Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 185 - 10-31-12 - Halloween Spooktacular 2

The world has Jerry Fairish to either thank or blame for this episode of VSR. It's our second annual Halloween Spooktacular with spookiness and creepiness to beat the band. We also sit down with Mr. Fairish and have a talk that centers on Halloween, but also veers randomly into Las Vegas tourism talk. Download and enjoy this new holiday tradition, won't you?

 

Zombie Drive Through

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 184 - 10-27-12 - A Scholar but not a Gentleman

Craig did his best to pay attention to the show while still watching his K-State Wildcats try to pull out a win at home versus Texas Tech. Showing the range of his professionalism, he manages to deliver a show while watching the game. (It helped that K-State won 55-24) 

We ended up talking about sportsmanship in blowouts with Face, talked about Hurricane Sandy with The Whale (a hurricane of which Face was unsurprisingly completely unaware) and we talked a little Walking Dead with Elevation. We also spent several minutes breaking down an epic moment in our nation's political history. (If you are unsure of which we speak, Google "Mitt Romney and Meatloaf" and enjoy the unintentional comedic goodness) 

Face and Craig finished up with a Magnificent Seven list of our Top 7 Television Shows and then the show wrapped with a musical recommendation of "Cruel and Beautiful World" by Grouplove.

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 183 - 10-20-12 - Cooking Squirrel with a Propane Torch

The show started so early that we literally woke up Face Ventura with a call from the show three minutes before the the program started. Craig woke Face up by getting his blood flowing in anger about his Dallas Cowboys. After a rousing edition of the news that featured roach eating, death, squirrel roasting, and a blind man getting tased, we welcomed in The Whale and Pinedagger and together we worked our way through a new edition of Something to Think About.

Right before the show was about to go off the air, we briefly welcomed in Elevation and talked a bit about The Walking Dead before rounding out a morning edition of VSR with a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer" from Mumford and Sons as our music recommendation of the week.

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 182 - 10-13-12 - If you wasted more money, You'd have more money.

Vertically Striped Radio starts oddly and never quite rights itself this week as right out of the gate an elephant is inducted into the VSR Hall of Fame, Craig is bummed about the dismal end to a scintillating baseball round, and Face loses his ever loving mind over Miami Hurricanes football.

We then move into comforting a despondent Whale after his Nationals spit the bit against the Cardinals after taking a 6-0 lead in the decisive Game 5. Craig briefly recaps going to Kansas and then Elevation calls in and helps discuss the start of The Walking Dead Season 3 this weekend before the show devolves into a free-flowing discussion that touches on a ridiculous range of topics including politics, serial gropers, and Ed's fiscal strategies.

With visits from Face, The Whale, Elevation, The Ed, Nalax, and DOTfan, what we lack in quality this week we make up for with quantity. The show wraps with a musical recommendation of the song "Conversation 16" by The National.

Random Broncos Thoughts - Game 5 - at Patriots

Patriots 31 Broncos 21

-If the Patriots and Broncos were to play 100 times, I feel the Pats would probably win about 93 of those games. This is the most hopeless match-up I can imagine for the current Broncos team. The fact that they only lost by 10 feels almost positive. Tom Brady owns the Bronco defense. The fact that the Patriots are now also running the ball with massive effectiveness feels almost unfair.

-It's getting to the point that I feel like teammates of Demaryius Thomas should be stuffing Butterfinger bars into his locker. Hang on to that ball, DT! John Fox needs to institute the old high school method of having Demaryius hang on to a football everywhere he goes this week, and if a teammate knocks it out of his hands, he has to do 20 pushups.

-Peyton Manning couldn't look a whole lot better than he did on Sunday. This one has to rest squarely on terrible turnovers and a defense that can't get off the field. 31 of 44 for 345 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions is getting it done. 3 lost fumbles, and only 70 yards of rushing is NOT getting it done. Manning was largely responsible for the first two losses, but this one he was magnificent in defeat.

-Could the Broncos catch a break from the scheduling gods? One could make the case rather easily that their three losses have come to the three best teams in the NFL.

-The run defense for Denver is troubling, as is their continuing propensity to not get off the field on third down. The Patriots were 11 for 17 on third down...it continues to be a big problem for this 2-3 team.

-Playing the Patriots offense is like a death by paper cuts. They don't ever come out with a huge death knell, they just 7 yard gain you to death. It's almost more disheartening, because they're so methodical.

