You know what’s awesome? Music. And boobs, of course. But I’m gonna go ahead and talk about music in this post. Pop music, folk music, even classical (as long as it’s got some feeling) is, without a doubt, the fucking shit.  I don’t know how I’d get through the day without it. Most of my days involve less than three hours of meetings, conference calls and actual human interaction. The rest is filled with research and writing – awesome, but at times boring. The answer? Pandora, iTunes, last.fm and the plethora of other places you can go in this glorious digital age to access literally any piece of music ever made.

Music, more than any other art form or form of expression is universal. You show me someone who says they’ve never been moved by a piece of music, I’ll show you a fucking liar. Everyone can relate to the songs we hear, it’s why we sing along in the car, it’s why no matter where we go, one of the three or four things we pretty much always have on us is a music player of some kind.

About a week ago I was having a shitty day – just broke, bored, whatever you have to be for a few days to really get bummed – I was there. So I’m leaving work late and I get in my shitty car, ready to sit in a bunch of LA(suckmycock)traffic on my way home to my shitty apartment. Sounds awesome right? Then all of a sudden – bam: THREE LITTLE BIRDS comes on the radio. Instant fucking smile baby! You know why? Because Bob’s right. Every little thing is gonna be alright.

Nothing about my situation had changed. I was still sitting there, late at night, broke, bored, in my shitty car, stuck in traffic on my way back to my shitty apartment and that was fucking great. Why? Because if Bob Marley could be so damn positive about everything, why couldn’t I? As the Nappy Roots told us: “Another day above ground and that’s a reason to pray.” See? More answers in music!

Music can sympathize (or empathize?) with us (don’t lie, you have a mixtape that includes FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK, FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES,  and the entire first side of 808s AND HEARTBREAK). It can rationalize the way we’re feeling. Head pounding with that hangover? Uncle Johnny’ll take care of that with a portrait of SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN. Music gives us a glimpse of what’s possible. Whether we’re envisioning a vacation in PARADISE CITY or a roadtrip featuring ME AND BOBBY McGEE, anything can happen as long as you’ve got some good tunes. Perhaps most importantly, while music accomplishes all these (and a number of other) things, it makes us feel great. We connect with strangers because of a shared experience or feeling evoked by a piece of music. We see the world differently through music and as long as music is played, reinvented and shared, it’s something we’ll all have in common.

I watched a replay of last year’s Hall of Fame Show on HBO last night and as acts like Metallica and Lou Reed took to the same stage as Paul Simon, Sam Cooke and Buddy Guy, it occurred to me that we get too wrapped up in what kinds of fans we are. Whether you get down to death metal, pop, classic rock, hip hop, bluegrass, Motown, or anything in between, it all stems from the same melting pot of ideas, sounds and influences. The show closes with what I consider to be one of the greatest rock and roll songs ever written: Jackie Wilson’s HIGHER AND HIGHER. I defy anyone to listen to that song and not smile from ear to fucking ear. The same can be said for Stevie Wonder’s FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE and just about anything Darlene Love belts out. The moral of the 4 hour epic is that you can’t put labels or restraints on music – it’s rock and roll. Deal with it.

Music enhances everything we do, without us even noticing. It affects our moods, helps us celebrate, helps us forget. One minute, you’re running around stressed out by this or that – and the next, you’re William Miller, being put at ease by a groupie singing Elton John on a tour bus somewhere in Kansas. Think about it – is Forrest Gump as compelling without its 3 decade spanning soundtrack? Are Hawks games as intense without the blaring of GNR and The Dropkick Murphys between the whistles? No. And your life would be dull and bland without the constant bombardment of sound, sex, love and emotion that is rock and roll. So whether your iPod is sporting The Boss, The Pogues, The Beatles or The Killers this month, don’t forget to take the time to celebrate and appreciate the great gift that is rock and roll.

