The Royal Heffernans

Holy Toledo!

noreply@blogger.com (Colin and Liz) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:38:00 +0000

I was actually planning a technology related post for tomorrow (can you say more android fragmentation) because I didn't want to bump Ian's nd post so soon (can you say low hopes for nd football), but if you haven't seen this already you must:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34x6m-ahGIo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I hope this link works, but if it doesn't google the trailer for Abraham Lincoln vampire hunter. It is on YouTube and it is amazing. I suggest reading the book first, it obviously is a corny premise, but the book is done quite well. It weaves in actual historical fact with obvious vampire fiction, or is it?

The movie looks like it is going to be over the top, but come on, Abe Lincoln vampire hunter? It had to be over the top. I am hoping for the next army of darkness.

We're Due

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:21:00 +0000

It's mid-February, so just about the right time for our first Notre Dame football post of the year. Here are the big items that have happened since the Irish gave one away to Florida State.

Manti Te'o decided to return for his senior year, meaning Notre Dame will have it's most formidable front seven in decades.
An already solid recruiting class was lifted by a last minute gift enrollment of top QB recruit Gunnar Kiel, who only weeks before had committed to Louisiana State after previously decommitting from Indiana.
Tons of shake-up in the coaching staff, most notably on the offensive side of the ball where no coaches will be returning to the roles they had last season.

Item 1 is as much a blessing as Michael Floyd's decision to return last year. Te'o's return is vital to a defense that will be completely overhauling the secondary. The potential in that front seven with Lynch, Tuitt, and Nix compounded with Te'o's return will make things much easier on the young secondary.

Item 2 should provide 99% of the ND fodder through spring practice and into the summer. Do the Irish go with the 2-year starter with a 12-4 record as starter, but who has been wildly inconsistent and hasn't shown much growth (Rees)? Do they go with the guy who showed flashes at the end of the year, is mobile, and has the cannon arm (Hendrix)? Do they go with the red-shirt that Kelly intimates is the best fit for his offense and looked most polished of all QBs in last year's Blue-Gold game (Golson)? Or do they go with the hotshot recruit that has a family legacy at ND QB (Kiel)? The coaches seem to indicate this battle will be wide open, and it will be interesting as spring practice starts how they divvy up snaps to give each a fair chance. Less interesting? The repetitive storylines for the next 8 months if no one locks down the position.

Finally, the coaching shake-ups ensure that there will be competition at every spot, particularly on the offense. The biggest mover is unquestionably Chuck Martin, who goes from safeties coach to QB coach and offensive coordinator. It's not a new role for Martin, who filled the same for 5 years as head coach at Grand Valley State. He seems to be on the same page philosophically with what Kelly wants to do, so I'm optimistic. I also just really like the guy, so I hope he succeeds. He seems genuine and funny in the pressers he's done so far this spring, and I really love this quote:

Everybody knows how I feel about Notre Dame. Everybody knows how I feel about Brian Kelly. So he could tell me to coach any position on the team and I'd go to work the same way.

That guy's the tits. Go Irish!

Shameless Self-Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:42:00 +0000

I've created a new blog - Ian's Tech Blog. The purpose is to simply document any tech-related challenges I've encountered to which I was unable to find satisfactory solutions using internet searching.

I've posted the first few entries for reading MOBI books on mobile devices and working with digital media in your home network. Moving forward, volume and quality of entries will be directly proportional to my frustrations with Google. Enjoy.

The Future of the NBA

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:43:00 +0000

Another Heffernan blog first... A post about the NBA!!!!!!

I heard about this on the radio this morning, and the second I got to work, I looked up this video. If you haven't already seen it, here you go. Watch and enjoy.

You may know that every NBA team has an elaborate laser, light, multimedia, fog, video intro production for their teams. I've seen a few and they are pretty crazy. The Hornets have one too. However, Will Ferrell was in town filming a movie and was asked to do the player intros for the Hornets Bulls game. What transpired will surely become the next greatest thing in the NBA. I would imagine all other teams will be copying this within the week. I would also be surprised if Will Ferrell is NOT doing the intros at the All-Star game.

If I could buy stock in pop culture trends, this would be one to invest in. Will Ferrell is pure comedy gold!

Why I Need to Move

noreply@blogger.com (Colin and Liz) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:37:00 +0000

This was posted today on our neighborhood email list-serve:

"An extra special thanks for whomever tried to dispose of a used condom in
my trashcan at the curb but missed and just left it there on my lawn. No
really...thank you so much."

The saddest part, this has happened to me as well.

Well That's Depressing

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:57:00 +0000

Baseball seems to be the sport where a player's career can extend longer than in most other professional sports. It seems that baseball players, if above average, can regularly extend a career well into their mid 30s - mainly because baseball players just stand around and hope they don't throw their back sneezing (which I have done - horrible!). So it was with dismay that as I looked over the Reds' spring training roster I noticed that I am older than all but two(2) of the invited players. The good news? Colin and Kevin are also older than 95% of these guys. So I've got that going for me, which is nice...

