Pain & Gain Movie Review

Regardless of what the weather tells us, the summer is not far from us. And that means intriguing summer movies. There are lot of movies I'm excited about this summer. I talked about that a bit in my first ever movie review that I did a couple weeks ago, "42 Movie Review: Jackie Robinson is a True American Hero". 42 was a great film and now it's time to review more movies. Maybe I will write a summer movie preview, I'm not sure. If you guys want it, I can make it happen. But let's talk about what film I saw tonight: Pain & Gain.

Pain & Gain stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a true story. The first thing I want to say to everyone reading this, which is something I have to say due to all the younger people and church people I know that read this. I am in no way endorsing this movie. It is rated R and according to IMDB, it is "Rated R for bloody violence, crude sexual content, nudity, language throughout and drug use". If you are under the age of seventeen, do not see this. I'm not sure if I should say people that are seventeen or older should see it. It does contain a good amount of violence and sexual content. So basically, use your own judgment.

To everyone that the above message doesn't concern, I apologize. I just have to wise about who is reading my blog, and a lot of people that do read it are church people or people who aren't seventeen yet. But let's get to the movie.

So as I was saying, Mark Wahlberg and The Rock play body builders in a true story. Something a lot of people know about me is that I am a big Mark Wahlberg fan. He's a good actor and he's very entertaining to watch. Not to mention he is likely the best action star of this era. So I follow Mark Wahlberg pretty closely. I check on his Wikipedia page pretty often to see what movies he has coming soon. I remember last year reading about this one, but it didn't give out much details. I didn't know that this was a true story at the time or what would happen in it. All I knew was that some body builders would get themselves into some crime and that it was meant to be a dark comedy. 

So some time in the past few months I saw the trailer for this film. In the trailer it said, "this is a true story". So I looked up what happened and was horrified to hear of this terrible story. These three body builders in Miami- Anthony Mackie playing the third- kidnapped a millionaire and tortured him and later killed two people. I haven't researched this story very heavily, but knowing this had me worried about the film. It was being marketed as this comedy and it appeared that they were making light of the situation. So this had me nervous. 

But after I saw the movie tonight, you don't have to fear, because I think it does a good job of handling the situation. Granted, I wasn't someone who was involved in any of this, so it isn't really my place to say if it was offensive or not. However, I can say that I can see what director Michael Bay was trying to do here, and I think it worked.

Early on in the movie, the film starts like just about any other movie. There's humor in it, and people in the theater are laughing at it. Something I noticed was, as the movie goes on, the humor gets darker and darker. It's as if it's like a psychology experiment. It feels like we are sort of thinking the way they are. They want to live the American dream and they want to make money. It was like the foot-in-the-door phenomenon. Every time they did something bad, it would lead to something worse. Something that is talked about and hinted at is how they have used steroids. Perhaps their choice to use steroids at one point led to some of the things they did at first? I think what was good is how they show how one stupid decision can lead to another.

So these guys capture Victor Kershaw, played by Tony Shalhoub and torture him until he signs over all of his possessions to them. The Rock's character is very hesitant to doing these things at first. He is a former crack addict and was just released from prison. He became a Christian. One decision leads to another and eventually he starts drinking and using cocaine again. This was something that was sad to see. The Rock, by the way, did an extremely good job in this role and in this film. Very well-acted on his part. But anyway, these three guys get everything Kershaw owns and are very proud of their lives. They are thriving financially, picking up women left and right, and couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. However, when they thought they had killed Kershaw, he was still alive and he is now trying to get the body builders. When he tells his story to the police, they don't believe him and are also turned away because of how rude his is to them. Kershaw is a real jerk. However he gets a hold of this former detective, Ed Du Bois, played by Ed Harris, who is willing to work on the case because he thinks no one should be able to get away with this. Ed Harris gives one of the best performances in this film. He was fabulous.

Everything is going well for the body builders on the surface. They didn't think anything was going to happen to them and they even contemplated doing this to another millionaire. After some of them have troubles with their spending, they decide to find a new target. Long story short, that leads to the death of a man and a woman, which is when it starts to feel like stuff gets real. You don't feel like laughing at stuff as much anymore. Over the course of the movie you realize that these three guys aren't very likable and are scumbags.

Eventually the police find them all and they are proven guilty in a court case that was fourteen minutes long. The Rock's character testified against them all and was able to shorten his jail time to only seven years, while the others are locked away for life. I am leaving stuff out here, but I didn't want my recap of the film to be too long and if you were planning on seeing it, I wanted to save some elements for you to see for yourself. The three guys do some absurd stuff. It amazes me that this is all true for the most part. They were some disgusting human beings.

