In this week’s episode we’re talking MARVEL. We talk Iron Man 3, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and more! We breeze over what TV shows have been cancelled and the new FALL schedule for NBC. You’ll find out who we’d have sex with out of Amanda Knox, Casey Anthony, and Jodi Arias–AND you get to find out who Dan would have sex with out of Mark Ruffalo, Michael Fassbender, and Val Kilmer! Fun show this week!
Filed under Top Story, Television, Podcast, Movie Review
If you’re a fan of the Simpsons, you may have heard about the passing of Matt Groening’s mother, Margaret. The obituary was published in a Portland paper today, and it really is an upsetting read. Having no connection with the Groening family whatsoever, one does take it to heart when hearing names like Marge, Homer, Lisa, Maggie, Patty and Wiggum. Check it out.
Groening, Margaret Ruth 94 March 23, 1919 April 22, 2013 Margaret Groening died peacefully in her sleep on April 22, 2013, in Portland. Born Margaret Wiggum on March 23, 1919, in Chisolm, Minn., Margaret was 94 years old. Margaret’s parents, Matt and Ingeborg Wiggum, met on the boat coming to America from Norway. They settled in Everett, Wash., where the paper mill “smelled like money,” and Matt worked as a machinist. As high school valedictorian and Miss Everett, Margaret’s highest honor was being named May Queen of Linfield College. She graduated from Linfield in 1941 and married classmate Homer Groening, whom she chose because he made her laugh the most. Margaret taught high school English before starting a family, and her love of language was apparent in the many Double-Crostics she completed (in ink). Margaret and Homer supported the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Trail Blazers and many local yarn shops (Margaret was a talented needlework artist). Besides Homer, Margaret was preceded in death by her oldest daughter, Patty, who died in Jan., 2013. She is survived by her brother, Arnold; her children, Mark, Matt, Lisa and Maggie; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The family thanks the wonderful caregivers from Visiting Angels and the hospice nurses from Housecall Providers. Special appreciation also goes to loyal friend, Grace Clark.
Filed under Television
Filed under Events, News, Sports, Television
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE…or on iTUNES!
Covering everything from Star Wars logic and upcoming films to the CMA awards and the NCAA championship game, this milestone episode is dressed to impress…so be impressed!
Also! Check out SEINFELD QUIZZO Wednesday 4/10/13 at Raven Lounge (1718 Sansom Street, Philly) 7PM
(written by Milly B. Chacon for The Sports Junkie Hippie)
Let’s put this Ravens Super Bowl win in context.
The Ravens are, almost unquestionably, a great football team. They just beat what most people would have suggested to be the league’s three best teams in three consecutive games, with zero of those games played at home. They did it without ever trailing by more than a touchdown, having been in the lead for the entire second half in New England and all night on Sunday in New Orleans. These were not fluke wins; the Ravens were the better team in each of the four contests, and had they lost any of them, it would have been an unfair result with the wrong team advancing. They didn’t enjoy fumble luck or close-game luck or even floodlight luck. They were every bit as brilliant as the confetti implies they were.
Which is why it’s even more important to really put this thing in context. As recently as New Year’s Day and as early as Halloween, you could have argued that the Ravens were a mediocre football team with very little fuss from folks who don’t consider purple to be a base color of their wardrobe. In Week 11, the Ravens could only muster up a three-point win over a Steelers team that had a gimpy Byron Leftwich at quarterback in a game in which their offense — the same one that looked unstoppable in the first half of the freaking Super Bowl — couldn’t even score a single touchdown. The following week, it took a miraculous fourth-and-29 conversion to push the game into overtime and for the Ravens to eventually beat the lowly Chargers in San Diego, in a game in which that same offense scored just one touchdown. A week later, they lost to a Charlie Batch–led Steelers team in Baltimore. They blew an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Redskins in Washington, got embarrassed by the Broncos at home, and after finally showing up with a big win over the Giants, limped into the playoffs with a meaningless loss at Cincinnati.
If you think that tells you that the Ravens elevated their game when they needed to, I can’t agree. What it really tells us is that we know way less about teams than we really think we know. Every recent piece of information we had about the Ravens heading into the postseason suggested that they were a floundering team limping in by virtue of a successful start to the season, some lucky bounces, opposing injuries, and strong performance in close games. Baltimore started 6-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less, with its only loss to Philadelphia, of all teams, before losing their final three such contests. We had a clear curve for Baltimore’s true level of play, and it was trending further and further downward. And yet, from that point forward, everything we thought we knew about the Ravens was wrong. For every power rankings article you read in November and every set of odds you saw in December, nobody had any idea that the Ravens were capable of putting together a four-game stretch this good. Was “play like the best team in football” really a switch they were waiting to turn on during the playoffs? Or were they capable of this all along and just hadn’t yet exhibited this level of play?