No Dodging This One

noreply@blogger.com (Joy + Tom) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:51:00 +0000

Catholics attending Mass on Sunday, Jan. 29, got the news directly from the pulpit that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has grave reservations regarding certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”). Regulations implementing the law require employers to include coverage of sterilization and contraception services in health insurance plans offered to their employees. The Church teaches that sterilization and contraception are sinful and wrong. Thus, the Bishops have said that Church institutions cannot and will not comply with the law.

An unequivocal line has been drawn. And Catholics will have to choose one side or another.

Many Catholics will probably tell you that, despite Church prohibitions, they have no problem with contraception or sterilization (abortion is a different story). But the Church has always recognized the primacy of individual conscience, so to a certain extent, one can disagree with Church teaching yet still be Catholic. In the present situation, however, one’s personal views toward contraception and sterilization are not the real issue. At issue is the fact that the US government is requiring a religious institution to provide access to, and financially support the utilization of medical services that directly conflict with its core beliefs.

If the government and the Church both stand their ground, institutions and individuals who call themselves Catholic will be put in a very uncomfortable and unfamiliar position. US Catholics have generally been able to “render unto Caesar” without running afoul of Church precepts. Roe v. Wade and stem cell research may be seen as possible exceptions, but in neither case did the government mandate direct, explicit financing by the institutional Church: Catholics retained the freedom to disagree, oppose, and refrain from participating in the proscribed activity. The Affordable Care Act requires operational and financial participation under penalty of law. There’s the difference, and there’s the rub.

Catholic institutions include significant numbers of educational and health care organizations whose employees and clients number in the millions, and whose economic impact is counted in the billions. Will they forsake their Catholic identity to comply with the law? Will they risk fines and imprisonment in defense of Catholic teaching? Either way, the face of American Catholicism will be forever changed.

The Church is at a crossroads, and this generation of American Catholics, perhaps for the first time, has been enjoined by their leaders to take a public stand on a matter of religious belief. It is a call to civil disobedience with all the unpleasant consequences it implies. How will the call be answered?

MLB Power Shift

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:08:00 +0000

Don't know if anyone's been paying attention, but the balance of power has shifted heavily from the NL to the AL in the last month or so. With the departure of Albert Pujols and, I think, more significantly, Tony LaRussa, from the Cardinals, the reigning champs will likely see their performances waning over the next years.

Also, with the departure of Prince Fielder to the Detroit Tigers, and with Ryan Braun suspended for the first 50 games of 2012, the Milwaukee Brewers do not look to have the bats to be able to compete like they have been.

What this all means for me is that the Reds have to be the favored team in the NL Central next year. Joey Votto is also the front-runner for NL MVP, with his competition in Fielder and Pujols gone to the AL. The Reds chances look fantastic against a much depleted NL Central. Thanks goes to all those AL teams willing to pay massive salaries to Fielder and Pujols, who will soon both be DHs because they are too old to play in the field.

All. F-ing. In.

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:37:00 +0000

Walt Jocketty is just challenging the NL Central to come get some!!!

Get reacquainted with this image. I just got word that tonight, the Reds have signed Ryan Madson as their new closer. This offseason, we traded depth for an ace starter in Mat Latos. In a separate deal, we also traded for shutdown reliever (and former Reds killer) Sean Marshall.

The projected 2012 lineup now looks almost set. I don't see any LF free agents or potential trade targets left that are worth acquiring. Hey, given a full year in left, Heisey projects to 30 HR and 77 RBI with a .263 avg. I'll take that! So this is what our lineup card should look like most days, with projections provided by RotoChamp:

Lineup	Player	POS	Team	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Brandon Phillips	2B	CIN	595	93	17	60	17	0.279	0.337	0.432
2	Zack Cozart	SS	CIN	385	53	11	46	0	0.283	0.317	0.439
3	Joey Votto	1B	CIN	575	115	31	111	10	0.313	0.421	0.553
4	Jay Bruce	OF	CIN	565	91	31	100	7	0.255	0.341	0.476
5	Scott Rolen	3B	CIN	400	55	11	61	2	0.270	0.332	0.443
6	Drew Stubbs	OF	CIN	576	75	18	73	35	0.247	0.326	0.391
7	Chris Heisey	OF	CIN	480	66	30	77	7	0.263	0.326	0.494
8	Ryan Hanigan	C	CIN	270	39	6	33	0	0.289	0.383	0.385

And how about this set of starters:

Starter	Player	POS	Team	IP	W	L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
1	Mat Latos	SP	CIN	200	15	9	3.65	1.21	194	62
2	Johnny Cueto	SP	CIN	175	13	8	3.45	1.19	125	55
3	Mike Leake	SP	CIN	175	11	8	3.81	1.26	121	45
4	Bronson Arroyo	SP	CIN	200	11	10	4.23	1.30	113	50
5	Homer Bailey	SP	CIN	160	10	9	4.05	1.33	131	48

The Cuban Missile, Aroldis Chapman will also be groomed as a starter, but has had some shoulder stiffness this winter. I suspect that he starts the season in extended spring training or the minors to work up his arm strength and stretch him out for starting. Then, when the inevitable collapse by either Bailey or Arroyo occurs, he gets plugged in and is good to finish out the season without worrying about excessive innings!

