We talking about auto insurance…not a real game.
We talking about auto insurance…not a real game.
The Cast
Date: 17 August 2022
FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN
BACKGROUND: 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 was started on the plane ride to Illinois, and finished here and there during the week.
- EVERGREEN:
- Serena Williams said her goodbye to the tour. Of course, the legacy is then discussed naturally. Margaret Court has the numbers and is the women Serena had been chasing for total Majors but fell short of. Billie Jean King had decent numbers, and did more off the court for gender equality and awareness, but most of her damage for Majors was actually in doubles. Martina and Chris Evert were basically Magic and Bird. They needed each other for competition, but their numbers would have been through the roof had the other not existed at the same time. It is amazing they both ended at exactly 18 Majors. Steffi Graf, in my opinion, IS the GOAT, but simply retired early like a Barry Sanders. If Monica Seles wouldn’t have gotten stabbed, not only would she be in this conversation, but she would have taken some of Serena’s early numbers. What Serena and Venus brought to the table as far as race will always be an all-time great feat, and they were basically the Tiger Woods of tennis. Serena will always be part of the GOAT conversation no matter if you vote her way or not, but my allegiance and final vote in this debate goes towards Steffi though. Serena brought women’s tennis more towards the spotlight though and had a period of dominance of course on the court also. Steffi’s reign of dominance was more overwhelming though but simply for a shorter period of time.
- NFL:
- I am sort of already over talking about Deshaun Watson, but I get that it is still a hot topic. Here is my take. The Texans were aware of the problem, and even facilitated it sometimes in his special hotel room. Then, Watson asked for a trade, and this pissed off the organization. Then, coincidentally, things leaked on the massages because organization before player. Then, they found a willing taker in the Browns. Now, he should miss the entire season and we can make up more jokes about the Browns.
- It is August, meaning the annual massage convention is being hosted…in Cleveland…right down the street from Mr. Watson. Too many jokes.
- The media reported that Kareem Hunt has requested a trade or raise. How short are our memories? Sure, he is the #2 of one of the scariest present RB tandems in the league, but have we forgotten that he almost got kicked out of the league? We have video of him kicking a woman on the ground. He should be happy he is on ANY team in the NFL with ANY job at ANY salary.
- Watching NFL induction speeches is so cool, and I think Bryant Young won this year, when he brought his son into it.
- Justin Tucker just signed the richest kicker contract. I don’t even see much of an argument with the younger kickers. Justin is the best kicker in the league, it is not close, and he should be paid the most.
- Lots of Googling and phone calls occurred last week. The NFL released the news that Aaron Rodgers drinking ayahuasca was NOT against the NFL drug policy. This was the hallucinogenic Aaron had during his South American retreat. Now, we have many, many curious NFL players trying to find those precious loopholes.
- Roquan Smith has demanded a trade from the Bears. He is keeping to the high ground and not asking his coach and GM to be fired also if he stays. He just has a non-union agent getting in the way. Way to keep it classier than Kevin Durant, Roquan.
- The Jets haven’t really caught a break, well, since the late 90’s I think. Anyway, within a week, they lost Mekhi Becton and then Cougar Lover Zach Wilson limped off the field. They couldn’t even make it to the regular season for the bad breaks to start happening. I hope their aren’t many older hot nurses in the hospital during Zach’s recovery.
- The Broncos’ sale was approved, and at least I didn’t hear the phrase “Let’s Ride” for a day or two because there were more important things going on. Then, the phrase came back.
- When you see the Steelers use Najee Harris even more this year, if possible, know that he did THIS in the offseason. Inside Najee Harris’ intense Texas workouts as he prepares for pivotal role with Pittsburgh Steelers (espn.com)
- Antonio Brown says his biggest regret is not being able to watch himself play. Well, Steelers fans, we went one for two. Mr. Brown says he is the Beatles and doesn’t seem to get at all how big of dumbass he has been for the last few years. Mr. Bell has at least left football, jumped in a ring with some people who may knock some sense into him in a different sport, and said at least a sentence in an interview saying he wished he would have handled the Steelers exit better. Small victories.
- Tom Brady won’t be back with the Bucs until after the second preseason game to attend to some personal business. Listen. He showed up for the training camp weeks to build relationships with his fellow players, he has no reason to even set foot on the preseason field, and as far as I am concerned, he can do whatever the hell he wants when he is still leading the league in yards and touchdowns in the mid 40’s and has seven rings.
- By the way, I always forget that Brady has a national title too in college. He was the backup at Michigan in 1997.
- Aqib Talib might have shot himself, but apparently the apple and tree are a little different with his brother. His brother turned himself in after a murder at a high school football game. The guy literally shot the coach arguing with the ref after a questionable call. Whether that happened the other day or five years from now, something like that was happening with Yaqub Talib one way or the other.