I could go on for days about my favorite acts and bands that changed my life, but that could take years, and cost thousands of lives. I’m so musically schizophrenic that any attempt to break down why I like the music I like would be an exercise in futility. What I do know, without a doubt is how music makes me feel. Rock and Roll kicks us in the dick and reminds us we’re alive. It reminds us we’re not alone and it reminds us that life is short so we might as well rock while we can. In lieu of trying to break down my musical tastes, below is a list of my top 5 moments in live rock. Not top 5 shows or favorite bands, or even songs, but moments in time when rock and roll slapped me in the face and went “Life is good!”

5. Summer, 2000, The New World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL: The Who, including John Entwistle (who would pass away just two years later) played BABA O'REILLEY. It trumped even my wildest expectations. Pure energy. Pure rock and roll. Pure magic.

4: Spring, 2004, Eagles Ballroom @ The Rave, Milwaukee, WI: OAR, joined by Robert Randolph and the Family Band (who by the way, stole the show from the headlining Maryland band with a set that included I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU CAME TO DO, I NEED MORE LOVE, BILLIE JEAN and PURPLE HAZE) performed their now famous rendition of Led Zeppelin’s FOOL IN THE RAIN. This rock classic lends itself perfectly to the jam band sound and Randolph’s absolute shredding of the slide guitar was showcased beautifully. This has become commonplace at OAR shows, but I’d never heard anything like it at the time.  In fact, I'd never heard Robert Randolph except through the tiny computer speakers in Sean_Hef's room.  Hearing him play that laptop for the first time I felt the way people must've felt when Hendrix took the stage at Woodstock and Altamont.

3: June 12th, 2004, Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN: The Dead played THE WEIGHT. Most of this weekend is “hazy” but hearing Weir and Lesh rock out such an iconic song with Warren Haynes filling in for Jerry stands out as the most memorable part of a weekend filled with great music and great moments.

2: September 25th, 2002, United Center, Chicago, IL: Sean_Hef and I went to see Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band and The Boss closed the show with BORN TO RUN and LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS. Life doesn’t get much better when you’re 17.

1: November 30th, 2001, Chicago Theater, Chicago, IL: Coldplay closes the show with a cover of HERE COMES THE SUN in tribute to George Harrison, who had passed away the day before. I don’t think I fully understood the significance of this until later. It was pretty clear at the time that the band was on the rise, but nobody knew they’d be another U2 and I don’t think I could yet comprehend George’s importance as both a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist (although he was always my favorite Beatle). But I knew it was special and important and I knew it would be an experience I’d never forget.

Reading through this list, it occurs to me that all of these moments (along with countless others) took place before my 20th birthday. Mick said he’d rather be dead than sing SATISFACTION at 50. He’s 66. He’s still singing it. You’re never too old for rock and roll because ROCK AND ROLL NEVER FORGETS.

Hef – If you’re reading this, DO YOUR BEST JAGGER!

RIP Malcolm MacLaren

Got a killer rock story?  Sound off in the comments.

-Wild

On NFL Sentencing, The Heartbreaking Boys of Summer, Music and Movies You Oughtta Know, Woodstock and Some Shit That Will Make You Smile

On Donte, Vick and Cheddar Plax:

Lookit, I'm all about second chances and believe that part of what's wrong with the criminal justice system in this country is that it's nearly impossible for convicts to earn a living, which is what causes such a high percentage of parolees to re-offend.  Mike Vick absolutely has the right to earn a living putting his skill set to use - as should everyone else who has done their time and paid their debt to society.  All these PETA fucks need to chill out and realize that while what he did was disgraceful, he served his sentence and doesn't need to be punished for the rest of his life.  Also, let's keep things in perspective here - he killed a dog.  I'm a dog lover and the type of abuse dogs bread for fighting must endure makes me sad, but it's not the same as killing a human being.  It's just not.  Commissioner Goodell did the right thing granting him conditional reinstatement.  