Again, this movie showcases the stupidity of people. It shows how one stupid decision can lead to another. Something it started to remind me of at one point is one of my favorite films, The Town. (SPOILER ALERT) At the end of The Town, three of four career criminals die and face the consequences for the lives they had been living. Ben Affleck's character escapes and is given a second chance. I won't talk too much about that movie. If you guys want, I will gladly write a review for The Town this summer. But the point of these two movies is that, you will have to pay the price for the things you've done.

When I watch movies, as a Christian, I try to find the gospel in what I'm watching. Are there any spiritual themes? How can this movie relate to the Christian faith or God? Something did stick out to me in this one. That was how these people think they're being so clever. They think they can get away with all the terrible things that they're doing, not knowing eventually, the truth will get out. As people, we think we can do whatever we want and no one will notice. But God sees everything. And there's no possible way to hide your sin from God.

There were some good themes in this movie. I hope people that try to advance by shoplifting, stealing or killing people watch this film and learn from it. There is some good stuff being taught in it. I thought Pain & Gain was a good movie. I'm not sure how good as I am still trying to digest all of this as I just came out of the theater a couple hours ago. But I thought it was a good film. Not great, but good. I think it was well-acted and well done. At the same time, it isn't a happy movie. It's a sad story. I wish it never happened. People might feel misled when they see this, as it isn't really a comedy. I didn't expect it to fully be once I found out that it was a true story. It has comedy and funny things in it, and they use that comedy to make a point. Did they do a good job of handling the situation? I think so. And I think it was a good film.


Well, this completes my second movie review. Definitely still got a lot of work to do for these reviews to make them the best they can be, but I hope I am making progress! As for the film, did you see Pain & Gain? What did you think of it? Do you think they handled the story well? Let me know. Comment, or hit me up on my Facebook fan page or on Twitter @vellvita7. Thank you for reading and hope you are having a good weekend!

Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft: Third Round Recap and Analysis

A couple days ago began the Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft. If you don't know what I am talking about, refer to my article entitled "The Backyard Baseball Project". Monday night we held our Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft Lottery. If you missed the first round, catch up here: Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft: Round 1 Recap and Analysis. If you missed the second round, catch up here: Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft: Second Round Recap and Analysis. If you have been following this project, Let's waste no more time and get you caught up on what happened in the third round.

1) (13 Overall) Little 500 All-Stars (Connor Boehm)- Chipper Jones
Chipper's got a good bat and he's gonna help your team win. He also has a great attitude and brings a lot to a team. Decent speed and a great glove. Good all-around player that knows how to win.

2) (14 Overall) Kingston Bunt Smokers (Will Fitzgerald)- Carlos Beltran
Fitz took Derek Jeter with his last pick, and now he's taking Carlos Beltran. Beltran's kind of similar to Jeter in this game. They have the same batting stance, both are good hitters, runners and fielders. However Jeter is a shortstop and Beltran is a centerfielder. Jeter's OBP is gonna be higher. Beltran's not a bad pick here.

3) (15 Overall) Grand Salamis (Tommy Mantice)- Jose Canseco
No Way Jose is a good power and speed combination who can also chip in and pitch. I think Canseco was hoping that Boehm would reunite The Bash Brothers and bring him to the Little 500 All-Stars so he can play with Mark McGwire. But Canseco will be fine playing along with Sosa and Frank Thomas... a lineup with a lot of power. In addition to playing baseball, Jose also told me he is working on a book in his free time. I like this team's lineup so far, a lot of firepower. Will they continue to load up on power hitters or go out and try to get more speed and base runners? We'll see.

4) (16 Overall) Vinnie the Gooch's All-Stars (Eric Benjamin)- Randy Johnson
We knew it was only a matter of time before The Big Unit would be selected. Randy's a great pick here. He's the best pitcher in all of BYB and he can shut teams down. His Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series this season. So he knows how to win and he's in his best form here. His weakness is that he won't get on base a whole lot. But that's not such a bad thing, because then he won't tire himself out running around the bases and he can save it for the mound, where he will be throwing some junk. Randy's a good building block for this team.

