So tonight marks the Final Four in New Orleans. Usually the Final Four games seem to be a bit better than the actual championship game on Monday night. It reminds me a lot of the NFL Conference championship games being better than the Super Bowl. Although, the past couple of years this trend seems to be reversing itself. Hopefully the same holds true for the NCAA tournament.
The madness of the first weekend is now in our rear view mirror. My bracket was busted almost two weeks ago, although I was technically still alive last weekend. The Wife on the other hand, still has a shot at making some money. She needs Louisville and Kansas to win tonight and then Kansas to win on Monday, so that is who I will be rooting for, probably giving her the kiss of death with that statement. I remember ragging on her when I first saw her picks and she took Louisville to go to the championship game. Little did I know she is a lot smarter (or luckier) than she leads on. And to make matters worse, my Wife and my Mother both will finish better than I will this year. My Mom has a chance to money as well, only if Kansas wins. If the Jayhawks are cutting down the nets on Monday, I don't think I will ever hear the end of it.
Did I mention that I am terrible at filling out brackets? Generally, I can pick the eight best teams and move backwards from there, but as I mentioned in my previous posts, that doesn't work at all. After this year and last year, the strategy for next year is basically "fuck it" and pick whatever is my first instinct. I am terrible when I try to rationalize things, so the "Fuck it" theory it is. Seems to work for the Wife.
The Final Four also signifies something else in my world, fantasy baseball. Call me a geek, but fantasy baseball is one of my favorite things in the world. Stay tuned for a post about that along with my preview of the New York Metropolitans in 2012 and the weekly craft beer reviews (which I can promise will be back every Wednesday). And how can I forget, Hops and Homers turns 1 year old on Friday, April 6th. There is something special in the works for that day, so stay tuned.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and on Facebook. Until next time.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Magic Hat - Demo
The craft beer review for this week has been delayed due to some personal reasons. But have no fear, it is back today. It's been a busy couple of weeks, but we will get into that in a future post. Today, it's all about the beer.
Today's brew comes from the great state of Vermont and the Magic Hat Brewing Company. It's part of their IPA on tour series. Actually, it's the second one I have reviewed. Demo is a Black IPA that pours a dark black color with minimum frothy head. There is a smell of roasted malt and coffee immediately up front. I can also smell a bit of hops but it's not that prevalent. The first sip almost had a chocolate taste to it. This beer is very smooth. It almost tastes like a porter rather than a Black IPA. As a matter of fact, it almost should be classified as a porter. There really is no hoppiness present, maybe because the roasted malt and chocolate flavor overpower and balance the taste. Although there is some bitterness that lingers, it is not the most prevalent taste. Overall, this beer is pretty smooth and very drinkable. I'm just not sure it fits the characteristics of a black IPA. Regardless, Magic Hat has done a nice job with this brew and I look forward to tasting the remaining two IPAs on tour.
Here are the vitals:
B-
Today's brew comes from the great state of Vermont and the Magic Hat Brewing Company. It's part of their IPA on tour series. Actually, it's the second one I have reviewed. Demo is a Black IPA that pours a dark black color with minimum frothy head. There is a smell of roasted malt and coffee immediately up front. I can also smell a bit of hops but it's not that prevalent. The first sip almost had a chocolate taste to it. This beer is very smooth. It almost tastes like a porter rather than a Black IPA. As a matter of fact, it almost should be classified as a porter. There really is no hoppiness present, maybe because the roasted malt and chocolate flavor overpower and balance the taste. Although there is some bitterness that lingers, it is not the most prevalent taste. Overall, this beer is pretty smooth and very drinkable. I'm just not sure it fits the characteristics of a black IPA. Regardless, Magic Hat has done a nice job with this brew and I look forward to tasting the remaining two IPAs on tour.Here are the vitals:
B-
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Welcome to the Circus
Welcome to the circus that is known as the New York Jets. I have been mulling over this Tim Tebow trade that my favorite football team pulled off and still don't know where I stand. I listened to all the media, from the talking heads on ESPN to the talk radio hosts, and finally think I have my opinion on the deal and how the whole situation will work.
