.
I suffered through Cincinnati/Rutgers Monday and the difference was experience at QB. Tony Pike never flinched and picked apart the Rutgers D, while Dom Natale struggled in 2nd and 3rd and long situations . Rutgers was way too predictable on first down. On a positive note, its only one game and Tom Savage is going to be the real deal for the Scarlet Knights.
I hope Jets and Lions fans are patient with Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford. What happened last year with Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan was an aboration and not the norm for rookie QB's.
Two trends are already showing up this year in the NFL. Everybody is trying the single wing or scheming to stop it, and coordinators are getting fired before the start of the regular season. We've already had 3 canned so far.
So which female had a better weekend at Saratoga. Rachel Alexandra, a two year filly named Hot Dixie Chick, or Linda Rice who won the training title?
Here's this weeks' sign of the apocalypse. Sunday while driving home, I was behind of a group of motorcycle riders. One of them was wearing a helmet with the Minnesota Viking horns on the side. (That looked cool!) It was the Brett Favre purple Vikes jersey he was wearing that made me sick. I would have thrown up, but I was driving my Dad's car.
I hope the Quintal family can get Oscar's Smokehouse rebuilt and up and running as fast as possible.
Congrats Pittsburgh sports fans. Not only do you have the Super Bowl and Stanley Cup Champs, you've got the Pirates who have set the mediocrity record. 17 straight losing seasons. There is a silver lining Pirates fans, at least CitiField isn't your home ballpark.
Props to Ryan Seacrest for having the guts to say something that a lot of us think but wouldn't do. He wished someone (that person being Heidi Pratt) be tazed. I told someone once that I hoped that one day they'd drive into a bridge abutment and the airbag didn't deploy. Another one I love and I stole this from a Tiny Toons Adventures cartoon. "I'm naming my first ulcer after you!" You can also insert kidney stone as an alternative.
I thought Tila Tequila had her shot of love not once, but twice on VH1? Just what we needed. Another reality star getting extra seconds of fame like they were playing a bonus round.
I'm not a big yogurt fan, but Yoplait Whips Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Mousse flavors are delicious.
I've got to decide whether or not I'm going sign up and work with a personal trainer at the gym on a once or twice a week.
You may find this hard to believe, but I'm actually taking 3 days off next week. Heading to South Carolina for a quick visit to see this piece of property my folks bought and are looking to build a home on. I'm not a good vacation person. I get bored and there is so much other stuff between work and home that needs constant attention. It's hard for me to just drop everything. One day of doing basically nothing and I'm good.
Coming up Friday its the return of "Opie's Upset Specials!"...Leccese out.

Three football scrimmages and a media day plus other observations

Hi There. Why is it when the calendar reaches September 1st you get the same feeling you get when you're on the verge of coming down with the flu or cold?
Well I've been to 4 training camps, 3 football scrimmages and the Section 2 media day in the past week. I start with the media day at UAlbany. It was O.K. None of the schools from our area were in attendance so that was disappointing. The good part was getting to talk to a few coaches I've met the past few years. I also got rosters from teams for some of the games we'll doing. On to the scrimmages. Here are some first impressions for you. Warrensburg should be better. Lake George is a work in progress. They've got some holes to fill especially on the line. Fort Edward is young with 13 sophomores but they're athletic and they have decent size, they'll take some lumps early in the year. Hudson Falls went to the state semi's last year and they're replacing 8 starters on offense and 9 on defense. The 3 backs that will replace Joe McMurry will be more than adequate replacements and I liked what I saw from their offensive line. Glens Falls has some potential and Class A is wide open. Finally there's Corinth who could be a .500 team if they get some breaks to go their way. Class C is so tough with teams like Chatham, Watervliet, Voorheesville, Hoosick Falls, Schuylerville and Cambridge. There is no easy game in Class C. I haven't been to see South Glens Falls or Queensbury yet. Heading there Wednesday and Thursday. On to other things.
How many more revisions of the "Joba Rules" are we gonna get? Personally, I wait for the paperback versions to come out and not spend the money on the hard cover.
Rick Pitino is blaming the media now for his recent troubles. He was a little upset getting the top news story in Kentucky instead of the passing of Sen. Kennedy. So much for once being the "wonder boy" coach of the Providence Friars in 1987 riding Billy Donovan and Delray Brooks to the Final Four. A little advice for you coach. Shut up and go back to playing Guitar Hero with Coach K, Roy Williams, and Bob Knight.
Hey Jets fans, don't get your hopes up too high. It's only pre-season. I'm predicting 5-11, 6-10 if you're lucky. Your receiving corp is on the same level as the team you share Giants Stadium with. Adequate at best.
This weeks signs of the apocalypse. Three, count 'em three Star Trek inspired colognes have come out. Tiberius and Red Shirt for men and there's Ponn Farr for women. I mentioned this to Dubray the other day. It's either depressing or pathetic that I know that Ponn Farr is the seven year mating cycle of Vulcans, but ask me about the 2 years of Spanish I took in high school or the year of college geology, I couldn't tell you a thing.
One phrase to describe Lisa Robertson. DDG. That's Drop Dead Gorgeous...Leccese out.

