Recycle Sunday (No. 18)

I'm way past due for a Recycle Sunday post, this is the first of 2016:

A year ago when Tom Brady's four-game suspension was overturned, I suggested it might actually decrease the Patriots' Super Bowl chances.  They fell just short, so maybe now that it's back...

How lazy is it that both villains in The Karate Kid have the same name?

We don't have to call a "Grand Slam" something else because of Serena Williams

The worst haircut in human history

Report: The Patriots kicked your dog, may soon spit on your baby too

Gronk was the best athlete in "Caveman Games," how perfect is that?

Babe Ruth. Mickey Mantle. Reggie Jackson. David Ortiz.

Why I don't like the MLB Wild Card game (imagine an NFL playoff lasting only 6 minutes?)

One of the most amazing/telling Patriots stats I've ever seen

I still don't understand how LeBron James wasn't fined for ripping apart his jersey on national TV.

Could you eat this cucumber sandwich?

The NBA has officially made 20-second timeouts 60 second long.  Huh?

When a screenshot of a SportsCenter graphic is worth 1,000 words (how you destroy a perfect season)



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Recycle Sunday (No. 17)

The Cavaliers showed a video on their jumbotron of a guy throwing his girlfriend across the room and thought it was funny.  Seriously.

I was surprised when other people were surprised that the hockey header goal didn't count.

Should I be flattered or annoyed that somebody rewrote on of my best articles?

NBA teams almost always make the wrong play in the final seconds of a tie game.

Chicago newspaper lies with statistics for its 'Title Town' headline.

What is the dumbest team name in all of sports?  (It's not what you think)

The greatest tweet I ever tweeted (dreaming about the 2008 Celtics getting the band back together).

Red Sox set absurd team record in honor of Big Papi playing first base (or not?) at Fenway.

Brock Holt: The most unlikely All-Star in Red Sox history.

Cavs General Manager LeBron James intends to keep his position for at least another year.

This Mookie Betts play was a catch, not a home run. The umps got it wrong.  I wonder what NFL refs would call it?

Question: Why don't you see more hair pulling in the NFL?


Previous "Recycle Sunday" posts

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Recycle Sunday (No. 16)

"Fans" who leave games early (because their team is losing) and try to get back in (after their team rallies) really, really irritate me.

Titletown parade No. 9.

Did you know "kick the can" and "capture the flag" are the same thing?

'Why don't they have bicycles?' and other similar questions about 'The Walking Dead'.

Did Curt Schilling set a new standard for policing the internet?

"Cash for Gift Cards" machines illustrate why sometimes giving gifts is stupid.

The odds of picking a perfect NCAA tournament bracket are not as impossible as you may have heard.

Crazy stats from the longest Red Sox game of all time.

Bill Simmons tweeted out a blog that I wrote.

LeBron James fails at his attempt to "be like Mike".

Regardless of all the Deflategate nonsense, here's why Tom Brady at the Pats are a lock for Super Bowl 50.

Bud Light mistakenly promotes itself as a "date rape" beer.

MLB games don't take very long when there are no fans in the ballpark.


Previous "Recycle Sunday" posts

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Recycle Sunday No. 15: Blog filler while I'm away at a wedding

In mid October, I suggested the Patriots would be just fine after season-ending injuries to Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley.  Things worked out OK.

Steve Nash retired.  He's on a very short list of two-time NBA MVPs, and his first big moment (in college) was called by Celtics' announcer Mike Gorman.

Recounting the greatest sports moment of my lifetime: The 2004 Boston Red Sox.

Asking a bartender to put more booze in your drink is not a reasonable thing to do.

I ran into LeBron James on the street one day.

MLB shouldn't have allowed the Miami Marlins to sign Giancarlo Stanton to an absurd $325 million contract they have no intention of actually paying.

The NFL should install a fantasy app for your TV that displays the name of players with the ball.

Why don't any of the characters on The Walking Dead call the zombies "zombies"?

How to do parlor-trick math like the eight-year-old son of an NFL quarterback who went to Harvard.

