Charles Barkley Tees Off Right Into Man's Neck

Via Barstool Sports



I love Chuck, but this is ridiculous. There's a reason I don't golf, and it's that something like this would probably happen to me a lot, and every time it did I'd most likely be banned from the course and forced to relocate to a new unsuspecting golf community. Charles is lucky that he's a celebrity, because people just think this is funny (and it is). Is somebody going to have to lose their life before Chuck finally gives up golf?

Vince Carter Absurd Dunk at Rucker Park - I would give up a testicle to be able to do this

Vince goes to play at Rucker Park (inside because of the rain) and throws down a full windmill alleyoop. It doesn't look like something a human could pull off. It looks like he's one of the Monstars in Space Jam. If I ever decided to be religious, I'd probably design a religion based around the belief that everyone would be able to do this in heaven. Constant satisfaction.



Also, let the record show that at 9:26 tonight, during highlights of the Magic game, Charles Barkley said of Courtney Lee "nah man, I don't like that......Courtney's a girl's name." After the way things went down this season, I don't take any of these gems for granted.

Tommy Heinsohn is a Homer and Other Thoughts

It's been months since my last post and a lot has gone on in that time. However, on the heels of the Celtics losing 3 of 4 out west, Charles Barkleys' stunning mug shot/surreal explanation and LaRocque's ground breaking mid podcast beer run, it felt like a good time to start writing again. In lieu of a coherent post I'll go with a random list of unrelated points.

- Before LaRocque pulled a homer move and gave his pick for the Defensive Player of the Year he should have held out for Antonio Pierce's defense at the pending Plaxico Burress trial. That joke made more sense in my head.

- If I were a Philadelphia Eagels fan I would not care that Donovan McNabb did not know a NFL game can end in a tie. To be fair I did not see the game and if McNabb played conservatively down the stretch banking on a second overtime it makes sense to a degree. But it still gets my vote for the most overblown story of the NFL season. Furthermore, for all of the criticism McNabb and Andy Reid take I'd still take them over half, in not more, of the QBs and head coaches in the NFL.

- The fact that Caron Butler's brilliance is flying under the radar is the underrated downer of the complete implosion of the Washington Wizards. I know he's been an All Star, but people don't realize how good he is. Meanwhile, when that team is moderately healthy it is one of the most entertaining squads in the entire league to follow.

- Over the last 5 years blogs have completely transformed the way die hard fans follow their respective teams. As a sophomore in college I read Bill Simmons, Peter King, Dr. Z, and...that's it. Things have changed for the better. And yet television coverage lags painfully behind. I've given up on all pre and post game shows and have a hard time listening to most announcers. Granted it's not entirely their fault. Television executives push certain agendas. However, we continue to grow increasingly savvy as sports fans and television coverage shows few if any signs of keeping pace.

- The numerous proclamations of "The Dunk contest is back!" is one of my least favorite aspects of the NBA All Star weekend. That's mainly because I've always loved the Dunk Contest. Off the top only the Fred Jones, Desmond Mason, and Nate Robinson Dunk Contests did not do it for me. And that brings me to my point. I hate the fact that Robinson is in this year's edition. If they hadn't retired his summer league jersey I'd really be up in arms.
- Maybe I'm the only one but I'd be far more worried if the Yankees picked up David Price, Scott Kazmir, and Evan Longoria this off season. Taking into account that I probably always undervalue Mark Teixeira, I still don't fear the C.C. Sabathia/A.J. Burnett/Teixeira triumvirate. And that's saying something because A) Teixeira was instrumental in my first fantasy league championship and B) Price and company all play for the Rays.

- For entirely different reasons I can't speak rationally about the Hanley Ramirez to the Red Sox and Stephon Marbury to the Celtics rumors. Moving on...

- With all due respect to LaRocque, Kobe Bryant couldn't take a team of scrubs past round one...in the Western Conference. LeBron did it with a tremendous defensive team in a significantly weaker conference. Granted I'm terrified of LeBron. But in 07' and 08' the Eastern Conference was not strong. Having said all that I encourage you to check out the end (final 12 minutes or so) of the most previous ROOMOFZEN podcast for the LeBron/Bolt debate. Babcock's jacket argument and Bolt commercial idea were fantastic.

- I caught Matt Cassell in an intense conversation with Steve Pagliuca during the Celtics/Wizards game and I really wanted to know what they were discussing.

