Pats rant and other stuff
I try not to post a lot of sportsy stuff here these days (aside from the occasional MNF AAAAAAAAAAGGGG), because most of the people reading my LJ are not big sports followers, so you get an LJ-cut.
I need somewhere to rant about the 2007 New England Patriots.
What bothers me about them isn't that they're winning. Teams have won before. The Colts won their first twelve or thirteen games a few years ago and part of me was rooting for them to go undefeated. I like records and such. (I can't think of any other recent examples, though the Rams had some good starts around the turn of the century.) And I'm not ZOMG JEALOUS 'CUZ MY TEAM ISN'T WINNING -- my team is 7-1 and, in some circles, is considered a good bet to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Part of the problem is "Masshole" Boston fans -- and I run into a fair number given how close Albany is to Massachusetts (though this area is Giants country for the most part), and even more on the Internets -- that's mostly why I kept rooting against the Pats when they were winning those Super Bowls a few years back.
But this year in particular, I just can't stand them. The Pats have been playing the role of the villain, and relishing it. There were, of course, the cheating allegations back in September, which was at first dismissed by New England backers as "the rest of the NFL being jealous and trying to throw mud on the Pats"; after it was confirmed, it became "well every team cheats". (Also, defensive star Rodney Harrison was caught using steroids, but aside from a four-game suspension that seems to have gone completely under the radar.) And indeed, it doesn't seem like the Patriots are sorry they cheated, only that they got caught. And now they seem to be "angry" at the rest of the league for this, like it's the other teams' fault that they were videotaping signals. Which brings me to the next point:
The running up of the score. I don't care what your excuse is, when you're up 38-0 on the Redskins you should not have your starting players in, going for it on fourth downs and desperately trying to run up the score. It's not like college, where teams get rewarded for huge blowouts, and it's not like in Madden where you can get rewards for reaching certain benchmarks for points and yards. Trying to run up the score in a professional sport only serves to humiliate opposing coaches and players. Some people sneer, "Well if they have a problem with it, they should stop us from doing it." The problem with this is that the Patriots are a good deal better than any other team in the league (except maybe Indianapolis). Their offense has too many weapons to be stopped.
Twenty years ago this wouldn't have happened. Teams were meaner and more vengeful. If a team was running up the score on you, you did something about it -- and by "did something about it" I mean you took a cheap shot at the quarterback's legs and ended his season. Still wish you'd left him in with a 40-point lead?
(Speaking of cheap shots, I feel the need to point out a Patriots player's completely needless attempt to injure an opposing player with a few seconds left in a game whose outcome was already decided.)
Since the Patriots played a close game against the Colts this talk will die down, but prior to this week there was a lot of talk all over about just that -- the possibility of a team taking a cheap shot at Brady in retaliation to running up the score. When the Patriots next play -- against an inferior Buffalo team in two weeks -- they'll probably win by a lot and the questions about running up the score will resume. And if it gets really bad, the way I see it, there are three teams left on New England's schedule that are mean enough to do such a thing if provoked: the Ravens, the Steelers, and the Jets (who also got the ball rolling on the Belicheat scandal). Maybe they could play Tennessee in the playoffs and Albert Haynesworth could reprise a certain incident from last season. And I'm not alone in thinking this way. At least one blog has placed a bounty on Brady's knees. (Okay, so it's only $50, but still!)
I should probably feel like a horrible human being for wishing bodily harm on someone for a game that, in the end, has no bearing on anything, but that's sports fandom for you. Besides, the guy makes a gajillion dollars, has won three Super Bowls, and banged supermodels left and right. I don't have a ton of empathy for him.
And don't get me started on Evil Genius Belichick. He just seems like the kind of guy who'd poison an opposing star player's drinking water if he thought he could get away with it.
It's to the point where I don't even mind the Red Sox winning the World Series all that much. :| At least they are classy about it.
(With all that said, I will say this: the Patriots are damned good. The NFL could probably end the season right now and give them the trophy. If it weren't for the Packers doing well I probably would have lost all interest in this season. Is that what we want? A result so inevitable that even fans of 7-1 teams are losing interest by early November?)
(tl;dr version: The Patriots and their fans can die in a fire. Well, the rabid assholes anyway. They have some okay fans.)
Now that that's out of my system, on to other things.
Mario Galaxy is coming out in a couple of weeks... I was planning to get it when it releases, but I didn't pre-order it, so I dunno if I'll be able to get it immediately. I DID pre-order Brawl, and its release date works out pretty well for me -- February 10, just after football season ends (officially anyway -- as I said in the rant, it's kind of already over). :D
And the NxC progress report: I'm now through 22 chapters. That's out of 45 total (not including the intro chapters), so I'm about halfway through the game. I've been getting a steady flow of new units, though from this point on it's going to slow considerably (I now have 33 of the game's 39 units)... however, I'm still getting Mayor Mike MOTHERFUCKING Haggar (Final Fight) in Chapter 24 and Mishima Heihachi (Tekken series) in Chapter 27. Plus, I'll get a few new characters that will get integrated into units I already have (Cammy teaming up with Chun-Li, for example).
