The Mind of Falcon McNeil

CLNS Celtics Postgame: Celtics Vs. Bulls

2012-02-12T19:17:00.002-06:00

CLNS Radio’s season long mission of covering post game of every Boston Celtics game will continue tonight. The Celtics Late Night Show's BPaul will have the call with MicTea's Mike Fay and NBA4Life's Patrick Doohan. Give us a ring at 855-CLNS-NOW with your thoughts on the game. Also, don’t forget the chat room.

CLNS Locker Room Correspondent, Jared Weiss will be getting reactions from both locker rooms.

Mic Tea (2/12/12)

2012-02-12T17:12:00.000-06:00

This week on the program: Tyler critiques and praises the game of Austin Rivers, Mike defends Kendrick Perkins calling out LeBron James, Jeremy Lin gets a mention, the two debate Kevin Garnett vs Tim Duncan, and touch on the recent news involving Oil Can Boyd.

Mic Tea (2/05/12) Super Bowl Preview

2012-02-05T17:03:00.002-06:00

Jeremey Heneghan from 85percentsports.com joins us and gives his Super Bowl prediction, Mike compares Tom Brady to Kobe Bryant, puts the New York media on blast, and the guys talk about Tim Tebow being America's favorite pro-athlete and the ridiculous notion that women would rather cheat on their significant other with Eli Manning instead of Tom Brady.

CLNS Celtics Postgame: Celtics Vs. Grizzlies

2012-02-05T15:08:00.002-06:00

It may be Super Bowl Sunday but that doesn't stop CLNS, season long mission of covering post game of every Boston Celtics game.

Immediately following the contest, the Celtics Late Night Show's Nick Gelso, and MicTea's, Mike Fay will be live, breaking down all the action from the game and taking your calls. With our new toll-free number, it costs nothing to call!

Celtics Town’s Tommy King will be filling in for JWeiss today with the CLNSRadio locker room report. Don’t forget the chat room.

Prophet? I Hope Not

2012-02-04T18:56:00.004-06:00

I'll admit, it's been a very long time since I actually wrote something of substance on this blog. Life has changed a lot for me over the course of the last few months. Anyway, back in September I wrote down some regular season predictions for individual player accolades. In that post, I said this:

"Watching the Patriots play the past 2 seasons has been like buying a 12 pack of your favorite beer (for me, Sam Adams). Imagine the Sam Adams 12 pack is representative of the entire NFL season for your favorite team. Now imagine that the first 11 bottles are the regular season and the last bottle is the playoffs. The first 11 bottles are all filled with delicious cold beer and the last bottle is filled with pee-pee. And you have to drink all of it. Now imagine that this has happened to you the last two times you've bought a 12 pack; aren't you at least cautious about buying 12 pack number 3?

I'm not going to predict the Patriots will win the Super Bowl ever again until I can see that this new look team is actually capable of winning a playoff game. But, that won't stop me from making some predictions for the first 11 bottles out of the 12 pack."

LINK if you want to read the rest.

Fast forward to today. We're 24 hours from my Patriots competing in the Super Bowl. I'm having a few guests and went to the store to pick up some Sam Adams. You know, Boston Beer Company... GO PATS!

I open the 12 pack and find this......

Yup, that's a 12 pack with a busted up beer in it. Putting it together? My quote from September?

Pretty big coincidence. The superstitious maniac in me thinks the Pats are cooked now and I should rethink my 28-24 New England prediction.

Meh.

But seriously, if the Pats lose, I'm blaming it on the beer purchase.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sneak Peak: We've Seen This Before

2012-02-03T12:23:00.002-06:00

Latest post, and an interesting take on one of the main story lines from the upcoming Super Bowl.

"Back to Tom and Eli. At stake:

If Eli wins again, it wasn’t a fluke. He wasn’t just the recipient of a dropped game-clinching, Asante Samuel interception. He wasn’t just the recipient of a man using his cranium to improbably catch a key third down reception just moments later. No, he would be certified: Elite.

If Brady wins, the debate changes. He’s not a top 5 QB all-time. He is in the discussion with Joe Montana for best of all-time. He defeats his only demon. And maybe more importantly, for his New England region fans, he avenges an unbearable loss to a New York team. I won’t insult the intelligence of my readers by explaining in-depth the Boston/New York rivalry. Let’s just say, it’s something we think about.

So we have a potential one-hit wonder looking to cement his face with the rest of the elites, against one of the elites trying to defeat his one true demon and cement his legacy forever as THE guy.

I said I was an NBA guy. And yes, we’ve seen this story before.

Just with different names, tweaked details, and a different city with a reversed role.

Kobe Bryant was once what Tom Brady is right now."

FULL LINK

Mic Tea (01/29/12)

2012-01-29T19:41:00.003-06:00

This week on the program, Mike and Tyler talk about the resurgence of the Celtics, the rise of the Cavaliers, the prospects of trading Mo Williams, Kevin Garnett the bar-fighter, Rob Gronkowski's Spanish, and delicious Ramen Noodles.

Mic Tea (1/22/12)

2012-01-22T19:31:00.002-06:00

This week on the show; Mike talks about why the Celtics will not be trading any member of the "Big 3," the guys attack Kobe Bryant, they debate if any stock should be put into Rob Lowe's Peyton Manning tweet, they preview Giants/Niners, and they have some fun with Tyler's voicemails.

Sneak Peak: This Is It, Celtics Fans

2012-01-16T02:04:00.002-06:00

"February 16th, 2011. That was the last time Kendrick Perkins played a basketball game in Boston. Coincidently (or maybe not), that was the last time the Boston Celtics actually looked like the Boston Celtics. Now, exactly 11 months to the day that Perkins played his last game in the Garden, he’s having his homecoming.

It’s been pretty well documented and widely considered in NBA circles to be an accurate statement that the Celtics lost a little bit of their identity the day they traded Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green. Before that trade, the Celtics had 4 legitimate centers on their roster; notably Perkins and Shaq O’Neal. The two physical enforcers and bruisers on the roster. Then Shaq got hurt, Perk got dealt, and the rest is history; the team has never been the same."

FULL LINK

Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sneak Peak: Who Are The Indiana Pacers?

2012-01-16T00:53:00.002-06:00

"They have, however, beat the Boston Celtics (who are 3 games below .500) twice in convincing fashion. And it creates an interesting dynamic between the two franchises at this moment in time because, in a way, the two games they have played against each other have really fueled two separate but somewhat related debates. Were those games more telling about what Boston really is? Or were they more telling about what Indiana really is?"

FULL LINK

Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Awr Towmmm Is an Awesome Towwmmm

2012-01-16T00:45:00.000-06:00

Mic Tea (1/15/12)

2012-01-15T17:30:00.002-06:00

On this episode of Mic Tea, Mike and Tyler talk about the balance between defensive and offensive teams in the playoffs, the Patriots' chances to win another Super Bowl, and Tyler's Indiana Pacers. The guys also dissect the struggles from the Boston Celtics with Nick from Maine and Tyler talks about kids roller skating.

Mic Tea (1/8/12)

2012-01-09T11:41:00.004-06:00

It's a ranting kind of Sunday on CLNSRadio.com. Mike and Tyler take issue with a perceived "disrespect" towards Tyler Tomlinson from a recent Celtics Postgame Show on CLNSRadio.com. The guys battle it out with the "robots" in their hatred of self-checkout at grocery stores.

They save us the drama of voting and name both starting lineups for the NBA All-Star Game, talk about the ever evoloving game of NFL football and they share their random thoughts from the weekend.

Mic Tea (01/01/12)

2012-01-01T16:17:00.001-06:00

On this episode of Mic Tea, the guys talk about New Year's resolutions, getting old, and plenty of NBA basketball.

The fellas give their NBA postseason seeding predictions for East and West, they name their personal 5 favorite Celtics and Pacers of all-time, and they rundown their 5 favorite sports moments from 2011.

And Mike takes credit for his Paul George prophecy from two years ago.

Sneak Peak: At It Again

2011-12-31T10:19:00.003-06:00

If you haven't seen the Bill Walker/Kevin Garnett altercation, click HERE. This column was a response to that incident.

"Shaking my head. I love Kevin Garnett. I loved him as a player before he was traded to the Celtics. I respected him as a man crying because of his loyalty to a losing franchise. I’ve always respected the passion and the intensity that make him the player that he is. But when is it enough? When does the passion and intensity become more of a burden than an advantage? Maybe I’m wearing green goggles and I just don’t realize that we’ve already passed that point with Garnett.

What is it going to take to get Kevin Garnett to bottle his frustrations and save the intensity when the clock is at zero for another game?"

Full Link HERE.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (12/25/11) Christmas Day Special

2011-12-31T10:11:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays!! On behalf of all of us here at CLNSRadio.com, we wish you a very Merry Christmas. On this weeks program, we take a look back at some of the best moments of the year on Mic Tea. Tyler and Mike debate giving Gift Cards as Christmas presents, talk about the amazing run of the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and poke fun at Nyjer Morgan of the Milwaukee Brewers. We listen in to some of the fun listener call-ins, and revisit some of the best guests on the program. Enjoy!

With No Jeff Green...

2011-12-18T20:20:00.002-06:00

The Celtics look to their already injury-prone backup small forward for a big year...

Let's get it, Quisy!

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (12/18/11)

2011-12-18T19:48:00.003-06:00

This week on the program, Mike and Tyler talk about gift cards as Christmas gifts and NBA Basketball. Jill Painter from the Los Angeles Daily News calls to weigh in on CP3 to the Clippers, the divorce between Kobe and Vanessa Bryant, and the divorce between Lamar and the Lakers. Tyler names his five least favorite Pacers ever and Mike names his least favorite Celtics ever.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Relly Rell da Illest

2011-12-16T12:20:00.001-06:00

One of my best friends in the world, new video. Check it out.

Ish bangs...

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (12/11/11)

2011-12-11T19:48:00.002-06:00

We kicked things off with Tyler's thoughts on Albert Pujols leaving the Cardinals, touched on the Chris Paul non-trade, chatted about David West to the Pacers, and Danny Ainge's offseason for the Celtics; plus your comments from Facebook!

Danny Ainge = Genius

2011-12-10T18:29:00.002-06:00

BOSTON'S NEW GUYS

Brandon Bass - Acquired VIA trade with Orlando Magic for Glen "Big Baby" Davis

I absolutely LOVE this trade. Bass plays the same role that the Celtics wanted Glen Davis to play last year. Unfortunately, Glen Davis wanted to play the role that would get Glen Davis free agency dollars...then he gained weight and sucked in the playoffs. Bass is like the anti-Baby. He does all of the hard-work little things Davis did and he can shoot the jumper that baby had; but he's far more consistent at both. And unlike Baby, he can actually run, jump, and dunk. This trade is actually a steal.

