Amazing race season 14 episode 8 recap

Jbox asked me to post the recap for this episode, I think because he was too busy with some ladies of the night (which he gave up for lent).   He didn't miss much this episode, because in my opinion it was the same old crap.  Team Midget Stuntmen broke the rules again and Team Sistas are so dysfunctional.

This one starts out by the teams leaving Phucket and headed to Bangkok Thailand.  It must have been nice to take a 1 hour flight instead of taking 15+ hours to get anywhere, but it sucked for the first teams that had to spend the night in the airport to catch a 7am flight.   After arriving they all took taxis to the first road block, and that's when hot red head cheerleader's anger came out again.  I was curious why Luke and Margie didn't wait up for Cara and Jaime, unless Deaf Kid already got some and it wasn't that great.   The roadblock was one of the easiest ones to date with the propeller, but it shows had bad Asian Lawyer Victor is at putting things together.   Things quickly got complicated after some teams decided to grab their gear and head by boat to the next clue, while others left their stuff waiting at the dock or in the cabs.  For some strange reason ugly sister Kisha decided to leave her shoes and their passports at the dock thinking they would come back to get them.  Of course the midget brothers disagreed on whether to take their stuff or not and it cost them in the end. At the detour teams had to decide whether to ride in karaoke cabs or fit dentures in some old folks' mouths.   Both of these ended up being really disturbing to watch.  All of the teams but one decided to go with the karaoke taxis but had to ride with Thai party chicks that were seemed to be trannies.   Luke and Margie chose the dentures, and Deaf Kid just kept moaning the entire time.  I couldn't tell if he was moaning because he was frustrated or because he was so disgusted.  Margie was methodical about the whole thing and completed it in no time to get them to the pit stop first.   Team NFL Cheerleaders were second to the pit stop, and then Team Asian Lawyers third.

Team Sistas technically got to the pit stop third, but Phil broke the bad news that they had left their passports behind at the dock and could not be checked in until they got them.   I kept thinking that they're screwed since last season the stupid college frat dudes left their shoes at a previous detour and couldn't retrieve them at the end of the pit stop.   So they had to take a cab back to the dock, grab their backpacks, shoes and passports and get back in time.   Meanwhile, Team Midget Stuntmen argued what seemed like hours trying to decide whether to go back to get their backpacks or complete the detour first.  They opted to take a cab back to the docks, and had to drop a ton of money doing so.  They finally met up with their first taxi and had that guy take them back to the city for the detour.  Unfortunately, they didn't have enough money and Mark offered a flashlight and something else (I think a HJ) to pay for the cab.  They did the karaoke and Michael loved the trannies and probably had no clue they were dudes.   When they took the last taxi to get to the pit stop, they were short on cash and Mark paid with his watch.  They made it to the pit stop before the sisters made it back.  Then Phil dropped a huge bomb on them reminding them that they had illegally paid for taxis with items other then cash, and incurred two 2-hour penalties... four hours in total they had to wait.  Stupid midgets.  Finally Kisha and Jen showed up to finish fourth and had a tender moment when they cried about how stupid they are for not taking two minutes to grab their crap.   Phil waited a good ten minutes and then finally decided to check in the midgets.  Good news for them is that it was a non-elimination race.  Bad news is that not only do they have a speed bump in the next leg, but they also have to wait out the remainder of their penalty  (~3 hours) in the beginning of the next leg.  Too bad they didn't know that in advance, because they could have asked Phil to wait out the delay before checking-in.  

In a preview for next week's episode, Jen and Luke get into a scuffle twice and someone gets called a bitch.  I can't wait. 

 

 

I'm rarely inspired to post a story unless something exceptional occurs that lights a fire in me.   On my way home this weekend from a company sales meeting I heard the news about A-Rod's then alleged steroid use and almost lost my lunch on the dash.  Let me explain.  For those that have never attended a large corporate meeting, they usually book a "motivational" speaker with the intention to inspire the troops to aspire to go above and beyond for that fiscal year.   Out of respect for the person that spoke I don't want to provide his name or website.  However, I will say that he may very well be out of a job thanks to A-Rod.

