Since 2003, the Sox have gotten 21 200+ inning years from its pitchers, which is seven more than the next best team in baseball. So Coop knows what he's talking about. It doesn't hurt when you've got ironman Mark Buehrle on your team, but he only accounted for 1/3 of the full seasons of quality pitching. The only other guy last year with over 200 innings? Any guesses?
As college football nears us again, I wanted to take up the cause again that Indiana needs a Mascot. I know most people hate mascots and relative new comers to the Chicago scene SouthPaw (White Sox) and Tommy Hawk (BlackHawks) have not been welcomed with that much enthusiasm. That’s the pros though. College is way different and Mascots are cool. FSU’s Chief Osceola rides into the stadium an plants a flaming spear into ground. Not to be out down, Southern Cal has Tommy Trojan in full war gear who rides around the stadium on Traveler (who ironically doesn’t go on road games) and plants his sword into the ground before every game. Colorado is led onto the field but a friggin Buffalo for crying out loud, how awesome is that.
Now I know what you’re thinking. The reason Indiana doesn’t have a mascot is because what the heck is a Hoosier? It’s a person from Indiana. Great, so our mascot will basically be Herbiethe Husker. While this might be true, let’s look around the College landscape some more. The Alabama Crimson Tide have and Elephant, Alabama’s biggest rival Auburn has a War Eagle to go along with its Tiger. Another SEC team the Tennessee Volunteers have a Coon Hound. Even the Navy Midshipmen have a goat. So clearly there is precedent for Indiana to have a mascot that has nothing to do with anything. Here are my top three choices for IU’s new mascot.
Indiana Jones (Dr Henry Jones Jr, not the dog) I know what you’re thinking, That is the stupidest suggestion you have ever heard. However, admit it, you laughed when you read it. Also, think of the possibilities with having Indy as the mascot, no more boring halftime shows at assembly hall. Instead we could have Indiana performing various stunts from his various movies.
Plus, you cannot tell me you would look away if you saw Indiana Jones with a basketball running towards a trampoline underneath the basket? His name works perfectly with the school, and he’s a professor. Why wouldn’t a school want to have a professor as a mascot. Academics first right? The biggest setback would obviously be copyright infringement, but I am sure the David Anspaugh can talk to Steven Spielberg and work something out.
Fear the Deer My number Two entry is a Buck. I think this is a logical choice given the environment around Indiana University. The area is very woodsy and home to many Bucks and Deer. I also cannot think of another school that has a Buck or a Deer as a mascot. In fact the only team I can think of that has a buck as a mascot is the Milwaukee Bucks who’s mascot, Bango, is awesome.
With this you could have the basically the same mascot as the Bucks, but dress him in IU gear as well as have a live Buck on the sideline. I am talking about a big 12 pointer Buck. Yes we’d have to make sure none of the local hunters tried to shoot him and mount them on the wall, but other than that I don’t see the down side. Plus we could use the always fun, “Fear the Deer” phrase. A good name for him would be Bucky, just to piss of Wisconsin.
IU Gorilla The Gorilla is already the unofficial mascot so this is a solid choice. I would not want this guy, but someone who is part of the band/cheer squad to take over the duties. I know a Gorilla has nothing to do with Indiana or the area around Indiana like me previous two choices, but like the mascots listed in the intro, what does a Gorilla have to do with Phoenix or the Suns
The University could even team up with the Indianapolis Zoo and keep a group of Silverback Gorillas in a habitat somewhere between Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall similar to Mike the Tiger at LSU. As for naming the Gorilla, I am open to suggestions, but right now I am sticking with just calling him the IU Gorilla.
If you play fantasy football (and hey, who am I kidding, nine out of the ten of us who read this thing do), then you probably are familiar with Yahoo's Juggernaut Index, written by Andy Behrens. If not, you can find all the entries here at Roto Arcade.
Behrens ranks every team in the NFL for the coming season, not by hopes for a good year in the wins column, but by how useful their players will be on your fantasy squad. The countdown has now reached No. 20, the Chicago Bears. Much of the analysis is based on the new Martz system and how well the Bears' personnel can handle it - one stat I thought was interesting is that in every year with Martz as the OC, his teams have given up a lot of sacks, and thrown a lot of INTs. More details are over at Yahoo.
One Bear who Behrens trashes is Matt Forte:
"Forte was of course a fantasy star in his rookie season, thanks largely to the 379 total touches, but as an actual NFL talent he appears to be just another guy. He still hasn't averaged 4.0 YPC over a full season, and it may not happen this year. He certainly looks like a runner who needs an outstanding O-line and an old school lead-blocking fullback; in Chicago's offense, he'll have neither."