Keyon Dooling - Acquired VIA trade with Milwaukee Bucks

I love this trade too. All seriousness, after Delonte West, Keyon Dooling will probably be the best backup point guard the Celtics have had for Rondo in the Big 3 era. Like Eddie House and Nate Robinson, he can shoot the three. Unlike Eddie House and Nate Robinson, he has great length on defense and can actually handle the ball. Another great pick up by Ainge.

Chris Wilcox - Acquired VIA Veteran Minimum signing

Another hard-working big man who can play above the rim. He's really more of a power forward, but at 6 foot 10, Wilcox can bang with the average NBA center. Definitely a fan of this signing. He should be able to give 10-15 great minutes every night. Great insurance if Bass gets hurt too.

JaJuan Johnson & E'Twaun Moore - Acquired VIA 2011 NBA Draft

If you read this blog before the lockout or know me personally, you probably know that I saw both of these guys play at Purdue when I lived with a Purdue fan. And I'm really high on both of them. Johnson has a much better chance of contributing right away, but I like that both are solid, intelligent players. Johnson's athleticism will definitely get him some playing time this year.

I'm really excited about the new guys. All of them. Last year Boston's Bigs were tall, strong, slow, and injury prone. Now, they're not as tall, but the strength is still there, they're by all accounts durable (knock on wood), and the athleticism is a complete 180; and that's a great thing.

Ainge also brought back Jeff Green and Marquis Daniels on 1 year deals. The Green deal in particular is brilliant because we don't lose our biggest asset from the Perkins deal, but we also keep our flexibility for next off-season. Basically, if Green really can't contribute on this team with Sixth Man role, we cut our loses, no hard feelings and we have cap room. But if he does mesh well in his new role, we can lock him up long-term as part of the post-Big-3 future with Rondo.

Speaking of the post-Big-3 future, if/when the David West deal gets finalized, not only will the Celtics be extremely competitive this season with one last chance for a Pierce/Garnett/Allen championship; but moving forward, a nucleus of Rondo/West/Green is definitely something Celtics fans can anticipate with optimism. And if the West deal falls through and/or Jeff Green ends up not working out, Boston will have a TON of money to spend on top-tier free agents next year. When you factor in that Ainge did all of this with literally no flexibility and as of 8 PM Eastern on December 10th still hasn't used his mini-mid-level exception; this is one of the best off-seasons Danny Ainge has had ever, if not THE best.

Ainge is a genius.

Go Celtics.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sneak Peak: "Disaster"

2011-12-10T18:13:00.003-06:00

Perspective: LA gives up all of their depth down low for a top talent in the league at point guard. When you factor in that Chris Paul could easily be considered a bit of an injury risk, this trade is very fair for LA. The Hornets, in return for a player THAT WAS LEAVING NO MATTER WHAT, received a more than solid big in Scola, a 28-year-old scoring guard, an efficient 7-foot power forward, a young point guard, and a first round pick. And I’ll reiterate, New Orleans is losing Chris Paul and getting nothing in return if they don’t trade him now. So The Hornets could have possibly received not two or three, but FOUR rotation players (two of whom are guaranteed starters) and a draft pick. Yet somehow this trade still isn’t fair enough? You could argue that it’s a fair trade even if Chris Paul didn’t plan to leave at the end of the year.

And still, David Stern said no. The obvious questions are why and how?

FULL LINK

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (12/4/11)

2011-12-10T18:07:00.002-06:00

This week on the program: the guys discuss CP3, Rajon Rondo and other NBA related content, Tyler gets harrassed for his fantasy football picks, Mike and Tyler are paid a visit by Bizzaro Donnie Avery and Donavan McNabb, and of course your Facebook comments!

Sneak Peak: Tyson Chandler FA Profile

2011-12-04T18:02:00.002-06:00

"Center – Dallas Mavericks – 7’1″, 235 lbs

Strengths

Chandler is your prototypical role-playing center. He is definitely more athletic than the average center which enables him to move up and down the floor well. Because of his size, he rebounds like a champ and plays above average defense. He shoots a high field goal percentage; almost all of his shots are close to the basket."

FULL LINK

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sneak Peak: Delonte West FA Profile

2011-11-29T11:26:00.003-06:00

"Guard - Boston Celtics - 6'3", 180 lbs

Strengths

Delonte has a mid-range jump shot a lot of guards would kill for. He attacks the basketball well and plays outstanding defense for his size. Probably one of the best combo guards in the leauge, can run an offense well or play off the ball. Every team needs players like Delonte West. He's a hard-worker that can fill multiple roles."

FULL LINK

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Nasty Is On His Game

2011-11-29T10:29:00.001-06:00

This new Nas album needs to come out now before this guy decides to take all the best tracks off his release like he always does. He's spittin too well right now for this not to be a classic.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (11/27/11)

2011-11-29T10:21:00.002-06:00

This week on the program: Don O’Brien from the Quincy Herald-Whig stopped by to talk about the NBA Lockout coming to an end, the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, the guys talked about the Patriots’ secondary, “running up the score” in football, Mark Sanchez’s love life, and Mike’s recent article on CLNSRadio.com. Plus, your calls and plenty of your comments from our Facebook page!

Sneak Peak: We Should Stop Kidding Ourselves

2011-11-29T10:06:00.002-06:00

"It’s easy to sit from afar and point fingers at the players and owners for entering a labor war when so many other less fortunate people are so financially reliant on their product. Don’t get me wrong, I was just as mad about the lockout as anybody, but this notion that a multi-billion dollar industry shouldn’t be about making money and spreading that money in a fair manner is a little bit naive. NBA basketball is a novelty consumer product just like booze or expensive shoes. It is not a living necessity like food or water, but we enjoy it and because of that, people are going to profit off of it. It’s as simple as that."

FULL LINK

Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sneak Peak: Finally!

2011-11-29T09:58:00.002-06:00

"Twelve days ago, it didn’t look promising. The NBA Players Association, in a VERY bold move, chose to not only reject the “take it or leave it” offer from the NBA Owners and David Stern; but also to dissolve the union all-together and slap the league with an anti-trust lawsuit. It was a move that could have totally backfired. Taking the negotiating out of the hands of Billy Hunter and David Stern and bringing the battle to the courts could have not only ended this current NBA season, but future NBA seasons. You never know how long these things in the legal system are going to last. It was a dangerous, but ballsy move."

FULL LINK

Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (Episode 23)

2011-11-23T12:15:00.003-06:00

So yeah, I've been gone from the blog for like, a super long time. My bad ya'll. I'm been pretty damn lazy. No other way to put it to be honest. Anyway, I'll up my posting here in the near future. Especially when "The Bachelor" comes back. HI-YO!

For now though, last week's episode of Mic Tea is gonna have to hold you over...

"On this week's show, Mike and Tyler talk about Rex Ryan's dirty mouth and his dirty quarterback, they touch on some MLB offseason managerial movement, Mike curses, and Tyler argues why SportsCenter anchors should look the part."

Jersey Shore: Italy Review

2011-10-27T10:11:00.003-05:00

It's been FOREVER, since I got on here and whipped something up about Jersey Shore. To this day, my proclamation that Sammi should be known as "Sammi Stupidass" is still my third most read blog post on this site ever. But immediately following the second season of JS, I was a little burnt out. I have to admit, I didn't even really watch Season 3 and I was a couple of episodes late to Season 4 in Italy.

Instead of breaking down the whole season episode by episode like I would with The Bachelor, I'm going to make a Post-Season 4 "Character Power Rankings." For full disclosure, these rankings aren't reflective of how valuable to the show each person is. It's reflective of who I like the most.

1. Vinny

This is really a no-brainer to me. Vinny is #1 for a few reasons. To me, he is the most down-to-earth, normal person on this show...easily. As a 24-year-old guy, he's the most relatable character to the viewer. He's very family oriented. Visiting his extended family in Italy was a real moment; one of the few the show has had. When there is house drama, whether it be with Mike or Snooki, Vinny is pretty spot-on with his analysis and the cards that he plays. He's also hilarious. His relationship with Pauly D is one of the saving graces of the whole program. Speaking of whom...

2. Pauly D

Most people would probably put Pauly D at number 1, and if I weren't such a fan of Vinny, I probably would too. Pauly D is hands down the funniest person on the show. To be honest, the top two rankings should have really been 1a and 1b, because both guys make the show. The dynamic that these two share with their bromance is stellar. Vinny is just a little more deeply layered than Pauly, so he gets the nod at 1a. VP!

3. J-Woww

The mama of the house. Team Meatballs would probably not have made it back to America without J-Woww keeping tabs on their drunk asses. When Snooki was going through her drama with her boyfriend, Jenni was there for her. She's the most level-headed female in the house (though I admit that Sammi has got her $h!t together this season). And she's definitely the most relatable character for the ladies.

4. Ronnie

Ron and Sam? Finally steady I guess. That's good for two reasons. 1) We can finally put the whole Sam/Ron fighting story line to bed (only took 4 seasons). And 2) it makes both characters so much more likable. Ronnie has kept it real for the most part, which is pretty refreshing. When Mike needed to get checked, Ronnie checked him and told it like it was.

5. Sammi

I was pretty hard on Sammi the last time I wrote about this show, and rightfully so. Now that she isn't a complete mess she's much easier to watch (though the crying during the Mike/Ronnie fight was excruciating). Unfortunately for Sam, since she's no longer surrounded in drama, there is really nothing overly intriguing about her anymore.

6. Snooki

Watching Snooki this season was like "Pulling a Mike" and banging my face into a stone wall. She sucks. It's the same thing every episode; Snooki and Deena get smashed way too early, Jenni and/or Sam have to babysit them, and the night ends in tears about 98% of the time. Enough already.

7. Mike

What a free-fall for The Situation. If I made this list a year ago he would have been in the top 3 without a doubt. From an interest level, Mike would be near the top of this list (if not at the top). But with all of the despicable crap he does to housemates and the crazy narcissism, there is almost nothing redeeming about him. But he is interesting...in the way that watching a train-wreck is interesting.

8. Deena

Booooooo

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (10/23/11) Teboners All Around

2011-10-23T23:05:00.002-05:00

We had another great Mic Tea broadcast Sunday evening/afternoon. Tyler’s St. Louis Cardinals are in the World Series. We recaped his Game 3 victory and looked at the future of the series. Also, with the negativity from latest NBA Lockout meetings, we talked with Jill Painter from the Los Angeles Daily News about what the extended lockout means for the players and the LA teams. Plus, surprise guest Josh Houchins from WGEM SportsCenter checked in with his thoughts on Tim Tebow. And we shared your comments from Facebook and Twitter!

Funny Clip Friday (10/21/11)

2011-10-21T12:05:00.001-05:00

Mic Tea (10/16/11)

2011-10-18T12:02:00.002-05:00

This week on the program, Tyler calls out an ESPN personality, the guys finally touch base with Jeff Pearlman, author of the new Walter Payton biography "Sweetness," and coverage from the NFL and MLB playoffs.

Funny Clip Friday (10/14/11)

2011-10-14T21:12:00.001-05:00

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Awwww Snap

2011-10-13T11:23:00.002-05:00

Your daily dose of Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones...

