Antmeister
12-19-2007, 02:34 PM
Whatever happened to that NFL preview column you used to run with Chief Rum?
It just kind of faded out. I enjoyed doing the column. Chief is very knowledgeable about the NFL. Outside of IMTG's typical insults, I had a great time doing it.
Why do I hate the Broncos so much?
Lets see: Because they've won a lot over a 25 year period? Because they cheated in winning their second Super Bowl? Because they have a controversial blocking scheme? Because Shanahan can be an egomaniac? I dunno, am I hitting on anything here?
How do you feel about Denver sprawl?
I like it. It's an enjoyable place to live. Being a sports fan, I have three new stadiums to go to. Denver is essentially Kansas with a mountain view. I enjoy the town. That said, nothing is holding me here. If I found a chance to go somewhere else (especially warmer), I'd do it.
What's your favorite restaurant downtown
Denver?
Texas de Brazille. Terrific food and it comes out in bunches. I love eathing there.
What is your favorite book?
The Stand by Stephen King. I also enjoyed Freakonomics, anything by Christopher Moore or Terry Pratchett (when I'm looking for something light to read) or any historical biography. (Read one on Roosevelt a few weeks ago. It was terrific)
Favorite movie?
I don't know that I have a favorite to be honest. I enjoy a wide variety of films. I'll go with Weekend at Bernies for a silly comedy, Shawshank Redemption for a drama, Lethal Weapon or Die Hard for action, Roger & Me for documentary (shame Moore had to turn into an idiot shortly after the movie came out) and Say Anything for romance. I'd be remiss if I left out Better Off Dead, a movie I can watch again and again and still laugh at.
Favorite feature that attracts you to a date?
Smile. Intelligence. If I can't hold a conversation with her, it's over before it starts. I don't care about supermodels. I'll take an average looking women who makes me smile and debates with me over a "10" anyday of the week.
Favorite type of food?
Italian. Chicken Parm is my favorite dish. I will never, ever turn down a double cheeseburger though.
What is your dream job?
Sportscaster. That's what I wanted to be when I grew up. I'd be good at it too. I called basketball games in college and received great reviews. I ended up falling into being a tech and never followed up on it. The single biggest regret in my life.
What do you think about Mike Gundy's new Coors Light commercial? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omM8xEnAFcE&feature=related)
Moronic. Ill timed. Stupid. Uncalled for. This is Division 1 football Mike. You touted your offense as being the best in the land this year. You made a QB switch three games into the season. You should expect articles about your players and you should expect people to dig for reasons why. (other than the obvious) Not to mention that this tirade came after a win where the replacement QB played a terrific game. Just a horrible situation. I hope he learned from it.
A/S/L?
35 (36 in February), M, Denver, CO.
Single/Married?
Single
Any fetishes, like feet, S&M, truckers
Accents. I love em. Russian, Australian, British. Anything other than a New York or Boston accent. They drive me crazy.
On the whole, Jake Plummer in Denver... yay or nay?
Yay. He had a couple of decent year and one exceptional year. He also played badly enough in some of the big games that Shanahan was finally convinced to draft a QB for the future. Jake got us to within one game of the Super Bowl. A lot of other teams in this league would like to have been that close in the last five years.
You're locked in a room with Rick Neuheisel. You have been guaranteed that you will suffer no repercussions for anything that happens in that room. What do you do?
I'm not that vengful a person. I just tell him that I'm glad he's gone from Colorado and ask him how it feels to have ruined two college football programs.
Dan Hawkins - goofball? Coaching genius? Somewhere in-between?
In between. He's too aggressive as a coach. He also gets too cute sometimes. But he's one hell of a recruiter. (CU already has 6 four star recruits and may end up getting one of the top five players in the nation this year) He is building the talent level up at CU from the lines outward. I think he is doing a terrific job thus far.
Skier or snowboarder, and if so, any personal favorite locations in Colorado?
Hate cold weather. Hate snow. My favorite location in the winter is in front of my fireplace with a video game or sporting event on.
Any good "the girl that got away" stories?
Was close to getting married once. Really close. Dated for close to two years. She got cold feet and went back to her ex boyfriend. As often as that has happened to me, I think I should start a service. Girl break up with you? Have her date me for a few months and she'll be back in your arms. I'd get some sex and cash out of the deal. If I can't find Ms. Right soon I may think about it.
How's the job?