Our special guest started out by saying that he's a life coach for some of the greatest athletes in the world, and has studied the psyche of these athletes and their ability to achieve amazing things.  I always go into these presentations with an open mind and try to dial down the cynicism in order to appease management.  However, I couldn't believe my ears when this speaker bragged about the fact that he's a life coach for A-Rod.  Apparently, he talks to him daily, and has done so since he started out in MLB.  I couldn't help but think that if I was a life coach for a guy of A-Rod's caliber that I would keep that to myself.  Especially, when my client is not that well respected by his colleagues, fans, and family.  I leaned over to my co-worker and whispered "next thing we know he's going to say he's Barry Bonds' life coach."  Dude lost it, and we just checked out for about two hours straight.  

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday dear Dex.

Happy birthday to you.

My gift to Dex is posting this open thread two innings too late.  Go Pads.

I'm sure all of you read the opening day post by jbox, and his take on the demise of the old Compadres Club and launch of the Frequent Friar Rewards Club. 

Just prior to posting that story, jbox and I met for lunch at DZ Akins (a fine jewish deli with the best chopped liver on rye and matzo ball soup).  After he told me the story of how his old Compadres card of 10+ years was worthless, and how the Padres tried to sign him up for their new rewards club for $10, I just about spit up my brisket and pickle all over Ted Leitner's likeness. 

Is it just me, or is this new program insulting on so many levels?  After carefully reading through the new program rules, I quickly realized that the Padres have eliminated an excellent socialist-esque program for one that promotes a capitalist system of rewarding the fans that spend the most money on tickets with the Padres, and not necessarily those that attend the most games...  there is a difference in these two demographics, so let's explore that idea.  Considering the general economic sentiment in this country is growing more negative, you would think that a multi-million dollar organization would be sensitive to the fact that the "average fan" is stretching their dollar even further to enjoy a baseball game. 

Continue reading this post »

Let's see if my one open thread for the year makes a difference in this playoff race.

Go Padres?  Experience It?

Let's see if my one open thread for the year makes a difference in this playoff race.

Go Padres?  Experience It?

With all this optimistic and pessimistic banter floating around GLB today, I thought I'd post some realistic info on the wild card situation.

If the Pads tie for the wild card with the Phillies or Rockies, the coin toss earlier this month says the following one-game playoffs would take place...

Phillies at Padres  or Padres at Rockies

Just as a reminder, the Padres lost 3 of 4 vs the Phillies in SD, and the Padres lost 5 of 9 vs the Rockies in CO.  

If it's a three-way tie between the Pads, Phillies, and Rockies, or possibly a four-way tie with the Mets in there, it's way too complicated for this blog.

Anyway you look at it, we're screwed.

I know we're all sick of talking about Phil Nevin, and hearing him co-host shows on XX sports radio in San Diego.  I've got a couple of stories that will definitely reinforce the idea that Nevin is a lot like contracting herpes... it will never go away no matter what you do and will flare up on you when you least expect it.

On the Saturday before the Padres game vs Atlanta on ESPN, XX sports radio (Darren Smith, Randy Jones & Phil Nevin) had Peter Gammons on the show.  Nevin asked Gammons about the Padres taking a risk by bringing on Milton Bradley, and how it might affect the team's chemistry.  It was an interesting discussion with Gammons, and he had nothing but the nicest things to say about Bradley (I stand corrected on my previous perception of MB).  He said despite his past blow-ups, Bradley's misunderstood, and he was the most compassionate player while Gammons was recovering from his life-threatening brain aneurysm by always writing him to see how he was doing.  Then Gammons went on to say, "besides, you don't want your team to be vanilla and without drama, right Phil?"  Nevin laughed it off, but I enjoyed hearing Gammons imply that Phil's a prick.

I just heard the other day that Nevin's anger management took a turn for the worse at a Poway National Little League (PNLL) 9-10 year-olds All-star game.

My Local News:

 I heard that someone called into XX sports radio claiming that Nevin was dropping tons of F-bombs to the ump at the top of his voice in front of these kids and their families.   This guy is a class act.

Editor's Note: Due to the response of some readers, we apologize for the picture we previously posted. However, we should all be ashamed of an individual that uses profanity to the worst degree in front of children. This is allegedly what Mr. Nevin did, and for that, we say "Shame on you Phil."