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sneak Peak: Rodney Stuckey FA Profile

2011-10-09T22:44:00.002-05:00

Point Guard - Detroit Pistons - 6'5", 205 lbs

Strengths

Has a really nice mid-range jump shot. Solid scorer when he gets to the basket. Great finisher around the hoop. Quietly put together a solid season last year. Saw career highs in his free throw percentage, assists per game, and 3-point field goal percentage; though that is still nothing to write home about.

Full LINK

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Welcome to The Law Firm of BenJarvus Green-Ellis

2011-10-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

How does that taste, Rex?

Seriously, is it even possible to not like Benny LawFirm? On the field? He just runs straight, hard, and doesn't dance around too much. After he scores? No big productions. He tosses the ball to the official and headbutts his blockers. The dude is never flashy or selfish.

Off the field? He never says or does anything stupid. Despite a role that varies from week to week; he never bitches about touches. He signed a team-friendly contract despite not having a big payday thus far in his career.

Oh, and he was undrafted. He's had to work for everything he's got. And he still hasn't fumbled the ball yet in his career.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (10/9/11)

2011-10-09T20:22:00.004-05:00

Jam-packed show this week. We lead things off talking about the totally unforeseen playoff run of Tyler's St. Louis Cardinals. No show during football season would be complete without our perspective on the first slate of NFL games. And we finished things up by introducing my new segment, "A-Hole of the Week," have a new installment of "Things a New York Cabbie Says," and Tyler supplies us with another "Tyler's Soccer Minute."

Funny Clip Friday (Sunday 10-9-11)

2011-10-09T20:17:00.000-05:00

This Pretty Much Sums It Up

2011-10-03T12:47:00.001-05:00

Mic Tea (10/2/11)

2011-10-02T17:51:00.004-05:00

On this week’s show, the guys touch on Tyler’s Cardinals making the postseason, October baseball, rooting for a team destined to fail (Red Sox), and NFL Football Week 4. Plus, a call from Bizzaro Donnie Avery and all of your Facebook comments!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and ”Like” and comment on our Facebook Page.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Funny Clip Friday (9/30/11)

2011-09-30T11:21:00.001-05:00

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

The Collapse: And The Aftermath

2011-09-30T03:06:00.014-05:00

My God. I don't even know how to start this.

Epic Collapse.

Sigh.

Okay. That's out of the way.

First, how did we get here? Clearly this tailspin was evident a few days into September. But after listening to the press-conference Thursday afternoon with Tito and Theo, it sounds like they knew there were problems with this team much earlier. I'll get into my thoughts on all of that momentarily.

Before we get there, I just want to say that of all of the heartbreaking losses I've seen in my 24 years of existence, this one is ranked #4 as far as season-ending heartbreak goes. Number 1: Pats lose to Giants in the Super Bowl. Number 2: Aaron Effing Boone home run in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Number 3: The Celtics choke in the 4th quarter of Game 7 of the Finals against the Lakers. LA shoots 9 million free throws. And number 4: The last couple minutes of Game 162 in the 2011 Red Sox season.

Do you people understand how ridiculous that was? Seriously?!

In order to clinch the Wild Card, Boston needed to win and they needed their hated rival Yankees to beat Tampa Bay. For Tampa to clinch, they needed the opposite. First, New York jumps out to a 7 run lead. At this same moment in time, Boston has a lead. All things considered, Boston lead the game 3-2 for the majority of the affair. Now, after several squandered attempts at extending the lead, Boston finds themselves in a rain delay. Meanwhile, New York just somehow gives up 6 runs in the 8th inning against Tampa and things get a little more sketchy. Before the Sox resume play, the Yankees officially blow their lead when ButtF@$% McGee hits a pinch hit homer with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the 9th inning. Game tied.

The Red Sox resume play in Baltimore, and squander about 3 more chances to extend the lead. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, when still up 3-2, Papelbon comes in the game and looks like a man on a mission. He mows down the first two batters. Strikes them both out. Then with two down and two strikes, Chris Davis blasts a double to right field. Then Nolan Reimold smokes a ground rule double, runner scores. We're tied 3-3. Seconds later, Robert Andino hits what I'd call a flare to left field, Carl (I suck) Crawford slides and misses a catch he probably should have had, Reimold scores. Game over. O's win 4-3. Ouch. ESPN then joins the Yankees/Rays game just in time to see Evan Longoria blast the walk-off Wild Card-clinching homer to left field.

So in conclusion, through it all, even after the God-awful September, the Sox were still in control. Their arch nemesis had their current enemy on the ropes. And then it all fell apart. The Sox went from nearly clinching a playoff berth to being eliminated in about 4 minutes. I mean, cmon. You can't script this stuff. And in the end, it's a perfect microcosm for how the season went. After a shaky start, Boston lead the whole way, before completely collapsing at the end. One final punch in the dick for the fans from a team that looked dead a few days ago but ultimately tricked us into thinking they had life when they were wearing toe tags the whole time.

So what now?

The obvious question is whether or not both Terry Francona and Theo Epstein will be back. I for one am very much an advocate of having both of them back. I like Tito, I always have. I'm just not sure he wants to come back. And as I type this reports are saying Francona has already told staffers that he's not coming back. That sucks. But honestly, I think to a certain extent, he lost a few of the guys in that clubhouse. When that happens, you have to make a change. He has an option for two more years on his contract, if I had to guess, I'd say he told Theo not to exercise it so he can go somewhere else. But I'll reiterate, I wanted him back.

Theo the same. I don't think Carl Crawford sucking is because of Theo Epstein. It's all on Carl Crawford. Is he overpaid? Absolutely. Would he still be overpaid if he was producing? Probably. But after Jacoby Ellsbury's health and durablity came into serious doubt last season, nobody anticipated an MVP-caliber season out of Ellsbury. Theo thought the team needed an outfielder and he went out and got one. A move, I might add, that just about every Red Sox fan I spoke to was on board with at the time, including myself.

As I've said on my Internet radio show, this collapse was totally on the players. And outside of Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jacoby Ellsbury; there aren't a whole lot of gamers in that clubhouse. Maybe Josh Beckett is in there two, but just about everybody else can go as far as I'm concerned. That being said, totally blowing it up isn't the answer. Lackey DEFINITELY needs to go. If the Cubs want to trade Big Z for him straight up, I'm game. Let's do it. Garbage for garbage. I don't have a lot of issues with Adrian Gonzalez, but he needs to step up and cut out the slumps. Carl Crawford? He just needs to effing show up next year. If that means getting therapy to deal with his confidence, by all means, he should do it. He's a talented player. He just needs to cut the $h!t and act like it.

JD Drew is finally off the books, and that is nice. We're going to need that money to keep Ellsbury in the right uniform. Dice-K can get the hell out. I've already said Lackey needs to go. I appreciated Marco Scutaro in September because was clearly one of the only guys trying down the stretch, but he was never a long term option for this team. I'd rather give Jose Iglesias that job and try to develop him. His bat can't be much worse and he's definitely an upgrade in the field. Wakefield needs to retire. Varitek needs to retire (and become a coach in the organization).

Moving Forward, this is what I want our depth chart to look like in 2012.

Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Lavarnway
First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz
Second Base: Dustin Pedroia, Mike Aviles
Third Base: Will Middlebrooks?, Jed Lowrie
Shortstop: Jose Iglesias, Jed Lowrie
Left Field: Carl Crawford, Josh Reddick
Center Field: Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Reddick
Right Field: Ryan Kalish/Josh Reddick
Designated Hitter: David Ortiz

Starting Rotation: Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Mike Bowden?, Felix Doubront?, ?, ?

Bullpen: Jonathan Papelbon (Closer), Daniel Bard (Setup), Alfredo Aceves, ?, ?, ?, ?

As far as pitching goes, this team needs A LOT of help. They are in DESPERATE need of starting pitching. Lackey is the worst pitcher in baseball. Wakefield needs to retire. Andrew Miller was a decent gamble that didn't pay off. And Eric Bedard needs 459 pitches to get out of the third inning every start. With a healthy Buchholz, Lester, and Beckett; they have an outstanding top of the rotation. The back end needs help. There is no time like the present to see what Mike Bowden is made of. You could claim that I'm partial because I went to friggin middle school with the guy, but as a Sox fan; Boston needs to $h!t or get off the pot with Mike. He's either in their plans for the future or he's not. And considering how awful this starting pitching was in September, what do they have to lose by giving him a shot?

The bullpen isn't much better. I want Papelbon back. Sure I call him Papeldouche, but at the end of the day he's one of the best closers in baseball, and he came up in Boston's farm. I put stock in that. Daniel Bard's last few weeks were atrocious. But honestly, you could say that about almost any pitcher on this roster. Oh and if they let Alfredo Aceves walk, it'll be a goddamn tragedy. They guy was the definition of a workhorse.

For hitting, I'd be fine with Salty and Lavarnway in a catcher platoon. Give me a healthy Ryan Kalish in right field instead of Drew. Give me Josh Reddick as my fourth outfielder. And I'm fine with keeping Mike Aviles and Jed Lowrie as bench infielders. I'd even take Darnell McDonald back on a minor league deal.

If you've kept up to this point, you may have noticed a pretty important name was missing from the depth chart I just made...

Kevin Youkilis.

This is no slight to Youk in any way. I love him as a player. He does all the little things. He's sure handed in the field. And he's a tough out. He's all you could want in a baseball player. But there are two key reasons that I feel the Boston Red Sox need to trade him this offseason:

1. They need pitching and he may be the way to get it.
2. They don't really have a place for him.

Sure he CAN play third base. But he's a first baseman at heart. His total inability to stay healthy this year is a testament to that. Third is more physically grueling than first. And if an American League team that already has a first baseman is interested, he would be an outstanding DH too. Again, I love Youk as a player. But I'd rather have David Ortiz as my DH. I'd rather have A-Gon at my first base. And I'd rather have a real third baseman at third.

If you consider what Kevin Youkilis' trade value could be, it makes you think what he could return in a deal. He's a guy who's a gold-glove, all-star first baseman when healthy. If not a more than serviceable everyday third baseman, he should AT LEAST get you back an above average back-end rotation pitcher. Which Boston needs very badly.

So my desires are pretty easy to decipher. Boston should have kept Tito (assuming he was willing to return, which doesn't seem to be the case), keep Theo, and keep this team largely intact. Trading Kevin Youkilis could certainly get some arms or a legit third baseman back. And continuing to develop the young guys like Reddick, Kalish, Bowden, and Iglesias should work wonders for this team going into next year.

At the end of the day, I'm disappointed this season ended in such a terrible fashion. Upset or angry really aren't even the words. It's pure disappointment. But in a way, I'm glad this team collapsed the way it did instead of backing into the playoffs and getting swept by Texas or Detroit. They need to make some tweaks to this roster. That's for sure. Not HUGE changes, but minor tweaks. And certain players need to step up more in the clutch (Crawford, Gonzo). This team had some nagging injuries to deal with in 2010 when they missed the postseason, but they kept battling til the end. (How bad does Boston miss Adrian Beltre right now?) This team has it in them. They just need to get the bad energy out of the clubhouse.

