UngsungBlog: A (Fantasy) Sports Blog

Random Thoughts:

- Never, ever, in a million years, could I have seen the Dodgers sweep away the Cubs in three games!

And Cubs fans, please stop saying that the Cubs choked away the series. The Dodgers beat them, plain and simple.

- The weather here has been crazy lately! Late last week, it was chilly; we’re talking mid-70s with winds. Over the weekend, it was a tad warmer, maybe in the 80s.

Today, it was in the mid-90s, and it’s expected to be even hotter tomorrow! Even stranger, the day after, it is expected to be back in the mid-70s!

WTH???

- Shot-Online Update: I’m a Level 48 semi-pro, and yet I’m too afraid to try Cadeiger :P.

(One quick Shot-Online rant: You morons that are clogging the AH with your one-hit items are freaking annoying.

All of you, please go DIAF.)

- Week Five Fantasy Football Updates:

Going into Monday’s Minnesota v New Orleans tilt, I was trailing by 11 points in one league (with only Minnesota’s defense left), and I was up by 30 points in another league (and facing, gulp, Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson).

Then the punt block/TD happened, and I felt really good about the first league.

Then, inexplicably, New Orleans’ run defense started playing really well, practically shutting down AD to the tune of THREE fantasy points! Brees ended up with 13 points, thanks in part to two lost fumbles, and my opponent in the second league ended up with only 16 of the 30 points required to overtake me.

I figured that I was in big trouble in both leagues, and now I’m 2-3 and 2-2-1, with plenty of Fantasy Football left to play.

Some non-fantasy football thoughts from the past week:

- A win is a win is a win, but T.O. going T.O is still T.O., and I love it:

‘This was a great team win,’ T.O. said. ‘It was frustrating out there, but I kept with it. My teammates stuck with it. … God used me today for his glory. Reality is where glory resides. That’s all I’ve got to say.’

What???

First of all, how is holding off a pathetic, winless Bengals team a “great team win”? Second of all…WHAT???

I can’t wait for T.O. to drop a game-tying TD late in the fourth quarter of game, then proclaiming that the loss as a “bad team loss” while staring in the general direction of Tony Romo.

By the way, how would you like to be 4-1 and be in THIRD place in your division? I have a good feeling that the NFC’s Super Bowl representative will come out of the NFC East.

- Another game, another Ed Hochuli controversy. How his crew blew that obvious facemask penalty is beyond me. But can we stop blaming Hochuli for this one? This was not his call!!!

Look, part of sports is the human aspect of it; officials are going to make mistakes! Yes, that’s what instant replay is for, right? Well, why not allow instant replay to reverse non-calls too? If we do that, then where would we draw the line on what is challenge-able and what is not?

Besides, two missed calls in a five-game stretch is not exactly a compelling sample size to determine if a referee needs to retire. Also, what if the Jay Cutler fumble didn’t result in a Broncos TD? What if Reggie Bush did not fumble following the facemask? I’m not arguing that these outcomes would have made the blown calls right, but I will once again hammer the point that one cannot attribute the result of a SINGLE play to the outcome of a game!

- Where are the pro-Diva Favre Packer fans calling for GM Ted Thompson’s head? Is Aaron Rodgers hiding in a bomb shelter? Is Greta Van Susteren getting ready for a second interview, entitled “I Told You So!” with Favre?

(By the way, Packers fans, your secondary looks TERRIBLE. I just thought I’d throw that opinion out there before you mail out your expletive-laden hate mail to the Packers.)

- I guess Kurt Warner shouldn’t retire just yet.

Poor guy, though, to have to witness his teammate—Anquan Boldin—get seriously hurt because of a poor decision on Warner’s part. I immediately became a fan of the guy, and I still am, and I hope that this is not going to be his final season. I would love to see Warner take a team to the playoffs one more time.

(Fantasy football tangent: the goose-egg I got from Trent Edwards, thankfully, did not ruin me.)

- Sage Rosenfels, congratulations on winning the Colts’ Team MVP award. My goodness!

That was kinda cool, I guess, for you to try to channel your inner John Elway. However, you do realize that this was Week Five of the regular season, right?

And Colts fans, isn’t it amazing that you are two failed second-half rallies away from being 0-4?

- And finally…

My Rams did not lose this week! WOOHOO!!!!!

Tags: chicago cubs, choke, controversy, diva favre, ed hochuli, fantasy football, kurt warner, los angeles dodgers, monday night football, nfl, retirement, sage rosenfels, shot-online, sweep, t.o., weird weather by Peter
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Four days between updates? Yikes!

