Antmeister
10-31-2007, 03:36 PM
Cam Edwards's questions:
Q:How much alcohol do you plan on consuming during the WS games?
A: Actually, I don't drink (hate the taste of alcohol).. although I do drink a gatorade or two during the game, due to all the pacing in front of the TV I do in key situations.
Q:Favorite Sox player past and present (two different players, in other words)
A: No doubt for current player, it's gotta be David "Big Papi" Ortiz. Bigger then life, gregarious and key hits by the bushels. Two games that I've actually attended at Fenway Park were games that Ortiz hit walk-off homeruns for.
Past player? Hmm.. I'd have to go with a bit of a name from the past. Bill "The Spaceman" Lee. I have a deep abiding respect for players who aren't Joe Whitebread, and Lee had talent (until injured in a Yankees-Sox brawl at Yankee Stadium), and even afterwards, still mad e his way around the majors.. Plus he's enough of a goof ball that he made the game fun. Kinda like Manny being Manny, only in the 70's.
Q: what better: steamers or fried clams?
A:Fried Clams, definitely. One of my favorite foods (full fried clams with the bellies, not those fried clam strips that people try to pass off as fried clams)
FrogMan's Question:
Q: please, tell us about that tree again... http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
A: Ugh. Alright. Hopefully this is the LAST time I have to talk about this.
2003 game 7.. I'm in full on fanatic mode (which thankfully I've stepped down from since), and we all know what happens. Grady Little leaves Pedro Martinez in several batters too long, and the Sox lead quickly starts to disappear.
I'd been talking with SackAttack, and at one point (I Think the fourth inning), the Sox kill a rally, although they're up 4-0 after 4 innings, running Roger Clemens from the game, and in tried and true Boston Doomsayer fashion, I say to SackAttack.. "That's the high point right there. It's only downhill from here.. they had their chance to put things away."
Fast forward to the bottom of the 8th, and it's 5-2.. but Pedro is laboring (let up single runs in the fifth and then the seventh). The whole of Red Sox Nation pretty much gave Pedro a standing ovation, because he had fought through on a game he didn't have his best stuff, and it's well known that when Pedro hit 100 pitches, he lost his stuff rapidly.
And to the shock of the fans, Pedro goes out there.. and starts giving up hits!!! Grady even comes out at one point, and his name was already mud to Sox fans... AND HE LEAVES HIM IN THE GAME.
The whole of New England is willing one of two things to happen during this whole thing.. for either Grady to pull Pedro out of the game.. or for Grady Little's head to explode. We weren't choosy at that point.
The Yanks come back and tie it up, and from that point, we were dead team walking.
Well, the Yankees send it to extra innings, and Aaron Boone hits the homerun to lead off the 11th to win the series.
Well, this just was the crowning point.. flashbacks to my Grandpa (who never lived to see 2004), waking me up in 1986 for game 6, and saying that "you're about to see something not many people living can say they've seen.. the Red Sox winning the World Series."
I don't want to watch the post game show. I don't want to think about the fucking "Curse of the Bambino". I decide to go out and blow off some steam. Well, I choose some VERY ill-advised words Something about "finding a tree and wrapping my car around it" on FOFC, and storm out.. well.. my folks see me storming out and driving off, and check my monitor which I left on.. and well.. panic a bit.
I just drove about a half mile or so away and took my frustrations out on a tree.. somehow, I avoid breaking my hands, but I have splinters like mad in em. My folks find me about 20 mintues later, and well, they were just glad I was ok.
It's not my proudest moment, and it taught me a lot about the difference between being a fan, and being a fanatic. (Truth be told, 2004 and the Sox winning the World Series helped as well).. but you can see the moderation in my posts afterwards, like when Cleveland had taken a 3-1 lead in the current postseason over the Sox, that I fully admitted Cleveland was playing better, and pretty much thought the series was over.
St.Cronin's Question:
Q:Can you talk for a few paragraphs about Tom Brady, and how good a quarterback he is? Thanks in advance.
A:*chuckles* That's like asking a Colts fan to go a few paragraphs about Peyton Manning, but real quick, to be serious, he (almost) never makes a stupid throw into traffic, and he seemingly has pinpoint control.
Eaglesfan27's Questions:
Q:If you couldn't root for any of the Boston Teams, who would you root for in the NFL and MLB?
A: oof. Rough question. Probably Buffalo in the NFL, remember, I grew up in the days of The Comeback, and Jim Kelley and Thurman Thomas, and all that. They were a fun team to watch.
For MLB.. hmm.. that's really rough. Probably the Dodgers. I remember going crazy when Gibson hit the HR off Eckersley, plus they had a perfect radio guy to listen to (Vin Scully)
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I work tech support for EMC, on the Clariion line of data storage products. Trust me, when a customer's $250,000+ piece of storage doesn't work the way it's supposed to, and the customer has ALL their storage on it, they can be.. rather perturbed. It has its ups and downs, but at least it's never boring.
Q:What is one of your biggest regrets?
A: That I wasn't able to continue working in radio for more then the 5 years past college I was able to. I loved being a radio DJ, because it was the perfect job for someone who loved music and loved to talk.
Neon Chaos's questions:
Q:Tony Soprano: Dead or Alive?
A: I guess he's alive, but that's only because I saw an interview with the creator the other day. I never watched the show when it was on (Basically all I watch on TV is sports)
Q:Coke or Pepsi?
A: Definitely Coke, for some reason I can't STAND the taste of Pepsi.
Q: Do you think that if I had money to pay for CoH, I would've remained as addicted to it as I was?
A: At least for several more months... I fall in and out of addiction with MMORPG's fairly easily. The problem is replayability, and you always have to try to find people around your level that aren't asshats.
Q:Would you rather listen to 80's hits or 90's hits?
A:Hmm. 90's hits, but I tend towards the earlier part of the decade (remember, this is the time frame I was a radio DJ, from when I graduated HS in 92, to graduating from college in 94, and then for 5-6 years afterwards)
TreeInNewEngland's Question
Q: Do you ever feel bad about beating me up?
A: If I had known I was going to get the amount of crap I have about it,
I wouldn't have mentioned anything about it... and
I would have taken an axe to that tree.