And don't forget about what I now claim to be the best bullpen in baseball.

Player	POS	Team	IP	W	L	Saves	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
Ryan Madson	RP	CIN	60	4	2	32	2.37	1.15	62	16
Sean Marshall	RP	CIN	65	3	3	5	2.49	1.15	69	18
Nick Masset	RP	CIN	65	3	3	5	3.32	1.42	61	28
Bill Bray	RP	CIN	60	3	3	0	3.90	1.12	57	22
Logan Ondrusek	RP	CIN	60	3	3	0	4.35	1.32	40	26
Jose Arredondo	RP	CIN	55	2	2	0	4.42	1.40	51	31
Sam LeCure	RP	CIN	110	5	4	0	3.52	1.13	100	36

I think we need to seriously start thinking about a nickname and theme song for this crew. The Nasty Boys and U Can't Touch This carried us through 1990. This team is being built for a a no-holds-barred run at the playoffs, and is certainly capable of competing in a 7 game series against the Angels, Phillies, Rangers or Yankees.

Anybody want to split season's tickets???

Verizon - revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:26:00 +0000

Ha, ha, ha! Ian posted about the release of the iPhone for Verizon earlier this year. There was a lively series of comments, with the general consensus being that if you want a Verizon iPhone, wait for the upcoming iPhone 5 (turned out to be 4S) and then pounce.

Among the comments, I spoke my peace regarding the typical complaints about the AT&T network. To save you a click, I will paste them here:

The whole ATT network thing is a joke. ATT has the biggest, most robust network in the US. No other network would have been able to handle the iPhone when it first released. Every network has some dead spots. Sounds like Ian lives in one. I for one have never had a dropped call when I had 2 or more bars. Ever. I think a ton of people were just pissed that they had to choose ATT for an iPhone and they have just been very vocal. I can't wait to hear all the Verizon iPhone users bitch and moan starting in about a month. They'll have something to complain about because that's all they've done for over 2 years.

I am actually excited about Verizon for a different reason. Now all these complainers will leave ATT and I'll get better data connections at big events - the biggest issue I have with my phone. I love checking scores while at a game. O also love sending texts and pics from games.

So I laughed OUT LOUD today when I read the following headline story on CNET:

Verizon's network suffers third outage this month

That's America's "most reliable network!" I'm sure there are no dropped calls though.

MVP

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

I watched Monday Night Football last night with Ali and her Dad. It was perhaps the first time in history that Ali has watched an entire MNF game. Why? because the Saints needed a win to clinch the division, and Drew Brees was going for Dan Marino's 27 year-old all-time season passing yardage record. Along with 76,000 Superdome fans, Brees has my vote for MVP.

I turned on the radio briefly at lunch today and caught the Colin Cowherd fill-ins on ESPN, Mike Hill and Michael Smith (it takes two hosts to fill Cowherds big shoes). They were in the middle of a discussion on the MVP, and I was interested to hear their take on Aaron Rodgers vs. Brees. Low and behold, I was shocked to hear Mike Hill claiming that (wait for it) Cam Newton was the MVP!!!!!!

Are you f-ing kidding me? Is this some strange extension of the Rooney Rule? Look, Newton is a good QB, and he has exceeded ALL expectations this year. However, not only is he NOT an MVP candidate - he isn't even rookie of the year. Newton plays for a crappy Panthers team that is 6-9. He has no other weapons and every play goes like this: shotgun, read #1 receiver, read #2 receiver, nobody open, tuck and run. The Panthers are always behind, and he is always passing. So his stats to me are meaningless.

As Coach Willingham said it so famously, YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME! While I love Brees, I have no problem giving MVP to Rodgers. The Pack is 14-1 and they beat the Saints. However, if Newton wins rookie of the year over Andy Dalton, I will shit a football helmet. They have comparable passing stats, with Newton having an extra category with his rushing. The difference:

Dalton has four 4th quarter comeback wins!
Very few late mistakes, closing out other victories. (Damn Pittsburgh)
Dalton has led the Bengals to a 9-6 record, one win away from a playoff spot.

