So with my holiday shopping now officially behind schedule and my number of purchased presents at precisely zero... bring on the SUNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Besides all that shopping, we kicked off the whole weekend with a surprising Clippers win, and with the MASH unit status of our team, any win is good to have... I mean, our injured list is like a cast listing for our highlight reel... but it's good to see the rest of the crew stepping up - especially against a team as talented as Denver. Unfortunately, we stumbled a little bit last night - and it certainly didn't help that the officiating crew called the game Tim-Donaghey-style (for those who don't watch the sports news - that means like they had money on Denver)... Really... I haven't seen calls that bad since the Bachelor finale.
http://www.buddytv.com/articles
Honestly, no one's more surprised than I am to be using that as a cultural reference... but it's a part of my continuing efforts to keep these little pieces relevant for everyone involved - and until recently, I had no idea how many of you all watch this nonsense (and by "nonsense" I, of course, mean "culturally relevant and excellent television programming") So there you go. As an aside, if you really want to know why that happened, I'd direct you to the very first chapter of Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto.
http://books.google.com/books
But hey, all my attempts to get to folks to read something besides Us magazine aside - the week was also marked by continuing excellent performances by all the Game Night Entertainment teams - including the Spirit's fun hand-jive routine (sorry I don't know the actual name) and their constant array of zesty new uniform variations, the Fan Patrol getting on the court at every opportunity, the Junior Jam raising the bar, and Jessie continuing her streak of saucy game night outfits (okay, I know she says it embarrasses her that I mention it, but come on, am I wrong here?!).
...and I would be remiss not to mention Kelley's 25th Birthday party on Friday night at the ELEVATE Lounge in downtown LA! What a great venue and great event! I'm so glad that we take the time as teammates to get out to these things as a group... I'm sure it meant a lot to Kelley, and it was great to see everyone! Now, I took my requisite ton of pictures (including my now-famous candids) ... but not to be outdone, Kelley had her own professional photog there... none other than Henry the on-court intern photo guy... and man, can that guy take some pictures!
Here are mine:
http://picasaweb.google.com
and here are Henry's:
http://weblog.henrychenphotogra
... and don't forget, we're less than 2 weeks from STORMING ARCO ARENA! So, for those of you going - start to get excited (and please pay me for your game ticket, lol)!!!
So, without further ado.... because I'm pretty sure that many of you just scroll down to your name and see if I wrote anything funny about you...
THE SUNDAY PROPS:
Okay FAN PATROL - no practice today... which means I finally have a day to heal... and so does Josh and Nate ... and Dave Sanchez.. and hey, are any of the girls hurt? Well, happy healing day to all!
Josh - for awesome game control on Saturday! Was great to have all of the timeouts and performances set, and I think you were a really big part of our increased game presence... that being said, your ankles are still wrapped up like they're trying to get away, so hopefully you're on the mend, and will be back to full strength soon... and hey, that tick-tock with Summer was just straight-up badness! And, please start shouting from the diaphragm when you're starting cheers... aside from the damage to your throat, you sound like the lead singer in a death metal band, and you SERIOUSLY scared some folks up in 301!
Nicole B - for inspiring greatness in others' basket tossage! ... I know how much better everyone throws when you're around, if only not to look too much worse than you in the air... you have continually "set the bar" for fliers this year... even if all I ever get to do is put you up on my shoulders, you're a pleasure to work with out there... but seriously, seriously none of the outfits this year make you look "fat" or "flat"... so just go on with your pretty self...
Dave S - for throwing tumbling on dead legs... and for being a good friend to me, despite my nonsense. Good to see you pushing the envelope on your stunting - and for leading the way into the stands... You want to see how to connect with the fans and increase your court presence? Watch Dave.
