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Pac-10 preseason football rankings = USC and those other teams

Is it too early to talk about football?

Seems like it should be...but considering we are a third of the way through July, the season is just around the corner, and ESPN just released their preseason Pac-10 rankings: let's talk. (Who really cares about the new iPhone coming out and having problems already anyway? Did anybody NOT see that coming? I mean, seriously...there will be a new one in 3 months, people. Sleep in next time.)

Guess who ESPN picked as their preseason #1 in the Pac-10? I'll give you a hint: USC.

I bet you didn't see that coming, casual college football fan. It doesn't take an expert to pick USC as #1 in the Pac-10. In fact, I don't think it even takes a real person. I overheard a few of the trees in my backyard talking today, and they were all picking USC too. (One of them was wearing a Matt Leinart jersey.) Even 6 out of the 8 voices in my head agreed that USC is not only the #1 team in the Pac-10, but in the country as well. And if those other 2 voices hadn't been asleep/at a club in Ibiza, I'm sure it would have been unanimous... Uhh...but before I scare you away, here is the complete list of rankings and analysis from ESPN.com's Ted Miller:

1. USC: Again as talented as anyone and a national title contender. While a seventh consecutive conference title feels like almost a sure thing, BCS title hopes hang on quarterback Mark Sanchez and a talented but inconsistent and/or inexperienced offense finding its mojo.

2. Oregon: Ducks aren't rebuilding, particularly if sophomore quarterback Nate Costa lives up to his hype and the defense finds some hole-plugging presences in the front seven. There's a lot of speed and skill in Eugene, and the Ducks secondary rivals USC for the best unit in the nation.

3. Arizona State: Schedule is a lot tougher than '07, see a visit from Georgia on Sept. 20. But if the offensive line comes through -- albeit a big if -- there really aren't many holes on this team. And a veteran quarterback, such as Rudy Carpenter, goes a long way in the Pac-10.

4. California: Will there be a hangover from 2007's second-half meltdown? Or will the Bears bounce back and challenge for the Pac-10 crown like they appeared to be doing until Oct. 13 last fall? The issue might not be emotional, though. It might be inexperience and uncertainty at quarterback.

5. Arizona: Some of us (who, me?) have been predicting an Arizona turnaround for a few years now. But now we mean it. Promise. The schedule and offensive firepower, led by veteran QB Willie Tuitama, will get 'Cats to a bowl.

6. Oregon State: It's tempting to rank the Beavers higher because they almost always exceed expectation, a fact their fans quite reasonably relish. But OSU is rebuilding its defensive front seven and seems unsettled at quarterback. That said: There's plenty of skill on offense and the secondary is outstanding, so the Beavers could again take a bite out of prognosticators.

7. Washington: The Huskies might well be much improved this season as quarterback Jake Locker, Tim Tebow West Coast, becomes a bona fide star, but the schedule and huge questions on defense make it hard to imagine a winning record. And a without a winning record, coach Tyrone Willingham might lose his job.

8. UCLA: The schedule is brutal (Tennessee, BYU and Fresno State are the nonconference games). The offensive line may be brutalized. New coach Rick Neuheisel didn't inherit much talent, and that figures to show on the field, no matter how good the coaching staff is.

9. Stanford: Those of us who suspect Jim Harbaugh might turn out to be an outstanding coach will be tempted to rate Stanford higher. And 16 starters back from team that mostly played inspired football last season even gives some heft to that hunch. But, I just couldn't pull the trigger on a higher slot.

10. Washington State: New coach Paul Wulff has made a strong first impression in Pullman, but he inherited a thin roster and will be breaking in a new quarterback. If the Cougs get lucky with injuries, they might escape the conference cellar, but young teams don't often do that.

So what do you think about my boy Teddy's picks and analysis? (We go way back.) I think they're pretty awesome; and the other two voices in my head just woke up/got back from Ibiza, and agree too. (Okay...now I'm even scaring myself.)

I especially like the pick of Arizona State at #3. Although, I'm biased because I went there, but I believe they have a shot this season at winning the conference. You all saw what Dennis Erickson did last season. Nobody expected that. Sure, they have a tougher schedule...but if they pull off some bigger wins before conference play, who knows... It all hinges on the performance of returning starting quarterback, Rudy Carpenter. He's extremely talented, but can be a bit of a head case at times. (In fact, he is good friends with voice #4 in my head... Sorry.) If he can keep his emotions in check, he could take them to even higher heights this season. Even though they are ranked #3, I think the Sun Devils are the real x-factor in the league this season. It will be interesting to see where they end up and how they respond to their unexpected successful season last year.

I don't really like Teddy's pick of California at #4...but I guess I don't work for ESPN, or follow Berkeley too closely. Ever since the school was infested by hippies, like, 30 years before I was born, I just can't get into it.

I think UCLA is screwed.

I like Stanford to finish above their #9 ranking, at #8.

And I think Oregon is overrated...because they are Oregon. But they are always good, so it's probably a safe pick at #2.