Is there any other debate? There's fantasy football and reality football. Cam Newton may be rookie of the year in fantasy football, but Dalton is the ROOKIE OF THE YEAR.

Trailer Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:31:00 +0000

Big week for Hollywood. They are starting to roll out the trailers for the mega-blockbusters which will surely make 2012 the biggest grossing year in the history of cinema. You can check out my previous post listing the amazing lineup of movies in 2012 here:

2012 - Hollywood Goes Out with a Bang

After you start to salivate, head over to iTunes for the action. Already available:

Avengers
MIB 3
The Amazing Spider-Man

Coming this week, HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS!

The Dark Knight Rises
Prometheus
The Hobbit

Seriously, those three movies together will make about $2 billion next year. If you aren't so excited that you haven't already stopped reading this and clicked over, I don't know what else to say.

Holy Tebow!

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:06:00 +0000

I know it's overkill at this point, but the Denver Tebows winning ways just continue to boggle the mind. Since taking over QB duties full-time in week 7, the Broncos have gone 7-1. Seems like Tebow may actually be a viable NFL quarterback! Before signing on though, let's take a look at each of those games.

Week 7 @ Miami
WIN: 18 - 15
Playing one of the worst teams in the NFL this year, Tebow leads two 4th quarter touchdown drives to take the game into overtime, where the Broncos win on a 52-yard Matt Prater field goal.

Week 8 Detroit
LOSS: 45 - 10
Shellacked!

Week 9 @ Oakland
WIN: 38 - 24
Denver gets Oakland in Carson Palmer's first start after joining the Raiders in week 7.

Week 10 @ Kansas City
WIN: 17 - 10
The Chiefs lose starting quarterback Matt Cassell for the season midway through the game.

Week 11 New York Jets
WIN: 17 - 10
Big win at home against a Jets team that was playing on a shortened week after getting plastered on Sunday night by the Patriots.

Week 12 @ San Diego
WIN: 16 - 13
Matt Prater with a game-tying 4th quarter field goal, then the game winner with 29 seconds left in overtime after San Diego had missed a 53-yard attempt earlier in OT. This would be San Diego's sixth straight loss.

Week 13 @ Minnesota
WIN: 35 - 32
Another 4th quarter comeback and game-winning field goal from Matt Prater as the Broncos knock-off a Minnesota team playing without Adrian Peterson.

Week 14 Chicago
WIN: 13 - 10
Another 4th quarter comeback. Another game-tying Matt Prater field goal (this one from 59-yards). Another game-winner from Prater from 51-yards. The Bears were led by Caleb Hanie and without Matt Forte. Also, Marion Barber inexplicably RAN OUT OF BOUNDS after picking up a first down with Chicago leading, Denver out of timeouts, and under two minutes left to play allowing time for Prater's game-tying field goal.

Here's my take - winning is hard to do in the NFL no matter who you are and who you're playing. So I give Tebow kudos for the Bronco's current run. But I have two big caveats:

Matt Prater is the real hero here with multiple game-tying and game-winning field goals from 50+ yards. During their current run, Prater has accounted for 54 of Denver's 164 points. And, aside from the explosions against Oakland and Minnesota which accounted for 73 of those 164 points, Denver has failed to score more than 18 points in any game since Tebow took over.
Tebow has been helped by one of the weakest scheduling runs I can ever recall, facing either horrible teams or ones just recently suffering massive injuries to their best players. Just look at this list:

@ Miami, who were 0-5 coming in
Crushed by a competent Detroit
@ Oakland, who had just lost their starting QB
@ KC, who lost their starting QB during the game
NYJ - decent win, but an infamously bad offensive team
@ San Diego, who had lost 5 straight coming in
@ Minnesota, who had just lost Adrian Peterson
@ Chicago, helmed by Caleb Hanie and without Matt Forte

This week Tebow will face a decent team for the first time since the Lions in week 8 when they host the Patriots. I expect a bad loss. But then Denver gets the hapless Bills and another run at Tyler Palko-led (yes, THE Tyler Palko) Kansas City.

Again, winning in the NFL is hard. And lots of teams are beat up at this point in the season so that's hardly an excuse. So while Denver probably wouldn't be on this tear if, say, I was their quarterback, Tebow has certainly been given the reigns at a fortuitous moment in time. It's a fun story to follow and debate, even if the games themselves couldn't be less boring to watch until the last 5 minutes.

Now or Never

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:04:00 +0000

The MLB winter meetings are going on right now in Dallas. This is traditionally the time where big free agents are signed, and GMs get together to talk trades. While all the news from Dallas revolves around the Marlins signing Reyes and going HARD after Pujols, Walt Jocketty has quietly been working his mojo.

