Crave's World: The Official Blog of Matt Craver

Dave, it's been a while

2009-06-04T21:28:00.022-04:00

For the first time in a long time I’m really excited for DMB's latest installment, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. After nearly three hours and a new album release Monday night I welcomed back the Dave Matthews Band into my life. Not that they were ever really gone, but in recent years I've felt a disconnect from the band. Call it fan guilt for not really liking the Everyday and Stand Up albums.

Not sure why, but the last DMB album I really enjoyed was the Lillywhite/Busted Stuff ordeal. Here's an interesting little tidbit. I was one of the first dozen or so people to get their hands on the coveted Lillywhite Sessions. Trying to tell people this was welcomed with great skepticism, especially since I told whoever would listen that a college buddy got it from a band member’s house. The story offered little credibility and after a while whenever the Lillywhite Sessions came up in conversation I just kept my mouth shut. it was hard to trace the origins mostly because once it hit the internet everyone got a copy—for free. All you needed was a CD burner (which was becoming a standard on new machines back in the spring of '01) and a blank disk.

That summer, my friend’s unbelievable story was reported in a rock and roll magazine. You might have heard of it—Rolling Stone. This article really breaks the whole thing down and if you have the time, read it. I checked the Rolling Stone archives but could only find it here.

Back to the other night. Since I wasn’t familiar with the new album yet, I decided it might be a good idea find a live setlist. Curious to see what Twitter had to offer, I followed this kid for a while until he quit eight songs in. Must have been past his bed time. Little side note about Twitter—I would probably never use it if it wasn’t for its functionality with Facebook. Anyway, I needed to find something and a simple search on Google turned up this little gem.

A couple quick observations about Monday night's show from the Beacon Theater:

I wish I was there.
The little back and forth between Carter and Jeff Coffin during 41 was awesome (see above video).
Rashawn Ross is the kind of guy who blocks out the sun.
The last time Dave was live on TV was for Listener Supported.
Had I been in charge of the setlist Everyday would have been scratched in favor of an oldie like Warehouse or Dancing Nancies.
Tim Renolyds can straight rock and roll on an electric guitar.
They gave LeRoi tons of love—and rightfully so. While we're talking about LeRoi, Jeff Coffin has some big shoes to fill, but seems to be doing a bang up job thus far. Love the tribute to LeRoi on the new album with the sax solos as bookends.
Carter Beauford is a ridiculous drummer.
Dave is Dave.

All-in-all the album is very enjoyable. Not the best ever (as some critics will lead you to believe), but a good listen nonetheless. Monday's concert was a blast (even if I did watch on TV). The first hour and a half were a look at the last 10 years and the future. The next hour was a trip back in time. It was really nice to see you again Dave. I look forward to seeing you in the future.

Friday at The Masters.com

2009-04-10T16:52:00.012-04:00

Above is a screenshot of the streaming video at masters.com. Thanks to this bonus coverage, I was able to see almost all of Tiger's back 9—picking up his round on 11 green, following him around Amen Corner, then down 15 and 16. By the time ESPN picked up coverage around 4 o'clock, Tiger was coming up 18. Unfortunately, the world's greatest didn't gain any ground today, shooting an even-par 72.

At right, the dashboard features included a leaderboard, picture-in-picture, player updates, and a couple other cool features that put everything Masters right at your fingertips. Obviously, you wouldn’t sit there with every widget open at once, but if you did this is what it would look like.

Like so many others, I truly enjoy the Masters Tournament and there have been so many different places, some new, some old, to get information from this year. Here are just a few:

Jason Sobel's Blog
The Masters Twitter Feed
The Masters on Facebook

From 64 to Sweet 16

2009-03-26T20:50:00.012-04:00

This past week has been a good one for fans of the Orange. Syracuse is in the Sweet 16. The fanfare that comes along with reaching this point of the season is all very exciting and got me thinking about the five long years it’s been since the last time our Orange men were considered among the nation’s elite. Let's take a look back.

First, and least memorable, was the prefect storm loss to Vermont. As much as it hurts, think back to that game for a minute. As a four seed, the Cuse had to travel to Massachusetts to play a team from New England, and play them on a dead floor that hadn’t seen a relevant game in 20 years. Was it a coincidence that Syracuse had a season-high 24 turnovers? I think not.

The next year, Gerry and his band (Roberts-Watkins-Nichols-McCroskey aka the biggest recruiting snafu in Jimmy's 30 years) go out and take a bid and give fans arguably the best non-championship memory ever over the course of four incredible days with their unimaginable run though the Big East Tournament. Maybe this is the homer is me talking, but the loss to Texas A&M that followed did not come as a surprise (like Vermont a year earlier). That was really good A&M team—a totally legit first round loss. The next year, the same A&M team would be one of the top teams in the country.

One little side note about Louie. I caught a Marist game after he transferred. In the two minutes I watched, Louie scored two points, grabbed two boards and kicked a ball out of bounds. Apparently some things never change.

Back to our retrospective. A season later I saw a grown man cry after the selection show. The next day everyone in town signed a giant screw and sent it to the president of the NCAA Selection Committee.

Last year was a season filled with injuries and inexperience and they still rattled off 19 wins (pre-NIT).

After every disappointing finish it seemed like everyone was talking about next year. While guess what? Next year is finally here. We're dead smack in the middle of it. Take it in. Enjoy it.

With the way this team has been playing the question on everyones' minds is—could the Orange go beyond Memphis? The answer is beyond me and I would not want to put the jinx on. Speaking of the jinx, does the SI cover jinx apply if there are four different covers out there? Anyway. Oklahoma kind of scares me. The Sooners are a good team. So good, they were considered one of the best in country for a stretch earlier this season. Friday night's matchup will be a tall order, but doable with guards like Flynn and Devo. Toss in a clutch shot from Andy and the fact that Harris is always the best athlete on the floor and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. I wonder if the Orange will use a Mike Sweetney-type defense against Blake Griffin where they kind of just let him do his thing while holding the others in check. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

GO ORANGE!!!

