UPDATE: 49ers trade a 6th round pick for Anquan Boldin. UNBELIEVABLE STEAL
For the 49ers and their Faithful, this is the last thing they wanted to happen: Percy Harvin to the Seahawks.
While many fans debated the value of trading for Harvin, namely what the 49ers would have to give up, it is probably safe to say that no one could have envisioned Harvin going to the Seahawks.
Make no mistake, the significance of this move is massive. If this move was equivalent to a Tinder pairing, both Russell Wilson and Percy Harvin would be clicking “Yes” within a second and jumping up and down in celebration of their new match.
The Seahawks, perhaps the only team in the NFL that has the capabilities of out smash-mouthing the 49ers, just got one of the most dynamic players in the league.
Taking a look at Harvin’s stats for the half of the season he played in prior to season-ending injury, one is not overwhelmingly impressed by the low touchdown total. 62 Receptions for 677 and 3 touchdowns.
But then remember that:
His QB was Christian Ponder
The Vikings have no other receiving threat
Teams focused entirely on stopping him in the passing game
His QB was Christian Ponder
Harvin’s stats against the 49ers in the Vikings Week 3 victory: 9 receptions, 89 yards.
A Seahawks offense with Russel Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Percy Harvin is perhaps more epic than an episode of Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Mad Men combined.
You think that having three dragons on your side is awesome, Khaleesi? Good luck trying to stop the Seahawks offense because that is some maximum firepower.
Enter Darrelle Revis.
Realizing that the 49ers do not make impulse decisions or panic moves, the need to acquire Revis is vital.
If the 49ers had trouble with Anquan Boldin, how are they going to be able to deal with Harvin twice a year? The need to acquire a solid cornerback like Revis is important.
Despite the fact that he is coming off a major knee injury, there is no rookie that can come in and shut down Harvin. Acquiring Revis certainly has some risk, but for the right price, would be worth the acquisition for the 49ers.
With the core that the 49ers have, the window is now. The front office would be wise to make the move to land Revis.
In honor of my last semester of college, I’m starting a weekly Throwback Thursday post where I share a song that I enjoyed during each school year.
Since I have been in school longer than the amount of weeks in the semester, some posts will have two posts. Cue this celebration.
For some years, I can vividly recall which particular song was my favorite. For example, I remember singing Dirty Pop in 5th grade in class to impress the ladies. (No further commentary neccessary)
Others, such as this post, require some research to narrow down the choices.
Would love suggestions on what you’d like to hear about from quick facts, always something to be learned!
Vinnie in Kindergarten Quick Facts
Year: September 1994-June 1995
Age: 5
Favorite Hobby: Playing Hotwheels
Important Event Relevant to My Life : 49ers win the SuperBowl (No Recollection)
Throwback Song of the Year: (Note: Embedded Player not working for me so link will take you off page, so click when you’re finished reading)
Come on, if you’re my age, you know you remember this. The Muppets, while usually super annoying, occasionally drop some quality musical covers. I know it’s from 1993, by how can I not choose this?
Kermit and the Gang
Kokomo Muppets sticks out in my memory as the only one of the only things I remember from TV around this time, so it has to take the prize.
Obviously the Beach Boys version is far superior and I always encourage/ prefer that version, but 5 year old Vinnie loved him some Kokomo Muppets. If there was a YouTube in 1995, you bet I would be adding to the view count on a daily basis.
BONUS THROWBACK: Gullah Gullah Island. Anyplace that has bright and sunny weather, count me in. I want to go to Gullah Gullah Island.
Waking up to 14 texts in the middle of the night can be a surreal experience. Stirring from my sleep last night around 3 AM EST, I had no idea what could have happened. As I unlocked my phone, various texts of “CAIIIINNNNN” (not to be confused with Kahn) and “Dude are you watching this?!?” did not help my compression whatsoever.
What could have happened? With Cain on the mound and 8 runs on the board, I felt pretty good about a victory so I went to bed. Did Matt Cain hit a grand slam?
If I was not laying down in bed, I probably would have fallen over when I read the ESPN headline, “Perfectly Able: Matt Cain wasn’t just perfect Wednesday night. He may have tossed the greatest game in MLB History.” And boom goes the dynamite. After reading that headline, I posted this semi-coherent FB status.
Imagine that you grew up watching Giants games with your grandfather on his couch and your first baseball game was at AT&T Park. That you skipped school to go to the World Series victory parade in 2010. Basically, I love the Giants. And part of being a fan of the Giants is to love Matt Cain.
