Penn State Game Day

TRICK OR TREAT!

Penn State takes on Northwestern this afternoon, which serves as the terrific appetizer for the Phillies and Yankees in the World Series tonight.

To get you caught up to speed here area couple of my links for today...

Examiner
Preview: #12Penn State (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) @ Northwestern (5-3, 2-2)
Who is Penn State's Cliff Lee?
Daryll Clark named Davie Award Semifinalist
Penn State locking in on possible BCS berth

Nittany White Out
Video Preview

Phinally Philly
Penn State on the road, Temple can clinch bowl eligibility

The 700 Level
Penn State on the road again

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Unique animation to start your Friday

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis

from blu on Vimeo.

I really like the way this video was planned and executed. I can not imagine how long this must have taken with the amount of painting and possible story boarding that must have gone into the organization of this work of art. And that's really what it is, a "work of art."

I saw this on Facebook after a friend posted it and just had to share it with you.

Happy Friday everyone, even though the Phillies lost last night!

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So who is this @krmcguire, in more than 140 characters

Penn State, Phillies, television, movies, music, Nintendo, internet topics and a whole lot more...

Thanks for clicking the link in my Twitter profile. Hopefully after reading this you will have a better understanding of who may be best known to you as @krmcguire!

My name is Kevin McGuire and I am an internet enthusiast, as you probably have already realized. This site here acts as my home base for internet operations if you will. Here on this blog you can usually find my movie reviews, take a nostalgic trip down memory lane with Mario Monday, or find out what I have to say on a number of topics that range from baseball and football to whatever may be happening in the news. I will also be sure to provide you with links to various content I produce on the internet from time to time.

Speaking of which, you can also find me on an almost daily basis on Examiner where I follow college football. I also contribute regularly on Nittany White Out, a popular Penn State fan site. In addition I also contribute to a few other sites, including The 700 Level, Phinally Philly, and Macho Row.

I am always willing to discuss the Phillies and Penn State but I also enjoy discussing the Eagles, Flyers and college football in general. You can also feel free to discuss topics fellow bloggers would be interested in such as social networking, techniques for successful blogging, and the direction of the media in an online generation.

Naturally you can find me on Twitter and I encourage you to feel free to send me a message and discuss anything you wish with me. In addition you can connect with me through Facebook. I am also on MySpace, but in all honesty I do not check it on a regular basis.

As I said, this site serves as my home base, but here are links to my other outlets. In time these will be incorporated more into the flow of this site.

Social Interaction
Twitter <|> Facebook <|> MySpace

Media Sharing
YouTube <|> Vimeo <|> Picasa

Link Sharing
Stumble Upon <|> Digg <|> Mixx <|> Reddit

Finally, here are some links to popular posts on this site...

• Five questions with Shaimus guitarist Evan Brown
• YES US CAN! Phillies win the World Series!
• 17 Kids and Boring
• Witnessing History
• I Remember

Again, thank you for clicking on the link in my Twitter profile! Send me a reply @krmcguire to let me know you stopped by and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can! I look forward to interacting with you on Twitter. It really is a wonderful communication tool.

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Preview: World Series Game Two

Pedro Martinez takes mound in familiar company

As I have said before, this should be fun.

After smacking the Yankees in the World Series opener behind a brilliant performance by Cliff Lee, the Phillies will send their other mid-season Cy Young Award winning acquisition with Pedro Martinez. Knowing the history between Martinez and the Yankees (and their fans) this game makes for some high-profile drama.

With Martinez the Phillies may be playing their wild card in game two. Martinez was terrific against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the NLCS but was pulled after just 87 pitches thrown. Martinez, who did not pitch in the first round after a weather postponement, had a long period of rest since his last start in the regular season. Martinez is 1-2 against the Yankees in his postseason career and has been quoted as saying the Yankees are his "daddy" in one of the more famous Martinez quotes of all time. The Yankee faithful will be sure to shower Martinez with a rousing rendition of "Who's your Daddy" chants early and often, but Martinez has the mind to block out the cat-calls.

What kind of stuff will Martinez have against the more high powered offense than the Dodgers had to offer? Truth is nobody knows and we will all await to see how Martinez handles this Yankees lineup.

Facing Martinez will be Yankees starter A.J. Burnett. Neither pitcher has recorded a decision in this year's postseason but Burnett is carrying a 4.42 ERA and has shown signs of vulnerability. Will the Phillies offense have a way of cracking through Burnett? The Phillies will be the toughest lineup the Yankees pitcher has faced this post season and if the Phillies can show patience and make him work, he could get rattled under the pressure.

My general feeling is that the Phillies have already earned the 1-1 split at a minimum. Stealing a game two victory would just put this team on cruise control. Right now they hold the upper hand with an offense that knows what they can do at any spot in the lineup (except for Pedro Feliz) and a bullpen that only saw one pitcher toss some warm-up pitches last night.

With Martinez on the mound, this should be fun.