- We had a lot of rain in the southwest part of Denver the other day. There was enough to cause flooding. Russell Wilson has an amphibious vehicle with a snorkel for 4-wheeling. The guys on sports radio were even apologizing for making fun of that vehicle, as apparently Russell knows best. He probably was driving around and saving stranded cars saying “Let’s Ride.”
- COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
- The preseason college football coaches poll has been released, and no surprise that Bama is #1. They should be, since last year was a “rebuilding year” according to Mr. Saban. What I found the oddest about the pool though was that one person, yes ONE person, thinks that Texas is back. So much, that even though they are ranked #18 overall in the poll, they still managed to get one #1 vote. Did Sark somehow find a loophole and vote for himself?
- Texas is NOT in the new AP poll though. That should tell you the amount of trust in anyone saying Texas is back to any degree.
- Florida and FSU are not ranked in the preseason AP poll for the first time since 1974.
- The Big Ten is nearing a new TV deal. The deal would be done already, but they are trying to figure out what time it is in California when their normal games are played.
- I am happy when college football comes back around because…well, it is college football. But, it also welcomes in the time that I can finally stop betting on baseball only each day, with a few golf tournaments sprinkled in. I made it through untarnished pretty much. Well, I lost on baseball, but nailed the British Open with Cameron Smith. So, call it however you want to, but it is a push.
- Myles Brennan stepped away from football at LSU. He was the top experienced QB on the roster. That program is a perennial winner that somehow is totally in flux from all sides in the last few years. They either kick out people who should stay or people who they want to stay leave. Very odd.
- Don’t like NIL in college sports? Well, sometimes you also find gold. This is easily the best commercial out there, and it has already hit 5 million views in 24 hours. Decoldest Crawford NIL commercial goes viral: College football fans, media react to Nebraska WR (saturdaytradition.com)
- COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
- Tom Izzo got an extension at Michigan State. He is a great leader of young men, and a great coach. But, do you sometimes pinch yourself and realize he hasn’t won anything since 2000? And he has had some pretty damn good teams too. Or, he has had a subpar team that overachieves and somehow is in the Final Four or Elite Eight and still hasn’t found a way to close it out. Love the guy, and he is class through and through, but technically he is still sitting at Aaron Rodgers’s dinner table.
- The NIT will be moving from the traditional NYC location to Vegas in 2023 and Indy in 2024. Show me a person who cares about the NIT, even with their school in it, and I will show you someone who is planning on going to Vegas or Indy FOR that reason.
- NBA:
- Hey, Dejounte Murray. Get your dumb behind his back moves in during meaningless games all you want right NOW. Banchero is the real deal, and you might be on the other side of that highlight sooner rather than later.
- I already commented on Kevin Durant above, but seriously. If he is threatening his GM and coach’s job in demanding a trade, then WHY would any other GM or coach want him? I have never seen anyone literally start disintegrating their own legacy without a season even going on. If we think about it, his legacy is down to “one of the best pure scorers ever who only won anything when he teamed up with the Warriors, who won before AND after he came and went.
- Hear me out. Is it POSSIBLE that Kyrie Irving is the more normal player on that team right now? Can’t be. Just can’t.
- The Suns and Celtics are the favorites to lead their conferences in wins next year. Well, that is exactly how teams like the Bucks and Warriors want people thinking. But, again, the Brogdon and Gallinari additions make the Celtics roster pretty damn solid for both starters and backups.
- I am just really hoping the story about a firefighter showing the Kobe crash photos was overblown and exaggerated.
- The NBA will retire Bill Russell across ALL teams, as they should, but they will godfather the present players into that. I hear that someone pretty good on the Lakers presently wears that same number. Probably best to let that guy ride it out.
- Joe Dumars was named Head of Operations for the NBA last week. Just like he did for the Pistons/Bad Boys, you might not hear his name very much, but very quietly he makes everything just GO.
- Ben Simmons reached a settlement on the grievance he filed against the Sixers. Now he just needs to reach a settlement on the grievance filed by everyone who decided to be a fan of his coming out of college.
- NHL:
- I watch a lot of sports television and my wife watches the local news. Being this as it may, I still haven’t seen much fun stuff that the Stanley Cup is doing with each Avs player.
- MLB:
- Pete Rose has gotten old, doesn’t care, and told someone when asked about a possible statutory rape of his way back when that surfaced “that was 55 years ago, babe.” What’s that? Good point. He hasn’t cared about anything or anyone like ever. He probably would have said that back in the 80’s too, and just had to adjust his math.
