Top Seven Heartbreaking Sports Defeats for Me

Ah, Sports.  You experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.  In this, I am going to go over my top six heartbreaking sports moments and the top ten happiest sports moments.  Why seven?  Because only seven have been painful enough to be worthy of being on this list, thankfully.  Some of these left me angry, some left me sad, and some left me depressed.  Let's get to it!

7. Gonzaga gets upset by UCLA in the Sweet 16 - 2006
I remember this game.  I was so upset.  I wanted to cry like Adam Morrison.  Gonzaga should have won.  I had just become a fan of their basketball program.  The way the game ended was just the worst.  Turnovers, poor decisions, and poor defense led to Gonzaga's demise.  Fortunately, they got their revenge 15 years later.  But it was too late to heal the pain.  

6. Seahawks lose divisional round game to the Packers - 2020
Jimmy Graham was short.  I'll stick by that to this day.  Had he been marked short, the Packers would have faced a fourth down, likely resulting in a punt.  Or perhaps a fourth down stop.  The completion to Davante Adams moments before was another dagger to the Hawks chances.  Neither should have happened.  The Hawks were the better team, and I whole-heartedly believe they would have beaten the 49ers in the NFC Championship game the following week, or at least put up a better effort than the Packers did.  I will forever point to this game as the end of the Russell Wilson run, so to speak.  This was, I believe, the last playoff game Wilson played for us.  We didn't make the playoffs the following season, and after that season, Wilson was traded to Denver.

5. Mariners lose Game 3 of the ALDS to the Astros - 2022
The 18-inning marathon did not have the ghost runner rule, so that's why it went so long.  Of course, the Mariners had plenty of chances and had a superb start by George Kirby.  This was the first home playoff game for the Mariners since 2001, and their most recent playoff game as of the time of this post.  The Mariners were already down two games to zero, and would have to have won the next two games to have won the series, which is why it's only #5.  But the Mariners had their chances, and we knew Jeremy Pena's home run in the Top of the 18th was the nail in our coffin.  So to this day, the Mariners still have not scored a run in a home playoff game since 2001.  

4. Mariners lose in the ALCS to the Yankees - 2001
I was only 12 years old, so this moment isn't too vivid.  But the Mariners were supposed to finally get to the World Series.  They won 116 games.  Not getting to the World Series after that kind of regular season is one of the biggest disappointments in MLB history.  And the Mariners have not returned to the ALCS since this series, and it took 21 years just to get back to the playoffs.  I couldn't single out just one game, because none of them stick out to me individually.  Just knowing we should've gone on to the World Series is pain enough.  I think the team was worn out, and I also think they put too much effort into the regular season and matching the Cubs record of 116 wins.

3. Mariners lose Game 1 of the ALDS to the Astros - 2022
Yep, two from this series are on the list.  It stung.  We had the lead going into the bottom of the 9th.  We were on a roll and about to win our third playoff game in a row.  No one was expecting us to win this series, and we were three outs away from taking a 1-0 series lead on our division rivals.  Then, with runners aboard, Scott Servais brings in Robbie Ray to face Yordan Alvarez, who hits a walk-off home run to win it.  Just brutal for all Mariners fans.  Servais will likely be long remembered for this decision.  Like Carroll's decision to run the ball (see below), it was the turning point of the organization.  And not in a good way.  Who knows how the series would have gone if someone like Swanson was brought in instead, and we managed to hold onto the lead in game one.  That 2022 Mariners team was a team of destiny, until they weren't.

2. Seahawks lose Super Bowl XLIX - 2015
You might be surprised that this is not #1.  To me, it helps that the Hawks won the Super Bowl the previous year.  It sucks not being able to repeat, no doubt.  But the thing that bothers me most is that Jermaine Kearse's insane catch which put the Seahawks inside the 10-yard line doesn't have as much impact as it could have.  Kearse's catch, if it or a subsequent play resulted in a game-winning touchdown, would have made that catch one of the greatest of all time.  Greater than David Tyree's helmet catch.  I so wish Kearse could have reacted quicker and gotten in the end zone.  Or, that the Hawks had just given it to Marshawn at the one-yard line, or that Marshawn's final run would've gotten into the end zone.  Also, who knows how the Seahawks do in subsequent years if they win this game.  Maybe they win three in a row or three in four years.  We'll never know.

1. Seahawks lose Super Bowl XL - 2006
I still have not been more upset after a loss than the Seahawks losing Super Bowl XL.  I still hold much disdain for the Steelers, even though it was the referees who largely should be blamed.  I hate that our first Super Bowl was the most poorly officiated one.  I hate that the Super Bowl was played within driving distance of Pittsburgh and the crowd was almost all Steelers fans.  And the #1 seeded Hawks were playing a #6 seeded wild-card Steelers team which was not that good--they relied upon a lot of luck to win their playoff games.  They also had second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger, who had one of the worst statistical games by a starting quarterback in a Super Bowl.  Yet, the Steelers still won.  I remember breaking all of my Steelers toy helmets after the game (those little toy helmets you'd get from the quarter machines) because I was so upset.

Well, let's hope I don't have to add to this list anytime soon.  But sports, like the rest of life, have both good and bad moments.  You go through the bad so you can appreciate the good so much more.  So that leads me to want to do a reverse of this--best sports victories or moments compilation.  So look out for that soon!

My Top 10 Xbox 360 Games of All Time

 I've already done my Top 10 Original Xbox and Top 10 N64 games of all time, now I thought I'd do my Top 10 Xbox 360 games of all time.  Again, if a few games were part of a series, I'm counting them as one entry, so this one was a bit tougher due to having fewer options.

(Dis?) Honorable Mention: Lost: Via Domus 
It's received mostly negative reviews, but I had to mention it.  This game does give you the same mysterious island feel that the show does, at least to me.  I love exploring the hatch and other various places from the show.  But there are plenty of downsides to this game.  Some of the voice acting is terrible.  Generally, if the actor from the show wasn't used, it was glaringly obvious it was someone different.  Also, avoiding the smoke monster was annoying and difficult.  And there wasn't much payoff at the end. 

Honorable mention: Dead Rising
I was never able to beat this game due to its difficulty.  But I did enjoy the zombie aspect to it.  It just got so frustratingly difficult to keep track of people who were with me at the time and not have them die.  I don't remember how far I got on my furthest playthrough.  Maybe halfway?  I enjoyed watching others play this more than playing it myself.

10. L.A. Noire
I somehow have only played this game through once.  It's such a great game.  It is made by Rockstar, after all.  It's got a great story, and I love the 1940s elements they incorporated into it.  I definitely want to give this another playthough someday.

9. Crackdown (1+2)
The reason I got Crackdown was that I did a playtest of some games for Microsoft, and the way they paid you then was a free game of your choice from their library.  One of the games I chose was Crackdown, and I got into it.  I got the sequel, Crackdown 2, the same way.  I haven't played them much since my first playthroughs, which is why it's low on this list, but perhaps someday.  I loved the way your character upgraded and you could see them getting bigger and faster.  I also loved collecting orbs around the city.

8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince
It's funny, these games had the best graphics, but they didn't have the charm of the first few HP games.  The explorable castle and its surroundings were absolutely awesome, but both games just lack what made the first few so special to us.  I have beaten each multiple times, while also completing most side-quests and collectibles.  Whenever I reread the series, I usually do a playthrough of the games, including these.  They'll always hold a special place with me.

7. Read Dead Redemption (+ Undead Nightmare)
God, Red Dead is such a great game.  Hard to beat a Western with a GTA engine.  The story is top-notch and one of my favorites of all time, and there is just so much to do in game, from hunting to playing poker to just exploring.  I also have played the Undead Nightmare, beating it, but that's about it.  I definitely want to come back to the original someday, and maybe once I do, I'll give RDR 2 another shot, since I still have yet to play that fully through.

6. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (+ II)
Being a huge fan of Star Wars video games, of course, I own and played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.  I love controlling the Force with Starkiller with such ease, tossing around Stormtroopers like rag dolls.  It's got a great story to go along with it, as well, although I don't think it's canon (anymore).  I personally prefer Star Wars: Jedi nowadays, but TFU will always hold fond memories for me.

5. Madden NFL series (07-10, 12, 25, 17)
This one is a bit odd since I skipped a few, but I did get into Madden after they were the only makers of NFL video games.  I had no choice (but I wish I did).  This generally is considered the tail end of Madden's peak.  I invested a lot of hours into these games, and for most (if not all) of these games I did a franchise that went at least a few years into the future (usually as the Seahawks).  I will always hold ESPN NFL 2K5 in higher regard than any of these, but some of the earlier ones had some great soundtracks.  I think Madden NFL 07 would be my top favorite, because not only did it have the best soundtrack, but it featured a Seahawk on the cover for the first time in Shaun Alexander.

4. College Hoops 2K6
Yep, a college basketball game this high.  I love this game.  First off, Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery are superb as announcers.  They really give the game its college basketball feel.  I played through over a decade of Gonzaga basketball, until one day I, unfortunately, overrode the save with something else and I lost that team forever.  That was not a good day.  I have played it sparingly since then, and it's not hard to get back into.  

3. Gears of War (1-3)
To me, there's no grittier shooter game than Gears of War.  I love how brutal and gory this game is.  The story is very good as well; easy to get into.  I have to play through the three games I own every few years.  Some moments in this series are etched into my memory forever: The final boss in Gears 1, the first time seeing a berserker, doing Cole Train's backstory, using the Hammer of Dawn for the first time, and Dom's death in 3.  So many great moments.

2. Grand Theft Auto 4 and 5
What is not to like?  These are like GTA Vice City and San Andreas but with better graphics, story, and immersion.  I put a ton of hours into these games, mostly just goofing around, but also playing the story missions.  I definitely prefer 5, as you can pick one of three playable characters to play as.  I even got my girlfriend into it a bit, but she only ever goofs off when she plays.

1. Halo 3, ODST, Reach (And 4, kind of)
The first two Halo's were high on my OG Xbox list, so these had to be high as well.  If I had to rank these from favorite to least favorite, it would be 3, Reach, ODST, and 4.  Reach was surprisingly good and had a great story.  But the top dawg is 3.  I invested so many hours into it in its heyday, especially online playing and ranking up.  I played this with my friends as well, one of the few games we got into together.  It was a lot of fun, and I look back on those times fondly.  I wish I could go back to those times.