Dodgerchick's Questions:
Q: What is your real name?
A: David Mark Yellope
Q: What Leo characteristics do you have?
A: Hmm.. not big on Astrology, but I looked it up, and this is what it said. "Leo motto might be "What you see is what you get." You tend to live your live straightforwardly and with a flair for drama. In fact, many Leos are attracted to the theater, the performing arts and public relations, for you truly understand the importance of putting on a good presentation". That fits pretty well.
Q: How come we only teamed up like twice?
A: Because I'm on weird hours, and you guys were on other hours? http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Q: Are you Leeroy Jenkins? Let me refresh your memory:
Originally Posted by Antmeister :LOL! Looks like the group that SirFozzie tried to bum rush and got 3 people killed.
A:*chuckles* I'm not one for sitting around and waiting.. in the one that you mention, I thought people were going with me, so I rushed in to attack.. oops http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif Of course, my main character (Green Gale, a defender) had to be reminded time and time again "GALE IS NOT A TANK!"
Q:Strange question, but your last name is familiar. Do you know if you're related to a guy named Pat who goes to USC and does freelance web work?
A: Don't believe so, or if so, it's a distant relation, my mother's named Pat (Patricia), but that's the only Pat Yellope I know.
Neuqua's Question
Q: You have a very, interesting, choice in sports you follow. How did you get started following rugby, soccer, and any of the other non-American sports?
A: Soccer, I can blame on the old Championship Manager games (CM 2 and CM97-98),as well as some of Wizard Games's old soccer sims, (One-Nil, Two-Nil and Goal 96).
I'd watch the games whenever they were on TV. Then MLS started shortly after World Cup USA 96. Rugby and Aussie Rules followed, I used to stay up till the middle of the night to watch the Aussie Rules games that would air on Fox Sports..
When Fox Sports World started up, I would catch the soccer and the Rugby there. I loved that both sports weren't stop/start/stop/start/stop.. it really rewarded the fact that if you weren't paying attention at any one moment of the game, that you quite possibly could miss the game's pivotal moment.
Cricket followed from the days on the web where to know what was happening , you had to visit the English sites, and of course, Cricket is HUGE over there. When I was working overnight at EMC, I watched some of the 2005 Ashes series (one of the best) via a PPV video stream.
I've always liked watching different sports.. I'm the type of guy who if he turns on the TV during the olympics, and team handball is on, will watch it happily.
Path12's Questions
Q:Haven't Boston fans had enough success lately?
A: I'm enjoying this for as long as it lasts.. and I don't think there's ever "enough success" that would make me stop rooting for my local sides.
Q:Why don't you play werewolf anymore?
A: Because I got tired of the twisty thinking that was required to succeed at Werewolf. You have to be 3 parts Agatha Christie, to 2 parts the Man in The Iron Mask, and 2 parts of a Lucky guesser. Plus there was some personality conflicts between me and a couple other WW regulars, and I decided that I'd rather bow out then have to deal with it.
Role playing questions by Honolulu_Blue:
Favorite all time RPG?
A:Shadowrun, then Battletech
Favorite all time D&D Module?
A:Las Vegas Crawl for XCrawl
Favorite RPG character you've ever role-played?
A: Alain Orc-Foe, slayer of the Gnarlroot Tribe
Favorite adventure you've GM'd:
A:MemphisCrawl for XCrawl
Milwaukee or Indianapolis?
A:I've only been to Indianapolis, but at the rate that GenCon is growing, there's no way in hell Milwaukee could keep up.
Holy Avenger or Vorpal Sword?
A:Vorpal Sword, only because I have the phrase "The Vorpal Sword went snicker-snack" running through my head
D20 System. Discuss:
A: Good idea, but just like Dungeons and Dragons and 2nd edition before it, it got played out. Too much milking of the cash cow. I like the variety of settings for D20 (As I said above, my favorite d20 system is Xcrawl), but since EVERYTHING is d20 legal due to the OGL license, you feel like you have to keep a $3,000 collection of books, just to know everything.
JeeberD's Question:
Q: What's the over/under for tree questions?
A: The Over/Under is set at WAY too fucking many.
Neuqua's Question:
Q: You have to move out of the northeast and into a different part of the country. Where do you move?
A: Probably someplace warm.. I endlessly bitch about New England winters.. probably some place like the Carolinas, if I could find a place.
St.Cronin's Question:
Q: Please post a pic of your nipple piercing.
A: Well, that's not a question. But let's put it this way. You'd have to knock me out cold to even get me into the place. I am extremely needlephobic, and you want to try to put more holes in me? (this is almost to Skydog's "PINECONES?" level of shuddering in reaction)
flere-imsaho's Question:
Q: How much are you enjoying the impending Red Sox WS win (I'm writing this on Friday)?
A: I almost broke FTB ettiquette by replying to this one. This series is NOWHERE near over, the Rockies had so many chances to tie or take the lead in Game 2. The next three are in Colorado, and it's not beyond possibility for the Sox to come back down 3-2. As it turns out, we didn't need to come back, so it was nice.
Wolfpack's Questions:
Q: Jeeber beat me to the tree over/under question, so let's try a different one: Over/under on "Fozzie the Bear" questions?
A: I think people KNOW I have a weird/twisted sense of humor, so it's obvious where I got the nickname from.
Q: If Boston goes on to lose the World Series after starting out with a 2-0 lead, will any vegetation be harmed?
A: Nah, it's been a magnificent year for the Sox, finally taking the AL East from the Yankees, coming back from 3-1 down against the Indians. No matter what, it's been a hell of a run.
Q: In what order would you rank your interest in the various teams in the Boston sports scene?
A: In Order:
Red Sox
Patriots
Revolution
BC Eagles
Celtics
Bruins.
Q: Can BC go all the way and will anyone outside of the BC fanbase care?
A: They CAN go all the way, although all the teams they play the rest of the way have winning records, and they have a Championship game to go.. and besides for the fans of the SEC spontaneously combusting that a no loss ACC team will go over a 1 or 2 loss SEC team.. It'll be NICE, but it won't be to the level that the Celtics, Sox and Patriots get.
Q:Should flere do a "RyanBrady" skit on his next NFL Week in Pictures after what happened against VaTech?