- Wait, so every single year, we note the day that Bobby Bonilla gets paid on his silly contract from way back when, but now…someone paid $180k to BUY that silly contract? It definitely is a fact that mattress money means different things for different people, because that sounds like an absolutely silly piece of paper to buy and put on your wall.
- Jason Heyward got hot for a playoff run and won the Cubs their World Series after a famous late inning speech and then got paid mad money for that run. It didn’t pan out as far as overall stats and winning though, and now the Cubs will release him at the end of the season. He will have some great party stories to tell though for the rest of his life.
- Ohtani is wasting no time in getting on some pretty ridiculous lists. The latest one? He is the first player since Ruth (by the way, if you are in a sentence that says “first player since Ruth,” then you are doing A-OK…) to get 10 wins and 10 home runs in the same season.
- I definitely need to add to my bucket list to attend one of these Field of Dreams MLB games. Watching the Griffey’s come out of the cornfield gave me chills.
- Rodolfo Castro had a phone slide out of his pocket while in play. Every single batter has a ceremony they go through before each bat. It is a checklist of preparedness and a ritual in their mind. How, during Castro’s entire checklist he doesn’t touch his back pocket at any point is beyond me. It is definitely a sign of the times and the younger generation’s obsession with their phones, but you would think when you get to that level in sport, you leave the phone not only in the dugout but preferably the locker room.
- Dodgers lost Walker Buehler for the season with an elbow injury. This doesn’t affect them getting into the playoffs, but at some point that lost rotational arm might come back to haunt them in the later rounds. The fact that this was confirmed AFTER the trade deadline is really bad timing.
- The Rangers fired their manager, and I admit that they sure do seem to pour a lot of money into a franchise that loses each year recently.
- MISCELLANEOUS:
- I think the first bicycle kick I ever saw was by Pele. Lionel Messi just pulled one last week, and glad the stars of the game are still pulling old school tricks.
- The FedEx Cup is the PGA’s big paying tournament that actually pays almost as much as the Saudi-funded LIV tour. But doesn’t.
- This LIV-PGA feud is even trickling on to the greens. Did you see the video of Scottie Scheffler walking right THROUGH the line of Cameron Smith? (1) SI Golf on Twitter: “Scottie Scheffler appears to walk through Cameron Smith’s line. 👀 https://t.co/IQjXgr5FKt” / Twitter
- Nick Faldo said an emotional goodbye on TV the other day. He will be missed, for sure. He was talented as a player and analyst, and the “sir” is well deserved and acted on daily in his actions and carefully selected words.
- Tyson Fury retires A) as well as any boxer ever and especially all of them in the 80’s and 90’s and B) as definitively as Tom Brady. He said he is walking away days after coming back to fight…after retiring before that after fighting someone. Dude, why don’t you sleep on a decision before announcing every thought that comes in your head. You are one of the best, and we know that, but I don’t lose sleep worrying about your retirement status and neither does most of the rest of the population.
- Swimming records go down all the time. When you get to records that stand for a long time, you respect them. Not only did someone break one of those long standing records, but they did it in a premier event…the 100 free. Congratulations, David Popovici.
- My headache this week is probably due to Stephen A. Smith arguing with people on the TV after his very relaxing (to me) August absence.
- Tiger is holding a PGA only meeting to discuss the LIV defections. That is the right guy talking to the right group, but I still stand on the other side of this debate. LIV golf is simply a worthy competitor that has risen up. What we have known might be only the PGA Tour, but there is no rule against someone trying to buck the trend. Capitalism, folks.
- THIS AND THAT:
- I was talking the other day with someone about Newport, RI. I lived there for a couple of years way back when. Now, I am in Colorado, and Aspen is my favorite town out here. Thus, I have a sample size. And they are pretty much the same vibe. Both ooze money but have cool people. One has mountain lodges, and the other has mansions and yachts. One has a mountain, one has an ocean. Love both.
- I think I think less of anyone who doesn’t laugh for the two hours during Caddy Shack. It was on the other day. SO hilarious.
- I saw the new Minion/ Gru movie. Not sure how kids will get ANY of the soundtrack with everything being back in the 70’s, but the movie itself is funny as they all are. My wife LOVES those movies and most cartoon movies in general.
- How much freaking money does the company CarShield make? Or, are some celebrities lowering their asking price for an appearance. Their commercial in a barber shop has Ice Cube, Allen Iverson, and Ric Flair in it. I want an answer and this is not practice. Why are all three of those in one commercial for an auto insurance company.
- One of my wife’s rotational shows is Love It Or List It. I am pretty sure no one ever lists it, as every time I watch they love it.
- I am not sure how I feel about Anne Heche. Of course, it is sad, but when you read how the accident occurred, you feel less sad. She brought that one on herself.