That being said, with this morning's sentencing of Plaxico Burress, one has to wonder just where the hell our priorities lie.  Donte Stallworth goes for a drive after a few bong hits and a shitload of beers and ends up killing a pedestrian.  He says how sorry he is, that it was an accident and we all realize that no amount of punishment is going to bring the victim back.  Again, all about second chances here, but 20 days? Vick killed a dog, got 18 months, Donte - kills a human being - 20 days.  This brings us back to the curious case of Cheddar Plax, who accidentally capped himself in the leg.  In Plax's case, nobody died, in fact the only victim was his own dumb ass.  What was his sentence?  2 fucking years?!?  I'm not saying he shouldn't have been punished.  I get that gun control is a big deal and New York has strict gun laws in place for a reason.  But two years?!?  Is carrying a handgun with the safety off in a crowded club - in the waistband of your sweatpants stupid?  Sure.  Is the fact that it went off super unlucky?  Yeah.  Is a crime where the only victim was the perpetrator worth two years?  Fuck off.  Especially when two guys who actually killed people or dogs got off with less.  This of course opens a larger debate about gun control in this country and in the NFL.  Our society and the NFL need to find that fine line between one having the right to protect themselves and being a menace to others - and toe it carefully.

On The Chicago Cubs:

Really? REALLY?!?

There's not much else to say at this point.  This team has underachieved in every way imaginable.  Of course injury hasn't been kind to them, blah blah blah.  But watching this team all year, you were just waiting for something to click.  It never did.  Maybe Albert Pujols is just that good.  Maybe it's another wait til next year kind of season.  But with a little over a month left to play and the Cubs trailing the St. Louis Buzzsaw by 6 games, that feeling of over confidence Northsiders have felt every April and May for the past few years is finally starting to subside.  With an abysmal bull pen and an inconsistent rotation, it's becoming clear that this just ain't the year.  I'll be heading to Chavez Ravine tomorrow night to watch the Cubbies for the second time this season.  The first time was at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa Arizona (side note: every true baseball fan should experience spring training) and I can't help but think about how different I feel about the Cubs and their season at this juncture than I did back in March.  Watching the Cubbies give it up to the Angels in Arizona, all I could think about was how this was gonna be our year, how we'd have no trouble with the division and another season of experience would carry us deeper into the playoffs.  I hate to say it, but tomorrow night, win or lose, I won't be able to help but feel that all too familiar feeling.  

Any Cubs fan knows what I'm talking about.  Heartbreak, regret and embarrassment that we didn't see this coming.  I think that's what makes Northsiders great though, what sets us apart.  No matter how our team breaks our heart, whether they do it in October, August or even in April (1997 anyone?) we come back the next year full of hope, full of pride, bleeding Cubbie Blue, always believing that next year is here.  And you know what, whether they finish 10 games out of first or make a miraculous playoff run, only to let us down again - I'll be in Mesa in March with bells on, I'll keep WGN in business all summer long and I'll show up at Dodger Stadium head to toe in Cubbie Blue when they make their west coast swing.  I love the Cubs and I know they only hurt because they love me too.

On Pop Culture

This was a weird summer for movies.  I feel like we peaked with "The Hangover", but Tarantino's "Basterds" drops this weekend and despite mixed reviews, it should be a pretty good time.

Elsewhere in the movie world, the trailer for James Cameron's "Avatar" is out now and it looks pretty trippy.

Watch the trailer here:  http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/avatar/hd/

On the music front, if you haven't yet, you gotta check out "Run This Town", the newest single from Jigga Man featuring Rihanna and Kanye. Rihanna takes a decidely more hard core tone than her last collaboration with a rapper on TI's "Live Your Life" and of course, anytime Hov and 'Ye are both spitting on the same track, you know it's gonna be off the hook.  If you ain't got this, get this:

Also, if Asher Roth doesn't do it for you, check out Mike Posner, a white boy with some serious game:

Mike Posner Rocks Show w/ No Mic

http://www.myspace.com/mikeposner

Posner and his group, The Brain Trust are sure to become instant classics, especially on college campuses as they and collaborator Big Sean combine a variety of backgrounds and musical influences to lay down smooth flows and killer rhymes. The Brain Trust combines the influences of hip hop, soul, funk, classic rock and jam bands as they tackle important issues like young love, heartache, weed and nerd culture.  Featuring incredible, complex beats and fresh rhymes, Mike Posner and the Brain Trust bring a fresh take and a new sound to hip hop.  Additionally, Posner's cover of Kanye's "Heartless" blows those pussies from The Fray out of the water.

Get into this music before this motherfucker blows up and you'll be cooler than your friends.

