Sitting in a Cafe

Live from a bagel shop/coffee shop/whatever in Brooklyn, NY, this is Exit 55's Off the Bench!

Nothing like a high priced trendy little place to grab a bite and get online.  Actually, I'm enjoying a cup of their house blend coffee for $1.95.  Not too bad.

Places like this can be great for people watching, getting out of cabin fever, and hearing some good music.  That is, depending on what their rotation is.  The first time I sat here, it was a great mix.  Last time wasn't so solid.  Today?  Bingo!

Zero 7...Death Cab for Cutie...Arcade Fire...nice background tunes.  Maybe a little too deep or electronic for some, but for me, perfect.  They're all on my iPod or in my collection somewhere.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder is mighty annoyed with a Washington writer.  And?  Dan, really?  Sticks and stones and all that jazz.

Now it's Smashing Pumpkins on the ol' sound system.  So maybe this seems stereotypical but it's OK.  I'm liking it.

As is often the case, Off the Bench is going to morph towards Linky Dinks.  All good, I guess.

I was just reading one take on how Ben Roethlisberger can't win even if he doesn't win his third Super Bowl ring.  I couldn't agree more.  No matter what, the Steelers are the guys in the black helmets.  Big Ben and James Harrison are the clear cut bad guys.  Most of my own family is rooting for the Packers because A) the black and gold beat the J-E-T-S and B) because they've made their own judgement of Roethlisberger.

To me, Big Ben has done all of the right things.  All of the things I said he needed to do.  Apologize.  Be contrite.  Then play his ass off.  I don't care what his numbers were in the AFC Championship, he outplayed Mark Sanchez with the combination of his arm and legs, and made the plays that needed to be made.

I'm still saying the Packers are going to win, but it will hurt like hell come Sunday night.

I know they get something out of it for tying in regulation, but last night's shootout loss to the Penguins by the Rangers left a really sour taste in my buds.  Down 2-0, they came back and tied it up...then promptly lost the lead.  Yet they tied it again, then lost in the SO.  That was a Penguins team without Evgeni Malkin and some kid named Crosby, among others.  I see it as a blown chance.

I wrote the other day about the demise of the peacock at NBC, but as of this morning, I'm still seeing it.

Memo to Egypt: protest is good.  Civil disobedience and violence?  Bad.  Sadly, that's why your voices are being heard all around the world.  Enough that Brian Williams (he of the still-peacocked NBC) is there.  With Lester Holt.

Charlie Sheen?  Bad.  Very bad.

Time for some "Bittersweet Symphony" here in the ol' cafe.

I can't resist the urge to post another Jeff Pearlman post.  Damn you, Jeff!  He writes for Sports Illustrated about one of the tougher, more gut wrenching sports losses for me.  Cowboys 27, Steelers 17...Super Bowl XXX.

I warned one and all - I didn't expect the Steelers to win, but if it's a close game and under five minutes to go, lock me up.  It was there.  It didn't happen.

Yet the sun came up the next morning.

You don't think a Yankees/Steelers fan doesn't ache?  You're wrong.

One more Pearlman item, talking about how he feels to see something in print.  I get it.  He's written for over 20 years.  I've been a broadcaster for over 20 years.  I still feel a huge rush of pride and excitement when I hear my voice.  Latest example?  Charlie Pennella - brilliant videographer for some of Greenwich High Schools' sports teams, put my audio all over the 2010 football highlights video.  Way.  Cool.

(By the way, Pearlman also often uses webcam pictures of himself.  What can I tell you?  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I think our blogs are quite similar, yet I've never actively tried to "rip him off.")

I saw "Man v. Food" guy Adam Richman was at the Garden last night for the Rangers game.  I was somewhat dismissive of that silliness at first, but his show is great.  It's become a staple of Carrie and Rob's TV life (and we don't really watch a lot of TV).  In fact, it's helped make me reach for the Travel Channel everytime I put the TV on.

Anthony Bourdain rocks also.  And I still like Samantha Brown - and have for years.  Andrew Zimmern seems like a nice guy but what he eats is a little too, oh I don't know.

I think Kenn Tomasch, while often so bitingly honest, is brilliant.  He totally gets it, and is completely correct.  He also had the class to not call me out when I misprounced a name during an interview with him.

Just saw where Steven A. Smith is back at ESPN.  I don't get it.

Sort of on that same topic, no matter my criticism of him, I hear Stuart Scott is a good dude.  I also read that he is battling cancer.  Best of luck to him.  Beat it - and fast.

Oasis - "Wonderwall."  Predictable?  Yes.  I still like it.

Ready for that big Black Eyed Peas halftime show, where the biggest question is how naked Fergie will be?  Yeah, me neither.  Over at Wolfgangs Vault, they tease us with some thoughts and videos of recent haltime shows.  They're completely wrong about Prince, who completely sucked, but Springsteen rocked.  So did Tom Petty...and Paul McCartney...and U2...

Let me say that again.  Prince sucked.  Ugh.

I have no idea what is playing in here now.