A: You know what caused Ryan to puke on the sidelines after the last touchdown right? It was the power of Brady leaving him, and he couldn't take becoming mortal again. (Ok, that was sarcasm folks)
Q:When do you think the run of Boston sports excellence (well, except the Bruins) will come to an end?
A:Patriots.. I don't see them being a sub .500 team until Brady retires (or I should say till Belichick retires, and the new coach tries to install a new system that doesn't play to Brady's strengths). The Celtics by 2010 will be average at best.. The Sox.. well, any team that spends to the level the Sox do compared to the average team will be good more years then not (The Knicks are the only exception to this rule).
Q:Bill Simmons: indicative of Boston fans or an embarrasment to them?
A: A bit of both, actually. He's your average Boston fan, tuned up to 11. I find myself agreeing with a lot of stuff he writes about Boston, but his focus on Boston can be quite annoying to non-Boston fans.
Q:And, to contribute at least one question to the count of the first question, remind us why you're named for a knighted Muppet.
A: Oh boy. This question. I was dreading answering this. I was using Fozzie as my IRC (Internet Relay Chat) nickname way back before IM and all that, back in the days where 56K modems were considered blazingly fast... (I go back to the days of the C-64 and a 1200 Baud modem). Let's just say that I visited certain channels that had a certain.. flavor to them and I added the Sir to my nickname so that there were no doubts about which side of that ledger I was on.
I think I'll leave it at that. You probably don't want to hear about it.
It's caused me a spot of trouble since, there's another SirFozzie out there, and he writes.. disgusting stories. (Yes, I write Smut, but the things the other SirFozzie (He goes by SIRFozzie, I think) writes about.. ewwww)
Dodgerchick's Questions:
Q:Who the hell are you anyway? Describe yourself as your mom would describe you.
A: Who am I? I'm Batman. No, I'm about 5'6", fairly big guy (trying to lose weight), and a lot of the time, I'm a bon vivant, trying to get the most out of life, laughing and being silly.
Q:Create a joke for us.
A:It's Christmas Day in New England, and a man is driving to church.. going
slow to avoid losing control on the icy roads.. he sees the town priest trying to walk , and in the spirit of the day, pulls over.
"Father, let me take you to the church... it's not fit for a man to be walking today." he says..
"Bless you, my son." the priest says... "I've fallen over several times, and I fear that by the time I got to the church, I would be too sore to say the Mass on this holy day where all is forgiven."
So about a mile down the road, the man spots the town's one and only Yankee fan. He's just intending to scare him, but as he nudges the car over to honk the horn, he loses control on some black ice, and starts to slide right at his prospective victim.. Filled with fear, he fights for control of the car, and somehow points it away at the last second, but there is a muffled WHUMP sound..
He pulls over, and the Yankee fan is lying dazed against a snowbank, not seriously injured...
"Father! I think I almost hit him! And on Christmas Day too.. will God forgive me?" He asks, afraid...
The priest serenely says.. "There's nothing to forgive my Son, I saw you were going to miss, so I got the son-of-a-bitch with my door!"
Q: Who, in your opinion, is the best quarterback in the NFL? Greatest of all time?
A: Ugh. I have to go with Brady just over Manning, and some of it is admittedly home-team bias, but I think Brady's done more with less. Greatest of all time? Joe Montana. Talk about a QB that you could never count out.
Q: If Tom Brady decided to go gay and was looking for a partner and you and cronin were available, why should he choose you over cronin?
A: He'd choose Cronin, cuz I'm not that way even for Tom Brady http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Ardent's Questions
Q: Have any pets? I'll take pictures of pets.
A: One dog, PJ, a bichon friese type (almost a poodle). He's napping on a blanket next to me while I type this up.
Q: Would you buy me a hat? No one else has.
A: Tell you what, if the Sox win the World Series, I will send you my Red Sox Division Champion hat http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Q: Do you like ham?
A: Eh, take it or leave it.. my favorite food is country-fried steak
Q: When is the last time you attended a high school football game?
A: Thanksgiving, 2000. I was the Play by Play announcer for the Franklin HS -King Phillip HS game. It was a HORRIBLE day weather-wise, 35 degrees and raining like crazy.. the kind of weather where as a kid your mom would yell at you "You'll catch your death of Pneumonia if you go out there." It's traditional for teams to play on Thanksgiving up here, and the tradition was that if your HS won three straight Thanksgiving day games over your rival, you got to keep the trophy. It was retired, and a new trophy would be made for next year.
Well, this was Lofa Tatupu's (Yes, the son of Mosi, who is now playing for the Seattle Seahwawks) last game, and he just destroyed us. They got to retire the trophy that year on us, and as much as I wanted to root for Franklin (my home town), I had to be neutral.
Q: When's the last time you had a Big Mac?
A: About 2 1/2 years ago.
Q: Favorite Muppet?
A: Fozzie, of course.
Q: Knights. Overrated?
A: Not unless you have a can opener.
St.Cronin's Questions
Q:If ardent enthusiast were a muppet, which one would he be?
A: Bunson Honeydew, of Muppet labratories.
Q:How do you eat a hot dog?
A:With a dab of mustard, and some ketchup.
Ardent (Part 2)
Q:Which cereal commercial do you think cronin was in, Trix or Fruit Loops?
A: Neither, he's obviously Crackle. (of Snap, Crackle and Pop)
terpkristin's Questions:
Q:Which is worse, hitting a tree or hitting a wall?
A: Hitting a wall, at least with a tree there's a chance for a glancing hit.
Q: Being that we're all pretty dorky here, what do you consider to be your dorkiest hobby?
A: Hmm.. considering the flack I got for talking RPG stuff in that TSR thread, I have to say being a RPG collecter/player. Plus I was a beta tester for a certain Online RPG that I will NOT be mentioning, but let's just say that you had to provide proof of age to join.
Q: Do you watch much TV outside of sports? If yes, what are your favorite shows that are still on the air (and not in re-run)?
A:No, not really, I think the only show on my Tivo besides sports is Ninja Warrior.
Q: What was your reaction when you got the PM from Ant that I'd chosen you?
A: In order.. A) Great.. time to hear 9 million tree jokes.. b) Oh god.. this is gonna be nuts, C) This oughta be fun.