- Every now and then Tom Heinsohn somehow brings his homerism to a new level. For example tonight he argued that a goal tending should have been overlooked because of the hustle that went into it. In the old days they would have let the fans enjoy it. I defended Gerald Green on numerous occasions and yet even I'm at a loss with Heinsohn at times.

- 7 footers are sort of like lefty pitchers in the sense that someone will always give them a shot. I bring this up because Patrick O'Bryant is starting to remind me a little bit of Matt Young. That's not a good thing.

That's it for now.

We Love Chuck

Charles Barkley was not afraid of Angola in '92. As someone who was once thrown out of a bar by Charles, I can tell you from personal experience that he means business when he has that look in his eye.



Thanks for your take Bob Costas....dildo.

Foil in the Oven: the Heist Was Almost Complete

Before I get into this Foil in the Oven, I need to break this news. Last week, while the Lakers were staying at the Four Seasons in Boston, a Lakers rep called down to the desk saying that they needed someone brought in to give Kobe Bryant a pedicure. I'm not naming any names here, but this is a very reliable tip. You heard it here first.

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The Celtics almost stole one last night. They didn't play well enough to win in any phase of the game. As dynamic as this offense can look when they are in sync and playing an aggressive style, they have at times throughout this post-season looked completely disjointed and confused. Now, give the Lakers credit for doing a much better job of holding down the interior on defense, but it was so frustrating to watch this Boston offense. The passes were rushed and sloppy. The over-passing reared its ugly head again. The team seemed content to shoot jumpers for the entire first half. It all reminded me of Game Four against Detroit. At one point, when the Celtics were running around, heaving arcing passes to one another and passing over their heads backwards to the man behind them, I screamed in a fit of rage "what is this? The Traveling Circus?!" I don't really know what this meant, but I'm sticking with it.

Defensively, the Celtics didn't bring the level of energy that they did in the first two games, which is the level at which they need to play against this offense. In fact, the fourth quarter was the first time I really felt like they played defense with any urgency. Now, certainly they knew that they were going to be at a disadvantage with the officials, and that may have affected their play, but by not being physical they were abandoning the biggest edge that they have in this series. Maybe they were feeling fatigued from the first two games and the flight. I don't know. But, they weren't sharp. It made me sick to see Gasol beat us on the offensive glass twice in one minute (once with the tip in with about 5 left, and then the offensive rebound and layup), and then run back pounding his chest like some kind of rowdy bearded woman that has had too much to drink. Gasol and Odom are soft, and they should never get those kind of second chances. Perk should have had Gasol smothered on those two boards. It shouldn't have even been an issue. That was lack of intensity, nothing more.
This was a low point for me, even though I was laughing

I don't want to second guess Doc here, because we do enough of that already on this site. But, I'd really like to know what happened on the possession at the end that ended with a Vujacic three. I understand trapping Bryant, but not double teaming him in the middle of the floor at half court. And, even if you are going to do it out there, I don't think you do it with Garnett. And, even if you are going to do it out there and you are going to do it with Garnett, I don't think that you leave the Lakers best three point shooter wide open. I'm assuming there was a miscommunication somewhere. How about the Kobe three pointer from the top of the arc? He stood there like it was a foul shot before letting it go. Not a single Celtic came out to contest it. This was such a frustrating goddamn game.

Don't even get me started on Pierce and Garnett, who were a combined 8-35 from the field. This was the worst passing game I can remember Pierce having in a long time. Both of these guys were far too content to shoot outside jumpers at the start of the game. I don't have a problem with them shooting like that if they are falling, but they shot horribly in the first quarter (neither had a field goal), and at some point they needed to start attacking. When this team settles for jumpers, they are not good. We've talked about this so many times.


Even dunks were low percentage shots for KG last night.

SOME MORE THOUGHTS FROM THE GAME:

- I can see why the Lakers took Kobe off of Ray Allen early in the game, and Ray made them pay. He's the only reason that the Celtics stayed in the game. Granted, Kobe was free to expend much more energy on the offensive end. But, I don't think anybody else on the Lakers matches up well with Ray.

- Did anybody else feel a little weird when they clearly had that feel-good moment with Kobe talking about his family at halftime? We've seen 8,000 specials on him as an intense on-court guy and teammate. That whole thing was obviously designed so that he could talk about his family and they could push the good guy Kobe agenda. I couldn't help but feel like the overall message was "don't worry, me and my wife are fine. She hasn't been ashamed about showing her face in public for a while now." I don't really think that Kobe's a bad guy. But, still, I thought it was weird how they stuck that in there.

