Sports Matters Radio

Before you make this week’s picks, here are your standings:

Current Standings

Brian:  14-4

Marci:  13-5

Ryan:  13-5

Brian’s Dad:  12-6

Pete:  12-6

Ed:  8-4

Tony:  7-5

Guaranteed Loser Standings

Brian:  10-2

Brian’s Dad:  10-2

Pete:  10-2

Ryan:  10-2

Marci:  9-3

Ed:  6-2

Tony:  6-2

Good luck!

Hooooo boy.  What a week.  Here’s your Sixer for December 20, and the standings:

Current Standings

Brian:  8-4

Ed:  8-4

Marci:  8-4

Pete:  8-4

Ryan:  8-4

Brian’s Dad:  7-5

Tony:  7-5

Guaranteed Loser Standings

Brian:  6-2

Brian’s Dad:  6-2

Ed:  6-2

Pete:  6-2

Ryan:  6-2

Tony:  6-2

Marci:  5-3

Best of luck this week, and Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to you all!

Here’s where everyone finished on the college side…but we’re not done!

Final (College) Standings

Brian’s Dad: 60-30 (.667)*

Pete: 60-30 (.667)

Brian: 59-31 (.656)

Ryan: 57-33 (.633)

Tony: 55-35 (.611)

Ed: 54-36 (.600)

Marci: 44-46 (.489)

Guaranteed Loser Standings

Brian’s Dad: 12-2 – winner by virtue of best overall record in Guaranteed Loser standings

Brian: 12-2

Ryan: 11-3

Ed: 10-4

Pete: 10-4

Tony: 10-4

Marci: 4-10

Congratulations to my dad and to all of us who played for a great college year — but, like I said, it’s not over!  Go HERE to play in the NFL Sixer, where we pick FOUR guaranteed losers per week!

Welp, the Week of Suck was appropriately named.  Yikes.  Here are the updated standings.  Make your picks for this (hopefully better) week right here!

Current Standings

Brian’s Dad:  31-17 (.646)

Pete:  30-18 (.625)

Brian:  28-20 (.583)

Ed:  27-21 (.563)

Ryan:  27-21 (.563)

Tony:  27-21 (.563)

Marci:  24-24 (.500)

Guaranteed Loser Standings

Brian’s Dad:  8-0 (Georgia, Mississippi State, Florida State, Arkansas, Florida, Florida, Texas, Washington)

Brian:  7-1 (LSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Arkansas, Florida, Florida, Texas, Washington)

Ryan:  7-1 (LSU, Penn State, Florida State, Arkansas, Florida, Florida, Texas, Auburn)

Ed:  6-2 (LSU, Penn State, Mississippi State, West Virginia, Clemson, Florida, Texas, Washington)

Pete:  6-2 (USC, Penn State, Arizona State, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arizona State, Michigan State)

Tony:  5-3 (Georgia, Penn State, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Clemson, Texas, Michigan State, Michigan State)

Marci:  1-7 (TCU, Stanford, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Boise State, Oklahoma State, Oregon)

With no further delay, here are the standings!  Make your picks for this week right here!

Week 4 Standings

Brian’s Dad:  16-8 (.667)

Tony:  16-8 (.667)

Brian:  15-9 (.625)

Ed:  15-9 (.625)

Pete:  15-9 (.625)

Ryan:  14-10 (.583)

Marci:  12-12 (.500)

Guaranteed Loser Standings

Brian’s Dad:  4-0 (Georgia, Mississippi State, Florida State, Arkansas)

Tony:  4-0 (Georgia, Penn State, Mississippi State, Arkansas)

Brian:  3-1 (LSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Arkansas)

Ed:  3-1 (LSU, Penn State, Mississippi State, West Virginia)

Pete:  3-1 (USC, Penn State, Arizona State, Arkansas)

Ryan:  3-1 (LSU, Penn State, Florida State, Arkansas)

Marci:  1-3 (TCU, Stanford, Alabama, Georgia Tech)

If you’re an insomniac like me, you’ve surely seen the same infomercials I have.  There’s some new Time-Life soul collection, featuring a former star musician (James Ingram, Peabo Bryson, etc.) and some young starlet hosting, and there’s an uncomfortable sexual tension between them.  You’re almost expecting the male host to try to offer the woman to make sweet love down by the fire.

There’s also a pool outside, some candles and all sorts of other things to set the mood.

If those infomercials make you as uncomfortable as they make me, here’s four songs that belong on those collections, without the creepy undertones.

