Some big wins and big losses this week. Let's see how it affects the Power Rankings:
1. The Bryce Is Right-Andrew Blum (36.5 Points)
Andrew takes loss #2 of the year (I guess that means "the streak" is now L1...), however, his team still looks plenty strong. Apparently worried about the Biogenesis stuff, though, he traded away two big pieces at the end of the week, and it will be interesting to see how he does going forward.
2. And Another One Bites The DL-Randy Blum (36 Points)
Randy gets himself closer to Andrew the best way he can...by beating him in an excellent battle that went down to the final day's games. The win puts him just one game back of the division right now, and that's a pretty solid spot to be in.
3. Zimmerman Telegraph-Shane Sandri (30.5 Points)
Undefeated in Division 2 match-ups, .500 in Division 1 match-ups. It's a recipe for success so far in Division 2, but it also calls into question how Shane will perform come playoff time. He's playing solidly, though, and shouldn't be expected to take many more losses this season.
4. Albuquerque Isotopes-Josh Blum (29 Points)
Josh gets an important win over Shane this week, as it keeps him solidly in the playoff race and still in contention for the division title. The next few weeks will certainly determine if he has a shot at it or not.
5. A New Era-Austin Drake (24.5 Points)
Austin picks up a much-needed win this week, and he's going to need a few more of them to stay in the playoffs. Nevertheless, knocking Ervin back to .500 at least puts him in the conversation.
6. The Fresh "Prince"-Scott Stepaniak (20 Points)
Scott has not been able to get anything consistent going. He's still right in the mix for that final playoff spot, but he'll need to get something consistent going if he's going to stay in that conversation (And if he's going to stay out of that last spot in Division 1).
7. LC Legend-Kyle Trondle (14.5 Points)
Suddenly Kyle explodes for a 1000+ point week, and it's more than enough to get win #2 on the year. Could this be the start of a streak? If it is, he might just put himself back into playoff contention.
8. No More Haren Addiciton-Andy Ashbaugh (10 Points)
Andy is not in last folks! I repeat, ANDY IS NOT IN LAST! He's been hot the past few weeks, and he's finally rewarded this week with a win. If he can keep his hot streak going and get a few more wins, he may be able to do more than just play spoiler in the last few weeks.
T-9. ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD-Ervin Demirasi (9.5 Points)
Ervin is back to .500 after a sub-700 point week. And that pretty much sums up how Ervin is 5-5. His team is so up and down, it's ridiculous. Better catch him on the right week, or you'll end up losing.
T-9. How I Met Yu's Mother-Brian Rossen (9.5 Points)
Brian has not looked good this season. Now it's starting to look worse, and at 3-7, he needs to pick up some quick wins if he's going to have any shot at the playoffs.
Looking ahead to Week 11, we get some rather intriguing match-ups. The game of the week looks to be #1 The Bryce Is Right (8-2) against #5 A New Era (4-6). Austin could use a big win like this, but Andrew certainly doesn't want to give up any more of the lead he has in Division 1. Which team is hottest right now? That will determine this one.
We get a similar match-up with #2 Accountants Do It In Numbers (7-3) going against #6 The Fresh "Prince" (4-6). A Randy win keeps right in line with the Division lead, while Scott can hardly afford another loss right now. The rest of the match-ups should actually be pretty fun as well. #3 Zimmerman Telegraph (8-2) takes on #7 LC Legend (2-8) in match-up where Kyle would like to see both teams get #3 on the year. #4 Albuquerque Isotopes (6-4) looks to stay in contention for the division title against the suddenly hot #8 No More Haren Addicition (3-7). And the battle for the bottom of the Power Rankings will be decided (At least for a week) when #9 ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD (5-5) takes on #9 How I Met Yu's Mother (3-7).
Until next week, good luck to all!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Sunday, June 09, 2013
The Essential David Crowder Band: Round 2, Part 1
Now it's going to get good...we start to flesh out my "Essential David Crowder Band" CD. This should be fun. Let's start it again with the Live Region:
#1 No One Like You (Live) VS #9 Make A Joyful Noise/I Will Not Be Silent
This one is no contest. No One Like You is still one of my favorite songs ever. Make A Joyful Noise combined with I Will Not Be Silent is fun, but it's not even close to on the same level.
No One Like You (Live) advances
#2 Foreverandever, Etc. (Live) VS #7 Shadows (feat. LeCrae)
This one is closer than the seeds might imply. Shadows is a really great song, and the addition of LeCrae makes this an awesome track. But the live version of Foreverandever, Etc. is simply the perfect Crowder live track. It combines the great elements of Crowder song and Crowder show alike.