Dodgerchick's Question:
Q: Do you have a flickr acct? Myspace? Hook me up dammit!
A: I had a myspace account, still might, but I haven't checked it in a while.
Ardent's back again:
Q:Who has the better WID team?
A: You do, because I've been so out of it due to RL issues, I haven't had a free moment to check.
MrBug's Bugging Me:
Q:Why the Sir in front of Fozzie?
A: I answered that one a bit back, let's just say that certain folks will harass you constantly with questions if you don't make it clear http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif
Q:Bill Buckner. Villian or just a guy who had bad timing?
A: Bad Timing, and he never should have been out there in the first place. The Sox had good defensive 1B subs on the bench at the time. Plus when you consider that was just one of the mistakes made in that inning, it's a wonder that Grady Little wasn't the manager.
Q: Do you feel special that your thread is getting my 7k post? If you do, awesome, I did it for you If not you should.
A: Eh, You've picked up 30 posts since then. If not me, some other thread woulda gotten it. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif
Q:How is the erotic writing business treating ya?
A: Other then a case of writer's block over the last year, good. Have two stories "published" with rather good ratings.
Dodgerchick:
Q:Where's Waldo?
A:Guantanomo Bay, I think.
Q: Define yourself in 3 words.
A: Irreverent, fun-loving.
Sabotai's Questions:
Q:Elvis or The Beatles?
A: The Beatles. More musically andlyrically intricate.
Q: Do you still play poker?
A: Not much time lately, but when I can.
Q:Favorite Movie(s)?
A: Ugh, haven't seen one in a while, but I'll have to go with The Replacements. "I wish I could say something classy and inspirational, but that just wouldn't be our style. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever"
Q:Favorite Book(s)?
A: Too many to list, but I'll go with Shogun by James Clavell
Q:Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 20 years?
A: I'll paraphrase a line from the late great Casey Stengel about one of the original New York Mets. "SirFozzie's 33.. in five years he has a great chance to be 38. If he's really lucky, in 20 years he'll be 53.
Neuqua's Question:
Q:Who gets invited to Foz's house for a FOFC get together?
A: just about everyone, actually, I'd love to just chill and shoot the shit with so many of the personalities that I've spent the last.. seven years with? Damn.. time flies. Just a couple quick ones though.. I have a feeling that Jon and I would get along like oil and water, but after having locked horns with him so many times about various subjects, I think he and I could be friends. SackAttack, well.. either I'd finally beat him at a video game.. or I'd bash him over the head with a controller till he was a bloody pulp http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif
Chief Rum's Ruminations:
Q:Bridget, Gisele or a foursome with Tom, Bill and Randy?
A: Bridget. I don't trust superskinny supermodels.
FrogMan's Question:
Q: Project yourself in the future, you are now retired. Do you see yourself still playing sports sims then?
A: Yeah, I'll still be playing them. I've been playing them ever since 1986 (I even lugged my old IBM PC up to Maine on a trip and played hours and hours of an old EA text sim called Radio Baseball. It's more fun to imagine the games in your head.
DaddyTorgo's Blasphemies
Q:If ARod comes to the Red Sox do you still root for them?
A: Yes, but that's because it's my team, right or wrong. It'd be a horrible move, though. You bring the anti-christ of chemistry onto a team that is built on chemistry.
Q: Could you root for the Sox individually as a team but root for ARod to suffer a career-ending injury?
A: I can't root for a CEI on anyone. I'd reluctantly support ARod, but doesn't mean I would be HAPPY about it.
Q: What if ARod coming meant the end of Schilling and Lugo and ARod played short and Lowell stayed at 3rd?
A: We'd be the Yankees. 95-100 wins a regular season, and bombing out in the postseason.
Alan T's Questions:
Q:What do you listen to/watch/read for your sports information / discussions?
A: I listen to Mike and Mike in the morning on the way in, constantly have espn.com open, and various sports blogs (including the ex-Daily Quickie guy (Dan Shanoff)
Q: Do you prefer the local only viewpoint of WEEI/local sports shows on NESN/etc or do you prefer the national angle of things on ESPN Radio, and national cable shows?
A: If I have a choice, I'd rather listen to local stuff, because I have more of an interest in it, but I like to discuss all sports.
Q: Do you ever make it down to Pawtucket for games there, or out to the cape Cod league games just for fun, or do you primarily only care about the Boston Red Sox?
A: Try to hit a couple PawSox games a year.. I don't head down to the Cape at all (I'm not a travellin man type)
Q:Are you also a Bruins fan? (I have no idea how much into hockey you are), if so do you think anyone is going to even care about them this year or get behind them considering the other success in the town for sports teams.
A: I'll watch it when it's on and none of the other teams on my list are on.... but it's no where near the fandom I feel for the other teams int he area. They'd have to be a top 4 team in the conference all year long to catch attention, sadly.
Q: I best got to know you I guess back playing in the RWBL, where eventually you took over my powerhouse of a team ( ) How could you have not won the World Series every year with the fresh young talent I left??
A: Two words. Josh Beckett. Three Words. Career Ending Injury. One Swear. FUCK!
Q: I knew you worked up the street from where I lived (until this last weekend when I moved), but what do you do over there for your job? Is it something you see yourself in long term, or just a stepping stone to something else different/better?
A: I'm tech support. I'm the guy who you call when you have a drive failure, or a hardware fault on your $500,000 array. I tried to make the step up to management the last few months, but it was so unbelieveably overstressing me (We had our call valume go up 55% over the space of ONE MONTH, and we were actually LOSING folks in the lab).. that the doctor ordered me to take a week off from work.. and I asked to go back to my tech support job.. where I only have to worry about 1-3 calls at a time, instead of 50-60 (which is the amount of cases in the Q at the end of the average day right now.
The LAST Questions.. From TK:
Q:What is your favorite food to eat? Do you cook it yourself, or is it something you get at a restaurant, or is it something somebody else cooks (mom, friend, significant other, etc)?
A: As I said above, country fried steak. Usually head over to Chili's to get it. I know it's horrible for me, but it's gooooooood http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Q:What is your favorite "healthy" food to eat?
A:Cut up green and red peppers, or vegetable (Celery/carrot) crudites.