Top 10 Personal Favorite/Underrated Survivor Winners

 Not long ago, YouTuber Peridiam did a Top 10 Survivor winners list, and I wanted to do the same.  Just like him, these are not who I consider the 10 greatest winners or winning games, but 10 personal favorites.  These are 10 winning games that I really enjoy watching, and I think that most of them are underrated.  This will include the new era and I'll do my best to explain why each person is on this list.  Keep in mind, there are winners like Kim, Yul, Earl, JT, and Boston Rob, who are generally considered some of the greatest winners of all time, so they are not here.  Here's my Top 10 Personal Favorite Winners:

10. Chris Daugherty, Vanuatu
I would love to play a game similar to Chris if I were to ever go on Survivor.  Although, would his game work in the modern era?  Hard to say.  I love Chris's game, and the fact that Jeff has hated on it so much makes me like it even more.  He was the last man standing at Final 7, and weaseled his way to to the title of Sole Survivor.  

9. Natalie White, Samoa
One potential strategy for a winning game is to latch onto a dominant strategic force that isn't playing a great social game.  This is the perfect example of that.  Natalie smartly did not play too aggressive at first, because otherwise, she'd be a pre-merge boot.  Then, she warmed up to the former Galu tribe members after the merge, earning their respect.  Unfortunately, her game is vastly overshadowed by Russell's massive edit, still the largest ever for one player in one season. 

8. Erika Casupanan, 41
Not a fan of this season, although I'll need to rewatch it someday.  Erika's game was a lot like Gabler's two seasons later, but she had a much better pre-merge and she didn't have to rely upon the threats turning on each other--she took care of it herself.  She also convinced Xander to take her to the end.  She kept her threat level low and struck when the time was right, and sat at the end against two guys that weren't as likable as her.  That's all it takes.

7. Mike Holloway, Worlds Apart
I love Mike's game.  He made one fatal flaw, but he did what he had to do to overcome it.  He was still a good social player, just made one huge social mistake, trying to go back on paying for the letter from home at the auction so he could get the advantage.  But from that point on, he did what he needed to survive.  That's the name of the game.  I don't fault a player for immunity streaks, because there's still no guarantee they get voted out if they lose immunity.  Crazy things can happen. 

6. Dee Valladares, 45
Yes, the most recent winner (as of the time of writing this) is on this list.  Dee played such a great game, and I think it's going to be viewed even more positively over time.  She insulated herself with two #1's, both of whom were aware she had a second #1, and neither of whom was willing to vote her out.  She controlled many votes, getting out who she wanted, such as Kendra and Kaleb.  Her winning move of telling Julie about her being the target is one of the most underrated moves, maybe ever.  Dee's a top 5 female winner of all time.  

5. Amber Brkich, All Stars
It sucks for Amber how people view All Stars as "Rob and Amber's season" rather than just her season.  Similar to Natalie White, she latched onto a strategic mastermind (although in a different way) and banked on playing a good enough social game to beat him at the end.  My one fault in her game is Rob basically saving her after the swap with his empty promise to Lex, but I also look at that as rotten luck in her getting swap-screwed, but playing a good enough social game to have someone vouch for her.  Amber was still looked a bit down upon for being Rob's right hand, but she managed to get less blood on her hands, which was enough.

4. Sophie Clarke, South Pacific
Yet another instance of a female latching on to a male who doesn't play the best social game--this time being Coach.  Sophie did what she needed to survive, whether it was appeasing Coach and the cult-like alliance, or that final clutch immunity win.  I need to rewatch this season to get the specifics, but Sophie is an incredibly intelligent player who employed the Natalie/Amber strategy and won, just like them.

3. Todd Herzog, China
Just like Peridiam, I have to give some respect to Todd.  A lot of Survivor fans do regard Todd's game highly, but I believe they don't regard it highly enough.  He expertly navigated the game, at times employing two meat shields in Jean-Robert and James.  He got two girls under his wing in Amanda and Courtney, neither of whom were willing to turn on him.  And then he ends up having one of the best final tribal council performances of all time.  He didn't win individual challenges or use idols, but Todd's social and strategic game makes his game one of the best ever.

2. Aras Baskauskas, Panama Exile Island
My guy, Aras!  I just love this season, and Aras plays a very underrated game.  His tribe easily could've lost numbers or collapsed post-merge, but Aras helped keep them together (along with Cirie and Danielle).  He went toe to toe with Terry and built a solid bond with Cirie that I think was the best thing he did in the game.  And with the fire-making at 4, he had no blood on his hands regarding Cirie's boot.  I just wish Aras had flashier moves, but if he had, others would regard him higher and he might not even be on this list for me.

1. Tina Wesson, Australian Outback
I remember when I first watched AO, I so wanted Colby to win.  But after watching it as a more intelligent adult, I realized how great Tina's game was.  So many moms and older women have tried to replicate her game and have failed.  She was someone who no one wanted to vote out, not even Colby at Final 3 when it was the obvious move.  It's unfortunate her pre-merge game was largely absent from the televised broadcast, but I still believe she played one of, if not the best social games of all time.  She got Colby to take her to the end and then at Final Tribal, not even fight hard to beat her.  You can tell by his reaction to Tina winning that he wanted her to win.  

My Top 10 Nintendo 64 Games

This is my second post in a series where I rank my top 10 games from each console I've owned.  If you haven't seen it, go check out my Top 10 Original Xbox Games of all time.  Anyway, this one will be about my top 10 Nintendo 64 games of all time.  I've only ever owned about 25 or so, but this will focus on the 10 I played most.  If you played Nintendo 64 games like me growing up, you should recognize most or all on this list.  As before, if any had a sequel, they will be combined into one entry.

Honorable Mention: Pokemon Snap
As a huge fan of the first two generations of Pokemon, I had to get and play Pokemon Snap as a kid.  I loved trying to best my previous shots that I had submitted to Professor Oak.  I also loved how the game slowly expanded, adding maps and items to interact with the Pokemon.  Unfortunately, this game is limited, as it sets you on the same linear track for each map.  It would've been cool if they at least had multiple tracks to choose from (each one with Pokemon you couldn't get on other paths).  I was also hoping for a sequel to be released when Generation 2 games came out, but alas, it wasn't to be.  

10. Super Smash Bros.
I was never that great of a Smash Bros. player, as my friends could attest to, but I still enjoyed it.  My favorite to play as, unsurprisingly, was Kirby, as he was easiest to succeed with for noobs like me.  What I really liked though were the "Break the Targets" and "Board the Platforms" challenges they had for each character.  I liked how each character's challenges were uniquely different and suited them.  I completed most of them, but I think there's a couple I could never manage.

9. NBA Hangtime
This arcade style basketball game was pretty fun.  If I could change one thing, it would be to not have a time limit on the team/player selection screen.  But they had to make it as much like an arcade game as they could, I suppose.  I did once beat every team in the game with a created player.  I also wish the game had famous players like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Charles Barkley, who were in the NBA at the time, but I think they weren't part of the players union or something.  

8. Pokemon Stadium (+ Pokemon Stadium 2)
Like I said, I was a big fan of Pokemon during the first two generations, so I had to get Pokemon Stadium.  I remember going opening day and spending my birthday money on it.  I distinctly remember it was close to $100, due to it containing the Gameboy cartridge adapter pack.  But I just absolutely loved how you could now play your Pokemon games on a bigger screen.  A screen, also, that didn't require additional lighting.  I spent countless hours doing that.  I also thoroughly enjoyed playing through the gym leaders they had in this game and of course, the minigames, which are still fun to this day. 

7. Star Fox 64
I remember playing this as a kid, but not having a ton of success with it in the single-player missions.  I always get stuck on the same planet.  Eventually, I played it through as a young adult, and I beat the game.  It was the easy path, but hey, I did it.  Maybe someday I'll do a harder path.  Anyway, as a kid, I remember playing multiplayer with my sister/friends and shooting each other down.  That was fun.

6. Wave Race 64
Another great multiplayer game was Wave Race.  I enjoyed the single-player races as well, and the stunt missions were fun, too.  I think I raced best with the girl in the game.  I thought she had the best handling.  But this game did get a bit monotonous at times, as it was basically just riding a jet ski to the correct side of a buoy.  But hey, it's still fun, and that announcer guy really earned his paycheck.

5. Goldeneye 007
Who didn't play the multiplayer version of this as kids?  I remember it fondly.  I also played the campaign many times, although I could never beat it, and I still haven't beaten it.  I have tried picking it up in recent years, only to realize how bad the controls are compared to FPS today, but perhaps someday.  

4. Mario Party (+ Mario Party 2)
I would argue the first two Mario Party's were the best multiplayer games on the Nintendo 64.  I remember putting countless hours into the first, both by myself and with others.  I also remember getting burns/blisters on the palm of my hand from the control stick spinning minigames.  I then (not very smartly) used a pair of batting gloves I owned, but I only ended up ruining those.  As for the second one, I never owned it, but I rented it several times from Blockbuster.  I probably should have just bought it (or asked for it for Christmas).  

3. Mario Kart 64
My girlfriend and I will still to this day whip this game out and do a grand prix together.  It holds up well.  I never had a favorite racer or favorite map, but I still enjoyed it.  I also loved the multiplayer battles they had as well.  I don't think there's been a 2 or 3-year period in my life that I haven't played this game since getting it.  I just have to play it every few years.  

2. Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr.
This may be my favorite baseball video game of all time.  It's close.  It's got an arcade style, which you have to accept.  But I loved playing as the Mariners, mainly because they had such great players at the time in Jr., Edgar, Buhner, Randy Johnson, and A-Rod.  It's a bit too easy for me now, as I can just run up the score on the computer, even with a team full of bad players.  I just love the controls, which in my opinion, hold up well today.  

1. Super Mario 64
How could I not make this #1?  Granted, there is no multiplayer element, but there is no game I have put more single-player hours into in my life.  As a kid, this game did eventually fall to the wayside as I played others (like the ones on this list).  But I still pick it up every few years.  It wasn't until my late teens/early 20s that I finally got 120 stars.  Now, it's no problem to get.  I still see others streaming this game, showing me new ways to get stars, or showing me new glitches, so I have to try them out myself.  A few glitches I have gotten to work are glitching Mips through a door and doing the BLJ (backwards long jump) up a flight of stairs to get into an area I'm not supposed to have access to yet.  Anyway, this is just a game I could see myself playing every decade for the rest of my life; it's just that perfect.