Well, Matt Cain just threw a Perfect Game and I missed it. My initial emotions were this: Absolutely ecstatic that Cain accomplished this spectacular feat, but completely devastated that I missed it. For about 30 minutes, the disappointment of missing the event outweighed the enthusiasm.
There was zero chance I would be able to go back to sleep. Soon, I started to read every article possible on the Perfect Cain. And little by little, my disappointment began to dwindle.
I never cried when my Dad and I were at the Game 2 World Series loss in Anaheim. I didn’t cry when the Giants won the World Series. Heck, I didn’t even cry when Kyle Williams fumbled his second punt to blow the 49ers season. But I cried when I watched the highlight video. After watching the 27 out compilation video on MLB.com, I did a second time. And then once more after I finished watching the game around 6 AM. I know there is no crying in baseball. Three strikes, I’m out.
Fist Pumping like a Champion.
The moment got to me. While Timmy had (maybe has?) the more electrifying stuff, Cain has always been the constant presence. A silent guardian, a watchful protector, he has been the hero we needed, not the hero we deserved. Few outside the Bay Area recognize just how good Cain is. But Matt Cain has meant more to the Giants organization than any player. There literally could not be one player who I am more happy for.
And that is part of the reason why I felt so bad about missing it. His career has been plagued by the incompetence of Giants hitting. When I saw they Giants were up big with Cain on the mound, I took him still being on the mound for granted and knew it was an auto-victory. So I just went to sleep.
After reading every article possible, watching the highlights and the game itself, my initial dismay has mostly evaporated and I can now live with myself again. While I’m still pretty upset about not watching it live, I can rest easy knowing that I still kinda saw it. Being able to listen to Kuip, Jon and Dave Fleming throughout the broadcast also really helped.
In the end, I’m just glad that he didn’t let it get away from him. What a great event for Giants fans and baseball. But most importantly, a perfect day for Matt Cain. For once, he gets the spotlight he deserves. And for that, I can only be thrilled.
(Update)- This piece turned out to be completely off base, but it’s still an enjoyable read….
Nine games left. 4 back from ATL. 5 back from the Dbacks. It can happen, just gotta have some faith. As I told my co-worker Sundeep, I’m completely 100% diving into the water and willing to drown with this team.
Those of you who actively and excitedly follow my status updates may recall that two weeks ago after the Giants laid a goose egg against Arizona I said something along the lines of “And so the Giants season ends with a whimper.” It was bleak. But even then I still held out hope by still watching games, looking at box scores and tracking the standings.
Then all of a sudden the team began to do something that they forgot to do all summer: get hits and score runs. Mark DeRosa began to log some quality at bats. Brett Pill got called up and became an immediate presence. Cody Ross began getting in some quality at bats. Carlos Beltran and Pablo have been on an absolute tear this past month.
With the best bullpen and one of the top starting rotations in baseball, it was evident that the Giants no longer played not to lose, but instead just to have fun. For all intents and purposes, the blue collar approach that was such a joy to watch all of 2010 has returned.
“If the Angels in the Outfield can win the pennant, so can we”
The chances of the Giants making the post season are small. They need lots of help: Atlanta needs to continue their slide while the Giants need to leap frog the Cardinals. With three games to play against the Dbacks next weekend, the Giants can really put the pressure on them by winning the series. If the Giants can maintain their hot streak, lets say by going 7-2, then they can pull this off.
Do I think they could do it? Sure, why not. I was at Pac-Bell for the Buster Posey injury game and as soon as I left the stadium I thought the season was over then and there. But despite historically inept hitting, losing Buster and Freddy, having Tejada and Cabrera and the plague of Zito, the 2011 Giants STILL have a chance to pull off the unthinkable. With little probability of success, I’m following them into battle at the Black Gate. For Buster.
Let me just start by saying that I have absolutely loved this show. Who wouldn’t want to live the lifestyle of Vinny Chase and his entourage? But to say the final season of Entourage was a lame cop out would be an understatement. I didn’t think it would be possible to top the ineptitude of last season, but what happened in the 8th season probably could have happened in an hour and it would have made just as much sense.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this final season. The series finale was a sentimental journey of which everyone ended with a dream come true ending. My problem with the last season was that it was too… emotional. At times I felt like I was watching The OC.
It wouldn’t have been bad if I wanted to watch a soap opera and have the Kleenex box close by. But damn it, I just wanted more time with the boys. Coming into the season, I was really hoping that there would be a return to the bread and butter of the show: the crew all just hanging out together. Unfortunately, everything this season just seemed forced.
