Sunday Night Open Thread
By
Inexcusable that David Phelps didn’t have to wear the golden bikini. Adam Warren is Han Solo, Cody Eppley is Luke Skywalker, Melky Mesa is Darth Vader, assistant trainer Mark Littlefield is Chewbacca, and Kenji Nimura (Hiroki Kuroda‘s translator) is Yoda.
The seven-game winning streak came to an end, but that was bound to happen at some point. At least it happened on the same day that the Orioles finally lost, so the lead in the division remains one game with ten to play. That’s far too close for my liking, so I hope the Yankees really take care of business against a bad team in Minnesota these next three days.
Anyway, here is your open thread for the evening. The ESPN Sunday Night Game is the Dodgers at the Reds (Kershaw vs. Bailey), and the late NFL game is the Patriots at the Ravens. You can talk about those games and pretty much anything else right here. Except politics, don’t talk about that stuff. Thanks in advance.
[Photo via Mike Mazzeo]
103 Comments»
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Agreed. Go big or Go home. Phelps should totally be in the Bikini, who is Vader and who is Yoda though?
Who is who? I am thinking thoose guys r Eppley Phelps Warren Mesa Pierce and maybe Stewert? I think thoose r the only 7 that can be considered rookies on the active roster
oh I take that back i did not see that that was the assistent trainer and translater. Well I think that the others r Adam Warren and Cody eppley cause they r the rookies not mentioned
Am I the only one seeing the caption?
When the thread was first posted all the caption said was “Inexcusable that David Phelps didn’t have to wear the golden bikini.”
Ahh, ok. I figured it was something like that, but then Greg posted after I was seeing the caption.
all i have to say is melky mesa as darth vader? das racist…
+1
This is the greatest rookie hazing theme ever. Or maybe I’m just too big of a Star Wars fan. I don’t really care.
This is the greatest hazing ever.
Totally disagree. These are halloween costumes. Not really “hazing”
Agreed. Hazing should be ridiculous and embarrassing, not this.
Meh. It should be funny. And I love Star Wars. They made the short guy be Yoda!
And this is coming from a frat boy. I am well aware of what hazing is.
tell that to Hiroki’s translator!
How long have you been a Yankees fan? They go for the “theatrical” over the humiliating almost every year.
NO! The best one was the Wizard of Oz
Joba was the lion
Shelley Duncan was the scarecrow
Ian Kennedy was Dorothy
Phil Hughes was the Tin Man
Kei Igawa was a flying monkey
That one was CLASSIC!
Am I the only one who’s bothered by the color of Eppley’s Lightsaber?
Somebody probably ignored that detail.
You’re right, should be green.
Actually it should be blue.
either way
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What.....lightsaber
Actually, jj’s right it should be green. To go ultra nerd for a second, Luke’s light saber was green, his father’s old one that he uses in both IV and V is blue, but “Luke’s lights saber” or the one he made after Vader cut off his hand was in fact green.
Yes ladies I am single, it’s a wonder I know.
It should be blue because, with the exception of Yoda who didn’t appear, they’re all in their Episode IV costumes. The only lightsaber Luke ever held in that movie was blue.
Yes, I too am single. I don’t wonder about it either.
Alas…I have been outnerded. Till next time Pat D. till next time.
Fuck it, green. Blue sabers are lame, and Luke’s was green. If he’s gonna be hazed, let him have his own saber!
I STRONGLY PREFER HARRY POTTER.
There, I said it. LOVE those books.
YOU LIKE READING? NERD.
jk. I love reading, but not books. Just blogs and magazines.
I don’t agree with the terminology, mind you, so please don’t take offense.
Hey, LotR is great, but Harry Potter is a completely different style. Not to mention, there are a TON of problems with those books too. And people say Harry Potter needs an editor. It took me like six months to slog my way through “The Two Towers”, and I STILL can’t get myself to finish “Return of the King”. I had to skip part of the first half and just go to the Sam and Frodo section, which was much better.
Totally with you. I would read three paragraphs of a LotR book, only to realize my mind had completely wandered and I didn’t take in anything that was said. Overrated, IMO.
I love the books, but I skip the songs. They are wildly unnecessary and definitely make it boring.
I think they were solely going off the movies here.