So as an organization, you extend your young quarterback another three years and say he is our guy, and he is our starting quarterback. Rumors run rampant that your young quarterback is fragile and needs to be coddled. So of all the things to do, you go and trade for the most famous backup quarterback in the league setting up a manufactured quarterback controversy. A guy who has his own jet. What other backup quarterback has that? You as the organization come out and say this new backup will be good in the locker room along with bringing a new dimension to the team, the ability to run the wildcat. While these all sound great for sound bites, I see this situation blowing up on the Jets.
The Jets, and mainly the owner, have become so enamored with taking over this area from the Giants, that they go and do things like this. Marketing and PR stunts. They seem to be more concerned with the back page headlines than they are winning games. To me, the headlines come when you win championships, not bring in circus sideshows.
On the field, my perception of this deal is different. I can see this working out well. Tim Tebow is the type of player that would be okay with going out and only playing 5-10 snaps per game. He definitely a dynamic player who has the ability to win games, unfortunately he is not an NFL quarterback, and probably never will be. The new offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, was one of the architect of the Wildcat in Miami, so the play-calling will be interesting.
The argument that he is a winner is not enough to unseed Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback. Tebow has won one game in the playoffs while Sanchez took the Jets to the AFC Championship games in back to back years and had a chance, an unrealistic one, but a chance nonetheless to make the playoffs last year. Sanchez's stats are eerily similar to another quarterback in New York through his first three years. In my opinion, Sanchez is and should be the starting quarterback. Tebow will be a hybrid running back/quarterback/h-back. Do I think they can coexist? Absolutely. Mainly because Tim Tebow is who he is and can accept his role.
The people who need to accept the defined roles are the fans of the Jets. If Sanchez goes out week one and throws an interception, which will happen, it doesn't mean we as fans need to start calling for his head and wanting Tebow to come in. There is a nice article on ESPN New York about this situation right here. I will support Sanchez this year. I think he deserves it. I don't think he deserves a free pass, but he definitely deserves the chance to make up for last year.
So I guess my conclusion to this whole trade comes down to this: Can Rex Ryan manage this situation and not let it get out of control? Some say no, while others think he can. Me, I don't know. I have to lean towards the no side, but only time will tell whether Tebowmania and the Sanchise can coexist.
What do you think? Can Tebowmania and the Sanchise coexist? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook.
Also, if you happen to be at Beers on the Boards tonight for the second session, stop over and say hello.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and on Facebook . Until next time.
So as an organization, you extend your young quarterback another three years and say he is our guy, and he is our starting quarterback. Rumors run rampant that your young quarterback is fragile and needs to be coddled. So of all the things to do, you go and trade for the most famous backup quarterback in the league setting up a manufactured quarterback controversy. A guy who has his own jet. What other backup quarterback has that? You as the organization come out and say this new backup will be good in the locker room along with bringing a new dimension to the team, the ability to run the wildcat. While these all sound great for sound bites, I see this situation blowing up on the Jets.The Jets, and mainly the owner, have become so enamored with taking over this area from the Giants, that they go and do things like this. Marketing and PR stunts. They seem to be more concerned with the back page headlines than they are winning games. To me, the headlines come when you win championships, not bring in circus sideshows.
On the field, my perception of this deal is different. I can see this working out well. Tim Tebow is the type of player that would be okay with going out and only playing 5-10 snaps per game. He definitely a dynamic player who has the ability to win games, unfortunately he is not an NFL quarterback, and probably never will be. The new offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, was one of the architect of the Wildcat in Miami, so the play-calling will be interesting.
The argument that he is a winner is not enough to unseed Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback. Tebow has won one game in the playoffs while Sanchez took the Jets to the AFC Championship games in back to back years and had a chance, an unrealistic one, but a chance nonetheless to make the playoffs last year. Sanchez's stats are eerily similar to another quarterback in New York through his first three years. In my opinion, Sanchez is and should be the starting quarterback. Tebow will be a hybrid running back/quarterback/h-back. Do I think they can coexist? Absolutely. Mainly because Tim Tebow is who he is and can accept his role.
