A Great Finish

I'm not sure from watching the youtube video and looking at the description posted next to it exactly what happened, but either way, it was pretty incredible.  Either the Millsaps Majors or the Tigers (not sure what school) of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, pulled off the dramatic victory in the last play of the game down by 2 with :02 seconds left.  The title of the video says Millsaps Majors won, but the announcer in the video says the Tigers won... go figure.

In any case, one of these teams used 15 laterals and a little help from certain defensive players completely giving up on the play and the game for that matter (see: #35 at 1:00 in standing there with his hands on his hips pouting like a baby), to pull of the miracle.  I love the call by this kid: "CURRY SCORES!!! THE GAME IS OVER!!! CURRY SCORES! CURRY SCORES! CURRY SCORES!!!"

The Longest Inch, Episode #18

For episode 18 we talk about Jason Bay going to the Mets and continue our Bowl Predictions through the Fiesta Bowl on January 4th.

Our Bowl Picks (Continued):

Champ Sports Bowl
Me:   (15) Miami 31 - (25) Wisconsin 17
Sky:  (15) Miami 38 - (25) Wisconsin  31

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Me:   Bowling Green 49 - Idaho 24
Sky:  Bowling Green 21 - Idaho  24

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

Me:   (20) Arizona 10 - (22) Nebraska 14

Sky:  (20) Arizona 17 - (22) Nebraska  13

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

Me:   Houston 55 - Air Force 28

Sky:  Houston 45 - Air Force 27

Brut Sun Bowl

Me:   Oklahoma 23 - Stanford 17

Sky:  Oklahoma 31 - Stanford  17

Texas Bowl

Me:  Navy 21 - Missouri 20

Sky: Navy 17 - Missouri 41

Insight Bowl

Me:   Minnesota 24 - Iowa St. 27

Sky:  Minnesota 13 - Iowa St. 27

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Me:   (11) Virginia Tech 28 - Tennessee 24

Sky:  (11) Virginia Tech 21 - Tennessee 27

Outback Bowl

Me:   Northwestern 20 - Auburn 31

Sky:  Northwestern 24 - Auburn 38

Gator Bowl

Me:   (16) West Virginia 27 - Florida St. 31

Sky:  (16) West Virginia 27 - Florida St. 28

Capital One Bowl

Me:   (13) Penn St. 21 - (12) LSU 17

Sky:  (13) Penn St. 13 - (12) LSU 16

International Bowl

Me:   South Florida 34 - N. Illinois 25

Sky:  South Florida 41 - N. Illinois 17

Papajohns.com Bowl

Me:   South Carolina 31 - Connecticut 14

Sky:  South Carolina 27 - Connecticut 24

AT&T Cotton Bowl

Me:   (19) Oklahoma St. 17 - Mississippi 23

Sky:  (19) Oklahoma St. 27 - Mississippi 31

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Me:   Arkansas 30 - East Carolina 27

Sky:  Arkansas 38 - East Carolina 21

Valero Alamo Bowl

Me:   Michigan St. 28 - Texas Tech 24

Sky:  Michigan St. 27 - Texas Tech 45

The Rose Bowl

Me:   (8) Ohio St. 27 - (7) Oregon 41

Sky:  (8) Ohio St. 35 - (7) Oregon 48

Sugar Bowl

Me:   (3) Cincinnati 21 - (5) Florida 38

Sky:  (3) Cincinnati 31 - (5) Florida 52

Fiesta Bowl

Me:   (6) Boise St. 37 - (4) TCU 31

Sky:  (6) Boise St. 27 - (4) TCU 38

Bowl Prediction Recap for Dec. 22 - 29 (Me: 4 - 5; Sky: 7 - 2)

Wow, this was not my finest hour... Although, in my defense I did say to bet on Skyler's picks and not mine. 

Our Bowl Picks:
My Prediction: (18) Oregon St. 33 - (14) BYU 24
Sky's Prediction: (18) Oregon St. 45 - (14) BYU 35
Actual: (18) Oregon St. 20 - (14) BYU 40

My Prediction: (23) Utah 28 - California 24
Sky's Prediction: (23) Utah 31 - California17
Actual: (23) Utah 37 - California 27

My Prediction: Nevada 21 - Southern Methodist 14
Sky's Prediction: Nevada 38 - Southern Methodist 45
Actual: Nevada 10 - Southern Methodist 45

My Prediction: Boston College 10 - USC 28
Sky's Prediction: Boston College 7 - USC 52
Actual: Boston College 13 - USC 24

My Prediction: Marshall 26 - Ohio 27
Sky's Prediction: Marshall 10 - Ohio 38
Actual: Marshall 21 - Ohio 17

My Prediction: (17) Pittsburgh 38 - North Carolina 31
Sky's Prediction: (17) Pittsburgh 30 - North Carolina 21
Actual: (17) Pittsburgh 19 - North Carolina 17

My Prediction: Kentucky 24 - Clemson 34
Sky's Prediction: Kentucky 17 - Clemson 49
Actual: Kentucky 13 - Clemson 21

My Prediction: Texas A&M 44 - Georgia 21
Sky's Prediction: Texas A&M 13 - Georgia 24
Actual: Texas A&M 20 - Georgia 44

My Prediction: UCLA 27 - Temple 28
Sky's Prediction: UCLA 33 - Temple 16
Actual: TBD....

2009: A Poptastical Musical Summary

Pure glory contained in a single youtube video.  Ian, as usual, coming up with the freshies:

"CAUTION: Falling Mice"

Random Thought of the Day:  What exactly are we accomplishing with the "CAUTION: Falling Ice" signs that are always out on the sidewalks of Chicago?  If there is as they say "falling ice," then shouldn't we just close the entire sidewalk?!  Nah, I say take your chances and go for it -- It makes walking to work all that much more exciting.

