Airplane Cast.

Thoughts for the day…not using any sort of daily blog template on daily casts until we have confirmation subscribers are back online.

1. This is an airplane cast, people. I haven’t traveled much in the last two months, so this feels refreshing.  I have worked for 90 minutes already here at airport, have work to do on plane, and a book to read also, and I don’t feel like writing the entire 3.5 hour flight, so jamming out some on ground pre-flight.
2. The song Rocket Man just popped in my head as soon as I wrote pre-flight.
3. I don’t feel like hearing that now, even if it is just in my head. Hold on-let’s get my headphones in.
4. Van Halen works.  Before I begin, I have to tell you that you are missing out if you haven’t experienced the headache free/ crowd free UPPER level of C gate.  SO relaxing…with some plugs.
5. And JetPack support is telling me subscribers ARE indeed back online. We will see later tonight, people.
6. Someone better tell Bautista’s agent that NO team would really sign him if we were talking about who LIKED him. He can bash though.  But, go with the fans’ feelings, O’s.  You turning down a bashing position player is like Johnny Manziel putting down a drink during social media updates.
7. I hope Bruce Arena is paying attention to MLS (that was sarcastic-that is half his problem in the past-ONLY paying attention to that league), because Altidore just became the first player to score goals in five straight MLS playoff games.
8. I like what my Twitter guy Jim Weber said about Christian McCaffrey going pro. Smart kid.  Deceptively fast.  Hard worker.  Loves America.  Pure football player.  So, basically, he is Danny Woodhead.
9. …who Jeff Fisher apparently still thinks plays for the Pats (noted a week or so ago).
10. I just simply love the city, the fans, and football in general, but SO am hoping this whole Chargers-L.A. thing doesn’t happen. Doesn’t seem right.
11. I don’t necessarily love Raiders fans at all, and hoping they stay put too. Well, that seems MORE right as Vegas and Darth Raider will do just fine.
12. The Rams? Sorry, St. Louis.  You have baseball.  You will be ok without the Rams…especially while marginal coach Jeff Fisher is coaching them.
13. How does he keep getting jobs?
14. I have to watch myself with long waits at airports…I almost have more of a chance of missing a flight in THESE situations more than when I am rushing to catch one. I get sucked into my laptop and papers.
15. And I have to drive later, so no airport drinks.
16. I don’t see my parents until tomorrow morning, but am staying at the beach…because it is the beach and I am me. Anyway, should be interesting to see if anything is open when I roll in at 1115pmish.
17. The COOL thing is that I will be in Florida, on East Coast time, and therefore have PLENTY of sports to watch.
18. So, Melo is apparently trying to curb his ball hog tendencies because holding ball for more than 2 seconds interrupts the flow of the Triangle Offense. It does.  That is not a lie.  But, this problem is rooted a LOT deeper than the flow of the offense, Knicks fans.  You can take the ballhogging out of Melo but you can’t take the…I don’t know where I was going with that one.
19. They already know that. I am not splitting the atom.
20. Maybe Phil and his posse have a plan though.
21. Hook #17 was much funnier than you think so you know.
22. Well, kind of funnier….posse…LeBron in town…etc.
23. The Evil Empires Bama and Ohio State don’t get EVERY recruit, people. Tennessee just snagged the #1 overall recruit (Trey Smith) for next year over those schools.  I would get excited, but I believe I spent most of August and September telling you Tennessee WOULD be in the college football playoff.  I hate them now.  They let me down.
24. Oh, by the way, fat chance I am editing this to be long cast, so sorry for any grammatical errors. New intern starts January 6^th.
25. …ish.
26. Not saying they are getting cocky, and I know it is about numbers and analytics, but the Cubs possibly turning down Chapman to sign WADE DAVIS…just seems wrong on many levels. Although, I will admit they got Davis for pretty much nothing.
27. So, the Yankees are calling the Red Sox the Warriors, meaning the Evil Empire through free agency and trades. And, the Warriors are the NBA version of the early 2000’s teams that did the same thing.  And the main team who did that was the Yankees.  So, the Yankees are calling another team the same thing that they were the first of.  They are saying you are us in a different decade?  My brain hurts.  I need a flow chart.  That would solve this riddle.
28. Chris Sale is a hell of a pickup regardless, even with them giving away the farm (no pun intended).
29. Farm.  Come on.
30. Lindsey bought me a new Steelers hat, which is always a very big step in my life as I treasure hats like you treasure cars and houses. Anyway, it has been washed twice, and now is going to be Christened in the Atlantic Ocean before going on my head.  I believe we are on hat #6 since I was 17.  That is pretty selective and loyal hat wearing.  As of tomorrow, four have made it successfully into retirement, one is in a ditch near Colorado Blvd underground at this point, and the other is swimming peacefully in the Atlantic Ocean as I broke a rule.  My hats like the ocean.  My hats aren’t supposed to be worn on a jet ski.