My Top 10 Original Xbox Games

 I want to do a series where I rank the Top 10 games on each console I own or have played, mainly the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo 64, and maybe a PC or Xbox One.  I have played video games since I was a little lad, and I have developed some favorites over the years.  

First up, is the original Xbox.  I have put so many hours into my Xbox.  I still have the same one my family got in 2001, although I did replace the disc drive a few years ago since it got to a point where it wouldn't open on its own anymore.  Anyway, I'm going to rank my Top 10 Original Xbox games.  These are my opinion, and are mostly based on how much I enjoyed playing each game and how many hours I put into each.  Also, if there are multiple games from the same franchise, I will consider that as a single entry.  Here are my Top 10!

Honorable Mention: The Lord of the Rings (The Two Towers and Return of the King)
I had to technically include an 11th with The Lord of the Rings here.  I've never been the biggest fan of button mashers, which made this a bit difficult for me as a kid.  But eventually, I did get the hang of it enough to put in plenty of hours.  I loved playing battles from the films, most notably Helm's Deep.  They even had a few battles not seen in the films.  And I enjoyed the special features from the films they added for completing certain levels.  I would definitely consider going back to this someday.

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Harry Potter franchise had a total of four games from the films (plus Quidditch World Cup) come out on the original Xbox, but the only one I really played on the Xbox was Chamber of Secrets.  It's still to this day one of my favorite Harry Potter video games.  I've beaten it several times.  The high amount of loading screens sucks, and dueling in the game is somewhat broken, but it's still enjoyable.  I especially love the open-world aspect and flying around Hogwarts and exchanging beans for items at Fred and George's shop.

9. Grand Theft Auto Series (III, Vice City, and San Andreas)
I have still not played GTA III much, but I put in plenty of hours into Vice City and San Andreas soon after I got them.  I remember when the games first came out on Playstation and hearing about how violent and bad for kids they were.  It just made me want to play it that much more.  When III and Vice City finally came to Xbox, I had to get my hands on them.  I have not played them much in the years since, because the newer GTA's have made these look old and obsolete, but perhaps someday. 

8. Star Wars: Obi-Wan
As a huge Star Wars fan, I've played my fair share of Star Wars video games, including Star Wars: Obi-Wan.  This was one of the first games my family got for the Xbox.  I remember struggling in the game at first, but once I got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing.  I've only beaten the game two times (or so), but I thoroughly enjoyed it each time.  I thought the combat elements and gameplay were better than what critics said.  

7. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (And Ghost Recon Island Thunder)
Ghost Recon became my favorite military-style FPS growing up.  I would play this over Call of Duty or anything else.  I loved having two teams and telling the other what to do.  I loved being the sniper and picking guys off from a distance.  The "expansion" Island Thunder was just as good, albeit a bit shorter.  I distinctly remember saving myself into a corner a few times.  That's when you save your game a split second before you die.  There was nothing I could do about it.  And that resulted in me having to restart the level.  Anyway, I definitely want to give Ghost Recon another playthrough someday.  Also, I never played the sequel Ghost Recon 2.  I saw my dad play it and realized it was too different from the original.

6. MLB 2K5
This might be my favorite baseball video game of all time.  I love the ESPN presentation and having Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as announcers.  The gameplay is solid and just about difficult enough.  I especially love constructing teams (trading players, signing and releasing players).  Sometimes I would construct a team and sim them for years to see if I could ever win a championship.  

5. Star Wars: Battlefront (and Battlefront II)
The original Battlefront games are maybe one of my favorite third-person shooters ever.  I love playing in basically every battle from the films and as either side AND as any unit on that side.  It still holds up well to this day.  I did play the remake, but it doesn't compare well to the simplicity of the original.  I loved playing as a Jedi or Sith in the second one, especially the "All Jedi/Sith" mode set on Mos Eisley.  

4. NBA Inside Drive 2003
This is, without a doubt, my favorite basketball video game of all time.  I have played through dozens of entire seasons where I created a team of players from scratch.  The player progression system in this game is one of my favorites of all time, where players earn points for doing well in games, and you can spend those points on certain attributes to make them better.  The created players all kind of look robotic, but there are plenty of customization options.  Plus, the gameplay is superb and I can't knock it.  

3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (and KOTOR II: The Sith Lords)
I have beaten the first game close to a dozen times, each of which takes me 20-24 hours to do.  So, do the math.  I've beaten the sequel close to half as many times.  It's just one of those games with immense replay value, because of all the different choices you can make.  Of course, the customization options make you want to play as someone completely different each time.  And the story... don't even get me started!  How has no one adapted this into a film or series yet?  The sequel's gameplay might even be a step up, although I think the story lacks.  I just put so many hours into these games, and they might still to this day be my favorite Star Wars video games of all time.

2. Halo: Combat Evolved (And Halo 2)
I'd wager this would be on and likely near the top of most people's favorite original Xbox games.  How could it not be?  When you think of OG Xbox, you think of Halo.  I don't know if I've put the absolute most hours into the first two games (I put in a ton to the third, though), but I have to say my enjoyment each time I play through the campaign hardly ever wavers.  There was simply nothing like playing through the campaign of either of these games in the early 2000s.  

1. ESPN NFL 2K5
My favorite sports video game ever.  It's just perfect.  The ESPN presentation, the gameplay, the roster-building, and the customization options, are all that make ESPN NFL 2K5 my favorite Xbox game ever.  The announcers they used could maybe be better, but they are still super solid.  There's a reason people keep modding this game and adding the current day's rosters to it.  Because it's that good!  And it was $20 at release!  Imagine what 2K sports could have accomplished if they were allowed to compete with EA/Madden to make NFL video games.  Imagine what we could have now, instead of the garbage EA churns out every year.  Such a shame.  Anyway, I still replay this game almost every year during football season because it's simply that much fun.  I love it.

Well, those were my top 10 original Xbox games of all time.  I may soon do a Top 10 for 360 and/or Nintendo 64.  

Re-ranking My Top 10 NFL Commentators and Analysts (And my least favorite!)

Six years ago I ranked my Top 10 NFL broadcasters.  I thought it would be time to re-rank them since some have moved to other networks and my opinions have changed.  First, I will pick my Top 5 for each commentator/play-by-play and analysts/color commentary.  I don't think comparing the two is fair, so I'll rank them separately. 

First, let's do analysts:

5. Trent Green, CBS
He's ok.  He's only on this list because I dislike hearing the commentary of every other commentator out there (besides the 4 ahead of him).  He's knowledgeable, and his voice is fairly pleasant.

4. Mark Schlereth, FOX
For an offensive lineman, Schlereth knows his stuff.  He's also got a great voice for television.  

3. Daryl Johnston, FOX
Daryl is an old-timer as I remember when I first got into watching NFL football, he was doing color commentary way back then.  He's also got a great voice for television and knows his stuff.

2. Tony Romo, CBS
Tony is liked for his ability to predict things, his reaction to plays, and the noises he makes.  But I like him for his knowledge when he points out things we normally wouldn't notice.  

1. Cris Collinsworth, NBC
You either love him or hate him, and I gotta say, I love him.  His voice was made for football.  I will admit he can become a bit annoying, but so can any color commentator.


And now, play-by-play guys:

5. Kevin Burkhardt, FOX
Kevin has great inflection in his voice when calling exciting plays, so it makes for great TV.  He's now the lead NFL guy for FOX after Buck's departure, and I'm all for it.

4. Ian Eagle, CBS
For some reason, we in Seattle get many of Ian's games.  Anyway, he blends a smooth voice with a great knowledge of the game and its players.  It's a great combination.

3. Mike Tirico, NBC
The reason I'm glad Al Michaels left NBC for Amazon is so we could hear Mike Tirico more.  He's got such a great voice and made some great calls.  "Hauled in by Jennings, the Packers win in overtime!  Unbelievable!"  And who could forget the Fail Mary? "Fought for by Tate with Jennings, who has it, who they give it to?  TOUCHDOWN!!!"  And, "... in one of the most bizarre finishes you'll EVER see!"  Look forward to hearing him make more of those.

2. Kevin Harlan, CBS
He's still one of the best and the most underrated.  He's the ultimate play-by-play guy.  His voice was made for it.  I wish CBS would put him with Tony Romo because that pairing would be *chef's kiss*.  I challenge anyone to find a play-by-play guy with a better voice when calling huge/dramatic plays. 

1. Al Michaels, Amazon
The one thing making Amazon's Thursday Night Football tolerable is Al Michaels.  Kirk Herbstreit isn't bad, but Al Michaels carries it.  Al is such a comforting presence and voice; he's like if everyone's grandpa decided to call games.  All your anxieties and stresses fade away when listening to Al call a game.  And I love it when Al makes snide remarks, like the Harvey Weinstein one or when the fans were chanting "bullshit," and he said, "That's the loudest manure chant I've ever heard."  Classic Al.

Ok, now that that's done, I thought I'd rank my least favorite analysts and commentators (from ok to least favorite).  If they're a part of the game, these guys will make me watch a different game (or not watch at all).  These will be a mix of color commentary and play-by-play guys.

Dishonorable Mention: Beth Mowins, CBS
Her voice is just so unpleasant (and it has nothing to do with her being a woman).  I recently told my girlfriend that it's like hearing Phil and Lil's mom from Rugrats calling a game.  Literally, any female sideline reporter that CBS employs would be better.  And she's only a dishonorable mention because she doesn't call NFL games that often (thank God).

5. Jonathan Vilma, FOX
Rarely do linebackers make good color commentators.  Vilma is no exception.  He's annoying and provides very little insightful content.  His voice isn't awful, but it isn't the best.

4. Mark Sanchez, FOX
He just says the dumbest stuff.  He's as bad at color commentary as he was as a QB.  His voice is mediocre at best.  Sometimes I just wish he'd shut the heck up.

3. Greg Gumbel, CBS
It's such a shame.  Greg used to be one of my favorites.  He messes up players' names on a routine basis now.  He really should copy his former partner Dan Dierdorf and retire.  But back in the late 90s/early 2000s, he and Dan were one of the best.  But now the pairing of him and Adam Archuleta is just sad.  