I always find myself looking up every time I see these signs, and then it occurs to me: looking up is probably the worst thing to do.  It just seems natural to me to look up and check to make sure it's safe... After all, there could be massive chunks of frozen water falling from the sky that I might need to dodge using my superhuman powers (NBD).

Even though it might not make much sense to look up, I'm pretty sure I'm the only person taking any sort of cautionary action in regard to these signs.  I've literally never seen one single other pedestrian do anything (oh, I'm watching).  No one looks up, no one crosses the street to walk on a different sidewalk, no one does anything... Because what can you do?!?!  Which brings us back to the basic question here: What's the point of these signs?  I guess it's gotta be a liability issue, and that by putting up a sign the buildings are protecting themselves from being sued when someone inevitably gets crushed by a gigantic icicle.  Ahhhh, good 'ole America!

As pointless as they may in fact be, I have to say I can't help but laugh every time I walk past my favorite stretch of Michigan Ave "Falling Ice" signs.  That's cause somebody took the liberty of scrawling "M," "L" and "TW" on consecutive signs.

And yes, I do look up to make sure I'm not going to get hit with falling mice or lice, and I'm definitely not getting hit twice by any mice or lice!!!

I'm On A Sleigh!!!

Loud, sustained applause to Nick for this one:

A Festivus for the Rest of Us!!!

December 23 is upon us, and with that, let me wish you all a very Happy Festivus!!!  During this holiday season, if you find yourself in a store looking to buy a doll for your son and then reigning blows down upon another man's head as he takes the last such doll, remind yourself that there must be another way!



And courtesy of Chris, any Grinches out there should probably take notes from the worst fans ever:



I've heard of Cubs fans having full slices of pizza being tossed on their jerseys at Phillies games (Wolf), but I think being smashed with hundreds of snowballs being hurled as hard as possible from all angles probably trumps that...

The Longest Inch, Episode #17

Episode #17 features Javier Vazquez's trade to the Yankees, Mike wishing the Cubs could deal Zambrano, a Chicago Bulls shellacking, and some serious Bowl predictions.

Bowl Picks:
                                               Me                    Skyler
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
(18) Oregon St.                       33                        45
(14) BYU                                24                       35

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
(23) Utah                                 28                       31
California                                 24                       17

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Nevada                                     21                       38
Southern Methodist                   14                       45

Emerald Bowl
Boston College                        10                        7
USC                                         28                       52

Little Caesars Bowl
Marshall                                    26                       10
Ohio                                          27                       38

Meineke Car Care Bowl
(17) Pittsburgh                          38                        30
North Carolina                          31                        21

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Kentucky                                  24                       17
Clemson                                    34                       49

AcvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Texas A&M                              44                        13
Georgia                                     21                        24

EagleBank Bowl
UCLA                                       27                         33
Temple                                      28                         16

I Really Don't Know if I Can Continue as a Cubs Fan

In case you haven't heard, the Cubs just traded outfielder Milton Bradley to Seattle for right-handed pitcher Carlos Silva and cash.

Wow.

Harold, I don't know how much more of this I can take Harold...

In eight seasons, the 30 year-old Silva is 60-64 with two saves and a 4.72 ERA (592 ER/1128.2 IP) in 295 major league appearances (159 starts) with Philadelphia (2002-03), Minnesota (2004-07) and Seattle (2008-09).  He has walked only 214 batters in 1128.2 innings pitched, an average of only 1.7 walks per nine innings.  That's pretty much the extent of anything good you can say about Carlos Silva...

In 2009 with the Mariners, Silva appeared in a whopping eight  games(six starts) due to a right shoulder impingement that landed him on the disabled list from May 9-September 15. He went 1-3 with an 8.60 ERA...

Rich Harden is gone, so I guess Silva can step right into the overpaid, constantly injured starting pitcher role! Thank God we filled that spot!

Really the only good thing you can say about this trade is that Seattle is going to pay $9 million of Silva's ridiculous salary.

Bradley, 31, batted .257 (101-for-393) with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 124 games with the Cubs last season.  Was it a bad year? Yes.  Was Bradley and his "attitude" the  sole reason for the Cubs terrible season? NO.  Anyone who jumped on the "I hate Milton Bradley Train" or the "Milton Bradley is the cause of all our problems express" (AKA about 75% of all Cubs "fans") needs to get a clue.  How about terrible starting pitching all around (except you, Theodore Lilly), underperforming by basically ever hitter, and terrible managing by Lou???


Oh, and just FYI, the last time Don Wakamatsu and gameboard were paired together  (in Texas in 2008) he hit .321/.436/.563....

Mark my words right now, this will not end up as a good move for the Chicago Cubs. 

The Longest Inch, Episode #16

This Tuesday, The Longest Inch delves into the Mariners' continuing their string of strong offseason moves by trading for Cliff Lee, the Phillies swapping one ace for another in the form of Roy Halladay, and Toronto is the proud recipient of a nice shiny set of golf clubs. Mark Ingram wins the Heisman (booooo) and we tell people to "Be Serious."

Wayyyy Too Much Time on Their Hands...

The Longest Inch, Episode #15

There's only one game on, and it's the Army/Navy showdown.  We break down the beginning of the Brian Kelly era at Notre Dame, discuss some more big news from the MLB winter meetings, and finish our final top 10 MLB Free Agents.  Oh, and you get your "Be Serious," "Stump the Skyler," and "Parting Shots."  Obviously.  What do you think this is, amateur hour???

This is why Michael Bay gets to keep on making movies.