Foreverandever, Etc. (Live) advances
#3 I Saw The Light (Live) VS #6 I'm Trying To Make You Sing (Live)
This one isn't too difficult. I Saw The Light is just so...much...fun. I'm Trying To Make You Sing might be a great opening/call to worship, but it's no competition for the bluegrass-y goodness here.
I Saw The Light (Live) advances
#4 ...Neverending... (Live) VS #5 Like A Lion
This one is definitely close. ...Neverending... is that same style as a No One Like You. It's a very fun song. It's hard not to get into it, especially live. That being said, Like A Lion is strong all-around. The music is excellent, the vocals are solid, and the lyrics have depth, yet they're simple to sing along with. Ultimately, it's those lyrics that make the difference and propel the minor upset on to the list.
Like A Lion advances
So there we have it. The first four songs for my essential Crowder mix have moved on. We'll get four more in next time, when we look, once again, at the Grab Bag Region. For now, the current bracket.
#1 No One Like You (Live) VS #9 Make A Joyful Noise/I Will Not Be Silent
This one is no contest. No One Like You is still one of my favorite songs ever. Make A Joyful Noise combined with I Will Not Be Silent is fun, but it's not even close to on the same level.
No One Like You (Live) advances
#2 Foreverandever, Etc. (Live) VS #7 Shadows (feat. LeCrae)
This one is closer than the seeds might imply. Shadows is a really great song, and the addition of LeCrae makes this an awesome track. But the live version of Foreverandever, Etc. is simply the perfect Crowder live track. It combines the great elements of Crowder song and Crowder show alike.
Foreverandever, Etc. (Live) advances
#3 I Saw The Light (Live) VS #6 I'm Trying To Make You Sing (Live)
This one isn't too difficult. I Saw The Light is just so...much...fun. I'm Trying To Make You Sing might be a great opening/call to worship, but it's no competition for the bluegrass-y goodness here.
I Saw The Light (Live) advances
#4 ...Neverending... (Live) VS #5 Like A Lion
This one is definitely close. ...Neverending... is that same style as a No One Like You. It's a very fun song. It's hard not to get into it, especially live. That being said, Like A Lion is strong all-around. The music is excellent, the vocals are solid, and the lyrics have depth, yet they're simple to sing along with. Ultimately, it's those lyrics that make the difference and propel the minor upset on to the list.
Like A Lion advances
So there we have it. The first four songs for my essential Crowder mix have moved on. We'll get four more in next time, when we look, once again, at the Grab Bag Region. For now, the current bracket.
Top 20 Singles: Week of June 10, 2013
1. Mirrors-Justin Timberlake (3 Weeks At #1)
2. Sick Of It-Skillet
3. Can't Hold Us-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
4. Whisper-The Dear Hunter
5. I Want Crazy-Hunter Hayes
6. Recovery-Frank Turner
7. Babel-Mumford & Sons
8. See You Again-Carrie Underwood
9. Beautiful-P.O.D.
10. Demons-Imagine Dragons
11. Leader Of The Broken Hearts-Papa Roach
12. Radioactive-Imagine Dragons
13. Ghost-Darling Parade
14. Brave-Sara Bareilles
15. Still Into You-Paramore
16. Restore-Chris August
17. Sing Loud-Alpha Rev
18. Up In The Air-30 Seconds To Mars
19. Treasure-Bruno Mars
20. We Fall Apart-We As Humans
Biggest Mover: Demons, Ghost and Sing Loud (All Up 3)
Highest Debut: Treasure (#19)
Next Five In: Summer Paradise by Simple Plan (feat. MKTO), Dance With Me Tonight by Olly Murs, If You Could See Me Now by The Script, Mission Bells by Matt Nathanson, It's A Beautiful Day by Michael Buble
More of the same at the top this week, as Mirrors hangs on to the top spot for a third consecutive week. Skillet and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis switch places this week, but both remain in the Top 3. Whisper and I Want Crazy both move up a spot this week to close out the Top 5. The biggest movers of the week include Imagine Dragons, with Demons moving up three spots and into the Top 10 (Which actually keeps their Top 10 streak alive, with Radioactive falling outside the Top 10 just this week). The other big movers are Darling Parade and Alpha Rev, who both see their songs move up three spots this week as well. Finally, Bruno Mars and We As Humans close out this week's list, debuting at #19 and #20, respectively.
