Writing the Pine

The time has finally come…for Writing the Pine’s very first podcast!  Yes, we are extremely lazy with our posting so we figured we’d give podcasting a shot.  It’s a new frontier we’re entering and hopefully you will be entertained by our thoughts.  For our first show, Rich (fivetool), Anderson, Gene (Final Word), and Dave talk about their thoughts for the upcoming baseball season.  And they decided to spice things up by making some interesting sidebets for the 2010 MLB season.  

Now sit back and enjoy the show!

or Direct Download [WTP_Podcast_Episode_1.mp3]

I read tonight on foxsports.com that Elin Nordegren has agreed to move back in with Tiger Woods.  And now I’m wondering why in the hell she would do such a thing.  He cheated on her God knows how many times and honestly, what’s going to make him stop?  A little sex therapy?  The guilt he might or might not have been feeling these past few months?  (And after watching his lifeless press conference, who knows if the guy has any emotions at all?)  Give me a break.  You just don’t stop something like that.  Millions of people try to quit smoking cigarettes, yet fail harder than Booker T does in this interview.  And smoking cigarettes can kill you!  You think any guy could give up sleeping with any woman he damn well chooses?  Elin had to know what she was getting into when she agreed to marry him.  She must’ve been crazy to think he wasn’t going to cheat on her and must be crazy to think it won’t happen again.  If I was her, I’d take my payday and go find somebody else.  She must REALLY love him if she’s gonna go back to him.  Or these rumors must be true.  Whatever the case, since it looks like she’ll be returning to Tiger’s lair, the least she could do for herself is accept the reality and take a page from Mrs. Andrei Kirilenko’s book.

I am totally jocking fivetool’s style here but I saw this video and had to put it up in honor of him.  Amazing how these guys can stay relevant for so long.  Great for us though.  They are pure entertainment.

SHE’S GONNA BLOW.

Snooki? Meet Ms. Mya Erlikh

In light of the success of the Jersey Shore, a new reality show will be filmed in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach centered around Russian-Americans according to the NYPost. So far? No complaints here.

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Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Kim Yu-Na’s coronation as Korea’s Queen was completed Thursday night as she stood atop the medal podium with the gold hanging around her neck.  Kim dazzled the world with a performance for the ages, one that will go down as possibly the greatest in Olympic figure skating history and one of the greatest in any Olympic sport.  With the weight of an entire nation squarely on her shoulders, Kim dismantled the competition with a record score of 228.56.  I wonder though, if she realizes just how much her victory means to the Korean people.

I read in an article that Korea “likes nothing better than to revel in triumph.”  And it’s true.  When Koreans have a chance at athletic glory, which isn’t very often, the world stops to us.  Schedules are adjusted and plans are canceled to watch one of our own have the opportunity to be on top of the world.  I’ve alluded to it before, but look at the 2002 World Cup and just how raucous the crowds were.  We go crazy over our short-track speedskaters and until recently, the sport wasn’t even that popular.  So for Kim Yu-Na to be the overwhelming favorite in the premier event of the Winter Olympics, her success did mean a lot to us.  We so badly wanted to feel that sense of national pride that other countries feel so often.  Korea has never had an athlete so dominant in such a recognizable sport that any feeling we got when reading or hearing about her was completely new and foreign.  It was impossible not to get excited about what she, a fellow Korean, could show the world.  We knew she was the best and wanted her to prove it.  Selfish as it may be, we wanted her to give us that joy.  And as we all found out on Thursday, she truly gave us something we’ve never felt before.

But for myself and my family, she gave us so much more.

I lost my grandmother on Wednesday.  Cancer had invaded her body in recent weeks and finally, it was time for her to go.  Thursday evening, my family and I said our goodbyes.  For me, the worst part of funerals is watching everybody else grieve, so it was especially hard on me to watch my mother and aunt in such somber states because, believe it or not, I had never seen them cry before.  It was a difficult day to get through to say the least and it didn’t help that we had to drive 20 miles through one of the worst snowstorms of the past few years.  Fortunately, we made it home safely.  As we settled back in at home, I realized that Kim Yu-Na did not perform yet and we’d be able to watch her.  Despite the tragedy that struck us the day before, we were not immune to the same excitement that overcame us in anticipation of the show Kim was about to put on.  As the first notes of George Gerswhin’s Concerto in F sounded, my father, mother, brother, and I watched the next four minutes in complete silence as Kim’s skating left us speechless.  After her record-breaking score was announced it was clear she would win the gold but we still watched, as a family, the rest of the skaters take the ice.  We were waiting for the medal ceremony, the culmination of Kim Yu-Na’s triumph over the skating world.  And when it finally came, with the national anthem of South Korea playing in the arena, as Kim, along with the rest of us, was watching the Korean flag being raised to the rafters, I looked to my mother and father.  They were mouthing the words to the anthem as it went along, sniffling with joy, knowing they witnessed something that will forever be remembered in Korean history.