5) (17 Overall) The Crazy Fishes (CJ Revis)- Luanne Lui
CJ REALLY wanted Luanne. I think this is the biggest reach we've seen in this draft. I understand what he's trying to do, drafting a team of only Backyard kids and trying to get his pitcher now, as well as another speedster. But I think he could have waited at least another round or two to get Luanne. If I was in this spot and I was getting my pitcher now, I would have gone with Angela Delvecchio. Angela is as good a pitcher, if not better and she's a great hitter. I guess Luanne is more versatile and she can play second base for you too. While I wouldn't have drafted the same way here, I don't want you to think that I think lowly of Luanne. I had Luanne written down as a late round sleeper/steal. But if he had Luanne at the top of his draft board he made the right choice in not gambling and hoping that she'll be around later. His lineup has a lot of speed. Like a lot. Pete Wheeler, Kiesha and Luanne? Man they're gonna burn you on the base paths. Curious as to what he does next.

6) (18 Overall) The Orange Wombats- Vladimir Guerrero
Vlad is a bit of a sleeper. I think he might be a little overlooked because of the other flashier stars. But Vlad's got some game. He can hit for power or contact, and he runs the bases very well. Also a great outfielder and can play infield for you as well. Also doesn't have bad pitching ratings. He's got a great arm from the outfield and he has a knack for throwing runners out at home plate. Solid pick.



The fourth round is underway right now. I"ll get that to you as soon as I can. Thanks for reading guys! Let me hear your thoughts on the draft on my Facebook fan page, in the comments below or on Twitter @vellvita7.

Survivor Week 11 Live Journal

Hey all! With another big episode of Survivor starting in just a few minutes, I figured I should write a live journal, penning my thoughts on what's currently going on in the show. I mean why not? Tonight's episode could potentially determine the entire outcome of the season. So why not?

6:51 Entertainment Tonight (ET) is currently on.

6:52 When will ET be over? Not interested in this at all.

6:53-6:57 I guess I will give my pregame thoughts now. They're marketing this as the episode where someone could flip. Who could it be? Well the "Three Amigos" need top pull over two votes from the tight group of seven known as Stealth R Us. There's a good shot that we could see Ice Cream Scooper Erik flipping, if he hasn't already. But the amigos need one more vote. I think the other four Favorites are going to stick to the plan. Which leaves one person in the middle- and no it isn't Malcolm (bad Malcolm in the Middle joke). Sherri. I think Sherri could ultimately be making the final decision tonight. I can't see why she would want to go with the amigos. No way you can win immunity against them and the group of three is too tight to slip into the final 3. Also these three put votes against her at the merge episode. So if Sherri is smart, she doesn't flip. But it could very well happen. This is Survivor.

6:57 ET IS FINALLY OVER!

6:58 These minutes seem to be going by too slowly. I want Survivor.

6:58 I don't know how often I will be writing my thoughts as this is a Viva La Vita first, but let's just roll with it.

7:00 Why isn't the show on yet?!

7:00 PREVIOUSLY ON SURVIVOR

7:02 "The only member of Stealth R Us to turn its back on Phillip was Erik"

7:02 Malcolm pretty optimistic about outcome

7:03 Erik open to flipping

7:04 Clearly hinting at the Survivor auction

7:04 Brenda crying now

7:05 Dawn is such a great mom

7:05 I would be scared of facing these guys too

7:06 Commercial break. Editors hinting at how the Amigos could be up to something big yet again in this episode

7:07 Gangnam Style needs to stop. It never was cool or funny, and it still isn't. No reason to use it in nut commercials.

7:08 Back to the show

7:09 One of the best challenge competitors ever could be getting help in the next challenge. Scary thought.

7:10 Could Cochran purchase the help in the next challenge?

7:10 Amigos spending big, risking help in later challenge. Dumb Survivor if you ask me.

7:11 Always listen to Cochran's advice!

7:12 These people are spending big

7:12 Someone should have kept Malcolm from getting that help

7:14 Good move by Andrea to take the rice and beans for everyone else, not that she had much of a choice

7:14 Seeing a lot of Brenda in this episode. Hope that doesn't mean she's going next.

7:15 Poor Brenda

7:17 I could not eat that peanut butter. Would make you so thirsty

7:17 Cochran is so funny.

7:18 Dawn is so right. I fear for her alliance

7:18 Commercials. Highlights of the auction: Cochran licking Sherri's fingers and saying it happens more often than you think. If I was out there playing with them, I might have a hard time not rooting for Cochran to win and focusing on my own game. If Cochran gets the end, I think he wins. Other highlights: Andrea sacrificing herself, Brenda spending $320 on pig brains and still eating it. Andrea giving up her pasta for beans and rice. Eddie being typical Eddie and not spending any money to help himself win a challenge or get a clue to the idol.