This isn’t a new argument, either, or one of “peaking” at the right time. The Ravens are the 2011 Giants, or the 2007 Giants, or the 2010 Packers. They’re the reminders that you don’t get the full picture of a team and what they can do from a 16-game sample, just as you fail to get the entire story from a 16-game sample in other sports. The only difference is that those other sports get 66 or more games to reveal more about their teams. In football, we get 20 games max.
It’s because we know so little about these teams that it’s so important to try to judge them based upon their level of play as opposed to their win-loss record (and even that’s going to be flawed). Go back to that Ravens-Broncos game three weeks ago. If Rahim Moore hadn’t blown a seemingly simple coverage, Baltimore would’ve been out of the playoffs without anybody giving a second thought to how well they played. They would’ve been the plucky team who beat an over-matched Colts squad in the emotional cauldron of Ray Lewis’s final home game before giving the Broncos a tough match-up and coming up short. The seemingly impending breakup of the veterans on this team would’ve gone off without a hitch, with Lewis retiring and the Ravens moving on from the likes of Ed Reed and Anquan Boldin as rumored.
Even more stark is how different these teams would’ve looked if the 49ers had finished their comeback and won Sunday. Let’s say that the 49ers got off their second-down quarterback counter with Colin Kaepernick without calling a timeout, since it looked like it was about to steam into the end zone, and let’s pretend that the Ravens’ drive to tie/win fell short. Do you know who the Ravens would’ve gotten compared to? The Falcons, the team who blew an enormous lead that seemed to be slipping from their grip for most of the second half. Joe Flacco would’ve drawn comparisons to Matt Ryan for beating up the 49ers defense in the first half before only briefly succeeding in the second half. And Kaepernick? Well, he would’ve been the leader of the new Kardiac Kids, a team that just doesn’t know when to quit, a squad that has led nearly unprecedented comebacks in consecutive games. That line between winning and losing is so ridiculously thin, and yet it becomes the basis for about 98 percent of the discussion surrounding a team.
Of course, just as 16 games isn’t enough to get the total picture of a team, 20 games isn’t a perfect sample. For all we know, the Ravens could really be the league’s seventh-best team if we ran this season one million times. The question the NFL season seeks to answer isn’t who is the league’s best team; it’s who is the league champion. And in answering that question, the Ravens provided us with the latest reminder of one of the few things we actually do know about the modern NFL: As long as you make it to the playoffs, it doesn’t matter how you got there. And once you’re in the playoffs, you can throw just about everything you think you know about a team out the window.
In the playoffs, every story line is ex post facto, with the process graded after the fact by whatever the outcome was. You know the stories. A team with a first-round bye is refreshed and full of energy if they blow out their opponents (often as big favorites at home), but rusty and lost their timing if they lose to their opponents, who don’t have anybody believing in them but themselves. It’s one of the laziest bits of analysis you’ll see about sports.
To extend that further, there are stories about the players in this Super Bowl that totally change by virtue of what happened on that fateful fourth-down call near the Baltimore goal line in the fourth quarter. In many cases, the players weren’t even on the field for the play in question, but it’s still enough to lock in narratives surrounding those guys that may end up defining or redefining their respective careers. Again, in many cases, that’s inaccurate. It’s worth evaluating how those players and their performances look in a vacuum; or, perhaps more interestingly, if the Niners had completed their comeback and pulled out a victory with a touchdown on that spot. A quick go-around:
Ray Rice wouldn’t be the only scapegoat for a Baltimore loss, but he would get plenty of attention for his third-quarter fumble, one that gives him nearly as many fumbles in the playoffs (five) as he’s produced during the regular season (seven). The fumble furthered the San Francisco comeback and set them up for a possible game-tying touchdown opportunity, only for the defense to hold the 49ers to a field goal. Don’t think the Ravens didn’t react to it; there was a reason that Bernard Pierce got a carry on that final possession. If the Ravens had lost, Rice would’ve been lambasted and forced to answer questions about his playoff fumbling habit for the next five years. Since they won, everyone forgets about the fumble and Rice’s fourth-and-29 conversion is used as the manifestation of Baltimore’s never-say-die attitude.