The Reds are in DIRE need of two big components: a front-line starting pitcher and a right-handed outfielder who has some pop to hit in the middle of the order. After 2010, I thought the Reds were on their way to being perennial playoff contenders with their core of young talent. However, I was greatly dismayed when Jocketty failed to make even one substantial off-season move. If the Reds are serious about winning the NL Central, they cannot stand by without making a couple moves. We've got no chance if we do.

So for Christmas, I would like to ask St. Walt to bring us:

James Shields, SP, TB
Shields MUST be a Red. He is an ace pitcher who was an all-star in 2011 for the Rays. He got hot late and carried them into the playoffs. He induces groundballs, K's a lot of batters, and is an AL guy whom NL hitters have not faced. To top it off, he is under contract through 2014 at reasonable salaries of $7.5M, $9M and $12M. what's more, the Rays need prospects at positions we've got, making for a good trade partner. We have got to get him!

Josh Willingham, LF, OAK
This guy is THE perfect fit to solve so many of our problems. He plays LF, our perennial platoon position. He hits R, a weakness in our lineup. He hit 4th for most of the season - perfect right behind Votto! He hits for power, and is a pretty good fielder. He's a free agent and made $6M last year. He could be pricy, and there is a lot of interest in him. However, we let Cordero go, freeing up a lot of cash. This is the type of guy that the Reds are always going after, but NEVER get. I am still pissed we didn't go harder after Matt Holliday in 2009. We could have won it all in 2010 with him in the lineup!

Sign these two and we are GOOD for 2012. There are some other interesting options at pitcher around the league, but not many other OFs that would fit the bill. Without Willingham, we likely have to give Alonso a try at RF for the year.

Chumps Sports Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:12:00 +0000

Yippeeeeee! Another amazing Bowl for Notre Dame, following up our prestigious turn in the Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso last year, this year we head to Orlando for the exciting Champs Sports Bowl. Actually the matchup is interesting, but yet again we have scheduled ourselves out of a chance at the BCS.

College football is not the same as when ND was dominant in the 70's through 90's. The "barnstorming" mentality of playing anyone is great in principle, but in reality it will surely kill our chances at a BCS title. I know it may be an unpopular opinion, but Irish fans HAVE GOT TO GET THEIR HEADS OUT OF THE SAND!

I would like to present to you the 2011 BCS Lineup:

TEAM:   SOS(rank) / vs TOP 10 / vs TOP 30
Rose Bowl
WISC:   70.00(58) / 0-0 / 3-1
OREG:   73.40(29) / 1-1 / 2-2
Fiesta Bowl
STAN:   72.46(36) / 0-1 / 3-1
OKST:   80.28(6)  / 2-0 / 6-1
Sugar Bowl
MICH:   71.77(42) / 0-0 / 2-1
VATECH: 70.04(56) / 0-0 / 0-2
Orange Bowl
WVU:    68.90(67) / 0-1 / 0-1
CLEM:   71.44(44) / 0-0 / 3-1
BCS Title
LSU:    76.01(18) / 3-0 / 4-0
ALA:    74.27(23) / 1-1 / 2-1
*****************************
ND:     73.83(26) / 0-1 / 1-3

This is literally a JOKE! There are schools that literally SCHEDULED their spot into the BCS this year. Look at VaTech. How they get an at-large is beyond me. They didn't play one Top 10 team, and didn't have a win against a Top 30 team! And WVU? They played a Top 10 team and lost. But that was it. They didn't even win the Big East. They tied, and got in by their ranking. Michigan an at-large? Come on! I didn't even bother to go through the cupcakes the teams that actually deserved a BCS spot played non-conference.

Did ND have a "murderer's row" this year? No. But we still played a more deserving schedule than most of those teams. The way I see it, we have two choices:

1) Remain independent and water down the schedule.
I'm not saying play D2 schools or C-USA teams. Just avoid lining up OK, USC, UM, Miami, MSU, Stanford in ONE SEASON (see next year)!!! Seriously, if we beat USC and Michigan in a season and then play a couple mid-majors and a few lower tier BCS schools, we would be 12-0 and absolutely in a BCS Championship. Heck, if we win 10 games and lose those 2 to USC and Michigan, we would get an at-large bid anyway! That's what VaTech, WVU and Michigan did!

2) Join a conference and keep our USC and Navy rivalries.
This would be a better option, in my opinion. No excuses about the schedule. We still play an elite non-conf team in USC, and we would have a better shot at the BCS as an at-large with an easier schedule AND a potential automatic bid if we win the conference. Wait, we don't win the conference? Then at least we get a Bowl tie-in, and don't have to scramble for scraps and hope other conferences don't have enough eligible teams to fill their Bowls.

Can you say ACC??? It's working out great for VaTech and Clemson!!!

Ender's Game: The Movie!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:31:00 +0000

My all-time favorite sci-fi book is Ender's Game. Many would quickly agree, as it was recently ranked #3 all-time for sci-fi/fantasy by NPR in a reader's poll. I have probably read it 10 times, and I even listened to an audiobook performance in my car the past year while commuting to work one week.