- Leon Powe only played 6 minutes last night. He wasn't great, but I would have liked to see more of him. He always brings energy and intensity onto the floor, and it seems like he really gives Lamar Odom problems.

- Eddie House played great. I don't want to see Sam Cassell again. It was nice to remember how well our second unit used to play in the regular season with Eddie at the helm. 1) He doesn't look to shoot first, which means that the Celtics get better scoring chances 2) He works harder on the defensive end 3) They can't lose track of him on defense because he will make you pay from the outside. His inconsistent minutes have affected his shooting touch, so he will only get better if Doc sticks with him.

- Mark Jackson said that Jordan Farmar is a starting point guard in this league.

- I'm sure this was more exaggerated pronounced yesterday because of everything that happened with Donaghy, but why won't they show us replays of questionable fouls? The offensive foul on Ray Allen? The traveling call on KG? I want to see these replays.

- Speaking of Donaghy, I think this guy is just trying to get his sentence reduced. There's no way for us to ever know if those two series were fixed, but I absolutely don't believe that the NBA office has ever fixed a series. Furthermore, Donghy said that referees were told to try not to eject stars in the playoffs. Doesn't that go without saying. Don't you expect the league to say that? In a way, that's the league MAKING SURE that the referees don't decide games. Look, NBA officiating is very subjective. It always will be. And, there will always be certain players that have issues with certain referees. That doesn't mean the game is fixed. I'm more concerned with bad officiating than I am with crooked officiating.


Look, I'll say the same thing I've said time and time again throughout these playoffs. The Celtics played pitifully. They only shot 34.9% from the field. They shot less than 70% from the line. They weren't aggressive on either end of the floor. They gave up 36 points and 7 boards to Kobe Bryant. Paul Pierce was in heavy foul trouble for the whole night. They weren't physical at any point in the game. They only out rebounded the Lakers, a horrible rebounding team, by one (45-44). That they were only down three with two when Vujacic hit that three (with 1:53 left) is a miracle, and speaks to the fact that the Lakers also did not play well. But, Kobe did play well. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett did not. Am I still confident? Absolutely.

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Charles tries to accomplish what David Blaine could not:



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Hilarious piece from the Blowtorch on Lamar Odom's ineptitude.

Foil in the Oven: The Fix Is In

I decided on the title of today's Foil in the Oven last night in the throes of post-game frustration. I'm feeling more stable this morning, and I'm able to examine the events of Game 2 in a less cataclysmic light. Nevertheless, I have to air my grievances with the officiating. I have dashed off the next section. If you are a Celtics fan, and want to commiserate, please read. If you are not a Celtics fan, and don't feel like hearing the homer thing, go ahead and skip it. Now, I think it's fair criticism. But, the officiating has been awful throughout the entire post-season, so I understand if you don't want to read more about it.


All of this PDA at an NBA playoff game? Come on Tom, you're better than that.

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The officiating, particularly in the first half, was incredibly poor and one-sided. Ray Allen should have gone to the locker room at halftime with one foul instead of three. The first foul on Allen was a particularly weak call, as Rip Hamilton literally jabbed the ball into him to get the whistle. Even Jeff Van Gundy thought it was a bad call and I'm convinced that he hates the Celtics.

I kept replaying this call over and over again in my mind every time Kevin Garnett had the ball in his hands. I kept saying out loud "well, if we're going by the way they've called things on the other end, I find it really hard to believe that Kevin Garnett wasn't fouled on that sequence." If you watched the game, you know that KG was working harder than he's had to work all postseason on the offensive end. There was a lot of contact, and yet he only shot two free throws in the game. I'm all for letting them play, and this was more indicative of how I'd like to see games called, but the problem last night was that the action wasn't being called evenly.

Ray Allen's third foul, which was apparently the result of him moving his arms inward to try and secure the ball after Lindsey Hunter swiped it, was nearly as bad as the first. In my mind, there can only be a foul called there if Ray fouls Hunter in an attempt to stop him from having a transition opportunity. The whistle was too quick. This contrasted sharply with a similar sequence a few possessions later, when the referees waited for Hunter to foul Pierce about 5 times (even one of the announcers said 'wow, he fouled him 3 or 4 times there) and didn't blow the whistle until Hunter and Pierce were literally on the ground.

