Best of '08

This isn’t necessarily a top ten list, but more of a list of stuff that I came across over the course of this year that I felt deserved a little bit of love. Better late than never I suppose.

Best Albums:

Death Cab For Cutie, Narrow Stairs
Coldplay, Viva La Vida
Keane, Perfect Symmetry
Wale, The Mixtape About Nothing
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak
Girl Talk, Feed the Animals
MGMT, Oracular Spectacular
N.E.R.D., Seeing Sounds
The Stills, Oceans Will Rise

Best Tracks:

"Viva La Vida" - Coldplay
"See You In My Nightmare feat. Lil Wayne" - Kanye West
"Again & Again" - Keane
"Cath..." - Death Cab For Cutie
"I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend to Dance" - Black Kids
"Queens Get the Money" - Nas
"Snow in California" - The Stills
"The Perfect Plan" - Wale
"Free Fallin' (Live)" - John Mayer
"The World We Live In" - The Killers

Boycott What?

Being up at 4:15 in the morning isn't necessarily a good thing, but I was on io9.com, and i found something that made me feel a bit better about being up so late. The article is a great rant about any fans that are planning to boycott Fox in light of the possible delay of Watchmen.

They bring up a pretty good point: what has Fox put out that anyone was really dying to see anyway? Max Payne, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Jumper? These are just a few examples they give.

One movie they have upcoming that is actually anticipated is X-Men Origins: Wolverine which will be released in May. I think the film looks good, but I have to agree with io9 that the movie is starting to look like a way to create a whole new batch of X-Men movie spinoffs by introducing a bunch of secondary characters like Gambit, Emma Frost, and Deadpool.

Hopefully the idea of a boycott will end up being a moot point because Watchmen will be released on time. Only time will tell...

And speaking of time, like three paragraphs down io9 writes in regards to Fox's former flameouts: "These are not just movies you're better off renting. These movies are the reason there's a 4:20 in the morning as well as the afternoon — they probably look pretty good if you're both sleep-deprived and stoned." Both of which i am.

More Watchmen Baby Mama Drama

With everything that has been going on with Zach Snyder's Watchmen, one wonder's how likely it is that we will see the film when it's due to be released on March 6th. According to the Associated Press an attorney for Fox says the studio will seek an order to delay the release of the movie.

There's a story on Cinematical titled "Why We Will See Watchmen on March 6th". I sure hope they are right. They think that Warner Bros. will pay whatever it is they need to get the movie released on time. Clearly a lot of time and money was put into the film, and I do not think Warner's will want to lose it or allow it to be delayed.

On io9 it seems that they think fans probably will not see Watchmen on March 6th. As of right now it is obviously just speculation, but imagine the how outraged the loyal fan base of Watchmen would be if they could not see the movie they have been so anxiously waiting for.

I pray that a settlement can be reached, because I am dying to watch the Comedian burn through Vietnam, Dr. Manhattan travel to Mars, and Rorschach grapple and crawl his way around the city.

Transformer Sequel Details... Finally!

By Matt Jussim

Finally, after all the trailers, exclusive photos, and footage of Watchmen, Terminator: Salvation, and Star Trek, that have come out over the past six months, there’s something we all can get REALLY excited about.

The buzz is finally starting to grow on one of 2009’s biggest releases: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has finally gotten the “exclusive” treatment with Empire Magazine releasing the first official images of the film, and in USA Today with a report from the set. And the pictures look fantastic.

A gallery of pics from Empire shows Shia LaBeouf (bandaged hand and all) running with the always stunning Meagan Fox away from what looks like certain danger. There’s a pic with a car flying through the air, and awesome tank fight, a badass shot of Optimus Prime and a couple with some army rangers and more tanks. The best ones of all though are shots of the crew filming at the Pyramids in Giza, which will serve as the climax of the film. The Great Pyramids look unbelievable, and it is a definite upgrade in location from the first films climax, which took place at the Hoover Dam and the creatively named Mission City.

The sequel to 2007’s blockbuster Transformers looks to be bigger and even more explosive than its predecessor. The USA Today article describes the plot and some details of the story.

This time around, Sam (Shia LaBeouf) has learned a secret about the origins of the Transformers and their ancient history, which leads to the Decepticons to pursue him rather than wanting to kill him. The rest of the world meanwhile is still dealing with the aftermath of the events in the first film, and tries to figure out which of the creatures to trust, while an international coalition has allied itself with the Autobots.

