Thoughts for today

Posted on January 22, 2024 by AverageAndy

Finally finished watching “A Million Little Things” (a year after it ended) and thought they did a great job with the final episodes. I was actually really emotional to watch and left me feeling sad but also hopeful. They didn’t jump the shark and pull out a crazy miracle cure for Gary, but basically let life run its course. While the show was sappy at some times, and some of the story lines were a bit contrived, The writers redeemed themselves at the end, and I am thankful for that.

Went and saw “The Beekeeper” with a friend last Thursday (note to self – in the future, go in Tuesday if possible since its 1/2 night). Have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. They story was actually pretty good, and showed how ruthless and cruel online scammers can be. They did go a little over the top (in the realms of John Wick and Reacher) where all the bad guys basically line up get picked off one at a time, by the Beekeeper who never even gets a scratch. Would have been a great movie if they would have tones things down a bit and focused more on the characters. 

Like it when I come across some interesting old pictured on the internet. Saw this the other day, and figured I would post it and give a little review

My Bodyguard was one of my favorite movies growing up. Was one of the many movies they played over and over again on HBO back in the day. Staring Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, and the great Matt Dillon, it’s just a fantastic film. Here is a review from IMDB (I could not have said it better)

One of those movies you remember as a kid

‘My bodyguard’ is one of those movies–like ‘Breaking away’–that you remember long after the credits end. If you saw it as a kid like I did, the movie hit you in the gut. It is just ‘real.’ The film offers a slice of teen life that you can definitely relate to, whether you’ve been bullied or not. It includes wonderful performances all around. Chris Makepeace is really great in this movie–and so is Matt Dillon! I don’t know why it’s been rated so low–it’s a great film and I’d highly recommend it. There’s that sense of teen angst and finding your place in the world, and it resonates and works on lots of levels. All sorts of crappy movies get higher ratings, go figure!

For whatever reason, the NFL Play-Off games are just not interesting me this year. I enjoyed watching parts of them, but without the NY Giants playing, my attention was just not there. I did take some time on Saturday to try and make my own bagels. Have to admit they came out great. Serving one up with Lox and Cream Cheese and and a cold beer and I was a happy camper 

Just some random stuff for today

PEACE

#AverageAndy

Posted in Everyday, Food, My Bodyguard, The Beekeeper | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Goodbye, Hello, and stuff in between

Posted on January 12, 2024 by AverageAndy

Sad to see that two of the YouTube Channels that I really enjoy watching will be closing up shop

Both MatPat (The Food Theorist) and Tom Scott (TomScottGo) will no longer be producing and making new YouTube Videos going forward. Both creators posted on YouTube that the time has come to move on (MatPat after 13 years, Tom after 10 Years) and do something different. Both explained that the time and work required to produce the best videos possible finally caught up with them and they needed a step away and spend more time with family and friends. 

The Videos posted on their YouTube Channels were always entertaining as well as educational. I learned a lot of great things from their channels and will miss watching to see what new and exciting things they got to do and talk about. Here are their farewell videos — Subscribe and Check them out (as well as all their old videos)

Mat Pat (Food Theory) – Calling it quits

Tom Scott – Final Video
2024

Just when you think you have seen and heard something crazy, something crazier comes along.

ESPN busted by Emmys for using fake names to get awards

According to this article, ESPN was submitting fake names of associate producers involved in shows like College Game Day, and then re-engraving them with the names of the studio hosts (who were ineligible to win). Then they would present them to the hosts as an actual winner.

College GameDay won the Emmy for Outstanding Weekly Studio Show seven times in the last 15 years: 2010, 2011, and every year from 2014 to 2018. The Athletic identified that in each of those years, associate producers with identical initials to the show’s on-air personalities were listed in the credits. For example, Kirk Henry and Lee Clark were listed as associate producers to stand in for Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. The outlet also reported that there were fake names in the College GameDay Emmy submission credits as recently as 2020.