Kenny is going to training camp and other observations

Hi There. Well 2 more unofficial weeks of summer left and you can add another one to the list of things I didn't get to accomplish this summer. Go to the track. I won't have the chance by the time the meet ends Labor Day. O.K. you could say I could go on Sunday, but be honest. Do you want to deal with the spinners who's main interest is getting the giveaways? I didn't think so.
Well these next two weeks I'm heading to check out high school football practices and scrimmages to get ready for the season opener on Saturday September 5th. Remember folks its Niskayuna at Glens Falls on Talk 1450 WWSC. I'm really looking forward to working with John and Dan on games this season. I've got my scrimmage schedule plotted out for Saturday. Head to both Fort Edward and Hudson Falls in the morning. (I'm skipping Combat class.) Then go to Lake George for the scrimmage under the lights. Sunday afternoon its Section 2 football media day at UAlbany.
The NFL pre-season has started and Friday night I watched bits and pieces of the Cowboys/Titans game. The first one to be played at the new shrine to Jerry Jones. 1.2 billion dollars and the geniuses who designed the place should have put the enormo-mega-jumbo tron scoreboard which hangs over the field of play about 10 to 12 feet higher up so the punters won't hit the thing. Jerry Jones is saying the punter was purposely trying to hit it. Think about it. The higher you kick the ball, the longer the hang time and that means your coverage team has more time to get down field. Special teams 101. Jerry must be talking with Al Davis about crazy football conspiracy theories. The same people who designed Cowboys Stadium must have designed CitiField.
Well you gotta love the NFL. Anything to make an extra dollar. You can actually buy a Michael Vick Eagles jersey for your dog. Forty bucks flushed down the potty. The Michael Vick puppy trainer wee-wee pad is a better idea.
Plaxico Burress is going to jail for 2 years for possessing that unregistered hand gun that went off in the NYC night club. That will be more time served than Leonard Little or Donte Stallworth did for vehicular manslaughter under the influence of alcohol or what Michael Vick just got released for. I know he broke the law, but why do I have this uneasy feeling Michael Bloomberg and other big time officials are enjoying this victory and conviction. Must be feeling the same way those people who got O.J.Simpson locked up for the robbery charges felt when they got him convicted.
What is it about certain people who do stupid things, get caught and they often end up with better jobs. I see it everywhere. Do they have charm, are they charismatic? I don't get it. Look at John Calipari. This week the NCAA took away the Memphis Tigers' wins and struck their appearance in the 2008 final four from the record book for violations. This is not the first time it has happened to Coach Cal. Remember his stint at UMass? Road Marcus Camby to the final four in 1996. Had to give up their appearance because Camby accepted money from agents. So where is he? At one of the highest profile coaching jobs in the country. Between Pitino and Calipari, this is going to be one heck of a year for college hoops fans in the Bluegrass State.
They honored the 1969 Mets Saturday at you know where before the Mets/Phils game and seeing Nolan Ryan back in a Mets uniform gave me chills. It was even more classy to see Seaver, Ryan and Koosman throw out the ceremonial first pitches. I just have to ask, how did they determine who got to throw to Jerry Grote? I written this before, nothing against Mike Piazza or Gary Carter, but if Tom Seaver is throwing a ceremonial first pitch before a Mets home game, it better be Jerry Grote behind the plate to catch it. Listening to the players speak about that team, one theme always came out. Gil Hodges. Gil believed they were going to be good, and they always said that among his many managerial strengths was he was always thinking ahead.
Attended the Greg Gilbert meet and greet Tuesday and he's a stand up guy like I thought he'd be.
I'm discovering I'm not a young man anymore. I'll be 44 in February and seeing those grey hairs among the blonde ones while getting them cut last week did not sit well. The baseball stadium of my youth was torn down in February, and the football stadium of my youth in the Jersey swamp will be gone sometime in early 2010. I'm starting to think I'm going to turn into to one of those lonely, bitter, old men who hates kids and has lots of cats or dogs as companions. I might have to put in a call to Keith Hernandez or Walt Frazier and get some "Just for Men."
Thanks to everyone who supported and showed up for the go-cart race Tuesday. There's a part of me that wants to drive in it one year, but I can be more of a help behind the scenes. I've known Dan Miner for 21 years but seeing him wear that crocheted bikini top was the scariest thing I've known him to do. My eyes, oh my eyes! I had wear contacts that day. If I had been wearing glasses, I could have taken them off when I felt like it and the sight wouldn't have been so bad.
Welcome back to the family, Pezz...Leccese out.