2. Charles Davis, CBS
First off, I hate the sound of his voice.  CBS thinks it makes for great TV, but it's just annoying.  I wish I could mute the broadcast whenever he speaks.  Secondly, his voice only reminds me of how he is in the newer Madden video games and how trash those games are nowadays.  His commentary is rarely insightful, and he says obvious things fairly often.  Fortunately for him, he's paired with Ian Eagle.  That broadcast sure is lopsided.

1. Chris Myers, FOX
I despise FOX whenever they assign him to call a Seahawks game.  Just in the past month, he has covered 3 of the past 4 Seahawk games.  So why don't I like him?  His voice is way too guttural, and he says the corniest and stupidest things.  I wouldn't be surprised if his normal talking voice was distinctly different (like Brian Baumgartner from The Office).  He's a good sideline reporter, but in the booth, he is AWFUL.  He is the only one of these that makes me mute a broadcast and listen to the radio instead.  His worst call of all time has to be when Richard Sherman picked off a pass and was headed to the end zone, and Myers said, "He's got followers, and not just on Twitter!"  So terribly awful and corny.  I hate that my Seahawks are usually on the same network that employs Chris Myers.  He cannot retire soon enough.

Final remarks: There were a lot of well-known broadcasters that didn't make my list that I'd like to comment on.  Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are okay; I can tolerate them to an extent.  They'd be closer to the bottom than the top for me, though.  Another that might be near the bottom for me (and would probably surprise you) is Jim Nantz.  He has a great voice, but his commentary has gotten worse recently.  He's reacted slowly to plays and doesn't have a great voice for exciting plays (probably why he does golf).  He's a terrific narrator but doesn't handle exciting plays particularly well.  Anyone else I haven't mentioned is basically middle-of-the-road for me; I can take them or leave them.

Top Ten Food and Drink Combinations

I thought I'd do a different type of blog post and talk about food.  Who doesn't love eating food?  Who also doesn't love drinking some of their favorite drinks?  I'm going to rank the top 10 food and drink combinations.  Some food and drinks just go so well together, like peanut butter and jelly.  I'm not going to include food items more than once (with a different drink), but I will include a drink more than once.  Also, these are my preference, and they are ranked by how well they pair together.

10. Protein Bar and Energy Drink
This one isn't so much for the taste combination as it is the effects of the combination of the food and drink.  But they do typically taste well together.  If you're working hard through the day, there's not really a combination that'll pick you up better than this combination.  The protein bar will fuel your muscles and give you the carbs and calories needed, and the energy drink will give you the energy you need from the caffeine.  Generally, if you have this around early-midday, it'll last you until the end of the day.  I don't recommend having this every day, but if you're feeling completely devoid of energy, it should be all right to have this combination every once in a while.  I used to have it fairly often on my first break when I worked retail, and boy did it help.

9. Barbecue and Iced Tea
This one isn't higher mainly because the "Barbecue" moniker is vague and some barbecue items don't pair as well as others with iced tea, but it's still hard to go wrong with having iced tea and any barbecue item.  Whether it be ribs, hotdog/hamburger, or chicken, it's hard to go wrong with a good ice cold iced tea.  And of course, this combination works best (some would say only) in the summer.

8. Pasta (Spaghetti) and White Wine
This is one of my girlfriend's favorite combinations, and I'd have to agree.  There's just something about the sauce and meat paired with the sweet crispness of a glass of white wine.  You have to be careful, though, because you can't use the wine as a hydration source from eating pasta as you'll get tipsy very quickly.  I'd recommend adding some water (sparkling, possibly).

7. Sandwich & Chips and Soda
The all-American lunch, I call it.  You get a sandwich, preferably with your choice of deli meat and other fixings, some chips, and a soda of your choice.  It just reminds me of when I would have that for lunch as a kid (especially camping).  There's also a reason this is the most popular meal at Subway.  Nothing better washes down a sandwich and chips than soda.  

6. Breakfast Foods and Coffee or OJ
If you're having a combination of any of bacon, eggs, potatoes, toast, pancakes/waffles for breakfast, both coffee and orange juice pair extremely well with those food items.  It seems weird since the tastes of coffee and orange juice are so different, but both complement the saltiness and savoriness of the aforementioned foods very well.  

5. Steak and Red Wine
Now if you want to feel classy, have a steak dinner with a nice glass of red wine.  For maximum effect, however, you have to pair the right cut of steak with the right wine.  Most winemakers will have pairing suggestions, whether it be on their bottle or website.  Sometimes a good bottle of wine goes better with a nice pork loin or seafood, but whatever it is, if you pair it up correctly, you're definitely in for a great food/drink combination.

4. Tacos and Margaritas (Or lemonade)
If you're having a taco night with friends and they consume alcohol, you've gotta make margaritas.  They're both part of Mexican-American cuisine, and for good reason.  The citrus pairs well against the spices and savoriness of tacos.  For those who don't drink, I recommend lemonade, which pairs very well with Mexican food/tacos as well.

3. Baked Good(s) and (Iced) Coffee
These baked goods could be a muffin, croissant, danish, donut, cinnamon roll, you name it.  Any of those pair so well with a good cup of coffee, whether it be hot or iced, although I prefer iced.  There's a reason a lot of us choose to start off our day this way.  Although it may not be the healthiest, the caffeine from the coffee paired with the sugar rush from the baked good is enough to get most people going.  For the Europeans or people who don't like coffee, tea works almost as well.  

2. Pizza and Beer/Soda
I couldn't decide between beer or soda, so I decided on both.  For a casual night or even a chill party, you can't go wrong with pizza and soda.  And honestly, after a long day of work, not much beets a pizza and beer.  The pizza satisfies your comfort while the beer takes the edge off.

1. Cookies and Milk
The classic, how can you beat it?  The answer is, you can't.  Milk cuts away with the sweetness of the chocolate and sugar so well; it's just hard to explain.  Obviously, the best cookie to have with milk is either a chocolate chip or an Oreo (depending on your preference), but even sugar cookies work well, too.  I'd also recommend brownies and even graham crackers with milk.  

Ten Things that went wrong for the Hawks in 2021

 The 2021 season was not an ideal one for the Seattle Seahawks.  After 17 weeks and just one game left, they sit with a record of 6-10 and no shot at the playoffs.  This is the first losing season of Russell Wilson's career and only the second time the Hawks have missed the playoffs since he became the starting quarterback.  So, what went wrong?  I have compiled a list of ten things that went wrong and, for good measure, I gave them a rating of 1-5 on how worried we should be that this may affect the Hawks going into next year, with 1 being not at all worried and 5 being extremely worried.  

1. Russell Wilson's finger injury
Worry scale: 2
It's safe to say that if not for Russ's finger injury, the season would be a lot different.  Russ came back and his finger was clearly still trying to heal, as we saw in his first two or three games back, causing the offense to be downright anemic.  Before this season, Russ had not missed a single start, so there's not much concern here, although there will be more if he gets hurt again next season (provided he stays in Seattle, of course).

2. Having historically bad time of possession
Worry scale: 5
The Hawks had a nagging problem throughout 2021 that, for too long, they were unable to fix.  That is the time of possession battle.  You generally want to hold onto the ball on offense more than your opponent, and the Hawks were historically bad at doing this.  This stems from the combination of the offense not being able to put together long, sustained drives, and the defense being unable to get off the field when they needed to.  This led to the defense wearing out at the end of the game and, in some games, the offense still showing signs of rust going into the 4th quarter.  This is definitely concerning, as this issue concerns both sides of the ball and the fundamentals regarding them.

3. Adjusting to a first-year offensive coordinator
Worry scale: 2
Shane Waldron was hired in the offseason, and for a team that wants to win now, he may not have been the wisest hire.  He had never been an offensive coordinator before, and that certainly showed at times this season.  The last two OC hires, Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer, had previously been OC's before coming to Seattle.  Hopefully, Shane has learned a bit from this season and will improve as an OC going into 2022.

4. Injuries to too many notable players
Worry scale: 1
Injuries are a part of NFL football and always will be.  But sometimes you suffer an irregularly high amount of injuries, which hurts your season.  The Hawks not only lost Russ to injury for a few games, but stars and leaders Chris Carson and Jamal Adams suffered season-ending injuries, and the Hawks also had to deal with a number of players missing games due to COVID.  But this shouldn't be any cause for concern for the future as teams generally don't suffer through two consecutive injury-plagued seasons in a row.

5. Jason Myers' off year
Worry scale: 3
Myers made every field goal in 2020, so expectations were high for 2021.  However, he missed a few too many crucial field goals and several PAT's.  He was bound for at least a slightly down year, but his regression to the mean was far too severe.  Hopefully, he'll bounce back next season and look more like 2020 Myers, and hopefully, 2021 wasn't a sign of things to come for him.

6. Ken Norton Jr's schemes aren't working
Worry scale: 3
Sad to say, I think I would need more than two hands to count the number of times the Seahawks put a defensive tackle into coverage this season.  Ken Norton Jr, the Seahawks defensive coordinator, may take pride in the fact his team didn't give up a ton of points, but as of the time of this post, the Hawks had the 2nd worst pass defense in the NFL.  They consistently allow receivers to get open, afraid of possibly allowing the big plays.  As a defense, you need to tighten up and risk allowing big plays, because otherwise teams go up and down the field on you.  Ken Norton Jr. has not realized this, and we can only hope Pete Carroll will swallow his pride and decide to move on from KNJ.  The worry scale is at a 3 because he may or may not get fired, and I worry slightly that we won't move on from him.

7. No clutch factor this season
Worry scale: 2
The Hawks have been one of the luckier teams of the past 5-10 years, largely because their offense and defense were known for making big plays when the game was on the line.  That was not the case this season.  On multiple occasions, the offense was unable to come up with a game-winning drive, and the defense was unable to stop the opposition when it mattered.  This is highly unusual for the Hawks, who in years past thrived in close games.  Yet the Hawks are 0-5 in games decided by 6 points or less.  Just changing two of those five outcomes gives the Hawks a record of 8-8 going into the final week.  Also, two of those five close games were started by Geno Smith, and who knows if Russ would've been able to lead us to victories in those games, but our odds certainly would have been better with him.

8. No established running back until late
Worry scale: 2
The Seahawks are definitely better when they have an established back take the bulk of the carries and stay healthy for at least most of the season.  That was not the case this season.  Chris Carson started the season as the starter, but then a neck injury derailed his season.  Alex Collins took over, but he too got injured after several games.  Fortunately, Rashaad Penny emerged, but it was too little too late.  The Hawks likely won't have a running back even get 700 yards this season.  Although to be fair, the Hawks did not have a running back get 700 yards last year, either.