While no real harm was done other that skirting the eligibility rules, and getting some extra Emmy statues, I do have some observations; One is why ESPN would go to this length to supposedly boost the egos of the studio hosts and a few other employees. Wouldn’t, just telling the studio hosts that their production crew won an EMMY, but they themselves were not eligible to be included be OK. Another is how nobody involved with this plan questioned what they were doing. If someone handed you an Emmy Award and told you to re-engrave it with a different name, wouldn’t you at least ask why? 

As for the EMMYs, I guess you can just list as many people you want on the application and if you win, EMMYs for everybody. They must of at least looked at the list of people on the application since they put in rules on who is eligible. (Or maybe not)

Now ESPN has to go to the people they gave the re-engraved EMMYs to and say, “Sorry, you really didn’t win an EMMY so give it back” What a mess. 

But these are the times we live in now. Nobody cares about rules, or integrity. Just saw another story where a couple won a $3,000,000 suite from EBay when the top executives at EBay got mad at them for writing a newsletter about Devin Wenigs’ (eBay’s CEO at the time) annual pay. The company’s chief communications officer, Steve Wymer, responded: “We are going to crush this lady.” They put a plan in place to harass the couple by harassing them and sending them packages of bugs.

Of course, Devin Wenigs said he had no idea what was going on, and would have stopped it if he knew (He resigned from eBay in September 2019 with a $57 million exit package.). You think he really cared what happened to this couple, or of any harm EBay may have caused

I had a discussion with a coworker about how the penalties for a lot of laws have stayed constant (and mostly monetary), while the wealth of many people has increased to the point where it is no longer a deterrent for those making a lot of money. Fining someone $5000.00 who takes home a million dollars a year is a .005% fine But fining somebody who’s making minimum wage $5000.00 is a .16% fine. 

The only way to put a stop to al lot of the craziness is to make fines and penalties more of a deterrent. This can be done by making fines a set percentage instead of a fixed amount — If found guilty, everyone should have to pay 10% of their own income, plus 25% of their stake in the companies yearly income for the next 2 years.

As Eddie Murphy (as Billy Ray Valentine ) says in “Trading Places”: “You know, it occurs to me that the best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people.”

Until we make the penalties sting, people will continue to do whatever they want, pretend to be sorry, and then go on with their life.

I finished reading “Holly” by Stephen KIng — I haven’t read much of his work lately, and really liked it. Started “The Bad Weather Friend” by the great Dean Koontz. Added a goal of reading at least 12 books in 2024 and am off to a good start. Reading also helps to reduce the time I spend watching TV or using the internet. This is also another reason I want to be a contestant on @Survivor. Being forced to go 26 days with no access to the internet sounds like an awesome idea to me

Went off on a little tangent, and hope you were able to stick with me

Another of my 2024 goals is to write more often, and expand my writing and grammar skills

So I promise to write some more soon

PEACE

AverageAndy

Posted in Books, Dean Koontz, Food Theory, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Mark Burnett, Movies, Reality Shows, Stephen King, Survivor, Tom Scott, Trading Places, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1st Post of 2024

Posted on January 8, 2024 by AverageAndy

Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I attended a few Christmas parties hosted by long time friends, and spent a very relaxing New Years Eve with a small group. Actually left for home around 11:30 PM and was in my car at Midnight listening to “New Years Day” by U2 on Sirius Radio Channel 28 (The Spectrum). It was very peaceful.

The New York Football Giants ended there season by defeating the struggling Philadelphia Eagles to end the season at 6 – 11. Was a crazy roller coaster of a season. While they were really bad for a lot of games, and looked out classed and out coached, they did have some moments of promise. Not sure what direction they will go next season. Will they draft a QB, will they use the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley, resign him, or let him walk and sign with another team.  Will Brian Daboll be able to turn things around (they did let several coaches go already). We will have to wait and see.

Football is such a strange sport and obsession. I did talk to some friends and said I wish I could just forget about football and the Giants and do other things during the NFL Season. But there is just something inside of me that makes me continue to be a fan and come back year after year. So see you in September for another season of Giants Football

Going to spend a few days cleaning out and organizing my office space. Getting a new desk so need to clear off the old one, and put away all the binders of cards (Baseball / Star Wars / Star Trek / Promos) that have taken over. Also a lot of knick knacks to go through and pack a lot of them away to clear up some space. Wish me luck and it’s been a long time coming, and being the procrastinator I am, it will probably take me all week.

