The Thing About Michael Bryan Young.....

there is no organization whatsoever to the next few paragraphs--Just a few jumbled ramblings of a zealous Ranger fan trying to fake sense of the last couple of days....


It's been a sucky couple of days for the fans of #2/#10. Only a few will remember the days he wore #2 back in 2001 and then unselfishly gave the number to Carl Everett before the start of the 2002 season. The first in a long line of unselfish things this guy has done for the franchise. (Sidenote: in 2002 Carl Everett was paid $8,666,666 - if we want to talk about being overpaid.....but that's another blog)


Do I think Michael B is unhappy? Yes.
Do I think Michael B deserves to be pissed off? Yes.
Do I think this team is better without him? @#*!!*@$**@## NO



While I don't deny that #10 is probably overpaid, how much would you be willing to pay for team chemistry? How much would you pay for leadership in the clubhouse? How much would you pay for humility and character? In baseball terms, is $10 million a year worth that? Because even if he does get traded, rumblings are that we would have to eat at least a good $5-$6 million yearly chunk of his remaining $48 mil.

And yes, I said we. It's no secret that I get emotionally attached to this team. I admit it, but I don't apologize for it. It's the type of attachment and fandom that front offices crave. Granted, the $700 they get from John and I each year doesn't cover the cost of the toilet paper in the clubhouse - but it's an intangible quality of being able to relate to the team as "your own."



Less than 4 weeks from now John and I will be on our way to Surprise, AZ. I do not want to have to leave my #10 tshirts at home.

LIVE BLOG: Super Bowl XLV from our living room

When Arlington was announced as the host for Super Bowl XLV, we knew we wouldn't be going anywhere that day. All it takes is one left turn at a stop light from our house and we would likely be engulfed in a sea of football traffic and crazy Steeler and Packer fans. So, we've barricaded ourselves in the house, and since we're not going anywhere today, I've decided to live blog the events of today's big game from the living room couch.

10:35 AM - Already at my post for the day, complete with sweatpants and sweatshirt. Fire is already fully operational with plenty of logs to go. Fridge is loaded up with Diet Coke. All that we're missing now is an ice storm.

10:40 AM - My plan for the day has already failed me when I realized the login and password combination my friend Robert gave me to listen to Liverpool matches online is no longer working. Not sure if it's expired or what. I'm going to have to catch the replay tomorrow Fox Soccer Channel is not a high priority at the Vittas house. Struggling.

10:51 AM - The official FOX Super Bowl pregame show starts at 1:00 PM. The Super Bowl starts at 5:25. Never ceases to amaze me.

11:03 AM - I just looked at the clock and realized what a daunting task this is I have started.

11:32 AM - Trying to follow a sporting event along via Twitter is not the easiest of things a person can do. LFC is up 1-0 though over hated Chelsea, and Torres failed miserably in his debut. So that's a plus.

12:01 PM - I'm about one and one half hours into this Super Bowl coverage basically being used as background noise while I blog/read the W book. Pretty tell-tale sign to see how far we've fallen as a nation in a whole when an interview between Obama and Bill O'Reilly is promoted to take place during FOX's big four hour long Super Bowl pregame show extravaganza along with a couple of performances by Keith Urban and Maroon 5. Really? What about a sit-down conversation between Joe Biden and the FOX robot while we're at it?

12:02 PM - It's all over at Stamford Bridge: LFC 1 - Chelsea 0. I should just end things here.

1:00 PM - Well, we've cleared at least one hurdle - the actual pregame show has begun. FOX has a pretty spiffy looking set up outside of the stadium (no doubt the most sun-filled side).

This red carpet crap is going to get real annoying real quick however, I can already tell.

1:40 PM - So, I'm not what you would call "savvy" on the entertainment scene, but I have a couple of questions.

1. Who the heck is Olivia Munn?

2. Why do we even care what she thinks about Dallas? (Language warning)

1:44 PM - Olivia Munn is apparently a correspondent on The Daily Show. Good for her.

She's also been in a few movies according to Wikipedia, beginning with the 2004 film "Scarecrow Gone Wild" where she played the illustrious role of "Girl #1. One year later, she starred as "Asian Mob Girl" in the memorable film "The Road To Canyon Lake".

She's also made the late night talk show rounds a bunch of times.

I'm looking to land the role of "Greek Mob Boy" in any upcoming films to validate my Twitter account, so if you know of any let me know.

2:00 - You know what would be awesome? If the Red Carpet was covered in an avalanche of snow falling off the roof of the DeathStar. That would be awesome.

2:06 PM - The Puppy Bowl has commenced on Animal Planet. Now we're talking.