Job is going fine. I'm not used to being supervised by someone four states away. That'll take some getting used to. Some other changes headed our way but I don't know what they are. I still enjoy the job and who I work with though.
Best and worst days of your life?
Best: Tough. I have a lot of good days. I'll go with moving to Oklahoma when I was 21. I was terrified (extremely shy at the time), but knew I needed to get out. I loved the anticipation and excitement of being away from home.
Worst: Coming back to CO for a visit and seeing my grandfather in shambles. He means the world to me. He lost his wife of 50 years, a son, a daughter and a granddaughter within 1.5 years of each other. I came home a few months after grandma's funeral and he was in bad shape. I moved back to CO three weeks later. I didn't want to have a worse day with him dying and me not being there. Thankfully, he's lived for 7 years now from the time I came home and when he does go, I'll feel that I did what I set out to do.
Have you met any FOFCers? Which FOFCers would you like to meet?
I've met buc, mizzou and galaril. All really good guys. I'd love to meet VTbub, EaglesFan27, VegasVic, CamEdwards, Eaglesfan, QS, Primelord. . . I could go on and on. I enjoy a majority of the people here.
Are you originally from Denver? If not, where were you born and raised?
I'm from Denver. Born and raised. Spent 8 years in OK. Moved back to Denver.
Favorite youtube clip.
StarWars kid. Sorry, it's just funny.
Do you consider yourself to have Aquarian characterstics?
I had to look these up. Let's see
Friendly and humanitarian - Yes
Honest and loyal - Extremely. Especially the loyalty part.
Original and inventive - Yeah, I enjoy creating and I have a mind that works in strange ways sometime. I don't think anyone here has ever really seen my offbeat sense of humor, but it's there.
Independent and intellectual - Yes to both
Intractable and contrary - I suppose
Perverse and unpredictable - Perverse? Not so much. Unpredictable? To a point I guess.
Unemotional and detached - Exact opposite. I'm very emotional.
What is the biggest risk you've ever taken? How did that pan out?
Moving to Oklahoma. I was a shy, goofy, 21 year old. I missed a year of HS due to chronic fatigue. (I later found out this was probably related to Marfin's Syndrome) I was awkward. I knew one person in Stillwater.
It worked out terrific. A strange series of events caused me to come out of my shell. I learned a lot and became much closer to the person I had always wanted to be.
EVer look back and wish you would have done something differently?
Yes. I should be a sportscastor now. But overall, no. No major regrets.
What's the most unusual food you've ever had?
Vegemite. Never, ever, ever again. The smell almost made me throw up.
If I remember correctly, you're not married right? What do you think your future wife is doing now?
Correct. With my dating history, she's probably popping some pill at an insane asylum. She'll get released, date me for a year, marry me and then get off the medication.
Settle this once and for all: is it pop, soda or Coke?
I call it all of those things. Probably Soda at this point because pop sounds like a punch and coke is too generic.
Favorite FOFC thread?
The cocky/funny thread. An all time classic.
If you see your friend's wife kissing another man, do you tell him or keep quiet?
I tell him. It's that honesty thing.
Do you get less wet if you run in the rain?
No. You just have a higher chance of slipping and cracking your head open on wet concrete. I don't melt. Rain doesn't bother me.
If all cars faced east and all stepped on the gas pedal at the same time, could you affect the rotation of the earth?
Probably not. But it would be fun to test. And it would cause most of the eastern seaboard to end up in the ocean. So it's not a bad test.
How does Freddy Kruger wipe his butt?
Probably with the hands of one of the people he's killed. Or maybe he doesn't wipe at all. I mean, it's not like he has to worry about dating or chaffing. The fire took care of both, right?
So... ever consider a game of werewolf?
Thought about it. Never really went through with it. To this point I've never played a game. Maybe someday.
Troy, I have lost track of your recent jobs. When we last met, you had quit the newspaper job and went to work for a turf company. What happened there and then afterwards?
That company was the one I currently work for. I'm now a regional manager supporting about 30 franchisess around Oregon, Washington and Colorado. It's a great job with some nice perks. (including a company car with gas paid for) It was fairly scary a couple of weeks ago. I thought I may have to be looking for work again, which would have sucked.
You have some of the most in-depth knowledge of almost anyone I know with video games. How much gameplaying do you put in in a given week?
