njskaguy33
-
Posts
1,733 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Store
Posts posted by njskaguy33
-
-
Better question. Why does Taylor Ham / pork roll / unspecified meat stick even exist? Get bacon. Get ham. But meat stick? Kinda gross if you ask me.
And putting ketchup on eggs is like spreading mayonnaise on a birthday cake covered in spiders. Skin crawling yuck that's relatively senseless. And yes, I'm aware migas and salsa on a breakfast taco is a thing in my current home of Austin. But it's still icky.
But to be fair, I'm also the weirdo who doesn't put milk in cereal, so my culinary preferences can be suspect.
-
1
-
-
Waiting for the thread lock in 3...2...1...
-
1
-
-
What's next?
Schneider - duel hip replacement
Hischier - eyeball contusion, day to week to month
Severson - stroke, back whenevs
Blackwood - foot growing out of the back of his head, out for season
Stafford - taken by aliens, return pending further space exploration.-
1
-
3
-
-
Back to Big Mike, I don't love him. I'm intrigued by him. Listening to him is like watching a dinosaur roam the streets of Manhattan: he doesn't belong in this modern world, but somehow, someway, he persists and to me, it's absolutely fascinating.
It's also incredibly cringey, which I admittedly gravitate towards. He's a cantankerous old man who has zero self-awareness and ability to laugh at himself. The fact he takes himself so seriously is amazing, especially when people call him up just to mess with him. You have to give him credit for not dumping out whenever he gets a prank. He reacts like the caller is a genuine moron, not somebody messing with him, and the reaction always makes me shake my head and smile. He's an ass, but he's our ass if that makes any sense.
Living in Austin, I don't get to listen for any length of time, so I keep up via YouTube clips, which may be the preferred way to listen. And on a serious note, it reminds me of home. The thick New York accent, the focus on local teams (even if it isn't hockey). It's one my few nostalgic indulgences, and I'll genuinely miss him when I'm gone. It's better than radio here where if there's any Texas football in the news, even a meaningless spring game, the rest of the sports world descends into oblivion.
As for Devils podcasts, I listen to Devils Insider on occasion and they are fine. The audio quality is lacking, which is a huge pet peeve of mine as someone who's done a couple of podcasts (including my beloved, long dead DevsCast), but they have good chemistry and know their stuff.
And for the record, I'm not sure why this board displays my awful 1999 sign on name, but my regular handle is Bulletproof. I rarely post anymore, but I wanted to say hey to those I haven't chatted with in a hot minute.
-
1
-
-
Coming out of the ether to comment on this, but it all comes down to the "The Plan". We as fans want to to win now, but what if Shero and Co's plan is to build a winning franchise? Based on that mindset, they may want to pass unless they find a dancing partner and do an immediate sign and trade.
Here's what I'm thinking: Lets say we sign Kovy, and he has 40 points heading to the deadline. He's made the team better, we climb up the standings a bit and go from basement dwellers to an "in the mix" team. Kinda sorta in the race come March, but fall short of the playoffs. Middle of the pack.
Now we're picking in the middle of the draft, and we have a 35 year old winger with back issues declining in value by the minute. Remember, Kovy isn't Jagr. The best we could do is move him for a pick to a contender, but with that production, you'd probably get a second rounder. Same price you would have gotten now with a worse opportunity to obtain good, cheap talent in the draft.
And while I'm never in favor of tanking or punting seasons, I am in favor of building a team organically. Stapling Kovy onto this roster would make the team better next year, but I think it would set us back from the ultimate goal: becoming a perennial contender.
-
1
-
-
These conversations are brutal because there are two sides to the argument, both valid. On the one hand, if the team does their best to win every night and falls 4 points out of a playoff spot, then you pick 15th-ish. Mediocre picks lead to mediocre talent which creates a team languishing in mediocrity. An emotional flat line where a team either misses the playoffs or is an easy first round exit every year. If you tank, you have a higher chance of snagging that franchise saving player.
But, in the end, I'm anti-tank. In my opinion, it creates a culture of losing and a sense of uncertainty about the franchise. People forget how close Pittsburgh was from relocating. If it wasn't for Sidney Crosby and a new arena, they might be elsewhere right now. And Crosby is a generational talent. Risking the creation of a failure cloud that turns a team into a laughing stock isn't worth a first round pick could conceivably flame out. Plus, what free agent will want to come to a team that's a dumpster fire?