Kind of in a rut as to what TV shows and movies to watch. Since there is really nothing out there that I am really excited about, it’s feeling like a good time to go back and clean out my DVR or catch up on some of the streaming shows I started

“A Million Little Things” – Only a few more episodes left of the final season
“9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star” – Think I am a season behind. Helpfully can catch up before it returns
“Reacher” Season 2
“Upload” Season 3

Defiantly want to catch “Wonka” on the big screen. Maybe I will catch it on night this week (see – Im already procrastinating), but if not, definitely next weekend (Since there is no Giants game)

Also am going to spend some time researching and reaching out to people regarding crating my next Survivor Video. Saw a post from jeff Probst that the Producers and executives will releasing the Season 46 players Audition Videos. Will be interesting to see what they are currently looking for, and hopefully pick up some good tips for my next Video. 

I will continue to Hope / Dream / Imaging / Pray that I will eventually be a contestant on Survivor and prove to myself and others that there is no limits on what can be achieved.

Will write more soon — Going to list some of the music I have been listening to and books I have been reading (Trying to find more time to read – Not really procrastinating) , as well as reviews and recommendations

PEACE

AverageAndy



Posted in 9-1-1, 9-1-1 Lone Star, A Million Little Things, Books, Football, Friends, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Mark Burnett, Music, Non-Sports Cards, NY Giants, Radio, Reality Shows, SiriusXM, Sports, Survivor, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Holidays, and a Survivor Recap

Posted on December 27, 2023 by AverageAndy

Happy Holidays to everybody reading this. Hope you were able to relax and spend some time with family and friends. We have been to a few Holiday Parties with one more this weekend. Was good to enjoys good food and drink and spend times with friends.

Got to spend Christmas with my wife’s side of the family. We spent the day at my mother-in-laws house (She passed earlier in the year and we will be selling the house), so it was kind of a last hurrah. It was fun talking and remembering all the good time spend with my wife, daughter, nieces and nephew had at the house over the years. We even watched some old home movies (using an old projector and screen) But life moves on, and next year we will be starting a new tradition, where ever that might be.

It’s been a week since Dee Valladares was crowned winner of Survivor 45. While I enjoyed this season, I did feel a bit let down by the final. Once Emily Flippen and Drew Basile were voted off, I really did not have favorite in the Final 5. While they all seemed like nice people, I just didn’t connect with any of them, so really didn’t care who eventually won. I was surprised when Katurah Topps switched her vote from Dee to Julie, especially after explaining how Dee would win if she survived the vote. I know it’s hard to understand moves people make while sitting at home, but it was a bit strange. Things like this are one of the main reasons I would love to be a contestant on Survivor #NeverToOldForSurvivor, #GiveMeAChance. I am constantly wondering what I would do in certain situations; Would I tell anybody if I found or recieved an advantage. Would I tell people information that I was told not to share. It’s always fascinating to see different way people handle things

As for the Final 4, I really dislike the Fire Challenge (never liked it going back to when Chrissy Hofbeck got screwed after playing a great game) The winner Ben Driebergen lost the final challenge, and should have been voted off. But they added the fire challenge which gave him a 2nd chance. It again played a roll when Chris Underwood was able to use the fire making to his advantage, and win despite being the 3rd person voted off and spending most of the season at Extinction Island. He was able to return at the end, then give up immunity in order to make fire. The Jury found this to be a big move and awarded him the prize. They basically ignored everything that happened on the real island, and instead voted to for Chris because they spent time and got to know him on Extincion Island, more than getting to know Julie Rosenberg or Gavin Whitson

It seems now, that winning the final challenge is almost a disadvantage. Unless you have a super compelling story to give the jury, you need to throw away all your work and give up immunity to make fire in order to get jury votes. I almost think that just throwing the final challenge and saying to whoever wins, that I will go to fire could be the best strategy.

