Jay About Captain America: the Winter Soldier

So I had a little time to myself the other day and decided to hit up a movie. I was running errands in Williston so that seemed like as good a place as any to grab lunch and a movie. I stopped quickly at the bar of  Mcgillicuddys and grabbed a beer and a Reuben. They have their house corned beef and as it is an Irish themed place I decided to take a run at it. Delicious actually. The corned beef was flavorful and seemed real almost like mom used to make. Melty thousand island dressing and sauerkraut made the whole thing a hit. Service was very solid and the prices were reasonable. There are also like 48 TVs so watching a game is no problem. If you find yourself in the food wasteland of Williston and are looking for a bite, feel free to give this place a run. http://www.mcgillicuddysirishalehouse.com/

Next Stop, Captain America. I really liked it. I like comic book movies, sue me. To be fair I did not really care for the first Captain America movie and the character in general is not one of my favorites. That said this second one was packed w/ action and the story was pretty reasonable. People may talk it up like a big espionage thriller but set the bar realistically... this is no Tom Clancy special. It has a few predictable twists but the predictability does not take away from a fun movie. I liked Robert Redford and Scarlett Johansen and even Chris Evans. Do I wish the bad guy had not been Chaz in Hot Tub Time Machine? Sure, and he has a giant forehead but whatever. 1 2/3rds thumbs up. See it on the big screen, do yourself that solid.

On the flipside of the movie coin is Anchorman 2 which I rented last night. I loved the first Anchorman and I like that type of dumb humor. I was willing to like any facsimile of the original. This movie however sucked balls. It was in fact one of the worst most unfunny movies I have ever seen. I fast forwarded through part of the second half and would have bailed all together if I had not paid $5 for the pleasure of a warm dump on my TV. They went too far making caricatures of caricatures. It did not work and jokes were not funny. The performances were mailed in, the story was not clever. Even the anchor fight scene fell flat. The only redeeming quality was Paul Rudd doing his Brian Fantana which was close to humorous. Close. 2 huge thumbs down. Don't even bother if it is free.

It's a Sports Post!

I suppose I could talk about how we sort of celebrated Easter but that really just comprised of the kids tearing up baskets (which they really enjoyed), eating dirt, and us not dressing up enough?! It was a nice day and I am thankful for that.

What I am actually going to spout off about is a recent comparison of Lebron James to Larry Bird. An ESPN personality I don't actually have too much respect for, Jemele Hill was the Lebron proponent. She talked up his athletic ability and scoring prowess as well as his basketball IQ and defensive abilities. Michael Smith took the Larry Legend side and did a shitty job of it basically saying "because I said so". It was a crappy ill prepared debate which I have come to expect at ESPN.

Now I tend to think athletes just keep getting better because science, training, and experience help us revise our games and bodies. Old timers can say what they want but Shaq would absolutely destroy Russell and Wilt the same way Lebron would dominate the 70s and maybe even the 80s. Bird was a pretty big dude in his day playing a solid power forward at 6'9" 220lbs. Lebron is a 2 guard at 6'8" 250!  30 more pounds and it is all muscle. So yeah, put a guy now back in time they probably dominate the game... but that does not make them better in context. Why is it that Shaq gets no respect for his gaudy numbers? Pundits say his game was limited and he only dominated because of his freakish physical abilities. Is that not the case w/ Lebron?

Now Bird and James have incredibly similar stats. Lebron scores more but Bird was a better rebounder. They had similar shooting stats and assists. This is where Bird comes out as a more complete player though... Bird could score all over the court. He shot 20pts better from 3 point land and 140pts better from the free throw line. He took long jumpers, short jumpers, could scrap under the rim... Lebron dunks. That was Jemele's argument, that he is devastating taking it to the basket. Agreed... but that is such a limited skill. San Antonio is figuring it out and so is Indiana, pack the lane. That is how you defend Lebron, pack the lane. He cannot shoot consistently from beyond 8 feet. Bird could shoot from your living room.

Does Lebron defend better? Yeah one on one but that is a mark of increased athleticism. It counts but does not trump all. How about the fact the league now has more teams and generally watered down talent comparatively due to expansion and lack of skill gleaned in college? Sure, Bird played w/ McHale, Parrish, and DJ... but he played against Magic, Kareem, and Worthy. Or Dr. J, Moses, and Barkley. Or Isiah, Dumars, and Rodman.  Lebron has Wade and Bosh and plays against... Durant, Westbrook and whoever else they have. or 82 year old Tim Duncan and the international team. Not exactly the same thing.

AT the end of the day you may take Lebron because he has evolution on his side. I would probably take Lebron, Jordan, Shaq, Durant, and Duncan... but are they really contextually better than Russell, Magic, Bird, Jordan, and Wilt? F*** no. So here are the Lebron dunk highlights vs the Bird I do everything highlights. Enjoy.  OH, Lebron is a better flopper. Bird don't flop for no one.

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Jay About Myrtle Beach

Snowed last night. Was 24 degrees. It is April 16th. Was 70+ degrees less than 48 hours ago. F*** me.

