Part Four: Special Teams / Who Deserves To Be A Pro Bowler In 2011?

NFC KICK RETURNER

Average Yards
1) Ted Ginn Jr. (SF)
2) Randall Cobb (GB)
3) Kealoha Pilares (CAR)

Touchdowns
1) Devin Hester (1) (CHI)
1) Ted Ginn Jr. (1) (SF)
1) Percy Harvin (1) (MIN)
1) Randall Cobb (1) (GB)
1) Kealoha Pilares (1) (CAR)

AFC KICK RETURNER

Average Yards
1) Joe McKnight (NYJ)
2) Antonio Brown (PIT)
3) Josh Cribbs (CIN)

Touchdowns
1) Joe McKnight (1) (NYJ)
1) Jacoby Ford (1) (OAK)
1) Tommie Campbell (1) (TEN)

NFC PUNT RETURNER

Average Yards
1) Devin Hester (CHI)
2) Patrick Peterson (ARI)
3) Tedd Ginn Jr (SF)

Touchdowns
1) Patrick Peterson (4) (ARI)
2) Devin Hester (2) (CHI)
3) Darren Sproles (1) (NO)
3) Ted Ginn Jr. (1) (SF)
3) Randall Cobb (1)(GB)
3) Nick Miller (1) (STL)

AFC PUNT RETURNER

Average Yards
1) Javier Arenas (KC)
2) Davone Bess (MIA)
3) Julian Edelman (NE)
3) Marc Mariani (TEN)

Touchdowns
1) Julian Edelman (1) (NE)
1) Eric Decker (1) (DEN)
1) Antonio Brown (1) (PIT)
1) Jacoby Jones (1) (OAK)
1) Lardarius Webb (1) (BAL)
1) Marc Mariani (1) (TEN)
1) Eddie Royal (1) (DEN)
1) Brandon Tate (1) (CIN)

NFC FIELD GOAL KICKERS

Kicking Percentage
1) Connor Barth (TB)
2) Matt Bryant (ATL)
3) Robbie Gould (CHI)

50+ Field Goals
1) Robbie Gould (6-6) (CHI)
2) David Akers (6-7) (SF)
3) Jason Hanson (4-6) (DET)

40-49 Field Goals
1) Connor Barth (11-12) (TB)
2) Dan Bailey (10-12) (DAL)
3) Olindo Mare (7-8) (CAR)

AFC FIELD GOAL KICKERS

Field Goal Percentage
1) Mike Nigent (CIN)
2) Josh Scobee (JAX)
3) Sebastian Janikowski (OAK)

50+ Field Goals
1) Phil Dawson (7-8) (CLE)
2) Sebastian Janikowski (6-8) (OAK)
3) Josh Scobee (5-6) (JAX)

40-49 Field Goals
1) Mike Nugent (11-12) (CIN)
2) Sebastian Janikowski (9-10) (OAK)
3) Rob Bironas (8-9) (TEN)

NFC PUNTERS

Gross Punting Average
1) Andy Lee (SF)
2) Thomas Morstead (NO)
3) John Ryan (SEA)

Net Punting Average
1) Andy Lee (SF)
2) Thomas Morstead (NO)
3) Steve Weatherford (NYG)

Punts Within Opponents 20
1) Jon Ryan (SEA)
2) Donnie Jones (STL)
3) Andy Lee (SF)
3) Sav Rocca (WAS)
3) Matt Bosher (ATL)

AFC PUNTERS

Gross Punting Average
1) Shane Lechler (OAK)
2) Brandon Fields (MIA)
3) Brian Moorman (BUF)

Net Punting Average
1) Britton Colquitt (DEN)
2) Brandon Fields (MIA)
3) Shane Lechler (OAK)

Punts Within Opponents 20
1) Brandon Fields (MIA)
2) Brad Maynard (CLE)
2) Britton Colquitt (DEN)

Part Three: Stats Of AFC Offensive Players / Who Deserves To Be A Pro Bowler in 2011?

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you do not understand DVOA or DYAR click here. Essentially DYAR is total value throughout the year and DYAR is value per play.

