The Natural
The Natural
The Cast
Date: 04 August 2020
FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN
BACKGROUND: This started as a long-winded numbered blog. It transformed into an organized long-winded category blog. Now, it is a quick-hitter to ease your pain. I lack time. So, the preparation of the blog actually made me procrastinate from writing the thing. Let’s see who makes the cut. Barely edited as usual unfortunately, so please excuse any mistakes during my stream of consciousness. I feel the need…the need for speed. Let’s turn and burn.
SETTING: This is written while my wife watches her shows on Monday night initially, and then during the Lakers-Jazz game when she went to bed. Edited, updated, and released on Tuesday morning before work. Still doing the one subject per hook to simplify.
- EVERGREEN: NBA OPENING. Michael Porter thinks that COVID is a population control conspiracy, Dwight Howard doesn’t believe in vaccinations at all, Kyrie Irving thinks the Earth is flat, and a Magic City dancer has said Lou Williams did NOT “just” go in and grab wings, but there is still a lot going on positive in the bubble. The first telecasts went smoothly, looked pretty natural, and were well thought out and well done. I wish the jersey names weren’t limited and had more flexibility, but the kneeling allowance and participation, the messaging on the courts, and the overall presentation of BLM has been solid. The players watching games together and passing each other in the halls before and after games reminds us of AAU games. The camera work looks good, the announcers flow with the new type of game well, the fake fans have animation, and the PA system falls into place. The players are abiding by the rules surprisingly, and MLB’s failures are making this look even better. I wish they actually would turn some of the sound down so I could hear MORE of the action on the court, but that is nit-picky. Actually, DURING this game I am watching right now, they the announcers just said “I didn’t hear the whistle over the crowd noise” in the fourth quarter. That is too much. I enjoyed the first UFC fights back because there was NO crowd noise, and I could hear the corner talk and grunts and other stuff. I would like it to be similar with the NBA. I WANT to hear the difference with the pandemic. Still, well done, NBA. So far, so good.
- EVERGREEN 2: THE FIRST/LAST MAJOR. There might be no fans. It might be happening in a current COVID hot spot. And it might be the traditional last Major being played first (before the recent schedule change pre-COVID). But, one way or the other, we are finally to a Major in golf. The PGA Championship is this weekend. Aside from NFL playoff football, the college football playoff, the Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals, and March for college hoops, there is not a more special weekend than a Major in golf for me. It will be played on the West Coast in NoCal also, so most of the country will get even more of it later. No ridiculously early tee times to miss out on. JT and Jon Rahm will be the trendy picks of course as they trade #1 rankings, we will wonder which two rounds Rory will go low on before he blows up on the other ones, the ghost of Dustin Johnson might make an appearance, Tiger will miss the crowds still apparently, and Brooks will probably shut us up all over again. But, I am hoping Rickie shows up to play and finally takes a Major down. One way or the other, it might be weird, but a Major is still the toughest individual award to win, and the road to normalcy in sports continues in a “major” way on Thursday.
- NFL: AB/ SEAHAWKS. We can’t do this again, folks. I get that Pete Carroll believes in good energy and souls and redemption and all of that crap, but the AB experiment can’t happen again. I am mad enough that he is taking my time and that I am even writing about it. He is banned the first eight games regardless by Goodell and friends, but the Seahawks are going through the visuals presently. And they are a team that just traded two first rounders for a safety, so there hesitancy level is at a low point in their winning “window.” And didn’t AB just announce his “retirement” on social media, even though we didn’t want to listen? I get it. He was special on the field. And I am a bitter Steelers fan. But, he has too many off the field incidents for us to think he is anything close to healthy mentally. Someone should, for once, worry about the guy’s health instead of a trophy. Plus, and more importantly, this will drive me crazy and I can’t take that. They are trying to pull Josh Gordon too, and wouldn’t that be an adorable bookend set of WR’s? Stop the madness. Don’t call him. Leave him and us alone and let Antonio Brown slowly fade away, please.
- COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CONFERENCE SCHEDULES. I am relatively sure we all expected a schedule modification. If you didn’t, then I admire your optimism. You might even be at a higher level than me in life. Anyway, many of the Power 5 conferences went down to a conference schedule only this past week. The ACC and Big 12 are doing the 9+1 model, which should work also. Makes sense, and we hope that happens minimally. This is the first shot across the bow though. Giving the teams and schools a little more time makes sense. Keeping things more regional makes sense. And, getting right to the point of conference records makes sense to a point. We could worry about how they will grade the Power 5 externally when they have no outside games to compare (man, I feel bad for SEC teams), but I think we are firstly worried about having ANY type of football season and the kids’ health. Get back to school, try and keep COVID to a minimum, and cross our fingers when fall hits. I am not holding my breath that this will happen, but glad measures are being a little more realistic already. Don’t think for a second that the weird start to 2020 will do anything but END weird.