Week 14 NCAA Prediction Recap (7 - 4)

My Week 13 Picks:
Prediction: Central Michigan 34 - Ohio 17
Actual: Central Michigan 20 - Ohio 10

Prediction: (23) West Virginia 24 - Rutgers 10
Actual: (23) West Virginia 24 - Rutgers 21

Prediction: (21) Houston 38 - East Carolina 34
Actual: (21) Houston 32 - East Carolina 38

Prediction: (19) California 17 - Washington 13
Actual: (19) California 10 - Washington 42

Prediction: Arizona 24 - (18) USC 34
Actual: Arizona 21 - (18) USC 17

Prediction: New Mexico St. 13 - (6) Boise St. 49
Actual: New Mexico St. 7 - (6) Boise St. 42

Prediction: Clemson 31 - (10) Georgia Tech 35
Actual: Clemson 34 - (10) Georgia Tech 39

Prediction: (5) Cincinnati 21 - (15) Pittsburgh 27
Actual: (5) Cincinnati 45 - (15) Pittsburgh 44

Prediction: (22) Nebraska 13 - (3) Texas 24
Actual: (22) Nebraska 12 - (3) Texas 13

Prediction: (2) Alabama 27 - (1) Florida 26
Actual: (2) Alabama 32 - (1) Florida 13

Prediction: (16) Oregon St. 35 - (7) Oregon 44
Actual: (16) Oregon St. 33 - (7) Oregon 37

The Longest Inch, Episode #14

Big numero 14 has us recapping a phenomenal Championship weekend of college football, dissecting the BCS Bowl selection process, and giving our top 3 Heisman Trophy Candidates. MLB Winter Meetings have commenced, and you can rest assured we give our 2 cents on everything from Milton Bradley to Chone Figgins to Andy Pettitte.  And of course, a steady dose of "Be Serious," "Stump the Skyler," and our "Parting Shots."

The Longest Inch, Episode #13

Lucky #13 brings you more top MLB free agents along with Hall of Fame talk. Also, we preview college football's Championship Saturday, Skyler looks for redemption in our trivia segment, and, as always, "Be Serious" and our "Parting Shots."

Conference Championship Week Picks:

                                              Me                   Skyler

Central Michigan                 34                         41
vs
Ohio                                    17                         21

(23) West Virginia               24                       31
at
Rutgers                                 10                         14

(21) Houston                        38                         38
at
East Carolina                       34                           35

(19) California                     17                          28
at
Washington                          13                          27

Arizona                                 24                          21
at
(18) USC                              34                          24

New Mexico St.                   13                           10
at
(6) Boise St.                          49                          52

Clemson                               31                           13
vs
(10) Georgia Tech                35                           35


(5) Cincinnati                        21                          17
at
(15) Pittsburgh                      27                           27


(22) Nebraska                        13                          17
vs
(3) Texas                               24                           38


(2) Alabama                           27                           10
vs
(1) Florida                             26                            28


(16) Oregon St.                     35                            20
at
(7) Oregon                            44                             31

Anybody want to go for a swim?

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Courtesy of Patches

The Longest Inch, Episode #12

In episode 12, we recap the Rivalry weekend and take a quick look ahead to Championship Saturday. We interview a special Notre Dame insider on the coaching situation, discuss the MLB arbitration deadline and continue our top 50 free agent list with #30-21.  And as always, we bring you "Be Serious," "Stump the Skyler," and our "Parting Shots."

Week 13 NCAA Prediction Recap (6 - 2)

After the mayhem that was rivalry week, I've gotta say I feel pretty lucky to escape with a 6 - 2 record.

I was worried about Noel Devine and West Virginia going into the Backyard Brawl, and his 134 yards and 1 touchdown performance only confirmed those fears.  Pittsburgh finally showed their real selves when down 16-6 with about 10 minutes left to play in the game as they scored 10 unanswered points to tie it up 16-16, but it was too little too late.  Tyler Bitancurt won the game, hitting a 43 yard field goal as time expired.

Alabama somehow managed to sneak past Auburn despite going down 14-0 in the first 5 minutes of the game.  It's even more incredible when you consider that Alabama's run-heavy offense is not built to score a lot of points, especially when they have to come from behind.

Florida handled the Seminoles in a game whose score I was actually fairly close on.

Bedlam:  A scene or state of wild uproar and confusion.  Yep, that just about sums it up.  All I can say is Oklahoma St. left me at a complete loss for words.  They proved me very wrong and Skyler very right.  Shut out?  Playoffs?!?  Be serious Cowboys.

No surprises in the Commonwealth Cup.  Virginia is a BAD football team (then again, so is Georgia...crap!)  Oh, and speaking of which, later Al Groh.

Memo to LSU:  Get your act together.  I know Arkansas has one of the best offenses in the SEC and Lou "I'm nuttier than a fruit cake" Holtz claims you have one of the worst offenses in the entire nation (forget just the SEC), but squeaking by the Razorbacks at HOME???  Sh'mon now.  You're better than that.  Or maybe you're not...

BYU, thanks for making me look smart.  I predicted you would beat Utah by 3, and that's exactly what you did.  Loud sustained applause.

USC, you are almost as cool as BYU.  I guess I overestimated UCLA with the Victory Bell on the line...  At least I didn't pick UCLA like Skyler did here.  "Glitz and glam" my ass.


My Week 13 Picks:
The Backyard Brawl
Prediction:  (9) Pittsburgh 27 - West Virginia 21
Actual:  (9) Pittsburgh 16 - West Virginia 19

The Iron Bowl
Prediction:  (2) Alabama 24 - Auburn 10
Actual:  (2) Alabama 26 - Auburn 21

The Sunshine Showdown
Prediction:  Florida St. 14 - (1) Florida 28
Actual:  Florida St. 10 - (1) Florida 37

Bedlam Series for the Bedlam Bell
Prediction:  (12) Oklahoma St. 37 - Oklahoma 21
Actual:  (12) Oklahoma St. 0 - Oklahoma 27

Commonwealth Cup
Prediction:  (14) Virginia Tech 24 - Virginia 10
Actual:  (14) Virginia Tech 42 - Virginia 13

The Battle for the Golden Boot
Prediction:  Arkansas 20 - (15) LSU 27
Actual:  Arkansas 30 - (15) LSU 33

The Holy War
Prediction:  (21) Utah 28 - (19) BYU 31
Actual:  (21) Utah 23 - (19) BYU 26

The Victory Bell
Prediction:  UCLA 23 - (20) USC 30
Actual:  UCLA 7 - (20) USC 28

The Longest Inch, Episode #11

Episode 11 is a special Thanksgiving edition of The Longest Inch for your listening pleasure. We discuss the MLB MVP awards, continue our look into the top 50 MLB Free Agents, chalk talk the Rivalry Weekend in College Football, tell people to Be Serious, and Stump the Skyler. They call us 'Carwash,' cause we're automatic.