But he does wrap up by noting that, "This was the most difficult JI of all," so maybe there's still hope. Personally I'm looking at drafting at least one of the Bears' WRs, whichever one falls to a convenient position to be my third or fourth option.
As I have already stated, I hate pre-season rankings. I think in a sport with such high turnover, it is dumb to try and predict who is going to be good the coming year. The worst part about this, is pre-season rankings can have an impact on the National Title game. I personally don’t think any rankings should be produced until at least week 6. Will this happen? No, because pre-season rankings sell magazines and produce hits on websites. So instead of ranking teams, I am going to discuss teams and players who you should keep an eye on for next season as well as pick my conference champions.
ACC I think the ACC, along with the Pac-10, will be the most competitive Automatic Qualifier (AQ, AKA the improper term BCS) conference this season. I could see any team winning the conference and see any number of teams winning either division. Georgia Tech is the defending champion and my pick to win the conference. Paul Johnson has gotten better each season in Atlanta and has one of the toughest offense to prepare for. UNC is a popular pick to win it as Butch Davis has settled in with some great recruiting classes. Miami, Clemson, Va Tech and FSU (needs a D though) should all be better this year. I could see any of these teams winning it. The one thing I expect from the ACC this year is a lot of close entertaining games, so the real winner (get ready for the lameness) will be the fans.
Champ: Georgia Tech
Big XII The last year of the Big XII before it loses two members should be a good one. Nebraska, on its way out to join the Big Ten, is predicted to win the Big XII north based on the strength of the blackshirts even with the loss of Suh. Bo Pelini needs to find more ways to score then last season as the offense was the reason they didn’t win more. Phil Steele (One of College Football’s best prognosticators) has Oklahoma as his #1 team in the year. Who am I to disagree with him. The biggest weakness from last year’s team was O-Line is now one year better. Landry Jones (hopefully he will still be rocking his awesome mustache) also has a year of experience under him in a Bob Stoops offense that has never struggled to score points. Texas should be good again, but will suffer a drop off after losing the QB with the most wins in NCAA history in Colt McCoy. The team is stacked with Texas talent (all but 3 of the top 2 lines on the depth chart are from Texas) but will have to win the Red River Rivalry game if they want to win the South. Baylor will not be competing for the Big XII title but will be a team to watch because they have my personal favorite player in NCAA this year Robert Griffin.
Champs: Oklahoma
Big East The Big East lost their best coach from their best team when Brian Kelly left Cincinnati for Notre Dame. Cincinnati should still be competitive, but I don’t see them winning as many games with a new coach this season. Pittsburgh is my choice to win the conference as Coach Wannstedt has continually improved his alma matter. They were one win away from winning the conference last year and should win it this year. West Virginia and UConn should be competitive again while Rutgers looks to reclaim some of the magic they had with Ray Rice in the mid 2000s. Skip Holtz (yes Dr. Lou’s Son) left East Carolina where he won two C-USA titles to take over the up and down USF Bulls. I think USF under Skip Holtz is primed to become a top tier team in the Big East year in and year out, but not after just one year. Skip’s goal for this year is to try and avoid the traditional mid season swoon that always seems to happen to the Bulls.
Champs: Pittsburgh
Big Ten
Will it be another Ohio State Big Ten Title? I am picking them for one simple reason, to be the man you must beat the man. Until someone knocks Ohio State off their dominance of the Big Ten, I am not picking against them. If Terrelle Pryor can play as good as he did in the Rose Bowl last year, it will be tough for any team to beat them. Iowa has been getting a lot of preseason hype, returning almost all of their defense from an Orange Bowl winning team including DE Adrian Clayborn. Iowa is also returning starting QB Ricky Stanzi and is poised to have numerous good running backs including Jewel Hampton. My major concern about this team is the O-Line. Only 1 player has any experience playing. If the O-Line doesn’t play well, I could see Iowa losing 2 or 3 games this season. Saying that, coach Kirk Ferentz specializes in making good O-Lineman. Wisconsin should be competitive playing smash mouth ball again with running back John Clay. Penn State will be taking a step backwards this year even though they have the biggest non conference game against Alabama, but I don’t see them winning that game.