I woke up this morning and I'm relieved to say that the incessant ringing of "Let's go RedSox!" is finally gone.  

As Jbox mentioned, I was at the game yesterday with my Dad, and we were fortunate enough to sit in front of a die hard RedSox fan who flew in that morning to see the game. I kid you not, after the first pitch of the game the guy yells "Let's go RedSox" and my Dad turns and says "Oh no way! We're not doing that all day!"  Dude says "Oh yes we are!"  Turns out he was an okay guy, really knowledgeable on baseball, and not too obnoxious.  But I digress.

Yesterday was brutal on so many levels.  Our ace got rocked, our hitting was inconsistent as usual, and the Padres' 10th man was no where to be seen or heard.  Seriously, WTF?!  Going in to the bottom of the 9th as the RedSox took the field, RS Nation completely owned Petco.  It was ridiculous.  It started bringing back memories of the Chargers loss to the Pats earlier this year.  

There was some consolation in all of this.  We gave it to Big Papi good, and not the other way around.  In the series, he was 1 for 11, 1 hit, 1 RBI, and 5 SOs.  I was unimpressed with Ortiz, and most of Boston's team offensively.   They managed to take the series on our home turf, and owned Petco Park and SD for a weekend.  I'm just glad they're taking their sun-burned arses home to Boston.

As many of you know, the legitimacy of this blog is growing daily in the eyes of the sports community.  Little did we know how much influence we could have on the Padres' front office.   Dex and jbox had this grand idea for a tribute to Tony Gwynn in the form of a statue.  Well, eight statues to be exact.

It turns out, the Padres have agreed to meet us half way (actually 1/8 of the way). They are going to unveil a statue of Mr. Padre himself on July 21st at PETCO Park as Dex mentioned in his parlay last week.

I managed to catch T Gwynn on XX this morning, and when asked what he thought of the concept for the statue, he laughed.  He said it looks real good, and he's very happy with it.

I know we're all wondering what year of his career they chose to represent in the statue.  My guess is it will be T Gwynn slapping a shot in the 5.5 hole in his early years.  

I know it's been months since I contributed to this blog, but I just remembered why.  The Padres don't inspire me.  There's no excitement, no passion, no drama.  

According to Scott Miller over at CBS Sportsline, drama doesn't hurt, it helps. 

So this begs the question of who on the Padres is ready to throw down for the benefit of the team, AND the fans for another NL pennant?  Here's my list of match-ups that I'd pay money to see...

Cruiserweight division (El Cajon style):
Brian "Broadway" Giles  vs  Marcus "Jamacha" Giles

Heavyweight division:
Adrian "La Posta" Gonzalez  vs  Paul "Chunk" McAnulty    

Special match to the death:
Greg "The Professor" Maddux  vs  David "Fat Man" Wells

I was in Boulder yesterday for business, and managed to catch the Pads v Rockies game.  All these pics are from the suite we had for the game - which is on par if not better then the Western Metal Supply suites at Petco.  





There was maybe 20,000 people at this game, but it felt like 50,000 after Hoffman gave up that HR in the 9th.  Balls were flying out of this place last night, and the stadium lived up to its rep.

Jbox and Dex are at the racetrack tonight playing the superfectas and boxing the daily doubles.

Here's the open thread for tonight's game.  Peavy on the hill, and Bonds in the lineup.  Should be fun to watch.

Let it ride fellas!

Jbox called with desperation to get this open thread up.  It looks like it might be too late with the Pads down 4-0 after 2 innings.

Show me your lightening bolt!

  

I've been watching the Oakland A's broadcast of the last two games, and these TV announcers are finding humor in Khalil bearing a strong resemblance to "Jeff Spicoli."  

I think it's a stretch, but they admit renting "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" last night to confirm their suspicions.  

About once a month I'll hear from jbox on how I need to post more on this blog.  I always tell him "yeah, yeah, I'll get to it."  What I'm really telling him is that I need to be inspired to write about a team that has no inspiration nor offers any to its fans IMHO.  