As magical as Kim Yu-Na’s performance was, I know of course, that it won’t bring my grandmother back.  What it did, however, was allow my family to temporarily escape the sorrow her death brought upon us.  For a few minutes at least, it let us be happy when we should’ve been sad.  So I would like to say thank you to Kim Yu-Na, for doing so much more than just winning the gold.

REUTERS/Andy Clark

I’ve been nervous about a lot of things before: tests, doctor’s appointments, any Duke/UNC game, whenever a fly ball heads Luis Castillo’s way.  But there’s always that extra bit of nervousness whenever I watch like the World Cup or the World Baseball Classic.  Something involving the major sports though.  The Olympics are great and I root for my country but I don’t get the same stomach-turning feeling because I’m just not as interested in archery or short-track speedskating.  So it came as a surprise to me just how nervous, and really, how excited I got in anticipation of Kim Yu-Na’s performance Tuesday night.  I’m sure I’ve been more nervous about things in my life but this was a different kind of nervous.  This was call-my-mom-to-make-sure-she-watches-too nervous.  There’s never been anybody in Korean history who has reached the athletic heights Kim Yu-Na has.  Sure Chan-Ho Park was the first Korean in Major League Baseball, won Rookie of the Year, and at one point had a $65 million contract, but he was never the best at what he did.  Ha Seung-Jin was the first Korean NBA player but he’s awful and is more known for making people’s NBA All-Ugly Team.  Kim Yu-Na is a world champion.  She’s a dominant force in her sport and I know that’s why my interest in ladies figure skating is rivaling my interest in North Carolina basketball.   Sure I should be rooting for her even if she wasn’t very good (and if I wasn’t very down with her) but c’mon, it’s easier to root for a winner right?  You know what I’m talking about.  It’s why anybody gives a damn about Michael Phelps.  It’s why, as Dave Lee aka “The Writing Illini” said his “facebook status feed just went nuts”.  Bottom line, America churns out elite athletes faster than The Situation goes through girls.  But Korea?  My friend Kenny said to me it’s possible there may never be another Korean athlete like Kim Yu-Na in our lifetime.  I scoffed at first, but after watching Kim’s short program, I’m starting to think it might be true.  You know you’re watching someone special when anybody can tell just how much better that person is than everybody else.  I felt that way watching Shaun White on the halfpipe and it’s how I felt watching Kim Yu-Na on the ice.  But it’s much more nerve-racking rooting for someone you expect so much from.  It’s just not a feeling I’m used to when it comes to rooting for one of my own.  So yeah, figure skating might not be the most manly sport in the world but I felt no shame high-fiving my friends after watching Kim’s record-breaking performance.  I just hope we’ll all have reason to celebrate again on Thursday night because Kenny might be right.  We might not have the opportunity to watch someone from Korea like her ever again.  And I’ll have to make sure my mom watches too.

Especially in the Olympics.  Especially in figure skating where one mistake can drop you from first to fourth faster than you can say Lysacek.  Make fun of me all you want but I’m looking forward to watching ladies figure skating tonight and Thursday night.  Why?  Because my boo and fellow Korean Yu-Na Kim (pronounced Yun-Ah) is the favorite entering the competition.  As a matter of fact, no Korean has been so heavily favored at anything since I was in the 7th grade Math Olympiads.  According to betus.com, her line is at -180.  Next is Japan’s Mao Asada at +350.  Kim is the defending World Champion and has won 12 of the last 16 major competitions she’s entered.  She’s a star on and off the ice where she makes an estimated $8 million annually in endorsements, as much as Shaun White.  Products using Kim’s name go flying off the shelves in Korea, though I’m not sure if that has to do with Kim’s star power or the obsessive nature of Koreans.  Probably both.  Nike endorses her for cryin’ out loud and we all know Nike only goes for the best.  (Her latest Nike ad, if you could read Korean, is pretty good.  Scroll down to see it.  Nike comes through yet again with another great commercial, recent MVPuppets spots notwithstanding.)  But that just adds to the pressure for her.  Like I said, Koreans are star-obsessed but they also rival any other nation when it comes to supporting their team or athlete.  Just look at the 2002 World Cup or any of the World Baseball Classics.  It’s quite possible that literally every single Korean in the entire world will be watching her skate and she knows it.  She also knows they’re all expecting her to win the gold medal too.  She’s expecting to win the gold.  It’s the Olympics though.  Expectations aren’t always met.  You never know.  Just ask Evgeni Plushenko.  Or the two Koreans who crashed into each other in the 1500M short-track final causing a friend of mine to text me “Haha South Korea sucks balls!!!!”  (The shame wouldn’t even let me be mad at him.)  So while it may seem inevitable that Yu-Na Kim will take the top spot on that podium Thursday night, I know better than to put my money on a “sure thing” (DAMN YOU SHANNON BROWN).  I’ll be rooting for her though.  I just hope I’m not jinxing her by writing this.