First pitch: 7:57 pm
TV: FOX

Pitching probables
Pedro Martinez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett (0-0, 4.42 ERA)

Phillies lead 1-0
Game # (location) - Date, time
Game 1 (New York) - W 6-1
Game 2 (New York) - October 29, TBD
Game 3 (Philadelphia) - October 31, TBD
Game 4 (Philadelphia) - November 1, TBD
Game 5 (Philadelphia) - November 2, TBD*
Game 6 (New York) - November 4, TBD*
Game 7 (New York) - November 5, TBD*
* if necessary

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Video: World Series Game 1 Slideshow

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World Series Teaser Video

I have been having fun putting together quick little musical slide shows chronicling the Phillies post season run. To get juiced for tonight's game one of the World Series with the universally hated (and admittedly loved) New York Yankees I threw together this little teaser video if you will.

The Phillies and Yankees have played in the World Series before, with the Joe DiMaggio lead Yankees sweeping Robin Roberts and the Whiz Kids in four games back in 1950. What better way to celebrate that era than with some Glenn Miller. Naturally as the Phillies are shown celebrating their two franchise world championships, the Yankees invade the party to boast about their 26 rings and their quest for a 27th. As you probably know, the Yankees have been dubbed "The Evil Empire" (I believe by the Boston Red Sox organization and fans), which serves as the influence for the second song selection in the video.

I'm excited for this one, probably more so than last year's World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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World Series Prediction

Yankees in seven.

Trust me, this was very tough to come through and say. Believe me when I say I hope I am dead wrong!

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Preview: World Series Game One

Former Cleveland Indians pitchers face off in World Series opener

Now the fun begins. Game One of the 2009 World Series between the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies and American League champion New York Yankees brings a lot to the table. The storied franchise that is the Yankees brings a certain mystique that no team can duplicate. The Phillies bring with them the title of defending world champions. Each team is full of star players and future Hall of Fame caliber players. Tonight though will be a match-up of the past two American League Cy Young Award winners, and the highlight of each team's big-name acquisitions within the last year.

The Yankees will go with CC Sabathia in the series opener. Sabathia was signed to be the ace of the staff and he has not disappointed. The former Indian and short-time Milwaukee Brewer has shown his dominant stuff this post season and has not had to carry the team the way he was forced to in Milwaukee. Sabathia is now set up to pitch three games in this series, if needed, on full rest. Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA this postseason. That can be very dangerous for the Phillies, but they are no strangers to Sabathia in the post season.

The Phillies were able to come up with a victory against Sabathia last year in the NLDS against the Brewers, although at the time Sabathia was already wearing down from pitching on short rest at the end of the season. By the time the Phillies got to him in the playoffs Sabathia was running on fumes. Shane Victorino delivered the big punch to Sabathia with a grand slam and Phillies pitcher Brett Myers started the rally with the most storied walk in Phillies post season history.

For the Phillies the mound will be patrolled by trade acquisition Cliff Lee. Lee has found his dominant stuff in the playoffs after showing some signs of vulnerability down the stretch of the regular season. Lee is 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA this postseason. He has struck out 20 batters in the process. In Lee's last game against the Yankees Lee pitched six full innings and allowed three runs on nine hits. For his career Lee is 4-4 against the Yankees with a 5.02 ERA.

First pitch: 7:57 pm
TV: FOX

Pitching probables
Cliff Lee (2-0, 0.74 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia (3-0, 1.19 ERA)

Series tied 0-0
Game 1 (New York) - October 28, 7:57 pm
Game 2 (New York) - October 29, 7:57 pm
Game 3 (Philadelphia) - October 31, 7:57 pm
Game 4 (Philadelphia) - November 1, 8:27 pm
Game 5 (Philadelphia) - November 2, 7:57 pm*
Game 6 (New York) - November 4, 7:57 pm*
Game 7 (New York) - November 5, 7:57 pm*
* if necessary

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Here they come, everybody...Sixers start their season tonight

Poor Sixers. Season openers are supposed to be celebrated. Instead tonight nobody will pay attention to you as your neighbors, the Phillies, are playing a game of some significant importance tonight (more on that one later today).

But fear not, for I have devoted some time to recognize you today. Mind you, this is more of a public service for some of my readers here because I am the last person to ask for an expert opinion on the team, or the sport. But you are Philadelphia so I support you!

When last we saw the Sixers on the court they were putting a mild scare into the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The season was supposed to have some potential after the franchise signed Elton Brand, but injuries kept the big name acquisition off the court, forcing guys like Andre Iguodala to step up their game a little more. Last year also gave a chance for young guys like Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young to develop their game a bit.

This season the Sixers look to take the next step. With a new head coach in Eddie Jordan (pictured, right) and a return to the classic Sixers look, the franchise is hoping for a return to their glory years. I like the direction of the team, but I will stop here in my analysis of the team. As I said, I am not exactly a basketball guy so I am the last person to break down the X's and O's of the sport. Heck, I could not even tell you the difference between a Point Guard and a Shooting Guard and a Power Forward.