I’ve never tried to read the Harry Potter books. I own all the LOTR books, and The Hobbit, but, yea, I’ve never been able to read every single world in any of them. It gets too much in trying to pronounce the names that you have a headache after a few pages.
I love “The Hobbit” (plus it has a great graphic novel), and I like LotR very much. Overall as literature it’s of a higher quality than HP.
Rowling has her moments though when her writing and plotting are just superb. The chapter in book 3 when Harry is nearly taken by the dementors in chilling, and “The Prince’s Tale” chapter of book 7 is one of the best pieces of writing I’ve ever read. Certain sections of HP are as good as anything I’ve ever read.
What amazed me was how intricately she must have outlined those books before she started writing the first one. It wasn’t a case of halfway through saying “hey lets go with this horcrux plot line”, she very clearly knew how which direction the story was going in before putting pen to paper. There isn’t a wasted detail, if you read it it was because she wanted you to read it.
Her extra material is so vast and expansive it’s insane. Pottermore is only partly through book 2 and it includes the history of the Hogwarts Express, the evolution of pure-blood ideology, and Peeves’ history at Hogwarts.
Send me some links. I miss that world so much. Nothing has ever taken its place for me.
Unfortunately, you have to join and go through Pottermore. You get sorted and get a wand chosen for you, it’s pretty cool. I’m a Ravenclaw, which doesn’t fit me at all (I really should be a Hufflepuff).
http://www.pottermore.com/
discworld kicks all they asses.
I agree, not only that the Harry Potter books are awesome, but a Harry Potter themed hazing would be incredible. Imagine one of them getting dressed up as Aunt Petunia or Dumbeldore, or Hermoine..or Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. That would be amazing.
I’d love one of them as Dobby.
I actually just reread the series and noticed something. If the story of the Deathly Hallows is true, then Harry and Voldemort are distant relatives. According to Marvolo Gaunt (Voldemort’s grand father) the ring containing the ressurection stone was an old family heirloom, as was Harry’s Invisibility Cloak (Dumbledore said Harry’s dad had it passed down by his father) At one point the brothers from the Story where the original owners and started the lineage of passing it down.
All the pure bloods are loosely related. Harry and the Weasleys are also loosely related, as well as the Potters and the Blacks.
There are a couple of hilarious plot holes though.
1) In book 4 we learn that intruders can break into Hogwarts using Floo Powder. A supposed mass murderer, who everybody believed was after Harry, basically got into the Gryffindor common room without any opposition whatsoever.
2) Book 1 had what I call “Raiders of the Lost Ark Syndrome”, meaning if Harry hadn’t done anything the result would have been exactly the same; in fact he nearly made everything worse. Just like if Indy didn’t go looking for the Ark either the Nazis never would have found it or they would have found it, opened it, and died.
3) Book 4′s entire plot was totally unnecessary. All Moody had to do was bring him to his office somehow and hand him a portkey. No reason to enter the tournament.
Great stuff.
Another thing about 4 is if his plan had succeeded it would be clear that Crouch/Moody made the Cup a Portkey, especially because he volunteered to bring it to the maze. How would he explain Harry(and the cup) disappearing after he touched it, only to have Harry either permanently vanish or be found dead in the graveyard of Little Hangleton?
Well remember, at the time Dumby totally trusted Moody, so if Moody denied it, and if Crouch Jr. was good at occlumency, my guess is if he kept the act up they’d believe him.
The only rebuttal I’ve ever heard to my point about book 4 is that Voldemort wanted to be really impressive for his death eaters and to intimidate people when he came out (presumably invincible with Harry dead), but the reasoning seems pretty flimsy.
Dolores Umbridge would be awesome.
They also could take the one black rookie (where have you gone, DJ Mitchell) and make him Dean Thomas.
Dolores Umbridge…if you can find a least likable character from any form of art, I’ll give you a medal.
I hated Rita Skeeter with a burning passion. Umbridge was loathsome, but man I wanted Rita to suffer. I think subconsiously it had to do with people having started really dumb nasty rumors about me. I HATE that shit. Thus, I hate Rita Skeeter.
Umbridge was an excellent character, though, just a truly evil woman.
Fun fact: It’s pretty heavily implied that when the centaurs take her in book 5 she’s raped. And she’s so horrifically evil, we just don’t care.