The movie will introduce new characters, including some important Deceptions: Soundwave, a communications expert, and Devastator, whose arms and legs are built from other Transformers (can’t get any more poetic than that). The good guy Autobots will have Jetfire, a former villain whose age and failing physical state leads him to help Optimus Prime’s crew.




















The film’s action sequences seem as if they will be extremely realistic due to the fact that the movie has the seal of approval from the U.S. Department of Defense. This allowed director Michael Bay and his crew to film at the Army’s New Mexico missile range, and also to follow jets and fighter planes as they navigated through the skies. Some of the equipment used were two A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog” tanks; six F-16 Fighting Falcons; 10 armored Humvees; the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team, two armored personnel carriers and two missile launcher vehicles.

The near $200 million dollar production will feature 40 robots, and as I mentioned before the filmmakers were granted permission to shoot not just around, but also actually on the 5,000 year old Great Pyramids for the first time ever.

I was a huge fan of the first movie, and from the looks of it, the sequel is going to be even more exciting and action packed. Along with LaBeouf and Fox, the sequel will star returning cast members Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Tuturro. Newcomers include Matthew Mardsen as a Special Forces ranger, Isabel Lucas as a girl at Sam’s college and The Office’s Rainn Wilson will have a cameo as a university professor.

The first teaser trailer for the film will possibly debut in February during Super Bowl XLII. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will be released on June 26th, 2009.

Giants Fall But Are Primed For Playoff Run

By Matt Jussim

With home field advantage and a first round bye already clinched, the Giants had little to gain by winning on Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings on the other hand could secure the #3 seed and the NFC North division crown by beating the defending Super Bowl champions.

Minnesota came from behind and won the game 20-19 on Ryan Longwell’s 50-yard field goal as time expired. The win gave the Vikings their first division title since 2000, and set themselves for a home playoff game versus the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.

Even with the loss, the Giants third in four games, the team was fairly optimistic. The Vikings were the tenth straight team the Giants faced with a winning record, and Eli Manning only played the first half of the game. New York was also without cornerback Aaron Ross, tight end Kevin Boss, and defensive tackle Barry Cofield.

Derrick Ward earned a significant achievement in the game by rushing for 77 yards on 15 carries, finishing the regular season with 1,025 yards. He joined his teammate Brandon Jacobs, who rushed for 1,089 yards, as only the fourth pair of running backs to both total 1,000 rushing yards on the season.

Jacobs sat out the game due to a knee injury. This past season the Giants had the league’s best rushing attack, and the fact that both Ward and Jacobs each eclipsed 1,000 yards is a huge accomplishment for the team as well as both players. “This is a dream come true,” Ward said.

The Giants will have to wait and see who their opponent will be in two weeks. Even though the game came down to just one play, not everyone on the losing side was so optimistic. “You think we are happy because we lost?” linebacker Antonio Pierce said. “No. We are not. But that’s over with. The regular season is over. It doesn’t matter. It’s like talking about last year’s Super Bowl. It’s irrelevant.”

Along with that, the Giants suffered two more injuries. Free safety Michael Johnson left the game with a thigh bruise, but the more serious was to veteran cornerback Sam Madison. He left the Metrodome on crutches after breaking his right ankle. “The doctors told me, ‘Don’t move it, just stabilize it,’ ” Madison said.

John Carney, who was selected to the Pro Bowl this season, hit four field goals of 51, 30, 42 and 20 yards. But Carney neglected an opportunity to put the Giants up by 5 after he missed a 48-yard field goal with a little more than three minutes left in the game. Amazingly that was Carney’s first outright miss of the season. He had two kicks blocked previously, but other than that had connected on all his attempts this year, finishing 35 of 38 on the season.

The Giants trailed by 10-0 early in the second quarter, but three field goals by Carney cut the deficit to 10-9 at halftime. They got their first touchdown and first lead when David Carr replaced Eli Manning at quarterback for the second half and connected with Domenik Hixon on a 23-yard scoring play to give the Giants a 16-10 lead with 9:29 left in the third quarter.

After Carney’s fourth field goal, Minnesota cut the Giants’ lead to 19-17 with 9:26 left in the fourth quarter on a 54-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to Bernard Berrian, who got behind the rookie cornerback Terrell Thomas when Thomas fell down.