All in all, this season was a mixt bag. But I will be back for Survivor 46, and will be submitting applications in 2024 for future seasons. Hopefully soon, #JeffProbst, #JesseTannenbaum and the rest of the casting crew will decide to give an old timer like me, who have been there from the beginning, a shot to live out my dream of being on Survivor

The NY Football Giants lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Day to fall to 5 -10 on the year, and officially be eliminated from the play-offs. While they were in a lot of game, they simply do not have the winning mentality team need. Most games are close, and the teams that can dig deep and make plays are the ones that come out on top. The will need to do some soul searching as they are not a good team should not be fooled that they are close. Not going to get a total overhaul next season, but the coaches cant use any excuses, and need win or they will all be gone in 2025

Happy New Year and here’s to a great 2024

Peace

AverageAndy

Posted in Christine Hofbeck, Dalton Ross, Football, Friends, Holiday Weekend, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Mark Burnett, NY Giants, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick Update

Posted on December 19, 2023 by AverageAndy

I was very sad to see that actor Andre Braugher passed away last week. Didn’t realize how many good movies/shows he was on. I really liked him in Men of A Certain Age (along with Ray Romano and Scott Bakula). Was a great show about people and life. 

As more people from my youth pass on, It makes me feel a little bit older. But it does help remind me that you need to get out and live and experience things. #Survivor #NeverToOldForSurvivor #GiveMeAChance

Rest in Peace Andre, you will be missed

Average Andy

Posted in Men of A Certain Age | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Survivor, The Amazing Race, and some great Music

Posted on December 15, 2023 by AverageAndy

Another great episode of Survivor. Have to admit I was rooting for Drew / Bastille / Napoleon Dynamite and was sad to see him go. Another person who got caught up in the moment and did not see the bigger picture. Seems to happen a lot, and this is one of the main reasons I would love to be a contestant on Survivor. I would hope I could read people and have a sense if I was in trouble, and then at least try to make sure I’m not voted out (Im sure there are sometimes when its just out of your control). I was not aware that Drews’ ‘Safety Without Power’ advantage had expired, and was wondering why he didn’t play it. I really thought he was another of the many who have been voted off with advantages that could have saved them. (I had to check things after reading Dalton Ross’s Survivor Recap with no mention of the advantage) I know it’s tough to say, but I really think that when I find an idol or advantage, I would let everybody know I have it, or at least play it earlier to get it out of the way as they seem to make people feel safer then they should be.

With the finale next week, it will mark the 45th time I have watched a Survivor Finale / Reunion show. I remember when the finale was on Sunday night, and making sure I had it recorded (VCR, DVR) so I could watch it after getting home late so I could talk about it at work the next day. Also had to make sure that both the finale and the reunion show were set up to be recorded (Ealy DVRs saw this as 2 different shows)

Did catch up and completed watching Season 35 of “The Amazing Race” Though it was a really good season, and enjoyed the cast. Really liked the final for teams and was happy to see brothers Greg & John Franklin take home the Million Dollar grand prize. The final episode was a great watch and had you rooting for all of the team. As it finished, I thought how the show has pretty much stuck with its core, and most of the contestants are just average everyday people. I know they did some celebrity seasons as well as having Survivor and Big Brother alumni, but theses were still more down to earth than most other reality shows, where its obvious most people are just looking to be on TV and expand their image.

Marillion will send out a free Christmas CD to fan club members. They will also occasionally release a Christman Video. This year they released a great version of Greg Lakes’, “I Believe in Father Christmas” This led me to go watch the video of the original version, followed by a video of the Emerson, Lake, & Palmer classic ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’ For whatever reason, I find this video fascinating (So simple yet so powerful).