It's an honor thing for me. Try your best every night, and hope your scouting department is savvy enough to mine gold from the picks you have. And I don't think this is a negative thread, although the title "Race to the Bottom" certainly has a negative connotation. But I'm not saying change it, as I think we're all on the same page: we hope this team wins, but if they can't, then let's keep track of where they could be picking.
-
13 hours ago, DevsMan84 said:
I am in a pretty big sports bar here in Austin TX right now to watch the game. A few moments ago I asked the manager to put on the Dallas Stars game and he replied "sorry sir, we don't carry the NBA package."
Another ATX'er! While this post won't matter to 98% of the board, Mean Eyed Cat on West 5th has Center Ice (or whatever they call the package now) and if the owner is there, he's really good about putting hockey on. The owner is a hockey fan, and has no problem putting on what you want, especially on a slow Tuesday night.
-
Haven't been this cautiously excited for a Devils season in quite some time, so much so, I'm firing up the old njdevs account. Tough matchup against a good opponent, but I'm feeling good about it!
LGD!
-
DevsMan, I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on the variety issue. In your Baskin Robbins example, you're right in that they chose 31 flavors, but to arrive at those flavors, they needed the room and the marketplace to discover what works. In the beer world, that testing ground requires a community of people willing to try out new things and pay for it. I rarely go "whale hunting", but if my bottle shop has a $20 bomber of something new, I'll pull the trigger. I'd hate to see that go away.
I think what we're really talking about is saturation, not variety. On that, I 100% agree. We don't need another brewery offering the standard pale/amber/IPA/porter selection. It's confusing to the customer and creates "beer shelf shock". And you're right, that will cause people to get frustrated by buying more of the same old, same old, and just stick with what they dig. But I don't think that'll cause a burst. I think the bubble is too big and too elastic for that to happen. Those ho hum breweries will just go away quicker and quicker.
Quick note: I grew up in Jersey, but didn't get into beer until my last year in NYC and move to Austin. Are there opportunities to try before you buy? In Austin, there are about 20 craft beer bars in a 10 mile radius, all of which will give you samples. Each has about 20 taps, half has more. My local bottle shop does daily tastings, where reps come in from new and established breweries sampling their line. Most of the breweries have on site taprooms where for $10 you get six pour tickets (ala Carton in your neck of the woods). Supermarkets allow you to make your own six pack, that way you can try without the $10 investment. This allows the drinking public to try before they buy, reducing the rate of failures on their investments.
And that liquor store law is so ridiculous, I can't fathom it. Texas has some bizarre laws, but if you had more distribution channels, maybe your market wouldn't be so crowded. But, I've been to the mega liquor stores in Jersey. Not sure on the name, but it's a giant place in Essex Green by the AMC in West Orange. That place has a monstrous selection organized pretty well and it's still overwhelming, so I get your point.
My hope is the ever crowding market will force breweries to be distinctive rather than copycats. I'd hate to see the interesting little guys fail in favor of the tried and true Dogfish Head / Goose Island / Firestone Walkers of the world. They all make exceptional stuff, but having those funky outliers keeps the scene fresh and special.
-
I know I rarely post here anymore, but I have to get into this conversation.
Like anything, the culture will drive the demand which drives the industry. I can't speak for the East Coast, but here in Texas, craft beer is exploding and the beer drinking community is large enough to support it (for now). The greater Austin area alone has over 30 breweries with more popping up monthly. They're not all going to survive, and that's fine, but they all get a fair shake from the community. And if they are average brews people try and discard, then that brewery goes under. Sunrise, sunset, capitalism.
If craft beer dies on the vine like the microbrewery craze, it'll be a damn shame. It'll be the triumph of mediocrity over innovation. If you don't want to chase beer whales, that's fine, but that doesn't mean the option shouldn't be there for those who want to. I rarely stand in line for beers, but I love going to my local bottle shop and seeing what new stuff they have. And yes, that includes strawberry infused saisons with coriander notes with a strong hop finish. It's fun! I feel variety is always better for everybody involved. I don't get why people are actively rooting for craft beer to die (not saying anybody here is). Much like our beloved Devils most likely not making the playoffs, I think people are preparing themselves for what they think is the inevitable.