Let’s get to it.

One quick thought about the Dodgers, before I get started…

- If that stolen base, by a PITCHER (the Giants’ Brad Hennessey!!!), who came in as a pinch runner, who stole second because our All-Star catcher—Russell Martin—wasn’t paying attention on the play, costs the Dodgers the National League West crown, I am going to be royally pissed off.

That is all.

- For the love of ***, I am going to flip if I see one of those stupid Mercury Insurance commercials again!!!

(Have you seen these abominations? In one, some douchebag wants to call heads and tails on a coin flip. In other, some woman wants to send a packages to two places. HILARIOUS!

Or not.)

Speaking of dumb commercials, what’s with the new “I’m a PC” commercials??? Seriously, is Microsoft trying to out-douchebag Apple?

- Shot-Online update: I’m now at level 44, thanks to Shot-Online giving us a triple EXP/NG day for apparently forgetting to turn on double EXP/NG on Sunday, along with the daily evening double EXP/NG times. A healthy supply of Mageias doesn’t hurt, either. Seeing as how triple EXP/NG day is going to run until 8pm tomorrow night, and seeing as how I have lots of Mageias left, I could probably get to level 50 by tomorrow :P.

As far as my semi-pro quest is concerned, I was also able to shoot -6 on Gladsheim from the semi-pro tees. That’s fairly reassuring to me, considering that one of my guildmates passed the semi-pro test with the exact same score.

(Tangent: As you might recall, I am a Shot-Online Auction House whore. Well, I’ve moved on from flipping Werdandis, Sagittariuses, and Capricornuses, to eight-figure Mageias! In preparation for the events of the past few days, I’ve been flipping Mageias purchased for at ~ 10-10.5 million for nearly 12 million each!

Well, I should have thought about selling the Mageias during the triple EXP/NG times, because they are now selling for ~ 15 million NG each! Whoops!)

Time for this week’s NFL thoughts:

- Is it bad that I got a lot (and I mean a LOT!) of satisfaction out of watching Brett Favre look completely lost in the NY Bretts’ 48-29 loss against the previously unbeaten San Diego Chargers? I laughed hysterically at every terrible pass, every duck, and every pick he threw, especially the Pick-Six!

I wonder if Diva Favre is re-thinking his decision to play this season. Would it surprise anyone if he retired tomorrow?

- How in the hell did Miami put up 38 points on New England???  Was that Ronnie Brown in the Fins’ backfield, or freaking Jim Brown?

Speaking of lots of points, Atlanta (???) scored 38 against KC, Denver and NO scored a total of 66 points, Seattle put up 37 (well, that one’s not THAT surprising), and of course, there’s the 77 point explosion by the Jets and the Chargers.

Fantasy football dorks, rejoice!

- What a backbreaking loss for the Colts against the Jags on Sunday!  A great rally—including a gutsy bomb on fourth and two—only to be stymied by a bad pass interference penalty and a game-winning 51-yard field goal!

Look at the Colts’ remaining schedule.  Is a 4-7 record before Thanksgiving really that far out of the question?  The Colts have no running game, they can’t protect Manning, their run defense is AWFUL, and Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning don’t seem to be clicking at all.

- If Dallas goes 16-0 this season, how much buzz would THAT generate?  It should generate at least as much as the Patriots did last year, right?  Between Terrible Owens being a model citizen, and the whole circus that is Tony Romo, this team has just as much intrigue as the Spygate-infested Patriots of last year.

I don’t see them going undefeated, though, as they have quite a few tough matchups left.

My head hurts, so I’ll stop here.  Until next time!

Tags: auction house, dallas cowboys, diva favre, i'm a pc, indianapolis colts, mageia, mercury insurance, miami dolphins, nfl, ny bretts, peyton manning, ronnie brown, san diego chargers, semi-pro test, shot-online, stupid commercials, triple exp/ng, undefeated, week three by Peter
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Boy did it get chilly over the last two days!

Stupid weather girl lied…she said it would be warmer, not colder!

I want summer back =(.

Quick-hitters:

- I now have somewhere along the lines of fifteen rebates that need to go out soon.

(Yes, that includes the ten or so that need to go out by next week.)

- Why do teams continue to pitch to Manny?

Sure, Manny grounded into a double play, struck out on a wicked change, and then hit a towering fly ball in his first three at bats tonight against the Rockies. Come on, Rockies! That’s only going to motivate him to try! RBI single, single to load the bases, and ho-hum…another 2-for-5 day.

