I was going to post this right after the World Series, after what I thought were the predictable hue and cry over the Yankees payroll essentially buying them a World Series. While I do not disagree that the signings of Tex, Burnett, and Sabathia certainly helped, throwing out the "rich team buys World Series" argument seems a tad simplistic. But that's not really what I was going to discuss. I was discussing on why I dislike the Yankees so much. I don't usually rail about their payroll, I'm usually doing the slow burn about other things.

Among the few I can think of right off the bat;

1. How being on the Yankees enables Derek Jeter to be continuously overrated as a shortstop, specifically defensively.

2. The belief (quite often verbalized at a press conference after signing some big free agent), that every major league player secretly wants to just play for the Yankees.

3. The way conforming to the Yankees "professional" image can rob a player of his unique physical look and, worse, any shred of personality. (See Damon, Giambi)

4. The habit of players to rather demonstratively play umpire. (See Jeter in 2004 playoffs, reacting to A-Rod's slap-call. Also see Mike Mussina's habit of staring down the ump that dares to not call the 5-foot-outside pitch)

5. This one's fairly recent, but their habit of slowing games to an unbearable pace, for no discernible reason. Especially in the World Series.

6. Joba. 'Nuff said.

7. God Bless America. Really, I can understand doing that for a few years after 9/11. But almost ten years after the fact. Please, give us back "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". As far as I'm concerned, patriotism is expressed during the national anthems. The rest is about baseball. And to think it took a racist singer to put a stop to it.

8. This is related to number 2, actually; the belief (often by media types and people not actually with the Yankees), that every big name free agent is headed to New York, even if more than half do not. (See Tori Hunter, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, etc, etc-although he did go to NY, just the 'other' NY team)

I'm sure I could think of more. Did I miss anything? :)

Haley performs a concert in new ‘One Tree Hill’ episode 13 trailer clip. The CW released this new trailer a couple of weeks ago to promote their upcoming “One Tree Hill” episode 13 of season 7. The episode is entitled, “Weeks Go By Like Days,” and features Haley Scott singing in concert,along with a couple of clips from the show.

In “Weeks Go By Like Days” episode,a guy named Alexander (Mitch Ryan) will shake up Brooke and Julian’s relationship a little bit. Alexander is described as being very smart,funny,and attractive,which really impresses Brooke. Alexander has recently switched careers to a become a young mogul.

Haley’s other sister named Taylor will be making a return visit to the show.She will run into Nathan at a club. It’s unclear what her motives will be towards Nathan,but she has a history of being seductive towards him. Nathan also lost his virginity to Taylor so they definitely have history “together” if you know what I mean.

“One Tree Hill” episode 13 of season 7 airs Monday, January 18 at 7pm central time on the CW.

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Thanks to an interview yesterday on the fan-produced “One Tree Hill” Podcast, we have a lot more deets on “OTH” star Bethany Joy Galeotti's “The Notebook” musical. The show, which Bethany wrote with record producer Ron Aniello, is based on Nicholas Sparks' 2004 tearjerker.

Bethany said during the podcast that after seeing Nick Cassavetes' film and subsequently reading Sparks' book, she found herself singing songs around her house based on the story's characters. After six weeks, she decided to finally put it down on paper. “I thought, 'This is either going to be terrible, or it's going to be great. I don't know which it's going to be, but I've gotta get this out,'” she said. "It's an amazing story, an American classic, that [I] wanted to do something original with." Thanks to a friend who knew Sparks, she got the author's blessing to write the musical.

( more ... )

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January is the beginning of the new baseball season for me. You may be shovelling snow and defrosting windows back home in New England and points north but we're getting ready for spring training. Tickets are on sale now for Cactus League baseball.

Today my GF bought me a gift. Dodgers @ Cubs tix on my birthday.  Beer and baseball under the sun in early March. I'm organizing a bunch of coworkers to play hooky on a Friday to take in a Giants game in Scottsdale. There are few things better than playing hooky at the ballpark. I've done it so many times.

The teams start ticket sales on different dates. You have to pay attention because some teams sell out prime dates very fast. The snowbirds and baseball vacationers will be here in droves. Cubs tix went on sale today. You must act fast for weekend tickets.

We have the Angels, Cubs. Athletics and Giants on the east side of town. I have been to all those ballparks multiple times. On the west side of town nine teams share 5 facilities. Last year we saw Mannywood at the new Camelback Ranch training facilty in Glendale. It's very impressive. The indians also have a brand new park in Goodyear. There are two teams in Tucson but not for long. They have a new stadium going up in North Scottsdale on native lands, with casinos and bad houses with junk cars and washing machines in the yard.

This week I've been looking over the Cactus schedule looking for a game. I have two games picked of the four I will attend, one per week.