My Week 13 Picks:

The Backyard Brawl:
(9) Pittsburgh  27
at
West Virginia  21

The Iron Bowl:
(2) Alabama  24
at
Auburn  10

The Sunshine Showdown:
Florida St.  14
at
(1) Florida  28

Bedlam Series for the Bedlam Bell:
(12) Oklahoma St.  37
at
Oklahoma  21

Commonwealth Cup:
(14) Virginia Tech  24
at
Virginia  10

The Battle for the Golden Boot:
Arkansas  20
at
(15) LSU  27

The Holy War:
(21) Utah  28
at
(19) BYU  31

The Victory Bell:
UCLA 23
at
(20) USC 30

Random Musings

Tripping.  The act of impeding or catching of a person's foot so as to throw the person down, esp. in wrestling.

Also, a 10 yard penalty in the National Football League.  Does that seem off to anybody else, or is it just me?

You know what isn't a penalty in the NFL???  Beating the crap out of someone.  And yet somehow, tripping will dock you 10 yards.

Doesn't it just feel like something so irrelevant that it should fall into the category of general shenanigans?  Given the extreme violence and physicality of football, doesn't it just seem so minuscule that it's not even worth noting?  When I think of tripping, I don't think of a serious NFL penalty.  I think of Larry, Moe, and Curly...

"Coitanly! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!" [eye poke, slap]

I don't know, maybe I'm way off base here, but to me tripping seems like one of the lamest NFL rules... "Ok guys, I want you to go out there and hit each other with bone-breaking, concussion causing, paralyzing force!!!  But whatever you do, do not, under ANY circumstance, stick your leg out and trip someone!!!!"

To quote the Dude in all of his wisdom, "Who gives a crap about the marmot?!?!"  Who gives a crap about tripping?!?  Let's worry about penalties that actually matter, like excessive celebration.

Week 12 NCAA Prediction Recap (4 - 2)

All in all, my Week 12 picks fared pretty well.  I ended up 4-2, but I also predicted the exact team score for Stanford and Nebraska.  I was only off by 1 for LSU, 4 for Wisconsin, 5 for Northwestern, and 2 for Oregon.

If former Bear Jim Harbaugh didn't make multiple bonehead coaching decisions in the 4th quarter, perhaps that pick would've worked out (down by 3 and decide to go for it on 4th and 8 from your own 30 yard line with 3:30 and all 3 of your timeouts left?!?!? BE SERIOUS. PUNT THE BALL).

And if Les Miles and LSU had any clue how to manage a football game with 1 minute left, maybe I would've gotten that one right.  "I can only tell you that the management at the back end of the game was the issue," LSU Coach Les Miles said, later adding: "It's my fault that we didn't finish first in that game."

My Week 12 Picks:

Prediction:  LSU 24 - Ole Miss 17
Actual:  LSU 23 - Ole Miss 25

Prediction:  Wisconsin 35 - Northwestern 38
Actual:  Wisconsin 31 - Northwestern 33

Prediction:  Oregon 42 - Arizona 31
Actual:  Oregon 44 - Arizona 41 (2 OT)

Prediction:  Cal 21 - Stanford 28
Actual:  Cal 34 - Stanford 28

Prediction:  Kansas St. 14 - Nebraska 17
Actual:  Kansas St. 3 - Nebraska 17

Prediction:  Florida St. beats Maryland
Actual:  Florida St. beat Maryland

0 Days and Counting!!

The journey of a thousand miles really does start with the first step...or bite...or non-bite.

Walking into work today I saw this man standing at the intersection of Clark and Washington and I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but laugh a little.  Apparently, he has been on hunger strike since this morning.  Best of luck to you, random dude on the street doing a hunger strike for "JOB, Job, Job, Job."

The Longest Inch, Episode #10

Episode 10 marks yet another milestone for The Longest Inch... Double digits baby!!!  We preview the biggest week 12 college football games, discuss the NL Cy Young, MVP awards, and free agent, talk some "Cubbie Nuggets" (whatever those might be...), tell the Arizona Diamondbacks and ESPN to "Be Serious," Stump the Skyla, and we contemplate moving to Canada.  It's all there, so stop looking anywhere else!

My Week 12 Picks:

LSU Tigers  24
at
Ole Miss Rebels  17

Wisconsin Badgers  35
at
Northwestern Wildcats  38

Oregon Ducks  42
at
Arizona Wildcats  31

Cal Golden Bears  21
at
Stanford Cardinal  28

Kansas St. Wildcats  14
at
Nebraska Cornhuskers  17

Maryland Terrapins
at
Florida St.  (Florida St. wins because they are Skyler's team.  And because Maryland blows.  Maybe by as much as 3 td's.)

Like Taking Candy From A Baby

My Local Television Debut!!!

November 17, 2009, 9:00 PM:  Mikechop hits the scene making an appearance as an "uber-white guy" in an investigative report on discrimination by FOX Chicago News' Mark Saxenmeyer.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Be Serious, Bill Belichick and Co.

I actually only caught the last 15 seconds of the Sunday night Pats/Colts game as I was flying home and didn't arrive until right at the end (Wait, who predicted the Colts would win that game again?  That's what I thought.)