Champ: Ohio State
Pac-10 As I already stated this league is going to be competitive. I could see all but 1 school (Wazzu is going to be bad) who could win this thing including Southern Cal who can’t go to the Rose Bowl if they win. Oregon would have been the clear favorite had Masoli not got kicked off the team. I still think they are the team to beat, even though I am picking Oregon State, with the Rodgers brothers, to win the conference. Coach Stoops should have a good defense out in the desert with Arizona while their neighbors ASU always seem to be right on the cusp of being really good. Jim Harbaugh has Stanford going in the right direction, but it will be interesting to see how they do without Hiesman finalist Toby Gerhart. Jake Locker has been getting a lot of hype this offseason as many believed he could have been the number one draft pick last year. I still think he is a good draft prospect, but I don’t see him having as outstanding year as Washington is thinking he will.
Champ: Oregon State
SEC Alabama is replacing a lot of talent on their defense, but their offense should be clicking. All last year I heard about how the back running back is actually better then reigning Heisman trophy winner Ingram. The QB has never lost a game in college or varsity high school football. Saying all that, I see Alabama losing 1 or 2 games this year because of how much turnover is on their D. Saban is known for his defense, so the unit could surprise and play good right away. If that’s the case, lookout cause, they will be tough to beat. Florida will most likely take a step back without Tim Tebow, but don’t expect much of a drop off as they should still win the East fairly easily. Arkansas is my sleeper in this conference with one of the best QBs in the country in Ryan Mallet. LSU should be good again, even if the folk in Baton Rouge are getting tired of the Mad Hatter’s clock management.
Champ: Alabama
Non-Automatic Qualifier Teams
Boise State
Boise State was one of two teams to finish last year undefeated. Boise is returning more starters than any other D-1 school, 21 of 22 with the only non returner being Kyle Wilson who went #29 overall in this year’s draft. Kellen Morre will lead a powerful Broncos attack and is actually my choice to win the Heisman trophy. Just like last year, Boise’s biggest game of the year is early in the season. If they can beat Virginia Tech in FedEx Field, they might become the first non AQ to go to the National Championship game.
TCU
Gary Patterson should have another good team this year. In the past two years TCU has finished #6 (2009) and #7 (2008) in both AP and Coach’s pole. TCU’s defense should be just as good as last year which will lead them to a lot of victories. They have two tough non conference opponents in Oregon State week 1 (Cowboys Stadium) and Baylor week 3. They do get BYU at home this year, but have go to Utah in a game that could decide Mountain West Championship.
Houston
Case Keenum is going to throw and throw and throw and throw some more. He is going to put up big numbers again this year (5800+ yards and 48 touchdowns) as he leads a high powered offense. The team’s defense needs play better than last year if Houston wants to crash the BCS. Houston should win C-USA pretty easily and watch out for Keenum as a sleeper Heisman choice.
Summary
ACC: Georgia Tech Big XII: Oklahoma Big East: Pittsburgh Big Ten: Ohio State Pac 10: Oregon State SEC: Alabama BCS buster: Boise State
I dislike the Pac-10 as much as any good Big Ten fan does. Saying that, I thouroughly enjoyed this new Pac-10 video
I found it in this great article about Pac-10 rebranding by Andy Staples. BTW yes the Pac-10 is invadeing New York and your TVs on ESPN as part of this rebranding.
I say Yes! Why was it? Was this the best draft class ever? Was it because the Bears got some of the top free agents? How about USC being suspended from post season play? All good reasons to think it was a good offseason, but no. There has not been a lull in sports since the final seconds ticked off the Saints Super Bowl win over the Colts. Think about it, the Super Bowl was played on February 7th, 2010. Let’s take a look at what’s happened since then.
Just five days after the Super Bowl the Winter Olympics began. The Olympics started February 12th and went all the way through the month of February (normally the most boring sports month of the year). Even if you don’t normally get caught up in the Olympics, it was hard not to follow the USA hockey team on it’s way to the Silver Medal. It was even harder to avoid Olympic hockey if you were a Blackhawks fan who send 6 players, all of whom played in the Gold or Bronze medal games. The USA set the record for medals in a Winter games while their neighbors to the north took home the most Gold Medals in a good showing for the host nation.
Once the Olympics were over, the Madness of March was upon us, which means the greatest sporting event in the country, NCAA Tournament. The conference tournaments had some dramatic moments.
Not to be outdone, the NCAA tournament might have had the greatest first day ever . March Madness kept us entertained rolling into April as the nation watched Butler go home to Indy and play in one of the most exciting championship games ever, while missing, only by a matter of inches, what would have been the greatest shot in basketball history.