In the end, I'm excited for the 2012 Boston Red Sox. There is some work to do this off season, but I hope Tito, Theo, and the usual suspects are back next season for another run.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Way To Be, Fellas

2011-09-27T00:17:00.003-05:00

Another day, another blown lead in the game, another lose. Collapse complete. 9 game Wild Card lead...poof...gone in under a month.

If you're keeping score at home; the Sox have now lost 4 more games in September than they did in April. And they started 2-10 in April.

#FML

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (9/25/11)

2011-09-25T17:20:00.002-05:00

This week on the show: Tyler and Mike give you all the analysis you could want from the early games in the NFL, talk about the collapse of the Red Sox, give their "Dream Game" to attend, and Pauley One-Way returns for yet another installment of "Things a New York Cabbie Says." Plus, your calls and comments!

85% Picks - Week 2

2011-09-24T13:32:00.002-05:00

We're doing this cool new thing at 85percentsports.com where the whole writing staff makes weekly football picks (I know, not a new concept, but give us a break). We pick 3 college games ever week, 3 NFL games every week, and one wild card.

Last week, I didn't do so hot, I went 2-5. You can see those picks HERE.

Here are my picks and explanations for this week:

Arkansas (14) at Alabama (3)

Alabama - If you're a Razorback fan, you have to be a little concerned with how many points that defense gave up to Troy last week. Plus, the Crimson Tied have just demolished everybody they've faced; including a ranked Penn State team on the road. "Ya'll didn't even know he was a virgin til he was 28...now...Roll Tide."

USC (23) at Arizona State

USC - It's gotta really irk Mizzou fans that a week after getting upset by the Sun Devils the friggin Illini took care of business against Arizona State. Yamma Hamma. Anyway, I think USC will win this game. I really don't have a reason to get into. But that's the pick. It should be really fun seeing smoking hot women from Arizona State and USC while the announcers keep talking about Trojans. Yay Saturday night!

Oklahoma State (7) at Texas A&M (8)

Oklahoma State - Normally in these types of match-ups I take the home team just because it's so hard to win a big game on the road in college football. This time, I'm reluctantly taking the Cowboys. However, I don't think Brandon Weeden is going to get all day to throw against this Aggies pass rush. Should be a nice tight one (hi-yo!).

NY Jets at Oakland

New York - Every fiber in my being wants to pick Oakland here. The Jets SHOULD have lost to Dallas, but they seemingly got their stuff together last week against the Jags. I'll predict some numbers for you: 1 (the number of TDs for Darren McFadden), 2 (the number of interceptions for Jason Campbell), 3 (the number of field goals for Nick Folk). 873 (the number of times I'll want to punch Rex Ryan in the face on Monday).

Green Bay at Chicago

Green Bay - Little known fact: over the course of the last ten years the Chicago Bears have lead the league in "Games Won That They Had No Business Winning." Is that a compliment? I really don't think so, but other views may vary. Point being, Green Bay is unquestionably a better football team and should win; but the Chicago Bears thrive off their opponents handing them games. So I'm nervous, but I'll still pick the Packers.

Washington at Dallas

Dallas - Sure the Redskins are 2-0, but Washington hasn't played on the road yet. This is also Dallas' first home game. I like the Cowboys to take their home opener...assuming, of course, Tony Romo doesn't mess his diaper in the clutch AGAIN.

Jacksonville at Carolina

Carolina - Two awesome teams starting rookie quarterbacks. To be fair, Cam Newton has played like a veteran...a veteran that throws a lot of picks. I'll still take the Panthers, they played a very good Packers team last week and hung in there. They get their first win this week. Sorry, Heneghan.

See how my picks stack up against the rest of the writing staff HERE.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Please Be Gentle

2011-09-23T12:08:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are. September 23rd, 2011. I don't have the numbers in front of me but I'm pretty sure the Red Sox have only won 2 games this month. I'm kidding they've won 5...but they've lost 933. Actually they've lost 16. Here's some realness the first time: at the end of August they were leading the division. A couple weeks ago they were 9 games ahead of Tampa in the Wild Card. As of this moment they have a 2 game advantage in the Wild Card over Tampa...3 games over Anaheim. We have 6 games left to play. Bottom line is, if the Red Sox just WIN THEIR DAMN GAMES they'll make the playoffs. If they continue to blow leads and give up bombs, they're not going to win games.

So here we are. About to open up a three game set with the effing Yankees in the Bronx. A team we've dominated all season. But now, NY is playing pretty well. They even beat Tampa 3 out of 4 times for us this week, of course, the Sox didn't take advantage. The biggest roadblock here though; the Sox can't win a damn game to save their lives right now. Even when it looks like they're about to win, they screw it up. That's pretty much how this month has been.

And right now, with 6 games left in this season, You have to figure if Boston wins even just 3 of them they'll be in the playoffs. The problem is, I just don't see it happening. This team can't pitch, they can't consistently hit, and they can't play fundamental defense in the field. They look awful.

So no, I don't think they're going to win 3 games to close the year out. I don't even think they're going to win 2. They will win 1 game. And like 2 of their most recent wins, they'll need 18 runs to do it.

As for this Yankees series; please be gentle, New York. You're going to win all three. I'm conceding a sweep. Please just let them keep it close, and get a lead early. Don't rip my balls out in the 8th or 9th inning.

To the Red Sox...nice season, douchebags. Thank God I still have this guy...

Funny Clip Friday (9/23/11)

2011-09-23T11:33:00.003-05:00

Before you watch this video, here are a few disclaimers:

1. If you have not seen the movie "The Departed" and wish to do so...DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO...It will spoil the end.

2. This video in its original form is not funny by any means. I am merely trying to apply symbolism to it by correlating the characters to Major League Baseball.

Okay. The Cast:

Leonardo DiCaprio as The Boston Red Sox
Matt Damon as The New York Yankees
James Badge Dale as The Month of September
and
Anthony Anderson as The Atlanta Braves

WATCH VIDEO

Bravo...

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

F#*@ You, Red Sox

2011-09-21T23:17:00.001-05:00

That Orioles team is a real powerhouse. Hey the good news is now we have to worry about the Angels too...yay!!!!!

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Keepin' It Real With Jermaine O'Neal

2011-09-20T00:29:00.004-05:00

I've made my affection for Jermaine O'Neal no mystery on this blog. If you want proof, you can see it HERE, HERE, and HERE. Getting that out of the way, I have to honestly say, I still had no idea that Jermaine was such a great player rep. He hasn't been shy about making comments on the lockout the last couple weeks. You can see the full articles where I pulled these from quotes HERE and HERE. But the following are a few of my hand-picked favorites:

"If it's about small-market teams not profiting, if the owners are really using that as a bargaining tool, if you're really concerned about it, then why aren't you profit-sharing like the other leagues are doing?"

"So do we accept a deal that totally butchers our game? Because what they don't understand, if you take out mid-tier deals and say, 'Fend for bare minimum at the bottom,' they'll be individualizing our game so severely."

"I feel bad for the families out there that support our league, that are barely making ends meet but find a way to come to our games. It's a terrible time for any sports league to be negotiating millions and billions of dollars."

"You put in a system where every team profits? There's no business structure in the world like that. … You can't hold players hostage for decisions that have been made in the past. We hear that a lot from the league, "Guys aren't living up to the contracts." What do you do? Basketball is no different than any other workplace. You get guys that perform. You get guys that overperform. You get guys that go under, whether for injuries or whatever. It's just one of those things."

"If people running teams don't make bad decisions, we won't be talking about bad deals."

"I'm probably in the last year of my career. I'm more concerned about the young guys, the future of the NBA players that's going to carry the league. My 5-year-old son loves basketball. I'm more concerned about the development of our brand. I'm always going to be alumnus of the league. You're in a difficult situation, but as a player, you've got to stand strong. We are the product. We just want to be fair. We're not asking for more money."

"As a fan, not as a player, I want both parties to be fair. Let's just resolve it and let's talk real negotiation. … We're going to stand strong. The NFL (owners) did a great job. They set the tone on how you should negotiate. They were proactive about it. The (NBA) owners only met with us twice in two months. If you're sincere about getting a deal done, twice in two months is a long time doing nothing."

Great stuff, Jermaine. Great stuff. I also want to note that KG has been very vocal about educating players about the lockout. Why aren't LeBron, Wade, and Bosh in the news for this kind of thing? They're probably busy dunking on 8-year-olds at a summer camps or something.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sox in September

2011-09-19T12:53:00.002-05:00

This is what the 2011 Red Sox have reminded me of in the month of September...

Just can't stop the bleeding. I'm not being a pessimist. I'm not trying to be negative. But I honestly don't think this team is going to make the playoffs. And that's totally inexcusable.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Sneak Peak: David West FA Profile

2011-09-19T12:35:00.003-05:00

POTENTIAL FITS

Phoenix Suns

This is my favorite option because of how interesting it could be. Bringing in a guy like David West would be a smart move for Phoenix because should his knee injury be fully rehabbed, you get his production with Steve Nash for a year plus whatever Nash gets in his next deal, and then you get David West in your bridge years to the future. The idea there is that you’re hoping that playing in a warm weather city like Phoenix and playing with David West is attractive enough to bring other coveted Free Agents to the Suns. This kind of move might require a Sign and Trade though. Marcin Gortat and other pieces? Who knows? Could get it done if the Hornets don’t want to lose West for nothing.

FULL LINK

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Funny Clip Friday (9/16/11)

2011-09-19T11:16:00.001-05:00

AKA Funny Clip Monday (9/19/11)

My bad...busy weekend.

A Football Life is pretty great. I love Bill Belichick. You should too.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (9/18/11)

2011-09-19T11:05:00.002-05:00

Mike and Tyler discuss Tom Brady's Week 1 performance, how big of fraud Eli Manning is, Tedy Bruschi's comments on Ocho Cinco, and much more on this episode of Mic Tea.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Journey XIX: Phonte Coleman

2011-09-15T12:05:00.002-05:00

It's been a LONG time since I did a Journey Through Time and Sound installment.

My feelings on Phonte Coleman's music have evolved from simple affection to ridiculous obsession. As a fan of classy R&B and real Hip-Hop, Phonte supplies both, seemingly with ease. He's one third of Little Brother (Big Pooh, 9th Wonder), one half of the Foreign Exchange foundation (Nicolay), and one half of Zo! and Tigallo (Zo!).

He's a talented lyrical emcee and a smooth soulful singer wrapped in one. He has great original songs and he can just kill a cover. The dude is awesome. Normally when I link songs I provide some sort of history or explanation for the choice. This time though, just go down the list and vibe to the dopeness.