As the trade deadline approaches and the Knicks are considering a trade for Tracy McGrady, which would provide significant cap relief for this summer, The FinalWord and Pinesol started thinking about the future. One of the trade rumors floating around includes acquiring T-Mac, Brian Cook, and Joey Dorsey for Jared Jeffries, Larry Hughes, and Jordan Hill. The teams would also swap 2011 draft picks and the Knicks would possibly surrender their 2012 draft pick in this trade. (more…)

If you’ve been following the Super Bowl media coverage this week, you must’ve noticed that alot of the stories on the New Orleans Saints have been focused primarily on what the Super Bowl means to the city of New Orleans. Meanwhile, for the Indianapolis Colts, the stories have been centered more around the individual players: Peyton Manning’s legacy, the great play of Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and the health of Dwight Freeney to name a few. Although the amount of media coverage on the relationship between the Saints team and the city of New Orleans is very appropriate, it seems as though the Saints players are getting shafted when it comes to the attention brought upon the way that they’ve each navigated through their careers to this point.

In their 43 year history, this season marks the Saints only Super Bowl appearance and only 3rd postseason trip in team history. The team has always been in that underdog role throughout their entire 43 years of existence and Super Bowl XLIV won’t be any different as the Saints entered the 2 week period following the NFC Championship as 4 point Super Bowl underdogs. Not coincidentally, every player (yes, EVERY player), shares their own individual underdog story and status with the team’s history and the city. So without further ado, I introduce you to the stories of the players of this year’s NFC representative of Super Bowl XLIV, the New Orleans Saints:

Drew Brees (Quarterback) – left for dead after the San Diego Chargers released him following a devastating shoulder injury, plays in the shadows of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady

Reggie Bush (Running Back) – considered by many to be a bust following four rollercoaster seasons, not able to run between the tackles

Pierre Thomas (Running Back) – undrafted running back FROM…

Mike Bell (Running Back) – also an undrafted running back criticized for being a beneficiary of Mike Shanahan’s system

Jeremy Shockey (Tight End) – team cancer, outcasted from the New York Giants after having to watch his former team win it all from the luxury box

Marques Colston (Wide Receiver) – 7th round draft pick from now defunct Hofstra

Devery Henderson (Wide Receiver) – hands worse than Kwame Brown

Robert Meachem (Wide Receiver) – One year wonder at Peyton Manning’s alma mater with nothing to show in the NFL

Lance Moore (Wide Receiver) – Practice squad player that rose through the ranks

Jermod Bushrod (Left Tackle) – blasted by analysts for failing to fill in the huge shoes of Pro-Bowl left tackle, Jamaal Brown

Carl Nicks (Left Guard) – second year player that spent his rookie season on the practice squad and IR and was almost cut during this preseason

Jonathan Goodwin (Center) – Journeyman center that hasn’t found a real home with any team

Jahri Evans (Right Guard) – played at a Division II school

Jon Stinchcomb (Right Tackle) – an underachiever dating back to Jim Haslett’s days as head coach of the Saints

Will Smith, Charles Grant (Defensive Ends) – underachieving, juiceheads that hold two of the highest contracts in the NFL

Bobby McCray (Defensive End) – nothing more than a 3rd down situational pass rusher

Sedrick Ellis (Defensive Tackle) – more fragile than glass

Anthony Hargrove (Defensive Tackle) – spent last year in drug rehab

Remi Ayodele (Defensive Tackle) – WHO!?

Jonathan Vilma (Middle Linebacker) – Outcasted from New York after failing to impress another New York coach outcast

Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle (Outside Linebackers) – journeymen linebackers that were both cut by Bill Parcells

Jabari Greer (Cornerback) – 7th round draft pick that was known as just a track star coming out of college

Tracy Porter (Cornerback) – promising rookie year derailed by injuries followed by another strong second year deterred by injuries

Malcolm Jenkins (Cornerback) – too slow to play cornerback in the NFL

Roman Harper (Strong Safety) – might’ve lead the league in pass interference calls the last few seasons (thanks to former cornerbacks Jason David and
Fred Thomas)

Darren Sharper (Free Safety) – too old, nothing left in the tank

Thomas Morstead (punter) – why waste a 5th round pick on a punter?

Garrett Hartley (place kicker) – inexperienced, not ready for the big time

Last, but not least: Coach Sean Payton was forced to surrender play calling duties when he was the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants and was passed up on by a few teams before signing with the Saints.

Don’t get me wrong: this game is monumental for the city of New Orleans as every citizen in that city is counting on their Saints to pull through. The bond between the team and the city is as strong as any bond as there is in any sport, professional or collegiate. But as important as it is to win one for the city and its people, it is just as important that the Saints players understand the necessity to win this game for themselves and each other. The underdog label won’t shed itself and it’s time that each player gets the spotlight and recognition that they deserve from the captains to the 53rd player on the team.

Tonight appears to be the final episode of the Jersey Shore.  And for that I am sad.  Let’s have a moment of silence please.

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MTV, why did you air double episodes last week and a new episode on New Year’s Eve?  I could have savored the show just a bit longer.  HOW DARE YOU.

You can however make up for it by implementing some of the following ideas for the Jersey Shore addicts soon to be exhibiting signs of withdrawal:

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