31. I spent 10 minutes of the expensive jet ski ride just looking for the hat.   Learned.
32. Airport=McDonald’s to me.   Two cheeseburger meal is the only thing I have ever ordered on my own there aside from maybe a sundae when I was a kid.
33. I don’t need to travel all the time, and don’t want to, but wow having a USA Today and Sports Weekly in my backpack is kind of nice.
34. I didn’t watch the Colts-Jets Monday (maybe like 10 minutes of it). But, it seems pretty obvious what happened.  A) The Jets only play the Pats tough and suck besides those games B) Andrew Luck shows enough flashes of being great that we drink the Kool-Aid more than we don’t C) Andrew Luck has a very loud voice D) No team in the Colts division has looked consistent enough to win it (three teams at 6-6).
35. So, the Colts looked good, and now D’Qwell Jackson gets a 4 game suspension.   Good.  Timing.  Bro.
36. Done episode 5 of Westworld, and apparently the shit is about to hit the fan. Good, because although I am hooked, I am also equally confused.  Need some clarity or a hammer to drop for me to continue this journey.
37. Lindsey better not watch any episodes while I am gone. I left notes on the TV’s.
38. P. says he will only come back if healthy and if the Vikings are in contention. That makes sense.  Not exactly splitting atoms or anything.  I didn’t think the opposite COULD occur.  He is still the key for them to make a FULL run to a title.  At least for the next year or two.
39. Let’s put Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and DeMarcus Cousins ALL on the Wizards. That way, with John Wall yelling at everyone already after scoring 52, he would REALLY have some guys to yell at.  That would be A) one hell of a party and B) the biggest waste of talent than is already happening.
40. If I am a Wizards fan, I want to have a sit down with Bradley and John and figure this shit out.
41. So, The Voice is down to Billy, We, Sundance, and Josh. Sundance and We have been my people for the whole time, so of course I am with them.    Grown on me, but he is no Sundance.  Billy.  I hate him for no apparent reason.  Go, Sundance.
42. Yeah, Klay Thompson is…pretty good. Effortless 60 points in 29 minutes.  Taken out early.  So, the highest amount of points per minute ever in a game are Wilt and Klay.  One guy was left in the game.
43. I think if someone really is on fire in a game, you almost need a perfect storm for them to get records. By that I mean, you need someone on the other team ALSO lighting it up, so it remains competitive.  Otherwise, most of those games are routs.
44. Congrats to Claire Smith. Breakthrough honor.
45. I woke up today and the sun came up. So, does that automatically mean Westbrook had a triple double??  Just asking.  I assume so.  Now, I know what it was like during Big O’s early 60’s run.
46. If you are the Temple football coach, going to Baylor IS a better job. I assume he can run his program and simply report rapes, assaults, and such to authorities and school officials.  THAT would be an improvement.
47. I was reading the witness testimony to the Will Smith road rage shooting. Friend says friend was justified in shooting Smith.  A) Shooting someone is rarely ever justified and B) shooting someone SEVEN times in the back when they don’t have a gun on them is NOT self-defense.
48. Absolute SHAME about Salaam. 42 years old.  Ex-Heisman winner who simply had a pot problem in his prime.  Whoever he should have been reaching out to, they should have done better at listening, as killing yourself in a park…sucks.  He had just posted something on FB about friends.
49. Most forget that CU with him was one of the best teams to not win a championship. Stewart, Westbrook, Salaam.  Hoying and Co. a few years later was the other best three headed monster from the 90’s.
50. Sitting in the upper level allows me to also see NO kids.
51. Our tree is decorated, and it looks great.
52. The Rockies are paying Desmond, meaning I assume HE will leave after a couple years when allowed. They got him to play first base, which is puzzling.  Of ALL the first basemen you are going to pay that much money to, you pick a guy who not necessarily IS a first baseman?
53. Mayfield had passing accuracy and consistency, Westbrook had the big plays and TD’s, Peppers had the versatility. Watson had the second half.  Jackson had the first half.  I give it to one of the last guys.  My edge goes to Jackson because his first half was bigger than Watson’s second half.  But, not mad if you just give it to Watson, being the best player on a playoff team.
54. Willie Taggart goes to Oregon. His win totals in the last four years are 2,4, 8, and 10.  He is now on a squad that can let him get 12, if that is the pattern he wishes to continue.  Plus, he gets really cool uniforms.
