Happy Birthday, Bryan

If watching soccer has become the cool thing to do, how great is it to have a birthday during the heart of the World Cup??? We turn to BS for the answer.

With recent FB statuses , "the yanks are coming" and "Landon, you complete me", Bryan is about as hip as it gets. He has sported his Donovan jersey downtown and introduced many of us to the Beer Monster. Pretty cool. He has repeatedly attempted to convince us to like, I mean, watch soccer. While he been unsuccessful in doing so, his ability to fight the good fight is only one of the many of the things which endear him to us.

I couldn't tell the difference between Daniel Hurley and Schiv my first few years at BC. Luckily, Daniel has his head shaved now and Bryan continues to wear his hair perfectly messy. Trips to Christy's now come only 3 times per year: Christmas, the week before Cowboy Ball, and March 16th. Senior year at BC, Bryan began to blossom with teacher feuds, the microphone at basketball games, and being one of the only 4 people at BC football games. He was one of the lucky few to be in the same JROTC class as Chris Collins, Logan Beytagh, and a handful of other fine cadets which made that class my favorite of all during high school. Later, Bryan would go on to join the Mouse and myself in my favorite college class. Our field trip across Georgia the day after St. Patrick's Day remains the least favorite memory of my college life.

Contrary to popular belief, the ability to make Shane look like an idiot is not the only reason I like Bryan. For the last year, Schiv has hounded us about giving the World Cup a chance. He thinks it is the best and has given us many reasons to watch us. Luckily, this has only been going on for a year. Since Bryan's freshman year at Georgia, he has fought a similar fight with Benedictine. The Order heard way more BC stories than I'm sure they cared to hear. Many go away to college, become important, and return only at St. Patrick's Day to show their new friends how cool the parade is. Bryan went away, became important, but never became that guy, instead choosing to hang out at Rue Bourbon for the better half of a decade with KA's and Savannah people alike. Most of the guys he's brought to Savannah have been a lot cooler than him anyways.

Career highlights for Schiv include multiple intramural tennis and soccer championships, a 3 on 3 football championship, an 03/04 basketball championship, and Katie Crider. Besides these things, Bryan has studied politics for six years now and is one of the best people I know to talk politics with. He's educated and aware enough to know that people's different experiences allow for different feelings in the both. Most importantly, he can discuss important issues without talking down to you. Such a thing is quite refreshing in this current political climate. For all these things and for all the fun times we've had which are too hot for OIA, I say, Happy Birthday, Schiv.

Happy Father's Day

I'd say we are all pretty blessed when it comes to the Dad department. Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.

13 days till the housewarming/July 3rd extravaganza at 1011 2nd avenue...

$13,050,826,460,886.97

Ric Flair vs. Cristiano Ronaldo

In response to Weazle's comment comparing wrestling to soccer, with two names in particular, I have decided to do a comparison that I believe is fair and just.

Ric Flair vs. Cristiano Ronaldo

Height/Weight

Flair: 6'1" 245 lbs.

Ronaldo: 6'1'' 165 lbs.

Winner: Ric Flair (Bigger's not always better but in this case it is- that's what she said)

Sport

Flair: Professional Wrestling

Ronaldo: soccer

Winner: Ric Flair (Wrestler's don't just run around kicking a ball; stifle your sexual insecurities some time and watch it- you'll see the big difference)

Sports Background

Flair: State Amateur Wrestling Champion; Played College Football at the University of Minnesota

Ronaldo: Played soccer all his life

Winner: Ric Flair (Flair's more diverse and has played tougher sports)

Nicknames

Flair: Nature Boy, Slic' Ric, Space Mountain

Ronaldo: Ronnie, Rocket Ronaldo, CR7

Winner: Ric Flair (Ronaldo's nicknames show zero creativity)

Hometown

Flair: Charlotte, North Carolina

Ronaldo: Funchal, Madeira

Winner: Ric Flair (Easy choice- Charlotte is in the USA, the greatest country EVER; I have no idea where the f*** Funchal is and I didn't think it was worth my time to look it up)

Worst Injury Suffered

Flair: Broken Back at the age of 26 after surviving an airplane crash in 1975- doctors said he would never wrestle again; 35 years later he's still the man.

Ronaldo: Sprained Ankle from getting kicked in the shin October 2009; out for a month and returned to play in Novemeber 2009

Winner: Ric Flair (There's not a shin guard big enough to protect Ronaldo in a plane crash)

Drink of Choice

Flair: Kamakazi

Ronaldo: Juicebox (orange flavor)

Winner: Ric Flair (Bourbon St. doesn't have $1 juiceboxes)

World Championships

Flair: 16

Ronaldo: 9

Winner: Ric Flair (You do the math: 16>9)

Female Sexual Partners

Flair: 4,000 (In 1986 alone)

Ronaldo: 3,000

Winner: Ric Flair (These numbers are just rough estimates based on research)

Supports Gay Marriage

Ric Flair: No

Ronaldo: Yes

Winner: Ric Flair (Homosexuality is a sin, it's in the Bible; I don't make the rules, God does)

Hall of Famer

Ric Flair: Yes- Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008

Renaldo: No

Winner: Ric Flair (Once again simple answer- one's a legend as voted on by his peers, the other is not)

Biggest Moment

Ric Flair: Beating Harley Race for his 2nd NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a Steel Cage at Starrcade '83: A Flair for the Gold

Ronaldo: Winking at Wayne Rooney in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals

Winner: Ric Flair (Harley Race is one of the toughest SOB's to ever walk God's green earth; he would never wink at an opponent, he'd just kick their ass)

Last but certainly not least...

Interviews

Based on their mic skills, who would you pay money or flip the channel to watch? Be honest with yourself.

So there you have it. Ric Flair stands victorious once again. Was there ever any doubt? I say no. What say you?

Arthur's Basement

Thank God Arthur is here to curb the talk about this so called "world's sport."