Dave Tumblz - for your secret aspirations to wear the headset full-time! I knew it! But I always love looking at you and saying "Why don't you go tumble?" and then you walk onto the court, do that straight-armed-running-to-get
Cortlin - Seriously... unless you lose your voice, I'm pretty sure you're guaranteed a spot in the Sunday love quotes. It may actually be a misnomer to call what you do over-share - it's really gone far beyond that... it suffices to say that you and I set the "it's ok to tell other people that" bar in very different places :) I do love to faux indignation ("ew!") when I'm fairly certain you've seen a good bit more wildness than the rest of us... combined. (Not counting Kristen M) It was, however, really great working with you on Saturday's game, although after spending that much time standing next to you out there, I'm now pretty sure I know what it's like to be invisible....
Katie - I'm not sure whether I like you best in your game uni or your oh-so-cute civilian clothes (hey, I don't have a better word for them)... I do know that I always feel better when you walk in the locker room... awesome job going up in more high-splits than I can count... and always fighting to keep stunts... I don't think I've ever met a flier more committed to making her partner look good... I hope I can someday get a game working with you - you're officially the only person I work with less than Nina! Thanks for donating your shoes to Cortlin... made her even better to work with!
Tami - Geez, two weeks in Louisville and you're officially a bad ass! Your form (already good) gets better every week and you're always a ton of fun to work with... But can you please stop pinching the inch of skin below your belly button and calling it fat?! Seriously, you wouldn't be fat if there were two of you duct-taped together... You weigh less than a good-sized deli sandwich, for goodness sake! Thanks for always showing up to open gym ... and great job on that Tarzan-up! can't wait to throw it at a game!
Kristen - Just after I thought you were back... you're gone again! I think Elton Brand has been on more games than you... Who do I have to slap around here to get you on the game schedule?! I got so bummed that I actually learned the Soulja Boy dance ... so that I don't look so sad when they play it and I have no one around to stunt with... :(
Summer - I don't know what it is... but between your new basket-toss height and your jump height/timing, you're going as high as I ever seen you go... now, I know that it's not some new work out routine... so what's your secret? Are you inhaling helium before the games? Springs in your shoes?! PS - you can stop reading now... :)
Leslie - for having your dad show up with your shorts just in time for the game... for the amazing new height on your back-tuck basket... and for an awesome positive attitude! It's great to see you stepping in to baskets and stepping up to stunt... and hey, have we ever mentioned just how fantastic you look in the new uni's?
Arturo - For being the only base that can tame Leslie's jump... for never ever saying "no" when the routine is being set up... and for being a great flag-partner during Josh's detailed flag choreography...
Joey - for joining me and Katie as the ever-present FP representatives at social events... was great to see you on Friday night... even if we didn't get you onto the dance floor this time... what's up with that? You sure weren't shy at Montana's! But either way, thank you for being the voice of reason that I will listen to... or at least the one I know that will choke me out if I don't listen to it...
Nate & Nina - I got nuthin'.. and I sat here and really thought about it too! What's up with that?!
SPIRIT... for those of you who have taken part in the new Deal or No Deal promo... let me just say... you are all evidence that there is a just and righteous God and that he loves me... I don't think I could even muster enough syllables to pick a suitcase if I was out there... I'm pretty sure that if there are cocktail parties in heaven - they look just like that... me and a bunch of beautiful, charming, articulate and interesting girls in black dresses (minus the 17,000 or so fans)
Kristin E - for taking the best candids this side of Kelley... (see pictures above)...
Whitney - for your continued tolerance at me shouting your name in public places.... for the best hugs ever... for that dance move (you know the one), which I will now simply refer to as "The Whitney"...
Harmony - Okay, I don't know if they're new or not... or if maybe your hair just always looks so good that I didn't notice, or if I'm still just traumatized by that eye-sparkle thing from last year, but NICE ABS! Seriously...
Kelley - for being a charming hostess on Friday... and seriously, no one is a "cougar" at 25... let's not talk "the old" around Glenn... because, hey, that's hurtful enough as it is.
Nina R. - I know you said you got it from the 49'ers, but I'm still pretty sure I saw that jacket at Baby Gap... ;)
Melissa - I think the camera guy has a new crush... honestly, the jumbo-tron was like the Melissa close-up shot show... which would be a lot funnier if you didn't look so damned GOOD up there!