The people who need to accept the defined roles are the fans of the Jets. If Sanchez goes out week one and throws an interception, which will happen, it doesn't mean we as fans need to start calling for his head and wanting Tebow to come in. There is a nice article on ESPN New York about this situation right here. I will support Sanchez this year. I think he deserves it. I don't think he deserves a free pass, but he definitely deserves the chance to make up for last year.
So I guess my conclusion to this whole trade comes down to this: Can Rex Ryan manage this situation and not let it get out of control? Some say no, while others think he can. Me, I don't know. I have to lean towards the no side, but only time will tell whether Tebowmania and the Sanchise can coexist.
What do you think? Can Tebowmania and the Sanchise coexist? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook.
Also, if you happen to be at Beers on the Boards tonight for the second session, stop over and say hello.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and on Facebook . Until next time.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Brackets are Busted
Well, my brackets are officially busted. Last night I lost two of my Final Four teams in a span of an hour. I lasted a little longer than I normally do in these type of pools. It was fun while it lasted, but it's now time to shift my focus onto fantasy baseball and oh yeah, real baseball and the Mets.
Every year I tell myself I want to get back in to watching the Rangers and NHL hockey. I was a huge Rangers fan growing up, but since the strike and lockout in 2004-2005, I have fallen out of touch with the sport. That is, until this year. I have watched nearly 75-80% of all Ranger games this year, even going to a game at the new MSG this week. Going to the game against the Devils helped me renew my love of hockey as a sport. It also helps when the Rangers are fighting for the #1 seed in the Eastern conference, but regardless, I am back being a hockey fan.
I know some of you are waiting with baited breathe to see what my reaction is to Tebowmania coming to the NY Jets. Well you will have to wait a little while because I am still trying to figure out how I feel about it. Very mixed emotions, which I will sort out this weekend. Look for my thoughts, probably tomorrrow, as I don't have any more updates on my ripped up brackets.
Also, tomorrow I will be down in Point Pleasant at Beers on the Boards for the second session. If you see me, be sure to say hello.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and on Facebook. Until next time.
Every year I tell myself I want to get back in to watching the Rangers and NHL hockey. I was a huge Rangers fan growing up, but since the strike and lockout in 2004-2005, I have fallen out of touch with the sport. That is, until this year. I have watched nearly 75-80% of all Ranger games this year, even going to a game at the new MSG this week. Going to the game against the Devils helped me renew my love of hockey as a sport. It also helps when the Rangers are fighting for the #1 seed in the Eastern conference, but regardless, I am back being a hockey fan.
I know some of you are waiting with baited breathe to see what my reaction is to Tebowmania coming to the NY Jets. Well you will have to wait a little while because I am still trying to figure out how I feel about it. Very mixed emotions, which I will sort out this weekend. Look for my thoughts, probably tomorrrow, as I don't have any more updates on my ripped up brackets.
Also, tomorrow I will be down in Point Pleasant at Beers on the Boards for the second session. If you see me, be sure to say hello.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and on Facebook. Until next time.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Lakefront Brewery - Snake Chaser
I have mentioned previously that I am of Irish descent. Naturally, this weekend celebrating St. Patrick's Day I wanted to go with a typical Irish style of beer to drink. While looking in my local liquor store I found an Irish stout from Lakefront Brewery out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This stout called Snake Chaser looked to be exactly what I was searching for.
The label has a picture of St. Patrick and his legendary staff. As Irish legend has it, St. Patrick chased the snakes out of Ireland. Now there is some debate whether that happened or not, but regardless, what a perfect name for a St. Patrick's Day beer!