If the New England Revolution (soccer) had won the MLS Cup, would the city of Boston have held a parade?

In honor of his 58th birthday, I put together a compilation of some of Larry Bird's best TV commercials.

It's been 14 years since an AFC East team finished with a better record than the Patriots.

As a huge Rajon Rondo fan, I was (correctly) worried Boston might play better without him this year.  Rondo's is the only Celtics jersey I've ever owned.  Here are my top five memories of him in Boston, and his return to the Garden as a member of the Dallas Mavericks was unbelievable.

My sports fan fashion rules for double logo-ing.

The fact that Ray Lewis is on television makes my blood boil, and I don't understand how other people accept it.


Previous "Recycle Sunday" posts


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Recycle Sunday No. 14: Highlights from last summer

It looks like we'll never know what was really wrong with Serena Williams at Wimbledon that day...

ESPN made absurd/impossible statistical comparisons with how World Cup soccer relates to other sports.

My expectations for Sharknado 2, which lived up to the hype.

The NFL has the longest preseason of any major sport. How dumb is that?

On a Friday night in August, the best sporting event going was a 15-year-old kid's tennis match.

The existence of playoffs in minor league baseball is stupid.  Here's why.

Orioles honor Derek Jeter's 'last day game in Baltimore on a Friday' (OK, not really, but...).  Also now that he's retired, can you guess which Yankee has the most World Series rings?

Brilliant idea for fantasy football: A "bench alternate" you can sub in after the fact.

I love this restaurant's "we don't care about your food allergies" sign; Carrie Bradshaw take note.

The A's were the best team in baseball last year, until they traded away their No. 3 hitter.  I thought it was a very bad idea.  They suffered an epic collapse immediately afterwards.

After getting crushed 41-14 in Kansas City, people were freaking out about the 2-2 Patriots.  I wrote a blog called Postponing the Premature Patriots Panic.  The week after that I wrote another called The dropped interception that saved Tom Brady's career and extended the Patriots dynasty.


Previous "Recycle Sunday" posts


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Recycle Sunday No. 13: Columbus Day Weekend Edition

I was crazy not to rank Paul Pierce as one of the five greatest Celtics ever.

I would love to work somewhere that fired people once a month "Survivor" style.

Should athletes really get to celebrate their retirement for an entire season?

Remember that Malaysian plane that disappeared?  I think what happened to it must be something outside the realm of what we think is possible.

My plan for becoming a winter Olympian in 2018 in South Korea.

Fact: There is no such thing as "low calorie alcohol."  Alcohol has calories.  If you want to drink, there's just no way of getting around it.

If LeBron James wants to be remembered as better than Michael Jordan, he should only sign one-year contracts and try to win titles in as many places as possible.

I think football would be better without kickers.

People who don't clean up after their dogs should be banished from society altogether.  I have a plan...

Baseball managers should be more adventurous with their 9th inning pinch-hitting.  Who cares if they don't have the right people to play defense afterwards, they're going to lose anyway.

Do you ever dial phone numbers anymore?  How many numbers do you know off of the top of your head?  I can come up with two.

How many NBA players would it take to beat a WNBA starting five?

In the very near future we're going to have to consider the issue of healthy athletes having surgeries to make themselves perform better.

A few lessons learned from my first experience as a credentialed reporter.


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Recycle Sunday: Version 12.0 (Father's Day edition)

From one year ago: Awesome Old Song of the Week (Father's Day Edition): "Father Figure" by George Michael

Have you ever noticed how many colleges use the same logos?

I'm 100% convinced there are people alive today with tracking chips inside them who don't even know it.

Fitting to get to use this again tonight: My "all the reasons why I can't stand LeBron" compilation blog.

A look back at the magical ride of the 2014 Boston Red Sox.

Magic Johnson cured HIV.  Why isn't that a bigger deal?

Somehow this became the most read post I've ever written on this site: Amazon is weirdly misrepresenting their Kindle Fire "mayday button"

I thought of a genius idea for twitter: A "potential reach" stat for all your retweeted tweets.

