The Big Orange Bloggin Chuck's One Stop Shop

I haven't done this in a while but figured now is as good of a time as any so here is another edition of my One Stop Shop where I will cover a few topics, some sports and maybe a few not so sporty events. Here we go:

-Congrats to Cleveland State for their win at the Dome Monday night. Some will blame it on a great shot with the seconds of the game running out but I tend to jump on the "play better and not be close enough that it matters" train anytime a situation like this pops up. This was only their first loss so let's not get too worried but I do hope the team is wide awake unless you would like to be the best team invited to the NIT tournament again. The schedule won't get any easier soon because after Canisius I believe is Memphis and soon, Big East play which judging by all the Big East teams atop the standings, is going to produce some great games.

-Speaking of Orange basketball, how about Coach Boeheim and the microphone which you can find Axe discussing here http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/index.ssf/2008/12/jim_boeheim_vs_the_microphone.html. I thought this was after the Cleveland State game but as Axe corrected me, it was following the Long Beach State game on Saturday. I guess that's what happens when you don't watch the games and coverage, you miss out on stuff. Luckily though, between this and that final shot of the Cleveland State game, video clips are all over the internet.

-While on the subject of internet video clips, I thought I would officially announce my partnership with http://www.fandome.com/ which you can find the link on the website. If you go to the basketball section, they have direct links to this blog as articles are updated. It's a great source of videos that feature sports related topics and occasionally some very attractive women as well. I hope you will take the time to check them out if you have not done so yet.

-I heard Mike Waters on Rivals Radio the other morning on Sirius Satellite Radio and I swear, every time I hear him or see his work, I am so grateful of the spectacular work he does for those of us who bleed Orange. Thank you Mike and the staff at http://www.syracuse.com/ for providing us with the best resources available, especially those who live out of state but choose not to ever leave the Orange state of mind.

-While speaking on things to be grateful for, I have to mention something I felt recently on a holiday note. Is there anything more enjoyable this time of year then attending a holiday parade or celebration and seeing the enjoyment on the faces of little children. I was at a Christmas parade not long ago and stood next to this family with young children and it felt so great to see that type of spirit in someone this time of the year. The holiday stress disappears as you witness that innocent joy first hand until you get home of course and realize your Christmas list is far from finished, your checkbook is almost finished off and the Orange basketball team lose while it's plastered all over television and the internet. But it's so refreshing to think that when the stress of the holiday season gets to you and you feel like your backside can't be kicked any harder, that's when we need most to realize the true joys of the Christmas season and leave to a child to help you understand it clearer.

-Since I left the sports spectrum, I had another thought the other night and wondered if you ever had the same thing. Have you ever just out of the blue, thought about a movie you have not seen in years and you don't know why but it won't leave your head. It got me to thinking about my top 10 movies that fit that category and some of these movies I have not thought about or seen in more years then I care to admit is possible (though since I do have a daughter in college, I guess it is possible). Here is my list and let me know what you think or if you have a movie that is not on the list that is probably so obscure most don't remember it but you loved it when it came out:
10. Time Bandits
9. Clash Of The Titans (1981)
8. Meatballs
7. Seems Like Old Times (Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn where Chevy is framed for a bank robbery he was forced to do and Goldie is married to the DA trying to catch him and is also his ex wife)
6. Johnny Dangerously (which recently the Idiots reminded me of as well)
5. Flash Gordon (1980 with Sam Jones)
4. They Call Me Bruce (ethnic jokes are bad but I was imitating parts of it for weeks, especially when he threatens people, "with this foot, I could kick you...")
3. Song Of The South (A Disney classic that has never been officially released on DVD but offers a great soundtrack and was a cute movie as well).
2. The Pirate Movie (though this one may have more to do with my crush on Kristy McNichol back in the early 80's as well)
1. Under The Rainbow (Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher about casting people to play the munchkins in the Wizard of Oz which featured many jokes that would not be very politically correct).

-Lastly, I want to speak on an issue that is indirectly related to Syracuse as I don't believe it was an issue here as much as it is being speculated elsewhere. A couple weeks ago, I wrote about my desire to see Turner Gill become the next Syracuse Orange football coach. I still think Coach Gill is highly qualified to be a head coach in a top program as far as what he has achieved at Buffalo, especially if you consider what he started with and where he is now, but I will give Coach Doug Marrone the chance to prove himself. I am left wondering why a coach who accomplished so much failed to land one of those top jobs that were open recently (though I see reports he did receive a raise at Buffalo which I think he earned defeating previously undefeated Ball State in the MAC conference championship game). If there is any truth that his ethnicity or being in a mixed marriage is cause for his not being hired that that is a disgrace to NCAA football and any program who would find this justifiable. I will say though that if this was the case, Coach Gill was the one who benefited by not being hired by people so ignorant and finding a job deserving of his talent.