Under the weather

2009-02-12T16:59:00.009-05:00

I'm home sick today. Not sad that I'm away from home, but my sinuses are clogged and my body aches all over. It's no fun. I had hoped my immune system would have quashed this inner rebellion by now, but it hasn't. When I was a child I kind of enjoyed sick days. They meant no school and a day at home with mom. We'd play Connect Four and she would make me whatever I wanted--usually scrambled eggs or macaroni and cheese. Nowadays, I still eat the same comfort food when I'm not feeling up to par, but spend the majority of my time stressing over missing work and how much I'll have to do when I return. I guess I'll worry about that tomorrow. Today, I spent the day on the couch catching up on some DVRed materials and watching a movie. I'd like to report that after seeing Easy Rider for the first time, I'm thoroughly impressed. The above clip merely scratches the surface, but if you like it, take the time to watch the whole film.

A few other things I found of interest, Easy Rider:

Is part of the National Film Registry
Is #88 on the AFI's list of 100 Films, 100 Years
Has an incredible soundtrack

This video is incredible ...

2009-01-17T00:17:00.009-05:00

... incredible, to me anyway. Let me start with a little background. The above clip is a throwback NBA on NBC lead-in voiced over by Marv Albert. It features the likes of convicted criminal, O.J. Simpson. Even though Marv was taking about Orenthal's dominance on the field of play, isn't it nice that we can finally call The Juice a convicted criminal? It took me a minute to realize O.J. was still relevant at the time. Jordan won his first title in 91 and O.J. wouldn't strike for another three years. As I watched it only got better, but for a completely different reason. Marv had a few words about the greatest Bonnie of them all - Bob Lanier. Then Marv wrapped things up with a classic, "Today it's Jordan and the Bulls facing the Cleveland Cavaliers!" Q the sweet intro. And BANG! Just like that you have a great YouTube clip.

Speaking of YouTube clips, this would be an appropriate time to mention I've started making some YouTube Playlists. Please feel free to send along any suggestions and don't take it personally if your submission doesn't make the cut. Stay Classy San Diego?

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T13:49:00.005-05:00

In the spirit of the season, here are some of my favorite Christmas songs that I’d like to share with you. I even snuck one in that's not a favorite. Can you guess which one? Enjoy and have a very merry Christmas.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – The Boss and the E Street Band

Linus and Lucy – A Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas in Hollis – Run DMC

Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley

Happy Christmas (War is Over) – John and Yoko

Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby and David Bowie

Wham – Last Christmas

All I Want For Christmas – Mariah Carey

And for our friends south of the border…

Feliz Navidad – Jose Felicano

Special Report - Election 08

2008-11-03T21:30:00.006-05:00

A friend of mine once told me that you have to do more than think outside the box. You have to think outside the table that the box is sitting on. It’s this mindset that got me thinking about who I would vote for president and why. The more I started paying attention, the more I started to realize the magnitude of this election, which is easily the most historic in my lifetime—and possibly one of the most of all time depending on the outcome.

Early on—back in 2006—I thought staying the course and voting for John McCain was the way to go. I love the America McCain represents. The one where we’re the top dog and the rest of the world exists to do our bidding. The problem, however, is that America—McCain’s America—is a thing of that past. These days, the American Dream is shared by people all over the world and it’s time to take that into consideration.

In a world where our leaders admittedly say they are figuring out problems like the war in Iraq and the problems with the economy as they go, we need someone who will be able to adapt to the changes taking place around us. To me the younger, more motivated man seems like the right choice. Now, more than ever, we need to have open minds and share our ideals. And that is what I’m voting for. Not so much the man, but the ideals he represents.

After all, “Change” is the cornerstone of Barack Obama’s campaign. Most people hear the word “change” and associate it with swapping the current administration for what Obama and the Democrats have to offer. There’s way more to it than that. The change isn’t something that’s coming from within. It’s the ability to adapt to what is going on around us. Not just in this country, but all over the world. What Obama lacks in experience can be made up along the way. Part of being successful in life is having the ability to act like you know what you’re doing and Obama has done a fine job of that so far with a brilliantly run campaign. So much so, Advertising Age recently selected Obama’s Campaign as its Marketer of the Year. He’s reached out to younger voters using the web to his advantage—using social media sties like Digg, Twitter and Facebook. It’s also important to note, Obama carries fewer political debts than McCain.

The biggest problem most Americans have with Obama is his name—Barack Hussein Obama. Doesn’t sound much like the other 43 guys who had the job, huh? And people thought a catholic Kennedy was a tough sell. Besides, it’s not so much the man that dictates the times, but the other way around. And, one man isn’t going to change the nation. He’s not going to make people work harder, or make children smarter, or even keep family structures intact.

Those are the reasons, as scattered as they may be, why I’m going to vote for Barack Obama for the next President of the United States and not John McCain. So what was it that did McCain in? Actually, let’s start with what didn’t sway my opinion. It’s outrageous that McCain is judged so heavily on his mannerisms and public appearance—especially by the Hollywood-jerkoff types. To an extent, the way a candidate presents him self in public is not necessarily the best way for form an opinion. McCain isn’t the wrong choice because he’s awkward. By that same logic, Abraham Lincoln—with a raspy voice and frail figure—would have been a terrible candidate.

As much as these people (who represent a large number of Obama’s fan base) drive me crazy, they’re not even a fraction as bad as the nut jobs in McCain’s followers who won’t vote for Obama because he is an “Arab” or a “black.” People who think like this should worry everyone. The rest of the world sees this too, and it just adds to the perception that Americans are dumb, fat and lazy. A vote for Obama might change that perception.

McCain’s fatal flaws were his age and choosing the wrong running mate. A lot of people were turned off by Sarah Palin’s interview with Katie Couric. But it was her appearance on SNL that showed her true colors. She is oblivious and never realized the joke was on her. My dad told me at a very early age that it’s one thing to be laughed with and laughed at. “Make sure you know the difference,” he told me. This is a lesson Sarah Palin never bothered to learn. Unfortunately, I feel like a vote for McCain is a vote for Palin for President.