If you are looking for some guys much better at covering the Sixers than myself, look no further than the following sites;

Sixers4Guidos - This site has now joined the Bloguin Network
Liberty Ballers - a member of SB Naion, which means the community is usually among the best.
The Recliner GM - when they are not talking about the Phillies, there is some excellent Sixers coverage to soak in.

As always I suggest checking out The 700 Level and Phinally Philly for more talk on the Sixers. Looking for a forum? I am not aware of any fantastic Sixers-specific forums, but PhilaPhans is generally a good start for Philadelphia sports discussion. Naturally there is a Sixers section for all things concerning the basketball team. I may stop by from time to time under my Twitter name.

Speaking of Twitter, a number of the current Sixers players are on Twitter for you to follow;
Andre Iguodala | Thaddeus Young | Lou Williams | Royal Ivey

I hope the Sixers do well this season, although I will not say I will be glued to my television watching them. When it comes to the Sixers I pay attention from a bit of a distance, until the playoffs roll around. Good luck to them this season! Hoping for an improbably Atlantic Division championship banner to hang from the rafters!

I'm not going to think about an even more unlikely NBA Championship banner...yet.

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Sunday Sports Page

Shippensburg takes PSAC East by storm with upset at #3 Bloomsburg
The Red Raiders rocked the D2 football world Saturday with their upset of #3 Bloomsburg. With the victory Shippensburg now is a win away from capturing the PSAC East crown in unlikely fashion. Picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the division, behind traditional powers Bloomsburg and West Chester, the Red Raiders have now defeated both on their own path to the division crown. All that stands between them and their first East crown is a game at Cheyney next week.
Ship Athletics | Patriot News

Penn State wins in Ann Arbor for first time since 1996
The Nittany Lions dominated Michigan 35-10 and picked up their first road win against Michigan since I was a freshman in high school. Read my game recap on Examiner.

Flyers beat Panthers, Mike Richards with the big hit
The Flyers beat the visiting Panthers 5-1, but the big news of the night was captain Mike Richard's devastating hit. As of the time of this posting there was no suspension handed down from the NHL, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some form of action taken on the center.

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Penn State Game Day - Michigan

Penn State is on the road today in Ann Arbor, Michigan to take on the Wolverines. I did not get a chance to do this last week, but here are your game day links consisting of my material over a few different outlets.

Examiner
Preview: #13 Penn State (6-1, 2-1, Big Ten) vs. Michigan (5-2, 1-2)
Big Ten examiner Round Table - Week Seven
Previewing Michigan with The Wolverine Blog
Penn State hopes to party like it's 1996

Nittany White Out
Penn State heads to House of Horrors
Blindfolded Dart Throwing - Week Seven

Phinally Philly
Penn State heads to House of Horrors in Ann Arbor

The 700 Level
Penn State Visits Big House of Painful Memories - Game Thread

If you are watching the game by a computer, be sure to follow me on Twitter as I update periodically though out the game!

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Happy Birthday "Weird Al" Yankovic

Today is the birthday of iconic parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. Yankovic was always one of my favorite musicians growing up. The first compact disc I ever owned was Weird Al Yankovic - Greatest Hits, Volume 2. I have not kept up to date on all of Yankovic's later creations, but I will never grow tired of hearing any of his classic song parodies.

To honor Yankovic's birthday I have included a rare video of a live performance of "Happy Birthday". As Youtube user EvilUncleFrank states, the video quality is a bit poor. But what would you expect form a video that was recorded on July 29, 1983!

Happy birthday to you "Weird Al" Yankovic! Wish him a happy birthday on Twitter.

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Blog Maintenance Upcoming after World Series

I decided to hold off until after the World Series, but this site will start to undergo some tweaking. As I become more involved with writing on a regular basis I really do want this site to take on a approach with more consistent posts.

But since the Phillies are starting the World Series this week I am sure I am not going to have this site at the top of my priority list over the next week or so. Stay tuned!

Some things on the to-do list:

• Organizing label posts - removing, editing, or adding where appropriate
• Back tracking old posts and updating as needed, or removing if better off
• Updating links
• A plan for a new daily, or almost daily, approach

Any suggestions or ideas would be welcomed! Like I said, no drastic changes until after the World Series though, so good luck Phillies! Bring it home one more time for Harry Kalas!

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Video: NLCS Game 5 Slideshow

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Happy Birthday Stef!

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Phillies win NLCS, Action News on YouTube

Honestly, I do not know which I am more excited about! Of course seeing the Phillies clinch their berth in a second straight World Series is awesome, but as a web savvy kind of guy, seeing my favorite news team go on YouTube, and have embeddable videos, is terrific!

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Dolphins play soccer with jellyfish

They say that dolphins are extremely intelligent, but they also seem to be able to have a good time like no other animal I am aware of. These dolphins of Cardigan Bay, just off of the west coast of Wales, have been documented playing with jellyfish in a matter that almost resembles soccer.

The dolphins swim up from underneath the unsuspecting jellyfish and flip them in the air as if they are nothing but a toy! Observe the video below, which does not have sound for some reason. For more photos and information on this click here to read the original article on Daily Mail's Science and Tech section.