I’ll miss you, Manny. Enjoy the Yankee pinstripes next season.

- Better late than never, right?

1) So first Vince Young, allegedly, refused to re-enter a game after injuring his MCL (He only returned after Titans’ coach Jeff Fisher pleaded with him to get back in the game).  Then, after the game, Young went missing.  Later on, we found out that he was at a friend’s house, eating chicken wings.  His mom decided to chime in as well, demanding space for her son.

And now there’s word that he spoke to a therapist about suicide?

I’m not going to pile on the guy, like some people on ESPN; I’ve read enough “You make millions of dollars, you poor baby!” comments to last me ten lifetimes.  All I’ll say is that Young’s MCL injury might be a blessing in disguise; if I were the Titans, I would leave Young in Tennessee to recuperate AND find someone to talk to about his personal issues.

2) I felt a little bit guilty about rooting hard for Chad Pennington to rally against the New York Favres.

(Just a little bit.)

Too bad Chad Pennington remembered who he was, right before throwing that back-breaking pick.

3) I’m so glad everything in the world is back to normal, now that T.O. is once again going after Donovan McNabb.

Thank you, Terrible Owens.

4) I’d worry if I were a Jags’ or Seahawks’ fan.  I’d temper my expectations if I were an Eagles’, Bills’, or Bears’ fan.  Colts’ fans, I wouldn’t worry too much, especially if Jeff Saturday returns next week and is healthy.

And finally, Pats’ fans…

5) Is Matt Cassel going to be the next Tom Brady?  No.  At this point, Pats’ fans better hope Matt Cassel is the next Trent Dilfer, and I mean that with all seriousness.

Remember, it was Trent Dilfer that did not cost the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV.  If Matt Cassel can do that, and the Pats’ defense stays solid throughout the year, then who knows?  Last time I checked, the Pats still had Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Lawrence Maroney, and Bill Belicheck.

(Can you believe this?  A year ago, I would have puked in my mouth at the mere mention of the Pats, and now, I’m actually being sympathetic???

Part of this is because of Diva Favre, by the way.  If the Jets should win the AFC East, I’m going to plaster asterisks all over that title :P).

Maybe more NFL Week 1 thoughts next time, as well as a Shot-Online update, and the worst piece of steak I’ve ever cooked (*cry*).  Until then!

Tags: cold weather, colorado rockies, diva favre, los angeles dodgers, manny ramirez, matt cassel, nfl, rebates, tennessee titans, terrible owens, vince young, week 1 by Peter
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Quick-hitters:

- Current rebate-o-meter: approaching $1,500, no thanks to the tax software deals. The number will be dropping, though, as I’m expecting another couple hundred dollars in rebates.

More on rebates later (unfortunately).

- I got a letter from Sallie Mae a couple days ago, with “Important Information” enclosed. Yeah right…right?

Actually, it was a notification that my student roan consolidation interest rate was dropped a full percent for my exceptional payment history! W00t!

Too bad I couldn’t have taken out a $100,000 student loan, just so that I could have invested the excess.

- It’s amazing how well the Ung-hex works at times. Didn’t I just say, a couple days ago, that the Lakers were playing well and Andrew Bynum was a stud?

Laker fans, you may commence sending me your hate mail.

- Here are my NFL Divisional Playoff thoughts:

1) Ryan Grant is a stud. Two fumbles, and then he follows those up with 201 yards and three scores?

(Packers fans, prepare to send me your hate mail next week :P.)

2) I don’t know what’s crazier: Eli Manning actually beating the Cowboys, or the fact that I actually bet on the Giants + 7.5 in the first place!

By the way, enough of the Tony Romo/Jessica Simpson “controversy!” Though I must wonder…will a sportsbook put out future odds on who Romo will be dating in 2008?

And sorry TO, but I’m not buying the whole teary-eyed defense of your QB. Weren’t you the same guy that throws his QBs under the bus?

3) Billy Volek? Michael Turner? Darren Sproles? Seriously? THAT was Tony Dungy’s (likely) swan song? What the hell was that???

By the way, was I the only one who felt that there was an NFL fix going on with the refs in the SD-Indy game? Did you see that horrible pass interference call? How the hell did the Colts NOT win on Sunday?

I suppose it had something to do with Peyton Manning reverting back to his early 2000s self, and the defense playing like sheer crap.

and finally…

4) Should we just go ahead and crown the Patriots* the 2008 NFL Super Bowl Champions*? We might as well give the Super Bowl MVP* trophy to Brady too, while we’re at it.