AOL should be embarrassed for putting this story on their front page.

Jump balls in basketball would make a lot more sense if short guys never had to take them.

Facebook's photo-recognition software really creeps me out.

The LA Kings just won the Stanley Cup.  Did you know that NHL Western Conference teams have an unfair advantage over the East?

New England's record last year, 12-4, was below average for the Brady/Belichick Patriots.

This Old Spice commercial scares the bejeezus out of me.

The demolition of the Metrodome last winter ruined one of Kevin Costner's post-apocalyptic future scenarios.

Previous editions of Recycle Sunday

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Recycle Sunday: Volume 11

What were the people at Skittles thinking when they ditched lime in favor of "green apple"?

Stephen A. Smith insulted me personally on ESPN's First Take.

I think it's ridiculous that people attempt to play (or is "perform" the right word?) "Quidditch" in real life.  But if you insist on doing so, at least do it for real.

A weird commercial got me talking about flavored scotch, the movie Mallrats, and the TV show How I Met Your Mother.

Remember the Sharknado phenomenon?

Recliners in movie theaters are definitely very comfy, but also kind of creepy.

Historical evidence indicates that getting a top pick in the NBA draft lottery has not led to future championships.

Twenty years since the death of Reggie Lewis.  Wow.

"Lojacks" on babies in hospitals should include exploding vials of permanent ink.

A review of the "reality" TV show/Black Dog commercial - The Vineyard.

Of all the bizarre flavored things I've written about, this is the strangest.

An idea for a video game where you get the be the seagull terrorizing beach going humans.

I correctly picked Grantland's "Song of the Millenium" long before it was chosen.

A revolutionary method for applying sunscreen to your back without any help.

My contributions to ESPN Boston's "Celtics Summer Forecast" from last offseason.  Some predictions are better than others...

If a dessert doesn't contain chocolate, it's not as good.  There are no exceptions (this blog also gave me an opportunity to reference Sports Night, one of the greatest sitcoms ever).

The "all the reasons why I can't stand LeBron" compilation blog.


Previous editions of "Recycle Sunday"


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Recycle Sunday: 10th Edition

Every few months I dig up several links to old posts I think are particularly good, and call it "Recycle Sunday."  On this occasion something really strange happened: I started working on it last night, just after the news broke of the death of actor Paul Walker.  As I went back to look at options to consider since the last time I put one of these together, the first entry I came across was this:

"The most oddly successful movie franchise I can remember," about the Fast & Furious films, starring one Paul Walker.  Weird.  Now on to the rest of the links.

LeBron James thinks his self-proclaimed royalty extends to the point that the normal laws of physics do not apply to him.

Back on Opening Day I speculated that the Red Sox had as good a chance as anybody else in the AL East.

Debating the issue of whether or not sports fans are cheated when superstars sit out games to rest.  My verdict: Not really.

The week of the Marathon bombing and it's immediate aftermath was unlike any other in the city of Boston: Monday.  Tuesday.  Wednesday.  Thursday.  Friday.  Sunday.

I was just speculating at the time, but the TD Garden PA announcer ruined Paul Pierce's final moment as a Celtic.

I'm all done with coins.  They're dumb.

How to greatly improve "instant replay" in pro sports.  The NHL already does it, and MLB is going to next season as well; the NFL and NBA need to get on board fast.

Before becoming a head coach, Jason Kidd closed out his NBA playing career with an incredible record setting run of scoreless-ness.

The 18 greatest Boston Celtics of all-time, ranked in order.

Whoever invents the sunlight and glare proof computer/cellphone screen is going to be a gajillionaire.

Previous editions of "Recycle Sunday."


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Recycle Sunday: Volume 9

I do this every three months or so.  It's basically a "blog highlights" post of things I think are particularly entertaining and are not time sensitive to when they were originally written.

Given the magical babysitting powers of ipads, why aren't there cheap ones made specifically for kids?

There's a television show called Doomsday Preppers that I highly recommend watching once, and only once.

