Monday, September 28, 2009

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.

Friday, September 25, 2009

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.

Monday, September 21, 2009

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.

Friday, September 18, 2009

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.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

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.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

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.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

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.