And I'm not sure it is. Again, Jersey is different due to the rules, but in Austin, every place sells craft beer these days. Supermarkets, gas stations, etc. Come to think of it, I've been in a proper liquor store maybe a handful of times since moving here. Maybe Texas just has more distribution channels than Jersey. Maybe the culture is more "hipster" in that we're willing to experiment, but I don't quite see the bubble bursting. It'll just shrink as average breweries die and fall out.
Maybe it's a bad analogy, but if we can have thousands of boutique wineries in the marketplace, why can't we have thousands of craft breweries? There are twenty or so major wine players that dominate the market, and the rest find their niche.
Perhaps I'm just a fan, but I truly hope craft beer is here to stay. I'd hate to walk into H.E.B. (our Shop Rite) and see nothing but Inbev and the rubble of an exciting scene blown to bits. And I think it can, so far as breweries continue to innovate, create great product, and find their spot in the marketplace.
-
1
-
-
If the Devils are on TV in his/her local area, they will be blacked out.
This is pretty much the right and most simple answer. With Gamecenter, if you live in Jersey or New York, you will never get a Devils game because it's always available on some cable network (MSG, MSG+, NBC Sports, NBC). Cable gets first dibs. I believe Center Ice works the same way, but since that's a cable platform, it's really only useful for watching out or market games. Same with Gamecenter.
I live in Austin, TX, so Gamecenter works great for me. I get every Devils game except for Devils / Stars and if they're ever on NBC or NBC Sports.
Just an FYI, Gamecenter stinks during the playoffs. You'll only get about half of the first two rounds and none of the finals, because NBC Sports and NBC has a good portion of the games. You'd think the NHL could work out a deal that would make the Stanley Cup Finals available on every platform, but that's not the case.
-
I could see the appeal if you're away from home, it's a little slice of the tristate area. When I'm traveling for a weekend or on vacation, I already start to miss the crappy NJ/NY car commercials or Frank Patti's Funeral Home commercial. So yeah, if I were far away, I'd probably listen to NY sports shows for the same reason lol I get it..
You nailed it. That is a big part of it. I grew up with the FAN, so it's a nice reminder of "days gone by", Keeps me connected to the tri-state area.
-
Call me crazy, but I'm a Francesa fan for all the reasons he wouldn't want me to be. His show is a wonderful train wreck. His rants, the pranking, Mongo nation. I live 1500 miles away and I still listen online. Love him or hate him. he illicts reactions.
As for the interview, what would anybody expect? It's a New York station and he's New York fan, so of course, 60% of the questions are going to be about the "Ran-jhas". We hate it, but '95 will forever be linked to '94. It was the final act of a three part play. At least he acknowledged our long standing success. Oh wait. In the shadow of the Rangers. Dang.
Ahh Francesa. He can't pronouce Marty's name right (Mar tin and opposed to Mar tan), he spent most of the interview talking as opposed to the interviewee and he stumbled and bumbled his way through every senence. Gotta love him.
-
Has anyone seen the actual film? It's opening here in Austin next week (I think) and I know it's playing in limited release in NYC right now, That'll be a first week watch for me, for sure.
-
I spend too much time lurking 'round here, but I have an analogy for the Devil's deadline day situation. They are trying to sell their old socks.
Imagine if you had a pile of old socks sitting in your bedroom taking up space. They have holes in them, the heels are worn out. Just gross. But you decide throwing them out is a waste, so you put them on E-bay for the hopes of something back. A couple of them are nice enough and they get taken for a couple of bucks, but the rest of them sit there until the post expires.
Outside of Jags (who we got a fair price for) and Zids, I don't think anybody is going to buy our old socks. Zids will maybe get a fourth, but that's just trading something worn out for the chance at getting a decent Payless pair.
Naturally, something is better than nothing but as for the rest of the pile, I'm afraid nobody wants it.
-
Interesting read about Bud's anti-craft beer ad that was aired during the Super Bowl. AB/InBev is getting desperate.