It fluctuates. I have a ton of things I do in my free time. I read a lot of books. I watch sporting events. I surf the net. I go out with friends or on dates with psychotic women. On average, I'd say about 10 hours a week, mostly at night. It's my stress relief.
What are your top 5 video games of all time?
System Shock 2/Bioshock (two games, same type of title. Could repaly them over and over and over again)
NBA2K series. Sensational.
Grand Theft Auto Series - I'm depraved, I know
Civilization Series - Love the games. They are a blast.
NHL 93. I'll never forget that game.
(I don't consider text based games video games. FOF and FM have eaten up MANY, MANY hours of my life)
With that MP FOF just didn't seem to click with you. What didn't work about it?
The same thing that happened with my nfl blog for vt. I overcommit myself. It's my biggest flaw and one I'm working on. I work 40+ hours a week. I play video games for 10 hours a week. I watch 6-10 hours worth of sporting events a week. I write for two different websites now. (Sack's and a Denver Nuggets website) I simply run out of time. I'm scatterbrained and forget to do things. (like sending in lineups) I've just given up on MP for now. The Woof league was dissapointing for me. It started at an especially busy time and I got overwhelmed. That was a league with some amazing people and great owners. I'm not going to overcommit again. I enjoy writing a lot and will start doing that if people still want to read what I have to say, but I won't let 30 people down again.
Allegedly, cats always land on their feet. Also, bread always lands butter side down. So if you had a cat with a piece of bread, butter side up, strapped to it's back, and dropped it, what would happen?
The cat, being a living creature, would be able to turn on it's legs and protect itself. The cat, being a pain in the ass creature knowing you like toast and hated butter on your carpet, would instantly roll over.
1 bad habit and 1 pet peeve.
I bite my nails. For some reason I've never been able to stop that.
I think my biggest pet peeve is when people don't listen or read what you say and respond. (it happened on this very board to another person recently) It just shows a complete lack of respect to me. If I say "I think team A caught a break there" and someone responds with "You just hate team A, you know that was the right call" I'm offended. The two statements don't match up. I have very, very few things that bother me, but that's a biggie. I explain things in detail, to the point of beating a dead horse sometimes. The least the person debating me or arguing with me can do is listen/read what I say and respond to it.
So Troy, if you could win season tickets for 1 year, which sport and team would you most prefer?
I love my Denver Nuggets. It's like walking up to a guy and getting kicked in the nads every day, but I still like them. I'd love to have season tickets to their games.
If money was no option, where would you live?
Somewhere warm. But I'd travel a lot if money wasn't an option, so it really wouldn't matter where I made my home.
Speaking of money, what would you do if you won 20 million dollars, tax free?
My family and friends would be taken care of. Instantly. A lot would go to charity. I don't need 20 million dollars. I could live out the rest of my life very comfortably on a couple of million. I'd travel the world, travel to major sporting events across the globe and have a high powered computer system that could finish an FM season with a full database in an hour. :)
If you go to a party and everyone jumped in the pool buck naked, would you join in?
No. Not a chance.
7 Deadly Sins, which one characterizes you?
Gluttony. I'm a thin guy, but I can eat a horse. I'm also passionate about what I do and overindulge and overcommit at times.
Favorite athlete of all-time?
John Elway
What historical figure fascinates you the most?
Hitler. How he took power, what he did with it, why he did it. I've always wondered WHY? You could have did such good deeds and yet he did what he did? I've read Mein Kampf. I've read just about everything dealing with the Nazi's trying to understand the why. I'm also fascinated by Da Vinci. What an amazing life.
How would your life change with 1 million dollars? 10 million dollars? 100 million dollars?
One million dollars? Hardly at all. I'd buy a house. I'd keep working and wouldn't change a lot.
10 million? Make sure family and friends were taken care of. Travel a lot. Maybe find a sane girlfriend.
100 million? What I did with ten million. A LOT would go to charity. (or I'd start my own) With a 100 million, if the sane GF thing didn't work out, I'd buy one. :)
What are your favorite hobbies?
Video games, reading, sporting events
In general, how are things? I hope all is well.
Things are well. I was nervous when I found out I had Marfin's. All things being equal, I'm healthier than many who do have it. I have some bad days and a cough I can't shake, but I'm doing well.
What sport is your current favorite? Has that changed over time and if so what was your favorite and why is it no longer?
NFL. It used to be baseball, but I was a Twins fan. I never really got over baseball trying to contract them. I also can't stand the salary structure.
