Monday Morning Mehta 6/27/05
Edition # 124
June 27, 2005
Next MMM: July 25th, 2005
www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com
Phillies/MLB
After a 1-5 homestand which followed a 2-4 roadtrip, the Phillies have completely taken any positive momentum created by their 12-1 homestand and flushed it down the toilet. They've dropped into 4th place in the division and the wheels are spinning off.
- If Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell don't hit, this team isn't driving in any runs. They both struggled mightily in the homestand minus big games yesterday. Thome, Mike Lieberthal, David Bell, just can't get the job done. Chase Utley has been decent but hasn't had many people to drive in.
- If you saw the game yesterday, the usually hustling Pat Burrell watched his fly ball hit the wall instead of busting it out of the plate. A single instead of a double may have cost the Phils a run. I have to give Burrell props for diving for an out late in Saturday's blowout loss though.
- The Phils cannot beat teams in their own division. A 13-20 record is pathetic. Mets and Braves this week.
- Brett Myers has come down to Earth in a big way. He's been shelled in his last two starts.
- Jon Lieber's ERA is closing in on 5.00. Kevin Millwood disease.
- Ugy Urbina has been very shaky, but he should've been brought in the 8th to start the inning last night. The manager's looking like an idiot again.
MLB
Overall, I think it's becoming more and more obvious that parity is pretty much taken over baseball. Teams play well for a few weeks and fly up the charts. They then play badly for a few and fall drastically. It's a continual cycle, just look at the NL East, NL West, AL East, AL West. Somebody gets hot every other week in those divisions it seems like.
The two most consistent teams have been the White Sox and the Cards. The Orioles pitching is killing them, and I don't expect them to be a factor.
The Twins are surprisingly struggling. They Yankees are only 4 games out of a wild card spot believe it or not.
Two teams quietly playing good consistent baseball are the Tigers and Indians.
Not so quietly are the LA Angels of Anaheim. They've opened up a big lead in the AL West which should be theirs the rest of the way.
Member when the Dodgers started off so hot? They're now 35-40, looking for hitting anywhere they can find it.
The most unwatchable team in baseball may be the SF Giants. The trade deadline will be a week after MMM's return, it will be interesting to see if Jason Schmidt is traded. Schmidt hasn't been himself for the most part but is finally getting some of his velocity back. If he's really healthy, someone could be getting a proven ace who is capable of winning 12 games in the 2nd half of the season.
As badly as they've played, I think the Astros can get right back into the wild card race in the next few weeks. Lance Berkman is hitting like he's healthy and ready to have a monster 2nd half. Expect the Astros to be big buyers at the trade deadline if they can sneak to .500 (7 games back right now).
British Open pick
St. Andrews is Tiger Woods favorite course in the world, it's tailor made for his game, and he should win and will be the heavy favorite. I picked Tiger to win the Masters so I won't repeat that. My pick of Phil Mickleson at the US Open was a disaster. He wasn't in contention after Friday's 77.
My pick at the Old Course will be Ernie Els, with a longshot pick going to Luke Donald. Els hasn't played well since March, but I think playing in Europe will rejuvenate him. Donald has played well all year, but winning a major will be tough. The "feel good" story could be Padraig Harrington, whose father is badly ill.
NHL Week in Review By: Ed Wasser
- The NBA just made the NHL look like complete fools by completing their CBA in a matter of weeks and not canceling a single game. The NBA had some serious issues to address but they were able to hammer out a deal, the NHL on the other hand can't get anything right. Now the NHL has Mario Lemuiex in the media saying that the players were stupid for not taking the deal in February and Jeremy Roenick saying that any fan that says the players are spoiled can kiss his a$$. That's the way to win the fans back!!
- The movie 'Rounders' has been airing on the Starz cable network this month. If you haven't seen 'Rounders' then you are living a woefully incomplete life. If you have seen 'Rounders' then you know that the movie is brilliant, yet flawed. Here are the top 4 problems with 'Rounders' that have kept it from a 'Caddyshack' -like level of perfection.
4.) Worm's tattoo - Worm, played by Ed Norton, gets out of jail and is picked up by his old buddy Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon. As they are driving Worm shows Mike his tattoo of an ace of spades on his forearm so "I've always got a ace up my sleeve". The problem is the tattoo, even by jailhouse standards, looks like it was drawn on by my 4 year old niece. No lie, I got cooler, more realistic looking ink for .25 cents in an Acme vending machine.