Look, everybody knows that USC is going to run away with this thing. If you watched the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day (like I did, live...single tear), you know how loaded this team is. Their 3rd stringers could probably...well...you get it. They are good. They are stacked. Pete Carroll owns college football, and LA. ESPN will ride their jocks all season, and Snoop Dogg will visit their practices. They are USC. They are the Trojans. And I, personally, can't wait until they are busted for NCAA recruiting violations, so these ESPN Pac-10 preseason rankings actually mean something again. But you didn't hear that from me. That was my 6th voice named Larry. He's pretty crazy.

Brian Laesch is apparently a schizophrenic sportswriter now, (insert stolen joke from What About Bob? here.)

They're a MAN band, not a boy band!

The New Kids on the Block are back...and WOW should they have stayed away.

Back in the day when NKOTB were cuddling the hearts of teenage girls across America, I was listening to Guns N Roses...I look back on them as the beginning of the end for good pop music in the 80s and almost the entire 90s...

They started the decline of western civilization. Justin Timberlake, you owe your soul to these boys...I mean men.

So here they are, the new video from...The OLD MEN on the block...

It's so horrible, it's hard to watch...but get through it because the ending is the best!

"it's on"

An Andruw Jones Retrospective

Well, well, well...It's almost to the halfway point of the 2008 season as the All-Star game approaches next week. The Dodgers' lone representative is Russel Martin...who makes the Major League Minimum. He's on his way to his 2nd consecutive appearance.

But wasn't Andruw Jones supposed to be the Dodgers' newest All-Star? After a great career in Atlanta that saw his power numbers steadily decline since he hit 51 homers in 2005, the Dodgers signed him to a whopping 2 year contract at $18 million per year...

So to date here are Andruw Jones' stats at the halfway point...in 49 games with 152 at bats Jones has a .171 batting average, 9 RBIs and 2 home runs with an on base percentage of .270 and a slugging percentage of .263. That breaks it down to $2 million an RBI and $9 million a home run.

Today the Seattle Mariners released Richie Sexson after nobody wanted him and his "pitiful" .218 batting average and 18 home runs. No I don't smoke crack or anything but man that sure seems like one hell of an improvement over Andruw Jones and he's still patrolling center field for the Dodgers. And I haven't even mentioned Jones weight, which lets just say is much higher than his batting average.

So if you were Ned Coletti the Dodgers' GM or Manager Joe Torre, would you bench Jones? No way, they just fired their hitting coach, since it must be his fault Andruw Jones' chin looks more like the Golden Fleece than the chin of a multi-million dollar professional athlete. So now it's Don Mattingly's turn to keep Jones away from the In and Out truck.

So needless to say this is one of the most disappointing free agent signings since Darryl Strawberry lit a crack pipe in the Dodgers' locker room.

We love the Dodgers but we don't love Jones. We are sad that he is taking valuable playing time away from young players with potential like Delwyn Young. So a fan of the "blueness", I raise a clenched fist to all those Angel banners around town and ask the Big Blue Dodger in the sky, "why couldn't it have been Torii Hunter in blue instead of red?"

Like the owl from the Tootsie Rolls commercial back in the 70's said..."The world may never know." All we know is that Andruw Jones lack of production is costing people their jobs...and in an article in today's LA times, Bill Plaschke reports that Ned's head might roll next...

Stay tuned true believers!...More exciting Dodger talk coming your way...Same Fat, I mean Bat time and same Bat channel!

On Wisconsin!!

Within a span of one week, Wisconsin sports teams have seen plenty of fireworks. First Brett Favre pulled a Michael Jordan; professing his ‘itch’ to come out of retirement. Now that that smoke has cleared, at least for today, it was the Milwaukee Brewers turn to give their fans a barrage of their own.

1982…The last time the Milwaukee Brewers had an opportunity to compete for a World Series title. With Sunday's signing of the starting pitcher CC Sabathia, last year’s American League Cy Young winner, the Brew Crew made a strong move to end their 26-year postseason drought.

Yes, I understand it is too early to presume the Brewers will contend for the National League title but adding an All-Star southpaw to a rotation that already includes fellow All-Star Ben Sheets; Milwaukee has put all their chips forward.

It’s about time.

Much like Favre, when CC Sabathia takes the mound tonight for his first start as a Brewer, all of Wisconsin will be pulling for him. Brewers fans from across the land hope this will be the much needed final piece of their championship puzzle.

With Sabathia now on board and Favre’s desire to return, World Series and Super Bowl championships are within sight and getting the ‘beer state’ in a frenzy. Both the Brewers and Packers are in the spotlight of their respective sports, setting up an explosive grand finally for all sports fans of Wisconsin to see.


Here are others’ views on the CC Sabathia trade:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=769685

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10889650

http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/07/cc_sabathia_brew_town_bound.html

4th of July Hangover

Is there a worse hangover than the Monday after a 4th of July weekend? I'm not even talking about the result of too much liquor being consumed in celebration of America's birthday. I'm talking about the fact that, most likely, the biggest and best party you will attend all summer has just passed, and it's only a matter of time until we are in the dog days of summer.

Not to be a downer, but...wait a minute...I'm even depressing myself right now. Hold on, I'm going to go get some coffee...

I'm back.