Basketball is always hanging in the background though. I love hoops. NBA refs are SOOOOO BAD that it hurts my enjoyment of the game to call the sport my favorite.
To add a little to another question above: 7 deadly sins, which one least characterizes you.
Greed. As long as I have enough to live off of, I'm happy. I don't need millions. I don't need to accumulate wealth or belongings.
Also to add to another question above: Would you be the first person jumpin in that pool?
Not a chance in hell.
If you got to choose one team to win a championshipo next year in ANY sport, what team would it be?
The Nuggets. God, I would be in heaven if they went to the Finals once. I started watching basketball in the early 80's. During that time they have won 6 playoff series in 27 years. Ugh. :(
Coke or Pepsi?
Coke.
Favorite television show of all-time? Movie? Book?
Answered the others, but television show is the X-Files. Especially the early years before the conspiracy got out of control. I loved that show.
If you could have dinner with any 4 historical figures, who would they be?
Einstein, Da Vinci, Babe Ruth, Martin Luther King
If you could have dinner with any 4 people currently living, who would they be?
Steve Carell (for humor), Alyssa Milano (for looks), Bob Costas (for discussion about sports), Colin Powell (discussion on everything else)
What happened to the blog (from your signature)?
See Above. i should start writing some stuff for it again. I enjoyed it.
Do you ever plan on getting married?
Yes, I hope to get married and have a couple of kids.
Who do the Nuggets need to add to get into the title hunt?
They just need to play unselfish offense with what they have. No matter what the mainstream media wants to tell you, the Nuggets are a terrific defensive team. They are second in the league in defensive efficiency, 6th in FG% allowed, first in blocks, steals and turnovers.
They lose because they are selfish on offense. (starting with AI and Melo) When they pass the ball and score, they win. When they don't, they get pounded. Badly.
So keep the current group and hope to God they learn to pass consistently. If they don't, we have no shot and the team will have to be blown up before it can contend again. One new face won't fix the offensive selfishness of this team.
Assemble a roster that gets the USA Basketball a gold in next summer's olympics.
Any roster they put out can win if they play the right style. Play fast paced and use their athleticism and they have a shot. The core of Melo, Bron, Wade, Kobe, DWill, Paul, and Bosh should be plenty good enough to get the job done.
What do the Broncos need to do to catch up with New England and Indianapolis in the AFC? How quickly can this happen?
They need to gel with the offensive line. They need LB's. (the ones currently there are horrible) It can happen fairly quickly. The Patriots will likely get the REAL Randy Moss next year. They also have some age on that team. The Colts have a great team, but they aren't unbeatable.
Will the Pats run the table this year? Will the Dolphins finish 0-16?
After the Ravens choked away the game, I think the Pats go unbeaten. I don't think they'll have nearly as easy a run in the playoffs as a lot of people think, but I think there is a pretty good chance they run the table all the way to the Bowl. The Dolphins are horrible. But I think they'll get lucky and win a game. (To answer it here, I don't hate the Patriots. I do hate a lot of the Patriots fans and I do hate Beli)
Where does Elway rank all-time among QBs?
This question has to be answered in two ways.
1) Where does Elway rank among the all-time great QB's with systems and players in place to suit their talents?
In this, Elway is behind Montana, Unitas, Manning, Brady and others. (I still think he's ahead of Marino) In that case, he's a top 10 QB, but probably doesn't deserve mention amongst the top three or four.
2) Where does Elway rank among the all-time great QB's if you just give them 10 "average" players to work with?
In this scenario, I put Elway at the top. I don't think Montana could have gotten the 80's Denver teams to the Super Bowl 4 times. I don't think he'd have had a chance in hell of doing it, even in the inferior conference. Elway could do more with less than any QB I've ever seen.
What do you think is the secret of the Broncos and producing running backs?
A mobile, quick offensive line. Also a great coach nobody ever pays attention to. Bobby Turner is one of the most underrated coaches in the game today.
Who was/is your favorite running back of the Broncos?
Terrell Davis is the best Broncos RB of all time. He was dominant. He did things no other Bronco back has ever done in this system. If he hadn't blown out his knee, he'd have been a first ballot HOF player. He was NOT a system back. That guy could flat out play.
Shanahan?
