Koo’s Corner

Typically, this is the time I start most of my blogs (10-11pm), but tonight is a little different. Tomorrow I don’t have work, hence I am not fretting being tired after writing this blog and taking care of some other pressing items.

Why do not I have work? Because next week I start my new job at Yardbarker.com and last Friday was my last day at SugarCRM. With one week of freedom sandwiched in between, I am tentatively calling this next week Summer of Ben (Seinfeld reference)

Video of Baron Davis on Yardbarker talking about his Yardbarker blog

Anyways wanted to share some interesting tidbits on my new gig.

It was two weeks back, I was faced with the question PC or Mac for my new computer. Although my desktop at home is Mac and my phone is an Iphone, my work computer has always been a PC.

Hmmmm. Could I fully adopt Macs, despite years of doing all work functions on the PC? I wrestled with this decision for about 2 seconds before I replied back requesting a Mac. I am sure there will be a couple of bumps in the road, but for now I must say I am ecstatic that today I became the new user of a Macbook.

In other news, today I was discussing various blogging platforms in a informal meeting when I was told wordpress.com hosted blogs do not allow advertisements on them. This was news to me, and unfortunately my blog is hosted by wordpress.com.

Recently someone inquired about selling ads on my blog, something I was looking to do very soon. The Wordpress.com/Automatic policy is known, but is not exactly advertised during the sign up process.

While a majority of wordpress users may not want to place advertisements on their blogs, the option to do so would enable the minority of bloggers the ability to make some extra cash. Wordpress is such a great tool with such a large community, there has to be hundreds of thousands of users who find themselves locked out of using advertising tools despite an interest to do so.

Matt Mullenweg and Toni Schneider have both indicated that this issue maybe revisited and I sincerely hope they see the light. Blogs and new media in general are steadily gaining traction in the mainstream as viable media outlets. Not having advertising enabled, will cost Automatic/Wordpress.com a large contingent of users who hope to augment their income with advertising revenue. I know I might be going out on a limb here, but I am pretty sure bloggers are people too…. and people typically like money.

I hope there is movement soon on this front, as every day I go without advertisements is another day that I am postponing retirement. One can wish.

One of the more annoying aspects of this once great social networking site, is the issue of spam comments from friends whose accounts have been hacked into.

Usually promoting free ringtones and other stupid dribble, these spam comments account for roughly 20% of all the comments people get on their myspace page.

Today it seems that myspace has implemented captcha, a way to reduce spam comments. Similar to buying items online, this extra step verifies that indeed the online action being taken is by a human and not computer or a clever script. Captcha asks you read some text and then type it into a box verifying your intentions, something a script cannot do.

I went to leave a couple of my friends comments promoting a night out to celebrate a new job that you’ll hear about shortly. Both friends myspace pages requires this new step, which makes me believe its a universal change to how myspace works.

Its not too obtrusive and is probably much needed (could have been done awhile ago).

Before I get into this weeks commercial of the week I want to tell you an interesting story. I saw this commercial on Monday night and loved it. Its ingrained in my head and will be hard to top in 2008.

I found it in youtube, and was excited to post it on the blog. The one problem, AMP Energy didn’t allow it to be embedded. So I complained in the video comments, sent them some angry messages. I mean its a commercial, you want people to see it!

Other people soon joined in making fun of them for their odd stance on not allowing this great commercial to circulate on social networking sites and blogs. It took a day or two, but they relented. Props to them to seeing the value in having commercials circulated in new media channels.

This maybe my favorite commercial of the year. Its risque, catchy, and flat out hilarious. I already have a lot of the lyrics memorized such as “Cannot find your shoe, and hair smells like the bar” and “Then this morning when I saw her kankles, I had to think again”.

All of the actors/singers come off as genuine and likable characters embracing showcasing the promiscuity and hilarity that is a staple of single 20’s living. I like the somewhat open ended happy ending as well. Enjoy, this one will be hard to beat!

It seemed today there was an onslaught intriguing news on the entertainment front. Below are some highlights.

- Last fall I was absolutely captivated by HBO’s mini series entitled Hard Knocks which chronicled the training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact I have no qualms in saying the series finale in which the roster is cut from 75-53 in a mere 24 hours after the last pre season game is one of the best hours of television I have seen…. ever.