Man, this is going to be the sickest summer yet! There are at least two good months left, the MLB pennant race is heating up, the Olympics in Beijing are on their way (including all kind of potential international craziness), the beach weather is only going to continue and Tropic Thunder hasn't even hit theaters yet. What was I complaining about before? Summer 2008 is only just beginning. I've still got leftover fireworks, beer and I might as well keep this American flag flying on my front porch (okay, I don't have a porch...but if I did, I'd have a flag on it). Yeah, I guess I was just being a downer before. And it looks like, after years of failed research, I have discovered the cure for the 4th of July hangover: blogging.

Brian Laesch is a temp for Eleventh Hour when not changing the world with his blogs.

Hollywood couldn't have written a better script...

I wonder if the Hollywood bidding war has begun on rights to the story of the 15 hostages who were just freed in Colombia. It's already the best movie I've seen this year...even though it's an article...and oh yeah, a true story.

It's an unbelievable story: The Colombian National Military spending months to infiltrate the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (or FARC), posting as rebels themselves, and tricking the real rebels into handing over 15 hostages, including 3 American Contractors and a former Colombian Presidential candidate who was kidnapped by the rebels 6 years ago while campaigning. This is the kind of stuff movies are made of...or the kind of stuff Hollywood screws up with a movie. Because let's face it: Hollywood messes up a lot of movies, and this story pretty much stands alone already as the feel-good...anything of the year.

The script is already written. Hollywood wouldn't have to change a thing. (Even wardrobe is taken care of. Some of the Colombian security forces posing as FARC rebels on the helicopter that picked up the hostages were wearing Che Guevara shirts. You know that’s exactly what a wardrobe department would do.) It's perfect... Yet, I've seen firsthand (make that, heard about firsthand, then seen on the screen) what studio development departments can do to potentially good films. They start to over think things, bring in way too many writers to "fix" scripts, and even, once the film has gone into production, let star actors take over films and practically rewrite them on set. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. But the process is flawed. And since William Goldman said, "Nobody Knows Anything," in his Hollywood book published in 1983, I'm guessing things aren't going to change.

So all I can say to Fox, Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, New Line (what's left), CAA, ICM, Endeavor, William Morris, Gersh, ABC, NBC, CBS, Viacom, Clear Channel, Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner is: PLEASE DON'T SCREW THIS UP.

In Favre We Trust

The entire state of Wisconsin and faithful Packer fans from across the country had their hearts skip a Brett, I mean beat, Wednesday as reports spread that Brett Favre was ‘itching’ to return to the Green Bay Packers for his 18th NFL season.

These reports have been denied by Favre Wednesday evening, through a text message to a local Mississippi newspaper saying, “It’s all rumor.” Despite Favre’s comments, many fans would still love to see number 4 give it one more run.

Favre’s heart and dedication have never been in question when addressing his desire to play football but over the last three seasons, every off season has become a Favre soap opera.

‘To retire or not to retire,’ has been a constant debate for Favre; leaving fans on edge, not know who would be taking snaps for the Packers each upcoming season.
The media frenzy over the last twenty-four hours has given some Packers fans a glimpse of hope Favre will again quarterback the 2008 Packers. Other fans wish Favre would just stick with his word and stay retired. Similar to Steve Young replacing the ‘God-like’ Joe Montana with the San Francisco Forty-Niners in the early 90s, Aaron Rodgers has unrealistic shoes to fill, succeeding Favre.

This media circus has not made the transition any easier for Rodgers.

Born and raised in Wisconsin and bleeding ‘green and gold’ since birth, it’s tough for me to imagine going to Lambeau Field and not seeing Favre lead the Pack. In many ways Favre has been a part of every household in Wisconsin. I will always have a place in my heart for “Uncle Brett” and I too hope Favre laces it up for one more season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3471189

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=768751

CONGRATULATIONS SPAIN!

As a graduate of a 5-week summer Spanish program in Madrid, and a fair-weather soccer fan, I feel a special connection to Spain's victory over Germany for the 2008 Euro title this past weekend. I would like to congratulate the team for winning this thrilling tournament that I watched over my lunch break on numerous occasions. A Spanish victory gave me the opportunity to reminisce about the fateful summer I spent there, drinking until 6 a.m., and attending classes in the afternoon. My cultural and social experiences there really shaped and changed me in ways I could have never imagined. Unfortunately, they still didn't make me a soccer fan. But I am a sports fan, so I can at least say that I was into the Euro Championship...or tried really hard to be. And I at least know how the Spanish people party, so I like to think I know what the celebrations going on right now are like. So once again, congratulations Spain, for your 1-0 victory over Germany, and first Euro title in 44 years! Beba un poco de sangría para mí. (Five weeks of Spanish classes confirms that my babelfish translation of, "Drink some sangria for me," has all of the necessary words. The arrangement of them, however, is not guaranteed.)

Here's what others are saying in the blogosphere:

http://capital-balls.com/news/spain-beats-germany-1-0-to-claim-euro-2008-trophy/

http://vivirlatino.com/2008/06/29/spain-beats-germany-wins-eurocup.php

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/79399,viva-espana-spain-beats-germany-in-final.aspx?r=rss

T.G.I.F. TOP TEN LIST

Yowsa, Yowsa, Yowsa!

It's Friday! And the world is crazy as usual.

