Time for my weekly collection of random thoughts...enjoy!

...Just finished watching the Pistons go to 6-0, haning on to beat the Blazers by three in Portland.  Through six games the Pistons have looked better then ever, combining a suddenly potent offense with their trademark defense.  They are fourth in the league in scoring and first (FIRST?!?) in the league in field goal percentage.  It seems to me that the team is playing with a chip on their shoulders trying to show everyone they can be better without Larry Brown, and so far so good.....by the way Larry's "Dream Job" with the Knicks is going pretty well...they are now 0-5 after blowing a 10 point lead at Golden State...well done...

....A little over a week until the release of the XBox 360 and mass panic has taken over the message boards of most game websites.  Apparently people didn't get the message with the release of the PS2, XBox and the GameCube that there is going to be a high demand for consoles at launch and there usually is a shortage...Why?  Because in an effort to make their system the most powerful it can be, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, hold off on a final hardware design until the last minute and then put it into production...that means that unfortuantely there may not be enough consoles to fulfill demand at launch.  This has happened with each system launch since the PS2.  People are up in arms about their pre-orders not being on the first shipment....Here's the deal, GameStop's and EB's aren't going to get a lot of systems per store (My GameStop is getting 12-15) because the major retailers are getting the lions share of the systems, therefore, if you don't pre-order within the first few weeks you probably aren't getting your hands on a system the day it comes out...just a fact.  I pre-ordered at 1 PM on THE DAY THEY STARTED and I was already #6 out of 12 for the first shipment....anyone care to guess how many days it took them to fill it up?  Two....so those of you who reserved in July or later and are "shocked" to not be getting your system at launch get your head out of your rear....this is just the way it goes....

...For those of you who read this and are going to camp out outside a Best Buy or Wal-Mart here are some tips for you...First this is coming from a person who waited overnight for both the PS2 and the GameCube so I know where I'm from...Here is a list of things you MUST have in order to enjoy your night...

1. Lawn Chair - Nobody wants to stand around for eight to ten hours

2. Clothes for Weather - If you live in a cold state...dress warm...very warm...also check the forcast and see if it's going to rain...you'd think this would go without saying but people got rained on at the GameCube launch when I was outside....

3. Adequate Food/Beverages - Pop and such (no booze since most states have open alcohol laws) are a necessity...You can have pizza delivered to the line, but be sure you order it with plenty of time before a place closes..

4. Bathroom Plan - Know the places around you where you can use a restroom.  Gas Stations, Hotels, anything within a 5 minute walk could be crucial.  Also make friends in line so that when you need to use the restroom you can.  In the PS2 line we would go in packs (3-4 people) to the Hilton across the street to use their bathroom.  Our spaces were left for us by the rest of the large group we were hanging out with....

5. Entertainment items - Magazines, IPod's....anything to keep you entertained during the long line.  A great idea is to get yourself a powerconverter for your car's lighter....you can use that to hook up a TV and a system to run off your car...once the store closes you can park the car right up to the line and play all night (make sure you run the car while doing this so you don't eat your battery....or at least run it for an hour every other hour)

And last but not least...

6. SHOW UP EARLY - Check with the store to see what their policy is on giving out the systems.  Stores are VERY different on their approaches...Best Buy for the PS2 launch handed out tickets at 6 AM to the first 120 people in the line....you then brought your ticket back at 10 AM when the store opened and got your system.  Wal-Mart, since it was open 24 hours, put chairs out in their electronics department for the GameCube launch...each chair representing a system.  If you were in a chair you got a system...first come first serve....I got there at 7 PM, and all 75 chairs were full by 9...Just be sure to show up early and know what you're getting into...

Hopefully that helps people out who are worried about getting a 360 on launch from one of the many retailers...follow these steps and not only should you get a system, you should enjoy yourself in line as well (at least as much as you can).....

....Back to sports for a moment.  Am I the only one on the planet that thinks the Colts are overrated?  I mean they've only played one good team all season (the Patriots) and suddenly they are annoited as the "Best Team in the NFL"  Huh?  We'll see how good they really are now that their tough stretch of schedule is coming up....at least after this week's matchup with the "Mighty" Houston Texans...

....Even with the 360 launch approaching, I find myself looking forward to some current gen offerings coming in the next few months...Here are games I have my eye on and should be pretty damn good...

1. SmackDown vs. Raw 2006 - New GM Mode should be fun, as well improved story and online modes.  If you like wrestilng games this one could be the best one yet..

2. Kingdom Hearts II - Just heard that they are going to have a Tron level in it....that should be pretty sweet...at least it will make some sci-fi con geeks wet their pants...

3. Zelda: Twilight Princess - Damn Nintendo pushing this one back....but really what did we expect?  When has Nintendo come out with a release date for Zelda and stuck with it the first time?.......Exactly....

4. Final Fantasy XII - I'm a little worried about the new battle system...but we'll see....

Those four games are pretty much the reason I still will own my PS2 and GameCube for the near future....at least until their next gen counterparts come out....Looking forward to Zelda with that new controller....

....With that I put the wraps on another edition of my random thoughts...as always feel free to comment and share your opinions, whether I actually take any of them into account is another thing, but go ahead a type them up...until next time....

Well I figured with a new console launch right around the corner, it was high time I really started my blog...so here goes...