Since it was published in 1985, Orson Scott Card has kept tight control over the rights to the book, and has squashed many, many, many, many, many attempts to adapt the film to the big screen. I have followed these developments occasionally, as blog's and websites are devoted to the book and "Enderverse". It seems that OSC has a vision of the film that requires CHILD actors of a multinational pedigree. Previous adaptations have tried to make Ender a teen with angst and relationships - to sell to the public. Thank God OSC has resisted.

So it was with great joy that I read today that Ender's Game has been greenlit for production by Summit Entertainment! The official release date is March 15, 2013. Asa Butterfield has been officially signed to play Ender, and they are going for a heavy hitter as Col. Graff, with Harrison Ford mentioned prominently. I have to say that pics of Asa look pretty close to what I have envisioned Ender to look like, even if he is closer in age (14) to Ender at the end of the book.

I don't think this movie could have ever been made without Harry Potter. That group of child actors pulled off what OSC is looking for in Ender's Game. I have also heard an interview by OSC in which he says the breakthrough in the movie script was his later release of Ender's Shadow. Combining the two narratives from different perspectives allows for a more audience friendly movie. I hope they don't screw this one up. I will be watching closely to see how it comes along. Obviously, CGI will be required, but let's hope they keep it realistic.

ps: If you haven't already... GO READ THE BOOK!!!

I Needed This

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:49:00 +0000

After a troubling week with news out of Happy Valley, this is just the thing I needed to restore my faith in humanity.

Penn State Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Here is a record of my reactions as the Penn State scandal unfolded...

Shock (as in, "Holy shit, this is horrible")
Disgust
Nausea
Anger
Shock (as in, "Holy shit, I can't believe how poorly Penn State is handling this")
Selfish relief (as in, "Thank god it wasn't Notre Dame and involving a priest")
Annoyance (when Paterno announced his retirement after the season ended, telling the BoT not to worry about little old him. Fuck you, JoPa)
Appeasement - they did the right thing in firing Spanier and Paterno, effective immediately
Embarassment - at some people's reaction to how Paterno was fired v. their reaction to the details found in the grand jury document
Relief (as in, "Thank god this horror show is over")
Curiosity (as in, "What the hell is going to happen at the game Saturday")

At the end of the day, here's my take on things - Adults in positions of power witnessed firsthand or knew of children being sexually abused by other adults in positions of power and not only did not intervene or do anything to help, they tried to cover it up and allowed it to continue. The action taken is the bare minimum to punish those involved. Sending every one of them to jail for life and closing the entire fucking university would be justified in my mind.

UPDATE: Upon further reflection maybe closing the whole university would be a bit extreme. Now, shutting down the football program? That seems more fair...

Derp de Derp

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:27:00 +0000

Awesome.

I'm glad there's someone else out there that sees how completely irrational the vast majority of the Notre Dame fan base has become. Just checking my watch here... yep, 2011, not 1941.

For the Record

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:29:00 +0000

I like Brian Kelly. I like what's he's doing with the ND football program and I like the way he's handled every adverse situation that has popped up during his tenure with a even-keel and level head. He's making individuals, himself included, accountable rather than making excuses. That's a winning recipe.
I like the modernization of the ND football experience. I like them piping in music - it definitely made things appear crazier the last two weeks on television.
I am 100% in favor of field turf. Oklahoma has a pretty good football tradition too, I hear, and they seem okay with field turf. At the pro level, there's some team in Green Bay that also uses the stuff. Seems well-suited for poor climates.
I am 100% in favor of a Jumbotron. It will keep the crowd involved and more active during NBC's interminable television timeouts.
I like the "new" gold helmets. To hell with the traditions of student managers - that dates back to the athletic department being too cheap to pay for getting helmets painted and repaired. Now, they just need matching pants.
I like ND blowing out the service academies - they should manhandle those guys and hang 50+ on them every year.
I like Dayne Crist. He seems like a great teammate and he's got one helluva arm. He's just a terrible quarterback.
I don't like NBC. Mayock is bearable, but Tom Hammonds scares me with his giant head. Flutie - ill-fitting suits and all - is terrible in the studio. He brings nothing to the table.
I don't like the fact that the student union can't standardize on a single color for "The Shirt" and the ND stadium looks like a refugee camp week after week while the crowds for Penn State, Alabama, and Wisconsin look like a unified force. Feel free to mess with the design, but just pick freaking color and stick with it.
I don't think ND needs to or should join a conference for football. No conference is safe. A team agrees to join, then renegs and goes elsewhere a week later. Conferences provide no safety, security, or stability. You're always one team away from the whole freaking thing collapsing which would leave ND... right back where they are today.
I (really, really, really) don't like the tired alumni complaints about the "glory days" and the changes being made or even mentioned.