In any case, seeing the last 15 seconds and the ensuing drama/pandemonium was enough for me to catch this little gem:



Well done, random bald security guy #1, well done.  Oh, and just in case there's any question as to the identity of the pile-drive victim, a post here says that it was an NFL Films employee.  In other words, NOT a drunk Indy fan...  [Loud sustained applause]

Apparently it's not a good idea to ever film the Belichick in failure.  Respect the Belichick!!! 

It's All About the Benjamins, Baby.

Today marks yet another momentous occasion -- the 100th post in Mikechop history!

I figured what better symbol for Mikechop's meteoric rise to glory than a video of a chair floating up into space.

The Longest Inch, Episode #9

In episode 9 we recap Week 11 of college football, tell the MLB awards-people to "Be Serious" in a new segment appropriately named, "Be Serious," celebrate Dr. K being halfway to 90, and stump the Skyler.

It's all there for you to gobble up, you little turkey heads.

Don't Drink and Attempt to Ride the Subway

I saw this on the news today and even though it's borderline terrifying, I thought I should post it to show how the actions of those at the scene were able to save this woman's life.  It's truly incredible that the train was able to stop (just in time) and that the train operator was paying close enough attention to react to the people waving (and most likely yelling) for him or her to stop.  Thank God for those people who saved this woman's life.  If the woman who fell has a drinking problem, hopefully this miracle can wake her up to changing her ways.

The Longest Inch, Episode #8

In episode 8, Mike tries to be a good samaritan, the Yanks are kings again for the 27th time, we profile Joe Girardi's career (he is a gentleman and a scholar), give you our MLB dream team, and preview the week in college football that wasn't.

Ready, BOOOOOP.

Is Chivalry Dead? I Guess That Depends On Your Vantage Point

On my way home from work yesterday, I got off the "L" at Armitage and while walking along rocking out to some tunes on my iPod, I noticed the young woman walking in front of me struggling to carry about 5 boxes.  Being the good Samaritan that I am, I slid my headphones off and said, "Would you like some help with that?"

"Oh, well, could you just push the top one more onto the middle of the pile?" She replied, as the top box was starting to inch towards falling off of the pile.

"Sure, no problem." I said.  "Are you sure you don't want any help carrying them though?"

"Oh yes, but thank you.  They're actually really light."  She said.

And she was right, they were indeed very light.  I had noticed that when I moved the top box over.

And so I continued walking along, a smile on my face as it was almost the weekend.  No more than 30 seconds later, a group of about six Lincoln Park High School girls crossed our paths as they headed for the "L."  Just as they passed me I heard one of the girls say to her friends, "Now there's a real gentleman!!  Look at him just letting that woman carry all those boxes!"  I swear I am not making this up.

I could tell that she said this thinking I couldn't hear her since I had my headphones on, but fortunately I didn't miss this gem of a comment as I had turned the volume down and slid them slightly off my ears when I had asked the woman if she needed any help.

Without thinking, I found myself with my hands thrown up in the air, laughing out loud as I turned back to look at the girl who had just called me out.  The group of girls had all now stopped and were looking back at me with these priceless embarrassed, shocked, and confused looks on their faces.

"I JUST asked her if she wanted any help!"  I said while I turned and kept walking down the street, as an even bigger smile crept onto my face.

Pinback at the Bottom Lounge - 11/3/09

Got to see Pinback live Tuesday night at the Bottom Lounge in the West Loop and it was one of the weirdest, most unique, coolest concerts I've ever been to.

In case you've never been, the Bottom Lounge is a pretty small venue, but very cool nonetheless. I'd guess there were about 150-200 people in the audience.  It has a small warehouse feel to it, and the opening barroom that one enters the main bar through (the concert was in back behind that in a separate room) is pretty open with a few tables and booths scattered throughout.  Basically it has the open feeling of a loft/warehouse place and when you mix that with the fun of a bar/concert venue it equals a great time.

But oh where to begin explaining this weird and awesome night...

First off, Rob Crow, one of the 2 main band members (singer/song writer/multi-instrumentalist), IS Zach Galifinakis' character Alan Garner from The Hangover.  It was scary and insane and awesome.  It was scarinsome, if you will.  Not only does he look EXACTLY like him, but he even has the same mannerisms!  More on that later.  For now, you be the judge:

I mean, can you even tell which is which??? In case you can't, Zach Galifinakis is on the left and Rob Crow is on the right.

The pure weirdosity (yep, that's a word) and blawshomeness (so is that) of this concert kicked off from the get-go, as we walked in the door at 8:15 PM.  Were we greeted with the sweet Bob Dylanish melodies (ok, maybe a stretch...) from the opening act of Joe Jack Talcum?  No.

Up on stage singing karaoke in front of about 40 concert-goers was a jovial, mildly frenetic, Newcastle-drinking, bearded man with a beer belly who bore a strange resemblence to Zach Galifinakis.  I'm just going to let that sink in for a minute.  Karaoke.  Delaware.

How weird is that?!?!

So this guy (who we later find out is Rob Crow of Pinback), finishes his song (some 70's or 80's chick song...so fitting) and asks the audience who's next.  As you can imagine, people were not chomping at the bit to rush up on stage and sing karaoke when they thought they were going to be listening to professionals.  I'm not going to lie, topping my list of recent regrets is the fact that I didn't get up there and belt something out with the lead singer of a friggin' rock band, especially with how bad the people who did were (A kid actually managed to completely butcher Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," which I didn't think was possible).

Karaoke struggles on without the help of Rob Crow's sick voice for the next hour til Joe Jack Talcum comes out and sings for an hour.

Meanwhile, while Talcum is singing, we intermittently see Rob Crow walking around carrying around....

....a baby!!!  I swear I am not making this up.  The resemblance to little Carlos from The Hangover (pictured above) was absolutely uncanny.  We wanted to sneak a picture of him, but A) we were too embarrassed to take a picture of a random guy, and B) we had no idea he was in Pinback, otherwise we would've asked to be in a picture with him.