I don’t know if this is true, but I heard he asked Michael Bloomberg to run with him and was turned down quicker than a bedspread in a Nevada brothel. Now there’s a guy who should run for president. A successful businessman and politician. He has done such a good job as mayor of NYC, they have waived their term limits to keep in office. I can’t say I blame him for staying away. He’s got a good thing going and probably doesn’t want to be bothered.

In an abrupt closing, it’s laughable that people believe the outcome of this election will change the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. It will however, set the course for the future—one with more uncertainties than ever before. For those of you who still aren’t sure who to vote for there’s always the George Carlin school of thought that says, if I don’t vote then I’m not contributing to the problem.

God Bless America!

Carmelo is King

2008-10-17T17:02:00.004-04:00

Syracuse welcomes back Carmelo Anthony this evening as his Denver Nuggets play host to the Phoenix Suns in an NBA pre-season game at the Carrier Dome. I’m not going to the game, but as luck would have it, I got to see him anyway. I received a hot tip from a colleague that Melo would be in the building where I work doing some radio spots. When he rolled in I wasn’t able to get to the lobby fast enough. All I could do was wait, which is exactly what I did for about 20-30 minutes. So there I am standing in the lobby when out comes Melo with a small entourage. I had all I could to keep from hugging him and weeping at his feet for all of his fine contributions to SU Hoops. Instead, we did a cool handshake and chatted about his FU dunk against G-town in the BE Tourney back in the day. (See the :16 second mark of the above clip.) And then I got his autograph. Pretty much an all-around great experience.

I also had this email exchange with a co-worker today regarding a party featuring Melo tonight. I found it rather amusing and I hope you do to. Names were excluded to protect the innocent.

Me: So-and-so mentioned something about Melo, Prime and you this evening. Is this true? Open to the pubic? And if not, what favor will I owe you?

Her: Melo, Prime and Me – I like the sound of that. Yes, there is an after-party at Prime, starts at ten I think. Would love to see you there. Just so you aren’t surprised, there will be a sea of chocolate faces there … but there will certainly be some vanilla faces sprinkled in.

Me: That’s cool. I love chocolate. And besides, I’m used to playing the role of awkward white guy, even around other white people. Sounds fun, maybe I’ll see you there.

On to this week’s picks …

CRAVE vs. ICEMAN – WEEK 7

We missed posting two weeks worth of picks, but that doesn’t mean they were forgotten. The Race for the Case is heating up as we head into Week 7.

Crave – Tennessee -8, Buffalo +1, Pittsburgh -10, Miami -2.5, Dallas -7, Chicago -3.5, Carolina -3, NY Giants -11, Houston -9.5, NY Jets -3, Cleveland +7.5, Indy -1.5, Seattle +11, Denver +3

Last two weeks: 14-14
Season: 39-35-1

Iceman – KC +8, San Diego -1, Pittsburgh -10, Miami -2.5, Dallas -7, Minnesota +3.5, New Orleans +3, San Fran +11, Houston -9.5, NY Jets -3, Washington -7.5, Indy -1.5, Seattle +11, Denver +3

Last two weeks: 17-11
Season: 35-39-1

Joe Buck is the captain of Team Smug

2008-09-26T16:44:00.002-04:00

No Giants this weekend, so I can focus all of my attention on fantasy league play. Here is the call by Marv Albert of the Great Escape and The Catch set to still photos. It’s a shame we had to listen to Joe Buck the day of the game. He is so smug.

CRAVE vs ICEMAN – Week 4

Crave – Denver -9.5, Cleveland +3, Jacksonville -7.5, Arizona +1.5, New Orleans -6, Carolina -7.5, Tennessee -3, Green Bay +1.5, Buffalo, San Diego, Dallas, Philly, Pittsburgh

Last week: 8-8
Season: 25-21-1

Iceman – Denver -9.5, Cincinnati -3, Houston +7.5, Arizona +1.5, San Fran +6, Atlanta +7.5, Minnesota +3, Green Bay +1.5, Buffalo -8.5, San Diego -7, Dallas -11, Philly -3, Pittsburgh -5.5

Last week: 4-12
Season: 18-28-1

Report from the Orange Carpet

2008-09-22T21:19:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not, this wasn’t the first movie premiere I’ve attended in Syracuse. I’ve been to two—both with Ice. The other was a film made locally and called Reynolds City. It stars TK99 radio personality Lisa Chelenza and was kind of like a porno without any sex scenes. I would recommend checking it out sometime. Or never.

The Express Premiere, on the other hand, was a totally worthwhile, semi-life-changing experience. In a word, it was crazy. Crazy in that there was so much more than the movie to see. Unfortunately, I was told not to bring a camera by a co-worker of mine and was the only idiot in downtown that night without a one. Thanks Padma.

Padma did, however, score the Iceman and I a pair of tickets to The Express Premiere. I’m not just talking about the movie, but the whole shebang—from walking the Orange Carpet attending the after party. This was Hollywood right on our doorstep and we weren’t going to let a minute pass us by.

Our evening began with a walk down the Orange Carpet (see photo, top left) to. It turned out to be a much better experience than either of us could have imagined. There were lots of photographers around and people in the stands. Some even knew who we were. First was Jay Hughes and then Tony Glass. Next were Mikey J. and Mrs. Mac. If that wasn’t enough Chuck Wainwright—a local photographer and friend of mine—started snapping pictures of us. For a moment we were famous. Or at least it seemed that way.

The other guests who walked the carpet were pretty important, too. Outside of the cast there was Bob Costas, Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Jimmy and Jules, Rob Konrad, and Art Monk—just to name a few.

As the start of the premiere approached, Ice and I figured it would be a good idea to stand near the entrance of the theatre to maybe catch of glimpse of one of the many stars that came out for the event. Some of the men working the door didn’t think it was such a good idea and asked us to go find our seats. Lucky for us, the Iceman had built up a rapport with one of the ladies at the door checking tickets. She told the men we were her sons and we were allowed to stay.