10) Will Smith thinks he'd make a good Obama
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/27/will-smith-says-hed-make-a-good-obama/

9) The NBA Draft...came and went...and nobody cared. Except ESPN. And of course a few drunken Knicks fans who heckled their top pick.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft?ex_cid=2008_PSRC_NBAD_GNRL_NEWS_XXXX&partner=Google

8)The Dark Knight buzz is taking over...and it looks really good! Here comes another WB blockbuster.
http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

7)Big Sur is in trouble...what a shame!
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fires28-2008jun28,0,1408353.story

6) 25 Foot GIANT SQUID found in Monterey Bay.
http://video.nbc11.com/player/?id=269974

5)Amy Winehouse has emphysema...and probably more medical conditions than we could list here...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2191352/Amy-Winehouse's-emphysema-'could-end-her-singing-career'.html

4) N.Y. millionaire gets 11 years in prison for enslaving workers...who woulda thunk it??
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080627/ap_on_re_us/forced_labor

3)Scientists predict that there will be no ice at the North Pole this year!
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

2)Air Rage? Well with hand held cell phones being banned in cars in CA starting 7/1. What else can we do to get out our anger...turn it on the AIRLINES!!!!!
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5261465&page=1

1) INTERACTIVE AE'S????
We need Interactive Account Executives...actually Los Angeles in general needs Interactive Account Executives! So if you're an Interactive AE and need work, we need you!

http://www.11thr.com/jobs/

ENJOY ANOTHER NICE WEEKEND IN SO-CAL!

Wall-E is da man!...I mean da machine!

Wall-E is tearing up the box office and has some already calling it an instant classic.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/27/review.walle/index.html

Check out Disney's official website. it's AWESOME!...You can build your own robot and race it.
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e/

SHAQ IS BACK! AND HE STILL CAN'T RAP!

Who knew that a drunken freestyle at a New York club could cost you so much? With the age of YouTube and camera phones in full-swing, apparently a lot.

As you’ve probably heard, Shaq performed one of the worst freestyles in the history of rap this past weekend--ruining at least three careers in the process (rap, endorsements and law-enforcment…that almost rhymed). His "best" lines were, "You know how I be, last week Kobe couldn't do it without me," and "Kobe, tell me how my a** tastes."

Wow. That's what I call classy, and brilliant wordsmithship. Oh wait...no I don’t. It's one thing to be drunk at a club and rap horribly. It's an entirely different thing to partake in a cheap shot at a former teammate, and then go on to throw Patrick Ewing, white guys, and even Kareem Abdul-Jabaar under the proverbial bus. Damn.

Shaq is, unfortunately, making himself the perfect example of a once dominate athlete falling from grace. He hasn't been the same as a player since his divorce last season, and now he's ruining his public persona as well--costing him a lot more than just his image.

He's not only alienated big names in the NBA (including Commissioner Stern), tainting his image for endorsements, but he's also lost two honorary sheriff's badges. Including special deputy's badges in Maricopa County. Also, he will no longer be used to promote Operation Blue Ridge Thunder, a unit of the department that O'Neal worked with in investigating Internet predators.

Man, that's pretty brutal. Not to mention, whatever he had left of a rap career was ruined as well. His lyrics were garbage. And everybody in the world or rap knows that one of the fundamental rules of freestyle rap is to never mention the name of a famous dead rapper more than once (Biggie.) Or, maybe I just made that rule up. Either way, it was not good.

Shaq, seriously, man. What happened? How did you fall off so quickly? You can't make a layup, and now you can't even rap coherently? I'm not even talking about being good--just coherent. Anyway, you better dedicate the rest of your summer to finding Bin Laden, and succeed. Otherwise, I don't think your public image will recover for a while. I mean, look at Kobe. A few years ago, he cheated on his wife and was charged with rape, and nobody has forgotten about it. He never got an endorsement again... Oh, wait...

Tuesday Revelations

1) IMUS... AGAIN:
Surprise , Surpise...Don Imus of "shock Jock" fame spewed out another stupid racial remark yesterday about the Cowboy's new strip club junkie Adam Pac-Man Jones.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3458377

Don Imus said Tuesday morning on his radio show that he was trying to "make a sarcastic point" with his latest on-air remarks about race, but that they had been misunderstood.

The latest comments by Imus to come under scrutiny were aired on Monday's broadcast. During a conversation about Jones' run-ins with the law, Imus asked, "What color is he?" Sports announcer Warner Wolf said Jones -- formerly known as "Pacman" -- is "African-American." Imus responded: "There you go. Now we know."

The on-air exchange came months after Imus' return to work on a new show on WABC-AM following his firing from MSNBC and CBS Radio for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos."

Can we please just let Don Imus retire and spare us his old school racial remarks and bumbling back-stepping once he opens his mouth and inserts his foot?

And Imus sure does has a striking resemblance to the Muppet Show's Sam the Eagle.

2) COREY AND COREY...MOLESTED?
This is pure garbage...it's like a train wreck you can't turn away from..But Corey Feldman and Corey Haim are back...and Corey Haim looks like he has some kind of disease that there is no cure for...BUT they revealed recently on their show that they were molested...and no not by each other or Michael Jackson (I know everyone thought that!!!!)but by an assistant...
http://defamer.com/396930/corey-feldmans-molester-assistant-a-potent-reminder-to-always-check-references

3) OBAMA ACCUSED OF DISTORTING THE BIBLE?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/24/evangelical.vote/index.html

(from a cnn article)
A top U.S. evangelical leader is accusing Sen. Barack Obama of deliberately distorting the Bible and taking a "fruitcake interpretation" of the U.S. Constitution.
James Dobson says Barack Obama is distorting bibical teachings to fit "his own confused theology."

