The 10 Biggest Snubs of the 2012 Academy Awards

The Oscar nominations have been revealed and to be honest I am not as excited about this batch of movies as I have for previous years. But of course since it’s the Oscars, they always have their wonderful share of snubs, omissions, and disappointing choices. And here I am to rank what I think are the most disappointing snubs of this upcoming Academy Awards.

Note: Hans Zimmer decided not to compete this year, which means the fourth Pirates and Rango did not have a shot at Best Original Score. Although the fourth Pirates wasn’t too great, Rango definitely had a great chance of winning the entire thing. It’s a shame.

#10: Andy Sarkis
Did Not Get: Best Actor or Supporting Actor

He played the role of King Kong, Gollum, and Caesar of the latest Planet of the Apes. All phenomenal performances and none of them will have a shot at the Best Actor. This is a shame though, because he does bring plenty of life into these roles that not every actor can pull off. While I do believe he should not walk away with the big prize, he should at least have gotten a nomination after nearly a decade of excellent motion-capture work—from Lord of the Rings to Adventures of Tintin.

#9: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Did Not Get: Best Picture

David Fincher is pretty much officially too underground for the Academy. With Fight Club, Seven, and Social Network under his belt, you would think he would finally get his Oscar opportunity with yet another highly acclaimed dark film, right? Well, unfortunately, the Academy was not feeling the darkness this year, as only one rated-R movie got a Best Picture nom (and it’s the Hawaii-backdrop The Descendants) . Total shame because Fincher (and Rooney Mara) went the whole nine yards with this production.

#8: Rango
Did Not Get: Best Screenplay

Westerns have been pretty much dead since Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. The Academy thinks so as well as the genre hasn’t seen much Oscar gold in decades and even those with glimpses of Westernness don’t find success. Just ask Tarantino and what happened to Kill Bill Vol. 2, arguably the best film of the 2000s. Rango is also on that boat as despite being one of the 10 best films of the year didn’t get the Best Picture nod, and more inexcusable, the screenplay nod. This movie was an adult film wrapped in a kids film body with plenty of subtle nods to the classic Westerns of the 50s and 60s while at the same time giving it a fun modern edge.

#7: The Adventures of Tintin
Did Not Get: Best Film Editing

Motion-capture is not easy to pull off, and I can guarantee you its even tougher to pull off when the film happens to be an action/adventure one. The Adventures of Tintin had a phenomenal set of great action pieces, and each of them are paced so crisply, so quickly you barely have time to breathe in between moments. A lot of detail and care was given to those action scenes and the editing team should at least have gotten a nod for it.

#6: Rango
Did Not Get: Best Song

Only two songs were nominated. Couldn’t this song have gotten a chance? Its catchy, its fun, and its full of spaghetti western flavor. Come on, only two songs were nominated!! What gives?

#5: Alan Rickman
Did Not Get: Best Supporting Actor

Alan Rickman has not been nominated for a single Academy Award, and this is a major disgrace. Of all the actors and actresses that successfully translated the Harry Potter books into decent films (with the exception of Half-Blood Prince, ugh), Alan Rickman’s portrayal as the mysterious Snape was by far the best and most compelling. And considering what his character goes through in the final film, Rickman did not disappoint by unveiling the softer and much more tragic side of the usually-polarizing character.

#4: Bridesmaids
Did Not Get: Best Screenplay

It was a zany script that was very funny, very heartfelt, and runs a bit deeper than your average comedy. But just like the original Hangover, originality and subtle depth does not get recognition if it has the raunchy R-rated humor attached to it. This is what happened to other great R-rated comedies like There’s Something About Mary, Caddyshack (seriously), The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Animal House, and National Lampoon’s Vacation. The similarity between all these movies? All great comedic classics, no Oscar gold whatsoever.