7:21 Everyone is bonding together, no more "us vs. them"

7:22 Brenda could be on her way out considering how much airtime she is finally getting

7:22 Even Cochran crying now

7:23 Touching moment

7:24 This kind of arrogance would turn me off and only want me to vote against them.

7:24 Cochran getting targeted

7:26 Andrea playing this smart

7:27 REALLY IMPRESSIVE. Strong determination from both. Now everyone knows where to look for the idol

7:28 Another commercial break. This is shaping up to be a big episode

7:28 Sherri was talking about flipping before the commercial. I don't think she'd be smart do that. "If you can't beat them you join them" but you can beat them! One of them won't have an idol and as long as you vote against them,  you can beat them. If you join them, YOU WILL NEVER BEAT THEM.

7:31 Immunity Challenge. Really hope Cochran can use his advantage and pull this one out

7:32 Eddie: "Cochran is by no means any physical threat whatsoever" could be foreshadowing

7:33 Cochran's gotta know a good strategy for when to go up two knots. Uber fan and genius.

7:34 Cochran smart to start at beginning, won't get himself exhausted before everyone else.

7:34 Keep in mind that they are holding weight relative to themselves. Doesn't mean someone that's big will automatically dominate

7:35 Brenda and Erik out

7:35 Dawn toughing it out

7:36 Malcolm's out, Andrea's out

7:36 Probst should be a personal trainer

7:36 Cochran looking strong

7:37 COCHRAN! CHALLENGE DOMINATOR!

7:38 Now isn't the right time for anyone to flip.

7:42 I like Cochran's confidence. You are the biggest challenge threat in this game

7:45 Dawn putting her motherly guilt on Erik

7:46 Cochran is completely right. Vote out Eddie. No way he has idol.

7:46 Sherri calling herself a Favorite now

7:47 I've been saying it all episode. Wouldn't be a good idea for anyone to flip.

7:47 Phillip looks 20 years younger now

7:48 Sherri making me nervous for Favorites

7:49 Erik making me nervous now

7:50 Another crazy tribal council

7:52 AMIGOS HAVE BEEN BLINDSIDED!

7:53 Cochran is too classic

Closing thoughts: This is the fourth crazy episode we've seen in a row. Next week could be dull, but I think they made the right decision tonight. I will be writing a recap blog sometime in the next few days with more of my thoughts on the episode. Tell me what you thought of this journal though, as it is my first time doing something like this. As always, thanks for reading!

Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft: Second Round Recap and Analysis

Yesterday began the Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft. If you don't know what I am talking about, refer to my article entitled "The Backyard Baseball Project". Two nights ago we held our Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft Lottery. If you missed the first round, catch up here: Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft: Round 1 Recap and Analysis. If you have been following this project, Let's waste no more time and get you caught up on what happened in the second round.

Round 2

1) (7 overall) The Orange Wombats (Grant Smith)- Kenny Lofton
It's a good thing that Jeff Kent wasn't ever in a Backyard Sports game and that Grant didn't draft him, as he took Barry Bonds with his last pick. It's clear that Grant is looking to acquire speed, and with Pete Wheeler gone, Kenny Lofton is the next best option. Does the grass even bend when these guys step on it? That's how fast they are. Kenny's a great centerfielder and lead-off hitter. Appears to have some solid pitching ratings too. With Lofton and Bonds, this team is looking strong. Let's see what their next move is.

2) (8 overall) The Crazy Fishes (CJ Revis)- Kiesha Phillips
Kiesha is the perfect power and speed combination. She hits bombs and runs extremely well for her size. She's not a bad fielder. This is a great pick because CJ got both of the Backyard kids he coveted most (aside from Pablo of course), because no one else has taken a Backyard kid since Pablo went at number one. So CJ's gotta be feeling pretty good about his draft so far and he's probably feeling optimistic about his upcoming picks too.

3) (9 overall) Vinnie the Gooch's All-Stars (Eric Benjamin)- Achmed Khan
The first non-Pablo Backyard kid taken by a commissioner other than CJ. CJ was not pleased to hear of this pick, dropping an "f*** you" on Benjamin for ruining his plans to have Achmed catching and Amir pitching. This is a good pick for Eric and I can see why CJ would be disappointed. Achmed's got a lot of pop on that bat and he's not slow either. Achmed's a great addition to any team and a good catcher. Another good pick here.