Clip below from last season

The show garnered great praise, but future was up in the air with no team willing to give all access to HBO. However today the Dallas Cowboys announced they will allow Hard Knocks to continue allowing HBO to follow the Cowboys in their pre season endeavors.

This is a ballsy but great move by the most prominent NFL franchise. Hard Knocks is a terrific series that gives unprecedented insight into the wide spectrum of employees in the NFL. The show doesn’t focus on a team’s stars and known entities, but also sheds light on journeymen looking to earn their first NFL paycheck, NFL rookies, position coaches, front office staff, and other stories that fall through the cracks of the media.

- ESPN today announced that they will wait nearly four months to play the final table of the World Series of Poker which starts in July. The thought is that they can air weekly episodes from the first days of the tournament which take place in July and then air a live finale in November. To be honest although its a disservice to the players, fans are going to eat this up and ratings are going to be through the roof. I have my qualms and it seems poker has cooled off as a growing trend, but a move like this is sure to perpetuate interest in the card game.

Last year’s champ

- If you have ever been lucky enough to get me liquored up and in philosophical mood, you will likely at some point get a drunken spiel about the disconnect and differentiators between Generation Y and previous generations. Nowhere is this more clear in the media content and media channels that we absorb.

With that in mind, I was excited to see ABC News is going to open a handful of news bureaus at US universities including Syracuse, UNC, Texas, Arizona State, and that school that I hate from Florida.

Interesting thoughts on Gen Y

Gen Y doesn’t really watch the news or read the news from traditional media outlets. We read online, we read blogs, we watch TMZ, and are more likely to watch satirical newscasts like the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Weekly Update.

ABC will have to break down barriers to get young people to watch, but this is definitely a step in the right direction, and I commend them on the effort.

- Last but not least, news leaked out that there will be an Anchorman 2. I am mixed on this news and will wait for the premise of this sequel before commenting.

So I wanted to post my commercial of the week, because I have fallen in love with the AMP no walk of shame commercial. Unfortunately they took it off youtube for now (stupid).

With the crazy stuff going on in my life (job switch, moving kind of) the only thing I have energy to post right now is the lame realization that my interview with Troy Smith and article on Anthony Gonzalez is now linked on ESPN.COM.

Since Bucknuts is affliated with ESPN, random articles are linked to on the Ohio State ESPN Page. Most of my stuff doesn’t get linked, but these made the cut. Below is the screenshot/proof that I have arrived. Since this new found ESPN.COM fame, you’ll be happy to know that I have been propositioned by thousands of avid female readers.

Last week I plugged the first two parts in my 4 part series looking back at the NFL rookie years of the 2006 Buckeye offensive stars. Below you will find the final segments which includes my interview with Troy Smith.

Troy Smith

Anthony Gonzalez

Ted Ginn

Antonio Pittman

In other interesting Bucknuts news, OSU will be taking on Memphis in basketball the next 2 years. The dates have not been finalized but its a home and home with Memphis hosting next year.

The kickoff time for OSU vs USC has been announced for 8et 5pt for this upcoming September. I am hoping and praying that I find myself on the field for it.

Lastly its been leaked that the OSU marching band will not be heading to LA for the game agaisnt USC. Its a shame that funds are not available to cover the long distance trip. 2 years back, a booster made a 6 figure donation to ensure that the band could make it out to Austin for the game against Texas. I am hoping someone steps up to the plate this year. If they do, I’ll be sure to give them some love here and on bucknuts.

A trio of headlines stood out to me across the college athletics landscape, all of which involved ethical disciplinary actions being taken at prominent sports schools.

Leading off is new Indiana basketball coach, Tom Crean deciding to take a stiff line with a handful of current Indiana players. As you may recall Armon Bassett and JaMarcus Ellis were kicked off the team in March for flat out attitude and insubordination issues by the interim Indiana coach.

Upon Crean’s hiring, he said he would revisit the issue with the players. Initially I thought that with the MASSIVE talent exodus from Bloomington that Crean was just looking to turn the other way and let these numskulls back onto the team. Turns out he did one better, not only did opt to have them not return he also told Eli Homan to join them in leaving Indiana which subsequently led to an altercation in which the campus cops had to come.