#3: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Did Not Get: Best Picture

We have spent countless years watching these characters develop, grow up, age, evolve, and further embed themselves in our lives. The last entry of the Harry Potter saga was a well-received one, as the franchise ended on a good quality note (despite the few little tiffs I have with it). And what most of us expected here would be a similar move to what the Oscars did with Return of the King---finally give it some Oscar recognition not for the film, but symbolically for the entire franchise. Sadly, the Oscars were not as heartfelt and didn’t reward Harry Potter with anything past a few technical nods. Harry Potter gave us two mediocre films, three decent films, and three fantastic ones (Goblet of Fire is still in my opinion the best). Isn’t it time they finally get at least, at the very least, get a Best Picture nod? Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire I believe were snubbed, and sadly, it happened again this year.


#2: The Adventures of Tintin
Did Not Get: Best Animated Feature

Let’s see. Great direction from the master Steven Spielberg. Script by (among others) Edgar Wright. Production work by Peter Jackson. Great motion-capture work. Superb casting. Plenty of action and humor throughout. Has the imaginative movie magic we just don’t see in the movies anymore. Got rave reviews from most of the critics. Won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Movie. But…..no Animated Film Nomination!?!?!? Puss in Boots got one before you did? Riiiiiiiight.


#1: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Did Not Get: Best Actor

50/50 was one of the best and most heartbreaking films of the year. Dealing with a young healthy adult that suddenly develops a rare cancer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt owned the role as the main character by giving us the many different layers and emotions that a cancer victim goes through during the battle, and during the mental and physical therapy. Gordon-Levitt has been a phenomenal actor and has given us phenomenal work in the past decade ranging from indie flicks like Brick and Manic to sleeper hits like 500 Days of Summer and Inception. But not a single nomination. Not one. The other omissions can be slightly justified, but Gordon-Levitt’s snub is inexcusable. He carried this film past its flaws and gave us a very entertaining and moving performance that made us moviegoers laugh as well as drive us to tears. He’s one of the best talents in Hollywood, and its about time the Academy recognizes this.




P.S. Jackie Chan still doesn’t have an Oscar. Ugh…

Hollywood Studios: Disney World's Weakest Park

Before I point this out, I just want to say that all my negativity in this article has nothing to do with the outstanding ensemble of cast members that we have working in the Hollywood Studios. Before I point this out, it has nothing to do with the folks that are out there day in and day out, providing magic. Okay, here it goes. Hollywood Studios sucks. As a park, its totally devoid of a consistent theme, doesn’t have enough activities, hasn’t evolved as much as the other parks, and needs a major major overhaul that the higher ups are not acknowledging. The attendance of this park has dwindled and now it’s the least-attended Disney park in Orlando. Granted this park still beats Universal Studios (Had to throw that in there); its guest count lead on the competitive Hollywood parks has quietly been dying. Hollywood Studios as a park is officially the weakest of the four and I am about to explain why.

We can start with theming, alright? What is Hollywood Studios’ theme? Movies? Because we don’t see much emphasis on that anymore with the inclusion of American Idol and Toy Story Mania (which is based off a movie, but isn’t about a movie). Hollywood? Because besides the front of the park there isn’t much Hollywood going on. And let’s focus on the front of the park now. It is supposed to represent the olden days of Hollywood, yet we get a dismal flash mob in the front of the park before the parade, and then have the inappropriately placed Rock n’ Roller Coaster next to an old-school hotel. And then (this one is a bit pickier) we have the citizens of Hollywood sporting microphones next to their face, eliminating the sense that these characters are from the early 1900s. We’ve progressed far enough in technology, there is a way to put invisible microphones in their clothes—there’s no need to make them look like they are in a NASCAR race.

The theme totally dies when approaching the hat. We have the awful American Idol on the left, which should cease to exist as soon as possible. And even if we are pushing for a television-section in the park, American Idol is not the way to go. Unless they make it accessible for everyone to sing (among other changes I had pointed out before), it’s going to remain a mediocre scar on the park. Next door to that we have plenty of space but no movement, as Drew Carey’s attraction was the right idea, wrongfully executed. I can see the Jedi Training Academy show being moved in there, or maybe a sketch show getting a place in there. Or if we want to return back to the theme of the movies, do a variety of special/visual effects presentation in there (sadly, it might be Avatar-themed down the road).