As I'm reading this article from voiceofsandiego.org, I can't help but think about why Petco isn't packed every home game.  I don't buy into the idea that there is a direct correlation between a lack of hitting and a drop in fan attendance.  If this is true, then San Diego should be labeled the premier fair-weather sports town.  I know that hurts for many of you out there (esp Dex, jbox, JonnyDub), but the reality is that San Diego could very well be down to a single major sports franchise in the foreseeable future.   My point is that the Padres organization has an obligation to this city and to the fans, not the inverse.  It's not necessarily about offense or ticket prices.  It's about passion.  It's about leadership.  And it's about establishing a history for this franchise.

Continue reading this post »

I just got off the phone with Jon.  Apparently, he and Jbox are on their way to the game and invited me to go.  Problem is, I live in the Bay Area... JERKS!!!

JDub:  Kev, you want to go to the Padres game (followed by sarcastic laugh)?
Kev:  Dude, what are you talking about?
JDub:  Ah, we know you can't go.  But, Jbox wants you to post a thread for the game.
Kev:  No!

Fine, so here's your freakin' thread...

I called jbox and jonny dub on Saturday to tell them the news about running into some of the Astros players during a visit to Chicago.  First thing jbox says is "dude, put this in the blog."  Fine.

My visit wasn't planned around the WS, just by chance that we're there for the first WS in Chicago in 46 years.  I will tell you that this predominantly Cubs town has turned into Sox nation overnight.  I've spent plenty of time in the Windy City, sure most of it north of the loop, but never have I seen more Sox gear on the North Side.  I'm guessing there are a ton of fair-weather fans or they were too embarrassed to wear Sox gear in a Cubs part of town.  We were at Giordanos (famous Chicago pizza restaurant) on Rush St watching game 1 and when the Sox would score there was virtually no reaction from those watching.  Maybe it was all tourists, but it was real weird.  

Basically, everyone had the gear and the city was showing the black & white colors, but I didn't get the feeling that people we're psyched about the Sox being in the series.  There is this debate in Chicago that if the Sox win, they'll be the only team in Chicago that people root for.  I say if the Sox win, Cubs fans will still hate the Sox.  

So Friday night, we're at the Westin on Michigan Ave ( which by the way is where Daryl Kile from the Cardinals died in his sleep ) and the lobby is insane with people and security.  As I'm checking in I look over my shoulder and see Andy Pettitte.  He looks frustrated since there's only one person checking everyone in and says "can someone get me a room key here?"  I asked for his autograph and said good luck in the series.  He said nothing.  

I look over and see Chris Burke in line so I go to grab a pen from concierge and on my way literally bump into Jeff Bagwell.  It might have been his bad shoulder too.  I go up to Burke and ask him for his autograph.  They guy looked real surprised that I recognized him and he started signing without hesitation.  I asked him if he knows Brooks Conrad (Dex's brother-in-law) from the Astros AAA team and he said "yeah, I know Brooks, good guy and he's doing well down there."  I told him thanks and said good luck in the series.  He was very appreciative and friendly.  Good guy.  

I'm heading into the elevator to go up to the room and it's just me, Bagwell, and some dude.  I overhear Bagwell telling the guy that his shoulder is hurting him and he's not sure if he can DH.  Other dude gets off on his floor and it's just me and Bagwell in the elevator together.  I ask him for his autograph and wish him luck in the series.  He says thanks, but looks real tired.  That guy looks just like Chuck Norris, and he's shorter than I imagined.

I tell my wife about the Astros being at our hotel and we head back in the elevator.  The elevator stops and my wife says, "who is that hot guy?"  Sure enough, it's Brad Asmus.  I tell her it's Asmus and he looks up then the doors close.  I look over and my wife is faint.  

On Saturday we see some of the other players walking in and out of the lobby and it's still weird to think that they're staying at this hotel.  It's nice, but not Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton nice.  We get back around 4pm and their team bus is just leaving for Comiskey.  We get to the elevator and out walk Pettitte again and then Burke.  He stars running toward the bus.  I think they were waiting on Burke... rookie.  

I called jbox and jonny dub on Saturday to tell them the news about running into some of the Astros players during a visit to Chicago.  First thing jbox says is "dude, put this in the blog."  Fine.