I can’t wait for the 2008 NFL season.

- I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting in my kitchen lately (sorry, no pics!). What have I been making?

• Won ton soup, twice, both times altering my filling recipe slightly
• Cream cheese wontons (imitation crab meat, cream cheese, green onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper)…remind me next time to make only 3-4 per person *gag*
• Pork burgers; in my defense, I had some unidentified meat in my freezer that looked like ground beef, and it was only when I cooked the meat did I realize that I was using soy sauce-marinated pork instead.

(Tangent: Is there a more frightening phrase than “unidentified meat?” If there is, please let me know.)

• California rolls, sans avocado, sadly. My 99 Ranch had soy wrappers, which were awesome to roll, but very difficult to cut; at least the seaweed wrappers (nori) had perforations on them, which made cutting a heck of a lot easier. I didn’t have medium grain rice, but my long grain Jasmine rice worked quite well. I would have made Philadelphia rolls, but I couldn’t find any smoked salmon.

Pardon the pun, but I wonder what I’m going to cook up this week.

- Finally, I have to talk about a horrible experience with MyRebateOnline.com, the guys that are in charge of processing ZoneAlarm rebates (and probably other stuff). For the records, these guys handle rebates sent to Bensalem, PA.

Background: in both October and November, I bought a copy ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 3 Pack from Frys.com. Each item came with a $40 mail in rebate attached to it, and I made sure that I qualified for both rebates separately (each rebate had a different offer number assigned to it). I had heard nothing from the rebate processor regarding the status of my rebate—usually, rebate processors are supposed to send an email upon receipt of a rebate submission, notifying you of the status of any promotion a buyer attempts to claim—so I decided to give the rebate center a ring and see what was going on with my two rebates.

HUGE MISTAKE.

Unfortunately for me, I got a CSR on seemingly the worst day of her life. I gave her the spelling of my last name (three times!), followed by my zip, and then she asked me for my address. I began spelling out my address, and she cut me off with a terse “I can see address right in front of me. Just confirm it!”

After doing that, the CSR told me that my rebate submission was rejected. Hold on, I said. I pointed out that I had two rebates that I was inquiring about, and wanted to know which of the two rebates was rejected. The CSR, obviously miffed, went on a huge rant:

Look, I don’t have that information in front of me. Our rebate processing deparment [you mean the guy in the cubicle next to you?] says that your rebate has been denied for missing the receipt!

[and here comes the kicker]

(like a parent scolding her kid) WHY DIDN’T YOU SUBMIT THE RECEIPT? WHY DIDN’T YOU MAIL IN THE RECEIPT WITH YORU SUBMISSION?

WHAT. THE. [expletive]. HELL???

Trying to keep my cool, I then asked about what I could do to fix the rebate, even though I had no idea which rebate I was attempting to clear up. The CSR immediately pointed out that I could mail in my receipt (the one that I supposedly didn’t mail in; I did, for the record, and my PDF’ed copy of my rebate submission will back this up), provided that the rebate promotion was still valid!

Naturally, this wasn’t going to happen, as both rebates were valid in October and November, respectively. Even if I assumed that “valid” referred to the rebate postmark dates, most rebates require the postmark date of the rebate submission to be within thirty days of the purchase date.

Nevertheless, I decided that I was going to attempt to resolve the October rebate, even though I wasn’t sure that that rebate was even submitted, much less invalid. Evidently pressing my luck, I asked the CSR one more question: was there some other way I could clear up this matter (fax, perhaps?).

*click*

I know I’ve said this before on this blog, but I’ll say it again.

Listen, ZoneAlarm CSR: I’m sorry that your life is clearly not going in the direction you thought it would. However, you don’t have to take it out on an unsuspecting customer who is just trying to figure out why he hasn’t received his check for promotions from three and four months ago! May I suggest a career change? I might consider giving one of those colleges you see advertised on daytime TV a call.

After shaking off that horrible phone conversation, I decided to go straight to Fry’s.com CS and see if they could help me out. A very nice lady (not just by comparison) answered my call, and asked me to fax in both of my resubmissions directly to Fry’s. She said that I could call back within a week or two to check the status of my complaints.

*crossing fingers*

And yeah, complaints to my state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau are coming, if Fry’s isn’t able to help me out.

Tags: andrew bynum, bensalem, california rolls, cooking, cream cheese wontons, divisional playoff, frys, important information, internet security suite 3 pack, los angeles lakers, myrebateonline, nfl, pa, pork burgers, rude CSR, sallie mae, won ton soup, zonealarm by Peter
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