I think you got that from cracked.com, and I think they blew that out of preportion a bit, I mean we don’t know exactly what happened, and I’m not saying she didn’t get raped….but there is just no proof that she was.
FWIW she was askin for it in that dress
HATED her in the books. May have HATED her even more in screen form (Umbridge.)
Skeeter didn’t bother me. She was to peripheral for me to have an emotional reaction.
On the other hand, I couldn’t stand Crabbe and Goyle.
Crabbe and Goyle, really? They didn’t rise above the level of “dumb lackey” until book 7, when it was revealed Crabbe was a truly moronic sadist.
Hey! Didnt you see what Mike said? No Pottertics!
You’re a punny guy, Steve.
well played
These games on t.v. now are boring. Although I do love the Eagles getting blown out.
First place!
My hatred of Nunez grows stronger everyday.
Of course it’s hindsight but it never hurts to trade prospects at their highest value. That time has seemingly passed for Nunez and Betances.
Well, I have narrowed my deficit to a mere 12 points, and I have Eric Stultz in line for a W, and Drew Smyly and Aaron Harang still due to start.
I’m not going to get my hopes up just yet, but I can’t believe I’ve gotten this close.
Fantasy baseball? I have no time for that. It’s an everyday affair right?
Yeah, but you can set your teams days in advance.
By that I mean, it’s a daily thing but unless someone goes on the DL or a closer loses his role or something, you really only need 1-2 day per week to set everything. Your position players largely stay the same, you just gotta set your starting pitchers. I might have openings in my league next year, Joe. And you too, Plouffy. A 10 team league always has room for a couple more.
Unless of course you’re intimidated by this guy (me), who had the best record in the league and just is about to finish spanking his Semifinal opponent 14-2.
Joe would make 12…I’ve been meaning to ask you, money league or just for fun?
No money. Just for fun and bragging rights.
I just really want to take the league from 10 to 12. A 10 team league makes it too easy to upgrade on the waiver wire. 12 would be more fun, challenging, and inspire more trades I think.
Good. Because I’m straight broke.
That sounds fun. I’m not big on the pay leagues, but this intrigues me.
I didn’t have any good teams this year. It was pretty bad.
Last year I was in a 20 man, 25 player per team league. I lost on the last day by half a point!
I’d do it if you want me in. That’s very kind of ya.
Smyly’s pitching well so far.
I don’t know if to start Harang. He’ll be facing a watered down Reds lineup, but he’s so prone to combustibilty anyway. That’s such a monster gamble.
I have Votto and Phillips on my team, and they’re not starting. I would say go for it if they are sitting. Granted I know little about the rest of the Reds roster.
Kershaw’s pitching.
Just saw that. Decision is out of my control.
I have, like, a five point lead. Hope that Drew Smyly doesn’t implode, and that Trevor Plouffe or Adrian Gonzalez don’t have good nights from here on out.
Fucking AGon hits a home run.
Shit.
And he just fucked me over for good.
FUCK
Mike, you bastard.
The gold bikini ideology was ruined for me thanks to television.
SNF. Patriots @ Ravens. Awesome match-up.
What fucking pussies. Phelps absolute should have worn the bikini. This almost makes me want to join the “MOER ROOKIES” brigade on here. So many fucking characters.
I don’t think I can ever look at normal baseball seating the same way again after doing the luxury suite thing at Citifield today. Everything from a private entrance to, basically, bottomless plates of Shake Shack burgers and Blue Smoke BBQ brought to you, to the ability to check out of the game and into your own private living room, where they kids can play, etc. A very cool experience.
It saddened me that the staff seemed generally moved by us acting actually appreciative of what was being offered us. Too many people just their little suites for granted. I will NEVER take a Shake Shack burger being brought to me without standing in a ridiculous line for granted.
That’s awesome man. Glad you enjoyed it.
I had a Shake Shack burger once last year. I waited 20 minutes in 20 degree weather for it. It was worth it.
It’s the best fast food burger ever created. Just bite into the patty. There is so much flavor in that piece of meat compared to any other attempt at a fast food burger. It’s just paradise.
I’m not on the west coast enough to enjoy In N Out, and they are pretty hard to come across, even in SF, where I think they’re done to that one location by the wharf, but I’m a fan. I also think Smashburger does a reasonable job with burger texture, but their meat doesn’t taste like anything.