James Dobson says Barack Obama is distorting bibical teachings to fit "his own confused theology."

In comments to be aired on his radio show Tuesday, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson criticizes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for comments he made in a June 2006 speech to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal.

In the speech, Obama suggested that it would be impractical to govern based solely on the word of the Bible, noting that some passages suggest slavery is permissible and eating shellfish is disgraceful.

"Which passages of scripture should guide our public policy?" Obama asked in the speech. "Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is OK and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount?

"So before we get carried away, let's read our Bible now," Obama said, to cheers. "Folks haven't been reading their Bible."

He also called Jesus' Sermon on the Mount "a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our Defense Department would survive its application."

In the comments to be aired Tuesday, Dobson said Obama should not be referencing antiquated dietary codes and passages from the Old Testament that are no longer relevant to the teachings of the New Testament.

Now I don't know about you guys but this guy Dobson looks more likely to be Corey Feldman's or Haim's assistant tna a man I would trust for religious guidance...YIKES!

4) VAN HALEN SHOULD HAVE NEVER HIRED SAMMY HAGAR AND FIRED DAVID LEE ROTH:
That is not current news but one I feel is just as equal to Fonzie "jumping the shark" just in a musical sense...

peace out...

TEAM USA!

Fairweather Lakers fans, diehard Lakers fans, and Americans alike, will now all be forced to root for Kobe Bryant in the upcoming 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. Whether you've booed him in the past (or at the beginning of the regular season if you are a Lakers fan), you will be forced to swallow any disdain and root for the man the media has dubbed, "greatest player in the league." So light a candle, play John Lennon's "Imagine," do whatever you have to do; it's time to unite the country and regain USA Basketball's spot at the top. In your face, Jorge Garbosa. (He just seemed like the appropriate Euro player to taunt. Not really sure why.)

Here, I'll start liking Kobe now by saying this: I am really glad he is on the team. We really do need him. We need all the help we can get, and Kobe was dominant in last summer's qualifying tournament.

Rounding out the 12-man are Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd, and Deron Williams.

I'm also very glad to have these NBA stars aboard--although I'm concerned with our lack of depth down low. Luckily, the international game doesn't present too many dominant big men. Although, they did run into Sofoklis "Baby Shaq" Schortsanitis a few summers ago in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, and had a tough time. As long as Howard and Boozer can stay out of foul trouble we should be victorious. Although, the whole "Russian judge" thing does exist in international competition, unfortunately, so expect a few questionable calls. (You'll forget all about Tim Donaghey.)

Yes, it's time to rally behind Team USA and root them on to the gold medal. I, for one, am both excited and nervous, knowing that if we can't win it this year...well...I'm not sure what else we need to do.

Hopefully, Kobe and Team USA won't run into the team from Ireland though. (Get it? Because he just lost to the "Celtics" in the NBA Finals.) The Irish don't even have a team in the Olympics this year, but I'd be nervous if they did. Especially, if their top 3 players were Devin Garnett, Saul Pierce, and Jay Allen. Obviously, this is completely unrealistic. "Garnett" and "Pierce" are names of English origin, and "Allen" is a Scottish name. None of them would be allowed on the team.

In closing, USA! USA! USA!

Goodbye George Carlin... Your Comedic Philosophy - will never die!

George is dead.

Last night he left the Earth he so pationatly loved, razzed and fought for.

To many, he was a counter-culture comedian who swore a lot...To me he was my hero who spoke the truth and of course sometimes the truth hurts. Carlin was famed for his routines about drugs, dirty words and the demise of humanity.

He died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday. He was 71.

Carlin was an amazing blaze of energy who raised his middle finger to "the man" and crossed every line he could to advocate for the freedom of free speech and free thought.

He will be greatly missed.

Here are few links to some of his most famous skits.

R.I.P George!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BTyzTJTNhNk

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oboyox3L_MI&feature=related

Nomar and the All Overpaid Team

DODGER UPDATE: 6.20.08

OK...so here we go again...

Nomar Garciaparra left his minor league rehabilitation assignment in Las Vegas and traveled to Boston to visit a physical therapist he knows from his days playing with the Red Sox.

He was a game-time scratch from the lineup in Triple-A Las Vegas' game on Wednesday after he felt discomfort that morning, but he's expected to return to the lineup Friday to continue his rehab assignment.

So please allow me to announce this first, right here, right now. NOMAR IS DONE! let's take a guess at how many games he plays for the Dodgers this year!...So far he's had only 31 at-bats this season and more setbacks in rehab than Lindsay Lohan.

Which clearly puts him right at the top of the Dodgers growing list of busts who are offering little to no help to this once proud franchise.