Soon after we took our seats and got ready to see the World Premiere of The Express. Having never attended a world premiere before, there were some things I was unprepared for, like no previews and seeing the director’s cut.

Like most Hollywood productions, there were a few flaws and outrageous exaggerations. Like the opening scene where Davis and his cousin end up on the wrong side of the tracks and confront some white kids. The scene ends with Ernie running away as white kids keep popping out of the bushes like the Vietcong.

Other little things like incorrect game scores. Or the part where he’s the only kid on the team who doesn’t get a football jersey (it was actually a baseball jersey). And, the Holy Cross game looked like a stolen scene from The Last Boy Scout.

As for the movie, you’ll probably like it. Love it if you’re from Syracuse. There were some good shots from campus that drew applause—particularly Hendricks Chapel, the Maxwell School and the Crouse building. Dennis Quaid was solid. Rob Brown didn’t over act. And, I can’t believe how not big the guy who played Jim Brown was in real life. The whole thing was a landmark event to say the very least.

The Express Premiere also marked the first time Jimmy B. has ever bothered to reply to me with a verbal response. The first time we met/I noticed him in public, he was checking out Stormin’ Matt Gorman play at a local high school. I said, “Hello.” He grunted. The second time I was working at the Dome and we walked into the building together through the players’ entrance—where you have to go in one door, close the door and wait in a cement cul-de-sac until the security personnel at the second door lets you in. Jimmy and I were in there, so I said, “Hello Coach.” I think he nodded, or twitched. To this day I’m still not really sure.

Fast-forward to last Friday at the door to the theater. He finally said, “Hello.” That’s all I ever wanted coach. Thank you. As if that wasn’t enough, I found myself smack in the middle of a conversation with Jim and Jules later that night at the after party. My first move was to congratulate him on his success at the Summer Games in Beijing. He thanked me and the women in the group turned the conversation to the public library. Jimmy could have cared less. I can’t blame him. I didn’t either. Besides, we had so many more important things to talk about. Like, being off the radar with an uber-talented team, playing one a hell of a non-conference schedule and everybody in town wanting to get back to the big dance. Meanwhile, the conversation rolled on and just to get noticed I made a remark about Jim not doing his summer reading. Everyone laughed. We all prepared to break and I looked at Jimmy and said, “Good luck with the team this year.” He smiled and said, “It should be fun.” I believe him. He’s got his pieces in place and a team that wants to be coached. Next year is finally almost here, but we'll save that for another day. Go Orange!

This also got me to thinking, who is more famous: Jimmy B or Dennis Quaid? I say Jimmy B.

So even though I didn’t have a camera to take pictures it was a good time. A great time, in fact. We walked the Orange Carpet. Got to see a Hollywood-style premiere. Meet the stars. And, attend one of the coolest parties in this city’s history—a party we may or may not have snuck into. Yes, this is buried at the bottom for a reason. See you all Oct. 2 at the theater when The Express premieres to the rest of the world.

One of the best nights, ever.

2008-09-19T11:50:00.002-04:00

The above photo of Bob Costas and I is a little preview of the forthcoming post about The Express Premiere. Unfortunately there aren’t many more photos. I’ll explain later. Sorry this didn’t get done sooner. I should have something by Monday. Here are this week’s picks.

CRAVE vs ICEMAN – WEEK 3

Crave – Falcons -5.5; Raiders +9; Texans +5.5; Giants -13; Redskins -3; Dolphins +13; Bucs +3; Panthers +3; Rams +9; Niners -4.5; Broncos -5; Steelers +3; Jags +6; Browns +2; Cowboys -3; Jets +8.5

Last week: 7-7-1
Season: 17-13-1

Iceman – Falcons -5.5; Bills -9; Texans +5.5; Bengals +13; Cardinals +3; Dolphins +13; Bears -3; Panthers +3; Rams +9; Niners -4.5; Broncos -5; Steelers +3; Colts -6; Browns +2; Cowboys -3; Jets +8.5.

Last week: 7-7-1
Season: 14-16-1

Junction 44: The Express Rolls Into Syracuse

2008-09-11T22:54:00.006-04:00

“Almost from the beginning at Syracuse University I found I had drawn a tough role. I would pick up the papers, even when I was still a freshman in 1958, and see myself referred to as ‘another Jim Brown.’ Jim, the great fullback with the Cleveland Browns, had played his final season at Syracuse in 1956. When I entered Syracuse I knew this much: I wasn't another Jim Brown. I wasn't that good.”

Truth is, Ernie Davis was that good. Arguably better. And above all, that humble. The quote is an excerpt from an incredible interview with Ernie Davis from the Saturday Evening Post in 1963. If you plan on seeing the movie about him, read this first. It’s pretty much all you’ll need to know about what kind of guy Ernie Davis was. You can find the full text here.

Speaking of the movie, The Express premieres tonight (Friday) at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse—the first (and probably only) time a major motion picture will debut in the Salt City. This got me to thinking: How does a movie make its way to Syracuse? Besides the obvious connection between Davis and Syracuse, what was the link between Syracuse and Hollywood? None other than SU’s athletic director, Dr. Daryl Gross(1).

When Gross arrived at Syracuse back in 2005, he knew the Reader’s Digest version of Ernie Davis’ story. Superstar running back leads Syracuse to its first National Championship. Becomes first black player to win the Heisman Trophy. Selected as the number one pick in the NFL draft. Dies of leukemia at age 23 before playing his first professional game. Now that may have sounded abrupt, but that’s pretty much how it happened. Heartbreaking to say the very least, but that’s Davis’ story in a nutshell.

One day during football practice at the Carrier Dome(2), Gross was approached by some members of the Varsity Club. They had recently seen an ESPN documentary about one of SU’s most famous 44s—The Elmira Express Ernie Davis—and wanted to get a movie made. The problem, however, was they had no connection to Tinsel Town. Who better to ask than a Beverly Hills High School(3) alum?