- COLLEGE BASKETBALL: LUKE GARZA. Iowa men’s basketball has not made a Sweet 16 in this CENTURY. That is sort of nuts when you think about it. But, with Luke Garza announcing on Monday that he will not enter the NBA Draft and will come back to school instead, the table is now set for the school. Five of six top scorers from last year are back when they play next, Jordan Bohannon will be back after scoring a medical redshirt, and Garza, and his 23 plus points and 9 plus rebounds per game, will be a favorite for the POY, and expectations will be higher in Iowa City this upcoming year, whenever that is. If the top tier is Gonzaga, Baylor, and Villanova, then the second tier definitely includes Iowa. Well, and my boys (UVA), Duke, and KU. Welcome back, Luke. We college basketball junkies love your decision.
- NBA: PREDICTIONS. All of my senses tell me it will be the Lakers and Bucks. And that is not exactly splitting the atom, I know. But, let’s tell you WHY it will or will not be them. In the West, I can’t find a reason. I will root for the Nuggets (home town team) and Mavs (favorite player) of course, but I think that the Nuggets need to wait one more year when Bol Bol and/or Michael Porter become regular top flight players. I think the Mavs are one third scorer away, along with some more Luka and Porzingis learning. The Jazz are fantastic, but the absence of Bojan and his shooting this year will be the difference between the Finals and just a first round win. The Thunder have a lineup that is made for mid-tier playoff play…nothing more. The Rockets have that crazy in-your-face, small ball style, but a team facing them in a best of 7 WILL figure them out, and exploit their interior lack of defense. The Spurs, Griz, Suns, and Kings will fall off in the seeding games. Although Portland or the Pelicans would be a dangerous 8 seed matchup, I still think Portland is too guard oriented, and the Pelicans are a year or two away still. I know they have the goofy 9 seed too, so I guess I am saying is that it will be Portland and New Orleans playing the final games for those seeds. The Clippers have the goods, but I don’t think you are turning away LeBron when he has a sidekick playing like Davis is, and shooters allowing him to penetrate at will. Plus, if there is a lack of normalcy in the bubble, LeBron will do the best at tuning distractions out. The East? The Wizards are really bad, the Nets have too many high-profile injuries, and the Magic are not talented enough. The Pacers need Victor to complete the puzzle, the Heat need a big-time sidekick that is mature to go with Butler, and the Raptors are hot, but will miss Kawhi in later series, end-of-game possessions. The Bucks are the best team. But, then we have the Sixers and Celtics. If Kemba can stay healthy, I see the Celtics being in at least the Conference Finals. And I like the Sixers because their height will help them in these uglier games we will see. I think I like the Sixers to come oddly out of the East in this weird year. Lakers over the Sixers in 6. Whether I am right or wrong, here are some more things to be excited about. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/nbareturn29558590/the-nba-restart-here-what-most-looking-forward-basketball-bubble
- NHL: AVS CHANCES. The NHL has “hubs” that are working, they have a more rewarding playoff system of what has been played during the pre-COVID season than the NBA does, they have COVID under control in their bubbles, and this will be the sport that will sound and look the most odd without fans I think. Fans can’t be banging on the glass like we are used to. And in this odd year, I think the Avs become a dangerous team. They will be well-rested and healthy, and I think when they hit the grind in that state, they are one of the best teams on paper. Nothing is the same, but playoff hockey is still the best. Watch some of it, Denver people. We might be seeing the weirdest cup in a while coming back to the Mile High City.
- MLB: NON-BUBBLE BURSTING. I would love to talk about Aaron Judge’s 5 lead-changing HR’s in consecutive games, Tyler Alexander’s nine straight K’s in a game, or Joe Kelly getting suspended for eight games without hitting ANYBODY, but the COVID still is the story. The Marlins were the story, the Cardinals are the story, the Field of Dreams game is gone, games are being cancelled/postponed right and left, and sleeper buses are taking half of teams back home. We can all say how impossible a baseball bubble would have been, and all talk about how they didn’t play ANY of their season yet to determine invites, but their methodology was NOT thought out both for IN process and for AFTER they got a positive test. They seemed very not impressed with the COVID spread, and didn’t have orders in place to fight each step of the way, from good to bad to worse.