Q:How much alcohol do you plan on consuming during the WS games?
A: Actually, I don't drink (hate the taste of alcohol).. although I do drink a gatorade or two during the game, due to all the pacing in front of the TV I do in key situations.
Q:Favorite Sox player past and present (two different players, in other words)
A: No doubt for current player, it's gotta be David "Big Papi" Ortiz. Bigger then life, gregarious and key hits by the bushels. Two games that I've actually attended at Fenway Park were games that Ortiz hit walk-off homeruns for.
Past player? Hmm.. I'd have to go with a bit of a name from the past. Bill "The Spaceman" Lee. I have a deep abiding respect for players who aren't Joe Whitebread, and Lee had talent (until injured in a Yankees-Sox brawl at Yankee Stadium), and even afterwards, still mad e his way around the majors.. Plus he's enough of a goof ball that he made the game fun. Kinda like Manny being Manny, only in the 70's.
Q: what better: steamers or fried clams?
A:Fried Clams, definitely. One of my favorite foods (full fried clams with the bellies, not those fried clam strips that people try to pass off as fried clams)
FrogMan's Question:
Q: please, tell us about that tree again... http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
A: Ugh. Alright. Hopefully this is the LAST time I have to talk about this.
2003 game 7.. I'm in full on fanatic mode (which thankfully I've stepped down from since), and we all know what happens. Grady Little leaves Pedro Martinez in several batters too long, and the Sox lead quickly starts to disappear.
I'd been talking with SackAttack, and at one point (I Think the fourth inning), the Sox kill a rally, although they're up 4-0 after 4 innings, running Roger Clemens from the game, and in tried and true Boston Doomsayer fashion, I say to SackAttack.. "That's the high point right there. It's only downhill from here.. they had their chance to put things away."
Fast forward to the bottom of the 8th, and it's 5-2.. but Pedro is laboring (let up single runs in the fifth and then the seventh). The whole of Red Sox Nation pretty much gave Pedro a standing ovation, because he had fought through on a game he didn't have his best stuff, and it's well known that when Pedro hit 100 pitches, he lost his stuff rapidly.
And to the shock of the fans, Pedro goes out there.. and starts giving up hits!!! Grady even comes out at one point, and his name was already mud to Sox fans... AND HE LEAVES HIM IN THE GAME.
The whole of New England is willing one of two things to happen during this whole thing.. for either Grady to pull Pedro out of the game.. or for Grady Little's head to explode. We weren't choosy at that point.
The Yanks come back and tie it up, and from that point, we were dead team walking.
Well, the Yankees send it to extra innings, and Aaron Boone hits the homerun to lead off the 11th to win the series.
Well, this just was the crowning point.. flashbacks to my Grandpa (who never lived to see 2004), waking me up in 1986 for game 6, and saying that "you're about to see something not many people living can say they've seen.. the Red Sox winning the World Series."
I don't want to watch the post game show. I don't want to think about the fucking "Curse of the Bambino". I decide to go out and blow off some steam. Well, I choose some VERY ill-advised words Something about "finding a tree and wrapping my car around it" on FOFC, and storm out.. well.. my folks see me storming out and driving off, and check my monitor which I left on.. and well.. panic a bit.
I just drove about a half mile or so away and took my frustrations out on a tree.. somehow, I avoid breaking my hands, but I have splinters like mad in em. My folks find me about 20 mintues later, and well, they were just glad I was ok.
It's not my proudest moment, and it taught me a lot about the difference between being a fan, and being a fanatic. (Truth be told, 2004 and the Sox winning the World Series helped as well).. but you can see the moderation in my posts afterwards, like when Cleveland had taken a 3-1 lead in the current postseason over the Sox, that I fully admitted Cleveland was playing better, and pretty much thought the series was over.
St.Cronin's Question:
Q:Can you talk for a few paragraphs about Tom Brady, and how good a quarterback he is? Thanks in advance.
A:*chuckles* That's like asking a Colts fan to go a few paragraphs about Peyton Manning, but real quick, to be serious, he (almost) never makes a stupid throw into traffic, and he seemingly has pinpoint control.
Eaglesfan27's Questions:
Q:If you couldn't root for any of the Boston Teams, who would you root for in the NFL and MLB?
A: oof. Rough question. Probably Buffalo in the NFL, remember, I grew up in the days of The Comeback, and Jim Kelley and Thurman Thomas, and all that. They were a fun team to watch.
For MLB.. hmm.. that's really rough. Probably the Dodgers. I remember going crazy when Gibson hit the HR off Eckersley, plus they had a perfect radio guy to listen to (Vin Scully)
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I work tech support for EMC, on the Clariion line of data storage products. Trust me, when a customer's $250,000+ piece of storage doesn't work the way it's supposed to, and the customer has ALL their storage on it, they can be.. rather perturbed. It has its ups and downs, but at least it's never boring.
Q:What is one of your biggest regrets?
A: That I wasn't able to continue working in radio for more then the 5 years past college I was able to. I loved being a radio DJ, because it was the perfect job for someone who loved music and loved to talk.
Neon Chaos's questions:
Q:Tony Soprano: Dead or Alive?
A: I guess he's alive, but that's only because I saw an interview with the creator the other day. I never watched the show when it was on (Basically all I watch on TV is sports)
Q:Coke or Pepsi?
A: Definitely Coke, for some reason I can't STAND the taste of Pepsi.
Q: Do you think that if I had money to pay for CoH, I would've remained as addicted to it as I was?
A: At least for several more months... I fall in and out of addiction with MMORPG's fairly easily. The problem is replayability, and you always have to try to find people around your level that aren't asshats.
Q:Would you rather listen to 80's hits or 90's hits?
A:Hmm. 90's hits, but I tend towards the earlier part of the decade (remember, this is the time frame I was a radio DJ, from when I graduated HS in 92, to graduating from college in 94, and then for 5-6 years afterwards)
TreeInNewEngland's Question
Q: Do you ever feel bad about beating me up?
A: If I had known I was going to get the amount of crap I have about it,
I wouldn't have mentioned anything about it... and
I would have taken an axe to that tree.
Dodgerchick's Questions:
Q: What is your real name?
