Tebow Gets Clipped

My crew is never ever wack because we stand strong
Now if you say my style is wack that's where you're dead wrong...

Tim Tebow was all over the TV last night at the Nuggets game. Can Denver's "starting QB going into camp" mix well with the NBA?

-If Tebow is running the point, please warn the cotton candy vendors in the 13th row about wayward lob passes.

-With their son in LA, Chauncey's parents have already invited Tim to stay in his old childhood bedroom.

-The read option just doesn't translate well to the NBA. Pesky travelling rules and Nene just doesn't hit that hole.

- "Yeah Tim, the last #15 we had on the roster just didn't work out so well."

-Corey Brewer is thinking: "man, I just can't escape this guy's shadow."

-The virtuous Tebow had to walk to the concourse to avoid the sultry and scantily clad Nuggets dancers each stop in play.

-George Karl would tire of playing four defenders while Tim prays after every made basket.

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2011 Tell Em: Top CO Beer Spots

Euclid Hall- I go way back with this space, as back in the day it was the old school Soapy Smiths. Make no mistake in 2011, there's nothing old school about it. Tons of great beer on tap, good food plates and a young hip crowd. But it ain't all uppity: they mix in the old Hip Hop (heard Nas' "New York State of Mind" and more) with the music selections.

Hops and Pie- The North Denver Tennyson neighborhood continues to evlove and Hops and Pie lends to the new feel. The delicious, yet nothing too fancy, pizza pairs perfectly with the neighborhood feel. The vast array of craft brews on tap attract the beer elite, families, and SG crew.
Patrick O'Carroll's Pub- Just down the road is this quaint Irish pub. Sample all the Irish beer favorites, plus American "nostalgic" selections for $2 (PBR, Hamms, Strohs, Olympia) and drink standbys. Yet the food is not the standard pub fare, try the extensive appetizer selections. The Colcannon (fried mashed potatoes) go perfect with your PBR or Guiness.

Lulu's- While Louisville might conjure up images of suburbia, they've managed to keep a real downtown strip alive. One of the most unique additions is LuLu's on the south end. Built in an old service station, the joint mixes too-die-for BBQ, canned beer (try the off brand ), and a nice "backyard" complete with baggo. Perfect for those lazy summer nights.

Biker Jims- The popular gourmet hot dog cart is now permanent fixture in the Coors Field area. A mix of sit down service with counter service gives it a casual feel. Get there early on game day, as the line for their unique dogs (Southwest Buffalo and Jalapeno to name a few) and ice cold Coors Light is out the door.

Arvada Beer Company- Sparse is a word to describe this new microbrewery in the emerging Old Town Arvada. No food avaliable, but you are welcome to bring in any foor of your own. No fancy or folksy crap on the walls. What they do make is mouth watering fresh beers. From the
Ralston Golden Lager to the Water Tower Wheat and the other offerings are all sure to please.

The Pullman- No SG list would be official without a Glenwood Springs cold one, and the newest spot in the Colorado tourist spot is the Pullman. On a key riverfront spot, this trendy eatery doesn't skimp on the drinks. Sit in the front and watch the tourists go by with a nice local craft beer selction as well as the mass produced stalwarts.

The Old Man- Back in the day this was Yogis, and after that it was the hopping shithole Roosters. Saved from the Wal Mart wrecking ball the space underwent a transformation and became The Old Man. Adorned with pictures of (what else) fathers (and a nice Denver Gold sticker) this joint serves up ice cold cans of Keystone, serves great smoked BBQ, and has a selection of bar games and a jumping patio.

The Old Man happenned to be the first place Mrs Commish and I were able to go solo (read: without kids) when she got the drinking legs back after our second daughter's arrival. Looking back, probably my favorite couple hours of the year. (Note: we also brought the enitre fam to the re-opened venerable Red Ram in Georgetown during Christmas time. My little one's first tavern visit!)

I list a ton of great places in Colorado, a bunch of great music from this year, and some of the most memorable sports events. But the simple act of sitting down and sharing a cold one with your loved ones and friends simply cannot be beat. As always with this post, big ups to the SG Fam for 2012. CHeers.

(related: shirts with the above design available here)

Drinking in the day, better than Trip Advisor:
2006 List, 2007 List, 2008 List, 2009 List, 2010 List

2011 Tell Em: Top Hip Hop Albums

1- Apathy – Honkey Kong – The Demigodz alumnus comes hard and fierce in this offering, chock full of boom bap beats and stellar guest appearances from Xzibit, Vinnie Paz, General Steele, and others and production from Statik Selektah and DJ Muggs. The Primo laced “Stop What Ya Doin” with Celph Titled is a certified banger.