.....In case you were wondering the games I'm looking to get at launch of the 360 are Perfect Dark Zero, and Madden 06. Now I know what you're saying, "Madden 06 is a stripped down port with a coat of paint," and while that is somewhat true...it's still going to look snazzy and just the thought of playing Madden without actually having to hear the fat man's call will be heaven.....

....Also for one last time I'm sick and tired of hearing all the 2K fanboys railing on EA for getting the exclusive NFL license. GET OVER IT! I'm not one to say that this was a great move for gamers, but I can definately see it from EA's point of view. The NFL decided they wanted some more cash so they put up their exclusive rights to the highest bidder...EA's highest selling game is the Madden series and without the NFL license it's crap...therefore, EA did whatever it took to secure the future of its biggest franchise. SMART BUSINESS.....

...Now with that off my chest...I hope everyone is catching the new season of South Park that started two weeks ago. They've already spoofed the Katrina disaster (with a little Day After Tomorrow thrown in) and this week's episode had some great throwbacks to Pet Semetary. Easily one of the best shows on TV.....

....Speaking of good TV shows, Lost is busting out with a "a cast member has to die" episodes in a couple of weeks. My money is on Walt...I mean he's not even listed in the main cast listing at the top of the show...plus they wanted to replace the kid that played him because he asked for more coin...Here's a tip..when you play a non-essential character in an on-going series don't get all high and mighty and ask for more money...you'll probably end up dead in a November or May Sweeps episode...just ask the chick who used to do the voice of Maude Flanders....

....NBA season starts up Tuesday. I have to admit that I am a little biased (I'm from Detroit) but I have to say the Pistons are still going to take the East this year. Miami added to their roster, but what they added isn't really that great. Jason "I turn the ball over more than the referee" Williams, and Antoine "I never saw a three point shot I didn't like" Walker are going to pull this team down. They should have stood pat on the fact that they took the Pistons to Seven last year and this year they should have a healthy Dwayne Wade. Wait...do I hear some Pacer fans shouting about the greatness of their team? While I agree that the Pacers are a good team, you have got to know that Ron Artest is going to do something stupid at some point in the season. I mean Ron Artest going through a season without incident is like Fred Taylor staring 16 games for the Jags....not gonna happen....plus they really don't have a "great shooter" now that Reggie is gone...we shall see....Oh and in the West I like the Spurs....duh.....

....Is anyone else sick of the idiots who post questions on forums when if they just took the time to read a few threads they'd find the answer they were looking for? If I have to read another "I didn't preorder a 360, should I wait in line at Wal-Mart?" thread I think my head is going to explode...oh and I'll answer that question with a couple questions of my own...see if you can follow along...

1. Is the XBox 360 going to be popular? (Yes)
2. Do you want it at launch? (If you didn't they why would you ask that question)
3. Do you honestly think you're the only person in your town that's thought to go to Wal-Mart at midnight to get your hands on the system? (If you do, then I have some real estate I'd like to sell you a deed to the Atlantic Ocean...cheap)
4. Does Wal-Mart have an infinate supply? (Um..maybe in fairy land)

So looking at that a logical and intelligent person can come to an easy conclusion...IF YOU DIDN'T PREORDER THEN YES YOU WILL HAVE TO GET THERE EARLY AND WAIT IN FREAKING LINE! That's the whole idea behind a "pre-order" You pre-order something because it could be popular enough to sell out and you want to guarantee you get it the day it comes out....If you still don't get it please bludgeon your head with a hammer (and to avoid lawsuits please don't actually do that you idiot).....

...well with that I'm out for this week...look for my blog on a weekly basis from here on out...or don't look...whatever makes you happy...I'm here to please....peace....

I've had a chance to sit back and reflect upon game one of the Pistons and Pacers series and I've come to an simple conclusion....if this series isn't over in five then the Pistons are doing something very very wrong. The Pacers, having just come off of a emotional win over Boston, looked flat and tired against the Pistons. Now some will say that they had just finished up with Boston the day before so they were just tired....but if that's the case then why would you have any hope in game two with the same amount of rest in between? That excuse is about as tired as the Pacers looked in the second half of game one.

Indiana really only has one reliable option for scoring and that is Jermaine O'Neal. He actually played pretty well in game one and the Pacers still lost by double digits. The problem is O'Neal can't carry this team by himself, especially considering he is playing with a bad shoulder. Oh, and do me a favor save me all your "Reggie Miller is still a great option" bullcrap. He's as streaky as they come in this league as evidenced by his HORRIBLE showing in game one. Stephen Jackson is garbage if he can't drop the three (which didn't fall in game one for him) and Jamal Tinsley isn't going to give you a consistent output.

Something that also doesn't bode too well for the Pacers is that they haven't seen the Pistons best game yet. Ben Wallace may have played out of his mind offensively but that overshadowed bad shooting nights by Chauncey, Rasheed, and Tayshaun Prince. The Pacers may corrall Ben Wallace next game but odds are one of those three are going to step up their game and fill in the gap.

In closing, I see the Pistons taking game two tomorrow night and game three being the determining factor as to whether or not this game goes 4 or 5 games. Pacers only win in this series is possibly going to be game three, and if they don't win that then they'll get swept. Then we can finally get down to business with the Pistons and the Heat.....until next time...