Here's the bottom line. ND hasn't had a team contend for a national championship in 18 years. Like it or not, ND football has been largely irrelevant since the advent of the BCS. That means the very players being recruited have NO IDEA of the ND "traditions". They see the Nike teams in their flashy uniforms that change every week. They see the insane locker rooms and facilities at Oregon and Oklahoma State. I'm not suggesting that ND go to these extremes, mainly because I hate those Nike uniforms, but they need to level the playing field. ND can't sell recruits on locale and weather, and they certainly can't sell them on winning. The entire college football landscape has changed so radically from the last time ND truly was competitive that it needs to progress. If that means making changes and risking alienating portions of the fan base, I'm fine with that. If that's what it takes to win, do it. We'll get new fans, the subway alum don't care either way, and I have a sinking suspicion that those very fans who were bitching will come running back after a single successful season.

I follow ND, the Bengals, and the Reds. I need a winning team. Help me, Brian Kelly. You're my only hope...

Oh. My. God.

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:39:00 +0000

I love Notre Dame's football uniforms. They are so incredibly good looking, and the color combo just gets the blood pumping. Especially the home blues. However, there is one aspect of the uniform that I have absolutely HATED for over a decade. The helmets.

Take a look at the amazing gold tone and paint on the fabulous Holtz-era helmets.

Look at the shine. You can just see the real gold paint caked on there. Remember the huge scratches and gashes that Zorich, Alm and Bettis would get on them? They just looked awesome.

Now we are stuck with these crappy helmets.

Gone is the luster and shine that I recall and love. They have been replaced by some plastic composite material. They still get a layer of gold paint, but they just lost the magic. Is it coincidence that the luster of our football program has faded along with the luster of our helmets? I think not.

I have been clamoring for years for Notre Dame to shit-can their current helmets and bring back the shimmer that our helmets once had. I have often used Ohio State as an example. Their helmets are silver, but they absolutely glow under the lights and bright sun. Sure, they don't paint them, but somehow, they use a material that just looks awesome.

Finally, someone has heard my cries!!! When asked about green jerseys for the big game against USC this weekend, Jack Swarbrick was very coy and refused to answer. He only stated that he had some ideas for pumping up the crowd Saturday night but “I’m not going to share what they are at this time.”

Well, I am proud to announce that I have figured out at least one of Swarbrick's surprises. Notre Dame will unveil all new helmets!!!!!

Look at that shine. Can you imagine how good these are going to look under the lights? The players are going to run through the walls of the locker room when they see these for the first time! I hope to God these are permanent replacements and not just a one-time gimmick. I am so pumped for this game that I can't sit still. I'll be there in the stadium cheering for our glorious victory. For now, you'll have to excuse me. I've got to go watch Rudy, play the fight song, get into a 3-point stance and tackle Ava!

The League

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:02:00 +0000

If you aren't watching The League, you are missing out. This show is over-the-top hilarious. Roughly centered around a group of "friends" that play fantasy football, it delves into insanity week after week. It takes the time-tested approach of crazy, diverging story lines that somehow all come together in the end. Airing on FX allows for a big upgrade to the debauchery over broadcast networks, although not at HBO levels.

Typically, the show gets a few football stars to make cameos, including this year's season opener tribute to the Super Bowl Shuffle. However, the show must be doing well, because big name stars are starting to show up. Seth Rogan was a porno director this season in the first episode. Now, Jeff Goldblum and Sarah Silverman will guest star in a special Thanksgiving episode.

Set your DVR and give it a shot. We'll have a viewing at Thanksgiving now, so catch up on your episodes!

Who Dey!

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:05:00 +0000

Rumor has it that the Bengals are going to be unloading Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for one first-round pick in 2012, and either a first- or second-round pick in 2013. Also included in the deal would be Oakland picking up a good chunk of the remainder of Palmer's contract.

I know Mike Brown has a lot of pride and usually works to intentionally screw Cincinnati, but this is a stupidly easy decision to make. Getting rid of a cancer- (ahem) I mean, player, like Palmer is a good think. Andy Dalton is no John Elway, but he's doing well enough so far. The Bengals are leaning on a stalwart defense and Dalton doesn't have to make plays. So current logic says don't screw things up and put Palmer back in a Bengals uniform, because that will only hurt the team.

By getting two very good draft picks in 2012 and 2013, the Bengals will be able to shore up position needs very nicely. I'm sure they'll be able to find some decent players to fill gaps. Cedric Benson isn't getting any younger, and they could also use one of these picks to trade up and get a big name like Quinton Coples, Michael Floyd, Trent Richardson, or any number of DEs from the SEC.