- MISCELLANEOUS: THE ROCK. The XFL might be doomed to fail regardless. It got taken down once naturally, and this time by a pandemic. The Rock bought the league’s assets, and will give it his own go apparently. Listen, I am not a fan. I didn’t turn it on for one single second and claimed how NOT a fan I was. But, I will say this. IF there is a breath of life left for that league, he is a good guy to have at the controls. The WWE started it way back when, and it is sort of back in its hands. You can say he is kind of living the actual life of Ballers right now in a way. But, whatever you say, it is probably mattress money to him, we know he will care about it, and if you are hoping for it to be reconciled, it is in the right hands, no matter WHAT he does with it.
- THIS AND THAT. ALL OVER THE PLACE. Trump is storming out of briefings now that they have returned, and calling for election delays with no power to do so. The San Fernando Valley is getting earthquakes. People are still protesting masks, and I still would like to hear from those protesters what THEIR plan is to stop this thing. Is my #4 already in a relationship, and are the Megan Fox-Machine Gun Kelly rumors all true? That was quick after the divorce I just read about. Dunkin is closing 800 locations, but that story was overridden by the smart Dunkin employee who put mucus in a COP’s coffee and was arrested. Hurricane Isaias is hitting the East Coast and I am pretty sure about 90% of the people in Denver I know don’t agree on how to pronounce it. The man who poisoned the Auburn trees died at 71. Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande apparently owned the MTV VMA nominations, and I am trying to remember the last actual video I watched from start to finish (it actually was Panic by From Ashes to New if you care (first video released interrupted by the pandemic in its filming)). Garth Brooks removed himself from the CMA Entertainer of the Year nomination because apparently he is bored from winning them. If you bought stock in Dawn soap, you are making out well. Lindsey and I have yet to Uber or Lyft anywhere. We are losing valuable time making fun of Trump on SNL sadly before Election time. Ellen DeGeneres apparently had a toxic culture behind the scenes, and that sounds odd but makes me happy for some reason. David Duke was banned from Twitter this past week for hateful tweets. DAIVD DUKE WAS ON TWITTER IN THE FIRST PLACE????? Wow. Sequence is a game my mom sent us that is basically Connect Four with cards, but still really addictive. If you go to Cheeba Hut, get the housemade hot sauce, which I had no idea they had for years. AMAZING. Get a cheese plate from So Damn Gouda on 44th. Great stuff and deals, with wine coming along with their specials. I can’t IMAGINE being a student in this day and age and about to go back to school. Wilford Brimley died sadly, and I will always remember the guy with no acting schooling in The Firm, Cocoon, The Natural, and The Thing. And Quaker Oats of course. He sort of WAS The Natural. That movie always catches me if I scroll through it in the guide. And, of course, being made fun of in Seinfeld in that awesome foot chase scene with Kramer and the phone guy. We will miss you, Mr. Brimley. Trader Joe’s says its other store names are fun, and not racist. Beyonce released Black is King, and her and Taylor Swift are doing what EVERY artist should be doing after quarantine…releasing material in SOME way. Panera Bread phased out its steak and arugula sandwich, but the replacement steak and white cheddar is better, so you know. Taco Bell has a grilled cheese burrito? I am not a Taco Bell guy, but that one seems to have my name ALL over it. Speaking of cheese… Finally, we went to one of our spots, El Jefe the other day. Mainly, we love the queso, a very important part of our life whenever we have it. For my entrée, I had an omelet. Now, for the last ten or fifteen years, my love for omelets has dwindled. They read SO good on the menu, but I am always underwhelmed when I get it. Not this time. They came out of COVID with a new omelet that I recommend. Market Omelet, I believe. It has some sort of green chile on top that is amazing. Not dry at all overall. Highly recommend, and I now have hopes about omelets until our next pandemic.
- TWEET OF THE WEEK
ALTERNATE CATEGORIES THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT:
- THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK (because the best song this week IS the best song ever…for now):
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK
- LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE
- TRAVEL
- THIS WEEK’S LIST
- MY NUMBERS
- GONE FISHING (the riddle for money):
- PICS BY MY PIXEL (pictures from my phone):
- LIFEGUARD ENTRY:
- THE FILLERBUSTER
The theme? Nothing really jumped off the page, so Brimley gets the nod, with the Seinfeld and The Natural ties…both close to my heart.