55. The lightrail to the airport from Union Station is pretty harmless and fluid, people. I would do it again.
56. Gotta go get ready to get my A-48 spot. Talk to you on the plane.
57. Got my Lunchables for long flight and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO exit row. Booked a month ago, did it 24 hours before on the spot, AND bought Early Bird seating…and STILL ended up with A48.
58. This couple next to me hopefully snuggles.
59. Right before I got on the plane, I saw the Nats got Adam Eaton.  It is like the White Sox are on the street corner at the Winter Meetings with a cardboard sign saying “garage sale.”
60. This flight I am on goes from Denver to Orlando and then to BUFFALO. And I thought MY travel day was long and irritating.  Well, I guess I still have to drive 90 minutes in a car.  But that is in my OWN exit row.  And the end result for them after all of those hours is BUFFALO IN THE WINTER?  Sounds like a very long day with a subpar result.
61. Trying to think what will be the tube late.   Tonight is the Warriors at the Clippers, right?  I don’t have internet, I have no room in this seat to keep checking my newspaper, and I will not edit this, so let’s just root for the fact that that happens.
62. Southwest.  Get your drink order, and then give you a shitload of salty snacks while waiting for drink.  I am holding out today.  Once I finish this blog, I will enjoy my Fritos, pretzels, Lunchables…all WITH my Coke Zero.
63. I am not a women’s basketball guy, but IF I was alone in my hotel room with nothing to do or eat or drink, just saying the game I MIGHT turn on is tonight’s ND-UCONN women’s game.
64. Sometimes they win, and sometimes they lose, but kind of irritatingly fun when I check the wrong box betting online and suddenly I am rolling with a team I had NOOOO plans on caring about. It is what it is.  Go lots of points Creighton and whoever you are playing.
65. Trouble wrapped JUST for Christmas. McKnight is gunned down.  Shooter is white.  Shooter is only being charged with manslaughter now.  This will get uglier before it gets settled.
66. I have seen nothing from Oakland in the last weeks for me to think the Chiefs will lose and might only give the Raiders a GAME.
67. I got eliminated from fantasy…BS. Not really, but my guys were JUST starting to overachieve-lol.
68. Admin note: You might get three mini blogs from me in the coming mornings as I am dreaming of writing them smelling the morning ocean.
69. Actually, scratch that. I will spend that time near the water or with my parents and save all of my hooks for the 4 hour flight home.  So, maybe ONE blog over the next few days.
70. I don’t really know. I will stop talking about it and you will hear from me when you hear from me.
71. I love the water so much. Pools, lazy rivers, oceans, seas, rivers, ponds, islands, inlets, swamps, showers, water slides….you name it.  Aquaman without super powers.
72. IF subscribers get notifications for a week, I have some plans for this cast I plan on working on during the holidays. Step one.  Let’s make sure everything is locked and loaded before I make any changes.
73. As we hit the NHL trade deadline, I promise to start covering more of that sport. Not like I don’t KNOW it, but just only have so much bandwidth in my dribble.  My picks are pretty the much as they were preseason.
74. I just realized the subscribers haven’t even seen much of the blog template. It is nice and more contained.  I separate my dribble more.  Adding “Scoreboard” for my useless thoughts on the last page of sports sections with sports we don’t know.  Also, standings talk.  And, there will be a pop culture item mixed in daily.
75. Oh, Mets, I understand you want PEOPLE at spring training, but don’t do it. Don’t invite Tebow.  The Fall League kicked his ass.  He struck out like half the time.  Let him go into the night, or whatever cliché I am butchering.
76. Becker and Djokovic split up and I can only assume it was mutual. They won 6 Grand Slams for Djokovic in 3 years.  Not a bad average.  I bet you they each had their own next item on the agenda.
77. Well, I knew one name of any hip album pretty much and it got nominated for a boatload of Grammy’s.   Cue the Ice Tea commercial.  Love that thing.  If this wasn’t an Airplane Cast, I would have that be my theme…AGAIN.  Read.  The.  Sign.
78. Anyway, other contenders for album of the year are Adele, Drake, Bieber, Simpson, and Beyonce. Shoot me if Adele.  Shoot me if Bieber.  I don’t mind Drake.  I just literally found out who Simpson was when I kept reading.  Breaking the typical country trend.  And Beyonce is ok.  Hell, my pick is Sturgill Simpson.  GO, guy I just got to know.
79. How did JT and Chainsmokers get left out of big awards? I feel like I just heard those two songs ALL YEAR ALL THE TIME.  And I LIKED both songs.
80. That’s it for today’s Airplane Cast. Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Will I blog tomorrow?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.