Jacoby Jones is an example of how postseason labels shouldn’t stick around for very long. Last year, Jones was the goat in Houston after fumbling away a punt against these very same Ravens. This year, he was the GOAT in Baltimore’s playoff run; Jones held on to that season-changing touchdown catch against the Broncos to tie the game, and on Sunday, he had a 56-yard touchdown catch and a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.2 If the Ravens had lost, Jones’s heroic effort would’ve been an afterthought amid a crushing loss, but because the Ravens won, Jones’s MVP-caliber playoffs can overshadow his disappointing fumble last season.
Ray Lewis didn’t come up short in his retirement tour, meaning he can ride off into the (Bristol) sunset with his second ring. I suspect his final game will be remembered for his speech afterward; had the Ravens lost, we’d probably be talking about how slow and lumbering Lewis looked in the first half, when the 49ers threw at him repeatedly with crossing patterns from Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis.
Colin Kaepernick would have to change the meaning of “Kaepernicking” from his touchdown celebration to the idea of coming back from any sort of large deficit while making it look easy. Instead, after the 49ers lost, I saw Kaepernick criticized during the postgame shows, which seems bizarre considering that the 49ers were unstoppable for most of the second half (and not too shabby in the first half, either). Yes, he made a bad throw that led to a first-half interception, and he was late on a second throw on the subsequent series that was nearly picked. It’s hard to find a bad throw from him the rest of the way, and I can recall at least one glorious pass up the sideline to an open Vernon Davis that wasn’t caught. Kaepernick played well enough to win. Sometimes, you can play well enough to win and still lose. This was one of those times.
Randy Moss could have been a hero. There were a number of plays in which Moss was open for possibly big plays and Kaepernick either chose a different receiver or wasn’t able to get the ball to him. A scrambling Kaepernick had an open Moss in the back of the end zone in the first quarter, but didn’t see him and instead overthrew Michael Crabtree on a drive that eventually produced a field goal. Later, Moss was open on a deep post on the aforementioned Davis drop, but Kaepernick decided to throw it elsewhere. Tack an extra 50 yards and a touchdown onto his totals and Moss would’ve left this weekend with some extra respect. Instead, it’s just another failed attempt for Moss to win a title.
Donte Whitner was involved in enough blown coverages and missed tackles to choke a horse on Sunday, just as he went missing during New Orleans’s comeback against the 49ers in the divisional round last year. In that game, the 49ers were able to drive down the field and score the game-winning touchdown, absolving Whitner of his mistakes; this time, they weren’t able to come back, and people watching the tape will see a player who was targeted on many Ravens plays. You can say the same for Chris Culliver, who was the target on many of Baltimore’s routes up the sidelines.
Welp, hope this blog helps your recovery of your hangovers folks!
Take Care.
For more from Milly B. Chacon (@JustMissMilly) check out her blog at TheSportsJunkieHippie.com. Hear her on KWXV Fox Ch 24/ 107.9FM at 5pm or her Columns at @DirtySoutHipHop and HHS101Magazine
Filed under Rant, Special Guest Blogger, Sports, Television, Tumblr
#HCC
Filed under Music, Television, Trailers
In a city full of crooked cops, she’s coming to clean up the streets. Feel the heat, this Fall. “Hot Chick Cop” the new drama from Center City Comedy and SuperDPS presents the adventures of Homicide Detective, Juggz Titzgy.
Featuring Sonia Zambrana, H. Foley, Kevin Ryan, David Temple, Chris Cotton, Ryan Shaner, Reggie Conquest, Brian Finnell, and LUMP
Filmed and Edited by Alex Gross
http://www.superdps.com
http://www.centercitycomedy.com
#HCC
Filed under Television, Trailers
Upon arrival on Thursday, I was impressed with the preparation, expectations and overall scope of the event. Previous Cons would have presented costumed and casually dressed guests with a long and drawn out wait filled with fits of sarcasm, pessimism and an almost palpable malaise. But not this time.
Thursday (May 31st) was a “preview day”. Simply, a 4-hour window of opportunity for those with VIP passes, all access cards, Press Passes, and Weekend Tickets to get their bracelets early and explore the premises before the event exploded over the next few days. The vendors were given a chance to set up their wares before attendees began their migration, and everything looked very professional and inviting. My Thursday experience filled me with optimism for the events to come and, while the halls and rows of the Con were virtually empty (save some hardcore fans), presented me with a brief preview of the kinds of ongoing and indistinguishable body odor I could expect to be treated to.