There's a battle going on between Florida and Arizona for MLB spring training. When I moved here in 02 there were 12 teams in AZ. The Grapefruit League had 18 teams. Now the score is 15-15 with three teams moving west in the last two seasons. LA and CLE fans now call AZ their spring baseball home. Cincy joins the Cactus League this year.

Cities and counties in two states are negotiating to build facilities to attract teams unhappy with their old arrangements. The Cubs may leave Mesa, AZ for Naples, FL in the near future. Mesa has an offer on the table as does an indian tribe in Chandler, AZ. The Chicago Cubs are a big prize on the market. They have new owners looking for ways to start getting back some of their investment. The have a dumpy facility but in Mesa but Hohokam is an awesome old ballpark.

I couldn't figure out why Cleveland couldn't strike a deal with a tribe. It just seemed natural to me.


Another old ballpark will die soon when the Colorado Rockies leave High Corbet Field in Tucson. Maybe I should check out a game there before the Rox move north. It's a baseball decision. I have friends in Tucson. I should call them.

As I was holding my Dodgers - Cubs tickets in my hand this evening, January felt like spring. I see hot dogs and beer in my near future.

Pitchers and catchers report in six weeks.

Gutierrez, Seattle on verge of extension

Center fielder's deal reportedly for four years with an option

The Mariners reportedly are on the verge of signing center fielder Franklin Gutierrez to a four-year contract extension for $20.5 million with a team option for a fifth year, Gutierrez's agent Wil Polidor told MLB.com.

( Read more... )

Does this move officially make the Seattle Mariners favorites to drop "Cheezburger Night"?

Randy Johnson retires today, after 22 years in the major leagues.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100105&content_id=7877888&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb (I know this link says he is expected to, but it is official, unless he pulls a Brett Favre)

You were one of the best, if not the best, pitcher that I have seen pitch(on TV). I will remember seeing you pitch in the All- Star game and making John Kruk crap his pants batting left handed. If only you had felt better in the last few years of your career. Happy retirement, Randy.

According to MajorLeagueRumors.com, the M's are close to making a deal for Casey Kotchman that will involve Bill Hall going to the Red Sox. The same site says that Beltre has agreed to sign with the Red Sox and that Franklin Gutierrez will ink a four year deal with the Mariners. I've cut and pasted the chatter from the website below and put it all behind a cut. Comments?

( According to MajorLeagueRumours.com... )

An exclusive interview with Bethany Joy Galeotti, who plays Haley James Scott, is the highlight of the 86th edition of the One Tree Hill Podcast. Galeotti talks about turning the story of The Notebook into a musical, playing Haley James Scott and also talks with Amber Sweeney about her band Everly.

listen to Joy's interview here !

One Tree Hill wants to put you to work during the filming of the season finale. This is definitely not your typical Spring Break experience! You’ll have the opportunity to fly to Wilmington, North Carolina and work as a Production Assistant to the cast and crew.

Starting January 18th, watch for a quiz question about that night’s episode and go to CWTV.com to answer and enter the sweepstakes. If you are correct, you’ll be entered for your chance to win. Two lucky winners will be chosen to fly to Wilmington and will be outfitted with Flip cameras to document their experience. The footage will appear on CWTV.com!

Stay tuned for more details and click here for a special message from creator Mark Schwahn!

ONE TREE HILL returns with an all new episode Monday, January 18th 8/7c!


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( stills under the cut ... )

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Friday, January 1, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Wow, what a year 2009 was. I'm happy to bury it; though fruitful, it was a tough one. I'm really looking forward to the next decade. Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement.

I spent this holiday in a few different places... visited my mom in So Cal, then to a beach house for Christmas with family and friends, then home for New Years Eve at the restaurant and flying back Saturday to Wilmington where I'll begin directing my 2nd episode of Tree Hill! Then more Everly and Notebook stuff!

I also wanted to let everyone know that I am still not on Facebok PERSONALLY, so here is a photo of one of the latest Fakers' page. Please block and report them, if you have a second to do so (I can't tell you how much I appreciate this!:)




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I have one! It's stinging quite badly, but I adore it!

Click here if you'd like to see it!

Thank you! :D

The Year of Decaydance

December 31st, 2009


2009 will go down in history as a rollercoaster year for the world economy and the music business. For the Decaydance family, it will go down as the year Travie, Brendon and Patrick introduced the world to “Open Happiness”; Cobra Starship took over the charts with “Good Girls Go Bad”; Hey Monday embarked on the Believers Never Die Tour then followed up with their first headline tour; Fall Out Boy released their greatest hits album; The Cab found inspiration in Cancun and wrote their new record; Four Year Strong Explained It All; The Ready Set signed to Decaydance and recorded his debut album; Travis went out with Staying Alive for MTV; and The Academy Is… released an EP and prepared to celebrate 5 years since “Almost Here”.