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
The Essential David Crowder Band: The Round Of 64, Part 4
It's time to finish up Round 1. Here comes the acoustic bracket:
#1 All Creatures #2 VS #16 Oh, My God I'm Coming Home
Once again, the 1v16 match-up is no real contest. Oh, My God I'm Coming Home is good old-fashioned bluegrass hymn worship, but it's no comparison to All Creatures, particularly this version.
All Creatures #2 advances
#2 Never Let Go VS #15 Because He Lives
It's a similar match-up in this one. Because He Lives is a really solid, old-school hymn. That being said, Never Let Go is one of my favorite Crowder songs ever, and it's an incredible intimate worship song.
Never Let Go advances
#3 Come And Listen VS #14 Sequence 4
Sequence 4 is a really good song in and of itself. It's also a nice change of pace within the sequences. However, Come And Listen just flat out tops it. The lyrics and the music just match each other perfectly, and it's more than enough to advance in this round.
Come And Listen advances
#4 Stars VS #13 Oh, My God
This one is actually very, very tough. Oh, My God is such a fun song. The fast-paced bluegrass vibe gives it a modern and vintage flair all at the same time. But Stars is going to take this one. The lyrics on this one...they honestly may be some of Crowder's best. This is one that I can just see singing around a campfire with an acoustic guitar and nothing else (And not just because of the lyrics, either).
Stars advances
#5 All Around Me VS #12 Surely We Can Change
Surely We Can Change is a pretty solid song. But this one is actually a fairly easy runaway. Yes, All Around Me is a cover song. But it's a fantastic cover of a great song. The change of pace on this version of the song takes it into a really cool realm, and that's why it advances.
All Around Me advances
#6 Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (LP) VS #11 Be Lifted Or Hope Rising
Wow, is this one close. I think that this version of Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven is pretty cool. It gives it a darker feel than the snippet from A Collision, but it feels appropriate for the song. That being said, Be Lifted Or Hope Rising is a really cool combination of the edgy rock stylings of Crowder flowing seamlessly into the bluegrass-goodness. And that makes this exactly the wrong song for Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven to go up against.
Be Lifted Or Hope Rising advances
#7 Sometimes VS #10 Wholly Yours
Both of these songs are decent, and I would say they're roughly on the same plane. Sometimes is going to get the nod; it's simply been consistently better listen after listen.
Sometimes advances
#8 Oh, Great God Give Us Rest VS #9 I Am A Seed
This is a good match-up. Oh, Great God Give Us Rest has a great pacing to it, with the soft start building into something huge. However, I Am A Seed is going to pull the slight upset in this one. It's exactly what I want in my bluegrass: It's fun, it's fast, it makes you want to dance, and the lyrics are pretty solid as well.
I Am A Seed advances
So there you have it. Round 1 is officially done, which means that just 32 songs remain. Next time, My version of "The Essential David Crowder Band" will start to take shape, as we get our first entrants into the Sweet 16. For your viewing pleasure, here's what the bracket looks like after Round 1.
#1 All Creatures #2 VS #16 Oh, My God I'm Coming Home
Once again, the 1v16 match-up is no real contest. Oh, My God I'm Coming Home is good old-fashioned bluegrass hymn worship, but it's no comparison to All Creatures, particularly this version.
All Creatures #2 advances
#2 Never Let Go VS #15 Because He Lives
It's a similar match-up in this one. Because He Lives is a really solid, old-school hymn. That being said, Never Let Go is one of my favorite Crowder songs ever, and it's an incredible intimate worship song.
Never Let Go advances
#3 Come And Listen VS #14 Sequence 4
Sequence 4 is a really good song in and of itself. It's also a nice change of pace within the sequences. However, Come And Listen just flat out tops it. The lyrics and the music just match each other perfectly, and it's more than enough to advance in this round.
Come And Listen advances
#4 Stars VS #13 Oh, My God
This one is actually very, very tough. Oh, My God is such a fun song. The fast-paced bluegrass vibe gives it a modern and vintage flair all at the same time. But Stars is going to take this one. The lyrics on this one...they honestly may be some of Crowder's best. This is one that I can just see singing around a campfire with an acoustic guitar and nothing else (And not just because of the lyrics, either).
Stars advances
#5 All Around Me VS #12 Surely We Can Change
Surely We Can Change is a pretty solid song. But this one is actually a fairly easy runaway. Yes, All Around Me is a cover song. But it's a fantastic cover of a great song. The change of pace on this version of the song takes it into a really cool realm, and that's why it advances.
All Around Me advances
#6 Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (LP) VS #11 Be Lifted Or Hope Rising
Wow, is this one close. I think that this version of Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven is pretty cool. It gives it a darker feel than the snippet from A Collision, but it feels appropriate for the song. That being said, Be Lifted Or Hope Rising is a really cool combination of the edgy rock stylings of Crowder flowing seamlessly into the bluegrass-goodness. And that makes this exactly the wrong song for Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven to go up against.