3.) Mike McDermott lets a horny Famke Janssen walk out his door - For those that don't know I actually worked on the movie 'Rounders'. In the not so distant past I did occasional acting work and when the movie 'Rounders' shot in Atlantic City, believe it or not, I was Matt Damon's stand in for 2 days. While I was working on the movie I was just standing around waiting for...I can't remember, it doesn't matter...and out of the corner of my eye I saw a vision, and I stared at that vision like I was Moses staring at the burning bush. The vision was Famke Janssen walking to the set. She is so stunningly beautiful in person that I wanted to kneel down in front of her and kiss her hand. So fast forward to the actually movie. Mike's girlfriend has moved out and he is left all alone in the apartment when Petra (Janssen) shows up. She tells him that Worm is essentially screwing him out of money and ruining his good name at his local poker lair, The Chesterfield. After Mike gives Petra $1000 to help stop his financial bleeding at The Chesterfield she comes over and starts to hook up with him. It's obvious that she wants a little horizontal hold 'em if you know what I mean. What does he do? He lets her leave. I'm sorry, that would be impossible. Any normal guy would have taken her up on her offer even if she had come by to tell you that your life savings was swindled by a teenage computer hacker...that can wait.
Best line of the movie. "In the poker game of life, women are the rake".
2.) Mike's apartment - Now granted this movie was filmed in 1997 and the rents in New York were a cheaper back then but I somehow doubt that a college kid, even with his girlfriend's help, who is no longer making money through poker playing can afford an apartment with rent that I'll estimate to be around $8000 a month. Ironically Mike's Manhattan apartment is bigger then the entire Caesar's Palace high roller poker room. Seems a tad hard to believe.
1.) John Malkovich's Russian accent - First of all I think John Malkovich is the most overrated actor to ever clutch a SAG card and his performance in 'Rounders' was another example why. His accent was so over the top and big it sounded like he was trying to clear his throat. In the final scene when Mike finally beats Teddy KGB Malkovich's ludicrous accent takes away from what could be one of the coolest scenes in any movie. "Pay dat man hees mahknee" (he said like he had a mouth full of flem). Awful, just awful.
Comments:
saurinmeht@aol.com
ewasser@hotmail.com
June 27, 2005
Next MMM: July 25th, 2005
www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com
Phillies/MLB
After a 1-5 homestand which followed a 2-4 roadtrip, the Phillies have completely taken any positive momentum created by their 12-1 homestand and flushed it down the toilet. They've dropped into 4th place in the division and the wheels are spinning off.
- If Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell don't hit, this team isn't driving in any runs. They both struggled mightily in the homestand minus big games yesterday. Thome, Mike Lieberthal, David Bell, just can't get the job done. Chase Utley has been decent but hasn't had many people to drive in.
- If you saw the game yesterday, the usually hustling Pat Burrell watched his fly ball hit the wall instead of busting it out of the plate. A single instead of a double may have cost the Phils a run. I have to give Burrell props for diving for an out late in Saturday's blowout loss though.
- The Phils cannot beat teams in their own division. A 13-20 record is pathetic. Mets and Braves this week.
- Brett Myers has come down to Earth in a big way. He's been shelled in his last two starts.
- Jon Lieber's ERA is closing in on 5.00. Kevin Millwood disease.
- Ugy Urbina has been very shaky, but he should've been brought in the 8th to start the inning last night. The manager's looking like an idiot again.
MLB
Overall, I think it's becoming more and more obvious that parity is pretty much taken over baseball. Teams play well for a few weeks and fly up the charts. They then play badly for a few and fall drastically. It's a continual cycle, just look at the NL East, NL West, AL East, AL West. Somebody gets hot every other week in those divisions it seems like.
The two most consistent teams have been the White Sox and the Cards. The Orioles pitching is killing them, and I don't expect them to be a factor.
The Twins are surprisingly struggling. They Yankees are only 4 games out of a wild card spot believe it or not.
Two teams quietly playing good consistent baseball are the Tigers and Indians.
Not so quietly are the LA Angels of Anaheim. They've opened up a big lead in the AL West which should be theirs the rest of the way.
Member when the Dodgers started off so hot? They're now 35-40, looking for hitting anywhere they can find it.
The most unwatchable team in baseball may be the SF Giants. The trade deadline will be a week after MMM's return, it will be interesting to see if Jason Schmidt is traded. Schmidt hasn't been himself for the most part but is finally getting some of his velocity back. If he's really healthy, someone could be getting a proven ace who is capable of winning 12 games in the 2nd half of the season.
As badly as they've played, I think the Astros can get right back into the wild card race in the next few weeks. Lance Berkman is hitting like he's healthy and ready to have a monster 2nd half. Expect the Astros to be big buyers at the trade deadline if they can sneak to .500 (7 games back right now).
British Open pick
St. Andrews is Tiger Woods favorite course in the world, it's tailor made for his game, and he should win and will be the heavy favorite. I picked Tiger to win the Masters so I won't repeat that. My pick of Phil Mickleson at the US Open was a disaster. He wasn't in contention after Friday's 77.