My visit wasn't planned around the WS, just by chance that we're there for the first WS in Chicago in 46 years.  I will tell you that this predominantly Cubs town has turned into Sox nation overnight.  I've spent plenty of time in the Windy City, sure most of it north of the loop, but never have I seen more Sox gear on the North Side.  I'm guessing there are a ton of fair-weather fans or they were too embarrassed to wear Sox gear in a Cubs part of town.  We were at Giordanos (famous Chicago pizza restaurant) on Rush St watching game 1 and when the Sox would score there was virtually no reaction from those watching.  Maybe it was all tourists, but it was real weird.  

Basically, everyone had the gear and the city was showing the black & white colors, but I didn't get the feeling that people we're psyched about the Sox being in the series.  There is this debate in Chicago that if the Sox win, they'll be the only team in Chicago that people root for.  I say if the Sox win, Cubs fans will still hate the Sox.  

So Friday night, we're at the Westin on Michigan Ave ( which by the way is where Daryl Kile from the Cardinals died in his sleep ) and the lobby is insane with people and security.  As I'm checking in I look over my shoulder and see Andy Pettitte.  He looks frustrated since there's only one person checking everyone in and says "can someone get me a room key here?"  I asked for his autograph and said good luck in the series.  He said nothing.  

I look over and see Chris Burke in line so I go to grab a pen from concierge and on my way literally bump into Jeff Bagwell.  It might have been his bad shoulder too.  I go up to Burke and ask him for his autograph.  They guy looked real surprised that I recognized him and he started signing without hesitation.  I asked him if he knows Brooks Conrad (Dex's brother-in-law) from the Astros AAA team and he said "yeah, I know Brooks, good guy and he's doing well down there."  I told him thanks and said good luck in the sereis.  He was very appreciative and friendly.  Good guy.  

I'm heading into the elevator to go up to the room and it's just me, Bagwell, and some dude.  I overhear Bagwell telling the guy that his shoulder is hurting him and he's not sure if he can DH.  Other dude gets off on his floor and it's just me and Bagwell in the elevator together.  I ask him for his autograph and wish him luck in the series.  He says thanks, but looks real tired.  That guy looks just like Chuck Norris, and he's shorter than I imagined.

I tell my wife about the Astros being at our hotel and we head back in the elevator.  The elevator stops and my wife says, "who is that hot guy?"  Sure enough, it's Brad Asmus.  I tell her it's Asmus and he looks up then the doors close.  I look over and my wife is faint.  

On Saturday we see some of the other players walking in and out of the lobby and it's still weird to think that they're staying at this hotel.  It's nice, but not Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton nice.  We get back around 4pm and their team bus is just leaving for Comiskey.  We get to the elevator and out walk Pettitte again and then Burke.  He stars running toward the bus.  I think they were waiting on Burke... rookie.  

Congratulations Padres fans!  

Congratulations Padres fans!  

That's right.  It's not dex or jbox posting here... kev is back!  Most of you probably have no idea who I am, probably don't care, and want to know why I get admin rights to post stories 2-3 times/season.  It's under the performance clause of my contract.

There's no excuse for it, but I've been away from the daily activities of Gaslampball doing my best to gauge the mood of the fans here.  Honestly, it's very sad.  Seeing the frustration on this blog, hearing it from friends & family in SD, and even hearing it on XM from Ted, I've decided to make a much overdue appearance.  

You can talk all you want about pitching, clutch hitting, defense, and smart coaching.  I come from the school of thought that momentum is everything.  One strong series, leads to another, which leads to another, and so on.  Yes the NL West is the weakest division.  Any yes the Padres are fortunate to have the lead they do.  Maybe it's a good thing I don't have to live it everyday, otherwise I'd be real down on them too.  I haven't turned my back and still have hope that someone is going to step up and get this team on track.  

On a side note, I recently took my Dad to a Giants game at SBC Park against the Cardinals.  I left the house wearing my SD hat and my Dad says "you sure you want to wear that with all those Giants fans?"  I'm like, "yeah, what do they care, they suck right?"  So I'm taking him around SBC and walking the right field wall when some young prick passes me, looks at the hat, and says, "San Diego, what the f$#@ is that?" I let it slide, but couldn't help but think that I hate Giants fan and am so glad their team sucks ass.  