He's a good coach. He's criticized here routinely now, but he's been trying to win with Brian Griese and Jake Plummer. The team is close now. They do need to rework some things, but this team isn't far from contention again. It's also good to have a coach who hates the Raiders as much as he does. :)
It just kind of faded out. I enjoyed doing the column. Chief is very knowledgeable about the NFL. Outside of IMTG's typical insults, I had a great time doing it.
Why do I hate the Broncos so much?
Lets see: Because they've won a lot over a 25 year period? Because they cheated in winning their second Super Bowl? Because they have a controversial blocking scheme? Because Shanahan can be an egomaniac? I dunno, am I hitting on anything here?
How do you feel about Denver sprawl?
I like it. It's an enjoyable place to live. Being a sports fan, I have three new stadiums to go to. Denver is essentially Kansas with a mountain view. I enjoy the town. That said, nothing is holding me here. If I found a chance to go somewhere else (especially warmer), I'd do it.
What's your favorite restaurant downtown
Denver?
Texas de Brazille. Terrific food and it comes out in bunches. I love eathing there.
What is your favorite book?
The Stand by Stephen King. I also enjoyed Freakonomics, anything by Christopher Moore or Terry Pratchett (when I'm looking for something light to read) or any historical biography. (Read one on Roosevelt a few weeks ago. It was terrific)
Favorite movie?
I don't know that I have a favorite to be honest. I enjoy a wide variety of films. I'll go with Weekend at Bernies for a silly comedy, Shawshank Redemption for a drama, Lethal Weapon or Die Hard for action, Roger & Me for documentary (shame Moore had to turn into an idiot shortly after the movie came out) and Say Anything for romance. I'd be remiss if I left out Better Off Dead, a movie I can watch again and again and still laugh at.
Favorite feature that attracts you to a date?
Smile. Intelligence. If I can't hold a conversation with her, it's over before it starts. I don't care about supermodels. I'll take an average looking women who makes me smile and debates with me over a "10" anyday of the week.
Favorite type of food?
Italian. Chicken Parm is my favorite dish. I will never, ever turn down a double cheeseburger though.
What is your dream job?
Sportscaster. That's what I wanted to be when I grew up. I'd be good at it too. I called basketball games in college and received great reviews. I ended up falling into being a tech and never followed up on it. The single biggest regret in my life.
What do you think about Mike Gundy's new Coors Light commercial? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omM8xEnAFcE&feature=related)
Moronic. Ill timed. Stupid. Uncalled for. This is Division 1 football Mike. You touted your offense as being the best in the land this year. You made a QB switch three games into the season. You should expect articles about your players and you should expect people to dig for reasons why. (other than the obvious) Not to mention that this tirade came after a win where the replacement QB played a terrific game. Just a horrible situation. I hope he learned from it.
A/S/L?
35 (36 in February), M, Denver, CO.
Single/Married?
Single
Any fetishes, like feet, S&M, truckers
Accents. I love em. Russian, Australian, British. Anything other than a New York or Boston accent. They drive me crazy.
On the whole, Jake Plummer in Denver... yay or nay?
Yay. He had a couple of decent year and one exceptional year. He also played badly enough in some of the big games that Shanahan was finally convinced to draft a QB for the future. Jake got us to within one game of the Super Bowl. A lot of other teams in this league would like to have been that close in the last five years.
You're locked in a room with Rick Neuheisel. You have been guaranteed that you will suffer no repercussions for anything that happens in that room. What do you do?
I'm not that vengful a person. I just tell him that I'm glad he's gone from Colorado and ask him how it feels to have ruined two college football programs.
Dan Hawkins - goofball? Coaching genius? Somewhere in-between?
In between. He's too aggressive as a coach. He also gets too cute sometimes. But he's one hell of a recruiter. (CU already has 6 four star recruits and may end up getting one of the top five players in the nation this year) He is building the talent level up at CU from the lines outward. I think he is doing a terrific job thus far.
Skier or snowboarder, and if so, any personal favorite locations in Colorado?
Hate cold weather. Hate snow. My favorite location in the winter is in front of my fireplace with a video game or sporting event on.
Any good "the girl that got away" stories?
Was close to getting married once. Really close. Dated for close to two years. She got cold feet and went back to her ex boyfriend. As often as that has happened to me, I think I should start a service. Girl break up with you? Have her date me for a few months and she'll be back in your arms. I'd get some sex and cash out of the deal. If I can't find Ms. Right soon I may think about it.
How's the job?
