And So It Begins

I’ll be honest, I haven’t been as into this Phillies team as I have been in the past. They’re just so dominant, and had the division on lockdown for so long, that their games became merely a coronation for a division title starting in, oh, around May. Yeah, I still keep an eye on them every game, but let’s face it:  in September of 2008, we hung on every single Phillies pitch, then listened to the Mets game so we could hang on their every single pitch. This September, we kept checking our watches to see how many more days until October began.

But now, finally, we can return to that mad, mad part of our brain where reason flies out the window and subsequently we find out greatest happiness. We can go back to screaming at our televisions and hugging strangers and disregarding what medical literature says about too much alcohol consumption. We can try to explain why Charlie put Pence in the 3-hole to a cabdriver from West Africa who could really care less, but is too polite to say so. We can turn our hat backwards when the count goes to 3-2 because the last time we did that Howard got a hit, though if he strikes out this time it’s because we should have never put that damn hat on backwards again. We’ll put reason on the backburner and believe in the type of voodoo that no sane person in a civilized country should possibly believe in and second guess Charlie and then when his hunch pays off apologize for screaming at him, although he doesn’t know that we exist. We’ll explain to our wives that we would never leave them for Cliff Lee, but that if he offered to elope with us we would be foolish if we didn’t at least consider it. It’s playoff baseball, and instead of hiding our mental madness from our friends and family, we have an excuse to bask in it. We are in Philadelphia. It is 2011. Roy Halladay is on the hill. The beer is cold. Life is good.

JGT Power Rankings

1. Duane’s World (Black Sheep). They’ve won at Black Sheep 4 out of the last 5 weeks, but they’ll probably have to prove their mettle against the Steak to keep the top spot. Last week: #2

2. The Champs (???). Shoot to the #2 spot in the rankings with an impressive win at 1920s quiz. Anthrax says the team is in rebuilding mode, but they’re off to a good start. Last week: NR

3. Steak Em Up (Bards). A big win at the Bards, but a 2nd place finish at CTH and a 4th place finish at the 1920s quiz keep them out of the top spot. Seeing them finish 4th on Sunday was the highlight of my week (Which probably says as much about my week as anything else).  Last week: #4

4. Specific Jawns (Bards). It’s tough when you score 117 and still lose, but that’s what happened to the Jawns on Thursday at Bards. It drops them a spot in the rankings. But they remain #1 in your hearts. Last week: #3

5. The Jams (Rendezvous). Big weeks by several of their rivals and a loss at the Vous drop the Jams all the way to the #5 position. Last week: #1

6. Team Popesack (North Star). They’ve established themselves as the team to beat at North Star, and could be headed to a Bounty with another win. Last week: #6

7. Inglorious Barristers (Rendezvous). A huge win for this team at the Rendezvous. One of the biggest in their careers. There were those who thought that this team had passed its prime, but they proved the naysayers wrong on Wednesday. Last week: #9

8. L. Ron Hubbard’s Diabetics (Ugly American). A 2nd place finish at the American despite the reappearance of Marshall. Or is it, “Because of the reappearance of Marshall”? That’s one only the team can answer for sure. Last week: #5

9. Ruby Tuesday (City Tap House). A team of mercenaries, trained in the art of International trivia knowledge, they shocked the world at City Tap House on Tuesday with a 122-115 win over Steak. Last week: NR

T-10. Tooth Wind and Fire (Ugly American). A huge win for this longstanding franchise on Thursday propels them into the top 10 for the first time in years. Last week: NR

T-10. Phillie RNs (O’Neals). A huge upset at O’Neals last Tuesday, as the RNs put on a clinic. Wow, there were so many upsets last week it was impossible to keep this list at 10. Last week: NR

Also receiving votes: Misspellers, Savage Ear, Taking it to the Max, Why Can’t Us, Sister Cloon, Shoeperglue, Madame Butterface, Magnus ver Magnusson, Generic Topical Pun

Everything You Need to Know About the Jazz Spectacular

Who? You and I, old sport.

What? There’s going to be some swingin’ tunes from the 1920s, some Prohibition era drinks, a 1920s quiz, and a viewing of the season premiere of Boardwalk Empire.

So is the quiz about Boardwalk Empire? No the quiz is about the 1920s, though there will be questions about a few of the actual characters in Boardwalk Empire (Al Capone, Nucky Johnson, etc.)

What if I’m don’t know that much about the 1920s? Don’t worry about it. The point of this quiz is for everyone to have fun, not to ask a bunch of arcane questions about obscure 1920s characters. I’ll keep it loose, with some questions on 20s drinks, 20s big time celebs, and 20s slang. You won’t have to be a history prof to do well and have fun with this quiz.

When is it? Sunday, September 25th. Music starts at 6 p.m. Quiz starts at 6:30 sharp.

Where? A juice joint in the old National Mechanics buildin’. 3rd, between Chestnut and Market. Don’t tell a soul. If the cops catch us sellin’ hooch, we’ll be hard boiled.

Why? Why the hell not? It’s gonna be keen, see?

Is there a dress code? No dress code per se, but I am encouraging people to dress up a bit. And whoever has the best 1920s outfit is going to win a sweet, sweet prize.

Who is performing? The Blackbird Society Orchestra, a terrific 1920s Jazz Band. They’ll be playing the hits of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and other 1920s greats. You can listen to some of their swingin’ tunes on their Myspace page. There are also rumors of a 1920s comedian, but these have not been confirmed.

How much is it? Tickets are $10 a pop.

What kind of prizes are we talking? The prizes are the bee’s knees. We’ve got a room for two at Resorts Atlantic City for one lucky winner, as well as gift certificates to Farmer’s Cabinet, Franklin Mortgage, National Mechanics, Franklin Fountain, and City Tap House, and seats for 2 at an upcoming event at Audrey Claire’s COOK.

Can you guarantee I’ll have fun, Johnny? Horsefeathers, chap, they don’t call me Goodtimes for nothin’. It’s gonna be jake!

This sounds terrific! I’ll see ya there, Johnny! Now you’re on the trolley!

Insanely Awesome Prizes at 1920s Quiz


Here’s the first video to get you in the mood for Sunday. This is shaping up to be a hell of an event. In addition to live music from the Blackbird Society Orchestra, we’re going to have insanely awesome prizes to give away throughout the evening. They include:

-Free night’s stay in Atlantic City

-$50 gift certificate to the Franklin Mortgage Company

-$50 gift certificate to Farmer’s Cabinet

-Free ice cream from Franklin Fountain

-Two free passes to an upcoming event at Audrey Claire’s COOK

-$50 gift certificate from City Tap House

-$50 gift certificate from National Mechanics

Action starts at National Mechanics with live music at 6 p.m., and wraps up in time before 9. After the quiz, we’ll be watching the season premiere of Boardwalk Empire on the big screen. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. It’s gonna be a lot of fun, and I’m gonna be posting 1920s fun facts and videos on the site all week. As for JGTAI, finishing in the Top 3 of this event will be worth double points.