A reporter writes Vince is a womanizer, so he falls in love with her while trying to prove he isn’t. Turtle wants to bring a good restaurant to LA, realizes he doesn’t have enough money to buy a nice location, but then Vince surprises with him that he bought all of Turtle’s former stock options because Mark Cuban told him to. Drama is not on strike, then on strike, then off again! Don’t even get me started on the E and Sloan thing.
Did you keep your Kleenex handy?
The only redeeming plot line from this season was that of Ari. I mean, here is a guy that is one of the biggest jerks of all time, but he becomes completely broken and vulnerable at the prospect of losing his wife. Who wasn’t rooting for him? How could you not? Unless you are an ice queen, seeing Ari slouched in his office ate at you.
Coming into the season finale last night, I was praying that they would not go with the easiest cop out of an ending. This of course being Vince getting married. Lo and behold in the first minute of the show what happens?! “Guys, I’m getting married.” Sigh. Why does this have to be so… manufactured? I’m glad Vince is happy and finally found a woman he can talk to for more than 5 seconds, but marriage after a 24 hour date? Ambitious.
As much as I didn’t like the past two seasons, the final scene was still pretty neat. Everyone meeting at the hangar to fly off to Paris was a good way to end it for the upcoming movie. The “Epilogue” if you will, was also a nice twist. Could that be a possible spin-off show? Entourage has been the ultimate college male show for awhile now, and while I am sad to see it go, I still need to hug it out one more time.
There is always that one kid in class who bugs the crap out of you. As I was sitting in class yesterday, annoyed by a foot tapper, I thought the best thing to do would be to compile a list of annoying student classifications. Instead of taking spectacular notes, I brainstormed for this list. Without further delay:
The Kissing Couple
Aww look at how cute that couple is. They whisper into each others ear and giggle throughout class. How ador… NO, DON’T KISS IN LECTURE! I’M TRYING TO TAKE NOTES, NOT WATCH YOU MAKE OUT. Seriously, this has gotten out of hand. I’ve had numerous situations where I’m sitting behind a couple who snoggs through half the lecture. That’s really great that you guys are into each other, but please, it is not necessary to have a stage show of your affections in the middle of the lecture hall with over 200 people able to see. Annoyance Level: Medium
If you see this in class or in the library, throw eggs at them
The Foot/ Pencil Tapper
Is there anything more annoying than having Travis Barker jamming next to you in class? I love rock music, but not next to me when I’m trying to listen. It starts off as a slow, steady rhythm, almost as if the person is stretching out and getting loose. Then it subtly builds. And builds. Until a feverish drumming is in full swing. Full annoyance ensues. No body likes a one man band. So unless you are playing Rock Band at home, which is acceptable and encouraged, keep the drumming to a minimum champ. Annoyance Level: High
The Sniffler
We’ve all been there before. You’re sitting in class and the person next to you lets out a solid sniffle. Then another one. Ultimately, it is a Sniffling Symphony. Much like The Foot/ Pencil Tapper, this guy is flying solo. He does not care if he bothers you. He just wants to unstuff his his nose. Hey buddy, here are some suggestions for you: A) Get some Kleenex B) Take some Decongestant and C) Get some sudafed before bed. With these three simple guidelines, your nose will be more clear than the Bay Bridge at 2 am. Annoyance Level: High
It's called a Drug Store for a reason. Go there.
The Talkers
“Oh my god, can you believe the drama we are having during Rush?” Probably have heard that one 100 times. Nobody cares. If you want to have a conversation, either text it during class or talk about it… wait for it… outside of class! Yesterday I was sitting in lecture and these two girls had a conversation throughout the entire lecture. Dumb. There isn’t really much else that needs to be said here. This is just plain annoying. Annoyance Level: Medium
The Know It All
For all intents and purposes, this guy could teach the class if he felt like it. His knowledge is unrivaled. Not a person in the room knows as much as him. He eats this information for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This guy is an idiot, and his role collectively unites the entire class against him. Rolled eyes, sighs and texting commence as soon as his hand goes up. You know its going to be 5 minutes until the Professor can begin lecturing again. In my Poly Sci classes, I have had the same Know It All in three classes. Now this bloke is unique in the sense that he is balding and always keeps his sunglasses on his head during class. To add further clout to his Know It All status, he answers questions while keeping his head on the back of his chair, slouched if you will, just so we know that he is a knowledgeable scholar. This blog has been brewing for over a year now, and I dedicate it to The Know It All. Annoyance Level: Mount Everest
That’s what I’ve come up with. Can you think of anything else? If you find yourself falling under any of the categories, you probably need to reevaluate your life. Or just stop being annoying in class, whatever works best for you.