That touchdown was among several worrisome plays for the Giants, but the team did not harp on the negative aspects of the game too much. “It would have been nice to win this game, but it is not the end of the world,” Manning said

Coach Tom Coughlin set the teams sights on the future once the game was over. “We are 12 and 4,” he said. “The regular season is over, and we do have the week off. We will use it wisely.”

Game Notes: With the success Derrick Ward has had this season; chances are the Giants will not be able to retain him after the season. Both Ward and starting running back Brandon Jacobs will be free agents at year’s end. It is unclear if the Giants will be able to keep both players. Much like Ladanian Tomlinson’s former backup Michael Turner, who rushed for 1,669 yards with the Falcons this year, Ward could find himself as a starting running back next season. While Ward is a fine player, I think he is best suited as the secondary back, as he has been this year with the Giants. Ward, along with Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are known as “Earth, Wind and Fire.” I think it would be smart of the Giants to try and keep Ward, due to the success they have had this season. But the demand for a hard nose, strong effort guy like Ward will be high this off-season, and he may leave the G-men for “greener” pastures.

Watchmen Trial Update

So the judge that's presiding over the legal battle for the rights to the distribution of Watchmen ruled in favor of Fox. According to the judge Warner Bros. had no right to get the ball rolling on Zack Snyder's adaptation of Watchmen.

A trial had been set for January 20th, which presumably would have been enough time for Warner Bros. and Fox to reach a settlement. That is what the judge had seemingly wanted to happen all along. But according to EW.com, both sides had pressed the judge to reconsider and issue a summary judgment to help both parties interpret the old Watchmen contract between Fox and producer Larry Gordon.

In the ruling, the judge concluded that Gordon never properly gave Fox the option to produce and distribute Snyder's version of Watchmen, and that Warner Bros. did not buy out Fox's interest in the project.

The article presents a lot of options about what will happen next and about what else the judge put in his ruling. I think the most important thing is that Snyder's film gets released on time in March for all the fans that have been anxiously awaiting its release, myself included.

Coughlin Will Play It Smart Against the Vikings

By Matt Jussim

Will they or won’t they?

That is the question heading into this weekends Giants game. Will Tom Coughlin rest his starters? The coach said that he would do what is in the best interest of the Giants, but did not say if or how much his starters would play in the season finale on Sunday.

"My answer to all of your questions will be that in conjunction with the medical people and with the idea of improving our game, having individuals perform at a higher level than we did in the last game, which is always our theme, we will do the best thing for our football team," Coughlin said.

The Giants have already clinched a first round bye and home field advantage through the playoffs, so they don’t really have anything to play for on Sunday. But try getting that past Coach Coughlin. "The week off comes after the last game," the coach said yesterday.

Last year the Giants had everything to gain, and barley anything to lose when they faced the undefeated Patriots to finish the regular season. Everyone knew Tom Coughlin would have his team play hard. He has an immense respect for the game and I think everyone realized that he wouldn’t allow an undefeated season to occur against the Giants practice squad.

New York wasn’t expected to win that game by any stretch, but if they could somehow pull it out, or at least keep the game close, it would have given the team some confidence going into the playoffs. We all know how that ended up.

This time around though, the Giants will be facing a team that hasn’t even clinched a playoff spot. And if Minnesota ends up winning the game and making the postseason, they will be the team with some confidence, and set themselves up for a possible a playoff rematch with New York.

As of right now, the Giants are unsure who will venture to the Meadowlands for the NFC divisional playoff game that will take place two weeks from now. There is a possibility that the team could be the Vikings.

That could complicate things for the Giants. Not only must they decide if the should rest some of their players, they also need to think about what schemes they will and will not show to a team they could possibly play again in the future.

Some players will definitely be resting this weekend. According to the Associated Press cornerback Aaron Ross will miss Sunday’s game due to a concussion, and at least four other starters are listed as questionable for the season finale.

Tight end Kevin Boss (concussion/ankle) was listed as doubtful on the injury report this week, and Brandon Jacobs (knee), defensive tackle Barry Cofield (knee), and offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie (back) were questionable.