This Irish stout poured a black color with a nice grey head. There was a strong smell of malt and an almost chocolate aroma. No real trace of hops either, which is typical from a stout, especially an Irish stout. In the first sip, the chocolate really came through along with the roasted malt. The creaminess from the head and the beer itself makes this beer smooth and has a lot of drinkability. It really went well with my corned beef and cabbage and my busted brackets. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a well balanced, smooth stout.
B+
On a side note, I know you are all waiting to see how my bracket turns out. I will be updating Friday morning. Also, you can keep an eye out for a Mets preview as well from me in the near future along with the normal craft beer review on every Wednesday.
On a side note, I know you are all waiting to see how my bracket turns out. I will be updating Friday morning. Also, you can keep an eye out for a Mets preview as well from me in the near future along with the normal craft beer review on every Wednesday.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Day 4: Crash
Welcome to Day 4 of the tournament. Today is the day where I seemed to hit a wall with my tolerance of watching the games. I have been searching out other things to watch on television, knowing I can switch over to the games. There's only so much basketball I can watch in a 96 hour period. Don't get me wrong, the first two rounds have been exciting, but like a said, I've hit a wall.
I start day 4 in 30th place. My bracket is still somewhat alive, but I don't think my goal of the top 15 will happen this weekend. My early round mistakes are catching up to me, as I see my score stay the same but everyone around me goes up. I still have all of my Final Four teams with Wisconsin being one that no one seems to have. Unfortunately though, I don't think that pick alone can make up my difference in the standings because a lot of people ahead of me have Kentucky as their champ as well.We will see.
Hopefully your hangover isn't too bad this morning and your brackets are still alive. Good luck to everyone still alive. We will be back on Wednesday with a review of a St. Patrick's Day style beer.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter or on Facebook. Until next time.
I start day 4 in 30th place. My bracket is still somewhat alive, but I don't think my goal of the top 15 will happen this weekend. My early round mistakes are catching up to me, as I see my score stay the same but everyone around me goes up. I still have all of my Final Four teams with Wisconsin being one that no one seems to have. Unfortunately though, I don't think that pick alone can make up my difference in the standings because a lot of people ahead of me have Kentucky as their champ as well.We will see.
Hopefully your hangover isn't too bad this morning and your brackets are still alive. Good luck to everyone still alive. We will be back on Wednesday with a review of a St. Patrick's Day style beer.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter or on Facebook. Until next time.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Day 3: Feast of St. Patrick
As a guy of Irish descent, if you couldn't tell by the name, I like St. Patrick's Day. A lot. It means it's almost halfway to my birthday and my other favorite time of year. It means a meal of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and carrots and wash it down with a Stout and a shot of Jameson. But St. Patrick's Day is a little more than beer and whiskey to me. I lost someone very special on St. Patrick's Day so it will always have a place in my heart.
Today is also about the Madness that is the college basketball tourney. Yesterday I complained there were no upsets. Well, I got what I asked for. Three teams seeded #13 or lower won. Something that hadn't happened in over 4,000 days, a #15 seed upsetting a #2 seed, happened twice in a span of 3 hours. Wow! For as boring and ordinary as day 1 was, day 2 was that much better and unexpected.
Hopefully today's second round games game be just as exciting. As I pointed out yesterday, I expect the 'Cuse to get knocked off today by Kansas State. Don't say I didn't warn you. For those of you saying, "But the guys on tv said this was round 3." I refuse to call the games beginning today the third round. It will always be known as the 2nd round to me. The powers that be need to rename the first, "play-in" type games to something catchier and not the First Round. The first round will be forever on Thursday and Friday. Okay, enough complaining.
My brackets are not as bad as I expected. I still have all of my Final Four teams. I sit in the middle of the pack at 28th. By Sunday, if all goes well, I hope to be in the top 15. Here's hoping the luck of the Irish is with me.
And with that, I will leave you with me favorite Irish toast:
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and also on Facebook. Until next time.