AVAILABLE UNITS (in order of joining):
Arisu Reiji [Original] & Xiaomu [Original] (Lv22)
Shion Uzuki [Xenosaga] & M.O.M.O. [Xenosaga] (Lv22)
KOS-MOS [Xenosaga] (Lv22)
King II [Tekken] & Felicia [Darkstalkers] (Lv22)
Bravoman [Bravoman] & Wonder Momo [Wonder Momo] (Lv22)
Lei-Lei [Darkstalkers] & Fong-Ling [Resident Evil: Dead Aim] (Lv22)
Bruce McGovern [Resident Evil: Dead Aim] & Regina [Dino Crisis] (Lv22)
Kasugano Sakura [Street Fighter] & Kanzuki Karin [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Shimazu Hideo [Rival Schools] & Minazuki Kyoko [Rival Schools] (Lv22)
Kazama Jin [Tekken] (Lv22)
Klonoa [Klonoa Heroes] & Guntz [Klonoa Heroes] (Lv23)
Kurino Sandra [Legend of Valkyrie] & Sabine [Legend of Valkyrie] (Lv22)
Chun-Li [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Ryu [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Ken Masters [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Morrigan Aensland [Darkstalkers] (Lv22)
Demitri Maximoff [Darkstalkers] (Lv22)
Taira no Kagekiyo [Genpei Toumaden] & Tarosuke [Yokai Douchuuki] (Lv22)
Tobi Masuyo [Baraduke] & Tengenji Hiromi [Burning Force] (Lv22)
Tron Bonne [Mega Man Legends] & Servbot [Mega Man Legends] (Lv22)
Heishirou Mitsurugi [Soul Calibur] (Lv22)
Taki [Soul Calibur] (Lv22)
Gilgamesh [Tower of Druaga] & Ki [Tower of Druaga] (Lv22)
Valkyrie [Legend of Valkyrie] (Lv22)
Hoover [Captain Commando] & Jennety [Captain Commando] (Lv22)
Guy [Final Fight] & Shou [Captain Commando] (Lv22)
Captain Commando [Captain Commando] (Lv22)
Arthur [Ghouls 'n' Ghosts] (Lv23)
Stahn Aileron [Tales of Destiny] & Rutee Kartrea [Tales of Destiny] (Lv22)
Nameless Super Soldiers 1P & 2P [Forgotten Worlds] (Lv23)
Rock Volnutt [Mega Man Legends] & Roll Caskett [Mega Man Legends] (Lv22)
Hori Taizou [Dig Dug] (Lv22)
Hiryu [Strider Hiryu] (Lv22)
AVAILABLE MULTIPLE ASSAULTS:
Jyuu no Kata (Reiji/Xiaomu, 3 enemies)
Duo Buster (Shion/MOMO & KOS-MOS, 3 enemies)
Open Leg Double Kick (Bravoman/Wonder Momo, 2 enemies)
Issei Shageki (Bruce/Regina & Lei-Lei/Fong-Ling, 1 enemy)
Souryuken (Ryu & Ken, 1 enemy)
Midnight Festival (Demitri & Morrigan, 2 enemies)
Dead Heat Throttle (Klonoa/Guntz & Masuyo/Hiromi, 1 enemy)
Tachimawari (Mitsurugi & Kagekiyo/Tarosuke, 3 enemies)
Megami Kourin (Kurino/Sabine & Valkyrie, 3 enemies)
Double Rolling Punch (Tron/Servbot & Hoover/Jennety, 2 enemies)
Captain Storm (Hoover/Jennety, Guy/Shou & Captain Commando, 1 enemy)
Captain Sword (Hoover/Jennety, Guy/Shou & Captain Commando, 1 enemy)
Shinkuu Hadouken & Kanzuki-ryu Kououken (Sakura/Karin, 2 enemies)
Double Heat Body (Gilgamesh/Ki & Arthur, 2 enemies)
Double Shining Wizard (King/Felicia, 2 enemies)
Fuusen Nuki (Taizou, 2 enemies)
(Haven't actually gotten to use the Commando Team's MAs myself yet. Stupid three-unit attacks.)
Looking forward to Chapter 23; it's one of those rare maps where I get to pick some of the units I send out. I always pick the ones who are at the lowest level (or, in this case, have the least EXP), and right now that looks like a bunch of units I'm comfortable using.
Finished the Colbert book. It is a must-get for any fan of the show.