Ross suffered his concussion in last Sunday’s game against the Panthers. "My head is still hurting sometimes, but as far as every thing else, I don't know nothing," the cornerback said. "I haven't had a chance to do anything, so I don't know how far along I am. I have to listen to them. I have to get out of here, my head is still hurting." Kevin Dockery will join Corey Webster as the starting cornerbacks for this Sunday’s game.

Tight end Boss was injured twice in the Panthers game. He suffered a concussion, and then later on rolled his ankle while making a catch later in the game.

Jacobs practiced earlier in the week, but he did not participate on Friday. He might be the one starter who needs some rest more than anyone. He has been hurting recently, and due to his powerful running style, he is more inclined to be injured than some of the Giants other players.

If Jacobs does not play, it would also give Derrick Ward a better chance gain the 52 yards he needs to reach 1,000 yards on the season. If he does it would make the Giants the fourth team in NFL history to have two running back rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.

"We prepare like there is only one objective in mind and that is to win," Coughlin said. Whether the Giants win or lose on Sunday, their number one goal will to remain healthy and well rested for their NFC divisional playoff game in two weeks.

Wikipedia Page That May Only Interest Me #1

By Matt Jussim

It has happened to all of us from time to time. You look up something on Wikipedia, and as you're reading the page, you stumble onto another link that interests you, so you click on it. Then as you're reading that page, another link tickles you're fancy, so you click on it. Eventually you have no idea how you got from looking up the movie Touch of Evil to an article on the Panama Canal, and then somehow end up reading one about the Watts Riots of 1965 in Los Angeles. Eventually at some point I have to close my laptop and cease the endless cycle of information that lives and breathes on Wikipedia. While most professors and teachers try to dissuade their students from using it as a reference, I haven't written a paper without it in recent memory. Michael Scott loves it: "Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information." So here's a Wikipedia page that may only interest me:

Raymond Carver was an American writer most famous for his short stories and poems. I stumbled upon his page after i first was looking up some information on Robert Altman's Gosford Park. Eventually I clicked on the director's name, and then soon after found myself looking at the page for his film Short Cuts, which was based on Carver's writings. I myself have never read anything by him, and I wasn't completely sure I even knew who he was exactly. The name sounded familiar, perhaps I had heard it in school, or on television once before. At first glance I immediately remembered the name Raymond Chandler. For a moment I thought I had just remembered the name wrong, and that Carver and Chandler were one in the same. But as I read I realized that Chandler, the author of many crime novels featuring his famed protagonist Philip Marlowe, and Carver simply shared a first name. Coincidentally, Robert Altman's film, The Long Goodbye, was an adaptation of one of Chandler's novels. Carver's writing is often compared to Ernest Hemingway, Anton Chekhov, and Franz Kafka and his short story "Where I'm Calling From" was selected by John Updike to be included in the collection The Best American Short Stories of the Century.

The Year That Was: Seattle Sports

The ESPN.com front page story this afternoon is an Outside The Lines report on how tough a year 2008 has been on the Seattle sports fan. While I am not a Seahawk fan, nor was I a Supersonic fan, I too feel your pain Seattle. As a Mariners fan this year was the worst in recent memory. Gone are the days when the team won 116 games and were a contender for the division each year. But baseball doesnt even scratch the surface of what the Seattle sports fan has gone through. The Sonics picked up and moved Kevin Durant to Oklahoma City, while apart from beating the Jets on Sunday, the Seahawks haven't done anything for a fan to be proud of in the past two months. And I didn't even mention the Huskies. So as the new year dawns upon us Seattle fans, we can hope for one thing: there's always next year.

Aloha! From the Dharma Initiative

I just saw these cool postcards that ABC released as a promotion for the upcoming season of Lost. I really like the yellow one with the silhouette of what appears to be my man Sawyer. The season 5 premiere is right around the corner on January 21st, and I cannot wait. In fact I am watching the dvd of season 4 right now and it is ridiculously addicting.

Giants Lock Down Home Field Advantage in Overtime

By Matt Jussim

The New York Giants reestablished themselves as the best team in the NFC last night. They finally emerged from a two game sleepwalk and secured the top seed in the postseason by coming from behind and beating the Carolina Panthers 34-28 in overtime.

The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will now go through the Meadowlands as the Giants improved to 12-3 on the season.