Then there’s the hat. The hat has nothing to do with Hollywood, what are you doing in there? And in front of the former symbol, which is a movie theater?!?!? Now let’s discuss Great Movie Ride: isn’t it about time we change it? The show runs at least 25 minutes, so that’s plenty of material space that can be changed/altered/deleted/removed/eliminated. It baffles me that it hasn’t become a ride that showcases how far along we’ve come in the movies. If it were up to me, I’d start with Charlie Chaplain and run through each decade and display the movie that best resembles that decade---Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Sound of Music, Godfather, etc.

We are just getting started. Pixar Place is where my next gripe is going to be. We as the public are not allowed to enter Pixar’s facilities in Cali unless we work there. But wouldn’t it be cool to have an Art of Pixar gallery, or at least a few glimpse into Pixar’s future? The Narnia building (which should have burned down forever ago) is prime location for such a thing. Next door to Toy Story Mania is a building that has not been used in 7-10 years. Continuing ahead we have the backlot tour, which has not been changed in years. And then after that we have the Streets of America, which provide no purpose whatsoever except in the winter time.

If you want more evidence that the Imagineers seemed to have given up with this park: we have Pizza Planet and Toy Story Mania on opposite sides of the park. We have the Backlot Tour and Backlot Express on opposite sides---even though there is a quick service place next to the Tour that can be renamed just for the sake of geographically being less confusing. The Cars characters and Buzz and Woody are from Pixar, so why are they also on opposite ends of the spectrum? Couldn’t we just, you know, group them up? Phenias and Ferb, a very popular kids cartoon is on the opposite side of the Disney Animation building and the Disney Junior show. I can guarantee you no other Disney park is as geographically and inexplicably confusing.

Lack of changes also mars this park. The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular has not changed since 1989 (That’s over 20 years for anyone keeping track), making it arguably one of the few Disney attractions to go through over two decades without changing anything. Backlot Tour hasn’t changed in forever either. Great Movie Ride as I’ve said before has been the same for ions. Muppets 3-D is a classic…but…should probably change a little. Tower of Terror has done a great job in providing different thrills, but Rock n’ Roller coaster has remained the same, even though there are over 30 years of Aerosmith music to run through. And for the sake of others, would it kill them to install a couple jukeboxes to allow guests to pick music to listen to while waiting in the queue line? And lastly, wouldn’t it be nice to change the music inside the ride to match the music of a musician when it’s their birthday? I’d like to hear music from Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, and others when they are celebrating a birthday. Lastly, Beauty and the Beast. Isn’t it about time to make this show a little more….accurate to the film?

This park needs more movie-related material, more from the old-school days and much more from the modern days. A new Indiana Jones ride would be awesome; a new Star Wars roller coaster would be nice. Hell, Phenias and Ferb has two episodes dedicated to the building of a roller coaster---can we get a kids coaster? Can we get a martial arts stunt show? Another Broadway show? To be honest, I don’t have the answers on how to fix this park (although I tried before), but one thing is certain, this park it a lot of unmet potential. Bringing the movies to life is a grandiose idea, but Disney has drifted far away from that theming and focused more on other aspects not related to Hollywood.

As a Disney fan, I will admit, Hollywood Studios stinks. And needs a big change and shift back to what it was supposed to be: the past, present, and future of the cinematic world being brought to life.

The Better Late Than Never Tourism Plan

Obama was in Magic Kingdom recently to announce that he plans on expanding the tourism industry by making it easier to travel the US of A. He mentioned rising countries like Brazil, China, India, and Israel that still have trouble traveling to the United States receiving some help in fixing this issue in the near future. He also points out that those whom travel often will have a quicker way of going through the nuisances of the airport. It was a short and sweet speech that discussed one of the most important economical foundations of the United States, which is tourism. President Obama won’t admit it, but the tourism industry outside the Disney World area and arguably New York City has been in the negatives pretty much.