In closing, something completely unrelated: I don't mind cold temperatures. What I mind is the weather that comes with it.
Until the next Aaaaaag.
I need somewhere to rant about the 2007 New England Patriots.
What bothers me about them isn't that they're winning. Teams have won before. The Colts won their first twelve or thirteen games a few years ago and part of me was rooting for them to go undefeated. I like records and such. (I can't think of any other recent examples, though the Rams had some good starts around the turn of the century.) And I'm not ZOMG JEALOUS 'CUZ MY TEAM ISN'T WINNING -- my team is 7-1 and, in some circles, is considered a good bet to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Part of the problem is "Masshole" Boston fans -- and I run into a fair number given how close Albany is to Massachusetts (though this area is Giants country for the most part), and even more on the Internets -- that's mostly why I kept rooting against the Pats when they were winning those Super Bowls a few years back.
But this year in particular, I just can't stand them. The Pats have been playing the role of the villain, and relishing it. There were, of course, the cheating allegations back in September, which was at first dismissed by New England backers as "the rest of the NFL being jealous and trying to throw mud on the Pats"; after it was confirmed, it became "well every team cheats". (Also, defensive star Rodney Harrison was caught using steroids, but aside from a four-game suspension that seems to have gone completely under the radar.) And indeed, it doesn't seem like the Patriots are sorry they cheated, only that they got caught. And now they seem to be "angry" at the rest of the league for this, like it's the other teams' fault that they were videotaping signals. Which brings me to the next point:
The running up of the score. I don't care what your excuse is, when you're up 38-0 on the Redskins you should not have your starting players in, going for it on fourth downs and desperately trying to run up the score. It's not like college, where teams get rewarded for huge blowouts, and it's not like in Madden where you can get rewards for reaching certain benchmarks for points and yards. Trying to run up the score in a professional sport only serves to humiliate opposing coaches and players. Some people sneer, "Well if they have a problem with it, they should stop us from doing it." The problem with this is that the Patriots are a good deal better than any other team in the league (except maybe Indianapolis). Their offense has too many weapons to be stopped.
Twenty years ago this wouldn't have happened. Teams were meaner and more vengeful. If a team was running up the score on you, you did something about it -- and by "did something about it" I mean you took a cheap shot at the quarterback's legs and ended his season. Still wish you'd left him in with a 40-point lead?
(Speaking of cheap shots, I feel the need to point out a Patriots player's completely needless attempt to injure an opposing player with a few seconds left in a game whose outcome was already decided.)
Since the Patriots played a close game against the Colts this talk will die down, but prior to this week there was a lot of talk all over about just that -- the possibility of a team taking a cheap shot at Brady in retaliation to running up the score. When the Patriots next play -- against an inferior Buffalo team in two weeks -- they'll probably win by a lot and the questions about running up the score will resume. And if it gets really bad, the way I see it, there are three teams left on New England's schedule that are mean enough to do such a thing if provoked: the Ravens, the Steelers, and the Jets (who also got the ball rolling on the Belicheat scandal). Maybe they could play Tennessee in the playoffs and Albert Haynesworth could reprise a certain incident from last season. And I'm not alone in thinking this way. At least one blog has placed a bounty on Brady's knees. (Okay, so it's only $50, but still!)
I should probably feel like a horrible human being for wishing bodily harm on someone for a game that, in the end, has no bearing on anything, but that's sports fandom for you. Besides, the guy makes a gajillion dollars, has won three Super Bowls, and banged supermodels left and right. I don't have a ton of empathy for him.
And don't get me started on Evil Genius Belichick. He just seems like the kind of guy who'd poison an opposing star player's drinking water if he thought he could get away with it.
It's to the point where I don't even mind the Red Sox winning the World Series all that much. :| At least they are classy about it.
(With all that said, I will say this: the Patriots are damned good. The NFL could probably end the season right now and give them the trophy. If it weren't for the Packers doing well I probably would have lost all interest in this season. Is that what we want? A result so inevitable that even fans of 7-1 teams are losing interest by early November?)
(tl;dr version: The Patriots and their fans can die in a fire. Well, the rabid assholes anyway. They have some okay fans.)
Now that that's out of my system, on to other things.
Mario Galaxy is coming out in a couple of weeks... I was planning to get it when it releases, but I didn't pre-order it, so I dunno if I'll be able to get it immediately. I DID pre-order Brawl, and its release date works out pretty well for me -- February 10, just after football season ends (officially anyway -- as I said in the rant, it's kind of already over). :D
And the NxC progress report: I'm now through 22 chapters. That's out of 45 total (not including the intro chapters), so I'm about halfway through the game. I've been getting a steady flow of new units, though from this point on it's going to slow considerably (I now have 33 of the game's 39 units)... however, I'm still getting Mayor Mike MOTHERFUCKING Haggar (Final Fight) in Chapter 24 and Mishima Heihachi (Tekken series) in Chapter 27. Plus, I'll get a few new characters that will get integrated into units I already have (Cammy teaming up with Chun-Li, for example).