On a side note, Posner's heading into his senior year at Duke carrying a 3.6 GPA.

On Having Something In Common With Our Parents

WOODSTOCK celebrated its 40th birthday this past weekend proving that some things are still cool no matter how old they get. History's been airing a great special called "Woodstock: Now and Then" which is the most comprehensive piece I've seen on the festival since the 1970 documentary. I could wax all poetic about what it all meant, but we've been through that before. I will say that the sheer magnitude of the thing is damn near impossible to grasp. Anyone who's been to a modern day music festival knows what a special thing it is to get hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country from various backgrounds to one spot with one purpose: hearing some great tunes and having fun. The amount of legendary acts you can see in one weekend and the people you meet and things you see and experience will stick with you forever. What made Woodstock special was that nothing like it had ever happened before. It's a phenomenon we all took for granted because we all grew up in a post Woodstock world. The concept of Woodstock has been around our whole lives. But in 1969, nothing like it had occurred before (and really, despite some great imitations, nothing has since). The sheer amount of people was unheard of, the idea that a bunch of young people could congregate for 3 days with no major problems was laughable (thank you mayor Daley), and the number of legendary acts that showed up and played day and night for three days straight has never been matched before or since. Possibly the biggest surprise of the festival was that four guys who had only played together live once before absolutely stole the show. That's saying a lot when you consider that The Who played "Tommy", Jimmy debuted his take on "The Star Spangeled Banner" and Country Joe McDonald led 300,000 people in a chorus of what's possibly the greatest protest song ever written. There were dozens of other legendary performances, but CSNY's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" was the hands down show stopper:

And let's not forget the story of Pete Townsend hitting Abbie Hoffman with his guitar to get him "the fuck off my fucking stage". How had I never heard this story before? How is there no footage? Check out the audio below. Anyone who doesn't believe that The Who invented punk rock need only to look at the balls and "fuck you" attitude of the legendary Townsend. From the white jumpsuits, to the smashed guitars, the guy is punk rock.

Check out Ang Lee's new film "Taking Woodstock" starring Emile Hirsch and Demetri Martin.

And Finally, Some Cool Random Shit

First off, this list has been circulating the interwebs for a while. I pulled it off brobible and it's pretty funny:

This has been making the rounds on Facebook and via email the past few days, and we thought we'd share if you haven't seen it already. If anyone knows who wrote it -- no, it wasn't Jack Handy -- we're happy to give credit where it's due. Get a funny mass email worth passing on? Post it in the Brommunity or send it in via the TIP OFF BUZZ EDITORS button.

UPDATE: A reader tells us that this may be the work of Aaron Karo over at Ruminations.com. Looks like a funny site. Go check it out!

1. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

2. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

3. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

4. I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

5. Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

6. That's enough, Nickelback.

7. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

8. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

9. Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

10. There is a great need for sarcasm font.

11. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the fuck was going on when I first saw it.

12. I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

13. The other night I hit a new low at an open bar. I had already hopped on highway blackout when, inevitably I had to find a bathroom. Eventually I decided it was probably on the other side of the bar so I tried to walk over there, but ran into a guy coming the other way. We played that, Both go left, Both go right game to no avail, so I finally put out my hand to guide myself past and that's is when I realized, yup, that's a mirror I just tried to walk through. And the guy on the other side is me. Even cats can re cognize their own image.

14. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

15. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

16. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

17. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

18. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

19. Was learning cursive really necessary?

20. Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

21. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

22. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

23. My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.

24. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

27. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

28. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

29. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

30. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

31. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

32. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

33. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

34. I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

35. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

36. Bad decisions make good stories

37. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

38. Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

39. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

40. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

41. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

42. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

43. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to fall and hit your head after leaning your chair back a little too far.

44. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

45. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

46. I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

47. While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

48. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

49. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

50. When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

51. I really like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

52. Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

53. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

54. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

55. It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

56. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

57. I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

58. Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

59. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

60. My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

61. It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

62. I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

63. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

64. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

65. The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

Last, but not least, if you've got 41 minutes to kill, this will knock your socks off (Potentially NSFW, depending on how cool your boss is):

Fit To Fill Video Remix LP from Jordan Laws on Vimeo.