The United States used to be one of the tourist hotspots in the world but in recent years because of a multitude of reasons the appeal of the United States has diminished severely. Hell, we have national cruise ship sales on the increase in recent years, which by the way are trips LEAVING the country. Not to sound biased, but honestly Orlando has been one of the few exceptions to the rule, as Disney has remained on top for attendance numbers, and we have Universal Studios nearly doubling in popularity in recent years. So is Obama’s plan a good one? Of course, but one problem, it should have happened a very long time ago especially when the economy was beginning to suck.

In my opinion there are three main things that will always make money in this country no matter what the circumstances: drugs (shut up and accept it), sports, and tourism. All the U.S. has to do is not make it such a pain in the butt to travel and I can guarantee you we will see a consistent flow of money. Vacations are a part of life just like breathing, so it’s not like people aren’t willing to go elsewhere to escape. But flying from place to place needs to be easier; we need to fix the lines, the annoyances, everything. I used to say that there should be a way for us to be able to send in our luggage one day in advance so it’s one less hassle to have to deal with. How will this be accomplished you ask? No idea, but wouldn’t that be nice?

Most important, the tall walls of the United States borders need to come down and we need to be much more inviting to other nations. What kind of message are we sending about trying to spread peace if we make it easy for some nations to visit, while a grueling marathon for others? Brazil is the most baffling example. This country has been explosive in its economy, actually developing a middle class, and has become appealing enough to nab a World Cup and the Olympics within the next 6 years. Brazil would be the first country that I’d focus on, as they absolutely love the East Coast---Miami, Orlando, and New York can agree with me.

But Brazil isn’t the only one. I am pretty sure all of South America gets the shaft as they don’t get the open traveling benefits of the Europeans, and that must change. Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, and Uruguay are nations that also enjoy visiting the Hispanic-friendly confides of Florida, and I can see a nice increase of tourism if we make their Visa-acquiring lives a little easier.

We do need to always play it safe, but we also need to stop living in the past. It’s a new decade, a new generation, its time for change. Its time to embrace other cultures. And one way to start is by allowing other cultures to visit ours and with minimal pain, wait, money, and hassle. So Obama, Congress, Washington, get it done. Make tourism (more) prevalent again.





P.S. Obama, if you really wanted to score some points, you should not have limited the amount of people that could see your speech in front of the castle to a simple dirty dozen.

My Version of the Cowboy Bebop Movie

For those that know me best, know that one of my most ambitious writing projects that I want to tackle is a live-action Cowboy Bebop movie. Cowboy Bebop remains my favorite anime because of its incredible blend of wonderful animation, spectacular music, great cast of characters, and the ability to remain three steps ahead of the audience. No two episodes are the same in tone, pacing, style, and content. While on the surface its bounty hunters in space, the anime dwells far deeper than that. So the question is how can I duplicate its random and unpredictable nature for the big screen? I think I have an idea.

Instead of Cowboy Bebop being one main plot, I would separate the movie into three smaller storylines that intertwine in the film. My movie starts off with a short scene that quickly reveals how our main characters do things in the bounty hunter business (It would be very similar to the intro to the animated movie of Cowboy Bebop). And then we’ll throw in the infamous theme song to run the opening credits. After that is where it gets interesting. I want three storylines to run after the credits—one involving Spike, one involving Jet, and one involving Faye. So it will resemble more the television show, focusing on smaller shorter stories as opposed to trying to create a long, long plot. The episodes would be 30-35 minutes each. Doing the math and adding the opening sequence time will make this movie around 105-115 minutes. Not bad, right?