4) (10 overall) The Grand Salamis (Tommy Mantice)- Frank Thomas
Something that has always been a mystery to me is how Frank Thomas has a full ten-ball rating on his player card for pitching, and how he has a better pitching rating than hitting one. I'm not going to lie, I just looked up to see if he ever pitched in high school or anything and didn't find anything. Maybe the game makers thought it would be fun to give a couple pros talents that we were unaware of. Anyway, The Big Hurt is a great addition to any team. He's a great pitcher and hitter. He isn't very fast and he's an average fielder. He will knock in a lot of runs for your team while shutting down your opponents on the mound. Good pick here. These managers know what they're doing.

5) (11 Overall) The Kingston Bunt Smokers (Will Fitzgerald)- Derek Jeter
Yes, Fitz is going with the captain Derek Jeter with his second round pick. DJ is a great pick here. Jeter's got a lot of speed and is one of the best fielders you can find. Jeter is also a high character guy and a great leader. He's got the intangibles. No doubt he will lead your team when he's playing shortstop. Not only that, but he is a great addition to your top of your lineup. Jeter will likely lead your team in batting average and OBP. He gets on base and he's perfect for Coach Fitzgerald's system.

6) (12 Overall) Little 500 All-Stars (Connor Boehm)- Mark McGwire
Big Mac is probably the best power hitter out there. He hits monstrous home runs. But it's tough with Macdaddy. Because if he doesn't hit a home run, he will likely strikeout. And if he puts the ball in play and it isn't a home run, then there's a good chance he'll get thrown out at first. He doesn't any speed. Mac's a good fielder and not a bad pitcher. Boehm told me he lives for the long ball and that the "chicks dig the long ball." He wants to play a risky game and he lives by the motto "go big or go home." So Mark makes sense for Boehm. Not a bad pick by any means. As I said before, these GMs know what they're doing.


What do you think about our GMs' picks? Comment, or hit me up on the Facebook fan page or on Twitter @vellvita7 to let me hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading guys. Third Round is coming soon! Check back later!

Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft: First Round Recap and Analysis

Finally, the moment you all have been waiting for. The BYB Draft has begun. First, let's meet the GM's (if you haven't yet. if you have, go ahead and skip this to the draft). Also, if you aren't sure what this is all about, please check out my article entitled "The Backyard Baseball Project". We had our Backyard Baseball Draft Lottery last night. Here are our GMs:

The first pick of the Backyard Baseball 2001 draft is going to GM of Little 500 All-Stars (formerly known as The Pink Wombats), Connor Boehm. Boehm was a dominant force last year for the New Trier Trevians basketball team, and took his talents to the Ivy League to play at Dartmouth. After a great freshman season, Boehm told me about how much he missed baseball. He played New Trier Feeder ball up through 8th grade, but didn't try out for the New Trier baseball team. He felt he still has something to prove, so he will be drafting and managing a Backyard Baseball team. "As a manager, I swing for the fences. All power hitters, all power pitchers. I live for the fireballs and aluminum bats. Go big or go home. Chicks dig the long ball."
Home field: Tin Can Alley

The second pick of the draft belongs to GM of The Kingston Bunt Smokers, and speedy wide receiver Will Fitzgerald. Fitz spent all four years of high school playing on the New Trier football team and simply couldn't get himself to stop. He now plays and studies at John Carroll University in Ohio. As you can see, Fitz is also an avid Eminem fan and he plans to bump someShady at his team's home park before, during and after games. He is also a big time baseball fan and when I asked him how he plans to manage his team, he told me, "It's all about FUNDAMENTALS! My lineup isn't swinging for the fences, we're swinging for the gaps. Base runners on base runners. Don't even try to stop us on the base paths. We execute with speed. We are the Patriots of the BYBL. Charlie Tilson came to one of our Spring Training games and said he was amazed how well we run the bases. Small Ball wins close games." 

Home Field: Dirty Yards

The third pick of the draft belongs to GM of The Grand Salamis, Tommy Mantice. Tommy studies at Ball State University and describes himself as an aggressive manager. "We're gonna steal bases and have a lot of sacrifices and squeezes."

Home Field: Steele Stadium

The fourth pick is going to GM of the Vinnie the Gooch's All-Stars, Eric Benjamin, former high school football and basketball star. Eric currently studies at Indiana University and he is a Backyard Baseball whiz. When I asked him how he plans to manage his team, he told me, "I'm a Jerry Jones-type GM. Not afraid to spend some green to get stars on my team. I'm after players who aren't afraid to get their uniform dirty. Pete Rose-types without the gambling issues. I'm all about that charlie hustle."