Keeping Up My End of the Deal

I am ashamed to admit that I did watch part of the USA-England soccer match-up yesterday. As Pmac and my self waited to kick some guys' asses in racquetball, we played a game of pool in our apartment complex's lounge area. They had a big screen tv in there with the game on and I didn't know how to change the channel. The result: I hate soccer more today than yesterday. How can you have a game on "the world's biggest stage" end in a tie. Horseshit. I need a clear cut winner. I need some kind of payoff for putting up with that shit even for just the 15 minutes I watched it. Now I know we see ties in other sports on the rarest of rare occasions but come on. Would the NFL let the Super Bowl end in a tie? Would Major League Baseball have Game 7 of the World Series end in a tie? What about golf? Two guys finish tied for the lead after 18 Sunday at the Masters. Let's go to a playoff. No screw it let's just give them both a green jacket. Wow. Great sport you have there world. You can keep it. Not to mention soccer is the ONLY thing England would have a chance at competing with the US when it comes to "sports." I use that term very loosely in this case. Why even watch a "sport" where France has one of the better teams. Everybody knows France is a bitch of a country. Remember WWI and WWII. Fine Barstool. Wear your Donovan jersey and cheer the USA. I get that. However please, please don't tell me ever again that I should watch soccer or that it is a real sport. You stick with your futbol, I'll take my football any day of the week and twice on Sunday because 1) it's more exciting (huge understatement), 2) there's a winner, and 3) the USA would beat the holy hell out of anyone. I could go on for days but I'll cut it there.




My apologies for missing Wednesday...

World Cup Update

2 games= 3 hours, 2 goals, 2 ties.

Here's to hoping it picks up tomorrow...

CPC might not see the sun anymore but he knew what he was doing. On top of that, the Trojans will start playing real teams during the regular season in a few years.

Dawgs and B Street does a great job of keeping up with the recruiting scene and will probably have more. But Nick Marshall, the best athlete in the state, committed to Georgia tonight. The Wilcox Co. QB is big, fast, and has great instincts. However, according to his high school coach he will play CB at Georgia despite Scout having him as the 9th best QB in the country. By not being a QB, getting his signature might mean just as much for the basketball program. Many consider him an above average basketball prospect and his presence won't cost CMF a scholarship. Thats like getting a walk-on who tuned down a scholarship to a similar school. As CMR and CMF tag team, the days of Tim Jennings seem to be over as every corner commited in this class is over 6 feet tall. I wouldn't be shocked to see him in the QB discussion at some point if Murray doesn't develop or Lemay doesn't follow through on his commitment. Many have tried pulling off 2 sports and have failed in one fashion or another but this kid seems to have a legitimate shot at both. However it works out, you don't see this kind of athlete come along to often and could be the biggest get for Georgia athletics since Stafford.

You might not like him, but I do...

Last Georgia Softball Post...

because they play Florida tonight. You can take a pretty good guess on how that will work out and he's sick and tired of it:

Why Not?

Yes, this is how I choose to spend my Friday night: live-blogging softball. Let's see how this goes.

-- I may not be rocking and rolling in Athens like Patrick and Rick, but I guess this is the next best thing. Watching Georgia athletics and having a Terrapin or two should make it feel a little like Athens tonight.

-- You'd think Georgia would have it pretty easy after handling the best player in the country last night, but it looks like Tennessee's pitcher is going to be at least as tough tonight. She shut out Arizona, which scores like 8 runs a game, yesterday and shut Georgia down in the SEC tournament.

-- McCloud looked like Georgia's third-best pitcher last night, but what do I know? She's starting again.

-- Savannahian Watch: Dotson pops out on the first pitch, and a ridiculously easy first inning for Georgia. Again, what do I know?

-- It makes me feel really old when the announcers talk about college athletes who "grew up watching" sporting events that happened in 2005.

-- Evidence that these softball teams must be really quotable: One analyst's favorite quote of the week was "It's anyone's game."

-- Georgia puts two on with one out and gets nothing. The way Renfroe has been pitching for Tennessee, that really hurts.

-- And John Wooden just died, so I'm breaking news in here, too, tonight. Does this make Mark Fox the world's greatest living basketball coach now? I'm not sure if that sentence was in poor taste or not.

-- Actually, play-by-play announcer, it probably is a coincidence that the school at which Wooden coached has more national championships in all sports than any other school. His titles helped, I'm sure, but unless he invented water polo and volleyball, it is a total coincidence.

-- Quick hook for McCloud: a walk and two wild pitches to start the second.

-- Not good. Tennessee up 1-0 on another wild pitch/passed ball, this one from Arevalo. Then an infield single and a ball off the pitcher's glove. Then a hit batter. Oh boy.

-- Another run on another wild pitch, and they get out of it. Tennessee up 2-0.

-- That shot of the body-painted Georgia students gave me a thought: Do we have any evidence that JJH4 isn't actually in Oklahoma City right now?

-- Georgia catches a break of its own with a single on a dribbler....Dramatic strikeout call there, ump....Second and third, top of the order up, runner thrown out trying to score on a wild pitch...and, another rough half-inning.

-- Savannahian/Control-Problem Watch: Dotson hit by a pitch to lead off the third...A bunt single, and another pitching change. Ugly start, to say the least...Owen, the third pitcher, hits somebody herself. This is unbelievable.

-- Next pitch grand slam. Now that was unbelievable.

-- So it's 6-0 now with Georgia coming up in the third, and I'm not sure they've got a fourth pitcher they can go to if need be. And the announcers are right: getting thrown out at home with Schlopy up was brutal.

-- Nothing is going Georgia's way right now. Goler smokes one right to the center fielder. It's not crazy to start thinking about the run rule at this point. Not being cynical. That's just how this sport works.

-- Savannahian/Run-Rule Watch: Dotson singles and goes to second on an error after a lead-off triple. 7-0. She's stranded at third.

-- Maybe this is nitpicking, but play-by-play announcer, every SEC school that plays softball can take recruits to a big stadium on fall Saturdays and then show them the softball facilities. Then again, maybe high school girls are just really into checkerboard end zones.

-- Georgia loads them and scores on an infield single, but that's it. And yeah, that might be it for Georgia, too. That's seven stranded runners that come immediately to mind.

-- I didn't know John Wooden had such a profound effect on the sport of softball. Let me be clear: I'm not trying to disrespect someone on the night he died, but these people don't have to try so hard to make an event like that central to their Friday-night softball telecast.

-- And it's still 7-1 going into the bottom of the fifth. It's hard to imagine Georgia is going to get many more chances like the ones they've had.