Right as March Madness was winding down, baseball started. I will be the first to admit that the baseball season is too long. Saying that, there is something special about watching opening day and baseball becoming part of your everyday life once again.
Along with baseball starting up, The NHL and NBA playoffs started. Chicago, Boston and Denver were lucky enough to have teams in both playoffs. The NBA’s oldest rivals met in the NBA finals that went to Seven games. Chicago was all wrapped up in the Blackhawks who nearly choked out of the playoffs in the first round to Nashville, only to dominate it’s way to its first Stanley Cup since 1961. After they won it, Chicagoans had fun trying to figure out which player was drinking with the cup at which bar for the next week or so.
About the time the NBA and NHL playoffs were wrapping up, the world turned it attention to sports for the second time in 6 months. On June 11th The World Cup of Soccer started in South Africa which was the first time the continent of Africa ever hosted a World Cup. Two of the top three favorites had never won the World Cup (Spain and Netherlands) while traditional powers Germany and Brazil looked tough to beat.
USA had high hopes after a great performance at last year’s Confederations Cup only to struggle in their first game against England and the first half of their second game against Slovenia. USA made a dramatic comeback to tie (should have won on a disallowed goal) Slovenia and keep their chances alive. Then, in the most dramatic play in USA soccer history, Landon Donvaon scored the game winning goal in extra time to not only send USA through, but win their group. Spain went on to win the World Cup winning each of their elimination games 1-0, included the World Cup final where the scored during the second extra time period.
The World Cup wrapped up July 11th, which was only a few days away from “The Decision”. The most hyped NBA Offseason in history was as crazy as everyone expected. Rumors were being reported as fact while news outlets were desperately trying to find any indication of where the players were leaning. It came to a dramatic conclusion as Lebron James announced he was “taking his talents to South Beach” to play with Team USA friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
After most of the dust had settled from the NBA offseason, you can look up and see the month of July is almost over, which means, as amazing as it sounds, teams start reporting to camp. Football is back upon us. If only every off season was so nice.
After watching this weeks episode there is only one conclusion I can draw. THESE CHEFS HATE EACH OTHER. Yes it might all be strategy, but man, they do not seem to get along. Each confessional discusses strategy and backstabbing. The drama will definitely be there all the way to the end. After a pretty quiet season (but a lot of debate here on ACSS) Tamesha was sent home. There are 10 Chefs left with restaurant wars only two episodes away.
This weeks power rankings didn't have much movement mainly cause we didn't hear what the judges had to say. The only analysis we heard on the dishes were throw them under the bus style critiques from other judges.
Top Shelf
1. Angelo Sosa (Last Week #1)
Angelo had a quiet week cooking wise but was the talk of the episode as the master strategist. I think he is playing the game and not really caring what happens as long as he wins. I could be totally off on this. He still is the best chef on the show regardless, but even if he wasn't the drama he creates will keep him on the show.
2. Kelly Liken (Last Week #3)
Kelly moves up a spot on the heels of her quickfire win. The quickfire gave her elimination from the throwing the competition under the bus challenge which is a mixed blessing. She did not get to show off her skills, but wasn't thrown under any buses. She continues to show she is a force to be deal with while not causes any drama.
Best of the Rest
3. Kenny Gilbert (Last Week #2)
Kenny drops a spot and a level based on his last place finish. I do think the reason he was voted in the bottom was because Angelo convinced Stephen and Tamesha to follow him. Maybe not explicitly, but implicitly. Saying that, his dish did have some serious problems with it that the judges pointed out. I think Kenny is not as good as he thinks he is, but he is one of the best chefs this season. He never seems to be in the middle, he's either on top, or the bottom.
4. Tiffany Derry (Last Week #4)
Tiffany finished 2nd last night on what looked a fantastic dish. She kept her head out of trouble and did not step on anyone's toes who might have voted her off. I think she is way ahead of 5 & 6 right now in the power rankings.
Middle of the pack
5. Andrea Curto
Andrea did not like this week's guest judge Michelle Bernstein, and I really can't blame her. Michelle seems to be a B for the sake of being a B. I hope she does Top Chef Masters which would humble her some. Andrea didn't do anything this week that made her stand out good or bad.
6. Ed Cotton (Last Week #6)
Ed had a quiet week. He got a little caught up in the drama of the competition, but mainly stayed out of it with Tiffany. I don't think anything is going on with him and Tiffany, but the teasers for the next episode don't agree. This "drama" could help him stay around longer if he has a bad week or two.