Finally, at about 10:15, Pinback came out and got ready to play.  Rob Crow walked onto the stage carrying a bunch of Newcastles, and they started rocking out.  Throughout the course of the night, Crow was throwing down Newcastles like it was nobody's biznass.  It was truly something to be admired.  In between songs and if there was an instrumental that he wasn't involved in, he would take a huge swig or chug, and then bounce right back into the action without missing a beat.

His vocals were really cool too with a crazy range and a really interesting, unique sound, which was most definitely enhanced by the free-flowing Newcastle.  We also noticed that the three guys who sang all had very diverse voices, but the way they blended together was perfect.  They played a few of their more well-known songs like "Penelope," "Good to Sea," "Loro," and "Fortress" at a faster tempo than we had heard before, which kind of made it seem like they were rushing through them.

They played until a little after midnight, performing all the songs I love by them (except for "Crutch"), and a bunch of others that I hadn't heard that were pretty sweet.

Here are a couple of my favorites:









And also, if you have the means, I highly recommend checking out "Grey Machine."  Rock on!

The Longest Inch, Episode #7

In episode 7 we debate Charlie Manuel's decision to sit Cliff Lee in game 4 of the World Series and talk about one of the better baserunning plays in the history of the World Series.  Oregon and Texas impress, Boise St., TCU, and LSU heed Skyler's wise words while Cincy misses the memo, and the Big 10 continues to suck.  Everything you need is right here, in The Longest Inch.

Happy Halloween!

Here are a couple Halloween nuggets for everyone to chew on.  Enjoy!

And this one...

Carpe the Great Diem

Do you ever wake up and have something happen to you to start your day and realize, "Whoa! This is going to be a GREAT day!!!"?  Yesterday was just such a day for yours truly.

6:54 AM:  Wake up to the sound of Zara laughing at my alarm ringing.  "Dun dun-dun DUN dun-d-dun dun..." (Yes, I'm well aware that it's kind of weird to set your alarm for 6:54.  Well, I'm a weird guy.)

6:54:12 AM:  As I stretch my arms across the bed and contemplate waking up, I reach over and feel something large, wooden object in my bed next to me.  Upon further inspection the picture frame, previously hanging about 2 and a half feet above the right side of the bed, is now lying on the bed next to me.

6:55 AM:  As I emerge from my early morning wake-up haze, I finally realize how lucky I am that I decided to sleep on the left side of the bed, thus avoiding having a heavy wooden frame dropped on my poor defenseless sleeping face.

7:00 AM:  Since it had absolutely poured all night long, I ask Chris and Zara if I can borrow an umbrella and rainjacket.  They say, "No problem, you know where they are."  Perfect.

7:02 AM:  Begin shaving face.

7:05 AM:  Finish shaving face.

7:05:01 AM:  Get a big smile across my face with the realization that I just had one of those near-perfect shaves, where your face hardly feels any irritation at all.  For those of you out there thinking, "What Mike, the 16 hairs are your face weren't feeling itchy???" I say, "Hey, you shut your mouth when you're talking to me!!!"

7:55 AM:  Walk outside, and while walking down the street, I realize I have forgotten both an umbrella AND a rainjacket.  Awesome.

7:55:01 AM:  Realize that it isn't raining anymore.  It isn't even drizzling.  Woohoo!!!

7:55:02 AM:  Remember that it's Friday.  Great success!!!!

7:59 AM:  See a hilarious cute little girl dressed up as a witch walking to school with her mom.

8:02 AM:  As I reach the top of the L platform, the purple line express train rolls up immediately.  Damn, I'm on a roll.

8:02:14 AM:  Walk onto the train, and there's actually a seat for me!

8:15 AM:  While riding the L, I see the following headline in the Chicago Red Eye, and laugh to myself because I have the maturity of a 14 year-old.

8:25 AM:  Walk into work early.

4:45 PM:  Done with work.  Time for the weekend.

6:30 PM:  Jim Beam and coke.  Need I say more?

7:30 PM:  Commence pumpkin carving for the first time since I was 12 or something like that.  I had forgotten how fun this is.  Chris, Zara and I carve two amazing pumpkins!  What a great day.

How sick are those?!?!  That's mine on the right and Chris and Zara's on the left (DOMO!!!).

And of course, the spooky dark shot.  Happy Halloween and happy weekend everybody!

The Longest Inch, Episode #6

In episode 6, Skyler and I do a special Thursday show (the only thing that makes it special is that it was done on Thursday instead of Friday).  We dive head-first into dissecting the Game 1 of the World Series, discuss the greatness of the Agassi mullet, debate the outrage over his meth use, and break down Week 9 of the college football schedule telling you who will win and who will suck.

It's all here, so buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life.

Why I Want To Have Kids Someday

The Longest Inch, Episode #5

In episode 5, the Sky man and I talk about the World Series and some big St. Louis Cardinals coaching moves (Big Mac is back!), Coach Herman Boone and Mike rip Nebraska a new one after a disappointing Cornhusker loss, we dissect the other top NCAA games, and we cut through all the BCS ranking B.S. to tell you who really has the best case for being the #1 team in the nation.  And yes, that's right, we see if I can "Stump The Skyler!"

Motivation for the Huskers

Fear not sports fans, the Longest Inch Episode #5 will be up in just a few hours.

Until then, I leave you with the following:



Here's hoping the Husker players are watching this and getting motivated to get their act together for the rest of this season.  I'll also add that despite the pain of that loss from being a Nebraska fan, this is still a pretty cool video and takes me back to the days of "Who ****** Middlebury?!?!?  WE ****** MIDDLEBURY!!!!!" in the ATO basement.  Speaking of which, do any Jumbos out there have any video of that???

The Longest Inch, Episode #4

In episode 4, (Friday, October 16), Sky and I have switched the format up a little.  We're now focusing mainly on college football and the MLB.  We figured the scope of the podcast was a bit too large before, so hopefully this way we can go into greater depth on these topics.  And, as always, I attempt to stump the Skyler.