Truly an awesome artist.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Entourage: Season 8 Review

2011-09-14T22:52:00.008-05:00

The final season of Entourage. It came and it went. If it seemed like it happened in the blink of an eye, that's because it kinda did. Only 8 episodes, Doug Ellin? Really? The effort that I put into this review is going to be a reflection of what I feel the people involved put into this season as a whole; don't expect much.

If you read my review from last year, you know that I was pretty excited for this final season. I thought there were some great story lines that were going to carry over. Ari's marriage problems was gold (pun intended). Vinny being a disaster was a winner. And even though Scott Lavin pretty much came out of nowhere, I liked how he and E were staging a coup in their management firm.

After lackluster entertainment in Seasons 5 and 6, Season 7 gave us newness and intrigue in the lives of most of the characters. With so much promise going into Season 8, the execution was pretty awful.

Here's your warning, from this point on, the rest of this review will be a giant spoiler. So only proceed if you're caught up.

First off, I hated the revived drama between E and Sloan. I'm not watching Jersey Shore and E and Sloan are not Sammie and Ronnie; I don't need to see a breakup every damn season to keep things interesting. It's a tired story. For full disclosure, I've never been married or engaged, but I can't imagine the pre-nup would have actually been this toxic to the relationship. This marriage went from being signed, sealed, and delivered to completely destroyed all because Eric got pissed at Sloan's dad? E is definitely a hot-head, but I'm not sure he'd throw away a marriage with the woman he's loved for years just to make a point. Not even the Fay's are that stubborn.

I liked how we didn't really have to see Vinny's recovery process. From the start of episode one, he's pretty much free from his drug addiction (though he does light a joint). I also like how the experience changed Vince's character pretty drastically. Another disclosure, I've never been a drug addict but I feel like a successfully recovered addict would get their whole life in order much the way Vince did. Sure we all want to see him party and bang chicks with no consequence, but I think his character development was very much in line with a true recovered drug addict after a successful rehab. He knows what he wants at this point and that's a meaningful relationship.

Which brings me to my next point.

This sophisticated blonde journalist that Vinny is hung up on is a consistent character for the majority of the season. It literally takes Vinny 3 episodes just to convince this chick to see him. But somehow, the prissy proper woman who made Vinny labor endlessly just to go out with her just decides to marry him after one date? C'mon.

Moving right along, Turtle really didn't go anywhere for me. I guess that works too. Because at the end of the day, every group of friends has a member that is the biggest screw-up. Even if that screw-up is successful compared to most of society, somebody has to not pull their own weight around. That was Turtle for just about the whole series. And even though he tried to reconcile that, he came up short, and it was nobody's fault but his own. Of course, and totally predictably, he was bailed out by Vinny. So I guess it works. Because Turtle was still Turtle.

Then there's Johnny Drama. I'm not sure how good of an actor Kevin Dillon is. I know that I love him as Johnny Drama. But the only other thing I've seen him in was 24 when he tried a half-assed attempt at kidnapping Elisha Cuthbert. But Johnny Drama feels real to me. And that is largely because, like Drama, Kevin Dillon is the brother of a more successful actor. He can play this character because he is this character. The story line surrounding Drama in this season was good. I liked the idea of his cartoon. I hated the idea of Andrew Dice Clay playing his second lead. And at the climax of the story line, when Drama sticks his neck out for Dice with Phil; the writing, acting, and execution of this scene are beyond terrible. Not a joke, this might be the worst scene in the entire series. Normally, I can forgive a bad scene, but not when it's the most pivotal part in a story line that has been drawn out for several episodes.

Now Ari. I've already said I liked the idea of Ari's marriage breaking down. From a dramatic standpoint, it was really the high point of this season. Jeremy Piven is the best actor in this show, and he is nearly the only reason it was watchable. My ONLY problem with the marriage issue plot was that the solution was so painfully obvious. A man as brilliant as Ari Gold HAD to know why his wife was upset. It really isn't hard. It's been the focus of their couples therapy since they started couples therapy; Ari doesn't have time for his family. He's always busy, and doesn't put them first. Hmmm, how do we solve this? I got it! He can quit his job! Too obvious. Great story line, it just shouldn't have taken Ari 9 episodes (counting season 7) to figure it out. Oh, and at the beginning of the season, I thought Perrey Reeves was losing it a little bit. But as we found out in the finale...she still has it.

OTHER POINTS

Over-utilized show elements/characters

- Athlete cameos (specifically New York stars, (Sorry Joe Murano))
- Andrew Dice Clay (I have no problem with Dice, I just didn't like him in this show)
- Sloan's step mom (didn't do it for me)

Under-utilized show elements/characters

- Actor cameos (was there anything better than Seth Green being Eric's antagonist?)
- Scott Lavin (this character grew on me)
- Lloyd (One of the best characters in the show, again, we never saw him)
- Female nudity (I'm not a meathead, I'm just being honest)
- Lizzie Grant (Not a huge role, but SOMETHING...like a sex scene)

In the end, the final theme of the last 2 episodes was loyalty. Vinny with his crew, Vinny's crew with Vinny, and Ari with Vinny and his crew. That was cool. Because it's the truest essence of what the show is really supposed to be all about. But unfortunately, it still isn't rewarding enough to salvage what is, in my opinion, the worst season of the whole series.

Now we get to look forward to a movie. In my opinion, Season 8 should have been the movie. These 8 episodes could have very easily been condensed into 2 hours.

Grade: D+

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

More Dopeness

2011-09-14T12:46:00.003-05:00

Gotta hand it to my man Rashid Hadee, he's it when it comes to flipping beats. Even when he's flipping his own ish from the LB album.

If you haven't checked out that Hadiesel yet, get with the program and Fuel Up...

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Dopeness

2011-09-13T12:52:00.001-05:00

I may have been 3 or 4 years too early on my "XV is gonna be a household name in the rap game" prediction...

But I'm not wrong.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Mic Tea (9/11/11)

2011-09-11T21:59:00.000-05:00

This week on the program: we have a Tribute Montage for the rememberence of 9/11, I get picked on by Tyler and a Donnie Avery impersonator call-in for picking Donnie Avery as my fantasy sleeper pick, and we help get the NFL season officially started with our postseason picks and much more surrounding football this week.

GFY, Terrorism

2011-09-11T10:57:00.001-05:00

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Pats Predictions for 2011

2011-09-10T13:30:00.003-05:00

In 2007, after the Patriots traded for Randy Moss and signed Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Adalius Thomas, I predicted the Pats would win the Super Bowl. In 2008, after going 18-1 the previous year and losing the Super Bowl only by divine intervention (punishment for Spygate and running up scores all year), I predicted the Pats would win the Super Bowl. In 2009, after going 11-5 with Matt Cassel as the starting QB the previous year, I predicted the return of Tom Brady would mean the Pats would win the Super Bowl. Then last year, after Wes Welker's torn ACL healed, I predicted the Pats would win the Super Bowl.

So who do I think is going to win the Super Bowl this year and why, you ask?

No, not the Patriots. I refuse to keep making this same mistake. If not for the simple reason that it's stupid to pick one team against the field in any sport, because I'm sick of getting burned by picking with my heart. Are the Patriots probably going to be a really good football team? Of course. But can anything happen? Definitely. Seeing the Peyton Manning injury makes me remember TFB's ACL tear in 2008. It sucked. And I doubt it would ever happen, but should lightning strike twice and take Mr. Bundchen away from me again, the Pats certainly wouldn't get to the Super Bowl, let alone win it. But for the sake of my sanity, I'm going to just assume Tom will be fine and put together another MVP-caliber season. The football gods wouldn't take away Tom and Peyton at the same time, right? RIGHT?!

At this point, I just hope the Patriots win a playoff game. It's strange to say it, but out of all of the professional sports teams in Boston, the Patriots have been the biggest disappointment in recent memory. The Celtics and Bruins have both won championships since the Pats last had a victory in a playoff game; that's crazy. I know what you're thinking right now if you're a non-Boston sports fan...probably something along the lines of "F*#k off, Mike, your teams win all the time, we don't care if one of your many perennial playoff teams can't win a playoff matchup." And you'd probably have a point. But guess what? I don't really care what the haters think. Surprise! I want more winning and I wanted it yesterday.

Watching the Patriots play the past 2 seasons has been like buying a 12 pack of your favorite beer (for me, Sam Adams). Imagine the Sam Adams 12 pack is representative of the entire NFL season for your favorite team. Now imagine that the first 11 bottles are the regular season and the last bottle is the playoffs. The first 11 bottles are all filled with delicious cold beer and the last bottle is filled with pee-pee. And you have to drink all of it. Now imagine that this has happened to you the last two times you've bought a 12 pack; aren't you at least cautious about buying 12 pack number 3?

I'm not going to predict the Patriots will win the Super Bowl ever again until I can see that this new look team is actually capable of winning a playoff game. But, that won't stop me from making some predictions for the first 11 bottles out of the 12 pack.

PREDICTIONS

Offensive Individual Season

Tom Brady - 4,000 Passing Yards, 34 TDs, 8 INTs
Benny "Law Firm" - 850 Rushing Yards, 10 TDs, 0 Fumbles
Danny "Woodcock" Woodhead - 700 Total Yards, 6 TDs
Wes Welker - 75 Catches, 800 Rec. Yards, 4 TDs
Deion Branch - 55 Catches, 600 Rec. Yards, 3 TDs
Chad OchoCinco - 65 Catches, 900 Rec. Yards, 7 TDs
Taylor Price - 20 Catches, 300 Rec. Yards, 2 TDs
Rob Gronkowski - 80 Catches, 600 Rec. Yards, 12 TDs
Aaron Hernandez - 40 Catches, 400 Rec. Yards, 3 TDs
Stevan Ridley/Shane Vareen - 800 Total Yards, 4 TDs

Pro Bowlers: Tom Brady, Logan Mankins, Rob Gronkowski

Defensive Individual Season

Vince Wilfork - 50 Tackles, 4 Sacks
Albert Haynesworth - 40 Tackles, 2 Sacks
Andre Carter - 40 Tackles, 1 Sack
Shaun Ellis - 35 Tackles, 3 Sacks
Jerod Mayo - 110 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 2 Interceptions
Brandon Spikes - 80 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Interception
Rob Ninkovich - 45 Tackles, 1 Interception
Devin McCourty - 60 Tackles, 5 Interceptions, 2 TDs
Leigh Bodden - 35 Tackles, 3 Interceptions
Ras-I Dowling - 40 Tackles, 3 Interceptions, TD
Pat Chung - 85 Tackles, 4 Interceptions, 2 TDs
Sergio Brown - 35 Tackles, 1 Interception
Josh Barrett - 20 Tackles, 1 Interception

Pro Bowlers: Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, Devin McCourty, Pat Chung

Special Teams Individual

Stephen Gostkowski - 26/32 FG
Zoltan Mesko - 46.5 Average Yards per Punt

Team

Regular Season Record: 13-3
Losses: Week 10 (@ Jets), Week 12 (@ Philly), Week 15 (@ Denver)

In the event a receiver goes down with an injury, THIS MAN will return to the team... I'm standing by THIS PREDICTION

Book it.