QUARTERBACK

QBR
1) Tom Brady (NE)
2) Matt Schaub (HOU)
3) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)

Completion Percentage
1) Tom Brady (NE)
2) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
3) Philip Rivers (SD)

Yards Per Attempt
1) Tom Brady (NE)
2) Matt Schaub (HOU)
3) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)

Passing Touchdowns
1) Tom Brady (NE)
2) Philip Rivers (SD)
2) Mark Sanchez (NYJ)

Interceptions
1) Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF)
2) Philip Rivers (SD)
3) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)

WPA
1) Tom Brady (NE)
2) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
3) Joe Flacco (BAL)

DYAR
1) Tom Brady (NE)
2) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
3) Philip Rivers (SD)

DVOA
1) Tom Brady (NE)
2) Matt Schuab (HOU)
3) Jason Campbell (OAK)

RUNNING BACKS

Rushing Yards
1) Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX)
2) Ray Rice (BAL)
3) Arian Foster (HOU)

Rushing Yards Per Attempt
1) Ben Tate (HOU)
2) Fred Jackson (BUF)
3) Darren McFadden (OAK)

Rushing Touchdowns
1) Ray Rice (BAL)
2) Arian Foster (HOU)
2) BenJarvis Green-Ellis (NE)

WPA
1) Ryan Matthews (SD)
2) Fred Jackson (BUF)
3) Darren McFadden (OAK)

DYAR
1) Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX)
2) Ben Tate (HOU)
3) Fred Jackson (BUF)

DVOA
1) Donald Brown (IND)
2) Ben Tate (HOU)
3) Fred Jackson (BUF)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Receiving Yards
1) Wes Welker (NE)
2) Mike Wallace (PIT)
3) Vincent Jackson (SD)
4) Brandon Marshall (MIA)
5) A.J. Green (CIN)

Receiving Touchdowns
1) Wes Welker (NE)
2) Mike Wallace (PIT)
2) Vincent Jackson (SD)
2) Santonio Holmes (NYJ)
2) Plaxico Burress (NYJ)
2) Eric Decker (DEN)

Receptions
1) Wes Welker (NE)
2) Brandon Marshall (MIA)
3) Dwayne Bowe (KC)
4) Stevie Johnson (BUF)
5) Mike Wallace (PIT)

WPA
1) Wes Welker (NE)
2) A.J. Green (CIN)
3) Anquan Boldin (BAL)
4) Torrey Smith (BAL)
5) Antonio Brown (PIT)

DYAR
1) Wes Welker (NE)
2) Mike Wallace (PIT)
3) A.J. Green (CIN)
4) Vincent Jackson (SD)
5) Malcolm Floyd (SD)

DVOA
1) Malcolm Floyd (SD)
2) Mike Wallace (PIT)
3) A.J. Green (CIN)
4) Wes Welker (NE)
5) Brian Hartline (MIA)

TIGHT ENDS

Receiving Yards
1) Rob Gronkowski (NE)
2) Aaron Hernandez (NE)
3) Dustin Keller (NYJ)

Receiving Touchdowns
1) Rob Gronkowski (NE)
2) Aaron Hernandez (NE)
2) Antonio Gates (SD)
2) Scott Chandler (BUF)
2) Joel Dressen (HOU)

Receptions
1) Rob Gronkowski (NE)
2) Aaron Hernandez (NE)
3) Antonio Gates (SD)

WPA
1) Rob Gronkowski (NE)
2) Owen Daniels (HOU)
3) Antonio Gates (SD)

DYAR
1) Rob Gronkowski (NE)
2) Antonio Gates (SD)
3) Owen Daniels (HOU)

DVOA
1) Joel Dressen (HOU)
2) Rob Gronkowski (NE)
3) Kevin Boss (OAK)

I will not be doing adjusted line yards or any measurement of how offensive linemen are measured. Not only am I too apathetic but I just think we as fans can not accurately measure individual offensive lineman still.

Part Two: Stats Of NFC Offensive Players / Who Deserves To Be A Pro Bowler in 2011?

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you do not understand DVOA or DYAR click here. Essentially DYAR is total value throughout the year and DYAR is value per play.

QUARTERBACK

QBR
1) Aaron Rodgers (GB)
2) Drew Brees (NO)
3) Tony Romo (DAL)

Completion Percentage
1) Drew Brees (NO)
2) Aaron Rodgers (GB)
3) Tony Romo (DAL)

Yards Per Attempt
1) Aaron Rodgers (GB)
2) Eli Manning (NYG)
3) Drew Brees (NO)

Passing Touchdowns
1) Aaron Rodgers (GB)
2) Drew Brees (NO)
3) Matthew Stafford (DET)

Interceptions
1) Rex Grossman (WAS)
1) Josh Freeman (TB)
3) Cam Newton (CAR)
4) Eli Manning (NYG)
5) Matthew Stafford (DET)

WPA
1) Aaron Rodgers (GB)
2) Drew Brees (NO)
3) Tony Romo (DAL)

DYAR
1) Drew Brees (NO)
2) Aaron Rodgers (GB)
3) Tony Romo (DAL)

