Sick Day

(Note: Sip will be in with a post later this afternoon.)

I'm sick. Call me at the office, no answer will you get.

It's not all bad. It frees me up to watch a lot of election coverage as the day progresses. But that's what's happening tonight. What about this morning?

Delgado

The offseason's most bizarre subplot came to a close yesterday with the news that Carlos Delgado would not, repeat not, exercise his right to demand a trade.

More a ploy to get the Mets to exercise their team option for 2009 than a calculated bid to board the first train out of Flushing, Delgado's demand was nonetheless pretty hard to figure.

I think everyone's first response when they heard that Delgado might exercise his trade demand was "what the hell?" It didn't seem possible. Carlos Delgado? The fist-pumping, cool-handshake-doing, last-cookie-eating first baseman Mets fans had come to know and love? The guy looked like he was having the time of his life in 2006.

And so it was. Delgado's attempt to milk a fifth year out of his contract went to pot, and Delgado will stay. He never really wanted to go anywhere to begin with, so I say, good to have you back on board, Carlos -- don't pull that shit again.

The Knicks

I caught some of the Knicks game last night. I gave a knowing chuckle as I returned to the television after dinner with the Knicks down 19 points, then I watched in near disbelief as they pulled within 1 point of a tie with San Antonio.

But then something happened. After Tim Duncan booted his third attempt in a row, the Knicks charged down the floor. The crowd was in their corner, and the crowd was vocal. "New Knicks!" they seemed to cheer.

But something happened on their way to a 1-point lead. Stephon Marbury had scored the Knicks' last 4 points on smooth jumpers from the perimeter. The Knicks had moved the ball around well on those two possessions, and it stood to reason they would at least attempt to run the same play.

But no. The Knicks raced down the floor, and before he could even plant his feet, Starbury had up and shot a 3-pointer.

Clank.

In a moment that demanded poise, Marbury looked like a kid let loose in a candy store, so unable was he to contain his enthusiasm.

You can't fault a guy for playing with passion, I guess, but when that passion leads to stupid mistakes, you're damn right you can criticize him for it.

Simply put, Steph blew that game for the Knicks, I'm fairly convinced of that. There's no assurance that if the Knicks had taken their time they would have scored the go-ahead basket, but there's no way a hard-fought possession would have had a worse outcome.

Everything changed so quickly, that was the trouble with Steph's failed 3-pointer. One moment the Knicks have everything going in their favor, the next Marbury is chucking up a 3, and the next the Spurs have the rebound, and the next they've built on their lead.

This sequence might have taken 10 seconds. The sense of the wind leaving the Knicks' sails was palpable.

I don't watch enough basketball to really know one way or another, but maybe plays like that are why Steph's teams never do well. When the pressure's on, he flubs it up. Is that inaccurate?

The Creek

Easily the highlight of my day so far was watching an episode of Dawson's Creek: The College Years.

Like every other 9th grader in that fateful fall of 1997, I watched the first season of the Creek. I might have watched some episodes in the second season but I can't recall doing so one way or another.

So I was no big fan of the show. Then the summer before my senior year of college came along. Me and Cheddar Ben were working as sports writers for a local paper near the WC, which pretty much kept our mornings free.

Back then, TBS would show episodes of the Creek back-to-back at 10 and 11. I can't say we watched every day, but we watched our fair share. Hell of a show.

Anyway, I have the following thoughts based on the episode I just watched:

1. Pacey (aka, Patchie).

I hate this guy. I know everyone's sister loves him, and your high school girlfriend wanted you to be more like him, and on and on, but this guy always bugged me. He was always just a little too smooth -- at a point you cross from smooth to smarmy, and Patchie, as my mother called him, was smarmy.

Anyway, in this episode he basically ruined some restauranteur's career, bringing her literally to the brink of suicide, and then still somehow ended up with her admitting she really liked him. What the fuck? You don't ruin someone's life and then get them to fall for you. Come on now.

2. Jack and Jen.

Oh just fuck already.

3. Joey Potter.

Remember Katie Holmes in the pre-TomKat days? Girl next door who's broke as shit, really smart, kinda pouty, but also really hot? Joey Potter had it all.

Anyway, Katie Holmes' life has really gone off the deep end, I don't care how plentiful baby Suri's hair is. But back in the day she starred in the most famous love triangle this side of McDreamy-Pompeo-McVet.

Who would she end up with? Dawson or Pacey? I was always rooting for the Creek Man in this contest -- seriously, did you see their chemistry in those scenes from Dawson's room?

The question of who Joey would choose defined a generation. In the end she chose Patchie. It was complete bullshit.

4. Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson.

I'm fairly certain he cries when he masturbates.

* * * * *

Anyway, that's all I got. Sip will be in later so keep checking in for that.

Vote or Die,

A.F.O.M.G.