Malik
(10/11/10)
This was an interesting
weekend. I saw, on Sunday, the Seahawks start the day in a three way
tie for the top of the NFC West. By 1PM, the Seahawks were in a two
way tie for first. By 4:30, the Seahawks were bumped down to second
without ever touching the ball...more so, they fell in the standings
by Arizona somehow beating the Saints by 10! Considering next Sunday
the Seahawks are playing in Chicago, it's safe to say their
standings will not be helped any.
However, even if Seattle
cannot win on the road, I'm still hyped for the game. I mean Seattle
can finally try out Marshawn Lynch, and I think some nice surprises
may be in store with a back of his amazing potential and skill.
Beast Mode is going to be unleashed. At least that should be the
plan. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if Pete Carroll continues to
use Justin Forsett as the starting back...which would be nothing
better than a mistake.
Don't get me wrong;
Forsett is an awesome back. However, he's small and agile, unlike
Lynch who is just a, well, Beast. Forsett needs lanes to run
through, while Lynch will make lanes out of the corpses of his
opposition. Sadly, Forsett is wasted in Seattle since no one on the
line seems to understand how to do any blocking for the run game.
Until blocking becomes a reality, Forsett is not a good starter.
He's a great player, but he's not getting the team to support him in
ways that he needs.
At least the other side
of the "football" word is looking good right now. The Sounders FC
scored a second consecutive playoff spot. Two years in the
post-season with only two years of MLS play. Add in two consecutive
US Open Cups, and it's easy to see why Seattle can get behind the
Sounders FC so easily. They are the only real home team (not
counting the Storm...but the sad reality for WNBA fans is that no
one counts them for much, and Seattle sure doesn't like anything
with the three consecutive letters of N-B-A) that seems to put in
solid effort on all fronts on any given day. The Seahawks quit if
their on the road and the Mariners have just quit for the last
decade.
On a final different
subject for the day, I have to say something about Rock Band. With
RB3 due out in just over two weeks, I've started to pay some
attention to DLC again. I've ignored DLC almost entirely since the
spring. I've just been too poor for it lately.
Well, I am getting
pretty excited and hyped with what Harmonix has been cranking out.
The last few months have seen a nice dose of REM, Bob Marley,
Stooges, Bad Religion, and tomorrow finds more Hendrix! As long as
Harmonix keeps this going with pro-charts and three part singing
when RB3 comes along, I am more than ready to devote my life, once
again, to the awesome time suck that is Rock Band.
Malik |
Malik
(10/12/10)
In the time of bad
economies, one cannot help but wonder about the conversion rates of
other types of commodities, beyond money. For example, comic books
are dropping lately in value, as are sports cards and other
memorabilia. Of course, some games go up in price each year, as
games like Suikoden 2 become more rare and harder to find someone
parting with them.
In football, a
first round draft pick, put in the bank, loses a bit of value over
the years. I mean it only takes about
half a decade for a first round pick to turn into a fourth round.
Yes, after Seattle gave a first round pick to the Patriots in 2006,
Deion Branch is going back to Tom Brady for only a fourth round
pick. Still, it's not too bad of a deal since Seattle has another
Deon/Deion or two in the wings at all times. This year, Seattle has
the much more amazing (and less expensive) Butler to fill in for
passes in the field.
Considering how
Branch didn't pan out in Seattle (two or so years of major injuries
doesn't help anyone's stats), it's obvious Branch cannot stay.
Seattle, for once, has an amazing corps of receivers in Butler,
Golden Tate, Mike Williams, and can get some receptions from
Carlson, Robinson, and Obomanu. Branch was just an extra in this
very busy depth chart. Plus, this brings in a new fourth round pick
to replace the one traded for Marshawn Lynch.
Hopefully, since
he was a good guy when he wasn't the best of players, Branch can
find his groove again with Brady and the team he did get a Super
Bowl MVP while playing with.
Malik |