7. Alex Reznik (Last Week #7)
Alex has been the model of consistency this season. Alex finished in the top the first week, and then has cruised through the elimination challenge every other week without being on top. As the competition gets more intense, he will need to start getting some top finishes if he wants to stay around.
8. Kevin Sbraga (Last Week #10)
Kevin lived up to his billing from last week's power rankings of "could go either way" with a win this week. Kevin moves up only one spot for his win. The reason I didn't move Kevin past Alex of Ed was if each of them finished on the bottom with an equally bad dish, I think the judges would be sending him home. I think he still has the talent to sneak into the Top 5 remaining, but he has to avoid any more bottom finishes.
Chopping Block
9. Amanda Baumgarten (Last Week #8)
Amanda keeps continuing to plummet in the power rankings. She falls to chopping block due to the cartilage that was in her chicken. The cartilage was noticed by multiple chefs which means it was more then just one simple mistake. One of the chefs agreed with what I have said all season, she is not that good, but has just gotten lucky not to be eliminated.
10. Stephen Hopcraft (Last Week #11)
Stephen did not have a bad week but didn't cook well enough to move off the bottom of the rankings. I am hoping Stephen makes it further then next week, but like I have been saying, if he ends up on the bottom again, I see no way for him to make it through.
I am not going to try to out do my Ode to College Football (a must read if you haven't already and love college football) but here are some of the things I have been thinking about the past few weeks.
Script Ohio. My personal favorite college football tradition
Howard's Rock (Great Piece on it)
Ralphie running onto the field. I would not want to be one of the four guys that runs with him.
Tailgaiting on Lake Washington
Boise State
Running through the T
And of course, IU FOOTBALL!
I love this clip for various reason. My favorite part is at the 1:12 mark you can see me getting up from a big pile up of people I created after I tripped on my way onto the Field. I am all the way to the left of the screen in a white hoody and have a red whig on.
This kid is just awesome. What's the over/under on amount of times he would have gotten Tased at a Phillies game? 9? Seriously, way to go dude. I guess this proves that Baltimore cops really do have more important things to do than work security at baseball games. And all this time I thought The Wire was made up.
Anybody else watching this scrimmage (ESPN3, probably also on TV) ? Team USA Basketball is trying to cut down from 19 players to 15 before going to training camp.
Important players on the bubble include Eric Gordon, OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, and Brook Lopez. Derrick Rose has been playing heavy minutes for the White team, where he is joined by Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Tyson Chandler, and others.
It's definitely a youth movement on the new Team USA - this is not exactly a "Dream Team" - but Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom are notable veterans.
Updates and conclusions at the half.
POSTGAME REACTIONS:
Well, our guy from the Chi played some very impressive basketball, as his White team won 114 - 96 behind 28 points from Durant, the undisputed star of Team USA.
Rose played over 30 minutes, the most of anybody on his team, and scored 15 points on an array of highlight-reel layups, fastbreaks, and even a pretty three point bucket. But that's not all he did. He also looked ready and willing to play the point and embrace his role.
His eight assists were tops in the game (Rajon Rondo had six for Blue), while his five steals also led all players. Oh, and he didn't turn the ball over once. For comparison's sake, Durant and Rudy Gay had seven TOs each.
Rose made a strong case to be the starter for the US at point guard going forward, a position previously assumed to belong to Chauncey Billups. The Nuggets' floor general was just 2-for-10 tonight in 21 minutes and looked more comfortable shouting instructions from the bench than actually playing.
In a loaded backcourt which also includes budding stars Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Rondo, D-Rose looked like the class of the organization tonight.
Others who played impressively included Durant, Tyson Chandler, and Andre Iguodala for the White team, and Kevin Love and JaVale McGee for the Blue side. I know. JaVale McGee? Well, he looked ready to hustle and has some great low post moves.
I figured I better get something up to avoid Armchair Superstar's first ever donut, and a lot has gone on at the Berto Center in Chicago, so let's see who we'll be rooting for next season on the Bulls:
Guards: Derrick Rose is a lock to start, and it looks as if new acquisition Ronnie Brewer will be his backcourt mate.
Brewer is just 25, and is 6-foot-7. Although he had a rough year in '09-'10, his previous seasons with the Jazz (he was drafted in 2006) showed a player who is skilled on defense (hopefully a defensive replacement for Hinrich) and can fill the net as well, though he's much more of a slasher than a pull-up shooter.