Job is going fine. I'm not used to being supervised by someone four states away. That'll take some getting used to. Some other changes headed our way but I don't know what they are. I still enjoy the job and who I work with though.
Best and worst days of your life?
Best: Tough. I have a lot of good days. I'll go with moving to Oklahoma when I was 21. I was terrified (extremely shy at the time), but knew I needed to get out. I loved the anticipation and excitement of being away from home.
Worst: Coming back to CO for a visit and seeing my grandfather in shambles. He means the world to me. He lost his wife of 50 years, a son, a daughter and a granddaughter within 1.5 years of each other. I came home a few months after grandma's funeral and he was in bad shape. I moved back to CO three weeks later. I didn't want to have a worse day with him dying and me not being there. Thankfully, he's lived for 7 years now from the time I came home and when he does go, I'll feel that I did what I set out to do.
Have you met any FOFCers? Which FOFCers would you like to meet?
I've met buc, mizzou and galaril. All really good guys. I'd love to meet VTbub, EaglesFan27, VegasVic, CamEdwards, Eaglesfan, QS, Primelord. . . I could go on and on. I enjoy a majority of the people here.
Are you originally from Denver? If not, where were you born and raised?
I'm from Denver. Born and raised. Spent 8 years in OK. Moved back to Denver.
Favorite youtube clip.
StarWars kid. Sorry, it's just funny.
Do you consider yourself to have Aquarian characterstics?
I had to look these up. Let's see
Friendly and humanitarian - Yes
Honest and loyal - Extremely. Especially the loyalty part.
Original and inventive - Yeah, I enjoy creating and I have a mind that works in strange ways sometime. I don't think anyone here has ever really seen my offbeat sense of humor, but it's there.
Independent and intellectual - Yes to both
Intractable and contrary - I suppose
Perverse and unpredictable - Perverse? Not so much. Unpredictable? To a point I guess.
Unemotional and detached - Exact opposite. I'm very emotional.
What is the biggest risk you've ever taken? How did that pan out?
Moving to Oklahoma. I was a shy, goofy, 21 year old. I missed a year of HS due to chronic fatigue. (I later found out this was probably related to Marfin's Syndrome) I was awkward. I knew one person in Stillwater.
It worked out terrific. A strange series of events caused me to come out of my shell. I learned a lot and became much closer to the person I had always wanted to be.
EVer look back and wish you would have done something differently?
Yes. I should be a sportscastor now. But overall, no. No major regrets.
What's the most unusual food you've ever had?
Vegemite. Never, ever, ever again. The smell almost made me throw up.
If I remember correctly, you're not married right? What do you think your future wife is doing now?
Correct. With my dating history, she's probably popping some pill at an insane asylum. She'll get released, date me for a year, marry me and then get off the medication.
Settle this once and for all: is it pop, soda or Coke?
I call it all of those things. Probably Soda at this point because pop sounds like a punch and coke is too generic.
Favorite FOFC thread?
The cocky/funny thread. An all time classic.
If you see your friend's wife kissing another man, do you tell him or keep quiet?
I tell him. It's that honesty thing.
Do you get less wet if you run in the rain?
No. You just have a higher chance of slipping and cracking your head open on wet concrete. I don't melt. Rain doesn't bother me.
If all cars faced east and all stepped on the gas pedal at the same time, could you affect the rotation of the earth?
Probably not. But it would be fun to test. And it would cause most of the eastern seaboard to end up in the ocean. So it's not a bad test.
How does Freddy Kruger wipe his butt?
Probably with the hands of one of the people he's killed. Or maybe he doesn't wipe at all. I mean, it's not like he has to worry about dating or chaffing. The fire took care of both, right?
So... ever consider a game of werewolf?
Thought about it. Never really went through with it. To this point I've never played a game. Maybe someday.
Troy, I have lost track of your recent jobs. When we last met, you had quit the newspaper job and went to work for a turf company. What happened there and then afterwards?
That company was the one I currently work for. I'm now a regional manager supporting about 30 franchisess around Oregon, Washington and Colorado. It's a great job with some nice perks. (including a company car with gas paid for) It was fairly scary a couple of weeks ago. I thought I may have to be looking for work again, which would have sucked.
You have some of the most in-depth knowledge of almost anyone I know with video games. How much gameplaying do you put in in a given week?
It fluctuates. I have a ton of things I do in my free time. I read a lot of books. I watch sporting events. I surf the net. I go out with friends or on dates with psychotic women. On average, I'd say about 10 hours a week, mostly at night. It's my stress relief.
