Well, the three game road trip comes to a crashing, embarrassing thud in New England today as the Bucs got their jocks handed to them by the Patriots, 28-0... and it wasn't even that close.
There are a couple of things you have to do on the road, and which the Bucs have been successful with so far, but did not do today.
- Run the ball. Cadillac Williams 23 yards in 14 carries.
- Protect the quarterback. Simms is sacked seven times.
- Protect the ball. Bucs have fumbled twice, lost one of them.
- Get turnovers. Bucs have dropped an interception, have no turnovers.
- Few penalities. Punt return for a TD called back due to a penalty. Drives killed because of a penalty. Patriots scoring drive kept alive by two 15 yard penalties against the defense.
- Convert third downs. Well, when you have seven sacks, you're not converting third downs.
The Bucs got a reality check and have lost control of their own destiny for the playoffs. A bad loss at a bad time to a good team.
It just goes to show you just how far the Bucs have to go if they want to complete in the playoffs.
That deep thump your heard was the Bucs playoff bandwagon landing smack into reality.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Predictor Pete - Week 15
The Bucs are two for two on this three game road trip. This week they head up to the defending champs, New England Patriots. The Bucs and the Patriots have won the last four Superbowls... of course New England has three of them, but at least the Bucs won one of them. If the Bucs were playing anyone other than the Patriots, they may have had a let down this week, similar to the letdown the Panthers had against us after facing the Falcons the week before. But, since it's the Patriots, the Bucs should be ready.
The Bucs have been following a very simple and effective game plan on their 4-1 winning streak... don't turn the ball over, convert third downs and run the ball effectively. Going up to the cold northeast to face the Pats will require they continue to do the same.
The Bucs need this win to keep the advantage in the playoff hunt. Here's the schedule for the remaining of the season for the Panthers, Bucs and Falcons:
Bucs - at New England, Atlanta, New Orleans
Panthers - at New Orleans, Cowboys, at Atlanta
Falcons - at Chicago, at Tampa Bay, Carolina
New Orleans has decided to bench QB Aaron Brooks, so they may not be as tough as they could be for the remainder of the season. That means the Panthers should have an easier go of it this weekend which requires the Bucs win in New England, if possible.
A road trip in December to a northern city has never been a good thing for southern teams. Both the Bucs and the Falcons have to brave the cold this week. The Bucs will need to play solid, mistake free football this week.
My Heart: Bucs 24-21.
My Mind: Patriots 21-17.
My Colon: Patriots 28-10.
My Pick: Bucs 17-14...
The Bucs defense played its best game of the season last week. The front line headed by Hovan pushed the Panther O-line around, the linebackers were solid, the corners great and safety Phillips has his most complete game as a Buc. They'll need to do the same thing again this week.
This is another big game. In the end, I think the Bucs have more to play for than the Patriots, who are in a much weaker division. They'll have to run well, not turn the ball over and convert third downs... it should be a fun game.
My Record: 8-5
The Bucs have been following a very simple and effective game plan on their 4-1 winning streak... don't turn the ball over, convert third downs and run the ball effectively. Going up to the cold northeast to face the Pats will require they continue to do the same.
The Bucs need this win to keep the advantage in the playoff hunt. Here's the schedule for the remaining of the season for the Panthers, Bucs and Falcons:
Bucs - at New England, Atlanta, New Orleans
Panthers - at New Orleans, Cowboys, at Atlanta
Falcons - at Chicago, at Tampa Bay, Carolina
New Orleans has decided to bench QB Aaron Brooks, so they may not be as tough as they could be for the remainder of the season. That means the Panthers should have an easier go of it this weekend which requires the Bucs win in New England, if possible.
A road trip in December to a northern city has never been a good thing for southern teams. Both the Bucs and the Falcons have to brave the cold this week. The Bucs will need to play solid, mistake free football this week.
My Heart: Bucs 24-21.
My Mind: Patriots 21-17.
My Colon: Patriots 28-10.
My Pick: Bucs 17-14...
The Bucs defense played its best game of the season last week. The front line headed by Hovan pushed the Panther O-line around, the linebackers were solid, the corners great and safety Phillips has his most complete game as a Buc. They'll need to do the same thing again this week.