Home Field: Cement Gardens

The fifth pick belongs to GM of The Crazy Fishes and former pitcher for the New Trier pitcher, CJ Revis. CJ played freshman and sophomore year, quitting after sophomore year to focus on basketball. CJ played a pivotal role on a very good New Trier basketball team last year which was led by teammate and now rival GM Connor Boehm. CJ is currently studying at Lawrence University and hopes to return to his basketball career after he graduates, as he hopes to play professionally overseas, preferably in Greece. I should also add that this isn't the only team CJ will be managing this summer. Along with his Backyard Baseball team, CJ will be managing a 13 and under New Trier feeder team. For his BYB team, CJ has wasted no time getting his team ready. He has announced Mr. Clanky as his assistant coach, saying that "The guy throws the best batting practice around." He also added that he has signed network contracts so that Sunny Day and Vinnie the Gooch will commentate all of his team's games. When I asked him how he plans to manage his team and what their strategy will be, he told me, ""My team will put the WE before the ME. They'll show up ready to play everyday. No mental errors. When we take the field, we mean business."

Home Field: Sandy Flats

The owner of the sixth and last pick is the GM of The Orange Wombats, Grant Smith. Grant helped lead the New Trier Boys' Swimming Team to multiple state titles. Grant is currently studying and swimming at Davidson University. Grant, like the other five GMs, also used to be a dominant baseball player, however he quit before tryouts freshman year at New Trier so he can focus on swimming. He's happy to be returning to the game as a manager. When I asked him about his team, he told me, "The original backyard baseball field is what we call home, Playground Commons. Except, we don't just play, we live baseball. Intense work ethic and exceptional passion for winning is what will define this team."
Home Field: Playground Commons

Now that you have met the GM's, let's dive right into the draft.

Round 1

1) Little 500 All-Stars (Connor Boehm)- Pablo Sanchez
No big surprise here. Pablo is a five-tool player a perennial number one overall pick. Pablo can do it all, he can field, throw, run, and hit for power and contact. He's not the best pitcher available but if you need him to give you an inning, he can do just that. Another great thing about Pablo is his size. His small stature proves to be a small strike zone that is tough for pitchers to hit. Be careful, because you might just give him a piece of meat. Don't let his size fool you. In the words of Bill Walton, "he may be small but he has the heart of a giant" (can't you just hear Bill Walton saying that in your head?). Not only does he has the heart of a giant, but he has the bat of one. Pablo could very well lead the league in Home Runs, RBI's, and stolen bases. The dude can flat out fly. This is a great pick and he's the type of guy you want to build a franchise around. He certainly is getting paid like a franchise guy- Boehm told me he's agreed to a $113 million contract over 7 years, with $64 mil. guaranteed with the team.

2) The Kingston Bunt Smokers (Will Fitzgerald)- Curt Schilling
This is an interesting pick and I was honestly a little surprised by it. Curt is a future Hall of Fame pitcher, however I thought he might still be available in the second round, so this might have been a bit of a reach. Regardless, Schill's a great pitcher and will go out and give you 5-6 great innings each day. He's also versatile. He's a much better runner and hitter than Randy Johnson, the other pro pitcher in this draft. He can field well and play another position after he's done pitching for the day. I guess the question is how much do you value pitching? Fitz seems to really value pitching and he got his guy here. This wasn't a bad pick by any means. I'm really interested to see what he does next.

The Grand Salamis (Tommy Mantice)- Sammy Sosa
Growing up as a kid in Chicago, Sammy Sosa was a must-have for anyone's Backyard Baseball roster. We loved watching him hit home runs and bunny-hop to first base, followed by him pounding his chest with his fist, kissing his fingers and then pointing them up to the sky. Yes, Sammy was a hero then. I won't bring up what happens next and let's just focus on Sammy Sosa 2001. Sosa's a great hitter. He can hit for power and contact, and he can run the bases very well. He's got a cannon for an arm so he can hurt any opponents that dare to tag up and score, when he's manning right field. He's also a quality pitcher if you need him. This is a good pick. However I do think Ken Griffey Jr. is falling lower than he should. Griff will be a steal to whoever gets him, which I could see Benjamin going after him with the next pick. But Sosa's gonna help this team in many ways. Good pick.

4) Vinnie the Gooch's All-Stars (Eric Benjamin)- Ken Griffey Jr.
Yes, I guess I just did call a pick correctly for the first time in this draft. KGJR is a flat-out beast. He can hit and he's speedy. He's basically Sosa, only a better fielder. He has one less batting skill point than Sosa, which really doesn't make any difference. Griff's got a lot of pop in his bat. I once saw him hit one out of Tin Can Alley (with no Aluminum Power Bat mind you). He's got great character and he's a great leader. He'll be a great captain commanding things in center. Like Sosa, if you need him to contribute as a pitcher, he can come out of relief. However there are better pitching options than the both of them. Nevertheless this is a great pick.