9. Poor offseason additions
Worry scale: 2
Gerald Everett was easily the best addition the Hawks made in the past offseason.  Gabe Jackson was solid, if unspectacular.  The 2021 draft class, meanwhile, leaves a lot to be desired.  Of course, there were only three draft picks, but Eskridge was hurt and under-utilized, Tre Brown showed signs of promise but got hurt, and Stone Forsythe barely saw the field.  There was not enough added in the past offseason.  The Hawks could have used another cornerback and edge rusher for sure. 

10. Pete Carroll
Worry scale: 3
This reason is simply Pete Carroll.  Is his "rah rah" style of coaching wearing thin?  Possibly.  It certainly isn't the best coaching style for a team that is struggling.  He's the oldest coach in the league, and his schemes and philosophies seem to be a bit dated by now.  I think he could still do well as an NFL executive, but it's time for him to retire from coaching duties.  This was certainly a trying year for him, and one could argue his worst coaching performance in Seattle.  

2021 was definitely a trying year for the Hawks.  I am in the boat that the Hawks do not need to rebuild this coming offseason.  Going into Week 18, they have a +21 point differential despite their 6-10 record.  They are a few close games from quite a different story this season.  If they can focus on the lines, draft smartly, and keep Russ (but maybe make a change at head coach or DC), they can quickly go back to being perennial contenders again in 2022.

Ten Things I Would Change about Survivor

I have often posted about Survivor here; being a huge fan, why not?  I hope to go on the show someday, and I have applied to be on the show.  So this post might not look great for me if I ever were to get on Survivor.  However, I would hope if anyone from CBS/Survivor sees this, they'd use this as constructive criticism and a way to improve their show.  

Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but I nitpicked to find ten things I would change about the show.  These ten things aren't in any order, although I will count down from #10.  Here they are:

10. Avoid "team reward" challenges, especially when there are an odd number of players
I hate it when, after the merge, Jeff splits the individual players into two teams for a reward challenge.  It's as if the crew is saying they don't have enough individual challenge ideas and need to save them for immunity.  I could live with these "team reward" challenges, so long as they only happen when there are an even number of players in the game.  When they do these types of reward challenges when there are an odd number of players, it leaves one person out with no shot at even competing for reward.  Everyone should have a shot.  Also, when a single individual wins reward and they pick 1-3 players to go with them, it can have a ripple effect on the game, which adds a layer of complexity in the social game.  

9. Go back to the original final tribal council format
One of my favorite parts of each Survivor season is when the jury questions the Final 2 or 3.  But with the new "open forum" Final Tribal Council format, it's not as entertaining.  It's not as organized, and it can leave a few jurors with little or nothing to say.  I would often look forward to the old format to see if certain players would hold a grudge and lash out at the Final 2 or 3.  I mean, think about the most entertaining or memorable jury speeches of all time.  Have any happened since this change?  Nope.   Also, I liked how each member of the Final 2 or 3 got to have an opening and closing statement.  At some point, they got rid of the closing statements, and then in "Worlds Apart" Season 30, they got rid of opening statements as well.  Bring those back!

8. Less advantages
In more recent seasons, there has been an almost crazy amount of advantages.  It's to the point where even the most dedicated fans and viewers have a tough time keeping track.  I do like immunity idols and the occasional advantage, but when there are so many, the value of them diminishes.  Fire Tokens aren't a terrible idea, but the casual viewer cannot be expected to keep track of everyone's Fire Token count.  If they absolutely must keep Fire Tokens and a large number of advantages, perhaps display an overlay of advantages/Fire Tokens at certain parts in the show, such as when someone earns Fire Tokens or an advantage, or during the booted person's final confessional.  

7. Show a little more of the "survival" aspect
I miss when Survivor showed the players fishing, foraging for food, or building the shelter.  They still show a little bit, but I know most fans would like to see more.  If anything someone does earns them respect around camp, I feel like we as viewers have a right to see it, even if it's mundane as fishing.  For example, Wendell may have won Ghost Island because he did a great job at building shelters, but we never really got to see that.  I know they have a lot of other things to fit in, such as challenges, strategy talk, and whatnot, but seeing a bit more of the survival aspect would definitely balance out the show a bit.  

6. Film somewhere else besides Fiji
I understand the financial benefits of filming in Fiji for every season, but doing that is becoming extremely repetitive.  Survivor filming locations should be like Super Bowl locations: it's okay to use the same location, just not twice (or more) in a row.  As I understand, they film two seasons back-to-back, so one idea is that they could film two seasons in Fiji, then next year film two seasons in Nicaragua or somewhere else, then go back to Fiji the following year.  If Survivor stays in Fiji, it will die in Fiji. 

5. Bring back the auction
One thing I miss is the Survivor auction!  I think they stopped it because too many players would sit on their money waiting for an advantage (thanks, cast of Worlds Apart).  There are ways around this.  They could include hidden advantages at random with different food items.  They could have Jeff announce there will not be any advantages and there will be only food.  Or if they use Fire Tokens again, they could have a "Fire Tokens Only" auction where you bid on items with Fire Tokens.  Just bring back the auction!  

4. For the love of God, no more Edge of Extinction
I know they have only used it for two seasons, but the Edge of Extinction has allowed two early boots to make it to the Final Tribal Council, and one of them to win.  A huge majority of Survivor fans do not like this twist.  In fact, basically any twist that allows a player to return to the game after being voted out is generally not well-received, especially when the earlier boots have an equal or better chance of getting back in to the game.  I don't know what their fascination is with bringing back voted out players, but it needs to stop.  In my opinion (and a majority of Survivor fans opinions as well), the Edge of Extinction twist really put a damper on "Winners at War".  

3. Jeff needs to calm down a bit at challenges
If anyone remembers, Jeff's commentary at challenges was way toned down in earlier seasons compared to what it's been in recent seasons.  In fact, in season one, it was non-existent.  I enjoy Jeff's commentary at challenges--in doses.  I may be in the minority on this one, but I feel like Jeff's commentary has been a bit over the top in recent seasons.  I do like when he berates players for struggling as it's pretty funny.  But when he says things like "That's how you do it on Survivor!", it makes me roll my eyes.  This is something I am honestly really nitpicking at; Jeff is definitely one of the highlights of the show.  But Jeff was at his peak with his commentary in seasons 10-20, I'd say.  

2. Bring back more physical challenges
I know there are safety risks involved with them, but they are the most entertaining challenges in Survivor history.  "Sumo at Sea" is my favorite.  But we haven't seen it used since "San Juan Del Sur".  I also like "By Any Means Necessary", but we haven't seen the beach/sand version since "Heroes vs. Villains".  These challenges are wildly entertaining, and I'd love to see at least "Sumo at Sea" brought back.  And maybe come up with new challenge ideas which are fairly physical (but safe).  

1. Cast more Survivor fans and "recruit" less players that aren't fans
I love when we see hardcore Survivor fans on the show.  They play the game hard and well.  When various players are recruited, to either fit a theme or because of their looks, they become cannon fodder, basically.  Players that are recruited don't really play the game; they just go along with the flow.  And when these players make it to the end, they never have a shot at winning.  I'd love to see a season of ONLY hard core fans and perhaps even only fans that have applied multiple times.  That would be interesting to see.  

If CBS/Survivor even makes a handful of these changes, it will benefit the show in the long run and allow it to continue for many more years.  If not, we could see the beginning of the end of one of my favorite television programs of all time.  I'd rather the show go out on top than be forced to cancel because of a decline in viewership/production value.  

Top 7 Ways I've Accidentally Hurt Myself

I thought of an idea for a post after injuring myself a week ago.  I've been fortunate to never suffer a very serious injury in my life (no broken bones, no hospital visits, etc.), but what are the worst that I've experienced?  I know I've hurt myself many times in my life, but the most memorable ones are ones that create wounds that lost a long time.  On most of these, I'll have to guess my age because they were so long ago.  Here are the Top 7 Ways I've Hurt Myself (not on purpose of course):

7. Bungee ball snaps on me and leaves a scar, age 13 or 14
One toy I had as a kid (not for very long) was called a bungee ball.  It was a small rubber ball attached to an elastic bungee style cord, which was attached to a wrist strap which you'd wear on your wrist.  The gimmick of this toy was that it was a ball you could throw that would always come back to you.  One day I was playing in the backyard with it, and I was seeing how far away I could stand and still hit our backyard shed.  The harder you threw, the farther the ball would go before returning to you.  One of my throws must have been a little too hard, and the cord snapped.  In the process of snapping, it left a lash on my wrist, just below where my hand starts.  I can still see the scar to this day.  The funny thing is, it didn't bleed much at all, it was more like a small rug burn in a confined space.  But it was enough to leave a lasting impact.

6. Running with scissors leads to predictable result, age 3
I don't remember this injury happening because I was so young obviously, but my parents have told me about it.  I was under the care of an old friend of my parents that used to watch me.  I somehow was running with scissors and tripped.  The scissors put a gouge into my head, right below my temple.  The reason I believe my parents (other than the fact I trust they wouldn't make something up) is that I have a noticeable mole in that very spot to this day.  It must have formed over the scab as it healed.  It's on the right side of my head below my temple close to my right eye, and you can see it in basically any picture of mine.  I think my parents stopped having that friend of theirs watch me after this.

5. Spraining my index finger playing basketball, age 11 or 12
As a kid playing games and sports during recess, injuries are always a possibility.  This is one I didn't even go to the nurse's for, although I probably should have.  One day playing basketball, I was receiving a pass from one of my classmates, which on my right hand only caught one finger, my index.  To my best recollection, the ball hit straight onto my finger's tip, also bending it back a bit in the process.  I tried playing through it, but couldn't.  The next day my finger was noticeably swollen compared to the same finger on the other hand, and I could only bend it a little bit.  If only smartphones had existed back then, I would have taken a picture.  Fortunately, it healed quick enough.