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Check out these "Great Pumpkins"

For more check out this collection from Chicago Tribune.

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Video: NLCS Game 4 Slideshow

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Video: NLCS Game 3 Slideshow

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Video: NLCS Game 2 Slideshow

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Video: Penn State vs. Minnesota

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Catching up on videos

Let this be a warning to you that in the next ten minutes four posts will be posted here on the site. Each post will get you caught up on some recent videos I have thrown together recapping recent games involving the Phillies and Penn State. As usual they are just musical slide shows set to music.

Creating these little recap videos is a recent hobby of mine but I have gotten some good feedback on them so far. The Penn State videos are posted on Examiner and on Nittany White Out while the Phillies videos have appeared in a couple locations, including The 700 Level, Mike on the Phillies and Macho Row. If anyone else has posted these videos please let me know! I would love to check out the sites they are posted on!

I would love to hear what you think of these videos, so leave me a comment on any particular post!

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It's 5:00 am on Saturday

I woke up at 5:00 AM on a Saturday, which can only mean one thing. I'm heading to a Penn State football game. Read my preview on Examiner if you are so inclined.

This will be my first game of the season and I do not believe I could have picked worse weather! Oh well, it should be fun none the less as it is Homecoming, and that is always a fun time in Satte College.

Look for plenty of pictures in the next day or so.

As for that Phillies loss yesterday, that stunk. But the Phillies return to Philadelphia even in the NLCS which is all you could really ask for.

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Preview NLCS Game 2: Phillies @ Dodgers

Video source: ESPN
Pedro Martinez makes first playoff start since 2004

The Phillies used just about every resource they had in the bullpen in game one to steal home field advantage from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the question is how much relief will they need in game two? A win in game two would set the Phillies up nicely for the upcoming home portion of the NLCS. The big story line in game two will certainly be focused on the Phillies starting pitcher for this afternoon, Pedro Martinez.

Martinez grabs headlines wherever he goes and this afternoon he will start in his first post season game since 2004, the year the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series title in over 80 years. Martinez was a key player on that team and he will hope to rekindle some of that magic . In his last playoff start Martinez pitched seven shut out innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series while allowing just three hits and walked only two and struck out six.

But we all know that this is not exactly the same Martinez. He doesn't have as dominant stuff as he once had but he does bring a good mentality to the mound. He will not be intimidated or rattled by the high scoring Dodgers offense, including his former teammate Manny Ramirez. Martinez should be well rested as he was swapped out of a start in game three of the NLDS in favor of JA Happ in Colorado. In his career Martinez was 1-2 in six games (five starts) in the ALCS with a 4.72 ERA.

Looking to even the series for the Dodgers will be former Phillies pitcher Vicente Padilla. Padilla has pitched well since joining the Dodgers, including seven shut out innings in his game three start in the NLDS against the Cardinals. Padilla was 12-6 this season with a 4.46 ERA between his time with the Texas Rangers and Dodgers. Padilla pitched for the Phillies from 2000 to 2005. Now he must perform well in a must-win game against the team he has spent the most time with in his career.

The Phillies will want to pounce on Padilla early and take him off his game, unlike the Cardinals. Winning this game is not as urgent as it would have been had the Phillies lost last night, but it would put the Phillies in the driver's seat in the NLCS as the series returns to Philadelphia next week.

First pitch: 4:07 pm
TV: TBS

Pitching probables
Pedro Martinez (-, - ERA) vs. Vicente Padilla (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Phillies lead 1-0
Game # (location) - Date, time - preview/open thread/recap/video
Game 1 (Los Angeles) - W 8-6
Game 2 (Los Angeles) - October 16 4:07 pm
Game 3 (Philadelphia) - October 18 8:07 pm
Game 4 (Philadelphia) - October 19 8:07 pm
Game 5 (Philadelphia) - October 21* 8:07 pm
Game 6 (Los Angeles) - October 23* 8:07 pm
Game 7 (Los Angeles) - October 24* 8:07 pm

* if neccessary

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Phillies take Game One using Ruiz and Ibanez three run homers

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NLCS Prediction

Phillies in six.

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Preview NLCS Game 1: Phillies @ Dodgers

2008 NLCS MVP Cole Hamels returns to mound in opener

For the fifth time in baseball history the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers will play for the right to represent the National League in the World Series. Dating back to the 1970's the teams have split series victories with the Phillies coming away victorious last October en route to a World Series championship.

The Dodgers will enter the series with a bit of a chip on their collective shoulders. Last fall the Dodgers were eliminated from the post season on their own field as the Phillies clinched the National League pennant in Dodger Stadium. This year the Dodgers will have home field advantage in the NLCS and will need to take advantage of that before the series heads to Philadelphia for three games. To do that the Dodgers will need to get the most out of their starting pitching.