Google Wave

So I'm going to stick with the Google theme and the props to Patches theme and tell you guys about Google Wave. Actually, instead of telling you, you can watch a presentation about it at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_UyVmITiYQ

From the looks of the presentation, it is amazing. It is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, come to think of it, it is way cooler than slicing up flour, yeast, water and salt.

So if you want to request a Google Wave account, just go to:

https://services.google.com/fb/forms/wavesignup/

Mikechop: Keepin' the people informed.

Google Voice

Big ups to Patches for keeping me technologically informed.

So, there is this thing called Google Voice. Basically, this is what it is:

"Google Voice gives you a single phone number that rings all your phones, saves your voicemail online, and transcribes your voicemail to text. Other cool features include the ability to listen in on messages while they are being left and the ability to make low cost international calls. You can record custom greetings for your favorite callers or block annoying callers by marking them as spam."

If this is something that interests you, request a number by going to:

https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/

Oh, and for all the Tufts '07 grads, I already grabbed JUMBO07 as my number. I guess you could still go with TUFTS07, but that's not nearly as cool.

Hilarious

Dear Rest of the NFL,

In case you hadn't noticed already, the Bears cannot run the ball. You should no longer concern yourselves with ever worrying about run defense when playing Chicago. We also like to fumble multiple times on the goal-line. That is all.

Love,

Matt Forte

Did you know...

Since joining the National Football League in 1966, the Atlanta Falcons have NEVER posted a winning record in consecutive seasons.

The Longest Inch, Episode #3

In episode 3 (Monday, October 12), Skyler and I discuss freezing cold playoff baseball, college and pro football, why the MLB season is way too long, and we reveal the meaning of life*.

Get after it. You can sleep when you're dead.

*This didn't happen.

The Longest Inch, Episode #2

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this posted. What can I say... computers are hard to figure out (thank God for Wolfy--he also recommends "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" to all).

With that being said, get excited cause the wait is over!

Episode 2 (recorded Friday, October 9) marks a sad sad day for Skyler as his Cardinals were swept out of the playoffs and Florida State dropped yet another game, this time to lowly Boston College. We talk playoff baseball, college and pro football, NBA replacement refs, and we try out our new "Stump the Skyler" trivia segment.

Drink it up sports fans, it always goes down smooth.

Cause I Want It That Wayyyyyyy

Case of the Mondays??? I think not after watching this. A big thanks to Marissa for this Monday morning Columbus day gem:

Subscribing to The Longest Inch Podcast

Hey all Mikechoppers,

So just as a little FYI, if you want to subscribe to The Longest Inch (obviously) you can skip going through iTunes by simply clicking here. When you go to that link, just click the subscribe button and you should be all set. Enjoy!

-mike

The Longest Inch Podcast, Episode #1

This is it folks, the moment we've all been waiting for. The moment that will help to shape and define every moment that follows it.

That's right. The launch of The Longest Inch Podcast!!! The single greatest sports podcast known to mankind. So sit back, relax, crack a ice cold Budweiser, and enjoy the sweet soulful melodies of Mike and Skyler.

In this episode, we recap week 5 of college football, week 4 of the NFL, preview the Vikings/Packers Monday Night game, preview the Twins/Tigers one game playoff, and talk MLB playoff baseball. Oh, and we also get totally radical. The Longest Inch is on the air!!!!!!

I guess that makes 101...

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart.

The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins

again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and

evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves

you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer

the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and

high skies alive, and then just when the days are

all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

That quote, taken from the late A. Bartlett Giamatti's The Green Fields of the Mind, seems to get more and more appropriate every time October rolls around. Every time the Cubs are snuffed out of yet another playoffs, or swept out of them after somehow managing to sneak their way in. At the conclusion of every single baseball season I find myself reading those words and thinking, "That could not be written any more perfectly." (I should also note that Al from bleedcubbieblue.com concludes every MLB season with that quote.)

With the Cubs' 5-2 loss today to the Arizona Diamondbacks, it is official. 101 years. Say that out loud to yourself. One-hundred and one years. Sheesh.

I guess technically it was official a week or two ago when St. Louis clinched and we were eliminated from Wild Card contention, but for me it doesn't truly sink in until there's no more baseball to be played. Until there are no more days to be spent in the sun in the bleachers at Wrigley. Until 40,000 standing, smiling fans won't be singing Steve Goodman's "Go Cubs Go" for at least another 6 months.

---

This season was just downright bizarre. We saw a rookie of the year go through a sophomore slump (Geovany Soto). We saw more trademark freak injuries (Ryan Dempster landing on the DL after breaking a toe trying to jump the fence to go celebrate a victory with the team. Derrek Lee hitting a game-winning homer and then promptly missing 5 games after getting a congratulatory slap on the head so hard by Angel Guzman that he had neck spasms...). We saw Rich Harden pitch on April 15 to the tune of:

3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 8 K

In case you're wondering what's so special about that, it's that none of the other fielders (except the catcher) were involved in recording outs against any of the 17 batters that Rich faced that day. Every single batter either walked, struck out or got a hit -- an achievement in defensive indifference that no other pitcher in the past 80 seasons has duplicated in a start that long (Thank you Jayson Stark).

And yes, of course, we saw Milton Bradley. We saw him lose track of outs, pull himself out of games, and wage wars with fans, umpires and managers alike (2 more years and $20 million more, here we come!)

And as bizarre as this season was, it still ended the same way as the last 100 seasons -- with no World Series Championship to show for it. We spent more money than every other team in the MLB except the Red Sox and Yankees, and what have we got to show for it? Second place in one of the worst divisions in baseball and a set of steak knives!

And you know what the funny thing is? I'm still gonna miss it and I still can't wait for next year and I still think we're going to win it all someday soon.

And that's probably why Giamatti's piece seems so fitting to me.

Of course, there are those who learn after the first few times.