1.  Four Tops – Something About You (1965)

It seems unusual to say that a single that reached #19 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart is one of the “lesser-known” Four Tops songs, but when people think of the group’s catalog, this doesn’t always come up.  That said, enjoy this classic from a legendary band.

2.  Solomon Burke – If You Need Me (1963)

There was a movement afoot in the early 1960s to meld country, blues and R&B, and this underappreciated track from Solomon Burke demonstrates exactly how it was done.  This song was a solid combination of the Mississippi and Chicago styles, and the guitars and longing vocals tell the story.  This work held up with anything Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding or any of the other stars of the day were doing, and still delivers almost 50 years after its release.

3.  Van Morrison – Into The Mystic (1970)

This is not a commonly imagined song when comprising a list of great soul records, but this Irishman could “sang”, as so many people jokingly call it.  Van Morrison has a laundry list of truly epic tracks that line his catalog, but this one just may be his best.  This song has been covered many times, with the most popular being The Wallflowers’ version from the finale of the original American Pie trilogy.

4.  Lionel Richie – My Love (1983)

I mentioned a couple of songs back about songs that melded the country, R&B and soul influences, and this song does the exact same 20 years later.  This collaboration between two of the most powerful artists of the ’80s (Richie and Kenny Rogers, who also performs background vocals) came early in Richie’s solo career, but was still a huge hit for him.  It made the top 10 on the pop, “AC” (adult contemporary) and R&B charts, and still remains one of his more appreciated singles.  This was not the last we would hear of Richie and Rogers — or Richie and country musicians, for that matter.

We all know that I can’t play “real” music on the show (thanks, RIAA!), so here’s what didn’t make the cut.

1. The Clash – Rudie Can’t Fail (1980)

There were a number of absolutely essential records in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and The Clash’s London Calling is right at the top of that must-have list.  The blend of punk, ska, rock and so many other elements was legendary, and it was never more evident than in this cut.  This may not have been the best-selling track from the record or the most memorable, but it was still way ahead of its time.

2.  Eli “Paperboy” Reed – Tell Me What I Wanna Hear (2010)

You’d never know just by looking at him that the sounds that leave Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s mouth are his, but they are, and they’re incredible.  If you’re a fan of ’60s soul and music that you could actually feel, Reed takes that genre and turns it on his ear with a series of self-penned songs.  He sings the hell out of every note, and this one gets that same treatment.

3.  Supertramp – Goodbye Stranger (1979)

On the subject of essential records, Supertramp’s Breakfast in America is one of those essentials.  It was an award-winning record, and though Supertramp never reached the level of success achieved by many of their late-’70s arena rock counterparts, they still carved out a tremendous career for themselves, and this is a must-listen part of their catalog.

4.  Squeeze – In Quintessence (1981)

There were a number of concept records during the time period in which this one surfaced — some downright weird — but this departure from the norm for Squeeze was one of the best.  The contents ranged from soul to country, from first wave to third wave (barely).  If you’ve not heard East Side Story, the record from which this track originated, do your best to find it.  It’s not the best musical representation of what was going on in 1981, but it certainly still stands up quite well 30 years after the fact.

What a wild week…we went with 12 games for the first time ever, and here’s how everyone came out (again, alphabetical order – don’t get offended):

Brian: 13-5 (.722)
Pete: 13-5 (.722)
Brian’s Dad: 11-7 (.611)
Ed: 11-7 (.611)

And the following who did not post all or part of their picks for week 2 and lose the games not posted:
Ryan: 5-13 (.278)
Tony: 4-18 (.222)
Marci: 2-16 (.111)

Stay tuned tonight as we try to make things easier for those of you picking on a weekly basis!

You know the rules — straight winners here. Even if you haven’t picked before, you can still pick now. We offer weekly bragging rights!

Here’s the standings:
Ed: 46-26
Brian’s Dad: 45-27
Ryan: 43-29
Brian: 41-31
Pete: 24-48 (0-6; no picks)
Marci: 12-24 (0-6; no picks)
Tony: 12-18

Get your picks in by NOON EASTERN on Saturday.

Games are after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

You know the rules — straight winners here. Even if you haven’t picked before, you can still pick now. We offer weekly bragging rights!

Here’s the standings:
Brian’s Dad: 40-26
Ed: 40-26
Ryan: 38-28
Brian: 37-29
Pete: 24-42
Marci: 12-18 (0-6; no picks)
Tony: 7-17

Get your picks in by NOON EASTERN on Thursday.

Games are after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »