WEEKEND PREGAME/E.G.O. -- "By God we take it back."

I know, I know, two posts in one day!

And Look how luck y’all are! I’m actually doing a REAL COLUMN!

Yes, it’s the return of the WEEKEND PREGAME. Odd that I’d choose this weekend to bring it back, because right now, I’ve got no plans. I do have a dilemma, however. A significant amount of law friends, featuring a significant level of hottiness, are attending a band show at Hard Rock on Sunday night, and my attendance has been politely requested. I was all about going, until I realized that the Stillers are playing J’ville on Sunday night this week, on ESPN. Theisman and friends are probably my favourite commentary crew, and this is the only time they’ll be calling a Stillers game all year. I don’t have ANY plans to watch it with anyone of yet, and being in my house alone is especially depressing. What to do? I think I’m going to see the band, but it’s still a tough call.

That’s basically all I’ve got planned for the weekend thus far. I’m pretty sure I’ll end up in Herminie at some point, or out with Drew and Pizz tonight or something. KP might be starting finals now, though…

Speaking of finals, we’re well into that time of year. My next-to-last finals week. Kind of weird. Especially since I don’t really HAVE many finals this semester. I’m down to one in-class (next Thursday) and one take home (next weekend). I’ve also got my mock trial, but pretty much have all the work done for that already. And I also have one short memo to write for Negotiation class. And that’s it. I mean, my workload’s so light this finals week, I’m still going to go to work next week. Then it’s a mad-dash to make loot before New Year’s. So expect some blogging from this end.

And now for a few random thoughts:

• there’s a 50% chance that I’m still drunk right now. And there’s a 75% chance that somewhere across town, at his firm, Sprout is too.
• Props to Danielle for driving us home this morning.
• Props to Lauren at Tulane Law (a 1L freaking over her first set of finals) for this little bit of lawyerly dorkdom, the “Ode to Torts.”
  
  i hate you. i hate you. i hate you, i do.
  a reasonable person would hate you too.
  foreseeable injury, i just don't care
  i could assign a freaking duty anywhere.
  i know im at fault, i assumed all the risk,
  but i really thought law school would be funner than this.
  Negligence is a mother, damages, too.
  I hate you torts. I hate you, I do.
  
  T-Bills Tom Ross would be proud.
• one of my top 7 favourite things about my walk to work is the plaque outside of 5th Avenue Place that says “Smoke Free Zone.” – the one that’s always surrounded by a dozen smokers
• another favourite part of where I work is watching all the Culinary Academy students go to lunch at McDonalds, Arby’s, and Subway. If CHEF’S have to resort to fast food, our world is going to hell in a handbasket. On a related note, all three of those ‘restaurants’ are awesome.
• Christmas music on the classical music channel is thoroughly annoying me. It’s December frickin’ THIRD.
• and finally. Bane of My Existance, KLE, wins the cookie. I’m as disappointed as the rest of you. She correctly surmised that “By God we take it back.” Was from Robin Hood: Prince of Theives. But c’mon KLE~ there’s no reason to be hatin’ on Costner! That’s a GREAT movie, one of the best date movies.

Now it's time for a little E.G.O, or "Everyone's Got Opinions."

Here’s my idea for Pittsburgh’s new slogan, “By God we take it back.” Some people (mostly those from New England) are trying to call Boston the new City of Champions. Just because they won the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year. And the last city to do that was the ‘Burgh, which is roughly around when it became the City of Champions.

Here’s the thing, though, at that time, Pitt was a football powerhaus, and had a recent National Championship, the Stillers won FOUR Super Bowls in six years (and never missed the playoffs in that stretch, unlike SOME teams I know) and the Buccos had won their second World Series of the decade, amid a number of NL East titles.

That’s a pretty impressive resume, compared to Boston’s: 1) 2 Super Bowls; 2) 1 World Series. Yay Boston! Can we even add that the Patsies a) DON’T PLAY IN BOSTON; b) DON’T EVEN CALL THEMSELVES ‘BOSTON.’ Plus, winning one WS in 86 years does not a championship city make. And let’s not even talk about Boston college sports, and the fact that the 346 colleges within the city limits, have accomplished jack and/or shit in any major sport.

But hey, we live in the biggest sports-hype time ever, so Hooray! Boston! I guess the torch has been passed. But let’s get back to Robin Hood. As the disgruntled woodsmen were ready to turn on him, and give up the good fight, one old guy shouted, “But what about our kin? The sheriff’s taken all they have too!” To which Robin aptly replied, “Then by God we take it back.” And it’s just. that. simple. I want everyone in this burned out ‘burgh to seize the day! To root harder than they’ve ever rooted! To go to as many games, buy as many tickets, influx the teams with as much cash as possible, so that we can reclaim the title! Pitt basketball is becoming a national power. The football team’s probably headed to a BCS bowl (I can’t even fathom this. It’s BS, that’s for certain..but still). The Stillers—I refuse to talk about. If the NHL were playing, this was going to be Mario’s final hurrah, and the team was going to at least make the playoffs. The Pirates are hopeless, though. This is why it’s incumbent for ALL of us to help. And by ALL of us I mean “Dan Rooney.” The Stillers’ owner needs to step up, infuse the Bucs with cash, bring us Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, and Carlos Beltran, and bring the trophy back to the golden triangle! We must stand, Pittsburghers, with one voice, and say, “WE WILL NOT GO QUITELY INTO THE NIGHT! WE WILL NOT VANISH, WITHOUT A FIGHT… WE’RE GOING TO LIVE ON. WE’RE GOING TO SURVIVE!”

And by God, we’ll take it back.
-apk