Yahoo Sports came out with a great article yesterday about the ALL OVERPAID TEAM for 2008: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Avo44OsN41ViT4g3Gx23ELsRvLYF?slug=jp-overunder061808&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

AND 4 of our lovely LA Dodgers made it...Can you guess which ones? I'll give you some hints:
1) This grouchy but future Hall of Famer has had a fight with a teammate once a year, every year of his career.
2) His sneezes can put him on the DL.
3) He has a wart on his knee and he can't even hit his weight, but if he could he'd at least be close to batting .300
4) This former Giant has the same chances of pitching this season for the Dodgers as you or I do.

SO...All of us Dodger fans better ENJOY that 3 game winning streak because Cleveland is coming to town and you can bet that between the day game yesterday and today's night game, Matt Kemp will forget how to lay off those low and away pitches he usually strikes out on 3 times a game!

Top 10 Things Not to Do as a Temp

As a temp, you should always remember that you are representing yourself, as well as the temp agency. You want to make a good first impression, and you need to realize that no matter how "normal" you are, regular full-time employees may still be looking at you as the "random temp." So you don't want to draw any negative attention to yourself and prove them right.

This is common sense for most people. Most likely, if you are continually getting temp work, you are well aware of how to act in a professional workplace...but there is always that small percentage. After all, the word "clueless" is a word for a reason.

Top Ten Things NOT to Do as a Temp:

10. Walk in the morning of your first day and give everybody in the office a flier for a big night club event you are promoting in Hollywood, and try to sell them hard on bottle service.

9. See if any of your temporary co-workers are interested in becoming their own boss by selling Amway.

8. Wear frayed jean shorts.

7. Make a lot of mistakes and joke after each one, "What are you going to do, fire me?"

6. Walk in the morning of your first day and give everybody in the office a flier for your hybrid, folk/hip-hop band's performance at Hotel Cafe next month.

5. Tell somebody you are only doing this job because you heard "the co-eds at this office were easy."

4. Talk about the latest episode of "To Catch a Predator," and sympathize with the predators.

3. Jokingly ask for a raise...about 10 times a day.

2. Talk about how useless education is, and how pyramid schemes are the way to go these days if you want to build real wealth.

1. Work a temp job on your birthday, bring in your own cake, and send out a mass email to the company, announcing, "There's a birthday party for Temp John Doe in the conference room at 4:00."

Poor Lakers Fans!

A day after being eliminated from the NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers ARE the first loser. After last night’s Game 6 shellacking, it would be best for the Lakers and their fans to put their tails between their legs and just focus forward toward next season. Kobe Bryant did not earn his right to sit atop the pedestal alongside his ‘Airness,’ Michael Jordan; so that comparison can be left until next season, again.

Tip your cap to the Celtics and their well-oiled, defensive-green machine. The 2008 version of the classic Lakers-Celtic rivalry of yesteryear did not live up to the hype but was way more entertaining than had San Antonio or Detroit represented their respective conferences. That would have been too painful to watch!

As I observed the Tuesday massacre at a local Los Angeles watering hole, I enjoyed panning around the room, peering at the boastful Lakers fan sobbing in their beer. The Celtics battled through injuries to a number of players and STILL managed to dominate the purple pretenders.

Excuses are sure to spew from Lakers fans: “If we had Bynum…” and “We’re such a young team…” Let face it, if the Memphis Grizzlies had not served Pau Gasol on a silver platter, Kobe would still be crying for a trade.

I am thankful for one thing: I won’t have to listen to Lakers fans brag all summer; I’ll be sure to purchase a Boston Celtics Championship t-shirt(in Eleventh Hour green) to keep Lakers fans remembering that luck was not needed by these Irish.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers18-2008jun18,0,7403132.column

LA Creative Club Event: 6/25/08

Our very own VP of BD and Marketing, Hal Hefner will be presenting his whacked out sci-fi artwork...On Wednesday, June 25, 2008

THE EVENT:
Life After...
An exploration of what creative things we do after hours, after agency jobs, after advertising...

Copywriters who write novels. Art directors who shoot fine-art photos. Account guys who take up interpretive dance. Yes, it happens...

OUR KEY PRESENTERS SO FAR:
Howie Cohen, ECD - The Phelps Group
Hal Hefner, AD & writer/illustrator
Kevin McMahon, CW & interactive game developerA


STILL A COUPLE OF SPOTS LEFT - PLEASE SIGN UP HERE:

http://www.lacreativeclub.com/laccforum/index.php?topic=85.msg147#msg147

This evening will feature presentations by several advertising folks with something interesting to show, and you're more than welcome to bring in your LIFE AFTER... projects.

Where: The Phelps Group
9th and Wilshire
Santa Monica
June 25, 6:30 to 9:30PM
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
PIZZA will be served.
BYOB

Dodgers riding a skid mark…

So here it is, June 17th and many Dodger fans feel that the season is over already as the team continues in a tailspin of 5 consecutive losses, inconsistency and injuries. The Dodgers are a season-worst seven games under .500 after dropping a 5-4 decision to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday at Comerica Park.