Joe and Robinson go to In N Out Burger.
An adventure filled with the munchies and much much more.
I tried to make a run last time I was over there, but just didn’t have the time. Only had it twice, sad to say.
NEVER had it. East coast livin’. Want to go to Cali so bad.
I’m not surprised that the staff was appreciative of your thanks. I wish I was, but I’m not. I just hold that attitude that those who can afford to sit in those suites take everything for granted.
It did surprise me how visible it was in their faces. It wasn’t a friendly “why, thank you” which seemed like it went along with the job. It was an honest “I’m glad there are actual human beings in this room today.”
Honestly, people in general seem to be pretty scummy in this regard no matter the income level. Just as an example I stood in line to meet Darryl Strawberry at a minor league game recently and was stunned to see people get their item autographed and basically rip it from his hands when he was done, without saying a thing. He seemed surprised when I told him “thank you very much” and he reached out and shook my hand, then said it was nice to meet me.
Agree completely.
I seriously don’t understand people being nice to “the help.” Maybe because I’ve been “the help” before, but whenever I go to any sort of catered event and there is a service staff/bar I thank every single person who helps me in some way. I mean idk if it was how I was raised or what, but if somebody gets something for you, or offers you something, or cleans up after you, how do you not at least say ‘thank you very much!’?
being the help BLOWSSSSSSSS
Always say thank you, always be polite if pointing out that a mistake was made. try being a human
dont be a dick.
Torrey Smith just had a nice moment.
Can’t decide whether to root for the guy who is dealing with unimaginable personal tragedy in playing tonight, or the Patriots.
Rooting for the Patriots is unAmerican.
Irony, but true.
Politics, politics, politics, politics! Politics! Yes!
The Roman Senate. The Roman Senate is the best legislature
that money can buy! Corruption starts in the streets with the
little peddlers. They bribe an assemblyman, he bribes a councilman,
the councilman bribes a senator, and the senator…
It goes all the way to the Emperor!
extra innings in Detroit. I know the Twins are out of it but wearing their bullpen out even more is a good thing.
Good thinking. I hope we smash them. That should be a sweep.
Good point! Let it go 20.
Alas..not to be. Oh well,any time you can see Valverde lose it’s a good thing.
And it’s over in Detroit.
This will be the final post I make on fantasy related matters. Adrian Gonzalez fucks me over one last time. What a sick joke. It’s been a fun season, 19-1 and clearly the best team, but with no shot at the title now, I’m not gonna bother managing a fucking consolation round game.
It’s been fun. Hopefully if I play again, I can finish next time. Which shouldn’t be hard, right? I mean, with the astronomical odds of getting Trout and Cespedes again?
The only positive I can say is that I have not cried in almost exactly four years, and I easily managed to prolong that streak tonight. The second I saw that ball bounce in the bullpen off Gonzo’s bat was an absolute fucking soul-crusher.
—-
Anyway, sorry for bugging you guys so much with it. I guess now I can divert all my baseball focus back to the more important thing – the Yankees’ stretch run. Hope they manage at least five wins on this upcoming trip, because you know that the O’s are gonna feast on this homestand with the Jays and Sox.
I left my network today. I called it quits after a year and now one month of being the baseball site manager.
Just got tired of writing breaking news along with me having no time to write for a long time.
I lost out on the network’s fantasy league I guess now. My team was going to win. Whoever inherits it please send half the prize money this way.
—-
My rant.
You realize there are real problems in the world, right?
I think the O’s will kick butt too but I also don’t think the Jays and Red Sox will roll over either.
More to the point..I can see starters for the O’s being left in longer then they should..the bullpen is starting to look more and more shaky in their wins and I can just see them blowing a game or two down the line. Let’s just hope the Yanks win enough to take advantage of that.
For September:
Cano: .234/.337/.403/.740
Grandy: .186/.265/.475/.740
ARod: .292/.346/.444/.790
Last 7 days:
Cano: .222/.276/.296/.572
Grandy: .111/.280/.167/.447
ARod: .280/.321/.280/.601
It’s amazing we’re still in this thing.
Our September heros have been Ichiro, Martin and Raul. Think about that.
Jeter needs to seriously kick Cano in the ass, and hopefully he’ll land on Granderson.
Cool story, bro.