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I Wish It Was Monday

2011-09-09T13:42:00.002-05:00

I'll probably be able to count on less than two hands how many times in my life I'll ever say that. This is one of those times.

Tomorrow I'll share my predictions for some of the individual numbers on both offense and defense.

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Moufy - Boston Lights

2011-09-09T13:09:00.007-05:00

New kid in the rap game. I've listened to this mixtape twice today. It definitely kept my interest the whole time. Moufy has kind of a diverse style. There are tracks on here that are straight Hip-Hop, some that are Drake-esque, and some that are rap mainstream. It's a solid mix. He reps Boston but his delivery sounds a little more Southern-influenced to me for some reason. That's certainly not a bad thing. As far as talent goes in the Boston scene, he's not yet on the lyrical level of somebody like a Termanology, Reks, or Edo G; but he's light years ahead of Sammy Adams or Benzino. He's kinda sounds like a younger, less street Smoke Bulga. Definitely gonna check for more from him.

TRACKLIST

1. Boston Lights
2. Inhale
3. Throw My 3's
4. Sunglasses
5. Twist It and Light It
6. Imma Ball
7. Maybe I Lied
8. Pick It Up
9. Profile Pic (Feat. Cassie Cardelle)
10. Dark Knight
11. Fantasy Girl (Feat. Are Jae)
12. Hate Myself
13. Whipsers of a Cloud

DOWNLOAD

My favorite tracks:

Boston Lights, Twist It and Light It, Sunglasses, Maybe I Lied, Dark Knight

Check it out...good listen...

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2011 Rams Schedule Breakdown

2011-09-09T10:46:00.004-05:00

WEEK 1 - VS Eagles

This game will probably be pretty close actually. I think the Rams have had steady improvement over the last few years. They still have a top 5 running back and a quarterback who's only going to get better. They'll battle the self-anointed "Dream Team" tough, but I think they'll come up a little short.

0-1

WEEK 2 - @ Giants

Blowout potential here. The Giants are a team that has really been shellacked by injuries, especially in the secondary. If Spags' game plan for this is executed the way it should be, I don't see how the Rams lose this game. Oh, and Eli Manning sucks Schweddy Balls.

1-1

WEEK 3 - VS Ravens

Even though the Ravens kind of have a tendency to unravel when the pressure gets on them, I don't think they'll drop this one in St. Louis. The Rams are going to be good, but Baltimore has a top-notch defense and a really well-balanced offense. Even at home, I don't think the Rams have enough to get it done in Week 3.

1-2

WEEK 4 - VS Redskins

On paper, this should be an easy win for STL. Rex Grossman is Washington's starting quarterback for Christ's sake. But you can't count out the simple addition by subtraction possibility for the Skins. Getting rid of McNabb and Haynesworth might be just what the doctor ordered. Still, the Rams are a better football team. And I'm sure they'll prove it October 2nd.

2-2

WEEK 5 - BYE

2-2

WEEK 6 - @ Packers

There's no getting around this, Green Bay is just a way better football team. Their offense looks damn-near unstoppable after one game. Their defense certainly wasn't all that impressive, but most defenses don't look that impressive against Drew Brees. I expect the Rams to win a big game this year, but it isn't happening in Green Bay.

2-3

WEEK 7 - @ Cowboys

Just when you need to get over that big game hump, how about a trip to Dallas? I've never really been sold on Dallas to be honest. I think they are over-hyped and totally over-rated. People want Romo to be in the category with guys like Manning/Brady/Rodgers/Brees even though he's never won a big game. And Dallas will be coming off the pounding they receive from New England the week prior, so they'll be banged up and weak. I know I sound like a hater, but I actually think the Rams will win this game.

3-3

WEEK 8 - VS Saints

Seriously, how brutal is the first half of the Rams schedule? I don't see them beating the Saints, but you never know. It's in STL and a bad Seahawks team beat the Saints in New Orleans last year in the playoffs. So we'll have to wait and see. If the Rams come out crazy good this season, maybe I'll reconsider; but for now, this is a loss for the Rams. Thankfully for St. Louis fans, the schedule gets considerably easier from here out.

3-4

WEEK 9 - @ Cardinals

This is the game that is going to dictate how the rest of the season goes for St. Louis. If they go into Arizona and steal this game, they'll finish really strong. If they lose, the road to the playoffs might be harder than it needs to be. Kolb is a huge factor here. You gotta figure he'll have his rapport down with Fitzgerald by this time. But even when he does, who's to say the Rams aren't still a better football team? I think STL squeaks one out.

4-4

WEEK 10 - @ Browns

First off, Peyton Hillis is not going to have the same year he did last year, and that's if he can even stay on the field (Madden jinx). Even still, Cleveland is not the Cleveland Browns of the last few years. They are definitely not just an easy out anymore, especially at home. Here's an example, Cleveland was one of only two teams to beat New England last year. The other was the Jets (Damn Ryan brothers). If I had a gun to my head though, I'd take the Rams.

5-4

WEEEK 11 - VS Seahawks

This SHOULD be a win for the Rams. But you never know with the Seahawks. I'm sure Rams fans already know this, but it's too funny and still has to be mentioned; The Rams are 1-11 in their last 12 games against Seattle. Good news is that win came last year at home. Oh yeah, and Seattle's starting quarterback in Tarvaris Jackson; they're going to be awful.

6-4

WEEK 12 - VS Cardinals

This is a tough one because I think Arizona will be ready to avenge their home loss to St. Louis. I'll give this one to the Rams for two reasons: 1) It's in their building. 2) They'll be at a point in the season that they realize they can be a legit playoff team. And I don't think they'll let the opportunity slip away.

7-4

WEEK 13 - @ 49ers

I don't see how STL losses this game. San Fran should be one of the worst teams in the league if my predictions don't fail me. I think the Rams win, and I think they win big. At least 2 scores.

8-4

WEEK 14 - @ Seahawks

Believe it or not, I think the Rams are going to find a way to choke this game away. Seattle having their number is one factor, but it just seems like a team on the rise like this will be due for a letdown game at some point in the season. It's going to be frustrating as hell, but the 5 game winning streak will come to an end in Seattle.

8-5

WEEK 15 - VS Bengals

Cinci doesn't have a QB. They just traded their best WR. And just about everyone else on their roster has a criminal record. This organization has issues, for real. Absolutely no way the Rams lose to the Bengals at home.

9-5

WEEK 16 - @ Steelers

This is a game that you'd like to see the Rams win. They'll battle hard and make a game out of it, but I don't think they're good enough to beat Pittsburgh yet. Nothing would make me happier than seeing the Steelers get pushed around by the Rams in their own building, but the Steelers have championship aspirations, teams like that don't lose games to teams that aren't quite there yet at home in Week 16. Although, there is a situation that STL can steal this game; if the top two or three seeds are decided in the AFC by the end of week 15, we MAY see Pittsburgh sit their key starters in this game.

9-6

WEEK 17 - VS 49ers

How about a nice little pillow to punch in week 17? The Rams get to do that with the 49ers. They better take it seriously though, because they're going to need that 10th win.

10-6

And to be honest, Arizona's schedule is pretty easy. 10 wins might not be enough to win that division. It remains to be seen. The good news for STL is they're a team that knows their identity. We still don't know what Arizona is going to do. 10 wins should get the Rams in the playoffs. They're not "contenders," by any means, but this will be a good year for them.

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So Many Questions...

2011-09-09T10:34:00.003-05:00

So few answers...

1. Why is this girl just chillin in this slummy courtyard?
2. Why are her pants down?
3. This is Russia, why didn't someone just shoot this bear?
4. How many people are just watching this from far away? It sounds like at least 5.
5. (Biggest question) How did a polar bear just find his way to what appears to be a city?

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Funny Clip Friday (9/9/11)

2011-09-09T10:28:00.004-05:00

Of course, there is a reason for everything I do.

OBSERVE

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We Are Not Alone

2011-09-08T01:56:00.002-05:00

This is wild.

Seriously, some people that are UFO skeptics think that those of us who believe in UFOs are crazy. My question to them is, how can you look at this video and not at lease QUESTION whether or not there was some unexplained crap going on in the Bronx on August 26th?

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Sneak Peak: Tracy McGrady FA Profile

2011-09-05T23:52:00.002-05:00

Guard – Detroit Pistons – 6’8″, 223 lbs

Strengths

McGrady was one of the best true scorers in the league once upon a time. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. The man can still score. He just can’t do it as many ways as he could three or four years ago. One definite plus though, his .442 field goal percentage last year was his best since 2003. He also has always been a very good ball-handler; he’s definitely capable of playing point guard in a pinch.

FULL LINK

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Mic Tea (9/4/11)

2011-09-04T22:29:00.001-05:00

This week on the program: Mike shares his story for the worst birthday gift ever and the guys talk about their lack of interest in college football, wearing sports jerseys as children and adults, Adele being the anti-Lady Gaga, and Doug Flutie’s smokin’ hot cheerleader daughter.

The Whole System Is Breaking Down

2011-09-04T19:58:00.001-05:00

Funny Clip Friday (9/2/11)

2011-09-02T11:23:00.001-05:00

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Why I Love Hip-Hop

2011-09-02T10:48:00.003-05:00

Back in the day, I read the Wu-Tang manual. It was an interesting read for a lot of reasons. It talked about the origins of how the group came to be, the meanings in a lot of their word play, and the Ku-Fung influenced Shaolin style. I think what stuck with me the most was the use of the term "lyrical swords." Which is a direct reference to the tongue. Basically, Wu-Tang members considered their rapping abilities a weapon. They took it further by referring to their rap lines as "darts."

I've been listening to Raekwon's new album Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang and the song "Rick and Black" is on heavy rotation. One obvious reason to people that know me is because the song features Nas. But the bigger reason is because I'm obsessed with one of Raekwon's rhymes:

"Mike Tyson disciple, trifle with my pen, it's a rifle, 16 ways to shoot you through your Chrysler duke."

Now, on the surface it just seems like an East Coast rapper making a gun reference like so many others do. But when you apply everything I just said about how the Wu-Tang rhymes, it's a little more clever than you might think. And if you're still not convinced it's deeper than a simple "shoot em up" rhyme:

"16 ways" is a reference to the 16 bars in Raekwon's verse. We're not getting shot by 16 bullets through a Chrysler's doors and windows. We're getting "hit" by 16 lyrical darts (bars) from Raekwon's rifle (pen) through the speakers of our car.

And for the street guys, sure, he could be talking about shooting you literally too.

It just so happens to be a pretty sick double meaning.

Yes, I just devoted an entire blog post to explaining two lines from a rap song nobody has heard.

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Predictions For Entourage Season 8

2011-09-02T10:11:00.003-05:00

We've now seen 6 episodes of the final Entourage season. Only two episodes remain. And let me say, Thank God, because this show has gotten really really bad. The story lines are awful, the acting has been worse, and in all honesty; I'm just hoping they end it and don't make a movie.