Be Lifted Or Hope Rising advances
#7 Sometimes VS #10 Wholly Yours
Both of these songs are decent, and I would say they're roughly on the same plane. Sometimes is going to get the nod; it's simply been consistently better listen after listen.
Sometimes advances
#8 Oh, Great God Give Us Rest VS #9 I Am A Seed
This is a good match-up. Oh, Great God Give Us Rest has a great pacing to it, with the soft start building into something huge. However, I Am A Seed is going to pull the slight upset in this one. It's exactly what I want in my bluegrass: It's fun, it's fast, it makes you want to dance, and the lyrics are pretty solid as well.
I Am A Seed advances
So there you have it. Round 1 is officially done, which means that just 32 songs remain. Next time, My version of "The Essential David Crowder Band" will start to take shape, as we get our first entrants into the Sweet 16. For your viewing pleasure, here's what the bracket looks like after Round 1.
Monday, June 03, 2013
Lakeside Fantasy Baseball: Week 9 Power Rankings and Week 10 Preview
We're officially halfway now. The picture is growing clearer every week. Let's check out this week's Power Rankings:
1. The Bryce Is Right-Andrew Blum (35.5 Points)
Andrew takes over the top spot this week after a dominating performance against Andy moved him to 8-1 (And he'll be happy to remind you that the streak is now 'W8'). He was actually in quite a battle, but a weekend with two 200+ point days put him over the top, and put him in the top spot this week.
2. Zimmerman Telegraph-Shane Sandri (35 Points)
As you can see by the points, we're nit-picking here at the top. Shane himself moves to 8-1, pulling out a solid win over Shane. He continues to be going strong, and it now seems like it's time to start looking at when he can clinch his division (Right now, that would be at the end of Week 15).
3. And Another One Bites The DL-Randy Blum (34 Points)
Randy gets back on the right track this week, basically doing to Brian this week what Josh did to him last week. It was cruise control for this match-up, but Randy has proven that he's just as likely to win in the tougher match-ups too.
4. Albuquerque Isotopes-Josh Blum (28.5 Points)
Josh slipped a bit this week after a tough loss to Scott. Nevertheless, his team still looks quite strong, with potentially the best offense in the league and solid (If sometimes under-performing) pitching. It will be interesting to see what happens going forward.
T-5. The Fresh "Prince"-Scott Stepaniak (22 Points)
Scott picks up a big and much-needed win this week, and he gets closer to .500 now. He's in a good spot as far as relegation issues, and he can officially be considered a part of the playoff race.
T-5. A New Era-Austin Drake (22 Points)
Austin's team still seems strong, but he just can't seem to consistently pull it together for the wins. Still, he's right there in the thick of things, and a couple of wins within the division would certainly go a long way toward the playoff hunt.
7. How I Met Yu's Mother-Brian Rossen (14 Points)
Brian needs to look for a new strategy, it seems. He did that at the beginning of the year, but he hasn't been able to put anything solid together just yet. Still, don't give up on him just yet. He's still 3-6, and even a small run in division wins could put him right back in the thick of things.
8. LC Legend-Kyle Trondle (11 Points)
The fact that Kyle is 1-8 and still 8th in the Power Rankings tells you what you need to know: His team's really not that bad. In fact, he's likely to put up a fight every week. And, though he may not be making a run at the playoffs this season, he may just end up playing spoiler for a lot of other teams toward the end of the year.
9. ThE RoUnd Of ReBoUnD-Ervin Demirasi (10.5 Points)
Somehow Ervin put up a massive point total this week. And, who knows? Maybe it's the start of something big. But the underlying numbers...they're still just not there. I still see a fall coming, but maybe, just maybe, Ervin will keep this going and somehow get a playoff berth.
10. No More Haren Addiction-Andy Ashbaugh (7.5 Points)
Andy put up a good fight, but he still falls this week. Things are looking dire here, but perhaps Andy can pull a trade or find a killer waiver wire pickup to change his fortunes.
Looking ahead, we get some good match-ups this week. We get two very enjoyable match-ups at the top. First off, we get #1 The Bryce Is Right (8-1) against #3 And Another One Bites The DL (6-3). A win for Randy gets him a much-needed game back toward Andrew in the standings, while a win for Andrew may be enough to put the division out of reach for anyone else. We also get #2 Zimmerman Telegraph (8-1) taking on #4 Albuquerque Isotopes (5-4). This match-up could be a big bench-mark game for Josh, or it could be one that Shane takes and uses as continuing proof of his dominance.