In game one Joe Torre's Dodgers will go with 21 year old Clayton Kershaw. During the regular season Kershaw went just 8-8 but his 2.79 ERA and 185 strike outs are nothing to sneeze at. Against the Phillies in his career Kershaw is just 0-3 in four starts with a 6.34 ERA. In his NLDS start against the St.Louis Cardinals Kershaw picked up a no-decision as the Dodgers scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win game two. Kershaw pitched 6.2 innings in that game and allowed two runs on nine hits. He struck out four and walked just one.

Taking the mound for the Phillies will be last year's NLCS MVP, Cole Hamels. After leaving the team to be with his wife and newborn son rather than make the trip to Colorado Hamels appears to be ready to take center stage back on the mound in Los Angeles. Against the Dodgers this season Hamels has pitched 16 innings, allowed just two runs (one earned) on 12 hits and struck out 14 batters. He went 1-0 with his lone decision coming in a complete game gem back in June. In his first start against the Dodgers Hamels was without any run support in a game that went to extra innings after Hamels did everything he could to win the low scoring game.

First pitch: 8:07 pm
TV: TBS

Pitching probables
Cole Hamels (0-1, 7.20 ERA) vs. Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 2.70 ERA)

Series tied 0-0
Game # (location) - Date, time or result
Game 1 (Los Angeles) - October 15 8:07 pm
Game 2 (Los Angeles) - October 16 4:07 pm
Game 3 (Philadelphia) - October 18 8:07 pm
Game 4 (Philadelphia) - October 19 8:07 pm
Game 5 (Philadelphia) - October 21* 8:07 pm
Game 6 (Los Angeles) - October 23* 8:07 pm
Game 7 (Los Angeles) - October 24* 8:07 pm

* if necessary

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Penn State, Minnesota...Pluto?

This week Penn state takes on Minnesota as the highlight of the Homecoming festivities. You can check out my game preview right now on Examiner, but I wanted to go off on a tangent this week and share a video that I came across while searching for material on the Golden Gophers of Minnesota.

While compiling a couple videos on YouTube that had to do with Minnesota (some were included in my Blue White Round Table over on Nittany White Out) I stumbled across this classic Disney short starring Pluto, my second favorite Disney dog character (Goofy).

The lovable companion of Disney's mascot Mickey Mouse gets in a bit of a tussle with a pesky gopher in Minnie Mouse's yard. In his effort to rid Minnie's garden of the rodent Pluto winds up doing more harm than good.

I have embedded the video for you to enjoy, hopefully as much as I did!

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Photo: NLDS Game One - Dirt Storm

It was incredibly windy on this otherwise beautiful afternoon. Often the wind would blow up a bit of a dust storm along the first base side of the infield. Many players, like Chase Utley, would have to call for a timeout in order to shield their eyes from the incoming wave of dirt.

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Photo: NLDS Game One - Standing Room View

Not a bad view for a standing room only ticket. Jimmy Rollins digs in at the plate with a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth inning.

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Morning Ramblings

Every morning I update Stef's iPod with the latest podcasts and make sure to pack it in her purse before she leaves for work. It's just a little something I try to do to help her out in the morning. But today I forgot to put the iPod in her purse. I noticed it right after she left for work so I figured I would follow her and meet her in a parking lot before she got too far into her trip. Of course when I called her to let her know I had her iPod I heard her phone ringing in the bedroom. She charged it over night and I forgot to make sure she had her phone too, as I usually do as well.

So I ended up driving all the way to her work to deliver the technological necessities of the every day working woman - cell phone and iPod.

On my unscheduled morning road trip I found myself doing some things I rarely do these days and making some observations I typically do not run into in the morning.

• I never listen to ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the morning but I tried to give them a chance this morning as I pretty much refuse to listen to the 610 WIP morning show unless Angelo Cataldi and Rhea Hughes are on vacation. I lasted about five minutes with Mike and Mike as Greenburg was going nowhere with his idea of expanding the baseball playoffs to 16 teams. I actually do not listen to radio or music in the mornings as I usually watch Sports Rise, Good Morning America, CNN, or Saved by the Bell reruns as I chow down on my morning cereal and toast. After this morning I will stick with podcasts should I desire some listening material.
• Best licence plate of the morning- "UR OK"
• To the scruffy pick-up driver who went straight before letting me turn left (I was next in line to make my move at the intersection - I was supposed to go after the lady in front of this guy) - I hope you get pulled over.
• At what point do some people decide they don't need to use turn signals?
• I think it is absurd how close some bus stops are to each other. Two driveways away should be ONE stop!
• I love the way the leaves change colors this time of year. Looking forward to a drive up to State College, PA this weekend just for that reason.
• When I got home the first episode of Saved by the Bell was on TBS, not including the original episodes from Good Morning Miss Bliss.
  

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Photo: NLDS Game One - Postseason banner

It was a week ago today that the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies embarked on their quest to defend their World Series title. They did so against the Colorado Rockies, which as you know by now they did successfully in four games.

