I'M DEAD

But fear not...http://popcultureramblings.blogspot.com/ is on the air.

Don't panic...don't panic...OK PANIC!!!

Again, it's been a while but I would like to submit some things to consider. Today the Memphis grizzlies find themselves in a 2-0 hole to the Dallas Mavericks in the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs. Did anyone expect the team with the 2nd best record in the West to give a game away at home? Perhaps the team did, but no one else saw it as very likely. Yes, the Grizzlies blew out the Mavericks in the first meeting of the regular season in Dallas, but we can now all admit that that was an aberration that can be quite common in the NBA regular season.

So, now what? I submit to you that everything hinges on Saturday afternoon. The Grizzlies are home and they will be supported by their hometown fans. Just the fact that that moron "humble" Billy Hays won't be screaming into the PA system should create some relief. (By the way, the NBA should look into that because it is really annoying and he shouldn't be allowed to bellow into the microphone while the Grizzlies have the ball.)

Fair or not, I believe that success on Saturday rests on the shoulders of Pau Gasol and Mike Miller. Pau is the All-Star and needs to start playing like one. He has had moments during the last 2 games but he needs to have about 40 moments instead of 10. Mike Miller, what can you say...he has to be completely opposite of what he has been in the playoffs so far. The one touted as the likely 6th man of the year, has looked confused, shaken and untalented. I like Mike miller a lot and love what he brings to the table, but someone needs to shake him straight. Between the airballs and bouncing the ball out of bounds last night, he was clearly part of the problem not the solution in Game 2. And then it appeared as though he was looking to the bench like "am I coming out now?" Mike, this team has never needed you more, and if the pressure is too much then you are certainly not the 6th man and you can just package that award and send it to Jerry Stackhouse in Dallas.

So, win Saturday. It builds momentum for Game 4. It gets the monkey off the back that says no wins in the playoffs. It tells Dallas that all they have done is hold serve in this round. No one will criticize the team for losing the series to a 60 win team, they will be criticized for being pummeled by them.

Lose Saturday, and it's over on May 1st. And the talk of what ifs will begin until October.

Go Grizz!!!!

Maybe he should try breathing through his eyelids

I know it's been a while since my last post, but duty calls this time of year. I do have to eliminate some bile as I watch Carlos Zambrano pitch today. He is the definition from "Bull Durham" of the guy with the million dollar arm and the ten cent head. How can someone with as much God given talent be such a moron when it comes to the fundamentals of the game of baseball.

Situation 1 - Down 1 to nothing, with the pitcher Eric Milton on 1st, he attempts a pickoff of said opposing pitcher when Derrek Lee isn't even covering first base. He then balks giving Milton 2nd base anyway. He follows this by hitting Ryan Freel. Then he doesn't throw another strike until he grooves one in to Felipe Lopez that probably still hasn't landed. Before the home run, Neifi Perez and Ronny Cedeno go out to try to call "Nuke" down. Thanks for the pep talk boys, at least before the hitters weren't swinging. I can just hear them out there..."just throw strikes big man, just throw strikes." Now its 4-0.

Situation 2 - With one out, our friend Eric Milton comes up again and hits a triple. So now, we have Milton wheezing away over there at 3rd with 1 out and Zambrano is absolutely convinced that the pitcher is going to steal home so again he tries a pickoff attempt. This time the throw goes about 6 rows deep in tot he stands. Milton, amazed how much attention he has been getting on the basepaths, breathes real hard and sluggishly heads toward home to score the fifth run.

Carlos, perhaps you need Michael Barrett to start calling you "Meat" and telling the hitters that "the deuce" is coming to straighten you out, but until then, please try to not be a baseball moron!!! It is the only thing coming between you and the Cy Young award.

Caving to the pressure

Well, as you can see I have altered my page somewhat. After consulting with Yankeestom...er after being shamed regarding my backgroung wallpaper, I have gone to something a little more, shall we say "sexuality neutral".

Hope this clears up any concerns.