2:53 PM - Is it me, or did Harrison Ford seem like he had been enjoying a few adult beverages before getting to the stadium? Boy, these Red Carpet interviews are so struggling.

3:03 PM - So Mel just suggested that I look to see if there are any Plaza tickets left for the game. A quick check on StubHub reveals there are none available.

There are however 40 actual game tickets left. You can own one of 3 available tickets in the Premium Club level if you act right now. It will only run you approximately $12,779.00. That is per seat.

I don't think I am worth that much money.

3:16 PM - The Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston throwing a pass to Micheal Strahan bit was the high point of the Red Carpet stuff so far today.

3:40 PM - They just did a segment with the E*Trade baby. FOX sports is now dead to me. And to think there's still an hour and a half to go of this crap.

4:02 PM - Obama has spoken. Double Dave's has been ordered. I'm more excited about the latter.

4:14 PM - Hey, these guys are actually talking sports again!!

4:23 PM - I just took the dogs out for the first time since this morning, and while there is a little heavier traffic flow than you would see on a typical Sunday, surprisingly enough there were no hoards of football fans marching up and down the street and the air is not filled with zeppelins and planes trailing banners behind them.

OH GOD, WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST SIX HOURS??????

4:46 PM - In my opinion, about the only funny halfway tolerable thing that Frank Caliendo does is his Charles Barkley impression.

4:54 PM - Terry Bradshaw just said that he thought Ben would pull this one out.

I really should stop now.

5:24 PM - Christina Aguilera messed up the words to the National Anthem, and we're off to a rip-roaring start.

5:29 PM - Good job, Michael Douglas. That was pretty sportsy.

5:36 PM - Steelers win the opening toss and immediately go three and out. Green Bay punt returner did about as good a job receiving the punt as Christina Aguilera did singing.

5:43 PM - First round of Super Bowl commercials. The Audi one was definitely the most inventive. And was that Captain Harris from the Police Academy movies I saw?

5:59 PM - Dinner has arrived.

6:02 PM - Speaking of food, I hope A-Rod chokes on that popcorn Cameron Diaz was feeding him a little bit ago.

6:04 PM - Jordy "La Forge" Nelson gets Green Bay on the board.

6:18 PM - Ben R. is favoring his leg. Things are not looking good for the Steelers. It's still holding up better than Evgeni Malkin's leg is right now though.

6:36 PM - A fun Super Bowl fact currently being tweeted around: The largest Super Bowl deficit ever to be overcome is 10 (Super Bowls 22 and 44). Steelers were down by 14.

6:42 PM - Super 8: If it's J.J. Abrams, I'm interested.

6:50 PM - Really, Chevy Cruze? Facebook in your car? Safe much?

6:58 PM - At the rate that we're at, the Packers will have no players left on defense by the end of the 3rd quarter.

7:13 PM - It's time for the halftime show, and hey look, there's Slash. Also I wonder how many AA batteries it took to light up all of the Black Eyed Peas's costumes?

7:22 PM - Well, that was crazy-ass.

7:32 PM - In other news, it is currently raining and 43 degrees outside. Those $300 tickets to sit outside and watch the game on a giant television seem like a bargain right now.

7:42 PM - Touchdown, Steelers. 21-17. We've got a ballgame here, folks.

7:51 PM - They're short, and there's not really much to them, but I think I've liked these Groupon.com commercials most of all.

8:00 PM - Shaun Suisham may have just tied a record for the worst field goal atempt ever.

8:14 PM - I can't believe I've really been doing this since 10:30 this morning. What's the matter with me?

8:23 PM - Brilliant decision by Mike Tomlin to have the Packers re-kick on that last penalty. First kick = 70 yards. Re-kick = a much more human 45 yards. Good job, sports man.

8:33 PM - Packers TD puts them up by 11. Also, I think I'm interested in seeing Rango.

8:44 PM - Touchdown Steelers. What a throw, what a catch. This is a pretty exciting game we've got going on.

8:53 PM - Under 4:00 left in this one. Nothing less than a touchdown will do for the Packers.

8:59 PM - Ben Roethlisberger may very well lock up a trip to the Hall Of Fame with this next possession by the Steelers. It depends on what they do.

9:04 PM - 4th down - and here's your ballgame.

9:05 PM - Ballgame.

9:10 PM - Congratulations, Packers fans. They'll be partying out on Collins Street tonight.

Pitchers and catchers report in 10 days.

Winter, Texas style

So unless you've been..

A. In a cave

B. Underwater

or

C. In a cave somewhere underwater ...you've noticed the entire country has had some pretty crazy winter weather this week.