-- A rare strikeout for Goler on a questionable call, but Wiggins eventually comes around on an error. It seems like everything Georgia does is with two outs, and another strikeout ends the fifth. 7-2.

-- I can't wait for the complaints tomorrow about how long this post is.

-- Savannahian Watch, Pt. 4: Dotson slaps her way on with one out, but no damage done. You've got to give Owens credit. She's done a hell of a job outside of one pitch. That was one massive pitch, but still.

-- Not much to say about the sixth. Georgia gets one on, but with two outs and it's still 7-2. Two-three-four due up in the seventh, at least, if Owens holds here.

-- Nice double play to get out of the seventh with two on. It's easy to play the what-if game in any situation, but it's hard to believe this thing is one pitch away from being 3-2.

-- At least they didn't wait for two outs to get a couple runners on, and a three-run homer to make it 7-5.

-- Hesson follows with a one-out single, but Renfroe gets the next two. Just wasted too many chances the first few innings, even with that disastrous wild-pitch fest earlier.

-- The loser's bracket scenario is almost impossible. Win tomorrow and twice on Sunday to make the final. I've got no idea who's playing who, because the NCAA's bracket and the other stuff I'm reading don't match up.

-- I thought about typing some more filler to get it over with and make this post take up the whole page. But I'll just end it here. Just know that this was as fun for me to write as it was painful for you to read Saturday afternoon. 10-6.

Top Five Friday: Saturday Afternoon in Stick's Town

1. Everyone should know by now that the Georgia games against South Carolina and Arkansas are going to have brutal noon kickoffs in September. Seeing as Rick has the deed to Columbia, I'm thinking he should have no problem getting the first one moved up a few hours. If not, at least Aaron Murray's first SEC game won't be at night and on the road.

2. I'm sure y'all stayed up for the softball game last night. Another late start tonight against the Fightin' Dotsons. I'm thinking about a live blog, but I'm worried I'll run out of steam after about two innings.

3. Speaking of live blogs, I've gotten a little World Cup fever this week. It all started with Joe Posnanski's great profile of Landon Donovan in Sports Illustrated. Not a bad few weeks here with the World Cup along with the NBA Finals, college baseball and the Braves looking like the '27 Yankees.

4. I don't know what this is supposed to be, but I love it.

5. A great music year for me (new DBT, Hold Steady, The National, Gaslight Anthem, Jack White) gets better with a new Ryan Bingham record due this fall.

And on the subject of Ryan Bingham, I can't post the song of the century too many times:

Slic's Friday Haiku: Classic City Bound

Back to Bourbon Street

Lovely lady by my side

Go to hell Barstool.

Wooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great weekend everyone.

Arthur's Basement

Slick Williams

I heard inquiring minds wanted to know who Slick Williams is. (May need to turn your volume up)

WCWS Central

Keeping everyone up to date:

Georgia will take on the defending Nat'l Champ Washington Huskies on Thursday at 9:30. Danielle Lawrie will be "in the circle" for the west coast power and is the best pitcher in the country. I don't know if she's a 5 or an 8 and I don't know if I'd go black or blonde?

Georgia had its season ended by the Huskies last year but was the only team to defeat Washington in OKC last year. Here is the bracket so you can set your weekend plans. Dotson and Tennessee play at 7 on Thurs and could play Georgia in round 2.

And the Braves are in 1st place like I predicted here.

C U N OKC

Also, Message boards become a little less crowded.

Arthur's Basement

The Big 26

Dear Barry,

Happy Birthday.

Love,
The Guys at OIA

Hodgepodge (World Cup post Edition**)

NBA Playoffs are more exciting than the World Cup**. Here are a couple predictions.

- Boston will beat the Lakers in 7.

- After the Lakers lose, Phil Jackson will be tempted to retire until Lebron decides to go to the Bulls. Phil Jackson will reunite with the Bulls and will win 6 more championships before retiring.

- The Hawks will not be as good as they were in the past two-three season for a long time.

- Happy Beach Bum. Can't wait to talk to Barstool about how stupid the World Cup is. The World Cup is cooler than root canals but not as cool as 'The Nutcracker'.**

**Required World Cup Post. (how many soccer posts do I need to make?)

Arthur's Basement

Sunday Thoughts

Yes, there are bears and celebrities alike on Tybee's beaches.

1: Congrats to Rick on the big win.

2: If you haven't heard the story about Bear and the bartender at Rooftop, ask Bear about it. If you have heard the story about Bear and the bartender at Rooftop, ask Bear about it.

3: The WBNA is starting again. I don't get why more people don't watch it. People say they don't watch the NBA because they don't play D, they sell out, and there's no offense and no need for a coach. So why not watch the WNBA? They appear to play defense, pass the ball well, run a team offense, and make mid-range jumpers. You get to see "the game being played the right way". At least Schwarz is honest; he just doesn't like the sport.

4: Bear, Peg, P Lowe's beach buddy, and A Jones went to Sandfly Bar and Grill. George Bunger was there in an XS Country Day Football shirt. He was running around and groping people. Awesome. Oh yeah, that's where I watched Georgia beat Tech last year. 30-24.

5: 5 days till Beach Bum

Top Five Friday: Christmas Morning For Skip Bayless

1. That Cavs-Celtics series has produced countless examples of maybe my least-favorite thing in sports, when people decide who's a “winner” and who's not.

Maybe I'm in the tank for LeBron. I don't know. But the guy busts his ass for the second straight year to get the best record in the East, loses to a significantly more talented team in the playoffs and then a dude like Adrian Wojnarowski (who I actually like) says “he still doesn’t believe that winning championships takes a consuming, obsessive desire that borders on the maniacal.”

...as if that's all it takes to win a championship. You just have to want it more, man. Look, if you were going to play a pickup game between the Cavs and Celtics (or the Magic, for that matter), you'd pick LeBron first, then the other team's starting five, then maybe Varejao or Mo Williams. Having Shaq and Atawn Jamison would have been really helpful eight years ago. Jamison couldn't guard anybody that whole series.

Remember when Kobe was too selfish to win a championship? Remember when he didn't make his teammates better like Jordan did, and how they hated him instead of respecting him? Funny how he became a steely leader who made his teammates afraid to let him down once Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were all on his team.