This is another big game. In the end, I think the Bucs have more to play for than the Patriots, who are in a much weaker division. They'll have to run well, not turn the ball over and convert third downs... it should be a fun game.
My Record: 8-5
Thursday, December 15, 2005
King Kong (1933)
My nine year old son and I watched the original King Kong on our big screen last night. I had never watched this classic before and enjoyed it quite a bit. Sure, it was stylized and the animation wasn't terrific by today's standards, but for 1933, the marriage of animation and live action was pretty impressive.
I was suprised by three things.
1) Fay Wray didn't act as much as scream through the majority of the film. Every scene from about forty minutes in until the end of the movie consisted of her screaming pretty much non-stop.
2) Watching the film was an interesting exposition in the societal take on human dominance and violence. When, on the island, the white men first come across a rare dinosaur, their first instinct is to kill it. When they capture Kong, they talk about teaching it fear to control it. And, even though Kong was never at fault for any of the events that transpired, the movie crew responsible for being the catalyst never once took responsibility or held remorse for how things turned out and the people impacted.
3) Kong actively kills quite a few people, chomping them, stomping them, etc.
Peter Jackson, director of Lord of the Rings trilogy and the new King Kong, saw this movie as a child and it changed his life. After he scored with Rings, he used that power to create his favorite movie of all time. I look forward to his take on the subject matter.
I was suprised by three things.
1) Fay Wray didn't act as much as scream through the majority of the film. Every scene from about forty minutes in until the end of the movie consisted of her screaming pretty much non-stop.2) Watching the film was an interesting exposition in the societal take on human dominance and violence. When, on the island, the white men first come across a rare dinosaur, their first instinct is to kill it. When they capture Kong, they talk about teaching it fear to control it. And, even though Kong was never at fault for any of the events that transpired, the movie crew responsible for being the catalyst never once took responsibility or held remorse for how things turned out and the people impacted.
3) Kong actively kills quite a few people, chomping them, stomping them, etc.
Peter Jackson, director of Lord of the Rings trilogy and the new King Kong, saw this movie as a child and it changed his life. After he scored with Rings, he used that power to create his favorite movie of all time. I look forward to his take on the subject matter.
Asking God's Permission
I was reading an article about an author, Wendy Alec, who's writing a series of books about the angels in heaven when God decided to create man. The first book titled The Fall of Lucifer and in the article she mentions that, since she was taking some liberties to fill in the gaps of the story (such as making Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer brothers), she had to ask God for permission to write the series of books.
That made me think that should I ask permission to begin work on Sonlight Pictures? I feel that it is one of the things He wants me to do, but should I ask first?
I guess so.
Okay, so I'm asking...
That made me think that should I ask permission to begin work on Sonlight Pictures? I feel that it is one of the things He wants me to do, but should I ask first?
I guess so.
Okay, so I'm asking...
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
15 Second Spots
My long term goal is to run my own television channel. The first step in that process is to create some material and put some meat on my Sonlight Pictures endeavor. I've written four :15 second spots and three :30 commercials, which I plan to produce and air and/or offer to Catholic Churches for free to advertise their own church.
Future phases of the plan include producing educational material, shorts, features and narratives (tv shows).
Last night I completed the second of four :15 spots. They are purposefully very simple and, we hope, effective. When the Lord provides a quality cinematographer, the next step will be to shoot the commercials. The first commercial deals with sin, the second with abortion and the third is God's presence.
These are all very small steps in the long journey, but at least I'm moving in the right direction.
Future phases of the plan include producing educational material, shorts, features and narratives (tv shows).Last night I completed the second of four :15 spots. They are purposefully very simple and, we hope, effective. When the Lord provides a quality cinematographer, the next step will be to shoot the commercials. The first commercial deals with sin, the second with abortion and the third is God's presence.
These are all very small steps in the long journey, but at least I'm moving in the right direction.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a violent, but quite funny film starring two of the beautiful people, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The story revolves around John and Jane Smith who meet under dubious circumstances and quickly get married. They live the facade of a happy, suburban marriage when, in fact, they are actually opposing hitmen whose real identities are hidden, even to each other.