They grow out of sports. And there are others who were born

with the wisdom to know that nothing lasts. These are the truly tough

among us, the ones who can live without illusion, or without

even the hope of illusion. I am not that grown-up or up-to-date.

I am a simpler creature, tied to more primitive patterns and

cycles. I need to think something lasts forever, and it might

as well be that state of being that is a game;

it might as well be that, in a green field, in the sun.

The Greatest Car Commercial Ever

The Test Episode of the Mike & Skyler Show

This is a test run for the up-and-coming amazing, sensational sports podcast produced by Mike and Skyler. Stay tuned for many more awesome, jaw-dropping, skirt-lifting episodes!

Rome Rome Rome Rome

Enjoy...

Musings of an anxious Insomniac

What happens when you wake up at 2:30 in the morning craving a turkey sandwich with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mustard on slightly toasted 7-grain bread?

Normally, you go into the kitchen and knock it out. If you're me, you lie in bed hoping to fall back asleep until you come to terms with the fact that that's not going to happen anytime soon. So you roll out of bed and head into the kitchen for that sandwich, right? No. You don't. Because there is no turkey or swiss cheese in there. Is the store open at 3 am?? Probably not... So, if you're me, you putz around wasting time on your computer until you're so tired your body has no choice but to pass out from sheer exhaustion. Great success!! (Sorry, I just saw Borat for the first time yesterday.)

Insomniac Activity Checklist (bonus game: see if you can follow the strange meanderings of my mind...) :

-Fantasy baseball and football lineups updated and ready for the coming days? Done.

-Scrutinized every single player available on the free agent waiver wire? Yep.

-Read the NFL and College football recaps for the weekend? Check.

-Wondered what the hell ESPN will do if Tim Tebow is forced to spend any significant portion of time out of action due to his concussion? Check.

-Searched for jobs on TVjobs.com? Check.

-Figured out how you're supposed to get all this experience they want you to have for these jobs if you have to have the experience to get the job to get the experience??? Nope.

-Thought about applying to jobs in Chicago, Iowa, Idaho, Florida, Arkansas, New York, Decatur, Philadelphia, and Miami? Yep.

-Considered a career change? YES.

-Pulled up nytimes.com in a weak attempt to be "intellectual"? Check.

-Looked at it for a half a second and then did a youtube search for "Ernie Anastos" and "funny falls"? Absolutely.

-Bothered Rob Kebob while he was actually at work trying to be productive like a normal person? Yeppers.

-Thought about how ridiculous this blog post is? Yeshhh.

-Realized it's about par for the course on mikechop dot blogspot dot com?

Oy...

Some days you eat the bar...

And some days, the bar, well, he eats you.

Bow down in the face of a boss player.

An actual email sent to my supervisor today at work:


Alyssa,

It was my great pleasure several weeks ago, to speak with Michael Kinsella.

He took my call inquiring about Jimmy Fallon Live tickets and coached me on the daily call back process which I followed diligently.

Today was the day and wonder of wonders I got Michael again after re-dialing for over 90 minutes. He was right, patience paid off...

He secured my daughter and I two tickets for the August 10th taping and we are so excited!

We have travelled the world and met countless ticket/customer service representatives.

People normally take the time to complain about poor service and rarely take the time to extend gratitude for a job well done.

I am taking the time to tell you, Michael is the benchmark for customer service. He made me feel like a friend. We are planning to tour the NBC Studios and hope he is the one who directs our tour!

I know, I am dreaming, I am lucky I got the Fallon tickets and once again, THANK YOU to your staff for their kindness and professionalism.

Make it a great week Alyssa,

Linda Stevenson

p.s. I am cc'ing Michael, I don't think he believed I would really take the time to thank you!! :)

2 Years Out...

Wolfy, Phil and me in O'Hare before taking off for our journey

Yesterday, June 20, 2009 marks an historic day in Mikechop history.  Am I referring to the anniversary of the day our beloved Chicago Bulls took down the Phoenix Suns 4-2 to complete their first three-peat of the 90's back in 1993???  No.  How about the anniversary of the day Joltin' Joe Dimaggio had his 2,000th career hit in 1950?  Nope.  Perhaps the anniversary of the day Late Night king Johnny Carson married his 4th wife Alexis Mass back in 1987?  Negatory, ghostrider.  I'm not even talking about the day O.J. was arraigned on the murder charges of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman OR the day Pete Rose became just the 5th player ever to appear in 3,000 games...

I'm obviously referencing the 2 year anniversary of my trip to Europe with the Wolfman and Philbuck!!!  Come on!!!  How could you not know that?!?

So many great memories came rushing back as Wolfy and I reminisced yesterday that I decided it would be cool to put up a few pictures from the trip.  So sit back, relax, crack a beer, roll a splif, and enjoy a few gems from Euro-trip '07...

Boldly entering the crypt at St. Michan's cathedral...

Touring Paris with our old camp friend "Chappy"

Can you tell which one is the wax figurine???  I didn't think so.

Wolfy "falling" off the cliffs on Inis Moor

The Three Amigos in Madrid.  Classic.

Dinner at "Botin" in Madrid -- the world's oldest restaurant (Est. 1725)

Cable cars up Le Saleve in Geneva, Switzerland (Alt: 1,380 Meters)

Step aside, Lance.

Wolf and Philbuck: "Go away!!!"

"To the death!!  Theirs, not ours! Sparta!!!"

Florence - Drink it in...  It always goes down smooth.

A canal in Venezia

"AHHHH!!!!!!"

The best sunset I have ever seen in my life in Mykonos, Greece

Priceless.

Dinner and drinks at the Hofbrauhaus beer hall in Munich, Germany

The view from inside Neuschwanstein Castle - the model for the Cinderella castle and home of Mad King Ludwig ("King Ludwig was NOT crazy, he was just a little bit ahead of his time!")

....

A funky astronomical clock in Prague, Czech Republic

What a trip!!!