Veteran guys that were supposed to make a difference are not. Jason Schmidt, Nomar Garciapara , Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal and the recently released Esteban Loiza
count almost $50 million in “dead money” of players currently not contributing to the team. Brad Penny, who has been downright terrible this season, recently had an MRI that revealed no structural damage to a bum shoulder but he has some inflammation and tendinitis. Needless to say Penny could be joining the list of shelved Dodgers who are doing nothing this season.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-dodrep17-2008jun17,0,1197050.story

Needless to say they young Dodgers with so much potential are struggling because of a lack of veteran stewardship in the lineup and quite possibly in the clubhouse. Sure Jeff Kent is still producing, and even at a half of his former MVP self, he is still “da man” in this lineup. But how can the team count on a 40+ 2nd baseman at the end of his career to carry this team on his back into the postseason? They just can’t!
So what do you do if you’re the Dodgers? Do you keep trying to wait for these guys to get healthy? Do you deal some young inconsistent players to a team like the Seattle Mariners for an Adrian Beltre? OR do you admit to your fans that this year is tanked and you give a guy like Jeff Kent a chance to win a championship and trade him or better yet a Derek Lowe in the last year of his contract…for more prospects that can either restock your minor league system or contribute right away?

Either way the end result has to be focused on acquiring power. They need power in that lineup preferably in the form of a stud prospect…but wait a second, weren’t Matt Kemp and James Loney supposed to be these studs? Yup…see the problem?
It’s a hard one to fathom…but who’s to blame? Ned Colletti.

He has made some bad free agent signings in Jones, Garciapara, Loiaza, Schmidt who are disabled and one can argue that with Rafael Furcal as their leadoff hitter, signing Juan Pierre was a useless move as well. And of course the McCourts have a reputation for caring about attendance and renovation fo the stadium more than the club.

So what does a distraught Dodger fan do?

Well, you trust in Joe Torre and hope that that these kids can turn it around in the 2nd half. Strangely enough as bad as the Dodgers have been, they’re still in 2nd place only 5 .5 games back of the Diamondbacks in a weak division of teams similar in make-up to themselves. And in baseball, anything can happen, just remember last year’s Colorado Rockies. BUT do these youngsters have what it takes to dig deep inside, figure it out and step to carry this team into their first World Series since Kirk Gibson limped around the bases?

Only time will tell…and as Joe Tore put it Sunday "It's certainly not early."
The team at 11thr sends the Dodgers some much needed Karma and though our company loves the color green, we bleed Dodger blue. Some come on Martin, Kemp, Billingsley, Kershaw, Broxton, Wade, Ethier, Loney, LaRoche and DeWitt…let’s make some news and give the fans of LA some love. We may need it even more if Kobe and the boys can’t pull off a miracle!

Dodger links:
The Dodgers official site: www.dodgers.com
For the depressed Dodger fan: www.dodgerblues.com

With the eleventh hour looming, Lakers deliver

The Los Angeles Lakers have survived...for now. In their potential eleventh hour (could the tie-in be any better?), they managed to beat the Boston Celtics to avoid elimination in Game 5. But now the series heads back to Boston and leaves LA still on the verge of elimination. And the Celtics had many missed opportunities to take the momentum and win Game 5. (Not to mention Paul Pierce had 38 points.) Will the Lakers change their fate and pull off the most miraculous comeback in NBA Finals history? Well, we at Eleventh Hour hope so. We have to pull for the hometown team...even if we are a little bit conflicted, considering the Celtics' color scheme is a close relative to ours--just a few shades down on the "Roy G. Biv" scale.

Despite the majority of mainstream media still writing the Lakers off after there less than dominating performance in Game 5, LA bloggers seem to be very optimistic about the Lakers' chances going into Game 6. Even "sports authority,"Pink is the New Blog, is getting in on the conversation, showing exclusive pictures of celebrities courtside. As is Yahoo's sports blog, And Cristela of the Mind of Mencia Blog is talking about how tough it is to be a Celtics fan in LA. Although, I'm not really sure who Cristela is, or why she writes for the Mind of Mencia Blog. Carlos Mencia doesn't even write his own blogs now? But I digress. Check out some of these interesting views in the blogosphere about the series:

http://pinkisthenewblog.com/home/la-lakers-win-game-5-of-the-nba-finals/

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Photo-fun-Hollywood-stars-react-to-Lakers-heart?urn=nba,87829

http://menciablog.comedycentral.com/mencia_blog/2008/06/lakers-and-celt.html

And for you Celtics fans, CelticsBlog.com is tracking all things Finals, including criticism of KG, Celtics plane issues, and a raffle for Game 6 tickets.

Top 10 People do while stuck in traffic in Los Angeles

Okay...there's a person next to you stuck in traffic...They aren't paying attention. They almost hit you...OR maybe it's you who is driving in a cloud of self absorption, doing one of the following...

1) Talk on their cell phone, blackberry or blue tooth

2) Pick their noses

3) Text Message

4) Read E-mails

5) Smoke

6) Eat junk/fast food

7) Bite their fingernails

8) Fix their hair

9) Sing / Listen to the radio

10) Stare at themselves in various mirrors

The Drudge Report vs. the Associated Press

http://www.drudgereport.com/

Are you a fan of the Drudge Report? If so I just saw that the Associated Press demanded that the Drudge Report remove 7 articles with excerpts of wire service stories. Bloggers everywhere in the universe are trashing The Associated Press!

When the news about the "take-down" notices spread, the AP said it will develop its own policy about the acceptable use of its articles by Web publishers, according to today's NY Times..basically creating their own rules.