What are your top 5 video games of all time?
System Shock 2/Bioshock (two games, same type of title. Could repaly them over and over and over again)
NBA2K series. Sensational.
Grand Theft Auto Series - I'm depraved, I know
Civilization Series - Love the games. They are a blast.
NHL 93. I'll never forget that game.
(I don't consider text based games video games. FOF and FM have eaten up MANY, MANY hours of my life)
With that MP FOF just didn't seem to click with you. What didn't work about it?
The same thing that happened with my nfl blog for vt. I overcommit myself. It's my biggest flaw and one I'm working on. I work 40+ hours a week. I play video games for 10 hours a week. I watch 6-10 hours worth of sporting events a week. I write for two different websites now. (Sack's and a Denver Nuggets website) I simply run out of time. I'm scatterbrained and forget to do things. (like sending in lineups) I've just given up on MP for now. The Woof league was dissapointing for me. It started at an especially busy time and I got overwhelmed. That was a league with some amazing people and great owners. I'm not going to overcommit again. I enjoy writing a lot and will start doing that if people still want to read what I have to say, but I won't let 30 people down again.
Allegedly, cats always land on their feet. Also, bread always lands butter side down. So if you had a cat with a piece of bread, butter side up, strapped to it's back, and dropped it, what would happen?
The cat, being a living creature, would be able to turn on it's legs and protect itself. The cat, being a pain in the ass creature knowing you like toast and hated butter on your carpet, would instantly roll over.
1 bad habit and 1 pet peeve.
I bite my nails. For some reason I've never been able to stop that.
I think my biggest pet peeve is when people don't listen or read what you say and respond. (it happened on this very board to another person recently) It just shows a complete lack of respect to me. If I say "I think team A caught a break there" and someone responds with "You just hate team A, you know that was the right call" I'm offended. The two statements don't match up. I have very, very few things that bother me, but that's a biggie. I explain things in detail, to the point of beating a dead horse sometimes. The least the person debating me or arguing with me can do is listen/read what I say and respond to it.
So Troy, if you could win season tickets for 1 year, which sport and team would you most prefer?
I love my Denver Nuggets. It's like walking up to a guy and getting kicked in the nads every day, but I still like them. I'd love to have season tickets to their games.
If money was no option, where would you live?
Somewhere warm. But I'd travel a lot if money wasn't an option, so it really wouldn't matter where I made my home.
Speaking of money, what would you do if you won 20 million dollars, tax free?
My family and friends would be taken care of. Instantly. A lot would go to charity. I don't need 20 million dollars. I could live out the rest of my life very comfortably on a couple of million. I'd travel the world, travel to major sporting events across the globe and have a high powered computer system that could finish an FM season with a full database in an hour. :)
If you go to a party and everyone jumped in the pool buck naked, would you join in?
No. Not a chance.
7 Deadly Sins, which one characterizes you?
Gluttony. I'm a thin guy, but I can eat a horse. I'm also passionate about what I do and overindulge and overcommit at times.
Favorite athlete of all-time?
John Elway
What historical figure fascinates you the most?
Hitler. How he took power, what he did with it, why he did it. I've always wondered WHY? You could have did such good deeds and yet he did what he did? I've read Mein Kampf. I've read just about everything dealing with the Nazi's trying to understand the why. I'm also fascinated by Da Vinci. What an amazing life.
How would your life change with 1 million dollars? 10 million dollars? 100 million dollars?
One million dollars? Hardly at all. I'd buy a house. I'd keep working and wouldn't change a lot.
10 million? Make sure family and friends were taken care of. Travel a lot. Maybe find a sane girlfriend.
100 million? What I did with ten million. A LOT would go to charity. (or I'd start my own) With a 100 million, if the sane GF thing didn't work out, I'd buy one. :)
What are your favorite hobbies?
Video games, reading, sporting events
In general, how are things? I hope all is well.
Things are well. I was nervous when I found out I had Marfin's. All things being equal, I'm healthier than many who do have it. I have some bad days and a cough I can't shake, but I'm doing well.
What sport is your current favorite? Has that changed over time and if so what was your favorite and why is it no longer?
NFL. It used to be baseball, but I was a Twins fan. I never really got over baseball trying to contract them. I also can't stand the salary structure.