A: David Mark Yellope
Q: What Leo characteristics do you have?
A: Hmm.. not big on Astrology, but I looked it up, and this is what it said. "Leo motto might be "What you see is what you get." You tend to live your live straightforwardly and with a flair for drama. In fact, many Leos are attracted to the theater, the performing arts and public relations, for you truly understand the importance of putting on a good presentation". That fits pretty well.
Q: How come we only teamed up like twice?
A: Because I'm on weird hours, and you guys were on other hours? http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Q: Are you Leeroy Jenkins? Let me refresh your memory:
Originally Posted by Antmeister :LOL! Looks like the group that SirFozzie tried to bum rush and got 3 people killed.
A:*chuckles* I'm not one for sitting around and waiting.. in the one that you mention, I thought people were going with me, so I rushed in to attack.. oops http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif Of course, my main character (Green Gale, a defender) had to be reminded time and time again "GALE IS NOT A TANK!"
Q:Strange question, but your last name is familiar. Do you know if you're related to a guy named Pat who goes to USC and does freelance web work?
A: Don't believe so, or if so, it's a distant relation, my mother's named Pat (Patricia), but that's the only Pat Yellope I know.
Neuqua's Question
Q: You have a very, interesting, choice in sports you follow. How did you get started following rugby, soccer, and any of the other non-American sports?
A: Soccer, I can blame on the old Championship Manager games (CM 2 and CM97-98),as well as some of Wizard Games's old soccer sims, (One-Nil, Two-Nil and Goal 96).
I'd watch the games whenever they were on TV. Then MLS started shortly after World Cup USA 96. Rugby and Aussie Rules followed, I used to stay up till the middle of the night to watch the Aussie Rules games that would air on Fox Sports..
When Fox Sports World started up, I would catch the soccer and the Rugby there. I loved that both sports weren't stop/start/stop/start/stop.. it really rewarded the fact that if you weren't paying attention at any one moment of the game, that you quite possibly could miss the game's pivotal moment.
Cricket followed from the days on the web where to know what was happening , you had to visit the English sites, and of course, Cricket is HUGE over there. When I was working overnight at EMC, I watched some of the 2005 Ashes series (one of the best) via a PPV video stream.
I've always liked watching different sports.. I'm the type of guy who if he turns on the TV during the olympics, and team handball is on, will watch it happily.
Path12's Questions
Q:Haven't Boston fans had enough success lately?
A: I'm enjoying this for as long as it lasts.. and I don't think there's ever "enough success" that would make me stop rooting for my local sides.
Q:Why don't you play werewolf anymore?
A: Because I got tired of the twisty thinking that was required to succeed at Werewolf. You have to be 3 parts Agatha Christie, to 2 parts the Man in The Iron Mask, and 2 parts of a Lucky guesser. Plus there was some personality conflicts between me and a couple other WW regulars, and I decided that I'd rather bow out then have to deal with it.
Role playing questions by Honolulu_Blue:
Favorite all time RPG?
A:Shadowrun, then Battletech
Favorite all time D&D Module?
A:Las Vegas Crawl for XCrawl
Favorite RPG character you've ever role-played?
A: Alain Orc-Foe, slayer of the Gnarlroot Tribe
Favorite adventure you've GM'd:
A:MemphisCrawl for XCrawl
Milwaukee or Indianapolis?
A:I've only been to Indianapolis, but at the rate that GenCon is growing, there's no way in hell Milwaukee could keep up.
Holy Avenger or Vorpal Sword?
A:Vorpal Sword, only because I have the phrase "The Vorpal Sword went snicker-snack" running through my head
D20 System. Discuss:
A: Good idea, but just like Dungeons and Dragons and 2nd edition before it, it got played out. Too much milking of the cash cow. I like the variety of settings for D20 (As I said above, my favorite d20 system is Xcrawl), but since EVERYTHING is d20 legal due to the OGL license, you feel like you have to keep a $3,000 collection of books, just to know everything.
JeeberD's Question:
Q: What's the over/under for tree questions?
A: The Over/Under is set at WAY too fucking many.
Neuqua's Question:
Q: You have to move out of the northeast and into a different part of the country. Where do you move?
A: Probably someplace warm.. I endlessly bitch about New England winters.. probably some place like the Carolinas, if I could find a place.
St.Cronin's Question:
Q: Please post a pic of your nipple piercing.
A: Well, that's not a question. But let's put it this way. You'd have to knock me out cold to even get me into the place. I am extremely needlephobic, and you want to try to put more holes in me? (this is almost to Skydog's "PINECONES?" level of shuddering in reaction)
flere-imsaho's Question:
Q: How much are you enjoying the impending Red Sox WS win (I'm writing this on Friday)?
A: I almost broke FTB ettiquette by replying to this one. This series is NOWHERE near over, the Rockies had so many chances to tie or take the lead in Game 2. The next three are in Colorado, and it's not beyond possibility for the Sox to come back down 3-2. As it turns out, we didn't need to come back, so it was nice.
Wolfpack's Questions:
Q: Jeeber beat me to the tree over/under question, so let's try a different one: Over/under on "Fozzie the Bear" questions?
A: I think people KNOW I have a weird/twisted sense of humor, so it's obvious where I got the nickname from.
Q: If Boston goes on to lose the World Series after starting out with a 2-0 lead, will any vegetation be harmed?
A: Nah, it's been a magnificent year for the Sox, finally taking the AL East from the Yankees, coming back from 3-1 down against the Indians. No matter what, it's been a hell of a run.
Q: In what order would you rank your interest in the various teams in the Boston sports scene?
A: In Order:
Red Sox
Patriots
Revolution
BC Eagles
Celtics
Bruins.
Q: Can BC go all the way and will anyone outside of the BC fanbase care?
A: They CAN go all the way, although all the teams they play the rest of the way have winning records, and they have a Championship game to go.. and besides for the fans of the SEC spontaneously combusting that a no loss ACC team will go over a 1 or 2 loss SEC team.. It'll be NICE, but it won't be to the level that the Celtics, Sox and Patriots get.
Q:Should flere do a "RyanBrady" skit on his next NFL Week in Pictures after what happened against VaTech?