Today is also about the Madness that is the college basketball tourney. Yesterday I complained there were no upsets. Well, I got what I asked for. Three teams seeded #13 or lower won. Something that hadn't happened in over 4,000 days, a #15 seed upsetting a #2 seed, happened twice in a span of 3 hours. Wow! For as boring and ordinary as day 1 was, day 2 was that much better and unexpected.
 |
| Let the festivities begin |
My brackets are not as bad as I expected. I still have all of my Final Four teams. I sit in the middle of the pack at 28th. By Sunday, if all goes well, I hope to be in the top 15. Here's hoping the luck of the Irish is with me.
And with that, I will leave you with me favorite Irish toast:
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and also on Facebook. Until next time.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Day 2: A little more madness
Today begins the second day of the men's NCAA basketball tournament. Since it's my blog, I figured I would keep a running update of the tournament.
Yesterday's games were relatively uneventful as most of the favorites won. There was some controversy in the Syracuse game as UNC-Asheville got hosed with a couple of questionable calls that could have helped them pull off one of the biggest upsets in tourney history. Instead the Cuse move on to play again. For the record I have them losing tomorrow to Kansas State, so consider yourself warned.
I began today in 49th place out of 50 in my pool. As the wife said yesterday, no place to go but up. Mind you, she's a cellar dweller as well. Fortunately my bracket is not terrible. I have lost just one Sweet 16 team and have the rest still alive.
So far today my picks are winning, but this is historically about the time when it all goes to hell and my brackets are busted. And by me acknowledging this, it only confirms my demise.
The games today have been a little more interesting. Let's hope they stay this way. Good luck today and hopefully the Ides of March was kind to you and your brackets aren't busted.
As always, you can follow updates from Hops and Homers on Twitter and on Facebook. Until next time.
Yesterday's games were relatively uneventful as most of the favorites won. There was some controversy in the Syracuse game as UNC-Asheville got hosed with a couple of questionable calls that could have helped them pull off one of the biggest upsets in tourney history. Instead the Cuse move on to play again. For the record I have them losing tomorrow to Kansas State, so consider yourself warned.
I began today in 49th place out of 50 in my pool. As the wife said yesterday, no place to go but up. Mind you, she's a cellar dweller as well. Fortunately my bracket is not terrible. I have lost just one Sweet 16 team and have the rest still alive.
So far today my picks are winning, but this is historically about the time when it all goes to hell and my brackets are busted. And by me acknowledging this, it only confirms my demise.
The games today have been a little more interesting. Let's hope they stay this way. Good luck today and hopefully the Ides of March was kind to you and your brackets aren't busted.
As always, you can follow updates from Hops and Homers on Twitter and on Facebook. Until next time.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
A little Madness
So today is the Ides of March. Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, to "Beware the Ides of March." For those of you not schooled in Shakespearean literature, it's March 15th. As a person who likes to overthink a lot of things, mainly sports, today is a tough day for me. The beginning of the men's NCAA basketball tournament and the infamous brackets. To me, this is one of the toughest things to do as a sports fan. I tried a new way of picking this year. I waited until last night to pick my brackets.
Unfortunately, there is still too much time for me to sit and over think my picks. It's not so much my final four picks or champion, but rather which #5 seed will be upset or which #4 seed will lose to the #13. It also doesn't help that I sit here and watch ESPN and waffle back and forth on every bit of information that is presented. To me this is one of the most exciting couple of days of the year, but it is also the most frustrating. As I write this, I am contemplating resetting my bracket and picking fresh. This actually sounds like a good idea, but fast forward six hours when one of my final four teams, that I changed mind you, loses in the first round (or whatever it's called now)
To all those people out there who feel my pain today, I salute you. Just make the picks and step away from the computer! That is what I am going to do in a couple of minutes.
I wish everyone who has a bracket the best of luck. May your upsets be right and your Final Four teams survive until the end of March, but beware, the Ides of March is upon us.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and also on Facebook. Until next time.