A Miami lawyer sued the San Antonio Spurs for not playing their stars, but his case was a pack of lies.

I'm extremely tired of sportscasters continually debating which NFL quarterbacks qualify as "elite."

Question: Are blazers on women attractive?  Yes or No?

Easily my favorite commercial form this year's Super Bowl.

My rules for proper sidewalk walking etiquette in the city.

Have you ever decided to find out the gender of your baby by cutting a cake?

The greatest play I've ever witnessed in person during an NBA basketball game.

The worst movie I've ever seen actually won the Oscar for best picture in 2004.

If anyone can explain to me why men use cash and women don't, I'd love to hear the answer.

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Recycle Sunday, Volume 8: "No working on St. Patrick's Day Edition"

Since I'm headed to the St. Patrick's Day parade and various parties in South Boston all day, it seems like a good time for another "Recycle Sunday."

Remembering "choose your own adventure" books during Hurricane Sandy.

Do you know the difference between "less" and "fewer?"

I have a theory that TV commercials don't work. Here's why.

Rajon Rondo's spectacular 10+ assists per game streak prompted me to suggest an NBA rule change: Assists on made free throws.

"Transformers" toys are somehow worse than they were 25 years ago.

My experience sitting courtside in the front row at an NBA game.

A kid scored 138 points in a college basketball game, but the major new outlets failed to report why.

The "Gummi Bears" theme song; and Alicia Keys' version of it.

Did you know that Dee Brown Reebok Pumps are still for sale?

Every single sports team has obnoxious fans. ESPN made a great commercial illustrating this.

Memo to young women in bars: Part II

The movie "Almost Famous" has several actors in it who were at the time almost famous themselves.

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Recycle Sunday 7.0

Highlights from the blog since the the last recycle Sunday:

Even though I wish it wasn't true, the 2012 USA Basketball Team would beat the 1992 "Dream Team."

The technology in my watch makes me think we should have solar powered cars by now.

It bothers me that many Olympic events involve losing a game to "win" the silver medal.

If it looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, sometimes in means Bartolo Colon used steroids.

The Olympic runner with fake legs got upset when he lost at the Paralympics to a runner with better fake legs.

Remember last summer when the Washington Nationals decided they didn't want to win the World Series?

I discovered a record streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons by Boston's 4 major sports teams.  The Wall Street Journal decided it was worth mentioning.

If you were a vendor at Fenway Park, what product would you most like to sell walking up and down the aisles?

If you ever go up to a restaurant employee and say "I can't find my waitress," please make sure you have at least looked first.

For kids in school these days, writing "research papers" has got to be kind of a joke compared to what it used to be like.

Even though I hate the concept (because it doesn't really exist), I was kind of amused when a women at the bar asked me to make her an "anorexic margarita."

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Recycle Sunday 6.0

Andy Murray finally beat Rodger Federer to win at Wimbledon (where the Olympic tennis is being played), but the gold medal does not bring an end to his unfortunate grand slam drought.

It should cost $1 every time you honk your car horn.  Just like when Sly Stalone swears in the movie Demolition Man.

Here's what I would do to improve the "Half Court Shot Contest" at Celtics games.

I'm not convinced hi-tech dental floss is a good thing; similar to George Costanza's thoughts regarding toilet paper.

A 0-0 soccer tie prompted me to wonder what would happen if other sports adopted a shootout style method of deciding games.

I wasn't sold on the Red Sox trading Kevin Youkilis when it happened.  I'm still not.

Hey Miller Lite, you're not fooling anybody with your "shotgun" cans.

Earlier this summer a guy on the Arizona Diamondbacks hit for the cycle twice in twelve days.  Find out what else is equally as unlikely.

How many boxes of cereal is normal to have in your kitchen?

While difficult to comprehend, I don't think Ray Allen going to the Heat really matters that much.

"Can I get $7 worth of Patron?"

Even if you're not a fan of the Boston Celtics, basketball, or sports in general, this story should still make you want to like Paul Pierce.