They were a lot easier to put in than they were to take out

Hi There. Well my summer is officially over. Football practice has begun and in less than 3 weeks the season opener happens on WWSC. F.Y.I-The first game will be Saturday September 5th Niskayuna at Glens Falls. Next week I will make the tour of the schools, watch practices, talk to the coaches, see teams scrimmage on the 29th and then on the 30th attend a media day at UAlbany.

I was supposed to do 4 things this summer. I accomplished none of the four. Here they are. Play a lot of golf. Didn't happen (Links 2001 on my laptop doesn't count). Visit family in Rhode Island and see a minor league baseball game during the visit. Also didn't happen. Play golf with my cousins husband Ned. Nope, didn't happen. And last but not least, find a girlfriend. Ken Leccese, not tonight. In baseball terms that's called the "Golden Sombrero." 4 at bats and 4 strike outs.

Did some work in the yard Sunday and I removed 2 bushes and cut down another so it would re-grow. Boy they were a lot easier to plant 28 years ago when my parents first built the house I live in. Plus there is more removing to do. 2 more bushes, a crab apple tree and a 20 foot pine is coming out as well. And I have to prune some branches along my driveway. This one area we are doing over will contain perennials, small bushes and more raised beds for veggies.
The rest of the garden this year has been a disappointment. Lets see outside a respectable crop of green beans and lettuce, I've picked 5 cherry tomatoes, and 5 zucchini. That's it. No peppers, cucumbers or eggplant yet. It wasn't so much all the rain that affected the garden, it was the lack of warm weather in June or July that stunted growth.

On to sports where topic number one is Michael Vick and his signing with the Eagles. I gave my opinion on what he should have done. What he did was disgusting, horrible and every other negative word I can come with in regards to those dogs. He served his time and has a right to return to play pro football and make a living doing so. I felt he should have gone to the UFL first, make peace and friends with the SPCA and all the other animal rights groups to prove he's changed and then try to play in the NFL next year.