As we get close to Christmas, take some time to give both these videos a watch and hopefully give yourself and others some Holiday Cheer

AverageAndy

Marillion – I Believe in Father Christmas
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Fanfare For The Common Man
Posted in Amazing Race, Dalton Ross, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, Friends, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Marillion, Mark Burnett, Music, Phil Keoghan, Reality Shows, Survivor, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick Update

Posted on December 8, 2023 by AverageAndy

Just a quick update (sitting at Starbucks enjoying a relaxing Friday morning (took the day off from work to get some things done around the house, and do some Christmas shopping)

Usually don’t binge watch a series in a few days, but I started and furnished both seasons of “Friends from College” on Netflix. Really enjoyed it and though all the actors did a great job. Likes the story lines and give the writers credit for showing the ups and downs of people as the navigate their lives. Was happy the way they ended season 2 and was upset to see that the show was cancelled and there would be no season 3. Was a fun ride

Really beginning to believed that “money is the roots to all evil” in the world of professional sports. I still believe that the majority of professional athletes play for the love of the game and the opportunity to compete with the best in the world. But as more and more players see opportunities to make more money (than the already crazy amounts they already make), it is beginning to turn me off. Weather its Jon Rahm jumping to LIV Golf, or NBA Players having to be bribed to actually play hard (dopy in-season tournament) or baseball free agents who will say one thing, but ultimately chose the team that gives them the most money (Playing for a winning team or organization be dammed)

Will be interesting to see where all this lands. How long before giant global corporations with unlimited money start there own leagues and offer players long term guarantied money to jump ship. While the TV Networks eventually cave and start covering these secondary leagues? Its has been tried before (Remember when the USFL gave Steve Young a fortune to plat for the Los Angeles Express. Sounded great at the time, but the league folded after 2 years and Young eventually ended up signing with the NFL.

The questions is will LIV and other leagues be profitable enough to continue. I think it depends if the fans of the sport care more about the players then the history of the sport. Will people run to watch LIV golf on smaller networks because they want to see the players the like, even if the competition and rule changes make it far lest dramatic and entertaining. Are fans going to be celebrating and the Pacers or Lakers going to have a parade this week after the NBA in season tournament crowns a winner.

I root for my teams and will continue to no mater if the players leave for more money. And while I like some of the rule changes that MLB made last season, I’m hoping that the professional leagues remember that its the sport that matters and not some gimmick.

That’s it for now

More to come

PEACE

AverageAndy

Posted in Baseball, Books, Football, Friends from College, Sports | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Survivor 👍 The Amazing Race 👍 NY Giants 👍

Posted on December 1, 2023 by AverageAndy

It has been a great season for both Survivor and The Amazing Race.

For Survivor, I like how they have mixed things up and added some new challenges. It’s fun to not as many puzzles or straight endurance challenges. It’s also interesting to see how the game has involved and going to a shorter season (26 days instead of 39). Seems to be much more scrambling as there is a lot less time to talk and strategize between tribal councils.

As far as the latest episode, why do people continue to not use idols and get voted off. As I have said many times, this is one of the big reasons I need to be a contestant on Survivor. I want to see for myself how difficult it actually is to determine who is an allie, who is an enemy, and who is lying and who is telling the truth. I wonder if I would ever feel 100% not to play an advantage if I had one. I could not believe that Bruce did not play his idol. He had to know that there was at least a chance he would be voted out. I think I would play an idol as soon as I found one. Gets me a day further where anything can happen. The next few tribals are going to be interesting with a lot of idols still in play. Also want to see Drew finally use his advantage. Should be fun

I am also enjoying this season of the Amazing Race. I actually like a 5 teams remaining (I am a week behind). It’s been interesting to see teams falling so far behind that Phil has to go meet them to let them know they are last. Haven’t seen this is a while. I also like to see the team’s reaction when they think they are last, only get told by Phil they are still racing. I actually got a little jealous when brothers Greg and John won a trip to New Zealand for coming in 1st Place. So they got to run on The Amazing Race, and go to New Zealand (2 items near the top of my Bucket List).

I really thought the NY Football Giants would pack it in against the Washing Commanders and continue on a path to be one of the worst teams ever. Of course they went on to win the game and then win again the following week against the New England Patriots to get to 4 – 8 on the season. What’s crazy is that even at 4 – 8 they still have a decent chance to make the playoffs as a wild card, as other than the Eagles, 49rs and Cowboys, nobody has separated themselves from the pack. Looking at the NFL schedule for the next 2 weeks, if things break correctly, the Giants / Green Bay Packers game on Monday Night Football after the Giants bye week this weekend could be a huge game.