Video of The Day: I found this short film on YouTube last week. It runs about 9 minutes long, but I found it to be pretty moving and powerful. Definitely take a look.
If you read Part 1, chances are you will find this quick story highly amusing. If you did not get a chance to read the highly entertaining piece on east coast misperceptions of California(ns) click here. I was getting X-Rays for my foot last Friday, don’t worry everything is fine, and the X-Ray Tech asked me where I went to school. After saying UC Berkeley he goes… you all know what is coming by now since everyone has read my first blog right? “Is that near LA?” To which I responded, “I think you are thinking about UCLA. Berkeley is in Berkeley.” Sigh. This photo sums up my thoughts on this topic.
No further discussion necessary.
On to the question that everyone is waiting for: Is everyone in Jersey like the cast of Jersey Shore?!? Is every female as much of a mess as Snookie? Are there hundreds of The Situation clones molesting the gym and unattractive grenades? The answer to all of these questions is… going to come later so you will still read the rest of my blog post!
I am sorry it took so long to post this. Getting two days to move in before school starts really hindered my ability to do anything other than run around for a week. Finally settled other than a few boxes still in my apartment. Anyway…
A few general observations:
-Having never lived outside of the Bay Area, I was not expecting the frequent thunder and lightning storms and subsequent rain. And when it rains here, it REALLY rains. Two to three times a week it will be a cloudless, sunny day in the mid 80’s and then all of a sudden: BOOM clouds, rain drops the size of golf balls and rolling thunder.
I am not exaggerating when I say that it feels like getting shot by an airsoft gun. If you don’t have any idea what that is or what that feels like, a similar comparison would be if tiny pebbles were hitting you from a trajectory of 10 feet away. I’m not even sure that makes sense. But this weather still is important to JERSEY SHORE. But how, you ask. In due time my friend.
-People drive like assholes. Or maybe like newly licensed teenaged girls, whichever works best for you. No other way to explain it. I always wanted to race in NASCAR, and I like to think driving in Jersey is like the peewee leagues. Most of the highways are either one or two lanes and If you aren’t driving more than 10-15 mph over then the person behind you is cruising on your bumper. This driving style makes my sister Danielle fit right in of course.
Driving in Jersey is like playing Crazy Taxi
-What people in Jersey lack in driving ethics, they more than double with their welcoming demeanor. The amount of support my family has received from complete strangers has been quite shocking. Many people who we meet in the grocery store, at the bank, or at a soccer field distribute their business cards or give us their number if we have any questions or need any help about anything.
Coming from a town like Danville, where some mothers are more concerned about their recent botox or plastic surgery, this is a pleasant surprise. When I was not working in the city, I worked a few days at a summer camp and I can honestly say that staff was some of the nicest/ well rounded people I have met. The old ladies who worked at the grocery store even offered for me to date their grand daughters.
– The roads here are beyond confusing and if we didn’t have a navigation system, probably would not be able to leave the drive way. Many roads don’t have street signs and off ramps appear out of no where with no indication of “Exit.” Even more bizarre, U-TURNS ARE ILLEGAL IN NEW JERSEY. If/When you pass your exit, have fun driving another 10 miles before you can get back to that exit because you can’t turn around.
Similar to the game of “Snake” that we all used to have on our phones, except you have to turn left 4 times until you get back on track towards your original destination. In some unique locations, you veer off the highway to a designated turn lane called a “Jug Handle” mainly because it looks like the handle of a jug.
Turn here or else
So you stop pulling out your hair, I’m just going to be straight up. Only a small number of people in New Jersey are guido douchebags who fist pump and GTL. There definitely are some Ronnie clones at the gym, but as a whole, not so much. On my very first night in NJ, I ran into a couple at the super market who were The Situation and Deena reincarnated. I was horrified. Luckily, this was not common.
As a Californian watching Jersey Shore, I always wondered why the cast always went to tanning salons rather than just laying outside. Connecting the dots from a few paragraphs ago, the thunder and lightning storms kinda sorta hurt that strategy. Go figure.