4. Getting hit in the face playing football, age 11 or 12
I got hurt a lot as a kid as you'll see.  Football was an often forbidden game for us to play at recess, even if we made it two hand touch.  Sometimes some of the rebellious kids decided to break the rules and decide to play tackle football.  This wasn't one of those times playing tackle football, but we were playing football.  My team had the ball for this particular play.  I went out on a route as a receiver.  Now, I didn't get thrown the ball very often, but on this particular play, I did.  I was on a crossing route, and my quarterback threw me the ball.  I went to grab it, only to notice a player on the other team approaching from the opposite direction.  He got to the ball first, and in the process his elbow made hard contact with my nose.  I fell to the ground in pain.  Gaining my composure and looking down, I noticed blood in the grass.  My nose would not stop bleeding.  One of the kids signaled for a teacher, who then later escorted me to the nurse's.  All they did was had me hold a towel to it for a while.  I remember not being able to smell through my nose for at least the rest of the day.  I don't think my nose was broken, but it sure hurt enough to be.  And we definitely weren't allowed to play football for a while after that.

3. Cutting open my thumb and almost passing out, Age 31
This is the one I referenced to in my first paragraph that happened just recently.  I was preparing to dice onions with a special onion dicer, the kind that has a lid and you press it into the onion which is on a set of blades.  I was in the process of setting it up, which involves setting the blades into place and locking them in.  For some reason, the locking tab wasn't going into place, so I smartly decided to try to force it.  The locking piece broke off and my thumb slipped over the blades.  At first, I thought the pain I felt was only from the pressure on the locking piece, only to see my thumb start to bleed pretty profusely.  I then went to the bathroom.  I don't have much experience with open wounds, so I stupidly let it bleed over the sink.  I tried rinsing it out a bit, but the pain was just too much.  I then started getting extremely lightheaded and felt like I was going to pass out.  Fortunately, my girlfriend gave me Snapple and cookies to replenish my blood sugars.  I also put some pressure and then later a bandage on it.  I later on saw two pieces of my thumb's skin stuck in the onion dicer's blades.  I knew it wasn't a deep cut; it just took off a couple thick pieces of my skin.  But any worse and I would have needed stitches.  I can still see the wound (which is healing) on my thumb now.  Today's actually the first day I haven't had to wear any kind of bandage over it whatsoever.

2. Scraping my knee from kneecap to shin, Age 9 or 10
I'm not sure on the age at all, but it was definitely before adolescence.  When I was a kid, my family used to go on bike rides during the summer around the neighborhood.  One path we often took had us going over a path with pretty thick gravel.  I believe my parents told me not to take a sharp turn on it, but I didn't listen, and I was at a pretty decent speed as well.  I lost control and fell off my bike, the first thing hitting the ground/gravel being my leg.  I was wearing jeans (that I ruined), so the fact I scraped my knee up as bad as I did was remarkable.  I remember having to tough it out pedaling home, tears pouring down my face.  I also remember the excruciating pain when my mom put Bactine on the wound.  I remember it took weeks and weeks to heal.  It was a huge wound, and I have a small scar on my knee from this.

1. Hitting my eye socket area on the metal leg of a chair, Age 10?
One of my worst ever injuries to my face was as a kid.  I had a blanket with me and I put it over myself, and I smartly decided to spin around and around and make myself dizzy.  I got so dizzy I lost my balance and fell to the ground, and with the blanket over my head, I had no idea where I was landing.  Of course my face came into hard contact with the metal leg of a chair.  I remember that chair my parents used to own.  It was black.  Anyway, it was pretty darn painful, and I instantly started crying.  I had the worst black eye, and I think the only black eye I've ever had in my life.  Fortunately my eye itself was perfectly fine, as it only got the area around my eye.  As for my age, I remember being pretty young, which I feel like was 7 or 8 years old, but I remember this happening at my second childhood home, which I didn't move in until I was 10.  So I guess I was 10?  Not sure.  I believe my parents took pictures of my black eye and those pictures are in one of their photo albums.  I'll have to go through those some day to see how old I really was.

Obviously, most of these happened as a kid.  I have tried to stay away from doing activities like those as an adult, mainly because I know better.  The funny thing about most of these injuries is that they happened on my right side.  Hitting my eye I believe was on my right side.  Scraping my knee, right side.  My thumb was definitely my right thumb.  The face... well that was the center.  My index finger that I sprained was my right one.  And gouging myself with scissors was definitely my right side.  And the bungee cord snapping was on my right wrist.  Most of these are because I am right handed, but it's still interesting.

Top 10 Greatest Seattle Sports Athletes I Have Seen Play

Just recently, I did a post on the Top 10 Athletes I Have Ever Seen Play.  Noticeably absent were all Seattle athletes.  I just felt like I had to do a separate post for them.  These ten athletes below are the greatest I have seen play for a Seattle team.  The more they played for a Seattle team, the better.  And the more I saw them play, the better.  Unfortunately, that means guys like Steve Largent, Alvin Davis, and Gus Williams won't be on here.  I'm not going to label what teams they played for, because we know if they played for the Mariners, Seahawks, or Sonics.

First, some honorable mentions:
Sonics: Rashard Lewis, Brent Barry
Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch, Doug Baldwin, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor
Mariners: Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Kyle Seager, Jamie Moyer


10. Ken Griffey, Jr.
It feels weird putting him this low on the list.  But I only saw the tail end of his career with the Mariners and then the 2009 and 2010 seasons.  But I've been able to watch highlights, mainly of the 1995 season.  I think he's the most talented baseball player to ever play for the Mariners.  It's such a shame he not only got traded but had an injury-plagued career from that point on.

9. Gary Payton
Again, he would be higher had I seen him play more.  He was definitely the best defensive point guard I ever watched.  There's a reason they called him "The Glove".  It was quite a shock to me when the trade was announced that he had been included in a trade that netted us Ray Allen.

8. Earl Thomas
I couldn't include the entire Legion of Boom, so I went with who I considered their best player and the one I had most fun watching.  Earl has been such a great safety in the NFL, the ability to range from deep center field to come up and make a tackle on a quick pass or run.  Earl's quickness and smarts allowed Pete Carroll and his defensive coaching staff to play him deep, which meant no big throws were ever really completed against the Hawks defense.  The Hawks certainly would not have had the success they did on defense without Earl.

7. Felix Hernandez
There has not been a better pitcher with the Mariners in the last 15 years.  Felix not only was dominant, but proved his loyalty all the way until he was no longer productive for us.  It breaks my heart that he never got to experience the postseason with us.  No other player has inspired something like a "King's Court", something I made certain to be a part of a few times.  His perfect game in 2012 is definitely one of the best moments in Mariners history, and might be the best moment of that decade.

6. Ray Allen
Ray has to be the best shooter of the basketball I have ever seen, especially from three point range.  He hit a ton of clutch shots with the Sonics and easily became my favorite player on the team in the mid-2000's.  He and Rashard Lewis formed quite the scoring duo, even guiding the Sonics to the playoffs a couple times.  And Ray was one of the very few high scorers in the NBA that didn't talk too much.  He let his play and his scoring speak for itself.

5. Bobby Wagner
At the end of his career, he may end up as the greatest defensive player in Seahawks history.  Right now, that's probably Cortez Kennedy, but Bobby may pass Tez in longevity and overall production.  Bobby hasn't won a defensive player of the year like Tez did, but I think he should have.  There's just been too many other great players in the league.  But to me, Bobby is the best tackler and linebacker in Seahawks history, and I'm fortunate to have seen him play.

4. Ichiro Suzuki
The greatest contact hitter in Mariners history for sure.  He set the all-time record for hits in a season in 2004.  He won MVP in his first season in Major League Baseball.  It's a huge shame we could never get back to the postseason with Ichiro, but the guy is a bona fide legend.  The way he would make contact with the worst of pitches and get hits out of them just blew my mind. 

3. Walter Jones
An offensive lineman in the Top 3?  Why not?  Big Walt is one of the best tackles in NFL history.  In fact, he was voted to the NFL 100 club in the NFL's 100th season, meaning he is one of the 100 greatest players in NFL history.  I think he had fewer holding calls than seasons played, and he hardly ever got beat.  Walt was devoted to his craft and it showed.

2. Russell Wilson
My favorite current athlete winds up at #2 on this list.  Russell is a born leader.  What I love most about him is his faith in his team and his belief that they will win, despite sometimes near insurmountable odds.  The most notable example of that would be the 2015 NFC Championship Game, where the Hawks fell behind 16-0, yet Russell kept believing.  It paid off.  Besides that, Russ is going to end up with every team passing record, he is our winningest quarterback of all time and guided us to our only ever championship, and he has sometimes done this with very little help.

1. Edgar Martinez
EdddddGAARRRRRR....EdddddGARRRR... I can still hear the chants of his name ring throughout the Kingdome and Safeco Field.  Edgar was pure class, pure all-around hitter, and a clutch one at that.  Edgar is often known as one of the greatest Mariners, even though he has been passed in a lot of hitting categories by Ichiro or Griffey.  There's a reason he's so loved, has a street named after him, and had his number retired before even entering the Hall of Fame.  That clutch double he hit in the 1995 ALDS has a lot to do with it.  Edgar Martinez is my greatest Seattle sports athlete I have ever seen play.

Ten Greatest Athletes I Have Ever Watched

I am a big fan of sports, namely baseball, basketball, and football.  I have watched countless hours of each.  I am only 31 and I've only been watching sports since around the turn of the millennium, so these athletes will had to have played then or later.  I got inspired to do this post by the recent and sudden passing of one of them, as you'll see later down this list.  I make many reference to a GOAT, which isn't a farm animal, but the Greatest Of All Time in their respective sport.  So I discuss the possibility of these players being the GOAT in their respective sports league.  I did my best to include a variety of players, not just between my three favorite sports, but in regards to positions, offense and defense, hitting and pitching.

First though, I have to include some honorable mentions:
MLB: Randy Johnson, Roy Halladay, Albert Pujols
NBA: Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash
NFL: Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed, Adrian Peterson, Brian Urlacher

10. Pedro Martinez, Starting Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies
Boy this was a tough one.  I wanted to include a pitcher on this list, and there are so many good ones.  I went with Pedro, just because of how dominant he was for a stretch.  He had an ERA under 2.50 for FIVE straight years.  That's hard to do in one year.  That stretches out to seven years if you include an ERA under 3.00.  He was the most dominant pitcher around the turn of the millennium, which is why I included him.  When I first got into baseball, he was the best there was.