Enjoy your Thursday, Bombers!

-Wild

Check out this tribute video. Could have been more comprehensive, but mad props for the use of Baba O'Reilly:

The daunting Estadio Azteca awaits the United States

by Sean Heffernan 

BTeamBombers writer Sean Heffernan touches on five topics heating up in the soccer world from David Beckham to the upcoming World Cup Qualifer between US/Mexico to the MLS salary cap to Real Madrid. Enjoy! ...

1. Next week: US Goes to Azteca to Face Mexico in World Cup Qualifier

The United States has never beaten Mexico inside the massive 105,000 seat Estadio Azteca. A upset over El Tri this coming Wednesday would be the perfect ending to a history making summer of soccer for the U.S. National Team. That feat is easier said than done. Just imagine a 100,000 plus screaming Mexicans in a mist of colored smoke bombs, flying beers, and waving Mexico flags. Not to mention the August late afternoon  humidity beating down on the field at 7200 feet above sea level.  Azteca is undoubtidly one of the hardest places to play in the world. Although, the U.S. has already done the impossible this summer. The upset over #1 ranked Spain in the Confederations Cup has made the U.S. team relevant in the American sports landscape to a degree even David Beckham has yet to truly achieve. ESPN was unable to aquire the game's rights (NBC will show the game on Mun2 in English as well as telemundo...check your local listings), but is still putting on a full out pre-game and post-game shows  even though the game will not be aired on their network.

Expect US coach Bob Bradley to stick to the lineup he used in South Africa during the Confederations Cup with U.S . all time leading goal scorer,  Landon Donovan leading the attack. Donovan will be the most hated man in Mexico City when the two countries hit the field as he long has been a pest to the Green, Red, and White. The US/Mexico game  (4 P.M. EST, set your DVRs if you can't get out of work) will likely be one of the most watched soccer games in United States' history. Any world football expert would be hard pressed to find a more heated rivalry between two countries than the "Border War" between the US and Mexico. If you love rivalries you will love US and Mexico in Azteca.

2. Fox Soccer Channel Needs HD ASAP

Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) should be commended for all the significant number of games it televises as well as their  nightly soccer reports and terrific soccer talk show, Fox Football Fone In, but the channel is falling behind in one area specifically: High Definition. FSC has set a target date of January 2010 to begin airing some matches in HD. The fact that FSC is not being concrete about an exact date when they will be HD operational makes me worry if they'll actually be able to meet their tentative goal. Today,  a televised athletic event that isn't in HD looks 10 years old compared to a game in HD. Not having HD makes it harder for FSC to compete with ESPN who has HD and bigger budgets for their broadcasts. ESPN already has won the rights to some EPL coverage as well the World Cup next summer. Fox onthe rights to this year's Champions League and hopefully will air some games on other Fox channels other than FSC that actually have HD until the channel is available in HD. C'mon Rupert Murdock! Get her done!

3. FC Dallas on the Rise?

After selling their leading goal scorer American Kenny Cooper to 1860 Munich earlier this month, FC Dallas has won two straight slowly creeping back into the playoff picture. Long time MLS pro Jeff Cunningham has scored 5 goals in two games (4 goals in last Saturday night's game). Check out my interview with FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty. I'm excited to see what FC Dallas young group of American players can do the second half of the season with the likes of Brek Shea, Kyle Davies, Anthony Wallace, and McCarty leading the way. Now if they could only figure out a way to get more fans at their games. Maybe owner Clark Hunt should give Jerry Jones a call. Winning for a change should help though.

4. MLS Players Union After Free Agency

Unlike other major sports in this country MLS players do not have the luxury of free agency where they have multiple teams bid for their services which drives up salaries. Instead the league handles all the players contracts  as one single entity. It seems unlikey that the owners will give in to the players's demands especially in this economic climate, but any type of lock out would be devastating for the 16-year-old league. The MLS's salary cap desperatly needs to be raised with  too many players getting paid less a year than they would  make if they were out digging ditches on the side of the road. Some players even have to coach youth soccer teams or work a side job just make ends meet. You have to respect these guys playing for the love of the game, but the league is big enough to point where teams should be able to pay their players enough to live on. If teams are allowed to spend more, teams can bring higher quality talent to the league improving the product on the field: the most vital component to MLS growing as a league. Hopefully this matter between the players and the league will be resolved shortly.  

