Catching up with Al

Since we're talking football today I feel compelled to point out that Madden 10 is due to be released in approximately 11 hours and nine minutes. I asked Kate this morning about the plausibility of purchasing the video game and an XBox 360 to play it on.

"Just how're you going to pay for it?"

Touche.

What she doesn't know is that I'm thiseclose to donating sperm in an effort to offset the cost.

So, I promised a football column today and I had several strong insights all ready to post. Then right as I was preparing to blog I started talking to my good buddy Alan via the magic of Facebook chat, and as the conversation progressed we ended up touching on most of the same topics I planned on covering today anyway.

As a result, I've decided to post our chat transcript from this morning.

Kornheiser and Wilbon ain't got nothin' on us...

Nathaniel
hey man, whats crackin?

Alan
hey! Just crawled out of bed. what are you up to today?

Nathaniel
not much, man; trying to find the motivation required to do some dishes

Alan
Yeah I have laundry on tap myself. I'm catching up on PTI as we speak too.

Nathaniel
haha nice. ive got caddyshack on the golf channel

Alan
Yeah I saw that. I was trying to see who has first round coverage of the PGA today. TNT in case you're wondering.

Nathaniel
haha. good looking out, man...i checked first thing this morning while i was listening to mike and mike. i didn't think u were a big golf guy

Alan
I usually watch the majors. watson story was great last month. I'm glad you finally blogged again, I'm reading it right now. I missed it.

Nathaniel
thanks, man...im getting prepped to write again today. there was just a ton of stuff going on in july and finding the time and motivation was sometimes difficult. i've had a little more free time this week, however. lol

Alan
good, I look forward to it. It's fun to hear a sports voice that isn't biased to east coast teams and doesn't have to keep the language and references up to Mickey Mouse's standards

Nathaniel
haha. it's funny u mention that because i definitely dont wanna be too vulgar (my mom reads it, kates parents read it, etc) but i definitely try and be kind of edgy. how's business at the erma?

Alan
pretty much the same. it's actually a little better than the huge drop off that happened when everything crashed in the fall. i cracked 130 last night so it can't be too bad. I'm just happy to be working at a place I enjoy being at again. what are your plans for work now?
on a side note, am I obligated to care about the little league world series?

Nathaniel
not one bit. i don't. it was fun to watch when we were that age, but there's just too much going on in the sports world to devote any level of energy to the llws right now

Nathaniel
i have a pretty good lead on a job at a local radio station. a lead that, ironically enough, i happened upon while i was working at the erma a few weeks back. but i have a final interview there tomorrow morning; suffice it to say ive put a lot of eggs in that basket

Alan
man that sounds ideal. is it talk radio?

Nathaniel
no, its not. i'd be the evening news guy, covering pta meetings and local courts. but, i feel like there's a lot of room for advancemant. if they end up hiring me i'm gonna try and find a niche covering some hs football or something, maybe see if they'll let me blog for the website

Alan
yeah that's awesome. everyone starts with something like that covering local.

Nathaniel
exactly....especially in this job market
hows the wife?

Alan
she's great. she picked up a bartending job at that place that tammy works at and has climbed the ladder there fairly quickly. she's all but done with the erma as well. she's been making cakes for weddings and baby showers on the side too this summer. we both couldn't be happier.

Nathaniel
thats pretty cool, man.
really cool, actually. good for her

Alan
btw I'll say at least two wins for the lions, zero arrests for the bengals this year.

Nathaniel
haha. nice
i hope the whodeys can stay clean this year
and im thinking closer to five or six wins for the lions...matt stafford may just channel his inner matt ryan

Alan
i don't see a micheal turner in that backfield

Nathaniel
touche

Alan
I don't really know what's going to happen with the nfl season this year. other than pitts winning the north I feel like most divisions are wide open.

Nathaniel
yea. im inclined to agree. the nfc north is what really fascinates me. gb, minn, and chi all have a serious chance

Alan
yeah all three teams have talent, but showed flaws in different areas last year. who do you like in baseball? the consensus in my circle is that is seems to be the yankees year.