- Another person was impaled by an umbrella in Myrtle Beach the other day, and that just sounds like the most horribly random and painful way to go when you are at the happiest moments of your day.
- THE FILLERBUSTER:
- I think I am officially hooked on Instagram. My wife says some of the stuff I am posting to people isn’t that interesting, but my reply is usually “build your own brand, but this is mine.”
- I use the term “out of pocket” and apparently it is dated and my wife hates when I say it. What is weird is that I am pretty sure I have been saying that since I myself was young.
- Operation Washboard is underway. I am still workshopping a new, more clever name. But, the fact is that I WILL have a badass washboard for all of my 50 year old birthday pictures.
- Belize will be the destination, I think, for this week long celebration.
- The word on the street is not wrong. If you have cats, then Pretty Litter is a complete game-changer. All piss just dissolves into the air after you stir it, you only change it every 30 days, and you only pick up poop in the meantime. It is truly a scientific miracle.
- I didn’t really understand why the wife didn’t like the second Top Gun like I did, until we watched the first one a few weeks later. Turns out she didn’t remember much about the first one, and therefore missed almost all of the references (which there are a LOT, both obvious and hidden). She didn’t even remember the flight where Goose dies. Watch the first one BEFORE you see the second one, folks. You will get more jokes and references.
- I am on a mission to write at least one Google review every 2-3 days. Some people are doing more for society, but I have to start somewhere.
- Oddly, I didn’t go to Motley Crue, Poison, Joan Jett, and Def Leppard. One, I didn’t have anyone who was free who liked that same music. Two, I had seen each of the bands at some point in life. Three, I made a mistake in being too cool to go probably. If I could go back in time a few weeks, I would have made time or gone solo.
- I reached into my mailbox and came the closest to a Black Widow physically than I plan to again. Time to clean the mailbox. I don’t fear spiders abnormally, but I also have full blown, mad respect for two spiders, the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse.
- People always ask me why I wear long-sleeve drifits during hot sunny days. Well, two reasons, folks. One, I don’t believe in farmer tans. I would rather be universally whiter then have that definitive line in the middle of my arm. Two, because the sun is not actually hitting my skin, I actually feel cooler than you do in your tank top. I don’t know if that scientifically jives, but it works for me.
- Well, the person who loves The Masters the most once again did not win The Masters ticket lottery and therefore has to hope for a kind, lucky, thoughtful stroke of luck or call from someone.
- I think that being out of fantasy football leagues initially bugged me, but now I don’t miss the upkeep and getting beat by people with no clue. I think the only thing I actually MISS about fantasy football is the actual draft, which is more stupid these days post-pandemic because half of life is remote.
- My new awning on my 4Runner looks awesome. Once I get the ladder that will have no purpose because I don’t have a roof tent, my car will be close to complete in my eyes.
- The Jackson Lake camping trip was…interesting. I won’t go into details. Let’s just say that there were some black eyes and long-term relationship cheating going on, so my wife and I just ended up staying in our tent until the storm passed.
- We have these people come to clean our house. It is a team of like 10 people, and they are done in an hour. It is like a cleaning tornado.
- Someone described me as Will Farrell from Old School the other day and I absolutely took that as a compliment.
- I don’t know what is cooler. Me finding an old napkin where I was bet $50 to name every Super Bowl winner and runner up, or the fact that when I showed my sports loving buddy, he did it also off the cuff and only missed one.
- Sure, I posted me playing piano on Instagram. But, I had to nail the song I couldn’t play during a house party the night before.
- Finally, we found my wife a car finally. I am actually writing this sentence while she is driving her new 2019 Lexus NX on the way back from Chicago to Denver. She-Car-Go as she would pronounce it (play on words). It is pretty sweet. Now, we do this boring drive through Iowa and Nebraska until we hit Kearney as our target for the night. Then, we will do the remaining 5 hours plus tomorrow. Why did we go out of state? Because unless you have more mattress money than others, buying a 4WD or AWD IN Colorado means you are agreeing to basically pay about $4k more. Congrats if you are one of those people. We go to Illinois to buy our cars. Or Ohio in my case a few years ago.
- We were at Beer Depot the other night, and I brought more than usual fire to the pool table. I made two masse shots and four long banks.
- I am glad our season of Airbnb is almost done (stopping for winter). Our present guest from Jerusalem couldn’t figure out how to get hot water on the shower (didn’t turn it far enough) and then broke our bathroom sink (turned it too hard). Odd combination of mistakes.
- Maybe once I am done renting out the Air, I can finally have the energy to clean my OWN house.
- TWEET OF THE WEEK
The theme? I am pretty sure that anything involving Allen Iverson will win any contest in my world. CarShield is the random theme.
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.