2- Onry Ozzbourne – Hold On For Dear Life – Last year’s #1 comes back with a perfect solo follow up. A balanced album with both melodic thoughtful joints (“Daughters”), sparse lyrical tracks (“All to Herself”), and even a semi-radio track in “The O.O.” and “Hold Up” make this Farmington NM native a must listen.


3- Mar Q Spekt and Kno- Machete Vision - The Cunninlynguists producer sets up the beats perfectly for Spekt, who blazes through track after track. Spekt stands out lamenting the state of Hip Hop, but unlike many, he lets the listener follow along in his disgust. A strong cameo from Action Bronson on “Roadhouse” is a highlight.


4- Qwazzar & Batsauce – Bat Meets Blaine – Qwazzaar seemingly rolls with the punches as his producer counterpart Batsauce feeds him an endless variety of beats. No track swells into the plus three minute mark (save the dope posse cut “Never Weaker”) which creates a flowing album for all the real Hip Hop heads.


5- Willie Evans – Introducin – Fully produced and rapped by Willie himself, this “concept” joint is a journey of straight Hip Hop (“Introducin”) to story telling (“Take 2”) and everything in between. Hailing from Jacksonsville, this artist (and his MF Doom-like flow) will certainly be one to watch for in the coming years.


6- Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Going To Eat That? – Aesop Rock is one of the most slept on lyricists in the game, and this underground release from Aes, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz highlights his unique abilities. Tracks like “Garfield” are a musical mashup of curious lyrics and a cacophony of out-of-the norm beats.


7- Random Axe - Random Axe - Supergroups produce varying results; Guilty Simpson, Sean Price, and Black Milk hit you smack dab in the face this past summer with this joint. Sean P further cements his status as one of the greatest in the current game and Black Milk not only provides production but a viable third MC voice.


8- PH – Know The Ledge- The Brooklyn underground MC (formerly Pumpkinhead) brings that BK sound straight to your gut with cameos from Skyzoo, Rustee Juxx (both on the bangin “County of Kings”) and Fresh Daily among others. Topics range from women’s tattoos to the standard smoking and drinking.


9- Luckyiam – I Love Haters – The Living Legends MC brings that Cali vibe to this project in which he says “You can’t critique anything anymore without being labeled a hater and I just don’t agree with that.” Great verses from Slug of Atmosphere, Aceyalone, and Imani of Pharcyde add to the flavor.


10- Reks – R.E.K.S. (Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme) – Assembling a cast of producers that would make MCs mouths’ salivate- Premier, Alchemist (Reks teams with Styles P in a good ol’ verbal throwdown on “Why Cry”), Nottz, and Hi-Tech. Primo gets the best of Reks, on the ill “Thin Line” and “25th Hour.”


11- Tyler, The Creator – Goblin – The “weirdness” and “buzz” factors aside, Tyler, The Creator manages to follow up his previous releases with a solid “debut.” Tracks like the lead single “Yonkers” will resonate in the eardrums, but deep in the album cuts like “Tron Cat” are the real treat from the Odd Future stalwart and leader.


12- Evidence – Cats And Dogs – The Dilated MC shifts over to Rhymesayers and doesn’t miss a beat, literally. Mr Slow Flow is in the house on tracks like Alchemist’s “The Red Carpet” (with Raekwon and Ras Kass) and Premier’s “You.” Check for the standout guitar-laden “Late For The Sky” with Slug from Atmosphere and Aesop Rock.


OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part II – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame be damned, 25years later these guys put out their finest straight Hip Hop joint in years.


Elzhi – Elmatic – Mixtape or not, this MC’s “remake” of the Nas classic follows the original from start to finish to near perfection. “Detroit State of Mind” yes indeed.

Pac Div – The Div – The West Coast trio follows up their free mistape Church League Champs with another plate of minimalist beats and precise rhymes.


Vast Aire – Ox 2010: A Street Odyssey – One of Hip Hop’s clearest and most articulate voices, the Can O stalwart has been in the game for a decade because of releases like this.


Weerd Science - Sick Kids - The track “Unloveable Loser” is a definite highlight, a harmonious track about never getting paid, respect, the girls, or a record deal.


BACK IN THE SG DAY: 2006 Best, 2007 Tops, 2008 Aces, 2009 Bangers , 2010 Damn That's Fresh

Trigger Happy

PROPS and DROPS from the ridiculous Broncos' OT win over the heavily favored Steelers:

PROPS: DeMaryius Thomas absolutley abused Ike Taylor (that's not a pun either, "abuse" and "Ike")on the game winning play. Change the jersey and that's Calvin Johnson going Megatron on the Steelers. Tim Tebow threw a laser on point pass and the stiff arm that Thomas utilized should be shown to every young receiver on "how to" stiff arm. Notice Troy Polamalu completely deked in on the play? Tebow gave just enough to suck him in for a millisecond and he was hopeless after Thomas caught the ball.