AVAILABLE UNITS (in order of joining):
Arisu Reiji [Original] & Xiaomu [Original] (Lv22)
Shion Uzuki [Xenosaga] & M.O.M.O. [Xenosaga] (Lv22)
KOS-MOS [Xenosaga] (Lv22)
King II [Tekken] & Felicia [Darkstalkers] (Lv22)
Bravoman [Bravoman] & Wonder Momo [Wonder Momo] (Lv22)
Lei-Lei [Darkstalkers] & Fong-Ling [Resident Evil: Dead Aim] (Lv22)
Bruce McGovern [Resident Evil: Dead Aim] & Regina [Dino Crisis] (Lv22)
Kasugano Sakura [Street Fighter] & Kanzuki Karin [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Shimazu Hideo [Rival Schools] & Minazuki Kyoko [Rival Schools] (Lv22)
Kazama Jin [Tekken] (Lv22)
Klonoa [Klonoa Heroes] & Guntz [Klonoa Heroes] (Lv23)
Kurino Sandra [Legend of Valkyrie] & Sabine [Legend of Valkyrie] (Lv22)
Chun-Li [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Ryu [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Ken Masters [Street Fighter] (Lv22)
Morrigan Aensland [Darkstalkers] (Lv22)
Demitri Maximoff [Darkstalkers] (Lv22)
Taira no Kagekiyo [Genpei Toumaden] & Tarosuke [Yokai Douchuuki] (Lv22)
Tobi Masuyo [Baraduke] & Tengenji Hiromi [Burning Force] (Lv22)
Tron Bonne [Mega Man Legends] & Servbot [Mega Man Legends] (Lv22)
Heishirou Mitsurugi [Soul Calibur] (Lv22)
Taki [Soul Calibur] (Lv22)
Gilgamesh [Tower of Druaga] & Ki [Tower of Druaga] (Lv22)
Valkyrie [Legend of Valkyrie] (Lv22)
Hoover [Captain Commando] & Jennety [Captain Commando] (Lv22)
Guy [Final Fight] & Shou [Captain Commando] (Lv22)
Captain Commando [Captain Commando] (Lv22)
Arthur [Ghouls 'n' Ghosts] (Lv23)
Stahn Aileron [Tales of Destiny] & Rutee Kartrea [Tales of Destiny] (Lv22)
Nameless Super Soldiers 1P & 2P [Forgotten Worlds] (Lv23)
Rock Volnutt [Mega Man Legends] & Roll Caskett [Mega Man Legends] (Lv22)
Hori Taizou [Dig Dug] (Lv22)
Hiryu [Strider Hiryu] (Lv22)
AVAILABLE MULTIPLE ASSAULTS:
Jyuu no Kata (Reiji/Xiaomu, 3 enemies)
Duo Buster (Shion/MOMO & KOS-MOS, 3 enemies)
Open Leg Double Kick (Bravoman/Wonder Momo, 2 enemies)
Issei Shageki (Bruce/Regina & Lei-Lei/Fong-Ling, 1 enemy)
Souryuken (Ryu & Ken, 1 enemy)
Midnight Festival (Demitri & Morrigan, 2 enemies)
Dead Heat Throttle (Klonoa/Guntz & Masuyo/Hiromi, 1 enemy)
Tachimawari (Mitsurugi & Kagekiyo/Tarosuke, 3 enemies)
Megami Kourin (Kurino/Sabine & Valkyrie, 3 enemies)
Double Rolling Punch (Tron/Servbot & Hoover/Jennety, 2 enemies)
Captain Storm (Hoover/Jennety, Guy/Shou & Captain Commando, 1 enemy)
Captain Sword (Hoover/Jennety, Guy/Shou & Captain Commando, 1 enemy)
Shinkuu Hadouken & Kanzuki-ryu Kououken (Sakura/Karin, 2 enemies)
Double Heat Body (Gilgamesh/Ki & Arthur, 2 enemies)
Double Shining Wizard (King/Felicia, 2 enemies)
Fuusen Nuki (Taizou, 2 enemies)
(Haven't actually gotten to use the Commando Team's MAs myself yet. Stupid three-unit attacks.)
Looking forward to Chapter 23; it's one of those rare maps where I get to pick some of the units I send out. I always pick the ones who are at the lowest level (or, in this case, have the least EXP), and right now that looks like a bunch of units I'm comfortable using.
Finished the Colbert book. It is a must-get for any fan of the show.
In closing, something completely unrelated: I don't mind cold temperatures. What I mind is the weather that comes with it.
Until the next Aaaaaag.