“They said this was a story that needed to be told,” Gross said. “I wholeheartedly agreed.” So Gross contacted an old classmate—Gary Foster, producer of such films as Tin Cup and Sleepless in Seattle. “All I really did was contact some guys who went to high school with me,” he said. “I told Gary, ‘You’ve got to see this ESPN documentary and tell me this isn’t good enough to become a movie.’”

He sent the documentary to Foster. Upon watching it, Foster said he had good news and bad news for Gross. The bas news was he couldn’t do the movie. The good news was Universal Studios picked up the script. With that, Gross flew to Los Angeles to meet with John Davis, the movie’s producer. “This film is special,” Gross said. “It’s not just sports fans. Most will like because of the storyline.”

After attending a screening of the film in Manhattan, Gross said it was outstanding—probably the greatest sports film he’s ever seen. Some of his other favorites include Brian’s Song, Rudy, Remember the Titans, The Longest Yard. See a theme here? No surprise considering Gross’ personal history with football—a player at UC Davis and scout for the New York Jets. Gross said it's more than the story that makes the movie special. He also spoke about the authenticity of the film.

Although most of it was filmed at Northwestern’s Ryan Field(4), a lot of the on-campus shots were filmed at Syracuse University. To make it look as close to 1959 as possible bike racks, for example, were removed from outdoor shots to ensure the scene’s realism.

For those outside of Syracuse, this movie will be lumped into the same genre of sports movies such as We Are Marshall and Remember the Titans. But for me, there’s a thrill associated with the anticipation of seeing a major motion picture about your favorite college team. As for the premiere, Gross said, “It will be one of those things that will be remembered for a long time around here.” I’ll let you know.

I’m heading to the Orange Carpet premiere tonight at the Landmark Theater. Word around town is all of the actors and famous alums will be present—Dennis Quaid(5), Jim Brown, Bob Costas and Floyd Little, just to name a few. Will the movie be any good? I sure hope so, because it’s probably going to be the biggest moment of Syracuse’s season.

Footnotes

1. I met Dr. Gross at a lunch he was speaking at this past summer. During the Q&A portion I asked about what, if any, role he played in making the movie a reality. Turns out a lot. We set up an interview and this is what he had to say about bringing The Express to Syracuse.

2. The Carrier Dome is a far cry from the gritty confides of Archibald Stadium. That’s right, Syracuse used to play their football games outside. Anyone even remotely familiar with the area can tell what the weather is like here in the winter. It can be unpleasant at times, to say the very least. Every year, an award called the Golden Snowball is given to the upstate city that receives the most snow. It seems like theCuse wins every year.

3. Gross attended high school with Nicholas Cage and ran track with Florence Henderson’s kids. Of it, he said, “We played sports, so we though we were the stars.”

4. Yes, the same Northwestern who beat up on the Orange two weeks ago.

5. Dennis Quaid plays Ben Schwartzwalder—who coached the Orangemen from 1949-1973 and led SU to the 1959 National Championship at the Cotton Bowl.

Here are some things worth mentioning that didn’t fit in anywhere else:
• I can’t prove this, but Gross said The Express was one of the top screening movies in Universal’s history.
• The movie is based on the book "Ernie Davis, The Elmira Express" by Robert Gallagher.
• If I had a blog totally dedicated to SU sports it would be called Junction 44.
• I wonder if the Syracuse Express was named after Ernie Davis?
• Here is a link to the university’s page about the movie.

CRAVE vs ICEMAN - WEEK 2

2008-09-11T17:11:00.003-04:00

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow’s post about the Express should be a good one. The above video is a shout out to the Iceman and Vern—two of the biggest Bills supporters out there. Good luck this season. Got off to a good start against Icy last week in the race for the case. Here our are picks for Week 2.

Crave

Chiefs -3.5
Titans +1
Vikings +2
Saints -1
Packers -3
Carolina -3
Giants -8
Bills +5.5
Bucs -7.5
Niners +7.5
Dolphins +6.5
Jets -2
Texans -5
Broncos +1.5
Steelers -5.5
Cowboys -7

Last week: 10-6
Season: 10-6

Iceman

Chiefs -3.5
Titans +1
Colts -2
Skins +1
Lions +3
Bears +3
Giants -8
Bills +5.5
Falcons +7.5
Niners +7.5
Dolphins +6.5
Jets -2
Ravens +5
Broncos +1.5
Steelers -5.5
Cowboys -7

Last week: 7-9
Season: 7-9

A Bad Time For The Empire

2008-09-08T21:32:00.010-04:00

What a weekend. Perhaps the best way to approach this is chronological order. On Saturday, I watched Syracuse lose to Akron. It was probably the lowest point in the program’s history. I’m kind of ashamed to admit this, but Saturday’s game was the first time since I was a toddler that I couldn’t name Cuse’s starting QB. How bad was the Orange? Peter King mentioned our terribleness in his edition of Monday Morning Quarterback. Pictured above you’ll see Mr. Pants enjoying the new padded-seat section at the Dome. This photo was taken minutes before kickoff. It was without a doubt the worst crowd I can remember for a home opener. Like the steel benches underneath the orange seats, there was a sliver lining. My Dad is an Akron alum and thoroughly enjoyed watching the Zips walk all over the Orange. To celebrate one of the biggest wins in the program’s history he took Pants and I to Danzer’s for Ruebens and potato pancakes. It was delicious. Thanks Dad!

Comment of the Day
There was an announcement at the Dome about the team participating in a Turkeys for Touchdowns program designed to help needy children this Thanksgiving. Pants said, "Looks like there's going to be a lot of hungry kids this year."

Fantasy update
Remember when I mentioned what Bill Simmons said about drafting Moss and Owens? While, Gisele Bundchen’s boyfriend is out for the season and I’m stuck with Randy Moss sans QB. It’s only a matter of time before some phantom injury keeps him out until Tom’s return in 2009. To cheer us all up, here’s a You Tube clip of Gisele (about the 2:20 mark) from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Interview w/ D. Gross
Quick little teaser for this Friday’s post. A little while back I met Dr. Daryl Gross and asked him what, if any, role he played in bringing the Express movie to life. Turns out, a lot. Leave it to the boy from Beverly Hills High to make the biggest moment of the season a movie premiere. Anyway, I was going to submit this story to our local paper, but it never hashed out. I'll have the unfinished work for you on Friday.

