Fries and Ketchup: relief from a long week

The weekly column where we try and mention anything we missed in the last week (or longer). It's a lot like those moments when you're out of ketchup, at a fine fast food restaurant, but lack the energy to go and get more; so you scrape away at the dregs on your hamburger wrapper, until all you can see is silver aluminum foil. It's classy, yet unrefined.

This Weeks Challenge:

I wanted to make this weeks challenge a little easier, since the first one was only obvious to myself and the second was my way of speaking out against Big Ben. So here it is; What do these men have in common, apart from being in the Dodger organization? Hint: It's all in the name.

Dodgers Relief Effort:

Over the past couple weeks a lot of the trade rumors had the Dodgers in the mix for Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee even though GM Ned Colletti repeatedly stated he was going to get bullpen help. As I read these rumors I was also writing a post listing all the pros and cons of the two possible results for the Dodgers. It was more of a rambling than anything else, but it basically said the following. If they did trade the farm for Halladay, the immediate would be sweet. They would have the best rotation in baseball with Halladay, Billingsley, and Kershaw; and this strength could very well push them over the top en route to a possible to World Series appearance. Though the future could be bleak. With injuries being so common, and the lack of a top of the line farm system; the Dodgers would be banking on their current lineup and free agent acquisitions for the foreseeable future. If anything went wrong and it would eventually, they would most likely be left asking "was it worth it?"

But all of this writing was deemed inconsequential when I got an email from the Dodgers, telling me they had just acquired George Sherrill from the Baltimore Orioles for third baseman Josh Bell and right handed pitcher Steve Johnson. So I figured I would share my view on the trade, and stop worrying about the possibility of a Halladay trade; unless it actually happens. For this season, I love this deal. Sherrill will immediately help a tired and beat-up bullpen as he steps in as the new set up man for closer Johnathan Broxton. I also love that this didn't involve Elbert, the Dodgers best upper level pitching prospect. For the future, it scares me. Steve Johnson is at best a back end rotation pitcher, but Bell could be a huge loss. Bell is considered a multi-tool prospect who struggles at the plate due to a poor approach; something he can fix with the right batting coach. So considering that, Josh Bell could very well be the 2009 version of Carlos Santana.

Lamar Odom:

Just made my day a little brighter by resigning with the Los Angeles Lakers for three years (team option for a fourth), in a deal that could make him $33 million over the life of the contract. I wrote a post a couple weeks ago displaying why Lamar would be an idiot if he signed anywhere else, so it's good to see him and his agent wise up. However he did get a better deal than the contracts originally offered, in fact it was bettered by $3 million. So in this deal everyone wins; the Lakers look like the early favorites in the West and Lamar ended up with the best possible contract he could get.

Cop This Mixtape:

Wale "Back to the Feature"
This is the Beast of the Beltway's follow up to the critically acclaimed "Mixtape About Nothing." Though this is no mixtape about nothing. It's a mixtape that promotes lyricism as a dying art. Wale pairs with some of hip-hop's most skilled lyricist. Included are Talib Kweli, K'Naan, Bub, Kingpin Slim, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Black Thought, Freeway, Dre, Young Chris, Tre, and others; making each song a must listen. It's a mixtape that blurs the line between mixtape and album. Wale paired with producers 9th Wonder, Mark Ronson, Warren G, Mikey Mike, and BKS to put out a mixtape that sounds like an album. With the amount of producers on the tape, you would think it would sound convoluted. However Wale makes it his own with his mature, tour-wizened and game-hardened verses. It's also a mixtape with tracks that are as catchy and memorable as they can get, as evidenced in the video below. This is a great accompaniment to a summertime roll in the ride as we wait for whats next. What's next? His forthcoming album "Attention; Deficit," due out this fall.



Coming Soon:
I cannot wait for this movie, and all I know about it is what I learned from the trailer. However I am pretty sure I would have wanted to watch this with only reading the title of the movie "Hot Tub Time Machine." Seriously the only way they could combine more awesomeness into a movie title, is if they included Keyboard Cat or the dog from "Summer School." Basically watch the trailer, and be ready for the awesomeness. (Clip is NSFW for language)