5.  What to Watch This Weekend

Mega rich Spanish club Real Madrid and their duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka are rumored to be making their debut together tonight as the Galacticos face MLS side Toronto FC in a pre-season friendly (ESPN 7:30 EST). Madrid signed the Brazilian, Kaka ($92 million), former Manchester United star and Portugese international  Ronaldo  ($131 million), and French goal scorer Karim Benzema ($48 million) this offseason.

On Saturday, David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy will see if they can continue their recent success as they travel to New England to face the Revolution (6 PM EST, FSC). Beckham was booed last week in the Galaxy's friendly with FC Barcelona until he scored a bending free kick for L.A. to tie the game up with the Champions of Europe. The Galaxy eventually lost the game 2-1 to Barcelona, but one would think if Beckham continues to play as well as he has been playing Galaxy fans will quickly forgive him for his loan departure last winter to AC Milan. I don't know how well the Revolution fans will treat the Englishmen on Saturday, but hopefully they get a nice crowd for the game. The Galaxy/Revolution game will be followed on FSC by another MLS contest between the San Jose Earthquakes and 2008 MLS Cup Champs the Columbus Crew which in addittion will be followed by Barcelona facing Mexican club Chivas Guadalajara live from San Francisco in another friendly match.

If that's not enough soccer for you on Sunday the Houston Dynamo host the Chicago Fire in a battle of two of the leagues best teams (Go Fire! Sorry, Chicago bias). The English Premier League kicks off as the world's most popular club Manchester United and the Blues of Chelsea square off in the Community Shield (10 AM EST, FSC). Then to cap off your soccer weekend you can catch DC United have their stab at Real Madrid (3 PM ET, FSC). Here's to sitting on our arses all weekend!

Please comment below!

Not only do I love seeing a southsider get womped on, but let's face it, any excuse to post this clip is a good one.

16 years ago today, a 46 year old Nolan Ryan taught a spry, young 25 year old Robin Ventura why YOU DON'T FUCK WITH TEXAS.

I mean really, who you gonna take in a fight? A guy named Nolan, or a guy named Robin?

That's what I thought.

Happy sweet 16, Nolan Ryan.

In honor of one of sports' greatest ass kickings, we here at BTeamBombers have compiled a list of the top 10 songs to kick ass to.

10. Welcome to the jungle - GNR

watch?v=IYRC4H64EFk

9. Boys on The Docks - Dropkick Murphys

watch?v=YLTpK_d461w

8. White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground

watch?v=9mn71fQpXNY

7. Cocaine Blues - Johnny Cash

watch?v=Aq344ks1ieg

6. Bawitdaba - Kid Rock

watch?v=P6nvrYopHV8

5. Ruff Ryders Anthem - DMX 

watch?v=uoIsbbPQnTI

4. Street Fightin' Man - The Rolling Stones (G-7!)

watch?v=NRqtKLskPQs

3. Anarchy in the UK - The Sex Pistols

watch?v=dAsWdUo7r4c

2. Kick Some Ass - Stroke 9

watch?v=Vvol_SmbHCI

1. Beat on the Brat - The Ramones

watch?v=_JSGczqVLLg

OK Bombers, let's hear your suggestions.

-Wild

"No strings...These are women Tom. They got more strings than a baseball." - Lou

How cool is this chick?

But seriously Taylor, marry me. Please.