That Is my belated look at Jersey. My mother was instructed to call it Jersey, never New Jersey. So there you go. Hurricane Irene did knock out the power to my house, but no other damage. Since the power may not be restored for a week, my dad drove 12 hours to obtain a generator. Ambitious. As a send off, I’ll leave you with this gem. Come on Eileen, not Irene.
There are four “issue areas” I came across early and often while spending the summer in New York City/ Jersey. The most obvious I can only attribute to The Beach Boys. One of the more common questions I have received, “Hey Bro, do you surf?!” I love The Beach Boys, they were my first concert ever when I was in 1st grade ( I’ve only been to 5 in my life, can you believe that?) And “Kokomo” still remains one of my all time favorites. But look, they romanticized California beaches. I think I’m going to coin the new term “Beach Boy Effect.”
Anyway, to the surprise of almost everyone in NYC and Jersey, I don’t know how to surf. When I say no, the common reaction is intense disbelief. “But doesn’t everyone in California surf?” Uh, negative ghost rider. Once people realize I’m serious that I don’t know how to surf, they either no longer take me seriously and still think I’m full of it. Either way, I still can’t surf.
Thanks to The Beach Boy Effect, every person outside of California thinks all Californians go on a Surfin
“Where are you from?” Since Danville does not have much name recognition outside of a 20 mile radius from the Oak Tree, San Francisco is the answer of choice. Undoubtedly a product of The Beach Boy Effect, there clearly is a lack of geographical understanding of California. 90% of people (not exaggerating) follow-up my statement with… the second misperception… wait for it… “I LOVE SAN DIEGO! IT”S SO BEAUTIFUL.” What is this, amateur hour?
The first couple times this happened I laughed and thought people were joking. But then it became a bit of a game once I realized that there was no understanding that these two cities were not even remotely close. And I found it highly amusing. I mean come on, they are at opposite sides of the state! Do people not look at Google Maps these days? It’s good to know that San Diego, LA and San Fran are all separated within a few minutes of each other, this will certainly help with getting from one place to the other faster. The carry over traffic from LA and SF could create some problems though on the one highway that connects the whole state though.
The campus that does not exist to the East Coast
I was definitely expecting the surfing question, some what expecting the SoCal love but was totally unprepared for the final problem: When people ask what school I go to, over half did not know what the University of California, Berkeley was! I mean, blank expressions would follow. I could have been speaking Spanish for all they knew.
I know this isn’t a major travesty that applies to all Californians but look, the UC system is the best public university system in the country. If people don’t know the best one in the state/ country, this is a problem! Cal? What is that? I found this shocking. One lady asked where UC Berkeley was located. I said “Uhhh… in Berkeley?” Others would ask how I like Cal Tech or Cal State. JV Tryouts were last week folks!
Probably the funniest thing people think about California is that the weather is perfect. During a blistering heat wave in June, someone made a comment to me that it must be difficult for me to deal with 90 degree weather since I’m from California. “Uhhh, during the summer time it does actually get into the 90’s and 100’s some times, we just don’t have humidity.” Other person- “It’s not always 70?” I can not make this stuff up if I tried, people really think these things! I’m probably going to melt because I have never experienced such heat before in perfect weather California.
Clearly most people have never been to San Francisco or else they would not think these silly things. The only logical explanation behind the surfing, geographical ignorance and aloofness about the weather can all be tied together with one simple idea: The Beach Boy Effect. While spectacular music that is great to listen to on a summer day while at the beach, it has forever altered and distorted the views of others everywhere.
Random Tidbit of the Day: If you like action movies/ their musical scores, the best Pandora channel to listen to is: Halo (Film Score) Radio. Damn right I’m listening to a Halo radio station. Get on my level. This station has it all from The Dark Knight, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Pirates, Indiana Jones and even Transformers. The song that is on while I’m typing this paragraph is the musical score when Jack Sparrow charges into the Kraken at the end Pirates 2: Dead Man’s Chest. Hello, Beastie. You’re welcome.
Is there a more manlier death than this? Why did the third movie suck so bad? Why is Jack Sparrow such a champion? If you went through this entire post without a song from The Beach Boys playing in your head, then you must be a Communist. Back Monday on Jersey Shore, Subways and more! Your cousin, Vinnie.
Taking a look at Harvin’s stats for the half of the season he played in prior to season-ending injury, one is not overwhelmingly impressed by the low touchdown total. 62 Receptions for 677 and 3 touchdowns.
If the 49ers had trouble with Anquan Boldin, how are they going to be able to deal with Harvin twice a year? The need to acquire a solid cornerback like Revis is important.
Your Cousin Vinnie 