Kobe Bryant is the same guy, the same player he was when the Lakers were the eighth seed in the West. He was great then, and he's great now. When LeBron starts winning titles, it'll be when he has a capable supporting cast, not when he develops “the heart of a champion” or whatever.

2. Not to harp on the Cavaliers thing, but this is really dumb.

3. More NBA news (Stic, can you feel the excitement?): The Hawks dumped Mike Woodson, which everyone saw coming. He did a nice job, all things considered, but it'd be nicer if the Hawks ran an offense next year. I have no idea what they're going to do to the roster, and I don't really see how they can improve if they let Joe Johnson leave.

4. Lots of sit-com talk around here lately. There aren't a ton of shows I watch with any regularity right now, but Parks and Recreation has to be the funniest thing on TV. Last night was top notch.

5. The National seem to be getting a lot of press for their new album. They were great on Letterman last night, and Bloodbuzz Ohio is really good.

Arthur's Basement

Top Five Saturday?

1. So I looked up the three acts SCAD booked for that graduation concert. It'll be fun if you go, regardless of what band is playing, but I will say that this made my decision to come to town for Beach Bum instead a whole lot easier.

2. Maybe you've already seen this, but Rick, you could play a zombie on AMC.

3. Spring sports ended for BC with a quarterfinal loss to Calhoun in soccer. To weigh in on this 5A/2A debate, I'll just say I place a big emphasis on competing against Savannah public schools and believe that always played a big part in BC being “the place to be.”

In order to make deep playoff runs and win state titles, you need a combination of great talent and luck, no matter the classification. Beating GAC or Blessed Trinity in AA/A soccer is just as difficult as beating Collins Hill or Houston County in 5A. In football, a Charlton County or Buford may be as hard to beat as Camden County or Stephenson.

I just feel that BC can be competitive to dominant across the board in a Savannah public school region, which makes the school attractive to potential students, and that it's kind of a crapshoot when you make the playoffs in every sport and every classification.

4. Ozzie's at it again: Watch that movie matador and you see big nuts man. Matador 9:09 PM May 3rd via txt.

This never gets old.

5. I haven't been too into the whole "dude with an acoustic guitar" thing lately, but this Joe Pug guy is doing something right.

Southerlaaaaaannnnnnnddddddddd!!!!!!!!!!

Anybody whose somebody is at Churchills. Happy pool day:)

Making Strides

Cappy was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. That's outstanding, considering Kirby made him a %#@$#%@ squad leader junior year.


Friday Haiku:

So long Eagle Creek
Glad to finally be done
Murray is a geek.

My required soccer post

BC beat Toombs Co. 2-0 and advance to the Quarterfinals to face Calhoun. Some of those guys will probably watch the WC.

And this is still funny....

Wednesdays With Arthur

Your Name Is Toby...

Top Five Friday: Fear The Deer

1. JJ touched on this earlier, but what a miserable spring for everything other than BC sports. The Hawks looked like they'd be a bright spot, and they're all but finished. The Eastern Conference semifinals should be unwatchable, though watching LeBron own the Celtics could be entertaining for a game or two.

2. Steve Carell seems to be leaving The Office after one more season, which is probably a good thing. The show can't go on without him, and it's run its course anyway. It's a clear fourth in NBC's Thursday lineup, even with 30 Rock rolling along as a shell of its former self.

3. Since we're discussing sitcoms, this is pretty good:



4. I love lists, as you can tell, and Spin just released their 125 best albums of the last 25 years. It's not bad, all things considered. U2's Achtung Baby is No. 1 if you were wondering. It probably wouldn't sniff my list, but I get why they picked it.


5. Still spending too much time at that 120 Minutes site I linked to last week. More 90s favorites from this week: Blur -- Country House, Pavement -- Cut Your Hair, Yo La Tengo -- Sugarcube. And I quickly lost count of the number of awesome things in this video.

Who Ya' Got?

What a real horse's ass...

Tomorrow is the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby. I'm going with Paddy O'Prado at 20:1 and Stately Victor at 30:1.

Spicy Sausage and Peppers

Top 5 show for sure...

Update*********** This will be a weekly segment involving Arthur Spooner.

Baseball Bad

Everyone knows the Braves are struggling. Some know how bad Georgia is. The fact that they are both in last place and looking worse than where they sit in the standings seems to defy all odds. Georgia's pitching has an 8.00+ ERA and is dead last in EVERY single pitching statistic. The hitting isn't much better but it wouldn't matter anyway. Perno is awesome and his resume shows it but 12-29 is inexcusable.

Now for the Braves. I, like almost everyone else, thought this was a really good baseball team. They showed it in the Spring and got off to a nice start. Its early and by no means am I saying the season is over. In fact, I believe this team will turn it around in the next month. However, I have no idea how I didn't realize how poorly constructed this team is. The starting pitching is and will be good. Hanson and Hudson have been great. Jurrjens has been great outside of 1 start. Lowe is a has been and was a major screw up by Wren from day 1.

The Braves have 3 hitters that are major league quality right now. There is not one true lead off hitter in the entire organization. I think Prado should be moved to the leadoff spot. Cabrera is a fat joke and shouldn't be starting for Gwinett. Glaus is struggling right now but hes a guy that has been around and he will figure it out even though no one knows how to pronounce his name. Heyward is the best player in baseball. Chipper is older than he ever has been and it shows every single game but he will get it together as well. Escobar is a sorry excuse for anything. I don't blame anyone other than Cox for that situation. I don't care what hes accomplished or what the potential may be. The kid is a punk and hes not nearly good enough for the Braves to put up with his crap for this long. Prado is a stud. Makes me wonder why he was riding the bench for the better part of 2+ years. And the bullpen has been pretty good.

All this rambling leads me to this. The Braves are in bad shape but its way too early to freak out. The hitting will come around and the pitching will remain steady barring any injuries. I don't know if this team is capable of winning it all but I do think they are still playoff caliber and will be in 1st place by June.