You've got to be kidding
Last but not least, Fox’s Hole in the Wall. Whatever I was planning on writing is probably better left unsaid. See you Friday.

CRAVE vs ICEMAN – Week 1

2008-09-05T10:29:00.006-04:00

A little fantasy follow up. I found the above clip of several prominent Washington Redskins holding a fantasy football draft on si.com’s Extra Mustard. It’s from Tight End Chris Cooley’s blog.

Moving on to the title of this post CRAVE vs ICEMAN. This NFL season, my old roommate, the Iceman, and I will be putting up our best picks every week in the Race for a Case. Basically, we’ll pick every game, every week for the entire NFL regular season and whoever gets the most right wins a case of their choice—anything from Dead Guy Ale to Wild Cherry Pepsi. Last season our bet was whether the Broncos would make the playoffs. I took the Broncos and the Iceman took the case. Anyway, our Week 1 Picks are listed below:

Crave

Giants -4
Bengals -1.5
Jets -3
Pats -15
Texans +6.5
Titans +3
Lions -3
Bills
Saints -3
Eagles -7.5
Cowboys -5
Panthers +9.5
Cards -2.5
Bears +9.5
Vikings +2.5
Raiders +3

Iceman

Giants -4
Bengals -1.5
Jets -3
Pats -15
Texans +6.5
Titans +3
Lions -3
Seahawks
Saints -3
Rams +7.5
Cleveland +5
Panthers +9.5
Cards -2.5
Colts -9.5
Vikings +2.5
Broncos -3

Fantasy Draft Recap

2008-09-02T14:53:00.005-04:00

I’ve been watching this season of HBO’s Hard Knocks featuring the Dallas Cowboys and it’s taught me two things. First, I’m not sure I’d be able to lift a single thing in an NFL weight room. And, Jerry Jones is not as terrible of an owner as you might think. In one of the episodes he got up in front of the team and said something along the lines of, I’m super rich and could be anywhere in the world right now. But I’m here, with you and want to win. Jones is often criticized for this hands-on approach to ownership, but when I got thinking about the things I would do if I owned a professional football team, Jones' antics seem like a drop in the bucket. That said, I don’t own a professional football team, but I do own a fantasy football team and our draft was last night. Here is a brief recap.

My co-owner, Mr. Pants, and I had the 10th and 11th picks (bottom of Round 1, top of Round 2). What to do? We knew from the outset we wanted Randy Moss, but the rumor mill indicated he wouldn’t be there. From the information we gathered, the first round would look something like this:

1. Tomlinson
2. Peterson
3. Brady
4. Westbrook
5. Jackson (Steven)
6. Addai
7. Moss
8. Gore
9. Barber
10. Romo

This is what actually happened:

1. Tomlinson
2. Peterson
3. Westbrook
4. Addai
5. Jackson (Steven)
6. Barber
7. Gore
8. Brady
9. Romo
10. Moss

So we had all of the pieces, just not in the right order. Which turned out to be a good thing—we think. The guy we wanted was there and we had first crack at Round 2. Our first instinct was to select a running back to add some balance, but the players available (including Marshawn Lynch, Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson) weren’t screaming “Take me!” We ended up selecting Terrell Owens and hoping a Jacobs/Maroney type back would be available next time around. This Moss/Owens thing looks great on paper, but who knows what these two are capable of. Bill Simmons said in a recent podcast that drafting those two on the same team may upset the fantasy gods. I think Val Kilmer said it best in the movie Heat, “Is the bank worth the risk?” Let’s hope so.

After 18 picks and a rush on receivers, Jacobs was still on the board. So were Fast Willie Parker and Ryan Grant. WHAT!?! How did two top 15 backs in the draft fall right into our laps? I attribute it to a lackluster effort in Round 3 by some of my fellow owners. Just a few of the picks I didn’t like: Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco (can you tell I’m low on the Bengals this year?), D. McNabb (love the man, but not the team), Steve Smith (suspended), Michael Turner (overrated). Truth be told, neither one of us was huge fan of Grant, considering he missed almost the entire preseason and is a Sophomore Slumper candidate, but at Round 4 who can argue with that pick? As for Jacobs, he was still available in Round 5, so we took him then over Santonio Holmes. Hope we don’t end up regretting that decision considering our selection of Roethisberger in Round 6.

In Rounds 7 and 8 we officially hit the “It’s time to fill needs and reach for players we want” portion of the draft. The foundation was set and we needed to build around it with a strong supporting cast. Unfortunately we missed the blitz on TEs and were left with Tony Gonzalez—our need pick. A pick I’m still unhappy with a day later and probably will be for the entire 2008 season. Our reach pick was Patrick Crayton. It pains me to draft Cowboys, but they could be one of the most prolific offenses in the league this year—or I’ve been drinking too much of the Hard Knocks Kool-Aid. Besides, I can root for them to have a successful regular season and fall apart in the playoffs, right?

Some random notes from last night’s draft
- Pants was not a big fan of Vern selecting Braylon Edwards in the second round at #17. He said Edwards will be this year’s Sophomore Slumper and added, “He plays for the Browns.” Hmm…
- One of the owners, Jason Wetmore of the Wetmore Insurance Agency, has a history of drafting Brett Farve. So much so, he once named one of his teams Brett Chmura. I thought this would be his year the Jets would be the new Packers, but I was wrong. He did drat one Jet—Thomas Jones.
- Vern was the first to call out a player already drafted—a great moment in any draft that always gets a rise from the crowd. In this case it was two players—Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark. He settled for Donald Driver.
- Ladies and Gentlemen 2008’s Mr. Irrelevant Award goes to Roscoe Parrish.
- This year’s Super Sleeper, DeSean Jackson, who started the draft process outside the Top 200 went in Round 10.
- We paid $14 each for pizza and wings.
- Pants and I drafted two TEs with the same bye week.
- Demperio drafted two QBs with the same bye week.
- On our big board, players with the same last name would have their first name inserted in parenthesis (see Jackson in Top 10 picks). By the end of the night there were some good ones including: Hightower (Officer) and Boss (The).