Whom I want acting in the movie is a total mystery, as its going to be a massive challenge finding the right actors/actresses to portray the iconic roles. The one main one I have figured out is Spike, as I’ve narrowed it down to whether Michael Weatherly (from NCIS) or John Krasinski (The Office). As for Jet, only Kimbo Slice comes to mind (Google him, he can pull off that look), and I really doubt he would take this role...and I would doubt that he could pull off the role. But I do know who I would love to see directing this: Edgar Wright. His track record is phenomenal (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), and his attention to detail and hyper-kinetic editing style would work perfectly with the Cowboy Bebop look. As for the music, if I can’t get the original composer Yoko Kanno, I would use Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles), who already has experience working with bebop jazz for film.

This is where the fun begins. Now, I want to try something different. I would be writing one movie, but two different versions of said movie. 25 different states in the U.S. will get one version of Cowboy Bebop, and the rest of the country will get a totally different Cowboy Bebop. The totally different version will feature the same intro, but different opening credits, and three totally different episodes. To break it down:

On Release Date:

25 States Furthest East
Cowboy Bebop a
Spike Story 1
Jet Story 1
Faye Story 1

25 States Furthest West
Cowboy Bebop b
Spike Story 2
Jet Story 2
Faye Story 2

And then after several weeks, reverse the switch by giving the eastern states the b version of Cowboy Bebop, and give the western states the a version. So in the end, in a span of three months audiences nationwide will have essentially two Cowboy Bebop movies, six smaller episodes in the big screen overall. This will stir up fun confusion as well as add variety to the moviegoing experience. You’ll have one side of the country discuss a totally different movie from the other side, although they have the same title.

What are the storylines you say? And when in the chronological order will these adventures take place in? Not sure about the storylines but one thing is sure, I want them to be like your usual Cowboy Bebop episode---part of the canon but can also be viewed standalone and without much knowledge of the background of the characters involved. It’s not going to be easy, but I would love to hear the theme song blasting through the speakers in the movie theater before seeing a live-action variation of arguably the best anime of all-time.

Can you see it too?

Why Super Bowl XLVI Has to Be Patriots/Giants II

Now that the Football Church of Tim Tebow is closed until later this fall and the Packers found the perfect time to forget how to run routes, the Final Four has been revealed for the NFL Playoffs. What we have left is the feisty Baltimore Ravens, the no-longer-cursed New England Patriots, the unexplainable San Francisco 49ers, and lastly the suddenly-decent-after-looking-like-crap-for-several-months New York Giants. It has been an interesting playoff season, as we have had upsets and surprises left and right. If there’s one thing that is certain though is what Super Bowl matchup we have to see by the end of this month: the New York Giants vs. the New England Patriots.

Seriously, Giants/Patriots II must occur. It is the only way. This will be the Super Bowl for the ages. The ratings, the hype, and the anticipation will be at its all-time high. It will be the Patriots trying to avenge the Perfect Season that Never Was, while we have the G-Men trying to prove that their Super Bowl win all those years ago wasn’t a stupid fluke that to this day I still claim it is. Both sides have plenty to avenge, plenty to lose, and plenty to prove. Both quarterbacks are trying to eliminate the past, and both teams are trying to re-prove themselves to the league. This Super Bowl has to happen. Seriously.

Let’s talk about the Patriots first. After Spygate in early 2007, a little curse marked the team as they became the greatest team in the history of football to not win the championship. Some will argue the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, but let’s save that for another topic. The Patriots did not play their usual game, and the Giants took advantage. All of the strengths of the Patriots practically disappeared on that infamous night—although they still had their shot at winning the game if it had not been for some poor decisions, and a lucky catch. The Helmet Catch. We all know what I am talking about.

After said Super Bowl, the Patriots actually couldn’t win a single game in the playoffs until this past Sunday when they beat the Broncos. The shadow of that Super Bowl to this day hangs over the Patriots because not only was it the last time they were at the big dance, but it was the last time we really really feared Brady and company. Even to this day they are not taken seriously, as we had the audacity to point out that the hapless Broncos had a chance to win in Foxboro. The Pats should have finished the season perfect; it was supposed to be their year. And not only did they lose that Super Bowl, it was against the worst team ever to win it all.