Determined not to lose, the Giants running attack of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw, known as “Earth, Wind and Fire” were poised to run over the Panthers. But with Brandon Jacobs still slowed by a knee injury, and Ahmad Bradshaw returning kick offs and punts Sunday night, Ward took his nickname “Wind” to heart.

Fighting the frigid, swirling wind in the Meadowlands, Ward rushed for a career high 215 yards on only 15 carries. He averaged 14.3 yards per rush, and was dominant on the winning drive in overtime by rushing for 82 yards on three carries. Bruising running back Jacobs bullied his way into the end zone for the winning 2-yard score in overtime, his third of the game.

Fans who were crazy enough to stand the punishing, frozen wind threw snoballs that rained down like confetti as Jacobs scored to win the game.

Ward has had a respectable season so far, but he always took second billing to starting running back Brandon Jacobs. But with Jacobs still not fully healed from a knee injury, Ward took advantage of his opportunity and had the best game of his career.

“My teammates looked at me and said they wanted me to get it done,” Ward said. “I looked in every one of my offensive linemen’s eyes and they had my back. We played smashmouth football.”

Offensive tackle David Diehl, also helped spring Ward for some of his best runs. “This game was a true sign of us,” Diehl said. “Things aren’t going to be perfect. But none of us pressed. We talked all week about how this would be a test of will. This is what the in December is all about.”

The Giants forced overtime when Jacobs scored his second touchdown of the game, and Eli Manning hit Domenik Hixon for the two point conversion which tied the game with 3:21 seconds to play.

The loss spoiled a record-tying, four-touchdown performance by Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, who gave Carolina a 28-20 lead with a 30-yard TD run 2 minutes into the final quarter. He also scored on runs of 13, 5 and 1 yards.

The Panthers had a chance to win the game in regulation but the wind at Giants Stadium pushed John Kasey's 50-yard field-goal attempt wide left, leaving some hope for fans that the Giants could still pull this game out.

The Giants won the coin toss in the overtime but couldn't generate anything, and the Panthers followed suit on their possession. The game nearly took a terrible turn for the Giants when R.W. McQuarters muffed a punt at the Giants 13. He emerged from a pile with the ball and then Ward took over.

On first-and-10 from the 13, Ward went 51 yards to Carolina 36. Three plays later on third-and-7, he went 14 yards to the 19 and followed that with a 17-yarder to the 2. Jacobs scored on the next play, capping a night New York rushed for a season-high 301 yards.

Until late in the game, it looked like the Panthers and Williams had overcome the elements, and were ready to hand the Giants their third straight loss. Carolina scored touchdowns the first three times they had the ball. The last touchdown came a play after a Tom Coughlin challenge left Steve Smith a half-yard shy on a play that originally was ruled a TD.

Carolina had eight plays of 10 yards or more on the drives of 77, 66 and 65 yards. The biggest play was a 60-yard pass from Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad on a pass that went right through the hands of Giants cornerback Aaron Ross..

John Carney got New York to with 21-13 with a 35-yard field goal late in the half, and then the Giants defense started to play as they had the first half of the season, limiting Carolina to seven second-half points.

Justin Tuck, the defensive end headed for the Pro Bowl, was weak with flu-like symptoms and had to be helped off the field twice. “I’m gong to go back home and get into bed,” he said. “This win was huge. The atmosphere in the stadium was tremendous.”

New York closed the gap to 21-20 when Manning found a wide-open Kevin Boss for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds to go in third quarter. It capped a 12-play, 84-yard marched that took more than eight minutes.

Carolina came roaring back, and restored their eight-point lead when Williams, who gained 108 yards on 24 carries, broke a tackle by Antonio Pierce and ran 30 yards for a touchdown.

The Giants' tying touchdown was set up by a spectacular coffin-corner punt by Jeff Feagles, a 12-yard pass from Manning to Boss and a pass-interference call in the end zone against Ken Lucas, one play later.

The Giants needed this win to prove that they were still the class of the NFC. As important as the win was, there still are questions the Giants will have to answer if they hope to make it to the Super Bowl.

Will Brandon Jacobs be able to stay healthy? With Jacobs back in the lineup, the Giants rushing game was fierce, and Derrick Ward performs much better when he isn’t the feature back. Jacobs gave the Giants the physical running presence that they lacked the past two weeks, especially in the loss to Dallas.