Let's keep this sick karma going with the start of a long home stand.

Apologies to everyone.  It's been way too long since I last blogged.  The Man had me traveling like crazy with this new job.  I'm gone for two weeks and the start of the Padres season goes to hell.  All I know is that we're in need of some serious momentum in the win department.  

I'm listening to some sports radio this morning and I hear a deep articulate voice on the other end being interviewed by Jim Rome.  I'm shocked when I hear it's Mark Loretta in The Jungle.  I forgot he went to Northwestern and he almost played at Stanford.  Loretta is real well spoken and very diplomatic.  Although he did bag on Nevin for being way too dramatic.  Loretta claims that he's told Nevin to stop trying so hard, seek anger management, and just play ball.  He also said that Bochy is real confused how he's being treated by management in light of his contract extension negotitations.

I seriously think that Loretta is the captain of this team.  He's a solid guy that gives you a 110% all the time.  A true team player.  This interview is a sign of good things to come...

I was watching on ESPN the Red Sox get their WS rings and hoist their '04 Champions banner during their home opener against the Yankees. So here are a few things I'm reminded of when watching this "bunch of idiots"...

1.  BoSox Fan is crazy.  During the team intros, they booed the Yankees batboy and gave Mariano Rivera a standing ovation.  Classic.  Padre fans need to be more antagonistic and intense, like Dex.
2.  I miss Larry Lucchino.  Many of you may argue with me on this one, but I think he got a bad wrap in SD and Moores sold this guy out.  Kudos to Larry for helping Boston get a WS ring.
3.  Tim Wakefield is a magician throwing the knuckleball.  He made A-Rod and Hideki look like Little Leaguers out there in the 1st inning.  Padres need to give Steve Sparks another chance as Brian Hiro of the NC Times points out.  He's the only other knuckleballer in the majors.  Every batter that faces Wakefield admits there is no way to prepare for a knuckleballer.  

Note:  When I was young and my Dad and I would play catch, he would sometimes mix in a knuckleball or two.  It was always a struggle to catch that ball (especially coming from a lefty) and not misjudge getting hit in the nads.  I learned the hard way.

Being a SD transplant living in the Bay Area, it's getting harder and harder to listen to sports fans up here.  Why do people like to support steroid using, pompous, pricks like Barry Bonds?  According to the SF Chronicle , Giants Fan is way too forgiving, or just naive.  Apparently, Bonds will be back to stick it to the Padres.  

If there is any reason for me to ditch my fair-weather ways, it's to support my Padres in taking this division.  You heard it hear first at gaslampball.com, I denounce any allegiance to other baseball teams (for 2005 at least, and yes, this does include the Cubbies).  

October 7, 1984 - I was one of the few to witness the greatest Padres moment in team history.  At age 8, I think I have dex and jbox beat in terms of being a dedicated Padre fan longer.  They're newbies in my book, but still well versed to represent this blog as they're die hard fans.  

Back to Mr. Garvey's famous homerun.  I still remember like it was yesterday.  It was one of those father-son bonding moments that you see in The Natural or Friday Night Lights.  Garvey hits the long ball off of Lee in the 9th to win the game and send it to game 5.  The Murph was going nuts and they started playing Cub-busters.  My Dad puts me on his shouders and we just start singing and partying with the rest of San Diego that night.  

Too bad we got our asses handed to us by Detroit in the WS.  

I know, I know, this is a blog about MY Padres. Let's not forget that what happens around the NL West affects us too.  

Maybe Giants Fan will disagree with me on this one, but it's hard not to take this recent news on Bonds as a sign he's about to announce retirement. Apparently, he's very "tired."  

He must mean that he's tired of rubbing "cream" on his ass everyday. Or, he's tired of having to play 6 days a week and not 5. Maybe he's tired of all the walking he does to first base.  

I tell you what I'm tired of these days, listening to Giants Fan on the local Bay Area radio back this guy.  How can you pay your hard earned dollar to watch this guy complain every other day about his pressures in life?

It's too bad Bonds had to take the easy way out this season and pseudo-retire. Petco had the better of him in 2004, with Bonds only batting .200 and 1 HR.