Crean’s actions along with another transfer means Indiana will only return 3 scholarship players and 8 total, the makings for an atrocious year. However the quote below really sums up the rationale of making the hard decision.

“”Before you build a team, you need to develop a family,” “We will go through the learning process, feel some growing pains and experience some bumps in the road along the way. We need the Hoosier Nation to rally around this program as we go through these stages.”

For a program marred by contreversy, its good to see Crean really stepping up here.

In a similar story, Bruce Pearl of Tennessee kicked off two contributors from the Volunteer team. Both Raymar Smith and Duke Crews played extensively and had 2 more years left in Knocksville, so Pearl’s actions speak to the seriousness of the players conduct and his commitment to discipline.

In other news Les Miles finally had enough of Ryan Perrilloux and kicked him off the LSU football team (again). Perrilloux has a pretty extensive rap sheet of that should have warranted expulsion, but Miles gave him some extra chances as he is talented, a quarterback, and plays for the defending National Champions. Perrilloux never viewed LSU is academic institution, but more of as minor league affliate for the NFL.

Although this assumption holds true for LSU and the majority of the SEC, the numerous behaviorial issues added up, and stretched Miles and the fan bases’ patience too far. Without Perrilloux look for the Tigers to miss out on a BCS bowl in 2008.

Thought I would chime in with some news on the Buckeye front as well as plug my latest two articles.

Awhile back I came up with the concept to write a look back at the Ohio State’s 4 offensive stars NFL rookie years (Antonio Pittman, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, and Troy Smith). I actually snared an interview with Smith. Bucknuts is running the series in four parts this week. Below are the links for Pittman and Ginn with Gonzalez and Smith coming tomorrow and Saturday.

Antonio Pittman

Ted Ginn

Below is an except explaining the concept behind the series.

“Woody Hayes Hayes’ “Three yards and a cloud of dust” offense has long been referenced in describing Ohio State’s offensive philosophy well past Hayes’ departure 30 years ago. Although the Buckeye offense has constantly evolved and been successful in many different incarnations, the consistency of a possession-focused running attack has perpetuated the reputation of a dated, conservative, and uncreative offensive system.

A group of four former Buckeyes erased or at least challenged this national perception with two-plus years of offensive proficiency and achievement. Included in this offensive revival were two Cleveland Glenville high school teammates deemed as position “tweeners”, and two largely unheralded Northern Ohio recruits.

When the smoke cleared from their successful Buckeye careers, this foursome would include two first round draft pick receivers, an all-conference running back, and Ohio State’s sixth Heisman winner.

While their accolades, accomplishments, highlights, and stories will be forever preserved in Buckeye lore, Ted Ginn, Antonio Pittman, Troy Smith, and Anthony Gonzalez are now trying to find similar success as professionals in the NFL. This is the story of their transitions, trials, tribulations, and triumphs in their rookie year in the NFL.”

In other news Bucknuts news, I have locked down a interview with the young man responsible for making the video below.

Lexco44 has agreed to let Buckeye nation in on who he is and how he makes his great vidoes. The above video has no highlight footage but the one below shows his uncanny ability to remix highlights, photos, text, with a soundtrack. Can’t wait to talk to him and let Buckeye nation know who to thank for these great videos.

In other news Justin Boren’s younger brother Zach has committed to Ohio State. If you recall older brother Justin announced his transfer from Michigan to Ohio State last week. Hard to believe the two sons of a Michigan football player and Michigan cheerleader now find themselves on the other side of the rivalry.

On the basketball front, freshmen Kosta Koufos has decided to leave school to prepare for the upcoming draft. Koufos may opt to play professionally in Greece depending on where he is drafted. Koufos came on strong in the NIT tournament but still needs seasoning in my opinion to play in the NBA.

In some non Buckeye news, an interesting story came out on how Tennessee Guard Chris Lofton endured cancer surgery and treatment this off season to play for the Volunteers. Lofton struggled a bit in his senior year, but played exceptionally considering he was recovering from cancer treatment. Great article and a great story.