While reading the news the other day I happened to notice the UFL announced the names of the 4 teams that will play in its inaugural season and I have to ask who came up with them for the Florida and Las Vegas teams. The names chosen were the Tuskers and Locomotives? You've got to be kidding right? I wonder what the runners up were? What the heck is a Tusker anyhow? Locomotives for Las Vegas? Come on now what about Gamblers, Jackpot or my personal choice, The Strip. How cool does this sound. "Catch the Las Vegas Strip in action tonight on Versus when they take on the California Redwoods at 9pm." Las Vegas Locomotives, my skin is crawling over that choice.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more worse for the Mets, it did and in scary fashion. David Wright got plunked in the head accidentally by a Matt Cain fastball. At least Cain showed remorse and apologized. If I were David, I would have told the trainers to call the Rangers or Islanders doctors to check him out for the concussion and not to trust the Mets team physicians. They would have told him to take a couple of Excedrin and he'd be fine the next morning. One more Mets note. The decorative improvements to CitiField. Too little, too late for this Mets fan. Beauty is skin deep, but ugly goes straight to the bone or in the case of CitiField ugly goes straight to its foundation. At least this Saturday Fred and Jeff Wilpon will actually remember the teams' history when the '69 Miracle Mets will be honored on its 40th anniversary. Nolan Ryan will be attending and I think this is the first time he's been a part of one of those reunions. I hope he gets the biggest applause of anyone that night. Sorry Misters' Seaver, Koosman, Harrelson, Grote and Company.

Poor Eldrick. He missed some putts and took the gas pipe at Hazeltine and lost the PGA on Sunday to Y.E Yang who made 2 amazing shots. The chip in for eagle on 14 and that 206 yard shot on 18. Don't shed a tear for CBS though. They got Eldrick in the final pairing and that means ratings points. I like Tiger, but the golf world does not revolve around him like everyone else thinks it does. Golf will continue even though Eldrick didn't win one major a year for the first time in 5 years.

I'm shocked and even more so disappointed in the revelations this past week coming out from Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. I thought he was a stand up kind of guy.

The wheel of maternity has spun again and it landed on Fox News' Megyn Kelly. First it was Cobie Smulders and now Megyn Kelly. I've got to start looking for some new actresses and news reporters to have secret crushes on. Ones who are intelligent, attractive and their biological clocks are shut off. Don't tell my girlfriend I just wrote that, I'll be in big trouble if she finds out. Wait a second, I don't have girlfriend. Nothing to worry about after all...Leccese out