Stic Starr

Top Five Friday: Jason Heyward Is Good At Baseball

1. I'm trying to be cautious about Jason Heyward. I'm trying to be cautious about the Braves as a whole, because the lineup has some serious holes and the pitching can't be as good as last year. But damn if Mark Bradley didn't get me all fired up on Tuesday:

“I’ve said it before, and I say it again: Something’s happening here. The Braves are believing in a way they haven’t believed since the run of division titles was broken in 2006. They’re believing because they’ve got a difference-maker on their side now, a difference-maker who isn’t yet old enough to take a legal sip of champagne. But he will be come October. You might want to file that away.”

2. I'm probably way late to the party on this, but here's The Quotable Les Miles. Some of my favorites:

"I can tell you that the enjoyment of that victory certainly was strong, that the sweet taste of victory was very significant."

"It was a very enjoyable locker room to attend after the game."

"I couldn't be happier with the style of men that took the field for LSU last Saturday."

3. Apparently the greatest band ever is re-releasing Exile On Main St. next month, and they've just made available “Plundered My Soul,” which didn't make the album when they recorded it 40 years ago. You can tell they went back and polished it up a little too much, but hey, it's a “new” Rolling Stones song that they wrote in their prime. I'm not going to complain about that.

4. If you're looking for someone to blame for at least half the posts I make here, that old MTV show 120 Minutes is one of the primary culprits. I just found this site that has archived every episode, and has links to hundreds of great music videos going back to the late '80s.

5. And pivoting off that last item, a few favorite videos I've found by clicking around the 120 Minutes archive this afternoon: Matthew Sweet -- Sick Of Myself, Oasis -- Rock 'N' Roll Star, Pulp -- Common People, Sleater-Kinney -- You're No Rock N Roll Fun.

Song of the season

Different Ends

BC captured 7 region titles this school year. All 7 at some point were either ranked in the top 10 or finished the season in the top 10. Currently BC is ranked 2nd in the AA Director's Cup Standings.

On the other hand, Georgia is 31st in the current Learfield Sports Director's Cup standings. Football had its worst season in a decade, Basketball finished last in the SEC East, Women finished 6th, and Gymnastics had its worst season ever. Baseball couldn't beat the AlleyCats, and all the spring sports outside of Men's Golf,, and Softball are down. Damon is bringing in buckets of money but the athletic program as a whole has gone backwards since he took the reigns and nobody seems to question anybody other than CMR.

- Knowshon and Tebow are now friends.
- Braves have the same offensive problems they had last year.
- Shiv..... not having the same offensive problems. Hi ohhhhhh!!
- Twilight is like the end of Grease.
- From what I am gathering, Beachbum has the potential to be bigger and better than ever. Can't wait.

Congrats To JJH4's Boy

The next Brad Stevens?

State of the Schwarz Part 2: The Future

Like any good story teller, last night's post was essentially about setting the stage. Now, with the stage set, let's take a look at the immediate future for Slic' Ric.

First and foremost, I'm physically, mentally, and spiritually, light years ahead of where I was at this point last year. Physically, I'm in the best shape I've been in since Freshman year of college when I took the flag football world by storm. Mentally, I'm still as sharp as a tack. Spiritually speaking, despite what people think, God and I are still pretty tight. That being said, I wouldn't exactly put me in the saint category just yet.

My film career, considering how completely random and unexpected it was, has gotten off to a great start. I'm definitely looking to build off of this momentum and I've got a plan. I thought I was done with Hall Pass but they contacted me this afternoon about doing some work Thursday and Friday night. If they would have asked me to work Saturday I would have politely declined due to prior commitments but this works out well. Big Momma's House 3, starring Martin Lawrence, just started filming in the Atlanta area as well and I'm pretty confident I can get some work on that movie too. This is all great exposure but being an extra/stand-in isn't going to get me to Hollywood. You're not going to see my name on the marquee as a lake party extra. If you know me, whether you love me or you hate me, you know that I'm an "all or nothing" kind of guy. It's go big or go home. I firmly believe I was born to "put an ass every 18 inches," to quote Cowboy Bill Watts, in some capacity. Taking this career, which is in its infancy stages, to the next level requires several things.

1) Stage Name: I have decided on Ric Starr (as mentioned in the tease from last night). Weazle you will receive royalties off of this if I ever do hit it big. It's short, simple, and rolls off the tongue (that's what she said). There's also a back story to it, plus I can still use the Slic' Ric nickname. I tried it originally as Rick Star but apparently there is some magician with that name. So, naturally like so many people do in the film and television industry, I decided to spell a normal name a little differently. It wasn't hard. Drop the 'k' and add an 'r.' Now you have Rick Schwarz, aka Ric Starr. I know we have some creative people in the blogosphere so if you have a better idea you can put it in the comments section and I will take it under consideration. Honestly though, I'm pretty set on Ric Starr. It's got everything you need in a stage name.

2) Business Cards/Head shots: Now that I have a stage name I can get business cards. For a truly professional business card though, I'll need to have some head shots taken. Hi ohhhhhhhhh!!!!!! The head shots are also necessary because in order to audition for parts you generally have to send in head shot photos. I plan on getting these in May or June because I need a little more time for the scar above my eye to heal.

3) Agent: Getting extras and stand-in roles is something I can pull off on my own through research and networking. However, to get the bigger and better speaking roles, it helps to have an agent. Right now I have People Store, an Atlanta based talent agency, at the top of my list. I've spoken with some people about the agent issue and People Store has received some pretty favorable reviews. The problem with getting an agent is that you have to have some kind of training or acting experience, which leads me to #4.

4) Acting Classes: I'm convinced, after watching wrestling for almost 20 years, that I don't need acting lessons. If I can carry out a bionic elbow from dirty Dusty Rhodes or cut a 2-3 minute promo on virtually anything, I'm pretty sure I can recite a Shakespearean monologue without any problems. Unfortunately talent agents don't share those same feelings. As a result, I have sent in my application to Nick Conti's Professional Actor's Studio here in Buckhead. If accepted, I will begin taking acting classes one night a week from 7:30-9:30, four times a month, starting in May. I am fully prepared to catch shit for this but it's a means to an end.

So now that we've planned out my acting career for the next couple of months, let's see what else is on the docket.

Tomorrow night Pmac and myself are going to be in attendance at Turner Field for the Braves-Phillies game. The pitching match-up looks like it's going to be Hudson v. Halladay so it should be pretty good.