I took a number of photos of my own, some of which can be seen in my game one music video recap, and I wanted to be sure to share a few with you here on the site. The above picture was taken outside the third base entrance where the pre-game festivities were in full swing. A pep-rally concert was put on by the popular local band Mr. Greengenes. The entrance to the pre game fair was draped in a special banner letting you know exactly what season it was that was just moments away from officially beginning.

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Phillies win NLDS, set up NLCS rematch with Dodgers

NLDS Game Four: Phillies 5, Rockies 4 from Kevin McGuire on Vimeo.

Click the links above to check out all of my videos from this NLDS as well as past videos that could not be on YouTube for one reason or another.

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Phillies edge out Rockies on late night

And only one song could really sum up the game for me.

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Music video using Movie and TV clips

How many movies and tv shows will you recognize?

HT: Bag of Nothing

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Preview NLDS Game 3: Phillies @ Rockies

JA Happ makes his first playoff start

After being postponed yesterday due to snowy conditions the Phillies and Rockies will resume their first round series tonight. The series is tied at one game a piece after each team won a game in Philadelphia.

With the postponement of yesterday's scheduled game the pitching advantage may have swung more in the favor of the Phillies. The Rockies have struggled against left handed pitching and with the extra day the Phillies could delay any post season appearance by Pedro Martinez and throw a third straight lefty at the Rockies in game three.

JA Happ will make his first career start after leaving his game two relief appearance after just four pitches. After being struck on the leg by a line drive Happ was taken out and he says he is fine. That must be true because Charlie Manuel would not go with him if he had any doubts about Happ's status. Earlier this season Happ threw a four hit complete game against the Rockies, a 7-0 win for the Phillies.

The Rockies will look to take a 2-1 series advantage and preserve home field advantage by sending Jason Hammel to the mound as planned originally. Hammel is 1-0 against the Phillies in two career starts. His career 4.82 ERA against the Phillies is higher than his 2009 season ERA of 4.33 and his home 5.73 ERA is considerably higher than the rest of his 2009 season.

First pitch: 10:07 pm
TV: TBS

Pitching probables (post-season stats for Happ, regular season stats for Hammel)
JA Happ (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Jason Hammel (10-8, 4.33 ERA)

NLDS, Best of Five, Series tied 1-1
Game 1 (Philadelphia) - W 5-1
Game 2 (Philadelphia) - L 4-5
10.11 Game 3 (Colorado) - 10:07 pm
10.12 Game 4 (Colorado) - TBA
10.13 Game 5 (Philadelphia) - TBA*

* If necessary

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Penn State Game Day - Eastern Illinois

Penn State takes on Eastern Illinois in a little under an hour. To get you caught up to speed here are my select links from the past couple of days by yours truly.

• Preview: #12/14 Penn State (4-1) vs. #25 Eastern Illinois (4-1) [Examiner]
• Blue White Round Table [Nittany White Out]
• Big Ten Picks [Examiner/Nittany White Out]
• Penn State to feed on cupcakes [Phinally Philly]
• Penn State wants a cupcake [The 700 Level]

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Rockies tie up NLDS

NLDS Game 2: Rockies 5, Phillies 4 from Kevin McGuire on Vimeo.

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Six Pack of Picks for the Weekend

Not a whole lot to get excited about this weekend for the local football fans. Penn State has a likely-blow-out-victory lined up while the Philadelphia Eagles return to the field against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I went 4-2 last week in my picks, losing two college picks. I am also still alive in the suicide pool. Hopefully I will have enough energy in me to keep up on the football this weekend because I will have late nights watching the Phillies this weekend.

Here is how I see this weekend playing out for six select teams.


#12/14 Penn State (4-1) vs. #25 (FCS) Eastern Illinois (4-1)
Penn State is playing another FCS foe that the fans just do not want to see this weekend. The Panthers are best known for having Tony Romo as a former quarterback (Congrats Panthers fans!) and even though they have similar statistics to the Nittany Lions, there is no way Penn State loses this game.

Of course, I have more on this game over on Examiner today, so check it out.

Shippensburg (4-2, 2-1 PSAC East) vs. Kutztown (3-3, 1-2 PSAC East)
That loud thud you heard was the sound of many jumping off the Ship band wagon last week. After an impressive start to the season the Red Raiders took a big hit last week in their first game in Long Island, New York since the early 1980's. C.W. Post brought Ship back down to Earth a little bit but Rocky's team looks to be a favorite against Kutztown this weekend. A win this week would set up a chance at a statement game next week against West Chester.

#4 LSU (5-0, 3-0 SEC) vs. Florida (4-0, 2-0)
Will Tim Tebow play or won't he? After suffering a concussion two weeks ago it is doubtful that the 2007 Heisman trophy winner, and all-around God to college football media, will see any action on the field in Baton Rouge Saturday night. Based on that assumption I am inclined to go with the Tigers at home to knock off the top ranked team in the country. A victory could vault LSU to the top of the college football world, unless Texas can fight off any flurry of first place votes going to LSU.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4)
Donovan McNabb will return to the field this week as the Eagles but the truth is it won't matter who takes snaps on Sunday. The Bucs are just that bad. There is a reason I picked against hem in the suicide pool the first couple weeks of the season after all.