And our weekly reminder of the greatest sequel ever made coming out NEXT summer now… Top Gun 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFM3i-dQ6B8
That’s it for today. Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed. Remember two things. First, feed yourself, feed your family, but always, always remember to…feed the wolf. Second, if you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker. Will I blog again? That is a CLOWN question, bro. As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let’s get the flock out of here.
| THROW IT BACK IN THE POND |
| mo goba Ravens fan dies |
| Barr hearing |
| woman dies Maine shark attack |
| man buys Lamborghini on ppp funds |
| ex-student says bo schembechler knew of abuse |
| mahomes takes note on #4 ranking in nfl |
| Morant complaining about format |
| coughlin bike accident |
| #1 won’t be at us open tennis |
| lane johnson eagles tests positive |
| trout paternity list, out with angels |
| you may have covid immunity without getting it |
| economy |
| stimulus checks |
| hong kong banning election candidates security law |
| Brees feels crushed |
| rb Jeremy hill signs raiders |
| Lord and Taylor bankruptcy |
| Microsoft tiktok |
| wah state coach tells kassidy woods joining unity movement not good |
| tie die new pandemic thing |
| astronomers see space butterfly |
| pelosi viral video |
| votto reports own symptoms-out IL |
| mike trout welcomes first child |
| falcons signs wr denard |
| new jersey federal judge attack |
| raiders release PJ hall |
| john hume dies |
| butler changed jersey |
| bridgewater is honored to follow Cam |
| 49ers one year deal jordan reed TE |
| jeter says false sense of security to blame |
| more opt outs |
| Joey bosa five year extension chargers-most guaranteed, maybe a top five player |
| seahawks to wait on adams extension |
| chiefs damien williams opts out |
| giants nate solder opts out |
| bills send home rookies-5 positive covid tests |
| McCoy joins bucs |
| texans watson extension being worked on |
| nfl gives AB 8 game suspension |
| marqise Lee pats sitting |
| NFL opt out deadline moved up |
| Pederson positive |
| Ja’Wuan James broncos opts out-more hit on rep |
| navy being looked at kap stan-in dog attacks |
| stafford placed on IR-covid list |
| obj says they should cancel the season |
| caleb farley va tech cb opts out |
| acc sets 11 game schedule-includes ND |
| rutgers outbreak linked to party |
| review finds racial bias, bullying at iowa |
| sec to play 10 games, conference only |
| pac-12 slate 10 games, only conference |
| indiana OL brady feeney struggling with covid |
| rockets gordon might miss two weeks |
| pelicans jazz united anthem protest |
| nuggets talk to porter |
| the first bubble game-jazz-pelicans |
| lakers-clippers-hoping lou absence hurts clips |
| rudy gobert starts delay, and then wins first game |
| nba players watching games with everyone in bubble-like aau |
| blm messaging from bubble through nba |
| Reddick I don’t think we care if trump watches |
| pop Hammond stand |
| nuggets smoked |
| mavs lose in it over |
| rockets bucks |
| jonathan iasaac tears acl |
| magic city dancer said she dacned for lou-not in and out |
| nugs blacked out |
| nugs win in OT |
| prediction |
| start |
| bubble worlds |
| matt dumba wild first player to kneel during anthem |
| GW at 19:59 of third |
| Marlin’s fallout |
| marlins total keeps rising |
| tempers flare dodgers astros |
| joe kelly suspended 8 games for not hitting anyone |
| phillies halt activities after coaching staff positive |
| cards-brewers postponed |
| sleeper buses |
| chapman cleared for yanks |
| mlb more cards |
| Yanks red sox |
| judge he five straight |
| mets cespedes opts out |
| Cubs distanced walkoff celebration |
| tigers Tyler Alexander nine straight k’s |
| cards tigers postponed |
| mlb cancels field of dreams game |
| fowles now wnba top rebounder |
| pulisic FA Cup Final |
| ionescu 33-7-7 2nd game |
| dechambeau fire ants-living to 130-140 |
| jt wins |
| jt back at #1 |
| wcc conference invokes bill russell rule |
| glad NBA started. not good at mlb betting. |
| fail on the wire |
| no mas house hunters for me-hoops now |
| nice to bet again |
| Spanish |
| Workout |
| piano |
| won’t be done working from home for a while |
| roots founder dies |
| us economy posts worst loss on record |
| sloan’s lake festival |
| jim rome taking more time off |
| pole dance fitness classes on living social |
| election 2020 |