The other new additions to the guards lineup are Kyle Korver and C.J. Watson. Korver, of course, made more of a splash, signing after his former teammate Carlos Boozer and filling the Bulls' need for a three point shooter. But ultimately, especially if Brewer emerges for Chicago, I think the Watson signing may prove the wiser of the two. Check out what he can do on the fast-break:
It's possible that Chicago may tap John Lucas III to fill the last PG post, and Tracey McGrady will be in for a workout Monday, with Derrick Rose on record as saying he'd like to see T-Mac join the squad.
What I like about these new guys can be summed up pretty succinctly: They're young, quick, athletic, and high-character. That's Brewer and Watson. Which means they have room to grow, and they're coachable. Korver fits one of those (high character) and he's a deadly shot. Altogether, I like this four-guard group a lot.
Forwards: This is the place where the Bulls had the most continuity, since Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, and James Johnson have all survived the offseason.
The addition of Carlos Boozer has been thoroughly discussed, but I also have high hopes for Gibson's continued development. Let's not forget that he was no slouch last year!
Johnson, on the other hand, didn't show much in Summer League, struggling to stay within the offense and to focus in general. However, since Brewer and Korver both have decent size, it's possible that they can sub in for Luol at small forward if the second-year kid isn't up to the task.
Deng is good for 18/7 a game, and so is Boozer, giving the Bulls improved scoring punch from the forward position. Boozer's passing ability give the forwards an added dimension as well.
Centers: Not much needs to be said about Joakim, except that I really hope his feet are okay this season.
However, the addition of 7-footer Omer Asik, who has been playing in Turkey since Chicago drafted him in 2007, is one of the most mysterious moves of the offseason. Apparently, he's ready. I hope so, because a competent backup center is essential. According to YouTube, he's a good shot blocker!
With Kurt Thomas just having signed today, the Bulls have pretty much filled their quota at big man.
Rotation: PG: D-Rose SG: Ronnie Brewer SF: Luol Deng PF: Carlos Boozer C: Joakim Noah
Is this team good enough to win in the East? A lot depends on how well Thibodeau adjusts to his first season at the helm, and if Rose can stay healthy after the World Basketball Championships (he looks likely to make the team and log serious minutes).
But I think the bench has improved a ton, and Brewer and Boozer make the starting lineup stronger. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
A good episode last night that involved some awkward cooking situations and some cold weather (for people from Miami). I thought the episode was just ok, but I think it showcased something I’ve been feeling all season. These Chefs really do not like each other. Yes I know it might be editing and how the story tellers are telling it, but from what I see, they do not get along at all. They are quick to throw each other under the bus, a bunch of them have said in confessionals that they don’t like person X and last night, they spent 5 minutes of the show showing everyone yelling at each other. I know other seasons have had some hate, like Hosea hating Stephan and most of Top Chef 3 not liking hung, but not really hating him. Compared to this season, those look tame. From the preview of last week I don’t see it getting much better.
Tim looked to produce another unspectacular dish and was sent home. It was clear that he had lost all his confidence by the time the elimination challenge came along. He was second and triple guessing himself, yet somehow was still surprised when he ended up in the bottom. He was my top choice to be sent packing when he didn’t finish in the top of the crab challenge. That quickfire was designed for him to win, and he couldn’t even get to the top 3.
On to the Power Rankings
Top Shelf
1. Angelo Sosa (Last Week #1)
Angelo retains the top spot after a pretty quiet elimination challenge for him. His duck dish seemed to go over well, but wasn’t a huge hit as some of the other dishes. Apparently the duck was worn out from Angelo “Making Love to it” He did finish in the top 3 of the quickfire in which he had the most interestingly line. He admitted to having crabs, but didn’t follow it up with a laugh, so I’m unsure if he was being serious or not. I don’t think he’s replaced Alex for creepiest confessional quote yet though.
2. Kenny Gilbert (Last Week #3)
Kenny had a top finish in the quickfire and won the elimination challenge which moves him into second place. He was confident in his trio of crab dishes would win even though the judge didn’t agree. The main reason I put him ahead of Kelly is because he won the elimination challenge with eggplant. His eggplant dish beat out the meat dishes which is challenging to do.
3. Kelly Liken (Last Week #2)
Kelly drops to into the third place due to no fault of her own. Having her fall to number three was my hardest choice. She had a top finish in the elimination challenge and made a second dish that was a dessert. Thank goodness she took a risk, cause if I have seen anything this season, well besides the hate, this chefs have no guts. Each chefs wants to play it safe and just cruise along, so I have to say thank goodness for Kelly. I have moved Kelly into the Top Shelf group and I think it’s clear that these three chefs are beginning to separate themselves from the field.