Here's what I WANT to happen:

- Ari and Dana Gordon start a serious relationship. And we see Dana Gordon naked.
- Johnny Drama's show is a success, Dice disappears.
- Vinny goes back to banging chicks all the time.
- Eric finds some young Hollywood smokeshow and stops bothering me.
- Turtle gains his weight back, smokes a ton of pot, and becomes a rap manager again.

Here' what I THINK is going to happen:

- Ari will somehow organize a sit down with himself and his wife (now AKA Melissa). He'll finally get her to not be a bitch for 2 seconds and she'll actually listen to what he's saying. He'll ask her what he has to do to get her back. She'll say quit his job and be a family man. He'll call Babs and quit.
- Johnny Drama's show will be a success.
- Vinny will somehow convince the blonde writer that he's a good guy and she'll finally go out with him.
- Eric and Sloan are going to end up back together. Which is nuts because we've seen Sloan like 3 times this season but it's going to happen.
- Turtle will get some great deal with whatever business venture he's trying right now (I don't even remember what it is because it's so uninteresting).
- I move to LA and the actress who plays Dana Gordon has my seed.

There you have it kids, wrapped up in a nice neat little package.

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Mic Tea (8/28/11)

2011-08-31T13:26:00.003-05:00

Completely forgot to post this for some reason. This week we were joined by two surprise guests: Josh Houchins from WGEM SportsCenter joined us to talk about NFL Quarterbacks, and Josh "Taysh" Mosley from the Fulton Sun checked in to teach me the proper way to be funny on Twitter. We also had the return of "Things a New York Cabbie Says."

You may have noticed the last few weeks we've been having some glitchy issues with blogtalk radio. We're trying to work that out and there will be a resolution soon. So hang in there!

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Sneak Peak: Glen Davis FA Profile

2011-08-31T13:17:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted a Free Agent profile on 85percentsports.com. Part of the problem is I've officially come to grips with the reality that this entire NBA season is going to be lost. Because of that, I've tried to enjoy the Red Sox winning and the Patriots gearing towards the regular season without dwelling on my favorite team not being operational.

That won't stop me from my writing obligations though. And after a handful of profiles, I'm finally doing one for one of the free agents I actually care about, Glen "Big Baby" Davis (the other being Jeff Green).

"Forward/Center – Boston Celtics – 6’9″, 289 lbs

Strengths

Davis has a decent skill set for a height-deprived big man. What he lacks in athleticism he makes up for with body control. For his size, he’s surprisingly quick on his feet. Has a mid-range jump shot that he can knock down pretty regularly when given the chance. He just needs to do a better job of recognizing his range. At times, he’ll be the hardest worker on the floor. Great at taking charges."

FULL LINK

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Spit It Nasty

2011-08-31T13:07:00.002-05:00

I can't wait for this video and I definitely can't wait for Nas' new album Life is Good...

which probably won't come out until 2019.

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I Love This Commercial

2011-08-29T10:04:00.001-05:00

Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Funny Clip Friday (8/26/11)

2011-08-26T10:56:00.000-05:00

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Dropped The Ball On This One

2011-08-24T23:45:00.002-05:00

Not sure how I'm two weeks late on this but BOOOM

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Mic Tea (8/21/11)

2011-08-21T22:21:00.003-05:00

On this week’s episode: Joshua Mosley from The Fulton Sun joins us to talk about Mizzou Coach Frank Haith in light of the recent Miami Allegations, Ryan Wichman joins the program to talk Jersey Shore and Reality TV, and as usual: your Facebook comments!

Don't forget to "Like" us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter! Don't be scared to comment on posts, we'll talk about them on the show!

Who Should I Go As For Halloween?

2011-08-20T11:34:00.007-05:00

I've been told before by several friends that I resemble Nicky Sobotka from Season 2 of The Wire. Last night after work, Sam Hornish Jr was thrown out as a possibility.

Here's me:

Here's Nicky:

And Here's Sam:

What do you think? Sam Hornish Jr or Nicky Sobotka?

My take: I definitely dress and act like Nicky. But it's tough to pick against those Hornish sideburns.

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Funny Clip Friday (8/19/11)

2011-08-19T12:43:00.001-05:00

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FeSo - Working Title

2011-08-18T11:15:00.004-05:00

My boy FeSo has a new EP out this week called "Working Title." I've known this dude for years and he's been rapping since I've known him. And honestly, I'm not saying this because he's my friend, but the more I hear from him the better he sounds. Steady improvement with every project. Give it a listen if you liked the video above or if you're just interested in good Hip-Hop from new artists.

DOWNLOAD LINK

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Kung Fu
3. Walkin By Feat. Matte
4. Outta My Head Feat. Naledge & Add-2
5. Young and Restless Feat. Young Tez
6. The One
7. Daley
8. Outro

It plays pretty fast. I was kinda depressed when it was over.

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My Name Is College Sports: Nevin Shapiro

2011-08-17T11:38:00.009-05:00

Well, another school is biting the dust. What's up Miami? I'm talking about you. I'll start by asking for a show of hands; who is shocked by this?

... ?

Oh yeah. Nobody. Because as much as people want to believe in the ideology of college sports, it's totally naive to do so. I don't pretend to be a college football or basketball fan by any means; I'm just not one. But let's face it folks, these sports generate a ton of money. And wherever there are millions of dollars to be made, there will be corrupt people trying to cut corners to get it.

Oh, I'm not allowed to pay my athletes cash?

Oh, I'm not allowed to hook up sex with hookers for players?

Oh, I'm not allowed to pay my players for injuring opponent's players?

Well, since I'm not allowed to do all of those things, I'll just look the other way when a booster who's a shareholder in a sports management company does it. Doesn't look very good does it? Well guess what? SURPRISE! I don't care. I don't care because every school does this. Maybe not to this ridiculous extent. But honestly, if you think this isn't happening all over the place, you're a freakin idiot.

My thoughts on Shapiro are pretty simple. He's a disgrace and a rat. Willfully misappropriating nearly $100 million is about as bad as it gets. He's pretty much ruining lives by doing that. And that's unforgivable. What is more forgivable is giving money to players who need it for legitimate reasons like feeding a child. What's not forgivable is hiding behind the "I'm blowing the whistle because nobody has my back" defense.

In the report, it was stated that Shapiro's main reason to dime out everybody was because he felt the gestures he extended to his real friendships were not reciprocated in his time of need. From the report:

“Some of those players – a lot of those players – we used to say we were a family,” Shapiro said. “Well, who do you go to for help when you need it? You go to your family. Why the hell wouldn’t I go to them?”

Sorry dude, you're either a total idiot, which I don't believe for a second, or you're desperately trying to pity and victimize yourself by saying you gave to your player friends when they needed you, and now that you need them, they're nowhere to be found. I mean, seriously, this one is so easy I'm just going to leave it alone.

So what now?

Look, if people like college sports, that's great. I don't want to discourage you from watching. By all means, do you. But if you ever get in a debate with me trying to convince me that college sports are better than pro sports, do yourself a favor and don't ever use the "integrity of the game" argument. Because if you do, I'm going to laugh and walk away.

Yeah, in many cases, pro athletes are greedy, spoiled men who get paid a fortune to play a child's game for a living. But at least they know what they are and don't hide from it. Don't feed me this "college athletes play for the love of the game" bullcrap. Sure, that is absolutely the case at smaller D1 schools on down to NAIA. But guess what? For the most part, those aren't the schools we're watching in BCS Bowl Games (BCS, another reason college football is ridiculous) and those aren't the schools we're watching in the Final Four.

Fair or unfair, I now treat top tier Division I college programs how I treat Major League Baseball players during the steroids era; you were guilty unless proven innocent, and everybody did it; so really, who cares?

Sorry, that's just how I feel.

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A Couple Joints To Start Your Day

2011-08-16T01:10:00.005-05:00

Watched some music videos today on the internet for the first time in a few weeks...saw a couple that I felt were share-worthy...

Yessir...

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Mic Tea (8/14/11)

2011-08-14T23:13:00.002-05:00

This week on the program: Mike shares his two cents on Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaboration album "Watch the Throne," the guys discuss social media spoiling dramatic television, Tyler rants about his precious soccer games losing ESPN's coverage war to the Little League World Series, and the guys talk about fan epiphanies in sports.

Nas and Jay-Z: Coexistence

2011-08-13T00:01:00.020-05:00

There are huge moments in life that stick with people. Many times these moments are historic in nature. When you experience it, you remember everything about it; where you were, what you thought, etc. For our parents, it might have been when JFK got shot. For everyone over the age of 15, when the Twin Towers went down is almost certainly one of those moments.

They're not just limited to social and cultural moments either. They could be in sports, or in the following case; music.

It's hard to believe, but it's been 5 years since Jay-Z brought out Nas during his "I Declare War" tour. Beef squashed. Enemies now friends. It was absolutely unprecedented in Hip-Hop. When it happened, it didn't take long for the news to spread among Hip-Hop blogs and circles. Later that night, the video leaked. I remember I was in my dorm room. My roommate Matt was there. And I think the first words out of my mouth were, "Holy $h!t."

Before that moment, if you were a Jay-Z fan, you didn't like Nas. But you respected him. If you were a Nas fan, you didn't like Jay-Z. But you respected him. After that moment, in the blink of an eye, it was okay to admit you liked both without hesitation. That was the case for me the Nas fan. I always liked Jay-Z and I had his albums. But now I had no problems openly admitting that I was indeed a Jay-Z fan too.

The possibilities from that one performance of "Dead Presidents/The World is Yours" were endless. When will Jay-Z and Nas make a song together? Will they even do a collaboration album? How many will they do?

And again, here we are five years later. Zero collaboration albums. Three collaboration tracks. "Black Republicans," "Success," and "I Do It For Hip-Hop." All three of which are very good efforts. So why the small sample size of work between the two?

Since the beef was officially and emphatically put to rest, both have made collaboration albums with other artists. Most recently Jay-Z this week with Kanye West, and last year Nas with Damian Marley. Two totally different artists. Two totally different directions. And yet, both totally perfect for their styles.

Five years later, the relationship between Jay-Z and Nas is pretty easy to figure out. They're certainly not enemies. They're probably not that good of friends. But they coexist in the Hip-Hop game. Will they make more music together? Maybe. But they don't need to.

Because at the end of the day, their relationship, styles, and careers are perfect microcosms for the entertainment industry as a whole. Nas the artist first, businessman second. Jay-Z the businessman first, artist second. All you have to do is look at their recent collaboration album projects. Again, perfect representations of both artists. Jay did his with Kanye. He did it big, and he did it for the masses. Nas did his with Damien Marley. He did small, and he did it socially conscious.