Although the defense played extremely well in the second half, DeAngelo Williams was able to run free in the first half, scoring three of his four touchdowns. The Giants have been a top ten defense all season, but with Williams running wild, its been a theme for the defense the past few weeks. Philadelpha’s Brian Westbrook, and Dallas’ Tashard Choice totaled 131 and 143 yards respectively against the Giants, both losses.

Just when everyone counts out the Giants, as they did the past two weeks when they averaged just 11 points per game, and 80 yards rushing, the team comes together, and wins games as they did last night.

Heading into next week’s game against Minnesota, the Giants don’t have much to play for considering they now have secured home field advantage through the playoffs. The team will be well rested by the playoffs, with Tom Coughlin most likely resting some of his starters next week, something he did not do last year in Week 17 when the Giants took on the 16-0 Patriots.

Game Notes: It’s amazing what a little confidence can do for a player. A year and a half ago, cornerback Corey Webster was seen as a draft bust, playing on special teams, and barely being able to crack the starting lineup. But with some stellar play during the playoffs, due in part to an injury to Sam Madison, Webster transformed himself from a possible bust to a possible superstar. Webster has played well this season, but last night he stepped up big, breaking up two huge third down passes forcing the Panthers to punt back to the Giants. A little more than a week ago he signed a 5 year $43.5 million dollar deal with the team. It’s amazing what a few interceptions can do for a players confidence.

Seattle Mariners Offseason Report

By Matt Jussim

The Seattle Mariners surprised the baseball world in 2007 when they won 88 games and stayed in the wild card chase until late August. Since then, nothing has gone right for the Mariners.

Attempts to overhaul the pitching staff failed miserably. Carlos Silva was signed as a free agent to a four year $46 million dollar contract only to produce a 4-15 record and a 6.46 ERA. Erik Bedard, the 2006 AL strikeout leader was traded for, but the only thing he led the team in was scratched starts.

Their offense was one of the worst in the majors finishing close to last in every category. They also became the first team in history to lose 100 games with a payroll of more than $100 million.

All this thrown in with the fact that the team fired their GM and manager within ten days of each other midway through the season.

It would be an understatement to say that the 2008 season was filled with turmoil for the Mariners. But there is one positive thing to playing this terrible. The team can’t be that bad again. Can they?

Newly hired GM Jack Zduriencik, who helped turn around the Milwaukee Brewers, has his work cut out for him going into the 2009 season. One of his first moves was to hire Don Wakamatsu, the former Oakland A’s bench coach, as manager.

The 45-year-old relative unknown spent five years as a bench coach and third-base coach in Texas, then one year as bench coach for the A’s. He has never managed above Double-A. He also is the first Asian-American manager in MLB history.

Only time will tell if it was the right move to hire a manager with no big league experience. But maybe that’s just what the Mariners need to help turn their once successful franchise around.

The newly minted Mariner administration claims that they are not in a “rebuilding” phase presently. Their GM was quoted as saying “We have not spoken about the term ‘rebuilding.’ That isn’t a word in our vocabulary.”

Well, he may say that to reporters, but look at what players are gone from the 2007 team that won 88 games: RF Jose Guillen, LF Raul Ibanez, 1B Richie Sexson, DH Jose Vidro, RP J.J. Putz, RP Sean Green, RP George Sherrill, SP Jeff Weaver, SP Horacio Ramirez OF Adam Jones, and OF Ben Broussard. That’s 12 regular players gone off the 25-man roster. And I didn’t even include other players such as C Jamie Burke, and INF Willie Bloomquist. With a new GM, manager, coaching staff, and half the roster changed from two seasons ago, I would say that the team is “rebuilding”.

The Mariners have many holes to fill if they wish to compete with the likes of the Angels in the AL West in 2009. By trading for Erik Bedard last year, in the rarely seen but always ridiculed five-for-one deal, the Mariners depleted their once rich farm system. In the past the Mariners have attempted to spend money to cure their woes (Ex: Carlos Silva, Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro), but new GM Zduriencik seems to be making smart baseball decisions, and trying to stockpile young talent.

The Mariners made a splash at the recent winter meetings by trading closer J.J. Putz to the Mets in a 12-player, three-team deal. The Mariners sent Putz, OF Jeremy Reed, and RP Sean Green to the Mets, and 2B Luis Valbuena to the Cleveland Indians.