And while 2009 may seem insurmountable, it is only just a beginning. In 2010, we’ve got more than a few aces up our sleeve. The Cab, Four Year Strong, Hey Monday, Panic! At The Disco, The Ready Set and Travie will all be coming out with new albums. Cobra Starship has a big surprise in the works. The Academy Is… will be playing their 5 year anniversary show. Panic! At The Disco is going to change how you’ve thought of them. And that’s not all. We have big plans and may be announcing something new soon. In 2010, we plan on doing one thing: bringing back real music to you.

While it would be next to impossible to narrow down our top moments of 2009, we’ve asked the Decaydance family to reminisce and put together their top-5 moments of the year.

for the whole blog:
(http://decaydance.com/blog/the-year-of-decaydance/)

Find more videos like this on TheEntertainmentHotline


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Brooke Davis is still in the competition, and she's up against Alicia Florrick from The Good Wife.

GO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE !

The women of Grey's Anatomy, Glee and Gossip Girl seem to be dominating the Girl on Top competition so far, but there's also plenty of competition from the ladies of HIMYM, Lost and more.

Is your fave still in contention? And does she have the fan support necessary to make it to the championship round? Download the top-32 bracket and then click in to vote in round two of this year's Girl on Top tournament.

Here's an interview with Brendon from when they were in Brazil back in November. Keep in mind that it went from English-Portuguese-English.


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It’s not easy being in front of a band who said goodbye to half of its members not too long ago. Just ask Brendon Urie, the singer of Panic! At The Disco. He swears the exit of guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker, in July 2009, was in good terms, “with no drama”. And like that, he’s been living under a new perspective, like the title of their new single. Brendon told us how he’s writing without the help of Panic!’s formers members, his love for surfing, making new friends and the taste of beer before a show. Cheers to the new Panic!

Let’s talk about the exit of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker. Why did they leave the band?
Brendon: It was an entirely musical decision. We thought about it for a year. We wanted to do different things regarding our sound. We all agreed: ”Ryan and Jon want to do this and Spencer and I will keep doing the Panic thing”. It was a mutual agreement. Couldn’t have been better. There was no drama and we’re still friends.

Ryan and Jon have another band now, The Young Veins. Have you heard their songs?
Only a couple of demos, they’re cool. I consider myself a big fan of Ryan’s ability to write. It won’t surprise me if it turns out to be something really creative. He’s talented. He and Jon will do great. 

 
( It’s about when I was in Las Vegas with my dog Humphrey Bogart. )

ESPN is reporting Bay is signing multi-year deal with Mets

Well, that's not such a surprise, I guess. The fact that Jason Bay was probably not coming back to Boston was more or less sealed when Mike Cameron came to town. And for some reason, this bugs me less than, say the Yankees, signing him.

Which leaves Matt Holliday the big fish still out there. Any bets on where he ends up?

"In the latest issue of Kerrang! magazine, we present the 50 albums you MUST hear this year!

Starring (in alphabetical order): Against Me!, Airbourne, Alkaline Trio, All Time Low, Angels & Airwaves, Anthrax, Architects, Avenged Sevenfold, Blakfish, Blink 182,Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet For MY Valentine, Cancer Bats, Coheed And Cambria, Deftones, Disturbed, Dommin, Down, FACT, Funeral For A Friend, Gallows, Glassjaw, Good Charlotte, High On Fire, HIM, Iron Maiden, Kids In Glass Houses, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Lostprophets, My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco, Rage Against The Machine, Rival Schools, Rolo Tomassi, Slaves To Gravity, Stone Sour, The Blackout, The Bronx, The Defiled, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Gaslight Anthem, The King Blues, The Young Veins, Trash Talk, Trivium,versaemerge , You Me At Six and Young Guns!"

AP Magazine posted a little paragraph asking people what was the best moment of 2009? Panic was mentioned, along with Blink 182 and others. i tried to post the link below, since this is my first time posting here.

Coffee Shop

Actress Jana Kramer may have stepped on to the ice with her love Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do!, How To Make an American Quilt) at a rink reserved for two on December 22, 2009, but she has been walking on a cloud ever since, as the actor chose the chilly venue as the site to slip engagement "ice" on the ring finger of the One Tree Hill cast member.

Sharing their magical memory with fans on Facebook, a video captured the proposal at Ice World for posterity. Currently enjoying their first days of betrothed bliss, (the bride-to-be happily Tweeted to her Twitter followers as they returned home from the holidays "flying back to LA with my FIANCE!!!!!!!!!") the pair have not divulged a date for their impending I do's.

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