Good read. When I saw the ad, all I did was angrily tweet and then polish off my third coffee porter. That guy dropped some knowledge. Good stuff.
-
To heck with NHL '94. The first thing I thought of when I read this was NHL Hitz:
(Drinking game: In the epic intro video, try to count the amount of suspensions there would be in toay's NHL. You'll be drunk in no time!)
-
My main fear of tanking is building a culture of losing. It's one thing to try hard and fail. You learn from that. It's quite another to throw up your hands and give up for the outside hope of a draft pick savior. It creates a culture of ambivalence that can take a decade to recover from. I don't think the Devils can afford a decade of failure. Not to be mean, but I don't think our fanbase can support it.
Besides, the team's drafting record hasn't been exactly sparkling as of late. Sure, it's hard to predict talent when you're drafting in the mid-twenties and a high draft pick in a good year could mean a slam dunk NHL'er, but it's not a guaranteed fix.
The main issue we're all realizing is this team is painfully mediocre, which (as somebody else said) is a difficult position to be in. Not good enough to be a Cup contender, not bad enough to rebuild with low risk / high reward studs.
As of right now, you have play the cards you're dealt. We all knew if this team had a few injuries, this would be an ugly season. It's not horrifying yet and PDB will fall on the sword as a shake up (if things don't turn around by December. He'll get the Johnny Mac leash) but it won't be the answer. Lemaire isn't waiting by the phone this time around.
The best they can do is bust their butt every night and hope our division is average enough to sneak in. If we get in, all bets are off. Anything can happen. With this talent pool, there's no quick fix. I don't feel tanking isn't the answer. It's an emotional "screw these guys" reaction...very fair and understandable but not prudent (again, in my opinion).
-
Epic just got out to Austin and I agree, thier Pumpkin Porter is great. They also do a Peach Belgian style beer which is outstanding. If you like Pumking (who doesn't. It tastes like pumpkin pie, not pumpkins), their new Warlock is even better. It's a porter style with the Pumpking spices and the roasted quality works much better than the regular Pumpking.
-
Pretty interesting review but I have an observation on one of your lines:
"Inevitably, the film’s troubles lie in its one-sidedness. A good documentary presents both sides of an issue and allows the viewer to decide for themselves"
While in a perfect world this line would make sense, how many documentaries that you see that earn universal praise do this? Two examples of somewhat recent documentaries that have had huge impacts but are pretty much entirely one-sided are Gasland and An Inconvenient Truth.
My point is rarely do any modern documentaries give equal time to both sides. They are pretty much always made with an agenda whether they are valid ones or not. I think your review was a little unfair in that regard.
Fair enough, but there's a fine line between having an opinion and being completely propagandized. This one felt entirely too "rah rah" craft brewers and while I agree whole-heartedly with the sentiment, a genuine POV from the big boys would have been nice.
For some excellent neutral docs, I'd recommend Lake of Fire, The Act of Killing, Restrepo and Wasteland to start. And Michael Moore is an ass, but at least he has more film construction skill. Beer Wars was well intentioned but too amatuerish to recommend to the masses.
Thanks for checking it ou!
-
For those interested, I wrote a review for Beer Wars that you can check out here. Sadly, it is not kind and yes, to those old school people who remember Crasher's Movies thread from many moons ago, I still review, only for actual sites now!
-
Glad to see this thread is still rolling along. Not to jump in the in Bev conversation, but I don't care where a pint comes from, so long as it's good. I think Bud bought out Goose Island and I still like a good sampling of their stuff. When the quality dips due to mass production, I'll mourn, but for now, I'm not tasting a difference. The big three cater to the masses and that's fine. Life is such now-a-days where if you want something different, the different stuff is out there. Like anything cool, you just need to look for it, which everyone here does!
As for Beer Wars, I screened it last night for a review and it was decent at best. Good docs have to present both sides and this one came off as a Michael Moore style smear campaign. The bits about the lobbying was pretty interesting and I never knew about the three tier distribution system, but overall it was entirely too "beverage socialist". It also doesn't help that it's four years old and craft beer has exploded since then. The small guys have taken the time to grow naturally through word of mouth and good business sense and don't need the "big system" to turn a profit. Plus, the lady who narrated the film was obnoxious as all hell. Plus, she founded Mikes Hard Lemonade, which is a beer in the loosest possible sense of the world.