In return they received OF Franklin Guitierrez from Cleveland, and OF Endy Chavez, P Aaron Heilman, prospects Mike Carp, Maikel Cleto, Ezequiel Carrera and left-handed pitcher Jason Vargas from the Mets.

All three teams benefited, but none more than the Mariners. In exchange for four warm bodies the Mariners received a valuable group of young players.

Franklin Guitierrez has a ton of potential, and he is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. He will have a spot in center at Safeco Field for years to come, which will also allow Ichiro to move back to right field. Guitierrez doesn’t walk much, but he has some power, and he cut back a great deal on his strikeouts in 2008.

Aaron Heilman never got comfortable in New York, and he will benefit from a change of scenery, possibly becoming the Mariners next closer. Chavez will be a decent fourth outfielder, while Carp, Cleto, Carrera, and Vargas all have potential, but it will take time to see if any bloom into everyday players.

The trade was a smart move for the Mariners due to the fact that J.J. Putz has somewhat regressed since his phenomenal 2007, when he finished with a 1.38 ERA and 40 saves.

The team decided not to re-sign OF Raul Ibanez, who signed a three-year deal with Philadelphia. I would have liked to see the Mariners make a better effort to sign one of their most consistent players, but if the youth movement is hitting Seattle, there isn’t much room for a 36 year-old defensive liability.

The team recently signed 1B/3B/OF Russell Branyan, and would be wise to focus on another veteran bat such as Pat Burrell, Ken Griffey Jr., or Adam Dunn. For a team that had one of the worst offenses in the league last year, they need to find a way to improve their run production.

It’s still too early to tell if Brandon Morrow will remain a starter, or become the Mariner’s next closer. He is one of their best young pitchers, who in his season debut as a starting pitcher last year almost no hit the Yankees.

Felix Hernandez is still only 22 years old, but the Mariners will need him to grow us even faster than he has, and prove that he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Erik Bedard will also have to rebound from a disappointing season for the team to be successful.

Both Adrian Beltre and Ichiro Suzuki’s names will be mentioned in trades as soon as the season begins. Beltre is in the final year of his contract, while Ichiro is getting older and older while the Mariners try to find their identity. I am a big fan of both Beltre and Ichiro, but it might be in the best interest of the Mariners to get some players for the future. I don’t think the Mariners will end up trading Ichiro, but it’s an almost guarantee that Beltre will be moved by the trading deadline.

With all the personnel and roster changes the Mariners have made, there is a great chance that they will improve from last season. I don’t see them finishing in the AL West cellar, but the Angels are the class of the division, while Oakland and Texas will both be competitive this year.

For all we know, the team Zduriencik put together could surprise us, and play some competitive baseball this season. One thing we know for sure though, this team will be better than the 2008 Mariners.

Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby??

By Matt Jussim

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Baz Luhrmann has officially acquired the rights to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel, “The Great Gatsby”.

Being that “The Great Gatsby” is my favorite novel, I was almost happy that it hadn’t received the Hollywood treatment in recent years. But now that the moment seems to be arriving, I couldn’t be more disheartened by hearing Luhrmann’s name attached to the project.
The book has been adapted into a film three times, the most recent being in 1974 by director Jack Clayton, writer Francis Ford Coppola, and starring Bruce Dern, Mia Farrow and Sam Waterston.

The story, which is set in pre-Depression era New York, deals with a Midwestern man who becomes involved in the romantic life of his mysterious, and noticeably rich neighbor.
Luhrmann said, “"If you wanted to show a mirror to people that says, 'You've been drunk on money,' they're not going to want to see it. But if you reflected that mirror on another time they'd be willing to. People will need an explanation of where we are and where we've been, and 'The Great Gatsby' can provide that explanation.”

I’m not saying that there isn’t a chance Luhrmann will make a decent movie; I’ll admit parts of Romeo and Juliet are excellent; but I believe that chance is very small.

His most recent movie “Australia” has only earned only $35 million dollars since Thanksgiving, and the reviews were nothing to write home about.

"If you wanted to show a mirror to people that says, 'You've been drunk on money,' they're not going to want to see it. But if you reflected that mirror on another time they'd be willing to," said Luhrmann.

The director said he would move quickly on the “Gatsby” project. “I’m gong to move faster than I have before. I’d be surprised if it’s another seven years.”

Seven years was the time Baz took between “Moulin Rouge” and “Australia”. The director might be well inclined to take another seven-year break and find someone else to direct the project. I just cannot see myself ever being excited about “Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby”. I love the novel to death, and I would be ecstatic to see a film that captures the aura of it, but I do not see Baz Luhrmann actually doing that. His style is all wrong for Gatsby. And I have nothing but love for Australians (believe me), but I just feel the project would be better served with an American director. Or at least a different one from Baz.

The Great Gatsby is the quintessential American story. If Luhrmann keeps the Long Island setting of the book, it would be Luhrmann’s first film to take place in an actual realistic United States. I mean, Romeo and Juliet looks like it was set in Miami, but it seemed to be like Miami on acid. One of the major aspects of the novel is that it captures the essence of that era of American history.

Fitzgerald perfectly crafted his story to explore themes like amorality, and materialism. There was no mention on how faithful the adaptation will be, or about the tone of the film, but with Luhrmann comparing “Gatsby” to our current economic situation, there’s a chance he could make a faithful adaptation. There clearly are some parallels between the story and the current state of affairs, but Luhrmann will have to stick to the story to portray those ideas.

I hope that I am wrong, and that somehow Luhrmann will give all Gatsby fans the movie they have always wanted. Only time will tell my friends…

Can the Giants Survive December?

By Matt Jussim

One thing that we now know about the New York Giant’s deflating loss against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night is that a record number of people watched it. The Cowboys burned the Super Bowl champion Giants 20-8 on Sunday night to keep themselves alive in the NFC playoff race. The game drew 23.1 million viewers, the most ever for a “Sunday Night Football” game.

After a week full of turmoil and drama due to Terrell Owens relationship with Tony Romo, it was only fitting that Romo’s first pass of the game was thrown to his best friend and roommate Jason Witten.

T.O. was booed during pregame introductions and when he dropped a long pass on Dallas’ first series. But once the Cowboys went up 14-3 midway through the fourth quarter, Romo, Owens and Witten were laughing it up on the sidelines. Owens later added, “Winning cures everything.”

Romo was 20-30 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Romo was sacked four times throughout the night, including on back-to-back plays at the end of the first quarter that left him in noticeable pain, but he didn’t miss a snap throughout the game.

The Giants could not score at all, and could not protect Eli Manning from the Dallas pass rush. DeMarcus Ware sacked Manning on New York’s first snap, and finished the night with three of the Cowboys season high eight sacks.

Manning was just 18-34 for 191 yards and two interceptions in the loss. Manning said, “I’m disappointed, a little frustrated, but not concerned. We have to get back to playing good football. We’ll have our hands full. The defense is playing well, but offensively we’re not doing our part.”

The Giants locked up the NFC East title already, but have lost consecutive games for the first time since starting 0-2 last season. Both losses coincidentally have come after star receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself and was lost for the rest of the year.

Luckily for the Giants, they have a chance to redeem themselves by winning their next game, at home Sunday night against the Carolina Panthers, in a game that will determine the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

The game should be considered a must win for the Giants; if they falter and lose, they could conceivably kiss their Super Bowl chances goodbye. No team has ever made it to the Super Bowl after losing three games in row in December.

Since Burress’ injury the Giants offense has been anemic. Since defenses no longer have to double team Plaxico, coverage has been tighter on receivers like Domenik Hixon and Amani Toomer. On top of that, teams have been able to stack eight players in the box to deflate the Giant’s powerful running game, which have been without Brandon Jacobs the past two games.

The defense played fairly well, notching four sacks and only allowing three third down conversions. Unfortunately, for the Giants squad two of those three third down conversions came on the Cowboy’s touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

The question for the Giants is can they survive without Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress?

The team should remember they have already won without Burress in the lineup. Only a few weeks ago, the Giants handily beat the Arizona Cardinals 37-29, with Burress replacement Domenik Hixon leading the team in receiving yards. The absence of Jacobs could hurt the Giants as well, but in that same game against the Cardinals, it was Ahmad Bradshaw who led the team in rushing, not Brandon Jacobs.

Tom Coughlin is sure to keep the Giants focused on their next game, and not offer any excuses for the team’s recent poor play. Hopefully the Giants can end their losing streak, and lock up home field advantage throughout the playoffs this Sunday night.