And again, it is a perfect microcosm for the entertainment industry. For every bit as talented as Jay-Z is, creatively he's not on the same level as Nas. And as smart as Nas is, he has nothing close to the business mind that Jay has. Mainstream vs. underground. Studio-funded Vs. Indie. It's the same for movies as it is for music. Nas is the low-budget, but brilliantly directed indie film that the average movie-goer never sees. Jay is the very well-done, hyped-up blockbuster.

We haven't heard the collaboration album because they're two different artists. And they always will be. One of my biggest criticisms of Watch The Throne was that because of their relationship, Jay took a backseat to Kanye. And neither challenged the other to really reach new heights. Would it be different if Jay and Nas did a whole album together? You bet your ass. Does the game need it? Absolutely.

But for now, Nas and Jay simply just coexist. And we wait. Knowing well in advance that the day these two giants in the game drop an LP together likely will never come. Unfortunately for the fans, the realist in me knows this dream will never become reality. Not just because the window of opportunity has already come and gone, but also because both emcees are at their best as solo artists.

And if you'll indulge me for a few seconds, I jump to another analogy; Jay and Nas are like alpha dogs in basketball. If we leave the personalities and individual awards out of the argument and focus solely on titles; let's say that the riches from business endeavors are championship rings in sports. Jay is Bill Russell and Nas is Wilt Chamberlain. Both should be on everyone's list of all-time greats, but only one has the wealth of hardware to back it up. So which is better? It's definitely debatable. Who am I talking about? Jay and Nas or Russell and Wilt? I'm not sure.

Point is, you can't have two alpha dogs on one team. Because when it hits the fan, somebody has to take command and drive the vehicle. And I think Nas and Jay are both comfortable in their own skin. Comfortable enough, that neither wants to risk being the passenger.

But we can always wonder.

My Old Man Is In this Movie

2011-08-12T12:30:00.003-05:00

True story...

About him being in the movie. The story in the movie is not true.

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Music Review: Watch the Throne

2011-08-12T12:04:00.008-05:00

Hip-Hop had been waiting for something like this. Waiting for a game-changing classic album reminiscent of the golden area in a day and age of new-generation Hip-Hop dominated by rappers doubling as auto-tune singers. Watch the Throne had so much promise. A bona-fide legend in the game in Jay-Z and one of the most talented Hip-Hop artists from the last decade in Kanye West.

Two guys who know each other. Like each other. And respect each other. Had Watch the Throne been executed correctly, we could be dissecting a modern day Hip-Hop classic. But, artists choose different directions and make decisions that maybe the fans aren't as appreciative of. Here's a peak at the album we got:

Throne starts off with "No Church in the Wild," an examination of religion and philosophy. "What's a God to a none-believer, who don't believe in anything?" Despite the animalistic "wild" noises at various points in the song, "Now Church in the Wild" has some of the best replay value on the album. A smooth Frank Ocean chorus goes a long way for this track as well.

You had to know that a collaboration album between Kanye West (Beyonce fan) and Jay-Z (Beyonce's husband) was going to feature Beyonce Knowles at some point. That point came less than five minutes into the project with Throne's second song, "Lift Off." I hated this song at first. But to be honest, it's grown on me a little bit. However, that still doesn't mean it belongs on this LP.

"Ni**as in Paris" is your stereotypical Hip-Hop track in the new millennium. Simplistic lyrics about "ballin" spit over a debatably catchy beat. This is the first skip for me. I like the idea of "Otis" on the surface. Solid track, I just wish the Otis Redding sample wasn't blaring throughout the whole song. Also, I hope when Jay proclaims "I got my swagger back" that the distortion is on purpose, because if it's not: it's the first but not the last example of sloppy mixing on Throne. Anyway, whether the distortion is deliberate or not is really irrelevant; it needs to go.

I can put up with "Gotta Have It" depending on my mood. It's not a particularly long song, and to be honest, there's not a lot to report on it. It's just kind of there. It's immediately followed by "New Day," which to me, has the best substance of any song on the album. Hov and Ye break down their thoughts on raising their future unborn children, which Jay handles like a master. Kanye though still finds a way to make it narcissistic, "And I'll never let him ever hit the telethon, I mean even if people dyin' and the world ends." But hey, that's why we like him.

"That's My Bitch" is pretty self-explanatory. This song bangs in the car. I'm not a big fan of the chorus, but I like how Kanye adapts his flow to the instrumental on this track. My knock on it though is just like most of the songs on the album, it takes too long to hear Jay-Z; this is his album too right?

Swizz beatz put it down for "Welcome to the Jungle." I love the loop and the piano instrumentation. "Why I pray so hard? This is crazy god, just when I thought I had everything I lost it all." I like how Jay and Ye split verses on this track. It's the first time on Throne the two emcees actually tag-teamed verses; you know a real fundamental Hip-Hop technique. Whatever, only took 8 songs in.

"Who Gon Stop Me" has the most outstanding opening instrumental on the album. Powerful. Heavy. Nothing subtle. The thing is a beast. I loved it 2 minutes in. I hated it after. I'll be the first to appreciate a legitimate beat-swap in the middle of a song; but in the case of "Who Gon Stop Me" we swapped the best beat on the album for the most convoluted and unfinished on the album. It ruined the song for me. And it's funny too, because on the very next song we hear perfect execution of the in-song beat-swap. "Murder to Excellence" plays more like two songs. The beginning; the dark side of the black community, the ending; the good.

Frank Ocean makes a return appearance on "Made in America" and supplies another smooth chorus. This is a retrospective for Kanye and Jay. Kanye focused more on the beginning of his career. Jay the beginning of his childhood to his adolescence. The last song before the deluxe portion of the LP is the epic "Why I Love You." Both rappers lyrically touch on the situations they have with former friends who have become foes. "The circle got smaller, the castle got bigger, the walls got taller, and truth be told after all that said, ni**as still got love for ya." This is actually my favorite song on the album. Kanye and Jay split the second and third verses; and for maybe the first time on the whole album, actually sound comfortable sharing the stage.

The deluxe version contains four more tracks, "Illest Motherf**ker Alive," "H.A.M," "Primetime," and "The Joy." Two of which have been out for almost a year. Front to back, the album is solid. It's an album that certainly isn't going to blow you away. But the more you listen to it, the more it can grow on you. I just hate that it sounded more like a Kanye album featuring Jay-Z. It's almost unheard of in Hip-Hop, but I think Jay let Kanye take the lead on Throne to stroke West's ego. And if you value true Hip-Hop, that's almost as unheard of as it is unforgivable.

How does Throne stack up to Jay and Ye's last two projects? Well, Dark Twisted Fantasy is light years ahead of Throne from both an artistic and quality standpoint. And I believe for your money you'll get more compensation out of Blueprint 3 as well. As strange as it may sound; I like Jay-Z, I like Kanye West, I don't like them together.

OVERALL GRADE: C+

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Funny Clip Friday (8/12/11)

2011-08-12T10:45:00.002-05:00

In honor of the war between Barstoolsports.com and WEEI regarding the naked picture of TFB's kid...

A mediator puts some perspective on this insanity...

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Now We Add a Jet

2011-08-07T21:48:00.005-05:00

Lifetime New York Jet Defensive End Shaun Ellis is packing his bags for Foxboro. How do you like that Captain Toe-Jam? You can bring in all the names you want this offseason, we'll just keep bringing in the vets that will help us get our mojo back. Haynesworth? Malcontent? Sure. In the past. That ish won't fly with BB. You can count on that. Ochocinco? Loadmouth? Maybe in the past. Now? Model citizen. He's been tweeting the last week about being in Heaven. And with pictures like the one below, who can blame him?

Now you're telling me the Pats are adding an 11 year vet who's made Pro-Bowls and sacked guys over 70 times in his career? I'll take it. Oh, and he knows the ins and outs of Colonel Foot Licker's defense? Sign me up, baby. It's moves like this that prove again and again; Bill Belichick is the master and his haters are just jealous their teams don't have a guru coach who is a God among men.

I'm not gonna call the Pats Super Bowl Champs yet but I'm not betting against them. That's for damn sure.

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Sneak Peak: Deandre Jordan FA Profile

2011-08-07T18:55:00.005-05:00

Back on the scene with my 85percentsports Free Agent profiles. If you get a chance, check out some of the other links on that site. We have a whole new look and feel that gives a really professional approach. Here's a look at this recent profile:

"Deandre could get anywhere from $6-10 million dollars a year over 4 or 5 years. Problem is, for a player who's still relatively unproven with a handful of weakness, that might be a slight over-payment depending on where he falls into that 6 to 10 range. Since he's a restricted free agent, Los Angeles has the right to match any offer he gets from another team. Knowing that, you have to figure that the Clippers will at minimum match anything up to the MLE."

You can check out the full profile HERE.

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Mic Tea (8/07/11)

2011-08-07T17:21:00.004-05:00

Tyler and Mike share stories from their Florida vacation outside of Tampa; which includes but is not limited to heckling and a stalker, the guys compare the Hall of Fame speeches of Deion Sanders and Shannon Sharpe, and they give their fantasy football picks and sleepers. Plus, your calls and comments!

Don't forget to "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter.

And check out today's episode below:

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Mic Tea (7/31/11)

2011-08-07T14:53:00.002-05:00

This week Tyler and Mike review the crazy week it was with NFL offseason moves, Mike shares his late night hornet extermination story, the guys debate the best and worst commissioners in professional sports, and of course; a new installment of “Things A New York Cabbie Says.”

Yes, I understand that I'm late on sharing this. But I was vacationing in Florida for a week. Sorry, I was getting my tan. And now I'm peeling like it's my job.

Anyway, listen to the show HERE.

I'll be back in a couple hours with a link to today's episode.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Deion or Shannon?

2011-08-07T13:21:00.003-05:00

I thought both of these Hall of Fame speeches were really emotional and outstanding in their own right. Which did you enjoy more?

Deion or Shannon?

Shannon Sharpe

VS

Deion Sanders

Hard for me to decide to be honest. I thought Deion had more showmanship; which I wouldn't have had any other way.

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Funny Clip Friday (Saturday) (8/06/11)

2011-08-06T10:25:00.001-05:00

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How Do You Stop 85?

2011-07-29T01:55:00.004-05:00

I gotta tell ya, I think I might be more excited about the Pats trading for Chad Ochocinco than I was when they traded for Randy Moss. All things considered, Moss was a better player when he got traded to NE, but I've always been a fan of Chad. And now, he's finally playing for the right team.

Oh yeah...and they got Albert Haynesworth too... What a day to be a Pats fan.

Child Please.

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34

Funny Clip Friday (7/29/11)

2011-07-29T01:27:00.000-05:00

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She Wasn't Always a Disaster

2011-07-27T13:05:00.006-05:00

We had a little fun at Amy Winehouse's expense this week on Mic Tea. And to be honest, I felt a little bad about it after because I'll admit that I've been a fan of hers. Here's a little reminder that once upon a time this girl was raw talent.

I'll say it....she was kinda hot when she had some meat to her too.

RIP

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Twitter.com/MikeFay34