First thing Saturday afternoon, myself along with fellow SuperDPS podcaster, Charles Lecki, moved in to the Convention Center. I already had my Press Bracelet, but he had to wait in line for his. The cash and charge lines were vacant while the “Online Purchased” line zig-zagged through half of a hall. Surprisingly, the line progressed rather quickly, even though our minds and ears were subjected to Living Colour’s Cult of Personality (the theme song of Con Guest CM Punk) at least 3 times in a fucking row. And with that, it was Welcome to Wizard World Comic Con!
Saturday was a spectacular show in the main halls of Wizard World. Lots of celebrities, costumes, and thoughtful merchandise that truly brought out the giddy nerd in all attendees. It always amazes me that these conventions have an inevitable knife & sword vendor, given the notion that I wouldn’t trust most of the guests at comic con with anything sharper than an egg. Most people were well behaved and respectful, making the show an amicable environment for all ages, though things did get a little pushy and heated the closer we came to certain major celebrities. The excitement kept coming, and I believe most of that came from the dynamics of the cosplayers, slack-jawed expressions on the faces of children (seen above), along with the lean and hungry look in the eyes of many of the lesser-visited celebrity guests.
I’ll begin with getting something off of my chest. I know (essentially) dick about wrestling. The WWE (or WWF as it was when I used to watch) holds very little significance in my life; however, seeing some of the stars of yester-year jogged my memory of when the realm of sports entertainment was filled with much more entertaining (and attractive) characters. Wrestler, CM Punk, was among the highest profile guests at the event, sparking huge crowds of WWE fanatics paying Christ-only-knows how much money for autographs and photo-ops with the “Champion”. As for my admission of deficiency when it comes to the going-on’s in Vince McMahon’s puppet show, one celebrity that amazed me by how great she looked was Amy Dumas (or “Lita” from WWE).
Of course there were several celebrities that looked a lot better than expected, and some who turned out a lot worse. Women like Kristy Swanson (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Shannon Elizabeth (“American Pie”) were examples of individuals who Time has been very kind with. What struck me as odd with these two was that both were not only charging for autographs and photo ops, but also trying to sell their merch. I don’t mean professional photos, either. I mean that Kristy Swanson (above) was promoting a brand of “5-hour energy”-style Vitamin drinks, and Shannon Elizabeth (perhaps more understandable) was selling her line of perfume. As strange and seemingly unconventional as this was, I would rather see these celebrities–who are obviously looking for work–attempting to sell or capitalize off of their fame than celebrities who are doing obscenely well currently, trying to sell autographs and photo ops for twice the price of admission. It just feels petty to me. Maybe I have some growing up to do.
Totally Furrealz: Melissa Joan Hart’s prices went up to $30 and $45, and then were drastically reduced to $15
My final comments before I leave you with a podcast to fill you in on the rest of our experiences are twofold. First, the base of any comic book convention is, was, and always should be the comics and artists that not only provide you with the stories, images and characters we love so much, but are also ultimately responsible for the adaptation films that do so well in our theaters. The fact that Chris Hemsworth (who I couldn’t get anywhere near, btw) gets more recognition for playing Thor than the person who effectively created the Marvel character should be a travesty. But for some reason it isn’t. While heroes of the industry like Stan Lee (who I also could get nowhere close to) are still praised and admired for their contributions, the row of dedicated, hard-working comic book artists at these conventions are virtually ignored in favor of people like CM Punk who yells into a microphone for a living. I understand why, I’m just curious if anyone feels the same way about the Artists. A counterpoint may be that most artists don’t want to be huge celebs, and that’s why they’re artists and not movie stars…but I’m sure they’d still appreciate the recognition.
And secondly, I think celebrities have the right to be slightly fucking bitter and butt-hurt after their long and successful career ends with them sitting in a vacant booth on a convention circuit with only the occasional visitor; and overhearing passersby whispering, “Who’s that?” But I don’t think that means you have the right to condescend to or be so flippant to those who are willing to pay just to shake your hand. I think that paying for an autograph or photo op is a complete waste of time. The act of trading money for a picture with someone or someone’s name casually scrawled on a photo of themselves (which you also bought) seems a bit redundant. We went photo-hunting at the Con, snapping pictures and capturing some great moments. You can share in some of these moments by visiting our entire gallery here.
The Wizard World Comic Con was a great experience and we had a lot of fun. Perhaps next year we’ll try a new approach to interacting with some of your favorite pop culture icons. Thanks for joining us!!
For MORE from our experiences at WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON, listen to our event PODCAST HERE!!!
CHECK OUT OUR FULL PHOTO GALLERY FROM WIZARD WORLD!
ALSO–CHECK OUT OUR OTHER AMAZING PICTURE SERIES: “CHARLIE LIGHTNING’S DISINTERESTED COSPLAY!”