9. Ray Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens
Ray was an incredible force at the linebacker position.  He helped anchor one of the greatest defenses of all time in the 2000 Ravens.  He also got the Ravens back to the big game in 2012 in his final season and won another Super Bowl.  He was just the most ferocious and tenacious linebacker, maybe even defensive player, I ever watched.  The Ravens almost always had a top ten defense while he was with them.  He also made the cover of Madden, not easy to do for a defensive player.

8. Mike Trout, Outfielder, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
He's barely into his career and he's already on this list?  Yup.  He has got off to such an insane start to his career, that if he were to double it or better, he would have the greatest hitting stat line in the history of baseball.  I've been able to see him excel at the game of baseball in all its facets, because he plays in the same division as my Seattle Mariners.  He's the epitome of the five tool player; it's like he was designed in a lab to be the best all-around baseball player ever seen.  His only downfall is his inability to do well in the playoffs, both with his team and individually.  He'll need a World Series ring to really enter the discussion as being one of the GOATs.

7. Tim Duncan, Forward, San Antonio Spurs
Timmay!  Tim Duncan defined class and gracefulness for a big man in his time in the NBA.  He won five NBA championships, the first and last separated by fifteen years.  His pull up shot was pretty as a picture, and his defense was always top-notch.  The San Antonio Spurs franchise would be nowhere without him.  I'd argue he was the best mid-range shooter among big men (6'10" or taller) in NBA history.

6. Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
I think Drew is the most underrated quarterback maybe ever.  When people talk about the greatest quarterback of all time, they mention Brady, Manning, Montana, but hardly ever Brees.  Drew is going to end up holding most of the all-time passing records when his career is over.  Therefore, I had to include him on this list.  He was the first quarterback to really prove you don't have to be around 6'4" to be an all-time great quarterback.  He's had some great Saints teams recently, but unfortunately for them, each of the last three seasons has ended in heartbreak.

5. Derek Jeter, Shortstop, New York Yankees
He just got elected to the Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of a unanimous decision.  He's one of the greatest all-around shortstops of all time.  He popularized a style of throw to first.  He became perhaps the greatest clutch hitter of his time.  The moment never seemed too big for one Derek Sanderson Jeter.  And he played in an era where his counterparts and rivals changed teams (Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols), but he didn't. 

4. LeBron James, Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers
I think he's the most physically gifted basketball player of all time.  No one has had his physicality, quickness, explosiveness, and size all in one package.  He definitely could have played football if he had decided to.  But I think he chose correctly.  Currently, Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time, but if LeBron wins another ring or two, it'll be a fierce debate between the two as to who then is the G.O.A.T.

3. Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos
Peyton is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.  I don't know if there's ever been anyone better at adjustments at the line of scrimmage.  And to top it off, he had a great arm.  He's not only one of the smartest quarterbacks ever, but he's one of the smartest football players ever.  He is probably the one former player I'd most love to talk to about the X's and O's of football.

2. Kobe Bryant, Guard/Forward, Los Angeles Lakers
I am still stunned by his sudden passing.  He was younger than Tom Brady, who is still playing.  I only saw the tail end of MJ's career, and I lost interest in basketball after the Sonics left, so I only saw a few years of LeBron's career.  But I saw most of Kobe's, and he was special.  I don't think I've ever seen a prettier or more effective jump shot or fade-away shot.  And to win championships with and without Shaq proves that he didn't have to have him to win a championship.  To me, he's the GOAT basketball player.

1. Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots
He's the GOAT.  Period.  In the age of salary caps and quarterbacks being paid exuberant amounts, Tom has done the impossible and won six Super Bowls.  Unless there's a change in the NFL to the salary cap, I don't think this will ever happen again.  Tom has not only won, but he's won convincingly at times.  He had a period of ten years where he at least made it to the AFC Championship game.  That is insane.  He is the greatest athlete I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

Those are my Top 10 Athletes I Have Ever Seen.  If you didn't notice, I did not include any Seattle athletes, mainly because I am saving them for another list.  So look out for that soon.

My Top 5 Super Bowls

I love the game of football, so I obviously watch the Super Bowl every year.  On some occasions due to working a retail job, I've had to miss the start of a game, but I have seen the majority of every Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXXII, when the Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers.  With Super Bowl LIV just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to list my Top 5 Favorite Super Bowls ever.  These are the most memorable Super Bowls to me, and the ones I had the most fun watching.

Honorable Mention: Super Bowl XLIX - Patriots vs. Seahawks
I have to include this as an honorable mention, because I really enjoyed the first 98% of this game.  I just didn't like the ending.  But knowing we were about to (probably) get our second straight Super Bowl win, and to beat one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history was a sweet feeling--at the time.

5. Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs. 49ers
A blackout, the longest play in Super Bowl history, and an almost epic-comeback.  What more could you ask for?  Oh, how about watching your least favorite NFL team lose on the biggest stage possible?  To see the 49ers comeback effort fall short was just music to my ears.  They had been our division rivals for a decade now, so I had built up enough animosity towards them.

4. Super Bowl XXXVII - Buccaneers vs. Raiders
A team I really enjoyed watching in the early 2000's was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  They had one of the greatest defenses of all time with Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Derrick Brooks, Simeon Rice, and Ronde Barber.  And it was Dexter Jackson who won Super Bowl MVP, go figure.  It wasn't a close contest, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  I remember I had a small wager with my grandpa on the game--he thought the Raiders would win.  It wasn't for much (a dollar) but it was more for the pride in knowing I picked the better team.

3. Super Bowl LI - Patriots vs. Falcons
Now, I dislike the Patriots, but I love a good comeback.  I also was thinking in the couple years before this game, that we were very due for a Super Bowl that goes to overtime.  And this was the first Super Bowl in history to go to overtime.  And of course, one of the greatest comebacks in sports history happened in this game, so I had to include it.

2. Super Bowl LII - Patriots vs. Eagles
This Super Bowl set all kinds of records for offensive production including most total yards between the two teams.  The Philly Special play is one of the best Super Bowl plays of all time, seeing as it came on 4th and goal.  And to top it off, Brady got strip sacked, proving he was mortal.  The Eagles had gotten revenge for Super Bowl XXXIX.

1. Super Bowl XLVIII - Seahawks vs. Broncos
Was there any question?  The Seahawks got the quickest score in Super Bowl history (although it wasn't anything they did).  This game is quintessential Legion of Boom at their peak.  But it was Malcolm Smith of all people, who had the key defensive play on a pick six.  It was forced by Cliff Avril hitting Manning as he threw, so Smith was just in the right place at the right time.  The Hawks started the 2nd half with a kickoff return touchdown from Percy Harvin and never looked back.  The Hawks first (and so far only) Super Bowl win may forever be my favorite Super Bowl ever.

Super Bowl LIV is just 9 days away, and I think there's a decent chance it could make this list.  The Chiefs enter as 1.5 point favorites, a very close line for a Super Bowl, and it's hard to get closer than that.  As a Seahawks fan, I will of course be rooting for the Chiefs, but also because I would fully support the Kansas City Chiefs as the new AFC dynasty.

Super Bowl LIV was definitely enjoyable and close (until the end).  If it were to make the list, it would be at #5, and it would really only supplant Super Bowl XLVII because it was more recent.  

Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies

I thought I'd go for a fun kind of post and I was thinking about what my favorite guilty pleasure movies are the other day.  I have come up with my Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies.  None of these are critically acclaimed, but every single one of them is entertaining and I have seen multiple times.  It's just something about these films; I just enjoy sitting back and turning my brain off and watching these every few years.  And, in order for a film to be on here, it has to have less than a 7.0 rating on IMDB, and the ratings on IMDB follow the titles of the films.  Here they are:


Honorable Mention: Smart House - 6.3
I had to give honorable mention to my favorite Disney Channel original movie growing up, Smart House.  It's only a TV Movie, so I couldn't quite count it.  But as a kid I wanted a smart house just like the one in the movie, one that would make me meals, instantly clean up messes, and play whatever I want to watch on the entire wall.  And I would know better than to disobey it and piss it off, unlike the family in this movie.

Second Honorable Mention: Rat Race - 6.4
I remember my parents taking me to see this in theaters, and yes, I was only 12 at the time, so a bit raunchy for 12-year-old me.  But I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen, and it still to this day makes me laugh.  I got it on DVD in the early 2000s and watched it every few years as I got older, each time understanding a new joke or two.  And the cast is just terrific, from Jon Lovitz to Cuba Gooding Jr. to Rowan Atkinson to Seth Green to Whoopi Goldberg.  


10. Jack Frost - 5.4
Another film with a hard-to-believe premise: A father dies, but his spirit/soul brings a snowman to life and he is able to interact and talk to his son a year after passing.  I liked this movie growing up, and it always made a great movie to watch around the winter holidays.  I particularly like the song "Hey Now Now" by Swirl 360 that plays when Charlie and his "dad" get away from the bullies.  It's so 1990's.

9. Like Mike - 5.2
A kid finds some of Michael Jordan's old sneakers and suddenly gains his basketball ability by wearing the shoes.  It's an interesting story, but I like that it has a basketball theme.  There's a sub-plot of the kid being at an orphanage and trying to get adopted, and eventually does.  Jesse Plemons is in this in the first role I saw him in, as a fellow kid/bully in the orphanage.  I also like the cameos by all the NBA players in this, although no Michael Jordan.

8. Jingle All the Way - 5.6
My favorite guilty pleasure Christmas Movie, Jingle All the Way is fun to watch even outside the Christmas season.  There are so many hard to believe things in this film, but there are so many classic scenes and lines such as "Put the cookie down, now!" and "I'm not a puh-vert!".  It's just a fun film and Arnie just kills it.  And this is not the only time a film Jake Lloyd acted in is on this list.

7. Bruce Almighty - 6.7
This is one of my favorite Jim Carrey roles.  Carrey, playing the titular role, gets the powers of God and uses them with hilarious results.  The casting of Morgan Freeman as God was absolutely perfect.  And Jim perfectly inserts some of his funny and quirky mannerisms into the role.  I'm surprised this doesn't have a bit higher rating, but there are times when the movie just tries too hard to be funny.  I like Jennifer Aniston in this, but she seems a bit out of Bruce's league. 