My pick at the Old Course will be Ernie Els, with a longshot pick going to Luke Donald. Els hasn't played well since March, but I think playing in Europe will rejuvenate him. Donald has played well all year, but winning a major will be tough. The "feel good" story could be Padraig Harrington, whose father is badly ill.
NHL Week in Review By: Ed Wasser
- The NBA just made the NHL look like complete fools by completing their CBA in a matter of weeks and not canceling a single game. The NBA had some serious issues to address but they were able to hammer out a deal, the NHL on the other hand can't get anything right. Now the NHL has Mario Lemuiex in the media saying that the players were stupid for not taking the deal in February and Jeremy Roenick saying that any fan that says the players are spoiled can kiss his a$$. That's the way to win the fans back!!
- The movie 'Rounders' has been airing on the Starz cable network this month. If you haven't seen 'Rounders' then you are living a woefully incomplete life. If you have seen 'Rounders' then you know that the movie is brilliant, yet flawed. Here are the top 4 problems with 'Rounders' that have kept it from a 'Caddyshack' -like level of perfection.
4.) Worm's tattoo - Worm, played by Ed Norton, gets out of jail and is picked up by his old buddy Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon. As they are driving Worm shows Mike his tattoo of an ace of spades on his forearm so "I've always got a ace up my sleeve". The problem is the tattoo, even by jailhouse standards, looks like it was drawn on by my 4 year old niece. No lie, I got cooler, more realistic looking ink for .25 cents in an Acme vending machine.
3.) Mike McDermott lets a horny Famke Janssen walk out his door - For those that don't know I actually worked on the movie 'Rounders'. In the not so distant past I did occasional acting work and when the movie 'Rounders' shot in Atlantic City, believe it or not, I was Matt Damon's stand in for 2 days. While I was working on the movie I was just standing around waiting for...I can't remember, it doesn't matter...and out of the corner of my eye I saw a vision, and I stared at that vision like I was Moses staring at the burning bush. The vision was Famke Janssen walking to the set. She is so stunningly beautiful in person that I wanted to kneel down in front of her and kiss her hand. So fast forward to the actually movie. Mike's girlfriend has moved out and he is left all alone in the apartment when Petra (Janssen) shows up. She tells him that Worm is essentially screwing him out of money and ruining his good name at his local poker lair, The Chesterfield. After Mike gives Petra $1000 to help stop his financial bleeding at The Chesterfield she comes over and starts to hook up with him. It's obvious that she wants a little horizontal hold 'em if you know what I mean. What does he do? He lets her leave. I'm sorry, that would be impossible. Any normal guy would have taken her up on her offer even if she had come by to tell you that your life savings was swindled by a teenage computer hacker...that can wait.
Best line of the movie. "In the poker game of life, women are the rake".
2.) Mike's apartment - Now granted this movie was filmed in 1997 and the rents in New York were a cheaper back then but I somehow doubt that a college kid, even with his girlfriend's help, who is no longer making money through poker playing can afford an apartment with rent that I'll estimate to be around $8000 a month. Ironically Mike's Manhattan apartment is bigger then the entire Caesar's Palace high roller poker room. Seems a tad hard to believe.
1.) John Malkovich's Russian accent - First of all I think John Malkovich is the most overrated actor to ever clutch a SAG card and his performance in 'Rounders' was another example why. His accent was so over the top and big it sounded like he was trying to clear his throat. In the final scene when Mike finally beats Teddy KGB Malkovich's ludicrous accent takes away from what could be one of the coolest scenes in any movie. "Pay dat man hees mahknee" (he said like he had a mouth full of flem). Awful, just awful.
Comments:
saurinmeht@aol.com
ewasser@hotmail.com
posted by Monday Morning Mehta at 10:12 AM
4 Comments:
I agree that Expos can't continue their blistering pace. I also think the Colt .45's will eventually trade Roger Clemmens to the Seattle Pilots. Those Milwaukee Braves will just not go away. They are the kings.
Ed Wasser
"TO will push you into an oncoming subway it he thought it would help him win a tiddlywinks tournament."
You may be right FT, but the same could be said about Peyton Manning whose considered the best QB. Jury's still out on McNabb that's for sure. No Super Bowl and he's not a great by any means.
TO would push you in front of a subway to win a tiddlywinks tournament but he won't accept a check for a measly $437,000 per game to play a football game? You would think a guy with such unabashed killer instinct would play for free? Believe me he would only push you in front of that subway to win if he thought it would somehow benefit him finanacially or embarrass someone.
Ed Wasser
The Seattle Pilots were in the league one year then moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers. Read the book Ball Four by Jim Bouton. He played for the Pilots and the book is hysterical.
TO and Rosenhaus were depending on Philly fans going ape sh*t and demanding the Birds give TO more money. They had no idea that the fans would turn on TO like that. It was a grave miscalculation. TO could have had his mug on every billboard in Philly if they had played their cards right. Not now and never again.
E.W.
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