Basketball is always hanging in the background though. I love hoops. NBA refs are SOOOOO BAD that it hurts my enjoyment of the game to call the sport my favorite.
To add a little to another question above: 7 deadly sins, which one least characterizes you.
Greed. As long as I have enough to live off of, I'm happy. I don't need millions. I don't need to accumulate wealth or belongings.
Also to add to another question above: Would you be the first person jumpin in that pool?
Not a chance in hell.
If you got to choose one team to win a championshipo next year in ANY sport, what team would it be?
The Nuggets. God, I would be in heaven if they went to the Finals once. I started watching basketball in the early 80's. During that time they have won 6 playoff series in 27 years. Ugh. :(
Coke or Pepsi?
Coke.
Favorite television show of all-time? Movie? Book?
Answered the others, but television show is the X-Files. Especially the early years before the conspiracy got out of control. I loved that show.
If you could have dinner with any 4 historical figures, who would they be?
Einstein, Da Vinci, Babe Ruth, Martin Luther King
If you could have dinner with any 4 people currently living, who would they be?
Steve Carell (for humor), Alyssa Milano (for looks), Bob Costas (for discussion about sports), Colin Powell (discussion on everything else)
What happened to the blog (from your signature)?
See Above. i should start writing some stuff for it again. I enjoyed it.
Do you ever plan on getting married?
Yes, I hope to get married and have a couple of kids.
Who do the Nuggets need to add to get into the title hunt?
They just need to play unselfish offense with what they have. No matter what the mainstream media wants to tell you, the Nuggets are a terrific defensive team. They are second in the league in defensive efficiency, 6th in FG% allowed, first in blocks, steals and turnovers.
They lose because they are selfish on offense. (starting with AI and Melo) When they pass the ball and score, they win. When they don't, they get pounded. Badly.
So keep the current group and hope to God they learn to pass consistently. If they don't, we have no shot and the team will have to be blown up before it can contend again. One new face won't fix the offensive selfishness of this team.
Assemble a roster that gets the USA Basketball a gold in next summer's olympics.
Any roster they put out can win if they play the right style. Play fast paced and use their athleticism and they have a shot. The core of Melo, Bron, Wade, Kobe, DWill, Paul, and Bosh should be plenty good enough to get the job done.
What do the Broncos need to do to catch up with New England and Indianapolis in the AFC? How quickly can this happen?
They need to gel with the offensive line. They need LB's. (the ones currently there are horrible) It can happen fairly quickly. The Patriots will likely get the REAL Randy Moss next year. They also have some age on that team. The Colts have a great team, but they aren't unbeatable.
Will the Pats run the table this year? Will the Dolphins finish 0-16?
After the Ravens choked away the game, I think the Pats go unbeaten. I don't think they'll have nearly as easy a run in the playoffs as a lot of people think, but I think there is a pretty good chance they run the table all the way to the Bowl. The Dolphins are horrible. But I think they'll get lucky and win a game. (To answer it here, I don't hate the Patriots. I do hate a lot of the Patriots fans and I do hate Beli)
Where does Elway rank all-time among QBs?
This question has to be answered in two ways.
1) Where does Elway rank among the all-time great QB's with systems and players in place to suit their talents?
In this, Elway is behind Montana, Unitas, Manning, Brady and others. (I still think he's ahead of Marino) In that case, he's a top 10 QB, but probably doesn't deserve mention amongst the top three or four.
2) Where does Elway rank among the all-time great QB's if you just give them 10 "average" players to work with?
In this scenario, I put Elway at the top. I don't think Montana could have gotten the 80's Denver teams to the Super Bowl 4 times. I don't think he'd have had a chance in hell of doing it, even in the inferior conference. Elway could do more with less than any QB I've ever seen.
What do you think is the secret of the Broncos and producing running backs?
A mobile, quick offensive line. Also a great coach nobody ever pays attention to. Bobby Turner is one of the most underrated coaches in the game today.
Who was/is your favorite running back of the Broncos?
Terrell Davis is the best Broncos RB of all time. He was dominant. He did things no other Bronco back has ever done in this system. If he hadn't blown out his knee, he'd have been a first ballot HOF player. He was NOT a system back. That guy could flat out play.
Shanahan?
He's a good coach. He's criticized here routinely now, but he's been trying to win with Brian Griese and Jake Plummer. The team is close now. They do need to rework some things, but this team isn't far from contention again. It's also good to have a coach who hates the Raiders as much as he does. :)