As I try to do for every major awards show, letting a few slip through my fingers, I thought I’d make my educated guesses at who might come out with some big wins. After the passing of Whitney Houston the day prior to the Grammys, I’d imagine she will have a major underlying (and overlying) presence at the ceremony. I’m predicting a very traditional show with very little surprise, but that’s what comes from proper, formal award shows. That’s why we watch the MTV awards, the VMAs, and the Golden Globes–for the intoxicated antics of celebrities who proceed to “ruin everyone’s night” and make Monday headlines.
One thing that I discovered about the Grammys recently is the difference between “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year.” It always seemed like a bullshit excuse to give out two awards for the same thing–as if the Academy Awards gave out Oscars for “Best Motion Picture” and “Coolest Motion Picture.” Evidently, “Song of the Year” awards the writing of the song, first and foremost, the collaboration of songwriters, not taking into account the final production of the piece. And “Record of the Year” rewards the song in conjunction with production value and sound. So, basically, the exact same award. This has cleared nothing up.
So let’s get into it. There are a lot of awards and very little time. As you may be aware, I will be commenting/updating these predictions via Twitter throughout the ceremony, so you can visit me there to congratulate me for being right, chastise me for being wrong, or just let me know how you’re just passing time before tonight’s premiere of The Walking Dead. Cheers!
(to see the full list of everyone nominated, click here) I skipped over many awards either because I don’t think they’ll be in the actual 3 hour show, or I have no intelligent guess to make and don’t give a shit who wins…
BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO: Beyonce (I Am…World Tour)
BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO: “All is not Lost” (OK GO)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (NON-CLASSICAL): Ryan Tedder
BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK: Alexandre Desplat (The King’s Speech)
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA: Glee
BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM: The Book of Mormon
BEST COMEDY ALBUM: Hilarious (LOUIS CK)
BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM: Bossypants (Tina Fey)
I'm not sure if they even announce this award at the Grammys, but...I'd like to see Tina win it.
BEST REGGAE ALBUM: Wild and Free (Ziggy Marley)
BEST FOLK ALBUM: Helplessness Blues (Fleet Foxes)
BEST BLUES ALBUM: Low Country Blues (Gregg Allman)
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM: Paper Airplane (Alison Krauss & Union Station)
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM: Blessed (Lucinda Williams)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM: Speak Now (Taylor Swift)
BEST COUNTRY SONG: Mean (Taylor Swift)
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: Don’t You Wanna Stay (Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson)
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE: I’m Gonna Love You Through It (Martina McBride)
Frank Ocean, from an "Odd Future" nobody to the first voice heard on "Watch the Throne"
BEST RAP ALBUM: Watch the Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
BEST RAP SONG: All of the Lights–Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION: I Need a Doctor (Dr. Dre, Eminem, Skylar Grey)
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: Look at me Now (Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes)
BEST R&B ALBUM: FAME (Chris Brown)
BEST R&B SONG: Fool For You–Cee Lo Green, Melanie Hallim, Jack Splash, songwriters (Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona)
BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE: Surrender (Betty Wright & The Roots)
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE: You Are (Charlie Wilson)
I already feel like Foster the People has been around for too long.
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM: Torches (Foster the People)
BEST ROCK ALBUM: Come Around Sundown (Kings of Leon)
BEST ROCK SONG: Every Teardrop is a Waterfall (Coldplay)
BEST HARD ROCK/METAL PERFORMANCE: White Limo (Foo Fighters)
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE: The Cave (Mumford & Sons)
BEST TRADITIONAL POP/VOCAL ALBUM: Duets II (Tony Bennett & Various Artists)
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Skrillex)
BEST DANCE RECORDING: Sunshine (David Guetta & Avicii)
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: Loud (Rihanna)
BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM: Setzer Goes Instru-Mental! (Brian Setzer)
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE: Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People)
Just give Adele all the Grammys and call it an early night...
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE: Someone Like You (Adele)
BEST NEW ARTIST: Nicki Minaj
SONG OF THE YEAR: Rolling in the Deep (Adele)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: 21 (Adele)
RECORD OF THE YEAR: Rolling in the Deep (Adele)
And that’s that! Keep up with our posts on SuperDPS.com or @SuperDPS and try to have at least a satisfactory Grammy evening. I guess I’ll be putting off Walking Dead ’til after.
from Wallyhopp. One of my favorite sketches from Mr. Show with Bob and David. Enjoy Halloween weekend, everyone!
Filed under Events, Fun Stuff, Television
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