5) The Crazy Fishes (CJ Revis)- Pete Wheeler
CJ told me before the draft that he plans to play Backyard Baseball the way he did as a kid. And that means no pros. Yes, CJ only used the Backyard kids and he refuses to go back on that now. Pete Wheeler is the fastest guy in the league. He can fly. He's also a very good hitter. His speed and athleticism can help teams in more ways than just on the base paths. He can do the little things with his speed. If he's in the infield and someone makes a bad throw over to him, he can run over to pick up the ball and run back to the base before the runner can get there. Pete's gonna help your team win. My one concern with Pete is awareness. Many times Pete will be caught daydreaming in the field and that can make for some costly errors that can hurt a team. If Pete can keep himself focused, he'll be a great pick for this team. Seeing that Pete is the second Backyard kid taken, raises the question of whether or not he is the best BYB kid on the board. I'm not sure. I think an argument could be made for Kiesha Phillips or maybe even Achmed Khan. But Pete's a good pick here.

6) The Orange Wombats (Grant Smith)- Barry Bonds
Barry isn't quite the monster he was in real life this season. Barry belted a record-breaking 73 home runs during the 2001 season. Why Bonds isn't more of a power hitter in this game is beyond my knowledge. However, he makes up for that as a great contact hitter and base runner. He's exceptionally fast and he can field the ball well. Also not a bad option to use as a pitcher. Don't get me wrong, Bonds will hit some home runs. Barry's a solid player and a good pick in this spot. It will be interesting to see what Grant does with his next pick, as he is drafting back-to-back and the second round will go in reverse order.


So that's our first round. There will be plenty more to come. My Second Round Draft Recap and Analysis is now up. I'm gonna try to get stuff up to you as fast as I can after it happens. Thanks for reading. Do you agree with the GMs' picks? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below, on the Facebook fan page or on Twitter @vellvita7.

Backyard Baseball 2001 Draft Lottery

If you have no idea what I am talking about, please refer to my blog entitled, The Backyard Baseball Project.

Yes, the order to tomorrow's Backyard Baseball draft has been revealed. I had no idea how terrible my webcam is, and for that I apologize. Without any further ado, go ahead and watch the Draft Lottery!

So now begins the discussion of who will go at the number one overall pick. GM Connor Boehm has told me he wants to live by the long ball. Could he be in contract talks with Pablo Sanchez or Ken Griffey Jr.? Only time will tell. Perhaps some of you readers will start making mock drafts. If you were in Connor's spot, who would you take? Which pick would you want to have and what players do you value the most? Who do you think could be a potential steal in this draft and who could be a bust? Comment below, or hit me up on the Facebook fan page or on Twitter @vellvita7. Check back in the next couple days to find out what happens in the draft!

Survivor Week 10 Recap

I know a lot of my Survivor fan friends have been waiting a while for this. Normally I recap the entire episode and talk about little things that could become big things. Well, with this past Tribal Council, I think I will just talk mainly about the outcome and what I thought about the big move.

First of all, we knew a big move was coming. Jeff Probst and Survivor were marketing this as one of the craziest Tribal Councils they had ever seen. Cochran tweeted something about how crazy it was going to be. I like crazy Tribal Councils, but I don't like it when they tell us when crazy stuff is coming. Then we are more suspecting of something happening, and it isn't as surprising, and the surprise adds to the excitement. Once Stealth R Us started saying "we're gonna split the vote between Reynold and Malcolm, and Reynold will likely be going home tonight", I suspected that Reynold was going to win Immunity. That's something that happens too often on the show. Often when they say "unless this happens", it's going to happen. Things became even more revealing after Reynold won Immunity and at the commercial break they showed the vote for the Sprint Player of the Week. The three options were Reynold, Eddie and Malcolm. No one from Stealth R Us was nominated? You had a feeling something bad was coming for them.

That's something that has also always annoyed me. Why can't they give us the options for the Player of the Week after the vote happens? Or at least let us vote for anyone? Giving the three options before we see the last second strategizing before Tribal Council simply isn't logical. But that wasn't the only thing that annoyed me in this episode.