The New York Giants were a terrible team (who loses to the Redskins at home?!?!?!?!) that through strokes of luck went in the playoffs that year. Here’s a fun tidbit about the 2007 Giants: “The New York Giants lost to the Dallas Cowboys (twice), Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots in the regular season but defeated them all in the post-season.” Does this mean the Giants got better as the year rolled on? No, it meant that the Giants faced teams that dropped the ball in every single playoff game. While we expect the Cowboys to always falter, the Giants went past the Bucs that slipped at the wrong moment, and even were able to enter Lambeau Field at 0 degrees and upset the Brett Farve Packers.

As you can tell, I remain unconvinced that the Giants deserved that Super Bowl ring, even if they were the last team standing. But I am not alone on that sentiment, as when we mention champs of the recent past we seem to overpass that Giants squad. It’s always mentioned that the Patriots lost that game as opposed to the Giants winning it. I don’t believe in Eli Manning, as he is a mediocre quarterback that has incredible receivers that make him look good. I don’t believe in that team, which have the luck of an old leprechaun and are always in an easier league of competition. Honestly, do you prefer playing the Packers, Cowboys and Falcons in the regular season? Or would you prefer facing the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers? Yea, the Giants got it made, just like the Texas Rangers and the ridiculously easy division they get to play in when compared to the evil, cynical AL East. Bitter, party of one. Moving on.

And now we’ve come to the Final Four of this season. Can you imagine if the Patriots and Giants run into each other again? Can you imagine all the hatred, all the angst, all the chaos that is going to follow? This is the Patriots’ chance to totally obliterate the bitter taste of that infamous season. This would be their chance to have their payback against the team that has had their unjustified number ever since 2007. As for the Giants, this would be their “Tebow Time,” their opportunity to defy the odds, and once again prove the haters wrong. The G-Men can prove that their win back then was not a fluke, but just a consistent technique of winning it all—sucking at first, building momentum towards the end, and blind siding the competitors in the playoffs.

Brady/Evil Manning II would answer all the questions that have remained buzzing since that absolutely crazy night that actually threw Las Vegas in the negative (true story). Did the Patriots just choke at the absolute worst time? Or do the Giants have the secret magic needed to beat Tom Brady and company? Are the Giants of 2007 the team that got very lucky? Or are the Giants a franchise that every few years defy the odds and go the distance? Is Eli Manning a fluke quarterback? Or will this second win enable him to be uttered amongst the greats like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees? This game will finally put the final, true nail on the coffin of that night.

Yes, of course the Ravens and 49ers actually have to lose first, so all of this is premature speculation. That being said, wouldn’t you love a chance to see these two teams turn back the clock and reawaken old demons? I personally would love to see them square off once again. It could become the hottest rivalry in football, and they are in different conferences. And this is coming from a guy that was absolutely dreading a rematch between Alabama and LSU. That was boring, but Giants/Patriots II? Excitement to the max.

Super Bowl XLV: The Rematch.

I can see it now.

The Broken Championship

Really? That was the championship game? A couple worthless field goals, a lifeless team, an uninspired touchdown? That was the great big rematch that we were anticipating? It wasn’t just that one team dominated the score, with Alabama scoring everything---it was the fact that this so-called #1 team, LSU, was utterly lifeless from the first minute to the last. This is your #1 squad? This is your #1 team? And Alabama, despite having their way with the other pitiful dead-heartbeat team, only pulled in 21 points....consisting of a multitude of field goals. The kicker had more success than the quarterback. Wait, that sounds familiar.