Best of the Rest
4. Tiffany Derry (Last Week #5)
Tiffany has been slowly climbing the Top Chef power rankings. She hasn’t been a winner of any kind yet, but continues to cook food the judges seem to enjoy, just not as much as other apparently, and has a lot of confidence in herself. She needs to get some wins if she wants to get into the final four though.
5. Andrea Curto (Last Week #8)
Andrea is our biggest climber this week as she moves to number five on the strength has a win followed by a top finish. She was a little nervous about how to prepare her pork, but once she decided to cut it down to cook easier she made one of the judges favorites.
Middle of the Pack
6. Ed Cotton (Last Week #7)
Ed got his first win of the season doing an Asian influenced crab dish in the quickfire. With the exception of the platting mistake last week, Ed has been really starting to perform better. He hates working with Alex but keeps getting stuck with him. I think he can cook better with somebody he likes, but who knows, maybe working by Alex is his good luck charm.
7. Alex Reznik (Last Week #6)
Alright, I’m ready to get killed in the comments for this. Alex only falls one spot and is still above Tamesha. Alex has been consistent throughout the show and last night didn’t change my opinion of him. I will say, he tries way too hard to be funny, and probably should talk less.
8. Amanda Baumgarten (Last Week #4)
I know a lot of readers will disagree with her free fall, but I honestly don’t think Amanda is that good. She had two elimination challenges that she did really well on, but the rest of the time, seems to be putting out bottom level dishes. Two of the big criticisms of her last night was her lack of basic cooking skill, and not know what a dish is. Those are two things most Top Chefs need. Yes it could have been a brain lapse like she said, but I’m not sure if it’s more than just that. I could very easily see her sent packing with another bottom finish.
9. Tamesha Warren (Last Week #9)
Tamesha didn’t move at all this week, but I was anything but impressed from her last night. I can understand not knowing how to properly take apart a crab, especially in her case where she was allergic to it, but I think she’s getting too much help from Angelo. Angelo admitted she is the only one he likes in the house and so is willing to work with her and help her. That doesn’t impress me as a chef who needs to stand on her own to feet. Is Angelo overstepping? Probably, but until Tamesha shows me something on her own, here is where she will stay.
(Feel free to tear me apart in the comments for those last 3 spots, cause I know you guys are)
Could Go Either Way
10. Kevin Sbraga (Last Week #10)
Kevin had an interesting night. His bottom finish in the quickfire put him in the bottom for 4 consecutive competitions. His confidence was dropping quickly, and it showed in his face and in the confessional. During the elimination challenge he began working on one dish, that Kenny or “the wind” knocked over, so he had to start from scratch and was still able to finish on top. I kept him this low because I am unsure of his confidence level. If the top finish restores his confidence and he starts making dishes the judges love, he will be out of the spot quickly. However, if his confidence stays low and he begins to second guess himself, more bottom finishes are in his future.
Chopping Block
11. Stephen Hopcraft (Last Week #12)
Stephen was on the bottom again. The judges had too main complaints about his dish, he tried to do too much, and it wasn’t presented very well. I think the salad showed Stephen does have good technique, but he hasn’t been able to translate that into a dish. Stephen might not have ended up on the bottom if he had put the salad on a plate instead of a bowl. I am holding out hope for him, but unless somebody completely bombs, I cannot see Stephen surviving another bottom finish.
Since we have four years to go until the next one (Rio, baby!), it's definitely not too late to look back on South Africa 2010. It was a tournament with some of the most exciting soccer action I've ever seen, and also some painfully awful play.
I gotta say, doing the pool was a blast -- I probably feel better about it because of Spain, but really everybody had a shot at one of the two rounds. Now where's my money at?
THE ARMCHAIR SUPERSTAR AWARDS: WORLD CUP EDITION
Most Valuable Player: Diego Forlan, Uruguay Forlan was inspirational, scoring five goals, all from long range, while leading La Celeste much farther than anyone expected.
Honorable Mention: David Villa/Iker Casillas/Xavi/Carlos Puyol, Spain, Thomas Muller, Germany
Least Valuable Player: Federico Marchetti, Italy Okay, so you lose the world's best goalie in Gianluigi Buffon early in Game One. You'd think they would bother to have a decent sub on hand, no? Marchetti failed to stop a single on-target attempt over the next three games. Just one stop and Italy had a good chance to advance. Just one! Observe his awfulness below.
Dishonorable Mention: So many to choose from! Altidore/Gomez/Buddle, USA, or anybody from France/Italy/England, basically.