Nathaniel
yea, thats not an awful bet. i really, really like philly though. hammels and lee are a dynamic 1-2...not that the same cant be said for burnet and sabathia...i just cant bring myself to pick ny--even if it is the smart bet

Alan
NY-Phi is my world series pick.....which makes me want to jump off my balcony.
I'm focusing my energies on hockey and college football from here on out...

Nathaniel
not too excited about the brownies this year, huh?

Alan
they went four games last year without an offensive touchdown and the only thing they did to address that was draft a center! and the saying goes, if you have two quarterbacks, your have no quarterback. I'm not giving them any ticket money unless they're competitive. They don't deserve it.

Nathaniel
strong words. thats a good point, though. and i agree with you, mangini would be a damn fool to drag this qb controversy out into the preseason. the job is brady quinn's good or bad

Alan
my feeling is that eric knows quinn will start, he's just not tipping his hand to other teams yet.
derek anderson couldn't beat out charlie frye in camp two years ago and apparently no one remembers that.

Nathaniel
ah, good ol charlie frye. i bumped into him last week when he pumped my gas

Alan
did seattle eventually cut him? I lost track of him after they traded him.

Nathaniel
ya know, i couldnt tell ya. hes no higher than their 3rd stringer, seneca wallis is the backup for matt hasselbeck

Alan
signed with the raiders in june, according to wikipedia

Nathaniel
hm. interesting. i think i'd rather pump gas, dude. oakland is an absolute greasefire

Alan
ha ha yeah. oakland will be better this year though. I think they may actually finish ahead of denver

Nathaniel
now THERE'S a greasfire.

Alan
lol

Nathaniel
im somewhat interested to see how jamarcus russel plays in oakland

Alan
that's pretty much what their year boils down to. they already have an established defense and all the talent in the world at rb.

Nathaniel
we'll both see the raiders...the west is one of the outside divisions played by the north this year

Alan
that's right. what's the nfc division we play? north?

Nathaniel
yea
which is why im reasonably excited about the bengals. as far as im concerned, the toughest game on our ledger are the two we play against pittsburgh.
i think that division will be close, but i dont know that it'll be all that good

Alan
yeah it won't be as brutal as last year at least. bears and viks will be tough too.

Nathaniel
yea, i dont know cleveland's schedule offhand, but i know we go to gb and minn, two very tough places to play

Alan
its not bad. other than in the division the only tough road game is chicago. other than that, at buffalo, kc, and denver.

Nathaniel
yea, thats not dreadful.

Alan
what do you think of cowherd's show sportsnation?

Nathaniel
oh, its terrible, man...
which is kind of a shame because i really enjoy the herd

Alan
really? i like it. plus that blonde is smoking hot

Nathaniel
hmm. maybe i should give it another chance, then...
because not only did i think the show was kind of ho-hum, i thought the blonde was only like a 5.5 or 6

Alan
ha ha. c'mon her sports knowledge alone makes her a seven

Nathaniel
thats a fair point. i am exponentially more attracted to a chick that can talk sports intelligentially. it's a huge turn on for me. i called one of those 900 numbers last week and when the chick asked me what i wanted i told her to moan loudly pete rose's career hit total!

Alan
ha ha nice! picturing pete rose though would kill my erection faster than chasing three zolofts with a half a bottle of whiskey.

Nathaniel
that's true. look at it this way, at least i didnt say marge schott!
so, were u pleased or disapointed that brett favre didnt come back this year?

Alan
what a joke. I'm so over that guy. we all saw how horrible he was down the stretch last year right? didn't they start 8-3 last year and he tanked so bad they missed the playoffs?

Nathaniel
thats right. but if u listen to major news outlets in ny favre injured his shoulder and was playing hurt down the stretch

Alan
then he shouldn't have been in and i have one more reason to doubt mangini. they have a decent enough back up in clemens
well i need to get things done sometime today

Nathaniel
have a good one, buddy...send my best to the wife

Alan
will do, good luck with the job