Tiffany M. - Way to step up for the Sac trip! An RV road trip?! Of course :) So glad you're coming - with your sizeable posse, too! You're like MC Hammer without the bad pants!
Okay SPIRIT... that's all I've got - which means, if I don't start getting some more feedback from you all about locker room and dance shenanigans, I'm going to have to reactivate my locker room correspondent... and trust me, she's good at getting me the DIRT!
.. and now for the COLLEGE FOOTBALL LOVE...
It was another crazy week as the season is finally spiraling towards a close... Number 1 and Number 2 both went down, and if it weren't for that INSANE loss to Stanford, USC might have its eye on a BCS Championship bid... but hey, there is still some VERY exciting football left... not to mention bowl games...
USC - as a special Thanksgiving treat completely unloaded a season's worth of frustration on Arizona State... wow, didn't they ever look like the team we hoped they would have been this season before "that Stanford game"... Whichever team gets the Trojans in the postseason had better bring the wood...
UCLA - much like picking on the fat kid on the playground, the Bruins beat up on an Oregon team without its previously Heisman hopeful QB... When you're backup QB is Ryan Leaf's little brother... you know it's going to be a long day... still, the boys from Westwood took care of business and now we can finally look forward to the inter-city match up...
with the ROSE BOWL on the line - it's USC - UCLA this weekend... pick your sides (I know where Jessie and Joey are) and speak up...
UTAH and BYU - the CIVIL WAR... after scoring and being up by 1 and having under 2 minutes to go... Utah had BYU with a 4th and 18 deep in their own end... but one 49 yard play later, the Cougars had new life, and drove down for the winning score just a few plays later... heartbreak for the UTES, and a field-storming win for BYU... Joey's squad is victorious and Kelley's Utes are left to wonder what could have been... oh and I think someone owes someone twenty bucks :)
NOTRE DAME eeked out a win over Stanford - and Charlie Weis had the audacity to brag about the two game winning streak that his team is on... wow. Only Irish fans could find a reason to talk smack after a season like that... The Irish made mediocrity look oh-so-good... Here's hoping they lose NINE more next year - they don't deserve any better... at least they won't be stinking up any bowl games this year.
NAVY had a week off to prepare for the ARMY - NAVY Classic which we needed about as much as the Viking horde needed an extra week to prepare for their next coastal village... The best part of this game will be over when the ball is kicked off... The Commander-in-Chief's trophy is already sewn up and will remain in Annapolis for the sixth straight year (where it belongs)... and now we're just waiting for the Pac-10 to finish up to see who we'll be playing in San Diego on the 20th...
...as a reminder, if you want to go see one of college football's hardest playing teams, you can join me for the Poinsettia Bowl in a few weeks... :)
Oh - and before I forget... Sunday QUOTES:
"Don't ask me that..." - Nicole B., when I asked how I looked before heading out for my first hosting segment of the season... turned out to be solid advice... lol.
"I don't know, I'm just all full of liquid" - Cortlin, when I asked her what was wrong as she was hunched over and clutching her stomach...
"...whatever, we're just here to see the athletes..." - random female fan muttering under breath as she walked by me after two of Spirit greeted her at the doors... uh, note to that lady, you just walked by six of them... haters anyone? :)
"...are you guys Clippers players?" - fan in the upper concourse (to male FP members), who has some serious miscoceptions about the size of NBA players...
"uh, we have two minutes ..." - Harmony, when we tried to leave the greeting area at 7:03pm...
"This must be rodeo, because all the officials tonight are clowns..." me (okay, I don't have many brilliant comedic moments, but this one was pretty good, I think, lol)
"...are the girls any heavier?" - Paramedic, right after he asked me how my Thanksgiving was... I, of course, told him "No, they're feather-light as always."
...
Okay folks... that's about going to do it for me... and I may actually get this out on Sunday....
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday... look forward to seeing you all soon!
REMEMBER, AS ALWAYS, if you've got something else to contribute, or something I missed, please "Reply to All" and let us all in on it...
TRUITT.... OUT.