That was what happened the previous time they met earlier this season!! A field goalapalooza! And what makes it worse was that we had so many amazing games from truly dominating teams (and hungry teams) in previous Bowl Games, ranging from the pissed-off West Virginia to the much-more-pissed Boise State. And let's not forget the record-breaking numbers of West Virginia, Baylor, Washington. Those teams truly wanted to win, they played their hearts despite each knowing that they are in a broken, flawed, and miserable system. LSU played like total crap and pretty much wasted their pampered ticket to the big dance.

I want to believe that Alabama is truly the best team in the nation, and deserves that national title. At first I wanted LSU to win to avoid the controversy, that was until the end of the first quarter when it looked like they were lazily lollygagging through the biggest state in college football. But here's the truth: Alabama's loss in the season came against a team that really isn't that good-----and it took until this ugly championship game as proof. Oklahoma State lost one game, and that loss was after a horrible tragedy struck the school. Boise State in the past four years have lost three games by a total of just 5 points---and are even farther away from having a remote shot at a title. Stanford's only loss came against a nasty Oregon team--who scores about 40+ a game.

I want to believe that Alabama becoming #2 was justified, and eliminating LSU entitles them to becoming the top college football team in the land. But my mind can't accept that, not now, and probably not until we get that darn playoff system that only makes too much sense. If there is any evidence that states that we need a playoff badly, desperately, truly, madly, deeply, it was last night’s awful fiasco. It was a bad game. An ugly game. A boring game. And there was nothing the ESPN analysts and commentators could provide that would tell me otherwise.

The ranking system is probably still necessary to create the seeds (although the way we rank the teams should also be fixed) but the top teams all deserve a final shot at the final game. Top 8, Top 16, something, anything, for goodness sakes. We need momentum in this sport, we need a scheduling drive of some sort. Bowl games should whether be extremely limited or fully eliminated. If it were up to me, the top couple teams from each division (or top 16 ranked teams) should compete in a one-game-winner-takes-all playoff. Last team standing wins, and it will finally be fair and justified because they all had their chance, instead of us embezzled in the Woulda' Coulda' Shoulda' thoughts.

Bottom Line: This is most likely me overreacting to this game since the misery is still fresh in my mind. But one thing is certain, the uneasy feeling circling around the college football champs in recent years has been increasing dramatically. Its no longer just the SEC and Big 10 crafting a plethora of decent teams. We have Stanford, we have TCU, we have Boise State, we have West Virginia (among others) suddenly creating ripples in the competition. And until we craft a playoff that blends all these teams together, we will be stuck with an unfair system that we do not trust, and champs that we do not believe in.

I believed that the Packers, Mavericks, Bruins, and Cardinals are the champs of their leagues.

Alabama...not so much.

Let's fix this. Now.

Tale of an Underrated Baseball Player

So we have this baseball player who used to play from 1979 to 2002. Played in 4 different decades for 7 different teams. He had his tough career of unfair salaries, drugs, illnesses, and underrated numbers.....and of course, playing for the Montreal Expos. Now, despite this he was a 7-time all-star, played for two World Series teams, was in the MVP race multiple years, runner-up in Rookie of the Year, won a Batting Title, and led the National League in stolen bases for four years in a row. Good stats, right?

It gets better. He holds the Expos/Nationals record for career singles, triples, walks, stolen bases, runs created and times on base. He has a .988 fielding percentage while also leading the league in double plays-----as an outfielder. He batted over .300 ball in five different seasons, while being amongst the top switch-hitters in hits, runs, walks, times on base, singles, doubles, triples, times on base, and several other categories. Good stats, right?

How about we throw in the fact that only four players in the history of baseball have stolen more bases than him, and not one of them have had a better success rate than this man. 808 stolen bases in total, which is 200 more than any current player in baseball. He stole over 70 bases six times, while at one point stealing 40 straight bases without getting caught. This man is the best lead-off hitter not named Rickey Henderson in the history of baseball.




So tell me, why is this man, Tim Raines, still NOT in the Hall of Fame?!???!?!?