The goaltending call on KG was close and should have been a no-call, like the charge they didn't call on Rip a couple of possessions later. I have no problem with letting those calls go at the end if they are not blatant, BUT you have to let them go on both sides. In my mind, these two plays down the stretch really embodied the overall officiating trends of the game.

At halftime, I was blaming the officiating for the Celtics being down. However, by the end of the game I could not pin the loss squarely on the referees. The Celtics were outplayed. But, the effects of the poor officiating cannot be discounted. The poor first half officiating directly affected the Celtics in two ways as the game progressed:

1) The Celtics were clearly frustrated with the way the game had been going, and this led to them committing an inordinate amount of second and quarter fouls. Now, that's on them. They're professionals. But, I think a great deal of their frustration stemmed from those calls.

and, more importantly:

2) Ray Allen finally found his shooting touch, but had to sit for an unnecessary portion of the second half because of his foul trouble.


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Now, all that said, give all the credit in the world to the Pistons. They turned in a signature performance in a hostile environment. They made every big shot that they took. They forced the Celtics into bad shots when they had to. And, it wasn't just the usual suspects. Certainly, Rip Chauncey Tayshaun and Sheed all contributed in big ways, but they could not have won without huge contributions from Antonio McDyss and Rodney Stuckey and very efficient minutes from Lindsey Hunter. This team is so steady and fluid, and that's why they have a winning record on the road during these playoffs.

Am I still confident? Absolutely. Here's why:

Although the Celtics defense looked strong at times (mainly at the start of each half), it was bad overall. They allowed the Pistons to shoot over 49 percent from the field. They allowed far too many easy transition baskets, and they put Rip and Chauncey at the line too many times. This, combined with the fact that Detroit seemed like they couldn't miss down the stretch, was the worst case defensive scenario for the Celtics. And yet, they were right there. They were in this game until the final second ticked away.

Perhaps the best part of last night, and the part that got me out of bed with such a positive energy this morning, was the re-emergence of Ray Allen. Allen looked unstoppable towards the end of the game, and I have to wonder how things might have turned out if he didn't have to be sat down with foul trouble. He was hitting outside shots, he was driving and changing up his pace, he even drove baseline and threw down a dunk. Ray is back, and that means trouble for the Pistons. They are certainly a great defensive team, but how do you defend this Celtics team when its three superstars are all on their game?

The gauntlet has finally been thrown down. It was only a matter of time. If these Celtics are indeed a championship caliber team, they eventually need to show us that they have the moxie to win a game outside of the protective confines of the TD Banknorth Garden. Perhaps this is just what they needed. For the first time during these playoffs, the Celtics will take to the road with a sense of urgency. With their backs to the walls, in a hostile environment, this team will have a chance to silence all of their doubters.

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Baseball has lost some of its magic for me over the past few years, and this is something that I find disheartening. Somehow, the combination of seeing Major League Baseball throw these players under the bus for infractions on which they knowingly turned a blind eye for profit and the mutation of some of my childhood heroes into these iniquitous caricatures of their former selves (see the Babcock Report below) has weighed heavily on me and made it more difficult for me to invest myself fully into the game that I once enjoyed so freely. Along with this, I have always been discouraged by the fact that the players and owners can't seem to find any common ground on an issue (a potential salary cap) that would be so good for the sport. While the other professional leagues are thriving in new markets, Major League Baseball continues to be bogged down by inequity. Every year there is a surprise team or two, but they are aberrations. Perhaps it is a more accurate representation of our society, but it makes for poor entertainment. I find the arms race that takes place every off season between the super powers equally as disturbing as the situation mentioned above. But, as a life long Red Sox fan that has already been to Fenway Park three times this season, I guess I'm not part of the solution.

Anyways, apologies for that. What I wanted to say is that there is a handful of players that I will always hold in the highest regard as a symbol of everything that's right about baseball. I have my own reasons for loving these players, and maybe some of them are the result of nothing more than fan bias. But, two of them were in the news yesterday, and I want to touch on them quickly.



1) Pedro Martinez announced yesterday that reports of his retirement after 2008 were inaccurate. I love Pedro's attitude on the mound, I love his approach to the game, and I still consider his 1999 and 2000 seasons among the highest level of performance that I have ever seen as an athlete. He has done a great job of adjusting his repertoire to counteract the aging process, and I look forward to continuing to watch him pitch whenever the Mets are on national TV.


2) Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 598th home run last night. It's hard to not feel completely unfulfilled when looking back on Griffey's career. Between his charismatic personality and his perfect swing, this guy is one of my all-time favorites. Had he stayed healthy, he most certainly would be the home run king. Who in today's game would be more deserving of such a title.
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Here is a hilarious video of Charles Barkley. You have to watch the whole thing, it's great.


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Two final thoughts:

1) Hilarious text message came last night from Ferrante at crunch time when the Pistons were pulling away "Maybe Doc is telling them to punch back instead of actually coaching them."

2) On Sportscenter, Marcellus Wiley just said that Pacman Jones at wideout is a good idea for Dallas because he'll have to spend more time reading the playbook and less time at "those naked ballets". Awesome.

Vegas: I will own you

Pop quiz, hotshot: What do John Daly, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan have in common? Answer: They are successful athletes who enjoy gambling. Question number two: There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do? Question number three: What else do they have in common? Answer: After a successful career, they lost a ton of money gambling. For example:

· “In an ESPN interview in May 2006, Barkley estimated that he'd lost about $10 million gambling over the years.”

· “In a 2007 interview with Phoenix television station KTVK, Barkley said he lost $2.5 million "in a six-hour period" one night last year.”

· On May 2008, “Charles Barkley acknowledged he owes a $400,000 gambling debt to a Las Vegas Strip casino and promised Thursday to repay it after a prosecutor said the retired NBA star faced criminal charges.”

· In 2006, John Daly admitted losing over $50 million dollars in gambling over the last 12 years.

· In a 2006 interview with Ed Bradley, Michael Jordan admitted, “he’s made some reckless choices at the gambling table with his money.” Jordan goes onto say, "Yeah, I’ve gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I’ve pushed the envelope.”

FOCUS, JACK! Your concern is the athlete's gambling problem. And don't try to call Larocque for this one. The radio's down. All right, pop quiz: why do these athletes continue gambling after losing so much money? Common sense would dictate that after losing millions of dollars, or at least a sizeable portion of your net worth, you would give it a rest, right?

"You're crazy! You're fuckin' crazy!"

But let’s say you did your homework and found out that the odds are always stacked against you at the casino. Blackjack, for instance, gives the house a 52% edge and to the best of my knowledge, craps is the only game which allows gamblers to break even. So why on earth would you continue gambling if: a. you keep losing a ton of money b. it’s basically impossible to EVER win at the casino? A TNT analyst asked Barkley this question, and he replied:

"It's not a problem. If you're a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it I don't think it's a problem. Do I think it's a bad habit? Yes, I think it's a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I'm going to continue to do it…I'm going to continue gambling. I like to gamble. It's really nobody's business, because it's my own money, I earned it.”

Barkley’s response is fascinating on many levels and I think it gives us a window into the mindset of athletes who gamble for outrageous sums of money. Be prepared! This isn't the Boy Scout marching song.

First of all, Barkley admits his gambling is a problem, but doesn’t entertain the notion that it can be an addiction like drugs or alcohol. Drugs and alcohol exist on a separate plane from gambling and from an athlete’s perspective, drinking and doing drugs could ruin your career while gambling is just harmless fun in the offseason. Gambling is legal and while I may lose some money, my ability to play basketball and therefore make more money is not diminished.

(Of course I am merely speculating as to what an athlete may think about gambling, but what I can say for sure is that denials like this one are a sure sign of an addiction. Despite what Charles may say, gambling is addictive just like drugs and booze. And as you all probably know, denial is the first sign of an addiction.)

Barkley also reminds us that not only can he afford to gamble like a madman, but also that the way he spends his time and money is no one else’s business except his own. I suspect his thinking goes like this: after playing basketball throughout my 20s and 30s, I made a ton of cash and now I have free time to burn. I have more money than God, so who are you to say I can’t gamble it away? “I like to gamble. It's really nobody's business, because it's my own money, I earned it.” The whim of a madman...I like that!

Fair enough, Sir Charles. Spend away! You can think of this mentality another way: what may be a lot of money to regular people is really not that much to rich people. Buffet spending a million dollars is like a regular guy spending $5,000 dollars: probably too much to be gambling, but well within their ability to pay-back over a reasonable length of time.

And what about the overwhelming desire to win and the consequences that may have on your mentality or actions? Jordan and Barkley were fierce competitors and both had the “whatever it takes” mentality during their hey-day.