This was fun rehasing the events of our 13th annual fantasy draft. I’m thinking fantasy talk will be a recurring them here on the blog, so stay tuned.

Summer hiatus is almost over

2008-08-25T17:02:00.002-04:00

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted, but there’s a semi-good reason. Simply put, I didn’t feel like it this summer. Every second I can spend away from my computer, I do. When I was explaining this to a friend over the weekend he said, “That’s not how it works. You need to come up with new content for the sake of the page and, most importantly, your readers.” Well for the dozens of readers out there, don’t worry. The new fall season is coming and will better than ever. Some of the topics you’ll have to look forward include:

The Human Spider
Why you should putt everything out
A live Twitter feed from my fantasy football draft
Amateur meteorology
The New York Football Giants
Fall foliage

See you on the other side

2008-06-23T11:25:00.005-04:00

George Carlin, one of the greatest comedians ever, is now (in his own words) with the invisible man in the sky. Here’s to a man who spoke the truth. Whether or not you agreed with his views of the world, you had to respect them. Most everything he ever said was well thought out and an original mix of humor and cleverness. Carlin was great with an observation and ever better with a word. I’ve always enjoyed the clip posed above. I hope you do, too. Here are a few others:

DISCLAIMER: As with any Carlin bit, the language is offensive, so proceed with caution.

On language.

Baseball and football.

And, of course, the infamous “Seven Words” bit.

Wounded Tiger

2008-06-20T11:32:00.002-04:00

First a bit of good news. This blog has made a total of $0.42 since its inception. Thanks to whoever clicked through.

Now the bad news. As most of the free world already knows, Tiger Woods is done for the season. Terrible news for the networks broadcasting PGA Tour events, but good for the rest of the Tour and fantasy leagues. Here is SportsCenter's Top 10 shots by Tiger in majors. One of my favorites is #2.

Has anyone else noticed that pirate attacks are back in the news? I guess it’s fair to call them pirates—mostly because of the nature of their work and where it occurs. But it seems like most are in search of revenge rather than booty. Wouldn’t another name be more appropriate? I’m open to suggestions.

Here’s how Steve Zissou handles a pirate attack. For those of you wondering the song is “Search and Destroy” by Iggy Pop.

Check out this map of the Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia. It’s one of the busiest shipping channels in the world and a hotbed for pirate attacks.

Tiger, Tiger Woods Y’all

2008-06-18T10:49:00.005-04:00

Not that this hasn’t been discussed ad nauseam, but I’m torn between the awesomeness of an 18-hole playoff and the terribleness of it happening on a Monday. The final round of the U.S. Open Sunday was about as good as it gets for golf—the greatest player of our generation, and probably of all time, in the fight of his life against the working man’s hero. Part of me really would have liked to see a champion crowned Sunday. When I was at home and on the couch instead of shadily bouncing around work to catch a glimpse of the action. The above video isn’t from the Open, but it is one of my favorite Tiger moments for a couple of reasons. 1) Augusta National is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been; and 2) Vern Lundquist is on the call.

A couple of solids:

This Kevin Durant commercial.

The Star Wars Dance-Off.

And last, but certainly not least, if you haven't played with Pandora yet, go there immediately. It’s a super-cool internet radio service that plays pretty much anything you can imagine. It operates like a smart juke box. You type in a song, it plays and the next song is selected based on the genre of your initial selection.

Born to Run

2008-06-10T17:51:00.005-04:00

Let’s see … what to talk about …

How bad Syracuse football will be this year … again. The above clip is a salute to the good old days. A good friend, who will remain nameless, stormed the field after the victory and was so excited/intoxicated he threw up in the end zone. On a semi-related note, I have a great video of McNabb clips to The Boss’ Born to Run. I’ll see what I can do about getting that up here.

If you don’t watch the Real World, which you probably don’t, move right along. But if you do, do you think Joey is not an alcoholic, but just a meathead who can’t handle his booze?

What’s the opposite of a Boy Band? A Girl Troupe? Well, I was recently introduced to Girlicious and I thought you might want to know about them, too—if you’re a middle-aged man or a teenager. Enjoy the fine work of Nat, Nic, Tiff and Chrys. Oh, and you really don't need to listen. Just watch.

And last, but not least … a quick shout out to my man “Disco” Stu DeSantis, the first (and so far only) person to leave a comment (although a backhanded one) here on Crave’s World. His comment did, however, get me to thinking, “Man, I really need to update this thing more often.” There’s more to come on that front, but for now all you’re going to get from me is a paragraph or so a week. Good day.

Chief Export: Pain

2008-06-02T17:01:00.005-04:00

I had a conversation with a friend the other night about Chuck Norris and the second Delta Force movie, The Columbian Connection. We concluded that this was a do-over for the first Delta Force movie, which had way too many characters and not enough Norris. The featured clip is a fine example of what DF2 brings to the table. Enjoy.

Not that you haven’t seen this a hundred times before, but the Chuck Norris Facts page is always good for a laugh. After all, Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep. He waits.

Get Lost

2008-05-19T17:00:00.004-04:00

Actually, this is a post about another one of my favorite television programs, Lost. As much as I’ll miss it when it’s gone, I like that the creators have decided to call it quits when the story ends. This got me thinking about other shows I’ve liked that ended up running their course or “Jumping the Shark.” Even though the two shows are nothing alike, 90210 is a good example.

It’s arguable that 90210 should have ended immediately after the Noxzema girl died and Luke Perry left the show during Season 6. Or, the end of Season 7 (college graduation) at the absolute latest. Of course, it didn’t and dragged on for three more agonizing seasons.