6. The Island - 6.8
Ewan McGregor in a sci-fi movie?  I'll always go for that. 😉  In this, he plays a clone that escapes his institution along side a very fine looking Scarlett Johansson who also plays a clone.  This movie has been out for a while now, so much so that when this film was shot and set "in the future", well that future is now the past.  I happened to watch The Island the day this was set, July 19, 2019.  This film was also made by Michael Bay, maybe the king of guilty pleasure directors, but he's only on this list once for me.  My favorite line(s): "I'm Tom Lincoln!" "No, I'm Tom Lincoln!"

5. Godzilla (1998) - 5.4
Yes, the 1998 Godzilla starring Matthew Broderick is one of my favorite guilty pleasure films.  I remember how hyped the movie was when it came out, and I even owned a Godzilla toy from that film that screamed like the movie version and stomped and "wagged" it's tail.  I remember seeing it as a kid and it scaring me a bit, but not anymore obviously.  As a sports fan, I loved how the climax was set at Madison Square Garden where the Knicks play.  They set up for a possible sequel with one of Godzilla's babies surviving in the end, but nothing came of it.  Oh well, the sequel probably would have been even worse.

4. Click - 6.4
This is my favorite Adam Sandler movie, believe it or not.  And I just found out, for the longest time this film had Adam Sandler's only death scene (until "Uncut Gems", I believe).  It's got such an interesting (but flawed) concept, but I love it.  He controls the universe with a remote, with unfortunate side effects.  I like how the film teaches us to enjoy moments in life we take for granted, such as time with our parents, working, and foreplay with the wife 🤣.  I also love all the actors in this and their connections to other things or people.  Adam Sandler's mom was played by Julie Kavner, who voices Marge Simpson.  We also see his kids played by Lorraine Nicholson and Jake Hoffman, the children of Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman, respectively.  And we see a small role from Jonah Hill.

3. National Treasure: Book of Secrets - 6.5
You knew Nicolas Cage had to be on here at some point, right?  He's the king of guilty pleasure actors.  In this sequel, he "kidnaps the president" and goes to a secret cave inside Mount Rushmore.  I just love the two National Treasure films, and I wish they had made another.  By this point, a third National Treasure film would feel forced, irrelevant, and not as interesting.  However, a third one is listed on IMDB as "In Development", although I believe it has been that way for a few years.   I believe they are having trouble either writing the script or finding writers for it.

2. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 6.5
What, I can have a Star Wars film on here!  And there's no better example of a guilty pleasure Star Wars film than Episode I: The Phantom Menace.  I do enjoy watching this and I never skip over it when I watch the Star Wars films (or prequel trilogy).  I remember all the promotions for the film when it came out and each time I watch Episode I, it gives me that feeling of nostalgia.  Sometimes I even get the urge to watch just this film and not Episodes II or III.  Jar Jar doesn't annoy me quite as much as he annoys other Star Wars fans.

1. National Treasure - 6.8
Well, you knew if National Treasure 2 was on here, the first one would have to be on here as well.  I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen this.  I love the history they incorporated into this movie, even if it's not all true.  And, this was for the longest time the only thing I had seen Sean Bean in where he doesn't die.  And, I could be mistaken, but it might be the only film where he plays the villain but doesn't die.

Like I said, I just enjoy turning my brain off and watching any of these films.  I think the thing they have in common is that each one has something happen in it that is just never possible in the real world: A person coming back to life, a dog playing football, a universal remote that controls the universe, and stealing the Declaration of Independence.  Oh, and Star Wars.

Top Ten Californication Moments

I just finished watching Showtime's "Californication" for the second time, and there's a reason I've seen it two times now.  It's a good show.  David Duchovny plays the lead, Hank Moody, very well, and basically carries the show for seven seasons.

It led me to thinking what the best moments on the show were.  I've come up with my favorite ten moments on the show.  If it's a show you've considered watching, this might help, but of course there will be spoilers.  This is your warning.

A lot of these involve music, which I think the show does so well.  Here we go:

10. Hank dreams about getting a blowjob from a nun in a church, opening with "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones, Season 1: "Pilot"
This show kicks off and gets right to it in its first scene.  They instantly show it's going to be a show about sex and a show that's not afraid to push boundaries.  It's iconic and there's even references to this a couple times throughout the show.  Anyone watching this show not knowing what it's about receives an absolute shock when the nun asks, "What about a blowjob?"  Although to be fair, Hank curses a bit before she propositions him in his dream.  And this whole scene starts with Hank driving up to the church set to the London Bach choir's part of the song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones.  Funny thing I just found out: They use the Stones' vocals of the same song to conclude the show in Season 1, book-ending the season with different parts of the same song.

9. Hank gets carjacked, set to the Foo Fighters "The Pretender", Season 1: "Filthy Lucre"
As Hank pulls up to a red light, he gets asked by a female pedestrian how to get to the highway.  Soon after he responds, her male partner approaches Hank from the driver's side and points a gun to Hank's head, ordering him to get out.  We see Hank trying to save what he thinks is his only copy of his novel, but he is unable to due to the carjacker's threats.  They speed off with the car and novel, and instead of panicking, Hank like a boss calmly lights a cigarette.  We then see Mia had made a copy of his novel, and then fade to credits right as the chorus of "The Pretender" hits.  Just one of the most perfectly timed moments with one of the best song choices.

8. Hank trying to put out fires (one literally) left and right, but all hell breaks loose, Season 3: "The Apartment"
This moment is from the highest rated episode of Californication on IMDB, so I had to include it.  In season 3, Hank juggles varying levels of relationships with three different women, all with ties to the school he is teaching at: One student, one teacher/wife of the dean, one his teacher's assistant.  They all decide to visit him one morning, all trying to seduce him or be with him in some fashion.  Meanwhile, Charlie and Rick Springfield (Yes, the Rick Springfield who sang "Jessie's Girl") are in the main bedroom with two hookers.  It's a long story.  And of course, Karen and Becca and Becca's friend, Chelsea, and Chelsea's dad the dean all show up.  It culminates into one of the most hectic but entertaining moments in the series.

7. Hank reads Karen "The Story of Us" on the plane to their daughter Becca's wedding, Season 7: "Grace"
Hank makes the grand gesture of going to New York with Karen for Becca's wedding (after initially saying he wouldn't go because he objects to the marriage), and when he boards the plane he pulls out a letter he's written to Karen.  He initially hands it to her, but she doesn't seem keen on reading it so Hank steals it back and reads it aloud.  It really summarizes up their relationship pretty well.  Just like in the show, it doesn't have a definitive ending, but that's ok.  The letter was moving enough to make the stubborn lady sitting next to Karen switch her seat.

6. The chaos of the dinner party, Season 4: "The Last Supper"
At a dinner party hosted by Stu Beggs with tons of guests, chaos of course ensues.  At the party are Hank, Karen, Karen's date Ben, Marcy, Stu Beggs, Charlie and his date, Peggy, Eddie Nero, the director of "Fucking & Punching", Hank's lawyer Abby, and Sasha Bingham.  Basically, it's a party to celebrate the movie they're all making, and most people bring dates.  Anyway, arguing starts, plus a lot of personal and sexual details revealed.  After Charlie confesses that he still loves Marcy, Marcy reveals the baby she's carrying is Charlie's, then Peggy in her anger stabs Charlie through the hand with a knife.  Marcy then attacks and fights with Peggy, Hank takes the knife out of Charlie's hand, which causes the director to vomit.  I told you there was a bit of chaos.

5. The glorious mangina, Season 3: "Wish You Were Here"
Season 3 kicks off with a bang, as Hank has dinner with his daughter's friend's mother and her family.  There at the party is an author Hank looks up to, Richard Bates.  Hank makes the mistake of getting Bates to succumb to his desire for alcohol (He had been sober for many years).  After Bates' drinking, the next time we see him he is naked.  What is funny though is he has his penis tucked between his legs, showing off what he calls his "glorious mangina".  Never did I ever think I'd see a man's crotch with his penis tucked between his legs on TV.  Bates then goes streaking to God knows where.  What made this moment a classic was Hank's several times referring to it years down the line.

4. Hank and Becca bond as Season 2 ends, set to "California Dreaming" by the Shaw Blades, Season 2: "La Petite Mort"
I have just always loved this scene.  Hank meets the skater girl he had previously slept with, and as she leaves Becca approaches and she and Hank talk about relationships.  It's one of their best father-daughter bonding moments.  I really like the song they chose for this, a cover of the Mama's and the Papa's "California Dreaming", this time done by the Shaw Blades.  The camera pans up as we see the large crowd at Santa Monica and the season ends.  One of the best, if not the best ending to a season.

3. Hank punches a guy for calling Karen the "C-Word", Season 1: "Fear and Loathing at the Fundraiser"
It's a quick moment, but a guy earlier was extremely rude to Karen and called her the "C-Word", while Hank wasn't around her.  When everyone is leaving the fundraiser, they see each other again and the guy says, "See You Next Tuesday!" which is another way of saying the C-Word.  Karen cusses him out, and Hank asks what it's about.  When Karen tells him, Hank calmly walks up to the guy, says, "Excuse me," and sucker punches him.  I love this moment because we learn how much he really loves Karen deep down and that someone calling her the most insulting term for a woman really makes him want to defend her honor.

2. "BOOOOO-YA! The baby's black!", Season 2: "La Petite Mort"
This is undoubtedly the moment in Californication that made me laugh the hardest.  After a fling of Hank's, Sonja, tells him she's pregnant with his child, Hank gets into hot water with Karen, of course.  However, Hank and Karen are present at Sonja's water-birth.  Everyone receives a surprise when the baby comes out as black, proving that Hank can't be the father.  His reaction to seeing the baby is utterly priceless.  He says the above line, including a fist pump while he's at it, and celebrates with Karen that he's not the father.

1. Karen finds out about Hank and Mia set to Elton John's "Rocket Man", Season 3: "Mia Culpa"
It's amazing that this show was able to keep Karen from knowing about Hank and Mia for almost THREE seasons.  After a fight with Mia's manager, Hank realizes he has to tell Karen himself rather than her hear it from someone or somewhere else.  As soon as he gets serious and begins telling her, "Rocket Man" by Elton John comes on.  It fits the moment perfectly, and we know basically what they're saying so we don't have to hear the dialogue.  It's a lot of chasing and shoving and running, anyway.  It ends with the cops coming and whisking Hank away for assaulting Mia's manager, signaling his absolute lowest point.  I said earlier Season 2's "La Petite Mort" had the best ending scene to a season, but I think this tops it.