This weekend I'll be in Athens for the Twilight Criterium although in all honesty I could give a damn about the bicycle race. Some people think it's the coolest thing ever but I just don't get it. Those of you that are fans are welcomed to prove your point. Twilight however is the only night of the year the ACC police lift the open container ban downtown. That usually leads to some interesting developments. I don't expect this year to be any different. BB, get ready!

Next Tuesday I'm looking to attend the my first Jimmy Buffett concert at Lakewood Amphitheatre. I'm not a big concert guy but I am a Parrothead so I'd really like to see JB before he retires, which cannot be far off.

The next season of Big Brother is also currently accepting audition videos through the end of April. Unlike The Real World, there are no age restrictions for Big Brother so I'm currently working on some material for a minute and a half long promo that I can submit. When it's done you will all be able to see it.

That takes us to the busy month of May.

May 1st starts the month off right with the Kentucky Derby and Mayweather/Mosely fight. I'll be dressed to the nines that day drinking mint juleps at the 1338 Derby infield party. It's going to be tough to match the Derby/Mayweather-DeLahoya fight day back in Athens several years ago (that was also on Cinco de Mayo) but I'm always up for a challenge. There had been some talk of 1338 attending the Derby in person at Churchill Downs this year. However, we decided on something much bigger and better. Details to follow.

May 8th Bad Boy Bell and Pat "The Dragonmaster" Lowe graduate from Georgia Southern. Depending on their celebratory plans for that day (which I would expect to be pretty big), I might just have to travel to Tybee and join the party. Congrats Big Dawgs.

May 21st just happens to be one of the greatest days of the year: it's Beach Bum. Nothing more needs to be said. It is an event and a spectacle unto itself. I plan on debuting my Only in America shirt that day. If anybody would like information on how to order one just ask me.

I'm going to use the off weekends to begin my expansion plan I developed a couple of months ago, starting with Virginia Highlands. I have a feeling I'll be a huge hit there. I'm well known within a certain circle of Buckhead venues but, to make "Ric Starr" a fully marketable brand name, branching out is a necessity.

As they say on set, that's a wrap. Thanks for reading. Questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, and accusations are always welcomed. Your comments will not be deleted.

A sign of things to come...

April 20th

1: Making a big deal out of April 20th is tops on my list of dumb things hippies do which bother me.

2: That being said, I hope all of you have recovered from Wanee in time to celebrate 4/20.

3: A few Benedictine graduates are making waves in the Athens music scene.

4: Shane routinely mocks hippies, but what's more chill than a piece of fruit in your beer, brah?



5: In honor of this day in history, I must say one thing: DOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSON!!!

State of the Schwarz Address

Last year around this time I posted my inaugural state of the Schwarz address. Based on everything that has happened recently and everything else on the horizon I believe this to be the appropriate time for another address.

February 14th, 2010, a date which will live in infamy (at least for me), reminded me of one very important, indisputable fact of life: the only guarantee on this big blue ball is that there are no guarantees. Two months later I still wake up every morning, or in some cases afternoon, thanking the man above that I'm still here, no matter what's going on in my life good or bad. Contrary to popular belief, it's not all good, but I am certainly thankful nonetheless. I joke about it now and how it only enhances my legend and adds another chapter to what will be a best selling biography but, all kidding aside, those events early Valentine's Day morning could have just as easily turned fatal. The fact that I WALKED away with minor injuries and no lingering effects after being hit by 2 tons of steel traveling at 45-50 mph is nothing short of a miracle.

An event like that has a way of giving a person some perspective about what's really important. It's so easy to get caught up in the "real world" rat race that we don't stop to appreciate things. My good friend and fellow Bad Boy Bell has touched on my next point in one of his recent posts. Do not take these times for granted. Live every day like it is your last. If you're not happy with your situation, do everything within your power to change it. Run your life and don't let it run you. It may sound corny and cliche but it's the truth.

Alright, enough with the life lessons. What's going on in the land of Schwarz? Well the last month or so has been nothing short of amazing. Over the last month alone I've made a triumphant return to the St. Patrick's Day Parade after a year's hiatus, I beat out 3 other guys for a stand-in role on what's sure to be a hit TV show, I've been to Athens a couple of times, had a couple of pool parties, and I filmed a few scenes with Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer, and Christina Applegate on Lake Lanier.

Simply put, it was great being back at the St. Patrick's Day Parade. An outsider would've never known I did not attend the previous year. Just like riding a bike, I didn't miss a beat. Everything was just like I remembered it, from cutting loose in the Boom Boom room, Crawford's party, the Knights, the squares, to the sash, return of the white coat (which is a story in itself), and my annual status report on Pmac given to Capt. John. The Tybee Parade and Celtic Cross, as usual, lived up to their hype. Next year I'm definitely going to try and make the Marshall's Reception. Sure, a lot of people are saying the big parade felt different this year but try taking a year off and then tell me it wasn't "as good."

I made 2 trips to Athens in the last month. One in order to celebrate my first TV gig and the other for G-Day. Some of the results include: Blind Pig fried pickles, Diamond Dog losses, a lot of kamikazes, several pairs of Georgia licensed aviator sunglasses, progress towards the new and improved blond bombshell in my life (this one's got beauty and brains), a stirring rendition of "Hey Soul Sister," a reunion with fellow Horseman Rod, an open container citation (practicing for Twilight), and the Dawg Duo becoming virtually unstoppable. Just when I thought I was getting too old for the Classic City it pulls me back in again and I couldn't be happier.

The most exciting part of the last month has been my introduction into the TV/film world. Being a stand-in for the new TBS comedy Franklin & Bash, I essentially did whatever the actors were supposed to do in the scene as far as movement and even got to recite some lines. Zach Morris and I (and about 20 other extras) are a lot closer than we probably should be after his cotton piece fell off in the jacuzzi scene. Then again, myself and another stand-in, a busty blond by the name of Bridgett, are a lot closer as well after having to rehearse a makeout session in the hallway and a rather intimate moment in the bedroom. Bridgett, if you're reading this, the pleasure was all mine. Hi ohhhhh!! I also made my small screen debut, ironically as a tailor, fitting the antagonist of the show for a custom made suit.