So this past weekend we had our big golf trip and the location this year was Myrtle Beach. Ever been to Myrtle Beach? It is a dump. But in a good way. Well, in a way. Our hotel was inexpensive and on a wide stretch of beach w/ a beautiful view. We had a couple nice meals and there was accessible golf everywhere. That said the hotel across the street had rooms for $28/night and that seemed overpriced. Everyone had tattoos that will soon be unrecognizable. We did not get the memo but apparently the dress code in MB is tank top and basketball shorts (for either sex). We shopped at Mammy's grocery which had a vending machine outside. It was pink w/ a mostly nude "model" adorning the apparatus. You could choose 3 products... Destiny Sky, Haven Rae, and Juicy Dee. The product in question? An energy drink called "Some Poosie". I am not f*ing kidding.

Here are the highlights... Duffy's at the Bowery. Duffy's was great. It really was. I had a burger that was delicious, well cooked, real beef, and huge. It was pretty much a perfect restaurant burger. I also really enjoyed Herschell's jalapeno mac n' cheese bites. They were fantastically disgusting. We were served by "ladies" wearing Confederate flag T-shirts and serenaded by an awesome collection of talent doing karaoke (including a biker crooner, a pregnant woman, a potential ax murderer, and an older woman who insisted we cherish these moments). Oh yeah, this was apparently the home of the band Alabama... which makes a ton of sense.   http://www.thebowery.com/history/

Another highlight was the 2nd Ave Pier restaurant. Sitting up on the beach w/ commanding views of the ocean and the sunset it was actually pretty good. The rum punch special was gross but after that things turned up. The hush puppies were not too greasy and had nice flavor and consistency. I had a grouper reuben and it was really pretty darn good. Fun place for the family or a bunch of hung over dudes. http://secondavenuepier.com/menu/dinner/

A couple side notes... while the Bayview Resort hotel had a nice location... the rooms were not awesome the elevators (there were 3) took forever to get up and down and the "lazy river" was a dirty looking little revolving cesspool about the size of my garden shed.

If you need a round of putt putt golf, a towel and $6.99 Tiger sweatshirt, sweet tea, scooter rental, bacterial infection, or waffle house... you can find them in Myrtle Beach.

Legends Golf? 3 courses, reasonable prices, nice add-ons like a free beer and sandwich. There were cranky and busted up old "ladies" w/ fake boobs serving beers and attitude in the heavily packed bar. The place was like a factory w/ a million guys hovering around the starting agent like they were waiting on an airline to board before their zone had been called. The courses themselves were pretty fun. We all really like Heathland, Parkland was a nice starter course to get the weekend going... Mooreland was a pain in the ass. Especially when it is hot, you are not a great golfer, and you are so hung over you don't even sweat until the 9th hole.

So there you have it... Myrtle beach.

This is fun

Been awhile since I have read a more personal attack in print... and one that is so completely off base. I am not a John Calipari fan and I am not sure he would be a good pro coach so don't jump on me as a bandwagon guy.  That said, take a spin through this piece of shit... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/-college-basketball-mens-tournament/news/20140408/kentucky-wildcats-connecticut-huskies-john-calipari/?eref=sihp

OK, so a guy who has a National Championship on his resume and just took a 7 seed full of freshman to the finals got totally out coached and exposed that as an ongoing flaw? I would think a guy as successful as Calipari has been could coach a bit no?  I might also submit that UConn had a magical run and made a lot of teams look bad. Should Calipari teams focus more on free throws?  Obviously, but like the 90s UNLV teams, these guys are freak athletes who are meant to attack and play a flow game, not shoot it out at the line. I also enjoyed the line about how the NBA is not a place for me first ego coaches. Like, Phil Jackson (he stunk for years) or Mike D'Antoni, or Mark Jackson, or Doc Rivers.  No, no, they want "coaches like Boston's Brad Stevens, Memphis' Dave Joerger and Philadelphia's Brett Brown". 

Yeah, those guys from the worst teams in the league or underachieving Memphis are killing it. Who wouldn't want more of that? 

Calipari did not stop the clock at the end to make the Huskies shoot pressure free thows. Well, it could be argued a team that shot 10-10 might be better pressured into tough jumpers over longer players. Whatever, Pete Thamel most likely picked Kentucky to win and lost money on the game. Just don't be so petty Pete. You are a bad writer who has never learned English and should probably not even be writing for a high school paper. You are also a bad dresser and your breath smells. Personal attacks are bush league.

Hey, Jay... Where you been?!?!

Sick and whiny town.  I can review the pediatrician, taking temperatures, children's Tylenol, high pitched screaming... I have been a little spent I suppose. One quick review, Martin Scorcese's The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leo Dicrappio.  Here are a few of my in place biases, I like Scorcese movies, I enjoy a little sex, a little drugs, and a little violence. I also think Leo is the new Kevin Costner, a so so actor that gets excellent roles. I recently read the Jordan Belfort autobiography and looked forward to the movie. It was not that good. For one, it did not really follow some crucial elements of the book. It made Belfort look goofy like he was somehow not aware of what he was doing and was maybe even sticking it to the rich elite. Even his own story acknowledged he was a pretty bad guy and a crook who f*d over a lot of people. The story also screwed over other characters who might have been jerks but did not deserve even shabbier treatment. It also seemed to gloss over some of the really more crucial parts of the story? Finally, this was like a reverse Harry Potter problem... Belfort is a short guy and that plays a big role in his identity. Leo is pretty tall and stood over most of the other folks in the movie. I suppose it was an ok movie but not great. I also thought Leo was not good in it and I am glad he did not win an Oscar. So there. 1 thumb up.