Best Match: Uruguay-Ghana The early goal by Ghana from long range and the answering Forlan 35-meter strike were both things of beauty. Midfield and defensive play was clean and beautiful to watch for the most part. The drama of two underdogs in the Elite Eight made for high excitement, and the ending?
Oh, that ending.
Ghana's first two shots on goal in late extra time barely rejected, the third denied on a desperation handball by Luis Suarez, the ensuing PK and MISS (!!!) by Asamoah Gyan (that's karma for diving in the late going against USA), and the final, beautiful penalty kick by Sebastian Abreu ("The assassin"), lofting it gently into the center of the goal... what a game. What a game.
Honorable Mention: USA-Algeria, Spain-Portugal
Worst Match: Brazil-Portugal Okay, so you're two of the best teams in the world. I understand that you both want to advance to the second round, but seeing guys like Melo, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, etc. basically just loaf around all game when we know they're capable of so much more?
I would have wanted my money back on this one, had I bothered to watch the whole thing. Come on guys! You have a history of colonial oppression! WTF? Dishonorable Mention: Any French game, Spain-Netherlands
Most Inspiring/Surprising Team: Germany They were young, they were fast, they shocked the world with a significant break from what German soccer is supposed to be. Most of all, they were fun to watch.
Honorable Mention: Ghana, Uruguay, USA, Japan, Spain, New Zealand
Least Inspiring/Most Disappointing Team: France Granted, the French weren't defending a title, and everybody knew it was something of a team in flux. But one loss and the Frogs started doing what they do best - backstabbing, blaming each other, and surrendering in spectacular form. What an implosion.
Dishonorable Mention: North Korea, Italy, England
Biggest A**holes:TIE between Netherlands and The Referees The case for the Netherlands is simple. They are a team full of whiny, arrogant players. They yell at each other, they yell at the refs. Oh, and they play filthy, dirty, uninteresting soccer.
Nigel De Jong's kung fu kick into Alonso's chest should have been an auto red. As it was, it was one of 14 yellows (14!) assessed during what was supposed to be the biggest moment of the Cup. Thanks, d-bags. The case for the refs? A terrible mystery call against the US by a Malian with no business in the Cup. An obvious blown goal in England-Germany that would have profoundly changed that game. Numerous questionable off-sides calls. FIFA better do something, because they're starting to give the NBA a run for its money.
Best Goal: Landon Donovan vs. Algeria With extra time winding down, this was the goal that the US absolutely HAD to have.
It capped an immensely frustrating game, watching America's forwards (see: Least Valuable Player Honorable Mention) be slow and unispired, like the Algerian goalie had some sort of America Kryptonite in his pocket and strewn around the box. (note: White Castle?) And it was just a hugely heads up play by Donovan.
Honorable Mention: Landon Donovan vs. Slovakia (in yo' FACE!), Diego Forlan vs. Ghana, Carlos Puyol vs. Germany.
THE ACSS WORLD CUP POOL AWARDS:
Winner (Round 1): Steve Noffke Three out of four of his teams (Germany, USA, South Korea) advanced to the second round, and Switzerland scored some serious points, too, with a win and a draw.
Winner (Round 2): Mark Fodor Got two teams into the Final Four, and Spain was the class of the tournament by far.
Worst Luck, Draft Edition: Dan Noffke Getting England and France at No.'s 8 and 9 had to look great going in. Actually, they were outplayed by Dan's last two choices, Australia and Japan. Ouch.
Worst Luck, Elimination Edition: Ryan Parrent Ghana got handballed out of the Final Four by Luis Suarez, and Netherlands made it to the final only to stink up the joint. Best Pick, Top 16:Uruguay went No. 15, and finished fourth. That's the definition of a steal.
Worst Pick, Top 16: Italy at No. 3. The saddest part is I offered to trade for them and was rejected. Every other first round team at least made the elimination stage.
Best Pick, Bottom 16: Japan at No. 25 scored good points and almost beat Paraguay in the first round of elimination. That gives them the edge over New Zealand (2pts, picked last), South Korea, Switzerland and Ghana, also great value picks.
Worst Pick, Bottom 16: Both of mine. Denmark was outscored by five teams below them in the draft. North Korea laid an egg while New Zealand would have scored me enough points to sweep both rounds. And their captain guaranteed advancement! That's the last time I trust a Commie.
Who can't wait for Brazil 2014? THIS GUY! (oh, and her) Okay, fine. Her too. See y'all there.
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