"Leave the man alone. And leave me alone. And let it go...let...it...go." - The Rick

I find that much of the mainstream media places equal blame on anyone who slips up, whether they say the wrong thing or kill their ex-wife - as long as it leads to scandal. Do Fox News and CNN have you all bent out of shape and confused? Not sure who you should hate and who should get a free pass? Wild Bill is here to clear all that up with a brand new feature I like to call "LEAVE 'EM ALONE / TAKE YER SHOTS"

LEAVE 'EM ALONE

Derrick Rose
Ever toss up a gang sign in a pic trying to be cool or ironic? People probably laughed, snapped the pic and you got on with your life. Thousands of frat boys and overweight suburban white girls are photographed everyday tossing up signs they don't understand - and nobody bats an eyelash. But when a black guy from the south side does it, he must be in a gang right? Never mind that the kid was a COLLEGE STUDENT or that he's considered a leader by his teammates on AND off the court. Young black man plus urban upbringing plus gang sign must mean gang affiliation right? Wrong it means a 19 year old kid was mugging for his buddy's camera. Why can't we leave it at that and avoid as much hypocrisy as possible?

David Letterman
Dude made a joke - and a pretty damn funny one at that - about a legal adult female and her slutty Alaskan escapades. He was clearly referring to the 18 year old - you know the one who's known for getting knocked up? - and this is clearly some misguided attempt for the right to make some kind of "statement" about family values. You want family values? How about teaching your teenage daughter to keep it in her pants until college?

Jon
Please. If you were married to that succubus, you'd cheat too - all the time. I'm not a big proponent of cheating, but John gets a free pass. That chick is drunk with power and completely off the deep end. Let the man live his life.

Artie Lange
I don't know what friggin wizard over at HBO thought it would be a good idea to bring Artie on for Joe Buck's first ever "I suck worse than Costas" talk show, but thank God someone did. That was just about the funniest damn thing I've seen in a while. Lange said everything we always think about Buck when we suffer through Saturday Baseball on Fox. Hats off you big sweaty, drunken guido!

TAKE YER SHOTS

OJ
Who could forget "the chase"? 15 years ago today. You, your TV set, a white Ford Bronco, a huge stretch of SoCal freeway and of course AC.

What the HELL was THAT all about? The circus that ensued was unlike anything we'd ever seen and you know what? I don't care if he's innocent or guilty (although probably guilty) - take your shots people, 'cuz fuck OJ. He beat the shit out of women, he stole shit and he probably killed two innocent people. It's a good thing he's in jail.

Kate
This bitch is crazy - really. the goddamned devil incarnate. I'm not just talking about the way she shows no affection to her kids or husband on that ridiculous excuse for a show (which by the way I totally don't watch). I'm talking about the fact that she exploits the shit out of her kids and would probably sell one to a pimp in Thailand if she thought it would help her get a moisturizer endorsement. Oh yeah - and sow she's supposedly hitting the kids and denying them water? I smell spinoff: "Jon and Kate Plus Sweat Shop Labor" anyone?

Sammy Sosa
Take your shots. Go ahead take 'em. We knew. We all knew. We've known for a while and we let it slide 'cuz Sammy and his 'roids saved baseball in the summer of '98. As a Cubs fan, he was my hero and could do no wrong, but I started to lose faith with the whole corked bat incident and just about gave up on Sammy when he bailed on the Cubbies. The final straw was when he all of a sudden forgot how to speak English in front of Congress. So yeah, we knew. But now it's official, so take your shots.

Joe Buck
I've just never been so goddamn happy to see someone fail. That's really all I've got. So do like Artie and take your shots. Real quick - is Buck the single most humorless person on the face of the earth? We should have seen this coming when he freaked out because Randy Moss DIDN'T show his ass to the crowd in Greenbay, but really, I've never seen anyone look as uncomfortable as he did when Lange was ripping into him. Lange hated on Irvin and his cowboys and you know what? Mike got the joke! Laughed his ass off and even added a few snipes about "white on white crime". This is why, despite his many flaws America loves Michael Irvin and pretty much everyone hates Joe Buck.

-Wild Bill

"Eat. Pray. Love? You know that wasn't written by and Irish chick, 'cuz it'd be called 'Drink. Puke. Drink'." - Tommy Gavin

Because what would sports coverage be without a little East Coast Bias? ...

"All I'm sayin' is, you take the Boston out of the Front of the Boston Cream Pie and you have a dessert everyone can enjoy. How is a Yankee fan supposed to dig into that particular dessert and not feel like a total scumbag traitor? It kills me every bite I take. This is America..." - Lt. Lou

-Wild