The rest of the league has some important match-ups going on this week as well. First off, we get #5 The Fresh "Prince" (4-5) against #10 No More Haren Addiction (2-7) in a match that both teams need for different reasons. #5 A New Era (3-6) gets a chance to prove that Ervin's record is just a fluke, looking for the win against #9 ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD (5-4). And, finally, we get #7 How I Met Yu's Mother (3-6) against #8 LC Legend (1-8) in a match that could be the end of Brian's playoff hopes, or just another notch in Kyle's loss column.
Until next week, good luck to all!
1. The Bryce Is Right-Andrew Blum (35.5 Points)
Andrew takes over the top spot this week after a dominating performance against Andy moved him to 8-1 (And he'll be happy to remind you that the streak is now 'W8'). He was actually in quite a battle, but a weekend with two 200+ point days put him over the top, and put him in the top spot this week.
2. Zimmerman Telegraph-Shane Sandri (35 Points)
As you can see by the points, we're nit-picking here at the top. Shane himself moves to 8-1, pulling out a solid win over Shane. He continues to be going strong, and it now seems like it's time to start looking at when he can clinch his division (Right now, that would be at the end of Week 15).
3. And Another One Bites The DL-Randy Blum (34 Points)
Randy gets back on the right track this week, basically doing to Brian this week what Josh did to him last week. It was cruise control for this match-up, but Randy has proven that he's just as likely to win in the tougher match-ups too.
4. Albuquerque Isotopes-Josh Blum (28.5 Points)
Josh slipped a bit this week after a tough loss to Scott. Nevertheless, his team still looks quite strong, with potentially the best offense in the league and solid (If sometimes under-performing) pitching. It will be interesting to see what happens going forward.
T-5. The Fresh "Prince"-Scott Stepaniak (22 Points)
Scott picks up a big and much-needed win this week, and he gets closer to .500 now. He's in a good spot as far as relegation issues, and he can officially be considered a part of the playoff race.
T-5. A New Era-Austin Drake (22 Points)
Austin's team still seems strong, but he just can't seem to consistently pull it together for the wins. Still, he's right there in the thick of things, and a couple of wins within the division would certainly go a long way toward the playoff hunt.
7. How I Met Yu's Mother-Brian Rossen (14 Points)
Brian needs to look for a new strategy, it seems. He did that at the beginning of the year, but he hasn't been able to put anything solid together just yet. Still, don't give up on him just yet. He's still 3-6, and even a small run in division wins could put him right back in the thick of things.
8. LC Legend-Kyle Trondle (11 Points)
The fact that Kyle is 1-8 and still 8th in the Power Rankings tells you what you need to know: His team's really not that bad. In fact, he's likely to put up a fight every week. And, though he may not be making a run at the playoffs this season, he may just end up playing spoiler for a lot of other teams toward the end of the year.
9. ThE RoUnd Of ReBoUnD-Ervin Demirasi (10.5 Points)
Somehow Ervin put up a massive point total this week. And, who knows? Maybe it's the start of something big. But the underlying numbers...they're still just not there. I still see a fall coming, but maybe, just maybe, Ervin will keep this going and somehow get a playoff berth.
10. No More Haren Addiction-Andy Ashbaugh (7.5 Points)
Andy put up a good fight, but he still falls this week. Things are looking dire here, but perhaps Andy can pull a trade or find a killer waiver wire pickup to change his fortunes.
Looking ahead, we get some good match-ups this week. We get two very enjoyable match-ups at the top. First off, we get #1 The Bryce Is Right (8-1) against #3 And Another One Bites The DL (6-3). A win for Randy gets him a much-needed game back toward Andrew in the standings, while a win for Andrew may be enough to put the division out of reach for anyone else. We also get #2 Zimmerman Telegraph (8-1) taking on #4 Albuquerque Isotopes (5-4). This match-up could be a big bench-mark game for Josh, or it could be one that Shane takes and uses as continuing proof of his dominance.
The rest of the league has some important match-ups going on this week as well. First off, we get #5 The Fresh "Prince" (4-5) against #10 No More Haren Addiction (2-7) in a match that both teams need for different reasons. #5 A New Era (3-6) gets a chance to prove that Ervin's record is just a fluke, looking for the win against #9 ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD (5-4). And, finally, we get #7 How I Met Yu's Mother (3-6) against #8 LC Legend (1-8) in a match that could be the end of Brian's playoff hopes, or just another notch in Kyle's loss column.
Until next week, good luck to all!
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