DROPS: The refs again had a absolutely horrid game. More and more they are missing facemask calls on Tebow because of the way he plays. Perhaps the worst call of the weekend was the missed fumble on the backwards pass in the 3rd quarter. That was in essence a 10 (or 14) point swing since the Steelers scored and the Donks were already in FG range. Isn't there a "side judge"? Apparently he can't judge the side too well.

DROPS: We all know Tebow is careful with who he associates with, but check the graphic when he scored his rushing TD. The only other QBs to score a rushing TD versus the Steelers in the playoffs: Ken Stabler (notorious partier) and Steve McNair (murdered by his mistress.)

PROPS: Mike McCoy gets all the pub, but Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen had a great game plan for most of the tilt. Everyone knew that they would try to pound Big Ben (even when they weren't hitting him , the pocket would squeeze him) but by the game's end they were confusing him. Guys standing on the line, moving in and out of the zones, all this lead to some confusion on the Steelers' last drive and a half ass Hail Mary attempt.

DROPS: All the talk about Brady Quinn in the media was just poppycock (damn straight I wrote "poppycock".) There's no way Quinn goes in the game cold (real cold since he hasn't ben in one in three years) and does anything. In fact, conspiracy theorists unite, maybe it was the Donks who floated the rumor to keep the Steelers off balance.

RELATED: Xzibit - "X" - (I beat the odds like Ike beat on his first wife")

2011 Tell Em: Top CO Sports Moments

1- Tebow mania went into the beginning of meltdown mode when his 20 yard ramble beat the Jets. A national TV audience saw him and the Broncos get back to 500 and had every talking head from Bristol to Denver yapping. As play-by-play man Dave Logan simply asked as he crossed the goal line: “are you kidding me?”

2- The Chicago Bears came to town in mid-December with a stout defense and some hopes of the playoffs. Through three and a half quarters they almost gave the Broncos their first home shutout ever. Cue Tim Tebow and a 59 yard game-tying FG and 51 yard game-winner from Matt Prater and the Broncos stood at 8-5 and the Tebow Meltdown was in full effect

3- A shaky game by the opposing kicker and great defensive play by the Buffs in the first half lead to the end of their four year road streak with a win over Utah. The day-after-Thanksgiving upset prevented the Utes from appearing in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship and gave the Buffs some momentum going into the offseason.

4- After the Donks and their “traditional” offense laid an egg versus the Lions, the coaching staff went retro with Tim Tebow. Out were long passes and complex passes, in were option plays, QB draws, and straight rushes up the gut. A power game resulted in nearly 300 yards on the ground and the beginning of the Bronco win streak.

5- After the February deal of Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks, no one expected the Nuggets to do much of anything. What we saw though was spirited team-oriented basketball lead by the Knicks’ former players in Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Danilo Galinarri. Posting on the Western Conference’s best late records, the Nuggets again won 50 games.

6- The Buffs hoops team took a horrendous and suspicious NCAA snub and turned it into a long NIT run. With a veteran 21 win team lead by NBA lottery pick Alec Burks, they avoided a letdown and ran through their bracket as a top seed. The reward was a trip to Hoops Mecca, Madison Square Garden, where they fell in the semifinals in a classic game to Alabama.

7- The Rockies highlighted their stellar April by making quick work of the Cubs and their legions of invading fans with a sunny Colorado Sunday win 9-5. Talk of winning the West wasn’t “if” but “by how many.” Everything was clicking for the Purp; timely hitting, power numbers, steady pitching, and defense.

8-10- In no specific order select the following: the Broncos win versus the Chiefs in KC where they completed two passes; their “shootout” overtime win in Minnesota; or their miracle cover the onside kick win versus the Dolphins.

RELATED:
2010 Tops
2009 Tops
2008 Tops
2007 Tops
2006 Tops

Mile High Invasion

Now let's get it all in perspective
For all yall enjoyment, a song yall can step wit...

Donk playoff tickets went on sale to the general public yesterday and you can bet as sure as a misfired Tebow pass that Steeler fans were clogging the phone lines and bandwith.

Remember the 2006 AFC Championship? Steeler fans were everywhere; and with the Broncos backing into the playoffs ala a dirty J-Lo video, many local fans might decide to spend their Sunday afternoon somewhere else. A cool couple hundy from a Steeler fan might be a better option to a longtime Bronco ticket holder than having to endure another game like Sunday.

How are the Donks attempting to stifle the impending Black and Yellow invasion? Ticketmaster makes you have a "Rocky Mountain" address. One thing we've learned about Steeler fans is that they are everywhere, a result of the exodus of Western Pennsylvanians in the 80s and the local bandwagon fans from their recent and prior success. Hell, Steeler fans will probably rent a PO Box in Colby, Kansas just to get tickets.

Bronco fans be warned, plenty of Terrible Towels at Sports Authority to dry our tears.

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