Texas, as you may know, has been no different. It's basically been transformed into the Yukon Territory for the past week. All that's been missing are lumberjacks, a dog sled team, and a little wooden hut with a hole cut into the ground to go ice fishing through.

While the latest round of snowfall was busy covering the landscape on Friday morning, I venture out for a little exploratory amateur video-making fun.

The link below is the result.

Hope you'll enjoy.

My New Year's Resolution - One Month In

My number one resolution of the year was to cook more.  The husband has relegated to ranking my cooking by assigning a pitcher to it--not necessarily Ranger exclusive, but on this list they all are.  Some of my trysts and their corresponding recipe and baseball player:

4. WW Chicken Pot Pie Darren O'Day

3.  Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas Neftali Feliz

  

2.  WW Crock Pot Lasagna  Christopher John Wilson

    

1.  Reata's The Best Damn Mac and Cheese Ever (and yes, it is) Clifton Phifer Lee



Snow day

I awoke this morning to the sound of a howling wind and sleet/snow/rain/freezing rain/crap pounding against the window pane. Not good.

Did I go back to sleep? No. I got dressed and went to work.

The drive in wasn't all that bad. Slow goings for sure with some definite patches of ice here and there, but nobody else was on the road at that hour and it wasn't a big deal.

Then we decided to call it a quick day and headed home through the frozen, barren wasteland that somewhat resembled the D/FW metroplex at around 10 o'clock this morning.

It was treacherous to say the least. Sometimes, the local media unnecessarily plays up winter weather events such as today's because weather = ratings. Today was not one of those cases. It was really pretty icy out there.

Thankfully I managed to tailgate behind a couple sand trucks in the process of doing their business and made it home unscathed. I do not like driving on ice.

Not really because I don't trust myself driving on the ice but I think other people are complete morons on the frozen stuff. On the way home I saw more than a few large trucks blow by me coming down I-30.

People, SLOW DOWN.

The other bad part of this weather is going to be the cold. It already feels like the Yukon Territory out there and is easily the coldest weather I have ever been in.

On a side note, I love flannel.

Top 5 movie scenes to have ever made me cry

This did not make the list.

We were introduced to the greatness of Netflix last summer when my sister gave it to me as a birthday gift. Life has not been quite the same since.

Especially since you can watch NetFlix via the good graces of the internet or the Wii. I've watched and re-watched the final episode of M*A*S*H six times now.

In honor of the greatness that is Netflix, here's a little Top 5 list I have whipped up for you consisting of the Top 5 movie scenes to have ever caused me to sob or shed tears of pain, sorrow, or grief.


5. The Rookie (Dennis Quaid calls home to talk to Rachel Griffiths to tell her that he's being called up, and she puts their son - the kid from Two an a Half Men - on the phone)

I know what you're saying. Shut up.

4. Million Dollar Baby (Every scene in the hospital)


When one person asks another person if they can end their life to ease the suffering, how is that not sad?

3. My Life (Pretty much everything from about 20 minutes in until the end of the movie) 


To watch this movie is to peel an onion and hold it directly in front of your eyes. There's not really any one or two scenes in this movie to make you well up. Instead it's pretty much the whole thing. I've only seen it once, and although it truly is an excellent film, now that I'm happily married and intent on starting a family one day I'm somewhat hesitant to watch it again. 

2. Saving Private Ryan (The beginning of the movie at the the cemetery in Normandy, Tom Hanks dying, elder James Ryan asking his wife to tell him he is a "good man") 


Always a stop down anytime it's on TNT. Of course I have to mention the D-Day scene at the beginning of the film.

1. Marley & Me (Owen Wilson and Marley sittin' on a hill, and that scene in the animal hospital at the end of the movie) 


I'm a dog lover, and I know that the fact that this is a fairly recent movie may cheapen this list to some. But try explaining that to the John that was sitting in the theater watching this transpire on the big screen and making more audible weeping noises than at any other time during film watching. Even Mel, who also had a case of wet-eye, reached over and put her hand on my hand as if to say "Good grief, you're a wuss. You will never know how much I love you at this very moment."

Happy movie watching.

Sorry.

I know it's been over a week since I've had anything to say, and I apologize to you, the reader for this.

The only excuse I have for you is that I've been working a lot.

A LOT.

So when I get home at night, I've been spending very little time on the Mac and more time collapsed on the couch approaching a comatose state of being from the preceding day.

That an Inception has still fried my brain.

I would like to watch that. I need to watch that movie about five more times in order to fully grasp everything that I have seen.

Anyway, I'll be sure to check back with you all soon.

Sports.