On top of it all, Oakland looks to pick up the bulk of the remainder of Palmer's contract, about $6 million worth. I don't know about anyone else, but it sounds like a no-brainer. You get a clean break with a worn-out, cantankerous player, and you get rewarded by future talent and current money. Mike Brown, don't be a dummy! Do the deal!

twitter mania

noreply@blogger.com (Colin and Liz) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:14:00 +0000

i updated the blog to have a widget with my twitter updates. if anyone objects let me know and i can remove it, but beware, you will miss out on awesomeness. i actually originally included the tweets all of heffernans/labuttas with a twitter account, but removed that, since some people have private twitter feeds. if you want in on the action, let me know.

Wow! Just Wow.

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:49:00 +0000

It is 100% clear at this point that college football is FUBAR. Players being thrown cash and women during recruiting. Pretty much every school with any level of success cheating. Classes optional for most schools' "student athletes." A BCS system that is a complete joke. Perpetual conference alignment and realignment. I could go on and on. Clearly it's ALL about money at this point. I have long decried the TV networks, particularly ESPN, as the problem. I have even suspected nefarious means by ESPN, whom I believe has WAY too much power over the college football landscape. Now, I finally have the proof.

ESPN is clearly manipulating conference realignment.

First, the deals.

Pac-12 ABC/ESPN/FOX $21 million/yr/school 12 years
Big Ten ABC/ESPN $18.3 mill 10 years
SEC ESPN/CBS $17.1 15 years
ACC ABC/ESPN $12.9 12 years
Big 12 ABC/ESPN/FOX variable 3 years ESPN then 13 years FOX
Big East ABC/ESPN $3 (football members) 7 years
Big Ten network jointly owned by Big Ten and Fox
Longhorn Network jointly owned by Texas and ESPN

Last year, when the Big 12 was on the verge of collapse, the conference was held together by ESPN and Fox. ESPN has a TV contract with the Big 12 through 2015-2016. Loss of the Big 12 would have really hurt their revenue. So they got the schools back to the bargaining table and disaster was averted. There is no proof of how it really went down, but clearly ESPN was double-crossed as the Big 12 ended up signing with Fox for more money. That must have stung.

Fast forward to this year. With the Big 12 firmly together, ESPN runs with "breaking news" that Texas A&M had decided to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC. A day later this story was shot down as totally false by all parties. However, ESPN had accomplished its goal - planting the seed in the public conscience. The idea stewed and A&M decided to consider the possibility. The SEC was all too happy to accept them (into the ESPN family), and over a month after the original "breaking news", fantasy became reality. ESPN claims they had valid info with the original story and just had the timing off. However, it's clear that no meetings were held by either A&M or the SEC until well after this report. Take that greedy Big 12!

Even more damning was the recent Big East debacle. Clearly, the Big East lags well behind the other BCS conferences in terms of revenue. This is due to the smaller conference size and the lack of traditional powers. However, they had an exclusive negotiating window with ESPN for their upcoming new contract, and waited until last in the current round of conference negotiations to try and maximize their profit. ESPN low-balled the Big East, and they voted unanimously to reject the offer from ESPN (A story about Notre Dame as the driving force behind this was posted on ESPN even though it was a unanimous vote). Feeling spited, ESPN encouraged the ACC (whom had just signed with ESPN) to seek out Syracuse and Pitt for expansion. Don't believe me? How about the words of Boston College AD Gene DeFilippo, who was part of the ACC's expansion committee:

"We always keep our television partners close to us. You don't get extra money for basketball. It's 85 percent football money. TV - ESPN - is the one who told us what to do."

Are you kidding me? So the Big East spurns ESPN's crappy deal, and ESPN turns around and torpedoes the entire conference. ESPN and DeFilippo are in total damage control mode now, and are trying to hide the obvious truth. But really, along with the actual words of DeFilippo, past precedent with Texas A&M shows you how the game is played.

So here's how the game works. ESPN sets up the conferences with teams that play ball with them. ESPN broadcasts most of the games. ESPN controls the highlights you (and voting members of the polls) see every Saturday night. ESPN sponsors the coaches' poll. ESPN creates the talking points for the week leading up to the next weekend of games. Often, those talking points critique the pollsters in an attempt to manipulate voting. ESPN broadcasts the BCS games starting this year (beat out Fox). ESPN also sponsors the Heisman and sets the tone with the Heisman watch.

End result: ESPN makes billions. BCS schools make millions. Coaches make millions. Everyone with any power to affect change is happy. Players are pawns, and make nothing.

This will never, ever, ever change. It's only going to get worse. Is the next logical step for ESPN to cast off all semblance of a news organization and just create a new organization to replace the NCAA? They could run a new league of football powers centrally like the NFL. Sounds crazy, but we are almost at that point already! I think at this point, the lawyers need to get involved and stop this crazy game. The NFL has an anti-trust exemption. They share equally and offer even competition and a level playing field. College football offers none of that, and is the very definition of a monopoly, with ESPN at the top.