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Recycle Sunday 5.0: Lots of good stuff since the last time I did this

- Probably my #1 pet peeve in the universe right now is when people with iphones "reply all" to group texts.

- I think ESPN and other news outlets must be pretty sick of always getting scooped by twitter.

- The best comment that anyone has left on this website so far.

- I've discovered a major flaw in Shawshank Redemption.

- There is a TV show called Extreme Couponing that kind of blows my mind.

- Everything about getting a pedicure is a little offensive to me.

- The Wall Street Journal's analysis of "How Waiters Read Your Table" is very unimpressive to me.

- Remember that Jeremy Lin phenomenon?  From the very beginning, I never bought into it.

- Why does "Payless" think it's appropriate to ask for my address in order to sell me a pair of socks?

- Some good advice for young women out in bars.

- I'm tired of confusing text messages.  It's time for some new punctuation marks.

- This episode of 60 Minutes was the craziest thing I have ever seen on television.  Seriously.

- The four major sports teams in Boston have combined for 20 consecutive winning seasons.

- And here's a link to the previous "Recycle Sundays."

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Recycle Sunday 4.0: Some recent blogs I'm proud of.

This is pretty self-explanatory:

- I wonder if I should get Tommy John surgery to help fix my bartending?

- Did I accurately forecast the end of "Tebow-mania?"

- I wish escalators had never been invented.

- Hands down the best Halloween costume I saw this year.

- My predictions about the Penn State mess as it was happening.

- The Patriots 13-3 record this season adds to their continued run of dominance.

- After much deliberation, the best type of cracker is revealed.

- A radical idea to revolutionize the Major League Baseball playoffs.

- People who come into my bar like whatever I want them to.

- I have trouble comprehending the existence of real life Quidditch.

- Statistical proof that Lebron can't possibly be the best player in the NBA.

- Other good stuff from the 2nd "Recycle Sunday" and version 3.0 as well.

Recycle Sunday 3.0: Timeless non-sports-related blogs

I haven't done this in a while and it feels like I'm about due.  Also It's something easy I can work on while giving most of my attention to the Pats-Steelers game.

- CVS does some pretty sneaky things.

- One of my lasting summer 2011 memories will be this beer can.

- Pucker has created a vodka marketed for children.

- What's the deal with girls carrying bags on their elbows?

- Asking joggers for directions is NOT cool.

- Carrying umbrellas on crowded sidewalks is selfish and inconsiderate.

- The best game of all time for the original Nintendo.

- People do strange things when a storm is on the way.

- Help me decide on a LucidSportsFan Logo.

- Do you remember how awesome the "Ground Round" used to be?

- The top 5 competitive disadvantages for a lefty kid.

- I have an affinity for all things grapefruit.

Recycle Sunday: good stuff you may have missed.

The first time I did this I changed the blog format the next day and all the links stopped working.  So here's take two:

- I really like Sportscenter commercials

- new vodka from Pucker marketed for children

- the real story behind Jeter's 3000th hit HR ball

- the best teaching job there is

- Lebron was the 4th best player on his team in the NBA Finals

- agave nectar and Hansel have something in common

- "skinny girl" drinks are a myth

- Oprah has mind control powers

- why it's ok not to respect tourists taking pictures

- Andrea Zuckerman is really old

recycle sunday. old blogs that i like.

i have been getting a lot fewer hits lately, especially on weekends.  so today there is nothing knew.  just links to some of my favorite older posts:

- the numbers don't lie, lebron was really bad in the nba finals.

- how is it that nobody remembers that ray lewis might be a murderer?

- i do not recommend getting chicken from dominos.

- this trick ensures that you never lose at sports gambling.

- i'm not sure we're quite ready for restaurant menus that are ipads.

- i don't understand, why do people think beer is better if it's made somewhere else?

- can somebody explain to me why european tourists love squirrels?

- i think all you need to play in the NBA is to make sure you're at least 7 feet tall.


this ended up taking just as long as writing a normal entry.  damn.