As for beer, I've been on a great trying kick lately. Note, I now live in Austin, Texas which has an unbelievable craft beer culture. My favorite spot only sells Texas craft beer...yeah, Texas only and they have 40 plus taps. Even if you're the crappiest, frat boy bar on Dirty Sixth, you better have at least Goose Island, Fat Tire or something borderline crafty to stay afloat.
Atwater Brewery - Decedent Dark Chocolate
Not a fan at all. I love instense chocolate in my brew, but this tasted like a cold cup of hot cooca with measly malt and hops. Very blah.
Jester King - Commercial Suicide Oaked Farmhouse Mild
I've been getting more and more into sour farmhouses and this one is intense. Jester King is nothing but distinctive and I think the mild in the description is supposed to be a "ha ha, fooled you" type of gag. An Austin original and hard to get outside the state.
Great Divide - Orabelle
I love when a Belgian Blonde has good flavor and this one doesn't disappoint. Sweet maltiness with some wheat characteristics make it a nice, refreshing pour.
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
I know this has been around for a hot minute, but this was my first go 'round with it. I'm very hit or miss on Dogfish Head, but you have to respect their passion for brewing interesting stuff. Loved this one as it had just the right combination of IPA hops with brown nuttiness. Need to grab a sixer of this next time I see it.
Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA
I've been crazy into Black IPA's and the craft world agrees, as it looks like the "next big thing". This one is lovely with just the right amount of hops and chocolate to balance out an undertone of malt. Really strong.
Also, if anybody does Untappd, friend me up! njskaguy33 is the user name, Bill Tucker is the proper name.
-
- I lived in Little Ferry for a bit and White Mana was always the dream place to go for burgers. Only went a couple of times though due to the ridiculous wait, which was not worth the end product. Sometimes the dream is better than the payoff.
- Same goes for Shake Shack. Yummy as all get out, but I can't wait in line for an hour for lunch. Their concretes are flipping great though and they have a drink only line, so you can avoid the crowds. If you want to give them a go, I'd recommend the location on 86th St between Lexington and 3rd. Not nearly as bad of a line as the Madison Square Park location.
- Zinburger was very good the few times I've been and I love the fact they serve wine, which is a nice touch.
- There's a place called Go Burger which is popping up here and there in NYC. Pretty standard stuff but better than Bareburger (another newish chain that's entirely overpriced for the snobby service and average food). Also, I think they're affiliated with Smashburger as they have an item called "The Smashburger". Just a burger with cheese with onions stuffed into it. Much better than it sounds.
- In and Out is a special little slice of heaven. Animal style. Oh man, so good.
- Favorite burger in NYC is Five Napkin Burger. Pricey but unbelievably yummy. They also have a nice craft beer selection and a great whiskey / bourbon rack.
Oh, and this MSG thing is just a ploy by the city to get some more cash out of the Dolans. I'd be shocked if they knocked down the building, considering it's national landmark, for better or for worse.
-
Stone had a tap takeover at PONY in NYC last week and I was able to try a bunch of their beers, including the RuinTen. The RuinTen is fantastic and has a great flavor on top of the aggressive hops. They also had an exceptional Templeton Stout. One of those stouts that ages in rye casks. Absolutely delicious.
Devils Survivor Season 37: Win or Hughes
in Hell
Posted
Pavel Zacha : 10
Taylor Hall : 12
Nico Hischier: 17
Jack Hughes : 13
Kyle Palmieri : 11
Wayne Simmonds : 10
Jesper Bratt: 10
Miles Wood : 10
Travis Zajac : 12 (+1)
Blake Coleman : 12
P.K. Subban : 12
Damon Severson : 12
Sami Vatanen : 10
Will Butcher : 10
Ty Smith : 12
Connor Carrick : 10
Mirco Mueller : 2
Cory Schneider : 10 (-1)
Mackenzie Blackwood : 15
Jesper Boqvist : 11
Kevin Rooney : 5
Andy Greene: 4
ELIMINATED:
John Hayden : 0