Lehigh Football fell to Lafayette by a score of 49-21. The team never found their groove this season under 1st year head coach Kevin Cahill. Hopefully this was a learning year and they can be more competitive next season

Lehigh Basketball is also off to a slow start this season. Hopefully Coach Brett Reed can get the team ready for Patriot League Conference Play which starts in January.

Went and saw the The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and thought it was really good. I had read the book when it came out and really enjoyed it as well. Watching the move felt a bit like when I watched the Harry Potter movies after reading the books. There are parts in the movies where things happen quickly or are not really explained but are like 3 – 4 chapters in the books, going into deeper details. Still, the movie was good, and maybe Suzanne Collins will write another Hunger Games book in the future.

Books I plan to read

Holly by Stephen King

The Exchange: After The Firm by John Grisham

The Corsican Shadow by Dirk Cussler

Today is December 1st — For me its a couple of weeks of down time before the Christmas Season kicks into full gear. (The day after Thanksgiving is a bit to early; Crazy that Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer has already been on CBS)

More to come before the new year

PEACE

Average Andy

Posted in Amazing Race, Books, Clive Cussler - Dirk Pitt, Dalton Ross, Football, Jeff Probst, John Grisham, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Movies, NY Giants, Phil Keoghan, Reality Shows, Sports, Stephen King, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Survivor 👍 Giants 👎

Posted on November 17, 2023 by AverageAndy

Survivor has been outstanding this season. After a slow start with 2 contestants quitting the game, the pace and the players strategy has really picked up. I am not the biggest fan of having many advantages floating around, as it makes the game a bit more random than it should. The skill of getting along and communicating with other players should not be diminished because somebody got lucky and was given or found an advantage. My two favorites (Drew and Emily) are still there and are holding their own. It’s interesting to see Emily’s transformation from somebody who seemed totally clueless around people (so much that she would have been voted off if Hannah had not begged to leave) to somebody who is really playing a great game. It’s kind of the same with Drew. At first, he seemed awkward, but he has become a very smart player.

I was a bit surprised that the women didn’t think more seriously about forming an all women alliance at least for a little bit. With a 6 – 4 advantage, they could have picked off the guys one by one. I know there are other alliances and friendships that make things tough, but they had a path to the final 6 and should have taken it. This is one of the reasons I want to be a contestant. I constantly wonder what I would do in these situations. Could I remove any feelings and thought and strictly treat this Survivor as a game to be won, or would the human element creep in, and make me make decisions that ultimately cost me a shot at winning. Its fascinating to watch.

Like how the producers brought back the auction but switched things up a bit. Its crazy how people seem to study things and figure out the best strategy before they make it to the show, forcing Jeff Probst and the producers to make changes to keep people guessing. That’s another aspect of the show that I really like, and would love to experience (as long as I don’t have to eat giant fish eyes)

As for the NY Football Giants. They are not just bad. They are historically bad. And for some reason there awfulnes seems to be flying under the radar. They have a -148 point differential which is 51 points worse then the New England Patriots -97. They have been blown out in most of their games and there 2 wins are against the Arizona Cardinals (who somehow managed to blow a 20-0 half time lead, and a average Washington Commanders Team who will probably take out their frustration against the Giants on Sunday. I am not a big fan of excuses, and the Giants seem to come up with them one after another. QB Hurt, No Offensive Line, Defense Players injured, etc.. When things are hard and get tough, that is when the best rise up and take control. To my Brian Dabol and his staff have basically thrown in the towel for this year. I thought of this a while back, and now it seems to be picking up some traction – The idea of the Giants making a trade for Josh Allen of the Bills to reunite with Dabol. Not a big fan as this feels the same as when Pat Shurmer benched Eli Maning for Daniel Jones as kind of a hail mary move to buy him some more time with the excuse of changing QBs. Dabol will do the same thing if they do make this trade.

The team is a mess, they have no identity or direction, but I will still watch them play every week. The Joys of being a diehard football fan

A few random things

Mets hired Carlos Mendoze as their new manager heading into 2024

I finished reading “Harold” by Steven Wright – Really enjoyed it and recommend it highly

Lehigh / Lafayette play on Saturday; At 159 games, its the most played rivalry in College Football

Started watching “Murder at the End of the World” on Hulu — Got me hooked so far

As we head into the Holidays, want to wish everybody a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Put your cell phones down and find time to talk to friends and family while hopefully enjoying a home cooked meal.

All the best

PEACE

AverageAndy

Posted in Baseball, Books, Dalton Ross, Dan Gheesling, Football, Friends, Holiday Weekend, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Lehigh, Lehigh University, NY Giants, NY Mets, Reality Shows, Sports, Steven Wright - Harold | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Good, the Bad (and the Ugly)

Posted on October 30, 2023 by AverageAndy

Very sad to see the passing of Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing from Friends). Growing up, Friends was one of those shows that everybody watched each week, and then discussed it with friends and co-workers. It then found a second life with the next generation through re-runs, DVDs, and streaming. To this day it still stands up as relevant (along with Seinfeld) and makes me laugh as though it was new. I know Matthew Perry had lots of daemons and lived a life of drugs and alcohol, but it looked as though he was doing well in recovery. I do think its sad how a lot of people go straight to “Well, he did live a messed up life, so not surprising” when learning about his passing. I think we need to look at the GOOD he brought to millions of fans through Friends (and other shows and movies), and not focus on the BAD and shrugging off his death as just another example of famous people throwing away their life.

RIP Mathew Perry (Chandler Bing) — You will be missed.

Also BAD was the details coming out about the shooting in Lewiston MA. Seems the man responsible had a troubled past, as well as issues with his hearing. Four of the eight people killed in the bowling alley were hard of hearing and part of group outing. There were red flags regarding his mental health, and if he should be allowed to have a gun (I did see that he tried buying a silencer months earlier, but was denied by the shop owner due to his mental health record). Not sure that this tragedy could have been completely avoided, but there were signs that should have been looked into. Even though the shooter took the easy way out, and killed himself, hopefully we can learn things from this about what goes through peoples minds and what sets them off.

The ugly was the Giants / Jets game on Sunday. Both teams played a really bad game, but the Giants were able to play just a bit worse and lose a game they should have won. With a 4th and 1 on the Jets 19 yard with 24 seconds remaining, coach Daboll opted for a FG to try and close out the game. Forgetting the fact that the Giants’ game plan all day was to run the ball (and they had been doing a good job of it), and that a 1st down ends the game, he showed no trust in his offense, and trough out all the good will he had last year due to playing aggressive, and took the easy way out. Granted, if Graham Gano makes the field goal the Jets would need to go the length of the field an score a Touchdown (for the wind). But why even put that option on the table. Run the ball, get a yard and end the game. But even if they stopped, the Jets would still need to go 40+ yards to get into Field goal range just tie (and they would have played for that, and not tried to score a TD for the win) And I feel that missing the field goal did way more in switched all the momentum to the Jets, then if the Giants had gone for it on 4th down and Jets had stuffed them.

Then to make things worse, Wink Martindale, who everyone continuously states that he is the best at blitzing and getting after the QB, and they had been pressuring Zach Wilson all day, decides to back off and play prevent defense, only rushing 3 guys, and allowing Wilson to have time and complete back to back 29 yard passes to put the Jets in FG range to tie the game

Then to put a cherry on top of this historic collapse, after winning the toss, and receiving the ball to start overtime, in your home stadium, they get a holding penalty on 1st down. And then Dabol just throws in the towel. Doing his best Joe Judge impersonation, he basically said I have absolutely no confidence in my offense to do anything (should not matter that the Giants were on their 3rd string QB, its still professional football) runs 3 screens for -1 yard and punts to the Jets. The Jets seize the opportunity, throw down the field, get a pass interference penalty, and kick a FG to win. Just brutal.

Now at 2 – 6 with by far the worst offense in the NFL (historically bad) its looks like we are in for another disaster of a season, and possibly firing another coach after 2 years and starting over again.

For perspective — NFL Teams Lowest Scoring Season

PEACE and HAPPINESS to all

AverageAndy

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