Something happened in this episode that I don't think production has ever done before. In Survivor: Guatemala, they introduced the Hidden Immunity Idol. Over the years the rules have changed for the idol. Eventually it became a certainty that there was won idol hidden at each tribe's beach and then after the merge if both idols are played, they will hide another one. Reynold used his idol at the last Tribal Council and it was a mystery to everyone in the game if anyone had another one, which we all know as viewers that Malcolm is in possession of. Everyone decides to start looking for it again and Malcolm finds it. I was upset because this is something we haven't seen on the show, production has basically made this a rule but they broke it in order for better entertainment. Another problem I've had is how easy it now is to find an idol. Anyway, Malcolm now has two idols and Reynold has Immunity. The two of them have now combined for a total of finding all four idols that have been hidden on this season.

The question entering Tribal Council is whether or not Malcolm uses both his idols this night to protect him and Eddie, or does he just use one to be able to keep him safe in the next episode. As you all know by now, he played both and told everyone before the vote. Whether or not this was a good move will be based upon results. However, I think they could have done more with this.

While they didn't have a lot of time before Tribal Council to plan things out, I think they could have used these idols to make a bigger move. Once they showed that they both had Immunity, I think they made a mistake by telling everyone they were voting for Phillip. It appears that the goal of playing both idols was to protect themselves and make Stealth R Us turn on one another. If they had said, "we will be putting our three votes on one of you", everyone would have been more paranoid. For example Andrea might have then been scrambling because she was targeted at the last Tribal. I think this creates more havoc and in that case they might be able to keep one of the idols, if not both of them.

Another thing they could have said is "our votes are up for grabs, we'll vote how you want us to vote." This could have created more drama too. While the move was fun and great for television, I'm not sure if it was the right move for Malcolm. He's a good challenge competitor and if he had saved an idol to use later he could have hung around long enough to the time where someone needs a vote and he could have snuck his way into the Final Four.

Was Phillip the right target? I'm not sure. Again, only time will tell. Phillip put together this entire alliance and I think people underestimate him as a player. Phillip gets way too much hate. I think one of the strong suits of his game is getting in people's heads and causing them to make dumber moves, like Corinne. I think he did a good job of keeping the group together, however I'm not sure if he is the biggest threat. I think that Cochran and Andrea were and are the people at the top right now. I think the two of them have been playing the best games, and if you're sitting next to either of them at the end, you won't win. Dawn has also done a good job of keeping the alliance together.

Something I do fear for Stealth R Us is that Erik might have already flipped to other team. He voted against Phillip, and Phillip said in an exit interview that he saw Erik talking to them on the beach and he was worried about him. I could also see Sherri jumping ship because Phillip was the one who was closest with her in the alliance and with Phillip gone, she could be swayed over to the other alliance.

Logically, I don't think it would be the right move for anyone to jump over to the other alliance. Those three guys are very strong and will dominate challenges. If you go to the final five with them, you most likely aren't winning Immunity. The three of them are also very tight with each other and I just can't see any of the bros letting someone else into their final three. I think it would be a better idea to wait things out with Stealth R Us and see what happens. If Erik or Sherri feel that they are on the bottom, why don't they wait until they get until there are seven left and then make their move? They can pick up whichever bro is left and find someone else who is on the bottom. Then they would be in control of the alliance. If these guys can turn it around and get to the end, they could be threats in the end game because I think people respect underdogs when they're voting at final Tribal, and they would have turned on their alliance early, losing them votes. If Erik goes to the final six with his fellow Favorites and Sherri, he could go on an Immunity run and keep himself safe, something that would be a lot harder for him to do if he's at the end of the game with the other three guys. I just don't think it would be smart for anyone to flip now.

As for the Favorites in this episode, I think they made the right decision by sticking to the plan. You can't allow them to keep any of their idols, and there was always a shot one of them wouldn't play it and then the plan could work. But they were really in a no-win situation. The only person you could say made a bad call was Phillip, because he knew he was getting votes. But Phillip chose to sacrifice himself for the betterment of his alliance, which is honorable. And what else could Phillip have then done, voted Sherri? Let's say he tells everyone to vote Sherri. Then Malcolm can give her the idol and bring her over to their side. They were just put in a no-win situation, thanks to production for replanting another idol when they shouldn't have. Hopefully this isn't the last we see of The Specialist on Survivor.

There is a possibility that this was a spite move. Malcolm could know that he doesn't have much of a shot of winning the game and he would like to send a "screw you" to Stealth R Us and take someone down with him, which could be why he was saying that Phillip was ruining the game for everyone.

All that's left to be said is that anything can happen. This has been a crazy season and I feel there is more drama on the way. However, CBS needs to stop telling us that and let us be surprised. Anyway, thank you to everyone for reading, and let me hear your thoughts on Twitter @vellvita7, Facebook, or in the comments below. Thank you guys and hope you are having a Monday!