Unfortunately, there is still too much time for me to sit and over think my picks. It's not so much my final four picks or champion, but rather which #5 seed will be upset or which #4 seed will lose to the #13. It also doesn't help that I sit here and watch ESPN and waffle back and forth on every bit of information that is presented. To me this is one of the most exciting couple of days of the year, but it is also the most frustrating. As I write this, I am contemplating resetting my bracket and picking fresh. This actually sounds like a good idea, but fast forward six hours when one of my final four teams, that I changed mind you, loses in the first round (or whatever it's called now)
To all those people out there who feel my pain today, I salute you. Just make the picks and step away from the computer! That is what I am going to do in a couple of minutes.
I wish everyone who has a bracket the best of luck. May your upsets be right and your Final Four teams survive until the end of March, but beware, the Ides of March is upon us.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and also on Facebook. Until next time.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Rock Art Brewery - IPA
This IPA pours a light copper color, almost a burnt orange, and not much of a foamy head. The smell right off the bat is that of the citrusy, piney smell usually accompanying an IPA. There is a slight malt aroma as well that tries to sneak in. The first sip tastes a bit hoppy up front, but mellows as the beer settles into the glass. According to the Rock Art site, "This is my impression of what the English troops may have been drinking when they occupied India. The pale ale they drank had mellowed considerably." The taste of hops is definitely prevalent, but does not stay with each sip, which makes sense for the taste of this IPA. A bit unusual from my perspective for an American IPA styled brew, but nonetheless, this beer is not as balanced as I would like it to be. Overall, it was still a pretty good IPA, one that I would recommend to someone looking for a less bitter, less hoppy IPA.
Stats:
Brewery: Rock Art Brewery
Beer: India Pale Ale
ABV: 5.0%
Rating:
C+
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot 2012
There has been a Bigfoot sighting in New Jersey! This big beer from Sierra Nevada has finally made its way out to me. It may have been here sooner, but this was the first time I saw it at my local liquor store. The beer is a barleywine style. I always see Barleywines but was never bold enough to try one. Then I saw Bigfoot from Sierra Nevada. I like everything this Chico, CA, brewery puts out so why not give this one a whirl.A barleywine according to Beer Advocate, is " a very strong and often intense beer...Lively and fruity, sometimes sweet, sometimes bittersweet, but always alcoholic." This is spot-on with the description of Bigfoot. It pours a dark red and orange color. It almost was the same color as the bottle. The head was frothy and stayed awhile. The smell was a combination of a hoppy, citrusy aroma, along with heavy malt and alcohol. This is a big beer. Really big flavor. While I liked the taste, I would not recommend this to the average beer drinker. Bigfoot would be over the top for them. This beer is for people who like big beers with a lot of flavor and high alcohol content. Here are the vitals:
Stats:
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer: Bigfoot
ABV: 9.6%
Rating:
B+
This beer is one of the reason that I write this blog. Before Hops and Homers I would have looked at this brew and said to myself, "That looks different," and put the beer back in the cooler and move back to my more traditional beer. I started this blog to document my journey through the world of craft beer and to document the new and different styles of beer I try along the way. Beyond that, I am also trying to spread the word to people who are looking for something a little different than the normal beer. Hopefully my little corner of the world has helped someone out there. I know it's helped me explore the world of craft beer.
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Fort Collins Brewery - Rocky Mountain IPA
Today's review is an IPA from Fort Collins Brewery in Colorado. Rocky Mountain IPA has an elephant on the label and fits in the category of a very typical IPA. It pours a copper, burnt orange color with a nice foamy head. There is a citrus, floral aroma at first, which again is very typical of an IPA. According to the Fort Collins website, the brew is dry hopped to give it that aroma. The first sip is a little bitter, but the maltiness balances out the hoppiness. This is a traditional American IPA and smells and tastes like it should. The first sip tasted a little pedestrian, but the more I had the more I wanted. This beer was right up my alley, and should be one that IPA lovers should try at least once.
Stats:
Brewery: Fort Collins Brewery
Beer: Rocky Mountain IPA
ABV: 6.2%
Rating:
B+
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