Aside from that, I recently re watched Man of Steel and I enjoyed it. I also liked Costner in a bit role. I find that about a lot of actors. They get big roles and it is not the right thing for them. Do I like crusty but heartwarming supporting actor Costner? Yes. Do I like 45 hours of western horse riding Costner? F*** NO!

Finally above freezing here. And raining. 1 thumb down.

Jay About Infinity Brewing

On Track... Shit... I still belong to On Track. Everyday I think I will go to another gym. Just about as dirty as that hotel too



No clean towels, mildew, no hot water...

I digress, on Saturday I met up with my buddy LB at Infinity Brewing in South Burlington w/ my son in tow. Is it bad to bring my kid to a beer tasting? What am I... a doctor? I don't know. They are small pours and the 4 together were about equal to a full beer. There are seemingly thousands of now microbreweries opening all over Vermont. I like beer so it is kind of fun. I had not tried (nor ever seen) the beers from Infinity. The brewery is in a small manufacturing business out behind the airport on Ethan Allen Drive. It was small and clean w/ a little pour room and a brewing operation w/ 4 tanks or so. One oddity was they seemed to have more merchandise than beer. There was a whole wall of T-shirts, hats, mugs, etc... but they only have 4 beers. There is a Golden Ale, a Dubbel Ale, a Red Ale, and a Red IPA. All of them had a ton of alcohol. The lowest was the IPA clocking in at 5.8% and the golden which is usually the easy drinker was a whopping 7.7%. I could have used a coat hook or something as the tasting room is pretty sparse w/ just 2 tabletops and the small bar. The people were friendly though and it was as I said, clean. The beers themselves were ok. I liked the golden in spite of the boozy punch and the other 3 were drinkable. I am usually an IPA guy but this one was a little malty and the red was over pronounced in my opinion. In a crowded market I am curious where they will stand out? The beer is not good enough to make it a destination and there is not enough production to get it on tap broadly. I would also not order it over other solid local beers especially at that alcohol "price point".

So I guess I would check it out if you have time but don't go out of your way. Is there ever a bad beer tour? Not really... they are just different levels of pretty ok!

http://www.infinitybrewing.com/#!/HOME#?1#?1#WebrootPlugIn#?1#?1#PhreshPhish#?1#?1#agtpwd

Jay About Fiddlehead HoDad beer

I am a sucker. Like a little kid I get taken in by shiny objects. Put some weird shit at the check out line and I am the sucker that buys it. This past weekend we were spending our kids' college fund on groceries at Healthy Living and I got sucked in again. There before my eyes was a shiny 4 pack of 16oz. cans. It looked just like Heady Toppers. Same size, same silver color, same tops, same too cool for school message about recycling the can. But these were not Toppers... they were the first canned offering from Fiddlehead Brewery in Shelburne.

First a little background on my history w/ Fiddlehead. When they first opened I was psyched, it was a brewery close to my house in a beautiful building w/ a flagship IPA. The early reality was that even though founder Matt Cohen was a friendly and knowledgeable guy the rest of the employees were morons who preferred chatting w/ friends about conditions on the mountain than responding to customers about the beer. Of course they knew very little about the beer or the process so that was fine. The attached pizza place had not opened. Frankly, the worst thing was that the beer was not good. It was flat and lacked flavor, kind of like the one note offerings often found at Long Trail. But they got better. Folino's opened and got geared up w/ pretty decent pizza. The IPA was refined and is now really a good standard IPA on tap around the area, often my go to when there is nothing special to try. The service in the brewery got better and now run pretty tight. They are making it happen, not killing it, but solid.

Background on the Alchemist and it's Heady Topper. It's great. It has always been great. I hate paying $14 for a 4 pack of 16oz beers but I often do. I like it quite a bit.

So, how about the new Fiddlehead cans? $19.95 for the 4 pack. Yikes! That is a pretty steep upcharge on one of the top tick markets out there, and for an unproven product. Needless to say the Toppers were sold out but there were plenty of HoDads available. I plowed ahead, the fool that I am. The beer? It is a coconut infused vanilla porter. Sounds gross but I am willing to be swayed. It is gross. It tastes like shitty soda and there is no way I would ever drink more than 1 (or any ever again after this 4 pack is gone). It cannot get better like the IPA, there is nothing good about it. There is also about 3% less alcohol per can so that is not comparable. I have had some hits and misses at Fiddlehead but the growlers are always pretty reasonable where these cans are a kick in the dick. It seemed like this place was heading in the right direction... hit some ice and has skidded into the ditch. If you want to overpay for a beer, get the Topper. Or even a more reasonably priced 16oz. Sierra Nevada Torpedo.