Once they become aware and are hired to off each other, the story kicks into high gear. Gun play and word play intertwine as Pitt and Jolie first try to kill each other and then try to defend each other. Pitt and Jolie have a lot of on-screen chemistry and the script gives them a lot of clever dialogue to feed off of each other. The overall result is a very satisfying cinematic escapism with two of the most naturally beautiful people God has ever created.
I found one thing interesting... at no point during the film do they tell each other they love each other. Granted, most of the story revolves around their re-discovery of their relationship, but they are willing to put their lives at risk for each other and yet they never state why and if that reason is love.
Overall, a very fun flick.
Once they become aware and are hired to off each other, the story kicks into high gear. Gun play and word play intertwine as Pitt and Jolie first try to kill each other and then try to defend each other. Pitt and Jolie have a lot of on-screen chemistry and the script gives them a lot of clever dialogue to feed off of each other. The overall result is a very satisfying cinematic escapism with two of the most naturally beautiful people God has ever created.I found one thing interesting... at no point during the film do they tell each other they love each other. Granted, most of the story revolves around their re-discovery of their relationship, but they are willing to put their lives at risk for each other and yet they never state why and if that reason is love.
Overall, a very fun flick.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Monday Morning QB - 12/12
The Bucs win another critical divisional road game over the 9-4 Panthers 20-10 and are now in the drivers seat toward the playoffs. The road ahead is not easy, but the Bucs now control their own destiny. The win puts the Bucs in a tie for the top spot with the Panthers, but due to the current Bucs better divisional record, the Bucs move into first place in the NFC South. This Bucs win consisted of the three standard areas of success... a good running game, winning the turnover battle and third down conversion. The Bucs beat the Panthers in all three categories. With three critical games left in the season, the Bucs have to continue their solid offense and strong defense.
My prediction: Panthers 20, Bucs 17
Score: Bucs 20, Panthers 10
Offense: B. No turnovers again, which is key. The most impressive aspect of yesterday's game was the Bucs ability to convert on third downs. This had been an issue over the past few weeks, but against the strong Panther D, the Bucs were able to convert 10 of 17 on third down. Cadillac ran the ball very well, squeezing yards out of virtually no running room or after getting hit. It's great to see him coming back to his early season form.
Defense: B+. The Bucs defense was very impressive. They completely shut down the Panther running game and never allowed the streaky QB Delhomme to get into a rythm. They excelled at getting off the field, as the Panthers only converted 2 of 11 third down conversions and their tackling was excellent.
Special Teams: B+. Matt Bryant came back to kick two important field goals and Bidwell's early, long punt changed the field position battle early in the game which eventually led to the Bucs first touchdown.
Coaching: B+. Excellent coaching in every area of the game. The play calling was conservative, but effective. The defense made adjustments and shut down the Panthers. And the special teams kicked well and was one foot-tripping tackle away from returning a punt for a TD.
Outstanding Players: Ronde Barber became the first cornerback in NFL history to accumulate at least 20 interceptions (he has 28) and 20 sacks of the QB. I've always felt Barber was one of the best ever and his place in NFL history backs that up. Also impressive were Williams, Simms and the entire Bucs D.
Things That Drove Me Nuts: The Bucs conservative play calling at the end of the first half. Michael Clayton caught a pass from Simms down to around the Panther 20 yard line with about 49 seconds left in the half. Instead of using time outs and making at least one attempt at the end zone, Gruden ran Pittman up the middle and let the clock run down to :03. Bryant capped off the half with a field goal. I understand the decision in this case, as the Bucs went into the half two scores up on the Panthers and were going to get the kickoff in the third quarter. But, at some point, we're going to have to take shots at the end zone. When the Bucs have gotten near the red zone, they have rarely taken shots into the end zone. Gruden's conservative play calling has accentuated Simms ability and limited mistakes, leading us to 4-1 in our last 5 games, so I'm not really complaining about the outcome, but concerned about when taking such shots into the end zone are required.
Bucs Record: 9-4.