Baltimore Ravens (3-1) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)
If you had the Bengals playing for first place in the fifth week of the season I would call you crazy, or an optimistic fan from Cincinnati. Either way, the dream of first place ends in Baltimore, home of one of the top defenses in the NFL and a quarterback on the rise in Joe Flacco.

Tennessee Titans (0-4) vs. Indianapolis Colts (4-0)
Call me crazy, but is there any possibility the best team in the AFC from a year ago will go 0-5 to start the 2009 season? Well, yes there is. Still with the game being played at home I think Jeff Fisher is going to use everything he can to win this game, and the Colts are due for a loss, right? A loss for the Titans could spell the end of Kerry Collins as a starter too.


NFL SUICIDE PICK
Philadelphia Eagles
I am not sure what kind of game Donovan McNabb will have and I am not sold that Jeremiah Trotter's return will have that much of an impact, but they are still in much better shape than Tampa Bay. The Bucs are a bad team, which is why I have picked against them twice in the suicide pool already. With the Eagles playing at home I see no reason to bet against them this weekend.

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Appetizer for Football Friday

You can check out my game preview on Examiner right now.

Check back tomorrow for a full day of football coverage. I'll have my weekly six pack of picks here, my Big Ten picks for the weekend on Examiner and Nittany White Out, the weekly guest post on Phinally Philly and some final thoughts leading up to the Penn State-Eastern Illinois game over on Examiner.

Don't forget to check out my Penn State game day post over on The 700 Level on Saturday either.

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Preview NLDS Game 2: Phillies vs. Rockies

Phillies look to take commanding 2-0 lead to Denver

If Cliff Lee set the tone in yesterday's complete game effort (view the video slide show here), then World Series MVP Cole Hamels has his work cut out for him. Hamels looks to continue the home success for the Phillies, who have now won eighth straight playoff games at Citizens Bank Park, and put the Phillies in control of the NLDS before flying to Denver for game three.

Hamels is coming off a mediocre start in his regular season finale but there are few pitchers who have shown the ability to perform in the spotlight like Hamels. This season Hamels has pitched well in games on the road against the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers (his best game of the season, and maybe career) and the Phillies came away winners in those games. Last postseason saw Hamels go 4-0, with a bizarre weather situation likely keeping him from going 5-0. Hamels is 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA in the postseason in his career, with the one loss coming in his debut against the Rockies in 2007. He has not given up more than three runs in any of his starts.

Looking to get the Rockies even in the series before heading back home will be Aaron Cook. Cook earned a win in his last start against Milwaukee but that was his first win since July. In his previous start against the Phillies, in Philadelphia, Cook took a loss but received no run support. Unfortunately for Cook, Cliff Lee was making his Citizens Bank Park debut for the Phillies in that same game as the Phillies won 3-1.

Yesterday saw the Phillies offense receive contributions from everyone in the lineup. What will game two have in store? Should the Phillies come away victorious the series will shift to Colorado's Coors Field with the defending World Series champions needing just one win to move to the NLCS. A win for Colorado is crucial. Game one winners in NLDS history are 25-3.

First pitch: 2:37 pm
TV: TBS

Pitching probables (regular season stats)
Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32 ERA) vs. Aaron Cook (11-6, 4.16 ERA)

NLDS, Best of Five, Phillies lead 1-0
10.07 Game 1 (Philadelphia) - W 5-1
10.08 Game 2 (Philadelphia) - 2:37 pm
10.10 Game 3 (Colorado) - 9:37 pm
10.11 Game 4 (Colorado) - TBA*
10.13 Game 5 (Philadelphia) - TBA*

* If necessary

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Phillies rock the Rockies in game one

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Preview NLDS Game 1: Phillies vs. Rockies

When the past two National League champions take the field today at Citizens Bank Park the wild card Colorado Rockies and defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies will officially open baseball's 2009 edition of the post season.

The Phillies won the regular season series between the two clubs but none of that will matter starting this afternoon. Taking the mound for the Phillies, who look to jump out to a good start at home, will be former American League Cy Young award winning pitcher Cliff Lee. Manager Charlie Manuel opted to go with Lee in game one and last year's NLCS and World Series MVP Cole Hamels in game two.

After a brilliant start with the Phillies after a mid-season blockbuster trade Lee showed some signs of weakness down the stretch. In his lone appearance against the Rockies this year Lee pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run. Colorado did score one run on the ace pitcher but an error lead to the run being scored as an unearned tally.

Lee will be making his first start in the post-season so pay attention to how he responds to the pressure in front of a raucous home crowd. The Phillies won each game in front of their home fans last season and it will be interesting to see if Lee can feed off of what will surely be an anxious crowd Wednesday afternoon.

Pitching for the Rockies will be Ubaldo Jiménez. Jiménez has a career record of 0-1 against the Phillies in two career starts and a 8.10 ERA against them. In 18 starts away from Coors Field Jiménez is 7-7 this season with a 3.58 ERA.