A: You know what caused Ryan to puke on the sidelines after the last touchdown right? It was the power of Brady leaving him, and he couldn't take becoming mortal again. (Ok, that was sarcasm folks)
Q:When do you think the run of Boston sports excellence (well, except the Bruins) will come to an end?
A:Patriots.. I don't see them being a sub .500 team until Brady retires (or I should say till Belichick retires, and the new coach tries to install a new system that doesn't play to Brady's strengths). The Celtics by 2010 will be average at best.. The Sox.. well, any team that spends to the level the Sox do compared to the average team will be good more years then not (The Knicks are the only exception to this rule).
Q:Bill Simmons: indicative of Boston fans or an embarrasment to them?
A: A bit of both, actually. He's your average Boston fan, tuned up to 11. I find myself agreeing with a lot of stuff he writes about Boston, but his focus on Boston can be quite annoying to non-Boston fans.
Q:And, to contribute at least one question to the count of the first question, remind us why you're named for a knighted Muppet.
A: Oh boy. This question. I was dreading answering this. I was using Fozzie as my IRC (Internet Relay Chat) nickname way back before IM and all that, back in the days where 56K modems were considered blazingly fast... (I go back to the days of the C-64 and a 1200 Baud modem). Let's just say that I visited certain channels that had a certain.. flavor to them and I added the Sir to my nickname so that there were no doubts about which side of that ledger I was on.
I think I'll leave it at that. You probably don't want to hear about it.
It's caused me a spot of trouble since, there's another SirFozzie out there, and he writes.. disgusting stories. (Yes, I write Smut, but the things the other SirFozzie (He goes by SIRFozzie, I think) writes about.. ewwww)
Dodgerchick's Questions:
Q:Who the hell are you anyway? Describe yourself as your mom would describe you.
A: Who am I? I'm Batman. No, I'm about 5'6", fairly big guy (trying to lose weight), and a lot of the time, I'm a bon vivant, trying to get the most out of life, laughing and being silly.
Q:Create a joke for us.
A:It's Christmas Day in New England, and a man is driving to church.. going
slow to avoid losing control on the icy roads.. he sees the town priest trying to walk , and in the spirit of the day, pulls over.
"Father, let me take you to the church... it's not fit for a man to be walking today." he says..
"Bless you, my son." the priest says... "I've fallen over several times, and I fear that by the time I got to the church, I would be too sore to say the Mass on this holy day where all is forgiven."
So about a mile down the road, the man spots the town's one and only Yankee fan. He's just intending to scare him, but as he nudges the car over to honk the horn, he loses control on some black ice, and starts to slide right at his prospective victim.. Filled with fear, he fights for control of the car, and somehow points it away at the last second, but there is a muffled WHUMP sound..
He pulls over, and the Yankee fan is lying dazed against a snowbank, not seriously injured...
"Father! I think I almost hit him! And on Christmas Day too.. will God forgive me?" He asks, afraid...
The priest serenely says.. "There's nothing to forgive my Son, I saw you were going to miss, so I got the son-of-a-bitch with my door!"
Q: Who, in your opinion, is the best quarterback in the NFL? Greatest of all time?
A: Ugh. I have to go with Brady just over Manning, and some of it is admittedly home-team bias, but I think Brady's done more with less. Greatest of all time? Joe Montana. Talk about a QB that you could never count out.
Q: If Tom Brady decided to go gay and was looking for a partner and you and cronin were available, why should he choose you over cronin?
A: He'd choose Cronin, cuz I'm not that way even for Tom Brady http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Ardent's Questions
Q: Have any pets? I'll take pictures of pets.
A: One dog, PJ, a bichon friese type (almost a poodle). He's napping on a blanket next to me while I type this up.
Q: Would you buy me a hat? No one else has.
A: Tell you what, if the Sox win the World Series, I will send you my Red Sox Division Champion hat http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Q: Do you like ham?
A: Eh, take it or leave it.. my favorite food is country-fried steak
Q: When is the last time you attended a high school football game?
A: Thanksgiving, 2000. I was the Play by Play announcer for the Franklin HS -King Phillip HS game. It was a HORRIBLE day weather-wise, 35 degrees and raining like crazy.. the kind of weather where as a kid your mom would yell at you "You'll catch your death of Pneumonia if you go out there." It's traditional for teams to play on Thanksgiving up here, and the tradition was that if your HS won three straight Thanksgiving day games over your rival, you got to keep the trophy. It was retired, and a new trophy would be made for next year.
Well, this was Lofa Tatupu's (Yes, the son of Mosi, who is now playing for the Seattle Seahwawks) last game, and he just destroyed us. They got to retire the trophy that year on us, and as much as I wanted to root for Franklin (my home town), I had to be neutral.
Q: When's the last time you had a Big Mac?
A: About 2 1/2 years ago.
Q: Favorite Muppet?
A: Fozzie, of course.
Q: Knights. Overrated?
A: Not unless you have a can opener.
St.Cronin's Questions
Q:If ardent enthusiast were a muppet, which one would he be?
A: Bunson Honeydew, of Muppet labratories.
Q:How do you eat a hot dog?
A:With a dab of mustard, and some ketchup.
Ardent (Part 2)
Q:Which cereal commercial do you think cronin was in, Trix or Fruit Loops?
A: Neither, he's obviously Crackle. (of Snap, Crackle and Pop)
terpkristin's Questions:
Q:Which is worse, hitting a tree or hitting a wall?
A: Hitting a wall, at least with a tree there's a chance for a glancing hit.
Q: Being that we're all pretty dorky here, what do you consider to be your dorkiest hobby?
A: Hmm.. considering the flack I got for talking RPG stuff in that TSR thread, I have to say being a RPG collecter/player. Plus I was a beta tester for a certain Online RPG that I will NOT be mentioning, but let's just say that you had to provide proof of age to join.
Q: Do you watch much TV outside of sports? If yes, what are your favorite shows that are still on the air (and not in re-run)?
A:No, not really, I think the only show on my Tivo besides sports is Ninja Warrior.
Q: What was your reaction when you got the PM from Ant that I'd chosen you?
A: In order.. A) Great.. time to hear 9 million tree jokes.. b) Oh god.. this is gonna be nuts, C) This oughta be fun.
