Ramblings from a McMaster Graduate

I remember these days.

(Source: bestbuybluebird)

When I vacation in the U.S. with my family, we normally catch the Mike and Mike radio show on ESPN when eating breakfast. It’s a shame we don’t get to listen to these guys live in Canada, and I don’t have a lot of time to listen to the podcast - especially since I don’t take the bus to school anymore. Anyways, I picked up a copy of their book Mike and Mike’s Rules for Sports and Life in hopes that their comedy would transfer from the airwaves to the page. It did.

The book is written exactly like how their radio show would appear on a transcript, complete with “station breaks,” guests, and new focuses for each hour. The text is in different colours throughout the book to add emphasis to which Mike is speaking. It’s a very light read, and shouldn’t take you more than a couple of hours to complete. However, they do offer a lot of funny and curious ideas on how to revamp a couple of the major sports, especially in regards to Greeny becoming the next commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Anyways, if you like sports, check it out.

My face when my PS3 stops reading my game discs and I have to get it sent away to get fixed.

The perfect season continues after a brief scare from the home team. Houston (6-0) overcame a halftime deficit to down the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) by a final score of 35-10. Trailing 10-7 at the half, a combined effort by both the offense and the defense in the third and fourth quarters were enough to seal the victory.

Another solid effort was put up by the defense on the road in Baltimore. They intercepted Ravens QB Joe Flacco twice, one leading to the final touchdown scored in the waning seconds of the game. The pass rush was too much for Flacco to handle as he was sacked 8 times by the linemen and linebackers. Ray Rice was held in check by the defense with only 46-yards rushing on the afternoon.

In a strategic move that has been rare for the Texans this year, the offense relied on Matt Stafford to get the job done in the second half. Even though he ran for 3 touchdowns, Arian Foster was held to only 40 yards rushing. Stafford was able to throw for 243 yards and a touchdown to keep the offense on the field. His 79-yard pass to WR Dorin Dickerson put the game out of reach at 21-10.

Houston faced two injury scares during the win. Rookie standout Patrick Peterson broke his ribs in the second quarter and was forced to sit for the remainder of the game. WR Jacoby Jones also was hurt on a pass across the middle. Both are expected to play next week.

The Texans stay on the road in Week 7 for a divisional clash against Chris Johnson and the 3-2 Tennessee Titans. The Titans are third in the division and are looking to make up ground on the undefeated Texans.

The Houston Texans (5-0) once again defended their home field as they shut out the Oakland Raiders (2-3) 21-0. The defense stole the show in this game, holding Raiders QB Jason Campbell to just 21 yards passing and RB Darren McFadden to 54 yards rushing. The young linebackers for the Texans made a combined 15 tackles, 7 of those for negative yards. Safety Daniel Manning had himself a great game in the secondary, forcing a fumble and intercepting Campbell.

The Texans offense was good enough to get the job done. The defense constantly set up the team with a short field to work with, which contributed to the lower offensive numbers usually put up by this high-powered attack. Stafford threw for 214 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was helped out on the ground by Arian Foster, who chipped in 58 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Lawrence Fisher added his first touchdown of the year on a short 1-yard plunge.

Next week, Houston travels to Baltimore in Week 6 to take on the Ravens in a battle for playoff position. It is also the last week before the trade deadline, so we’ll see if the new GM makes any moves before the week is over.

For those of you who follow me on Twitter (shameless plug: @bdot10), you probably would have noticed a lot of tweets lately with #NBA2K12. It took a lot of deliberation and strong will, but I finally gave in and purchased a copy 2K Sports’ basketball simulation. After playing it for a week now, I question why I waited so long.

Typically, I get bored of basketball video games really quickly. I’m not sure if it is based on past NBA Live games from EA Sports or the fact that it pales in comparison to playing a real game of 5-on-5 at a local gym. However, this year’s NBA 2K12 has left me addicted to it’s gameplay, specifically the “My Player” mode. Much like the “Be A Pro” and “Be A Superstar” modes in NHL 12 and Madden NFL 12 respectively, you control a player you create - in your own image or not - with the end goal of reaching the Hall of Fame. In 2K12’s version, you play one pre-NBA game against members of the upcoming rookie class prior to the draft in order to improve your draft position. Once drafted, you start the grind of playing through the NBA regular season. Each game you play has objectives such as “Limit your matchup to 10 points” and the like. By completing these, you earn skill points which are used to upgrade your player - something you desperately need to do as you start in the low-60s. One feature I specifically like about the schedule is the ability to sim to “Key Games” against your team’s rivals which reward you with double points. It’s a great mode to explore, with the freedom to demand a trade as early as your rookie season if you dislike who selected you in the draft (I chose to ride it out with the Pacers).

2K12 brought many NBA Legends into play through the game mode “NBA’s Greatest.” With this, you play era-specific games between many of the past’s greatest stars. One of the coolest things about this mode is not playing as Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell, but the how the visuals change based on that time period. If you play with the Russell era Celtics, you are transported into a pre-three point line, black and white visual treat. It’s the simple things like this that make this game mode feel more authentic when playing with these special teams.

One mode I haven’t tried yet is “The Association.” As the NBA has just come out of their lockout, I’m waiting for the rosters to be set and all the rookies to have found a home before I take on the role of a NBA General Manager. I want all options at my disposal to improve on the dreadful overall ratings of my beloved Toronto Raptors. I’m also waiting to try out the “Online Association” since I have enjoyed Madden’s take on it so far.

There is tons of online integration in the game, and I’m not just talking about playing someone across the Playstation Network. When you first set up the game, you are asked to create a 2K account. Once you do, you can log onto their website and all of your in-game accomplishments are tracked online. There is also the option to link a Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube account to further spread the highlights, career accomplishments, and game scores. It’s a nice feature if you want to brag about your “My Player” being a starting centre for the defending NBA Champions.

All in all, NBA 2K12 is a great basketball and video game experience. Give it a try. Basketball fans will appreciate all of the little details and history they put in the game. Even RPG fans might enjoy training your future superstar in the “My Player” mode.

In an attempt to prove that last week’s domination on the road in New Orleans was no fluke, the Houston Texans welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers into Reliant Stadium. The hosts were rude to their guest as the Texans (4-0) decimated the Steelers (2-2) with a big 45-7 win. The Texans were powered by big games from seemingly everyone in their offense as they took turns scoring touchdowns against an aging Steeler secondary.

Matt Stafford led the way for the Texans throwing for 280 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a season high passer rating of 149.3, connecting with 5 different Texans receivers during the game. The dynamic duo of A.J. Green and Andre Johnson combined for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns. Green also achieved his first 100 yard receiving game as a pro, finishing with 110 yards on 8 touches.

When the ball needed to be moved on the ground, Arian Foster was up to the task. After putting a fumble in the first quarter behind him, Foster finished the game with 111 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He sat for the final drive of the game. He also contributed in the passing attack as he caught 2 balls for first downs to sustain some key Texans drives.

The Steelers offense did not show up in Houston. Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger finished with 156 yards, with 85 coming on a play where WR Mike Wallace slipped behind the otherwise perfect Texan secondary. Big Ben’s 3 interceptions in the first half allowed Houston to build a 24-0 lead going into the break. He also fumbled twice.

Houston welcomes Darren McFadden and the Oakland Raiders into Reliant Stadium as they try to continue their 4 game win streak. The Raiders (2-2) are coming off a 23-9 home win against the New England Patriots.