Manuel has yet to commit to a single closer so if the Phillies are in a save situation it will be worth watching what Manuel decides on. Ryan Madson had taken on the closer role at the end of the season, but some suggest the move to bring Brad Lidge into the NL East clinching game with two outs was a symbolic gesture that Lidge is still the go-to guy. Manuel may be wise to go with a bullpen by committee mentality though.

First pitch: 2:37 pm
TV: TBS

Pitching probables (regular season stats)
Cliff Lee (14-13, 3.22 ERA) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (15-12, 3.47 ERA)

NLDS, Best of Five
10.07 Game 1 (Philadelphia) - 2:37 pm
10.08 Game 2 (Philadelphia) - 2:37 pm
10.10 Game 3 (Colorado) - 9:37 pm
10.11 Game 4 (Colorado) - TBA*
10.13 Game 5 (Philadelphia) - TBA*

* If necessary

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Win it for Harry

Last year the Phillies won the World Series, giving me my first real championship in my lifetime (I do not have a memory of Penn State's national championships and the Sixers won it all when I was just one and a half years old). Sure, the Soul won (that was cool) but the Phillies was s much more special to me.

I want to do this all again one more time...




I'll be sure to offer my recap of each game of the post season here just like last year. Buckle up. It could be a bumpy ride. I am already on record saying the Phillies will win in four games, and I will stick with that. As for defending their World Series title, I am not prepared to commit to that quite yet.

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Football Pool Recapping Week Four

Alone no more.

In a short amount of time I have become the 1972 Miami Dolphins. After posting the first ever perfect week in the Onexia Football Pool's history last year I have since found myself watching the results of my opponents with a bit more interest from week to week.

While I do not have a bottle of champagne ready to pop when another participant in the football poll takes their first (and sometimes only) loss of the week, I do find myself rooting against teams that I picked in order to remain the only undefeated football pool player in any given week. The perfect example would be last night's Monday night game between the Vikings and Packers.

Going into the game I was guaranteed to not win as I trailed "Alaskan" by seven points (I picked the Vikings with seven points, but Alaskan also picked Minnesota) but I noticed that "Alaskan" had an unblemished week in the pool. So naturally I found myself puling for the Packers (in all honesty I was rooting for them anyway).

With the Vikings picking up the win late last night I am now forced to share the honor and accomplishment with another. "Alaskan" is my 2007 New England Patriots. Congrats "Alaskan", for going undefeated is certainly no easy task. It takes a small amount of skill and a large chunk of luck.

"Alaskan" had his share of luck, much like the 2007
New England Patriots did against the Baltimore Ravens

Here is a look at my results compared against my dad (more on that in a bit) and "Alaskan"...

Oooh...do you see that dip from my dad (yellow line)? My dad had a rough week as he put too much stock in one of our favorite quarterbacks, Kerry Collins, and put way too much faith in "Big Game" Tony Romo and the woeful Dallas Cowboys. I picked the Cowboys too because I was taking the Denver Broncos (and Brian Dawkins) for granted, but I only put three points on the game while my dad put 10 points on the big D.

With the 98-75 victory over my dad this week I make up some serious ground, but still trail my dad in the overall points total. Here is the updated progress bar...

What will next week hold in store? Check back next Tuesday to find out!

EDIT: After closer examination, I actually have pulled ahead of my dad in the overall points total. My points are represented by the blue bar while my dad is represented by the orange bar. I will need to figure out a way to make the tight race look better in bar form, as it looks lopsided right now.

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NLDS Prediction

Just to be officially on the record, Phillies in four against Colorado.

A match-up of the past two National League champions. Not exactly a revenge situation though so enough of that talk.

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Apple working on a new Mighty Mouse

Apple Mighty Mouse concept art via MacBlogz.com

As a relatively new laptop user the one thing that I find myself having the hardest time adjusting to from my previous life, as a desktop PC user is life without a mouse. Imagine going though life for almost twenty years using your right hand to control your computer actions and then all of a sudden being forced to do without it. That is pretty much what I have been adapting too.

Oh, there are plenty of options available even on a laptop computer. You can hook up a mouse to a laptop just like you would a desktop, but if you give it enough time you will find that you can adjust to the touch pad on a MacBook or MacBook Pro. However, if you are still looking for a peripheral solution that will match the décor of your new laptop, you can soon breathe a sigh of relief. Apple has announced that their uniquely styled mouse will be receiving a face-lift, and it could be in conjunction with the new lineup of upcoming iMacs.

The Mighty Mouse looks to do away with the ancient roller ball technology and rely on touch based system. The technology would be based off of the influences of the iPhone and iPod Touch and could allow the user to swiftly move between operational procedures and commands by gripping the mouse in different ways.

This kind of news should not be a surprise from a company that is historically in love with innovational designs. The Mighty Mouse would also be available separate of the iMacs too, so laptop users like me may have a worthy alternative soon enough.

Rumor has it that the mouse could be available as early as this year.

Photo source: TechTree.com

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