A typical day on the set of Franklin & Bash lasted on average 12-14 hours. So you're talking about going in at 7 AM, getting out around midnight or 1AM, trying to squeeze in a run or lift to offset Craft services around 2 AM, asleep by 3 AM and up again at 6 AM. That can wear out even the best over a 2 week span. To compensate, I had enough Rockstars, Red Bulls, and 5 Hour Energies that I probably shaved 5 years off my life. I had such a good time though the sacrifices were worth every bit of it and I wouldn't change a thing. It was quite an eye opening experience and thanks to my solid networking skills (and Maker's Mark) at the wrap party I was able to land an extras role on the movie Hall Pass, which I worked on this past weekend. The wrap party, held at the Intercontinental in Buckhead, deserves its own post so I won't go into detail but let's just say it was wild (understatement) and I did a good job.

During a break on Lanier I wrote my name in the sand...

Anyways, on the set of Hall Pass, they paid me to walk the beach at Lake Lanier, throw the football around, lay in the sand, nap in a hammock, drink non-alcoholic beer, and talk to pretty girls. I told Owen Wilson Wedding Crashers was Top 5. They even put my Camry in the background and paid me for it. Definitely came out ahead on this one. I received some pretty solid face time during a scene with Jenna Fischer and some old guy I didn't recognize too, but you'll have to wait until 2011 to see me on the big screen.

View from the hammock...

Unfortunately I couldn't go into too much detail about some of these events because I might as well have just written a book at that point. If you would like me to elaborate on anything above just ask and I might do a spin-off post.

So what does the future hold for Schwarz IV, or should I say, Ric Starr? Tune in tomorrow night at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT to find out...

Another Top Five Friday

-- Y'all probably saw this already, but I had to single it out just in case you hadn't. David Hale just crushes people left and right. Not in a bad way, but in the name of basic logic and intelligence.

Here's the best and dumbest thing anybody sent him: "Murray overthrew targets and tossed a Stafford style brain fade pass to the defender. I should have known right then he was Bobo's boy for the job."

-- ESPN gets a lot of crap for pretty much everything it does, but these pieces with John Gruden evaluating the best quarterbacks in the draft are fantastic. The Colt McCoy one is the best.

-- Ozzie delivers another wonderful tweet: Let's go bulls kick ass I believe very much 7:49 PM Apr 14th via txt

-- Speaking of the White Sox, Hawk Harrelson breaks out a saying he may or may not have learned as a Cadet.

-- Shane wrote something earlier about the Avett Brothers blowing up. On a similar note, Ryan Bingham recently went from releasing a pretty good album last year that nobody really heard to winning an Oscar for a song from that movie Crazy Heart. I probably won't see the movie for about three years, but “The Weary Kind” is really something else. I also love this video where they put him in the hilariously awkward position of playing the song in the middle of the couch on The View. He looks really comfortable.

Tax Thursday Thoughts.

1.) Before all the hoopla of Rick being a celebrity takes over this blog (again), let me reiterate what Barstool said a few weeks ago: "don't forget about us small guys"

2.) Today was tax day. The day that "we mourn the loss of a year’s worth of productive private resources to our bloated federal government." Regardless, it's the last day of busy season for me so that means no more free lunches/dinners/sometimes breakfasts (but also no 10+ hour days).

3.) Could also be the last day of those forever, or at least at HAC. Not sure if I am going to be employed much longer. Hopefully I will but who knows.

4.) Leaving for Dallas tomorrow. That should be fun. Can't wait to eat at Taco Bell, I hear the Mexican food is great in Texas.

5.) Avett Brothers are playing in Savannah in June at Johnnie Mercer theater. Not sure if there are tickets left but if so you should definitely try to make it to this. I only recently started listening to them and I am sure they have been popular for quite a while but I could really see them blowing up huge.

6.) While on the topic, I started listening to the Drive-By Truckers. They are pretty good. Maybe I am wrong about everything I 'know' about Larry.

7.) The B.C. class of 2004 is underrated. I have just come to realize this now. When you got people Barstool in the same class as Beytagh (sp?) and Collins you have something special. Throw in a Bunger and you're just asking for trouble.

8.) Barstool, I meant to ask: how was A Walk to Remember err, I mean, 'The Last Song'? I never heard anything about it...

9.) Is OITO back?

10.) When your not good at something it is usually really easy to blame other people for losing. That being said the refs in my summer league are terrible. I am still great a basketball. We are 0-3...

Next Project

A Farrelly Brothers' production entitled Hall Pass.


The movie stars Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, and Jenna Fischer.

I will be playing either a baseball player or lake party guest.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480687/

Monday Morning Thoughts

1: Anthony Kim almost won me a lot of money yesterday. Oh well. Congrats to Monsieur Mickelson; the Masters is top 5.

2: The Bear is still not back from Athens. He has been there since Thursday.

3: Chipper has got to get healthy for the Braves to have a chance.

4: Dear Bryan, "No excuses, play like a champion!" You need to take this quote from Rick's movie to heart. JJ is as good as it gets as a wing-man.

5: It's been one week since Duke won the national championship. It's just as sweet now as it was when big bad Zoubek broke poor little Gordon Hayward's heart.

6: Durham scored a TD during the little scrimmage gett0gether. No surprise there. That moves him into a tie for most touchdowns all time in G-Day games.

7: It looks like St. Michael's is really going to close after this year. I had planned to make a post on this, but it was too difficult to express in words what that school has meant to me and so many others over the years. The decision to close the school angers me; it makes me sad. I believe in my heart that it can and should stay open. Unfortunately, a few people don't feel like dealing with it anymore, and those people are the ones making the decision. That being said, I really appreciate the kind words, blog posts, texts, e-mails, and various other expressions of support for the school. Not one person has had one bad or smart ass thing to say about the closing of SMS, and considering the people I choose to hang out with, that's saying something.

8: On that same subject, thanks to everyone for their support over the last 6 days. Tuesday was top 5 worst days of life. I know that my senior year of high school was one of the best years of my life; Dustin will never get to experience his. I will tell you one thing: if you ever lose someone close to you, pray that Plowe will be around because he is constantly there and will do anything you need him to do. It also seemed like every time I was about to lose it, I'd get an update from Pmac on Rick's life or I'd check out OITO and there would be kind words from the Weazle. For all the texts, calls, prayers, and especially to those who sat through the circus: thank you. And please try and wear your damn seat belts.