Dodgerchick's Question:
Q: Do you have a flickr acct? Myspace? Hook me up dammit!
A: I had a myspace account, still might, but I haven't checked it in a while.
Ardent's back again:
Q:Who has the better WID team?
A: You do, because I've been so out of it due to RL issues, I haven't had a free moment to check.
MrBug's Bugging Me:
Q:Why the Sir in front of Fozzie?
A: I answered that one a bit back, let's just say that certain folks will harass you constantly with questions if you don't make it clear http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif
Q:Bill Buckner. Villian or just a guy who had bad timing?
A: Bad Timing, and he never should have been out there in the first place. The Sox had good defensive 1B subs on the bench at the time. Plus when you consider that was just one of the mistakes made in that inning, it's a wonder that Grady Little wasn't the manager.
Q: Do you feel special that your thread is getting my 7k post? If you do, awesome, I did it for you If not you should.
A: Eh, You've picked up 30 posts since then. If not me, some other thread woulda gotten it. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif
Q:How is the erotic writing business treating ya?
A: Other then a case of writer's block over the last year, good. Have two stories "published" with rather good ratings.
Dodgerchick:
Q:Where's Waldo?
A:Guantanomo Bay, I think.
Q: Define yourself in 3 words.
A: Irreverent, fun-loving.
Sabotai's Questions:
Q:Elvis or The Beatles?
A: The Beatles. More musically andlyrically intricate.
Q: Do you still play poker?
A: Not much time lately, but when I can.
Q:Favorite Movie(s)?
A: Ugh, haven't seen one in a while, but I'll have to go with The Replacements. "I wish I could say something classy and inspirational, but that just wouldn't be our style. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever"
Q:Favorite Book(s)?
A: Too many to list, but I'll go with Shogun by James Clavell
Q:Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 20 years?
A: I'll paraphrase a line from the late great Casey Stengel about one of the original New York Mets. "SirFozzie's 33.. in five years he has a great chance to be 38. If he's really lucky, in 20 years he'll be 53.
Neuqua's Question:
Q:Who gets invited to Foz's house for a FOFC get together?
A: just about everyone, actually, I'd love to just chill and shoot the shit with so many of the personalities that I've spent the last.. seven years with? Damn.. time flies. Just a couple quick ones though.. I have a feeling that Jon and I would get along like oil and water, but after having locked horns with him so many times about various subjects, I think he and I could be friends. SackAttack, well.. either I'd finally beat him at a video game.. or I'd bash him over the head with a controller till he was a bloody pulp http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif
Chief Rum's Ruminations:
Q:Bridget, Gisele or a foursome with Tom, Bill and Randy?
A: Bridget. I don't trust superskinny supermodels.
FrogMan's Question:
Q: Project yourself in the future, you are now retired. Do you see yourself still playing sports sims then?
A: Yeah, I'll still be playing them. I've been playing them ever since 1986 (I even lugged my old IBM PC up to Maine on a trip and played hours and hours of an old EA text sim called Radio Baseball. It's more fun to imagine the games in your head.
DaddyTorgo's Blasphemies
Q:If ARod comes to the Red Sox do you still root for them?
A: Yes, but that's because it's my team, right or wrong. It'd be a horrible move, though. You bring the anti-christ of chemistry onto a team that is built on chemistry.
Q: Could you root for the Sox individually as a team but root for ARod to suffer a career-ending injury?
A: I can't root for a CEI on anyone. I'd reluctantly support ARod, but doesn't mean I would be HAPPY about it.
Q: What if ARod coming meant the end of Schilling and Lugo and ARod played short and Lowell stayed at 3rd?
A: We'd be the Yankees. 95-100 wins a regular season, and bombing out in the postseason.
Alan T's Questions:
Q:What do you listen to/watch/read for your sports information / discussions?
A: I listen to Mike and Mike in the morning on the way in, constantly have espn.com open, and various sports blogs (including the ex-Daily Quickie guy (Dan Shanoff)
Q: Do you prefer the local only viewpoint of WEEI/local sports shows on NESN/etc or do you prefer the national angle of things on ESPN Radio, and national cable shows?
A: If I have a choice, I'd rather listen to local stuff, because I have more of an interest in it, but I like to discuss all sports.
Q: Do you ever make it down to Pawtucket for games there, or out to the cape Cod league games just for fun, or do you primarily only care about the Boston Red Sox?
A: Try to hit a couple PawSox games a year.. I don't head down to the Cape at all (I'm not a travellin man type)
Q:Are you also a Bruins fan? (I have no idea how much into hockey you are), if so do you think anyone is going to even care about them this year or get behind them considering the other success in the town for sports teams.
A: I'll watch it when it's on and none of the other teams on my list are on.... but it's no where near the fandom I feel for the other teams int he area. They'd have to be a top 4 team in the conference all year long to catch attention, sadly.
Q: I best got to know you I guess back playing in the RWBL, where eventually you took over my powerhouse of a team ( ) How could you have not won the World Series every year with the fresh young talent I left??
A: Two words. Josh Beckett. Three Words. Career Ending Injury. One Swear. FUCK!
Q: I knew you worked up the street from where I lived (until this last weekend when I moved), but what do you do over there for your job? Is it something you see yourself in long term, or just a stepping stone to something else different/better?
A: I'm tech support. I'm the guy who you call when you have a drive failure, or a hardware fault on your $500,000 array. I tried to make the step up to management the last few months, but it was so unbelieveably overstressing me (We had our call valume go up 55% over the space of ONE MONTH, and we were actually LOSING folks in the lab).. that the doctor ordered me to take a week off from work.. and I asked to go back to my tech support job.. where I only have to worry about 1-3 calls at a time, instead of 50-60 (which is the amount of cases in the Q at the end of the average day right now.
The LAST Questions.. From TK:
Q:What is your favorite food to eat? Do you cook it yourself, or is it something you get at a restaurant, or is it something somebody else cooks (mom, friend, significant other, etc)?
A: As I said above, country fried steak. Usually head over to Chili's to get it. I know it's horrible for me, but it's gooooooood http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/smile.gif
Q:What is your favorite "healthy" food to eat?
A:Cut up green and red peppers, or vegetable (Celery/carrot) crudites.