You think these players wouldn't have been prepared for gambling losses, right? Two years they spent setting up that playoff career, two years they invested in it. You couldn't understand the kind of commitment players like that have. You ruined a man's life's work with this gambling and you think you can walk away? You got blinders on to the world! But I got your attention now, didn't I? Maybe your desire to win “no matter what” makes you do stupid or irrational things sometimes? In his 60 minutes interview, Jordan explains this concept as it relates to gambling:

"I want to win. I want to go out on a limb and win,” says Jordan. "And sometimes that can take you past the stage that you know you probably should take a step back from. Sometimes I don’t look at that line. I just step over that line. But once I step over it and I feel the lack of success,
it’s very embarrassing things.”

It's a game. If he gets the money he wins, if the bank account blows up he wins.

Whichever reason you choose to believe, it’s always interesting to read about how athletes gamble away their fortunes. I like to think about it this way: no matter who you are or what you’ve done, Vegas is the ultimate equalizer. You can bring a ton of hustle, talent, or hard work to Vegas, but it will always eat you alive and then spit you out.

That said, I can’t wait for my Vegas trip in June....and Speed 3 if they ever make it.

U2 Is Not Classic Rock Vol. II

Well, it was only a matter of time before I was back with another edition of U2 Is Not Classic Rock. As I mentioned in the first edition, I don’t need an excuse at all to purchase albums, in fact when I have an excuse (such as an upcoming roadtrip, or say, the fact that it is a Wednesday) I tend to go a little overboard, which is evident by the first album up for review today: As always, I’ll keep this to two paragraphs or less, and grade on a scale of 0-3 Cocks, or roosters, if you will…

Patti Smith “Horses”





I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this described as a “groundbreaking” , “revolutionary”, “quintessential” album. I bet its at least three or for times. Well, I have a tendency to act on such adjectives, so I saw this album and thought, ‘what the hell? Ill give this a shot’. What the hell indeed. Do you have to be a chick to appreciate this? I think maybe you do.

First off, if you are like me you are thinking ‘hey Patti Smith, didn’t she sing that really sick 80s jam “The Warrior” that was featured prominently during the Charles Barkley montage in the ‘NBA Superstars’ VHS that came out in like 1988?’ Well that happens to be PATTY SMYTH and her band Scandal. This is Patti Smith; a strung out punk rock chick reading… er…singing…poetry about horses and the oceans. Her artwork has been described as extremely vaginal. Ok, I stole that line from the Big Lebowski, but it fits here. The actual music isn’t that bad, but I lose all interest when Patti starts yelping about this or that. Also I saw her in an interview on some documentary and I swear to god she had a moustache. This just isn’t my bag. ½ a Cock.








Joe Walsh “The Definitive Collection”



A couple of weeks ago I was complaining about relying on “greatest hits” albums to fill up your musical library with well known artists, so I’ll be the first to kick myself in the balls for going out and buying a “definitive collection” a few days later. What a hypocrite you might say…however, my point was only that if all you ever buy are greatest hits records than you are selling yourself short, ESPECIALLY when it comes to older artists and groups. So there’s a couple of reasons that I bought this particular Joe Walsh album: 1) I have wanted to get a James Gang album for a long time (that’s his earliest band) but I haven’t been able to find one in a record store around here (Gaithersburg, MD at the moment) and this album has a mix of his early James Gang recordings as well as his solo stuff. 2) There was a decent mix of songs that I knew and didn’t know from many albums; this allows me to pick and choose future albums based on which tracks I liked the best. 3) This was the only Joe Walsh album at the store I went to.

(Sidenote: you are thinking “two paragraphs or less doesn’t mean anything when you can just write really long run-on paragraphs”, you’re right, but I make the rules here)

In closing, it is clear to me that Joe Walsh kicks ass. There are so many great tracks on here from “funk 49” and “Walk away” to “The Bomber” “Mother Says” “Turn to Stone”, and a surprise track “Life of Illusion” which you will almost immediately recognize as the song playing during the opening scene of “40 year old Virgin”. It’s infectious. You’ll also get his radio staples “Life’s been good” and “Rocky Mountain way” so there’s something familiar there too. I won’t recommend these kinds of albums too often, but today I must. 3 Cocks.

And here's a little treat for you:

Next time on U2 Is Not Classic Rock: The Blues...Old School Blues.