BUT a copyright owner can't unilaterally define fair use, which is a legal concept that varies per situation. In fact, the very idea that the AP could set the parameters of fair use is preposterous: The fair use doctrine is itself an acknowledgment that people are legally entitled to use copyrighted content in ways owners don't like.

So this has caused an outrage and some people are already banning the use of anything the AP writes!

Check these links out...they rock!

http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/06/12/fu-ap/

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/16/heres-our-new-policy-on-ap-stories-theyre-banned/

JOBS, JOBS and more JOBS

We are in need of some great people! ASAP!

Check out our job list: http://www.11thr.com/jobs/

AND if see anything on the list below that fits your skills and you want to send your resume to us for consideration, please submit it to:
resumes@11thr.com

We're currently looking for...

1) HTML/CSS specialists

2) All levels of Interactive Producers

3) Print Production Artists for with Ad Agency experience

4) Administrative Assistants/ Reception

5) PHP Programmers with Facebook development experience

6) Accounting/Finance People

7) Account Executives (CPG experience is preferred)

8) Web/Flash Designers

9) Interactive Copywriters

10) Graphic Designers for Packaging

THE INCREDIBLE HULK...OPENS TONIGHT!

Sitting in my comfy theater seat eager to view Ironman, Marvel’s 1^st edition of comic superheroes, a trailer for the upcoming Incredible Hulk proceeds the feature film. As the trailer begins I become hesitant which Hulk will be portrayed this time. The Lou Ferrigno television classic I grew up watching or the more recent 2003 movie version which did so little to grab my attention, that I fell asleep half way through. I questioned why Marvel would choose to unveil another edition of Hulk so soon when other Marvel heroes such as Captain America and Thor are waiting in wings for their story to be told.

I am optimistic Hulk’s metamorphosis from the 2003 flop to the 2008 editions can keep Marvel’s most recent movie success rolling. I hope the 2008 Incredible Hulk edition will not irritate me with another poor rendering of a comic classic. As Banner explains, “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

Here are some reviews by some of the country's best nerds as well as some links other fun Hulk related links...

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/36973

http://incrediblehulk.marvel.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulk_(comics)

And yes we like the Hulk because he is ALMOST 11thr's green...almost!!!

BASECAMP

Is a great tool for project management...it rocks, check it out!

GAS PRICES, HORRENDOUS TRAFFIC AND THE FUTURE OF TELECOMMUTING

Are you one of the millions of "Angelinos" that are stuck in horrible bumper to bumper traffic everyday on your way to and from work?

Are you one of the millions of "Angelinos" who are disgusted when you are idling on the 405 wasting gas that you paid $5 a gallon for?

We are...

Well guess what? This is a real problem...and unfortunately the gas debacle that our country has gotten itself into has no end in sight.

So as a resource agency, that staffs freelancers, contractors and fulltimers, what can we do about it?

Actually we're gearing up to be very vocal in the effort to bring about a change in the way companies view freelancers and contractors. The old school way of thinking and working requires people to be onsite, on-staff at an employers work space. Well , let's face it, in today's internet driven world, why do certain people need to be onsite working everyday?

Many of the jobs that we staff for can be done from a home office, at the very least a few days a week. And with technology including online databases like Basecamp and even cameras on PCs and laptops, why not let a PHP programmer or a graphic designer work form home more often?

The problem seems to stem from a philosophical point of view and most clients will testify that having people in the office every day is good for morale...which I'm sure it is. BUT, would allowing someone to work form home a few days or even one day a week hurt your morale? I think not, if you've hired the right people.

Maybe extra incentive is needed for clients to take that philosophical leap. Since the state offers tax breaks for companies that car pool?...why not for companies that allow people to telecommute?

One social network is proposing just that...
http://notraffic.org/index/index.php

So if you're a client who hires freelancers and contractors, or a freelancer or contractor, take this philosophical leap. It will save people gas, save people money and time as well as keep more cars off the road... and a proposed tax break might be a good idea to get people to make that jump.

Think of it this way, go "green" and save "green."

We at 11thr are advocates for this cause and have made the leap...

We are looking for others to join us...so please share your thoughts, ideas and actions with us as we will be sharing them with you in the upcoming months.

More to come, stay tuned!
11thr-Team

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!

We eat your feedback!...we eat it right up!

Your feedback makes us better and stronger, so please tell us what you think about your experience with us....and hopefully they're all good ones!

Thanks - The 11thr Team

It's official...We're in our new digs

We have moved...and we are in an amazing space now. It's huge and ready for action. We plan on throwing some events like a candidate appreciation night and of course a client appreciation night, essentially or office warming party...We're looking forward to doing some really great things in the future...So keep the positive vibes coming and thank you for all of your support. Without you we'd be nothing...seriously...!!!!

More soon!

We're on the move...to Marina Del Rey!

Yes that's right...goodbye WE-HO...HELLOOOOOO MARINA!

We are moving to Marina Del Rey starting May 15th, and we anticipate the move being completed by May 20th. So here is the new address and phone number for all of you interested cats who need work or all you hiring folks who need these cats!

4120 Del Rey Ave.

Building B

Marina del Rey, CA 90292

310-821-6900 – p

310-821-6966 - f