Anyway, back to Lost. Have you ever checked out Lostpedia? It’s pretty much all things Lost. There are spoilers on the site, but I never read them. I like surprises. I was the kind of kid who would never go looking for presents because it would ruin the suspense of Christmas morning. Same mindset applies here. I’m really excited to find out more about the newest station: The Orchid. And, how they will move the island, which was described as “dangerous and unpredictable.” Hmm...

It’s almost inevitable that one of the main characters will die during the finale. I discussed the creation of a Lost Death Pool with a friend of mine and if we started today, my top candidate is Jin (for obvious reasons) and I’ll give the sleeper nod to Juliet. Still two weeks away.

Oh, give me a home…

2008-05-09T10:51:00.006-04:00

I recently recorded Where the Buffalo Roam—a movie I’ve always wanted to see, but just haven’t gotten around to. It’s about one of my favorite authors (Hunter Thompson), and stars one of my favorite actors (Bill Murray). The decision to watch wasn’t so much if, but rather when. Needless to say, I enjoyed the film and its soundtrack, which had some Hendrix, Dylan and my personal favorite Neil Young's “Home on the Range.” If you enjoyed Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, you’ll like this, too. I thought one of the most obvious similarities, besides the true-to-life characters, is DEADman font used in the opening credits (see photo). DEADman is the font of choice for Ralph Steadman—a friend of Thompson, who illustrated many of his works.

A couple interesting tidbits about Thompson:

Back in the 70s Thompson and Murray got all banged up poolside at some hotel. Thompson tied Murray to a chair and threw him into a swimming pool. Some say it was a test of loyalty, others say it was Murray trying to out-Houdini Thompson. Either way, it’s a great story.

At his funeral, Thompson requested that his ashes be shot out of a cannon shaped like a peyote bowl. There wasn’t enough money left in his estate to construct such a piece of equipment, so one of his famous friends footed the bill. The friend? None other than Johnny Depp, who played the role of Raoul Duke (one of Thompson’s many pseudonyms) in Fear and Loathing.

If you’re looking for a good read, I’d recommend Hell’s Angles: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. There’s also The Rum Diary, a film adaptation is in the works starring Johnny Depp as Paul Kemp (another pseudonym).

Wii-diculous

2008-05-06T15:27:00.005-04:00

The GF recently purchased a Nintendo Wii and needless to say, it’s awesome. Though, we learned early on that it’s not all fun and games. You have to remember to wear your wrist strap and make sure everyone is clear or else something like this or this may happen. So far we’ve managed to stay incident free.

I picked up a copy of the new Mario Kart, which comes with a steering wheel to control your kart. And yes, it is as good if not better than you’d imagine. Since the first Mario Kart was released for Super Nintendo way back in the early 90s, I've been a huge fan. So much so, I often claim to be one of the top 10 players in the world for the N64 version. With the online play feature, I now have a chance to prove my self-proclaimed greatness. If only I was still in college and had the time to dedicate to video games I did back then. Is the bank worth the risk? In other words, is there an upside to losing my job and love life to achieve Mario Kart immortality? Only time will tell. Also worthy of note is this gem—a Brief History of the Mario Kart franchise. I think the narrator puts it best when he says it’s “Challenging, addictive and a blast to play.”

League play

2008-05-01T16:54:00.003-04:00

Only one item on today’s agenda. League play started yesterday. It was a so-so round. A triple, double and two three-putt bogeys in route to a 47. One could say it was a sub-par performance, but that would be wrong. Isn’t it funny that when used in any other context “sub-par” means you did a crappy job? On the bright side, I’ll have a slightly higher handicap than I should. I’m not too worried about this above-par performance. The season is young and I’m hoping for a breakthrough year. One big reason is the newest addition to my bag—the TaylorMade r7 460 Driver. This extraordinary piece of equipment and its over-sized head had helped cure a slice that was an absolute confidence killer. I’ve been striping fairways and haven’t felt this comfortable in a tee box since, well, ever.

Check out these sweet kicks

2008-04-29T16:44:00.007-04:00

Just seeing what a photo would look like on the page. For anyone wondering, this is a picture of my feet in the Delaware River. The sweet pair of kicks you see are made by Teva—they are called the Karnali Wraptor.

In other useless information…

Since this site is owned by Google, I’ve found you can use their AdSense tool here. Basically, that means people can put pay-per-click ads on my page and I can learn a thing or two about analytics in the process. I’ve also added Twitter to the column to your right. Although, I’m not exactly sure what real purpose it serves. It’s kind of like IM meets blogging. It has a very creepy element to it, in that you “follow” people until they except you as a friend or whatever. Seems slightly stalkerish to me, but millions of people are using it, so what do I know.

Salty is back!

2008-04-29T16:00:00.001-04:00

Texas Rangers’ stud prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia, or Salty as they call him around the clubhouse, has been called into action. This is a good thing for a couple of reasons. First, he has a big-time bat that can add a lot to an already good fantasy lineup. Second, I drafted him in my AL-only fantasy league and have had him stashed away on my bench for the past month. I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for this moment.

As of now, he’ll be splitting starts with incumbent Gerald Laird. This is unfortunate because Salty is light years better than Laird. From what I’ve read, the problem isn’t at the plate, it’s behind it. I guess they want him to learn how to handle a Major League staff before throwing him into full-time action. Another possibility, although highly unlikely, is that Salty could find some time at 1B. The current situation, featuring the platoon of Ben Brussard and Jason Botts, isn’t turning any heads. So, who knows? If it wasn’t for the Rays’ Even Longoria, I’d put my money on Salty winning AL Rookie of the Year.

First thing's first

2008-04-28T18:52:00.001-04:00

Well, here we are. My first official blog post on my official blog. I’m in the midst of creating a social network for work purposes. Believe it or not, I’m getting paid to dally around on the computer and create Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot accounts. Right now, we’re just testing out the waters, so if you’re reading this expecting to be entertained, look elsewhere. This is merely a test. I’ll be back when I have something worthwhile. Until then good luck and god speed.