Next Opponent: The Bucs head up to New England where it will be cold and snowing and where the Patriots are starting to get healthy. This is an important test for the Bucs. The Patriots are playoff caliber and the Bucs need to keep their advantage in the playoff race. If you don't win your division, the wild card grouping is a mess. Good teams will not make the playoffs this year in the NFC... I don't want the Bucs to be one of them.
The Bucs have won an impressive five wins on the road this season. Lets close out the road games this year with a sixth up in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
My prediction: Panthers 20, Bucs 17Score: Bucs 20, Panthers 10
Offense: B. No turnovers again, which is key. The most impressive aspect of yesterday's game was the Bucs ability to convert on third downs. This had been an issue over the past few weeks, but against the strong Panther D, the Bucs were able to convert 10 of 17 on third down. Cadillac ran the ball very well, squeezing yards out of virtually no running room or after getting hit. It's great to see him coming back to his early season form.
Defense: B+. The Bucs defense was very impressive. They completely shut down the Panther running game and never allowed the streaky QB Delhomme to get into a rythm. They excelled at getting off the field, as the Panthers only converted 2 of 11 third down conversions and their tackling was excellent.
Special Teams: B+. Matt Bryant came back to kick two important field goals and Bidwell's early, long punt changed the field position battle early in the game which eventually led to the Bucs first touchdown.
Coaching: B+. Excellent coaching in every area of the game. The play calling was conservative, but effective. The defense made adjustments and shut down the Panthers. And the special teams kicked well and was one foot-tripping tackle away from returning a punt for a TD.
Outstanding Players: Ronde Barber became the first cornerback in NFL history to accumulate at least 20 interceptions (he has 28) and 20 sacks of the QB. I've always felt Barber was one of the best ever and his place in NFL history backs that up. Also impressive were Williams, Simms and the entire Bucs D.
Things That Drove Me Nuts: The Bucs conservative play calling at the end of the first half. Michael Clayton caught a pass from Simms down to around the Panther 20 yard line with about 49 seconds left in the half. Instead of using time outs and making at least one attempt at the end zone, Gruden ran Pittman up the middle and let the clock run down to :03. Bryant capped off the half with a field goal. I understand the decision in this case, as the Bucs went into the half two scores up on the Panthers and were going to get the kickoff in the third quarter. But, at some point, we're going to have to take shots at the end zone. When the Bucs have gotten near the red zone, they have rarely taken shots into the end zone. Gruden's conservative play calling has accentuated Simms ability and limited mistakes, leading us to 4-1 in our last 5 games, so I'm not really complaining about the outcome, but concerned about when taking such shots into the end zone are required.
Bucs Record: 9-4.
Next Opponent: The Bucs head up to New England where it will be cold and snowing and where the Patriots are starting to get healthy. This is an important test for the Bucs. The Patriots are playoff caliber and the Bucs need to keep their advantage in the playoff race. If you don't win your division, the wild card grouping is a mess. Good teams will not make the playoffs this year in the NFC... I don't want the Bucs to be one of them.
The Bucs have won an impressive five wins on the road this season. Lets close out the road games this year with a sixth up in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
DP for JC
I need a cinematographer. That's the short of it.
I want to shoot some Catholic/Christian commercials, shorts and features, but without a quality cinematogapher the products will be unacceptable.
So, if you are a cinematographer who's feeling called to shoot Catholic Christian projects for little to no money at first, I'm your man.
Let's do something special.
I want to shoot some Catholic/Christian commercials, shorts and features, but without a quality cinematogapher the products will be unacceptable.
So, if you are a cinematographer who's feeling called to shoot Catholic Christian projects for little to no money at first, I'm your man.
Let's do something special.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
CandyGram
My sister Mary, who surprised me for my 40th birthday by flying down and spending the night with us, sent us a "candygram"... a box full of candy for our mini-concession stand.
How cool!
Goobers, Junior Mints, Nerds and more.
The concession stand is again fully stocked and ready for our neighborhood kids to munch on during movie nights at the Bauer house.
Thanks Mary!!!
How cool!
Goobers, Junior Mints, Nerds and more.
The concession stand is again fully stocked and ready for our neighborhood kids to munch on during movie nights at the Bauer house.
Thanks Mary!!!
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