9: Horse racing season is rapidly approaching.

10: 23 days till Cinqo de Mayo; 39 days till Beach Bum

Top Five Friday

The name's terrible, but just go with it.

-- I have to admit that this makes me feel a little bit better about Gordon Hayward's last two shots not falling: “As of Wednesday, Kelly had received more than 2,000 text messages and several hundred calls. Scheyer's latest tweet begs his fans to stop texting and calling his friend.”

But when he tweeted that, he obviously meant, “Hey, people who hate Duke, please send my friend about a million more obnxious text messages.”

-- It's true that other coaches' not appearing to be the nicest of guys all the time shouldn't reflect poorly on the good people of, say, Florida and Alabama. But if you've ever been associated with the University of Georgia, you can't help but feel pretty good about that (the association, I mean) when you read something like this about Mark Richt.

-- Heck of a year for me and my favorite bands so far. Four tracks have been released from the Hold Steady record due out next month, and “The Weekenders” is the best one so far. You can tell they're taking a shot at the big time because the beginning kind of sounds like Coldplay. I won't begrudge them for that, though, as long as they keep churning out lines like this new one -- “She said the theme of this party's the Industrial Age/And you came in dressed like a trainwreck.”

-- Quote of the Week: “I was about the second best (receiver),” said A.J. Green, who caught six passes for 80 yards. “But I didn’t compare to Durham though.”

-- Not-so-daring G-Day Predictions: Mettenberger has Saturday's best stat line. Rick caves, goes to Athens and ends up rocking and rolling with one of his boys who participates in the alumni game.

Weekend Sports Buffet

Good Time for a Blog Post

1: That was one hell of a game last night. Having guys who are in their third and fourth year of college on the court seemed to make a difference in the quality of play. It was a well played game on both sides. Butler locked it down on defense. Duke didn't live or die by the 3. Teddy V didn't make an ass out of himself. I <3 Zoubek. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all the Duke haters out there. What a tournament. What a game.

2: Jason Heyward > Jordan Schafer... Let's hope. Who am I kidding? I'm taking the over on 500 career homers for Heyward in a Braves uniform.

3: The Masters is starting. My friends are happy. I'm even going to watch it Sunday.

4: Tonight the UCONN women take on Stanford. Yep.

5: 10-6 Dustin. Love you buddy.

Bilas Calls NCAA Tournament Expansion 'Inevitable'

Couldn't decide whether to go with this title or 'Bilas Most Cynical Sports Analyst Ever?' or just plain out 'Bilas is an Asshole'.

Anyway, he does kind of have a point.

A couple comments:

I won't ever complain about MORE college basketball. Regardless of whether it is 'meaningless' or not. MLB season-- even in the eyes of MLB fans-- is too long and that doesn't stop people from liking it. The crappy teams will be eliminated in the first round, just like the 16 seeds.

The set-up looked kind of cool with the top eight teams getting first round buys.

The whole move is about $$$, which might not be a bad thing. My only question is 'How will fans respond?'. The games this year have appeared to have been far from sold out. In fact, on numerous occasion I saw lower level seats empty. Will fans travel for the extra game? My solution is to move these games to actual basketball gyms!!

The tournament would likely only let in more teams from big conferences. If you finish 8th in your conference, do you really deserve to play for the national championship. On the otherhand, is this tournament really about finding the best team in the country. Other sports (see NBA basketball, MLB baseball, and NHL hockey) do a better job of finding the best team.

I will probably have more later. Did I miss anything?

A Top Five Friday

This actually is a top five kind of day, with four tweets from our boys and one song from my boys to get the weekend going:

Ozzie Guillen -- Atlanta boby cox land great times in this town a lot victories about 15 hours ago via txt

Slic Ric -- And for those of you going home for easter dont its overrated about 1 hour ago via txt

Slic Ric -- Oh boy waitin on discovery to show and shoot the next episode oe whale wars about 2 hours ago via txt

Slic Ric -- For those of that dont know who big daddy cool diesel is thats pmac he's my bodyguard 27 minutes ago via txt

Drive-By Truckers -- Birthday Boy
They just put out a new record and it's great, as you knew it would be. "Birthday Boy" is one of the best things they've ever done. Love you got to go. Go Butler and go Casey Mitchell.

Dotson Wins National Award

SMS

As most of you already know, St. Michael's School will be closing its doors at the end of this school year. I don't know many people who were once Sharks, but two of my friends were. Both of which, along with their families, gave a lot to the SMS family and hold it within a special place in their hearts.

SMS is a Tybee tradition and has made positive contributions to both the Tybee and Savannah communities. For the 14 parades Tybee has every year, it is like the Cathedral is to the St. Patrick's Day parade. It was home to a special group of young men who shocked the SPAL basketball word in the back half of the 90's. It was home to a number of men who went on t0 excel at BC and in the college ranks. It hosted some of the most outstanding Halloween costume parties in the city. And a bunch of other stuff that I'm sure I have no earthly idea about.

The only bad thing I can say about this fine institution involves an act of indecency in the Fall of 1997. Due to the low numbers in the 8th grade class at SMS, the Sharktank hosted an 8th grade parochial school dance. Every 8th grader at a Catholic school in Savannah was invited. One Mattie D. was a 7th grader at the time but was close with a bunch of those who were attending. Knowing that he deserved to go just as much as anyone, this charismatic 7th grader decided to sneak past the bouncers working the door. After successfully doing so he was escorted out of the gym about 10 seconds later. After numerous failed attempts to distract the bouncers, his last effort was just running past them and trying to hide amongst the masses. Because of the unaccepting nature of the SMS administration, BDMD spent a majority of the following Monday in the SJS front office.

SMS has a long and proud history. It is the only school in Savannah that I never personally beat. For this reason and a multitude of others, it is and always will be one of the 2 best private grammar schools in the greater Savannah area.

1. SJS

2. SMS

3. BSS

4. Memorial

5. SAS

6. SCDS

7. SCPS

8. Calvary

9. St. Peter's

Heres to you St. Michael's!