Golf is an easier game to play on my laptop than in real life

Hi There. Well only 6 days til the start of fall sports practices and less than a month away from that first high school football game on The Mighty 1450. The schedule should be finalized in the next week or two and will be up on the website and sent out to the local newspapers. If you want to know how we pick the games it works like this. We have 7 or 8 core schools that we get on at least once a year. Then there are about 5 others within the listening area if it works out will get on because they're playing one of those core schools. Before the season we look at each weeks games and pick out about 3 or 4 games logistically we could do. We pair it down to 2 and go from there. On some weeks we'll do both a Friday night and a Saturday game. Rivalry games get priority preference. So that's why every year we do Warrensburg/Lake George or Glens Falls/Queensbury for example.
Reading Pete Tobey's football blog at the Post Star website the other day, I had no idea that South Glens Falls is adding lights to play night football games. That means there are now 6 local schools that play Friday nights. Those schools are Lake George, Schuylerville, Greenwich, Corinth, South Glens Falls and Saratoga. Personally, give me Saturday afternoon games any time.
Played golf Sunday in the mist and drizzle at Queensbury Country Club and I've come to the conclusion that I play better when I hit a crappy drive and have to scramble for par than when I nail one off the tee, put in the middle of fairway and have one of those easy approach shots to the green.
My one wish for the PGA Championship that starts Thursday is that Eldrick has a performance like he did in the British Open.
So the Mets have made a team pledge to not shave until they return to the .500 mark. Don Imus had a great line. The way they're playing they'll look like ZZ Top first before that happens.
Eli Manning is now the highest paid QB in pro football. Not bad for a guy who is only the third best quarterback in his own family.
After watching the first quarter of the NFL Hall of Fame Game, the throwback Houston Oilers unis are 10 times better looking than the current Tennessee Titans ones.
We need more quality programming on VH1 like the T.O. Show. Anything is better than "Brooke knows Best" or the latest finding love dating show.
Is Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks related to Pete Cloutier? Talk about cheap! Mr. Kane and another family member beat up a cabbie because the cabbie didn't have 20 cents change on him. The cab fare was $13.80, Kane gave the cabbie $15.00 and gave him a dollar tip when he asked for the 20 cents. Those rookie contracts don't stretch as far as they used to. Can you just imagine what would have happened if Pat Kane was on one of those two-way contracts?
The AHL schedule will be released Thursday at 4pm. Yes!!!!!
Since this is an American Idol free zone, there will be no mention of the judge who's left but may want to come back after all.
I'm giving out props to the folks at Les Mills for the release of Body Combat 40. Great moves and even better music to go with them.
Boxing wraps are a pain in the tuchis to put on before fitness class.
Finally, I made a break through with my almost 4 year old niece. When she came to visit last month I borrowed a couple of DVD's from the library for her to watch. One of them was the Tiny Toon Adventures. Last Saturday my sister bought her a DVD and what did Morgan Pavlot pick out? Tiny Toon Adventures and the Animaniacs! All right, chalk one up for Uncle Kenny! I can't wait til she says, "Hello nurse!" That kid will be brought up the right way. It's good to be an uncle...Leccese out!

In horse racing terms I was 2 pounds overweight

Hi there. Well the weigh in happened Saturday and to quote Maxwell Smart, "missed it by that much." I was between 207 and 208. So close but at the same time so far. I should be proud of the fact I've lost 35 pounds since the beginning of the year. However I told my Combat instructor afterward I wanted to go buy a couple of pints of Ben and Jerry's Brownie Fudge Overload or Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and wallow in self pity eating them while watching chick flicks like "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle."
If you are a horse racing fan, you saw some great races this past weekend. Soul Warrior upsetting Big Drama and Mine that Bird in the West Virginia Derby and then Rachel Alexandra almost breaking the track record in the slop and winning by 6 lengths at the Haskell. O.K. does she shoot for the Travers? Not a clue. I defer to Kyle Brownell
If I hear anyone talk or write about adding an asterisk to those players that used P.E.D's on their hall of fame plaques just shut up please! Enough with the steroid era please! Here's my opinion. Every hall of famer in Cooperstown should have an asterisk on their plaque. All the ones who played before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier should have an asterisk because they didn't play with Black Americans. Pitchers who pitched before the mound was lowered in the late '60's should have one. You get my point. I've heard that clubhouses had amphetamines in a jar like penny candy. Do we put an asterisk next to the players who used and played during that time? The Bob Costas' and George Will's need to get knocked off Mount Olympus. Remember as long the Players Association has the clout it does, treading lightly and slowly is the best action to get the best results.
Funny People with Adam Sandler was tops at the box office this weekend. Big deal. The only Adam Sandler movie I can take in any large doses is Spanglish and its because of Paz Vega, not Happy Gilmore.
Plaxico Burress was found guilty of having that concealed unregistered handgun in New York City. He'll spend some time in jail. When the sentence is announced, he should get an additional couple of days for stupidity and wearing sweat pants into the night club.
Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White dropped 30 pounds this off season by believe it or not working out and eating right ,but by giving up drinking Tequila. No wonder my stocks in Jose Cuervo and Cabo Wabo took a nose dive. I'm busting my ass in the gym practically every day and portioning food out to lose weight and all this time the key was to stop drinking hard alcohol. I wonder if Dubray gave up his favorite adult beverage the opposite would happen and he would put on pounds?..Leccese out.