-The Broncos are now the masters of falling impossibly far behind and then rallying to ALMOST make it interesting. The rallies give you false hope, but the fact is they're falling behind by more than 20 points far too often to be taken seriously in the NFL.

-I was in Kansas City over the weekend, and therefore I will count my blessings with my Broncos. The fan attitude in KC is toxic. The media has made a big deal about the fans cheering when Matt Cassell was injured. As I was at Arrowhead for the game, I can confirm that there was a definite excitement that he was down, although I think it had more to do with the fact that it meant he wouldn't be playing anymore than the fans being excited that he was hurt. The reports of the whole stadium cheering are a bit overblown. There were a few people cheering that he got hurt, but mostly the Chiefs fans around us began to feel hopeful because it meant that Brady Quinn would be coming in. I think it's safe to say that if you're excited for Brady Quinn, you've reach a pretty low point as a fan base. 

-Also...enough with the pink in October already. I hate cancer as much as the next guy, but that doesn't mean I want to wear a pink ribbon. I had to decline a pink ribbon from about 7 different sorority girls heading into Arrowhead on Sunday. I don't want to wear pink, and I'd be ecstatic if the players in the NFL weren't wearing it either. This new pink tradition is quickly making October the worst month in the NFL.

-The Chiefs apparently call their fan base "Chiefs Kingdom" which is unspeakably lame. Although, it did make me wonder who was their King for the rest of the day.

-I was surprised to find out just how solid Arrowhead was as a stadium. That place is truly a spectacular venue. Apart from the weird oval Jumbotrons and the fact that they didn't have cupholders in the seats, it's a glorious football facility. I was quite impressed.

-One more note on the Chiefs game: No touchdowns being scored was pretty lame, but I have to say that it sure looked like the Chiefs got jobbed out of a win on Sunday. There was a fumble that the Chiefs recovered in the end zone for what looked like a certain safety, but the refs ruled that the play had ended and mysteriously gave the ball back to the Ravens. Had I been a Chiefs fan, I'd have been livid. That said, Matt Cassell and the Chiefs are horrifically bad, and the Ravens didn't look a whole heck of a lot better. Beautiful day, wonderful stadium, turd of a football game.

Vertically Striped Radio - 10-06-12 - Episode 181 - Start Wearing Purple

It's a "Start Wearing Purple" weekend, as Craig is off to the flatlands of Kansas to cheer on the Wildcats and Ravens. Since a live show was out of the question, it's a prerecorded show. With free steak, Magnificent Seven Dinosaurs, You Don't Know Jack advertisements, and Craig upset that the presidential candidates are screwing up Denver traffic, it's a wide ranging hour with the VSR host with a few surprises thrown in and a music recommendation of "Life, in a Nutshell" by the Barenaked Ladies.

 

Random Broncos Thoughts - Game 4 - vs Raiders

Broncos 37 Raiders 6

Crushing the Raiders by 31 points was fantastic. Getting to see it from Club Level seats that I won in a contest...even better! Not a whole lot to complain about with this one. Peyton Manning still not showing a whole heck of a lot of arm strength, but even with his wet noodle arm, he still carved up the Raiders and looked spectacular. The defense was outstanding, and the 3rd quarter was one of the best I can remember. Three touchdowns, the defense held Oakland to four three and outs, plus we got a blocked punt. Total domination in a game that was full of domination to the point that the Broncos never punted.

Things that worry me...

Demaryius Thomas fumbling the ball when trying to switch hands to make it harder to strip the ball from him. It was so bad that for the rest of the game, any time Thomas made a catch my cousin Tawni and I would turn to each other after he was tackled and yell, "He didn't fumble!" a bit too enthusiastically.

I never need to see Matt Prater throw the ball ever again. Wow, that was painful.

Why is Jim Leonhard returning punts? A super slow safety back to recieve doesn't inspire any kind of confidence that something wonderful might happen. You know that slightly dangerous feeling you have whenever your team punts to Devin Hester? This is the complete opposite of that. If all goes perfectly, the Broncos will get a 12 yard return.

The Broncos may have turned into juggernauts on Sunday, or more likely the Raiders are hot garbage. I'm hopeful that Peyton Manning will continue on this hot streak. (Dude went 30-38 for 338 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.) The bad news is that the Broncos don't get to play Oakland every Sunday, and the big bad Patriots are up next. Here's hoping Sunday was the start of something big.

The view from the not cheap seats!

Good times with my cousin!