Farewell, Buck...

A bit of sad news...Country music lost a true pioneer with the passing of Buck Owens. While most current Nashville stars continue to pollute the genre with their alt-country, top 40 nonsense, Buck Owens passing also represents the distinct passing of country music as many people remember it.

I recall the morning I heard that Johnny Cash died, I was driving to work trying to get news and perhaps hear what people had to say on the local country station in Denver. After about 20 minutes of typical FM morning gibberish and a couple of typical lowest common denominator selections that I had heard so many times it is still burned into my subconscious, I finally got angry enough to call. After a couple of tries I got through to the call screener. I asked her if they knew that Johnny Cash had passed away, and her response was that they knew and they had talked about it for a couple of minutes last hour. I asked why they wouldn't play any of his music and her response was "this is a current country station and we don't have any of his songs in our library". I wonder how many "country fans" could have named more than 5 Johnny Cash songs before "Walk the Line" was released last November?

Perhaps my age is beginning to show a little bit, but rest assured that Buck Owens got the same or less of an acknowledging nod from the country fan of today. Most "country fans" heard of his passing and probably thought "you mean the guy from Hee Haw?" but he had long since established his career by the time the TV show came along. Maybe the random station found a copy of his duet with Dwight Yoakum "The Streets of Bakersfield" (great song by the way), but then the station would make the left turn back into the frey of music mediocrity.

We will always have Buck Owens music, along with others, we will just have to work harder to find it in this modern society.

Just a thought

Well, this isn't going to make me popular with Memphis Tiger fans, but I just need to ask the question. The Tigers are in the Elite 8 AND......

Its not like this team has steamrolled over the finest that the NCAA has to offer. They have beaten a #16, a #9 and a #13 to get here. I will acknowledge that they did this quite easily, but much like there entire romp through Conference USA this year, no one that they have beaten (except Gonzaga in Dencember) would even raise the eyebrow of most objective NCAA enthusiasts. I understand that they can only play the teams in front of them and they can not beat teams that aren't on their schedule, but let's not exalt them as the second coming of the 60's UCLA Bruins.

I therefore offer this to Tiger fans, if the Tiger's can get by UCLA on Saturday, I will come back and give credit to a great Memphis Tiger team that probably should win it all, but if I am right, I want everyone to power down on Tiger talk in this town, spare us the "Tiger's don't get enough respect nationally" whining, and stop boring us with spring practice talk. We will get plenty of your jabbering come August about how great you looked against Arkansas State, how South Florida won't be able to handle your ferocious offense and how the BCS is ripping you off because your 7-5 record didn't send you to the Sugar Bowl against USC, but to the "I'm in a bowl because I have 7 wins" Bowl against William and Mary on December 1 in Tupelo.

Whew, now I'm tired. See ya tomorrow.

And away we go....

Well, not to be outdone by my loving wife Karla's blog I now throw myself at the mercy of my readers. A little about me to begin for those who don't know who I am. I am Dan, Karla's husband, Ainsley's daddy, Eric and Kelly's cousin, Meg's brother, Tom and Kathy's son, Bob and Marge's grandson, Ken, Ebby, Joe and Cindie's nephew- you get the point...I am just a guy, like anyone else.

Anyway, I have the priviledge of working in the sports and entertainment industry. I am the Arena Accountant for the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. One thing I have learned about this business, is that no 2 days are ever alike.

As my first post, I submit to you "Rubberboy". Rubberboy was the halftime entertainment at one of our recent games. I did not see this until the video was posted on our website, but I must warn you that this is the most mystifying and horrific thing I may have ever seen. As I watched the video, I could not decide whether to continue watching or turn my head and spray my eyes with bleach in attempt to cleanse the images from my mind.

Well, hopefully this hasn't scarred you away and you will visit regularly. If Rubberboy is the only post for weeks, then you'll know that I got busy, disinterested, or both with continuing to blog. I invite you to rail on me viciously to encourage additional posts.

Best wishes to all!!