DVOA
1) Aaron Rodgers (GB)
2) Drew Brees (NO)
3) Tony Romo (DAL)

RUNNING BACKS

Rushing Yards
1) LeSean McCoy (PHI)
2) Michael Turner (ATL)
3) Frank Gore (SF)

Rushing Yards Per Attempt
1) DeMarco Murray (DAL)
2) DeAngello Williams (CAR)
3) Pierre Thomas (NO)

Rushing Touchdowns
1) LeSean McCoy (PHI)
2) Adrian Peterson (MIN)
2) Marshawn Lynch (SEA)

WPA
1) Jonathan Stewart (CAR)
2) LaRod Stephens-Howling (ARI)
3) DeMarco Murray (DAL)

DYAR
1) LeSean McCoy (PHI)
2) DeMarco Murray (DAL)
3) Adrian Peterson (MIN)

DVOA
1) LeSean McCoy (PHI)
2) DeMarco Murray (DAL)
3) Jonathan Stewart (CAR)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Receiving Yards
1) Calvin Johnson (DET)
2) Steve Smith (CAR)
3) Victor Cruz (NYG)
4) Larry Fitzgerald (ARI)
5) Roddy White (ATL)

Receiving Touchdowns
1) Calvin Johnson (DET)
2) Jordy Nelson (GB)
3) Greg Jennings (GB)
3) Laurent Robinson (DAL)
3) Dez Bryant (DAL)

Receptions
1) Roddy White (ATL)
2) Calvin Johnson (DET)
3) Victor Cruz (NYG)
4) Steve Smith (CAR)
4) Percy Harvin (MIN)

WPA
1) Calvin Johnson (DET)
2) Hakeem Nicks (NYG)
3) Victor Cruz (NYG)
4) Larry Fitzgerald (ARI)
5) Jordy Nelson (GB)

DYAR
1) Calvin Johnson (DET)
2) Jordy Nelson (GB)
3) Victor Cruz (NYG)
4) Marques Colston (NO)
5) Laurent Robinson (DAL)

DVOA
1) Jordy Nelson (GB)
2) Laurent Robinson (DAL)
3) Marques Colston (NO)
4) Victor Crus (NYG)
5) Robert Meachum (NO)

TIGHT ENDS

Receiving Yards
1) Jimmy Graham (NO)
2) Jason Witten (DAL)
3) Tony Gonzalez (ATL)

Touchdowns
1) Jimmy Graham (NO)
2) Tony Gonzalez (ATL)
3) Jermichael Finley (GB)

Receptions
1) Jimmy Graham (NO)
2) Tony Gonzalez (ATL)
3) Jason Witten (DAL)

DYAR
1) Jimmy Graham (NO)
2) Tony Gonzalez (ATL)
3) Jake Ballard (NYG)

DVOA
1) Jake Ballard (NYG)
2) Jimmy Graham (NO)
3) Tony Gonzalez (ATL)

I will not be doing adjusted line yards or any measurement of how offensive linemen are measured. Not only am I too apathetic but I just think we as fans can not accurately measure individual offensive lineman still.

Worst QB League Update- Week Fifteen

NOTE: Kaplan drops San Diego for Baltimore

1) The 'Bright' One

Total: 1,326
Last Week: 110

Washington: 26
Indianapolis: 35
Denver: 5
Philadelphia: 44

2) Adam Kaplan

Total: 1,183
Last Week: 197

Jacksonville: 42
Chicago: 128
San Diego: 0
Tampa Bay: 27

3) Dan Bennett

Total: 1,098
Last Week: 74

Miami: 5
Oakland: -9
Kansas City: 10
NY Jets: 68

4) Cubsfan4evr1

Total: 1,021
Last Week: 109

St. Louis: 2
Minnesota: 27
Tennessee: 59
Buffalo: 21

5) Steven Anderson

Total: 992
Last Week: 8

Seattle: 10
San Francisco: 6
Cleveland: 5
Arizona: -13

#21- In Bruges (2008)

Click here for Commenting Rules and how GOI's final list came together

This post was written by guest writer Bryan Hernandez

Who's List This Was On:
- Bryan Hernandez: #1
TOTAL VOTES RECEIVED: 25

Directed By: Martin McDonagh
Written By: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes
Based Upon: The one act play The Dumb Waiter

The Plot
The story is a simple one. Two small time hitmen, Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson), are sent to the Medieval European town of Bruges, Belgium following a hit in London with instructions to wait for a phone call from their crime-boss employer Harry Waters (Fiennes).

Why This Movie Is Great

It is a pretty difficult task to choose the 25 best films of the last 25 years, let alone pick a #1 overall. There have been many standout films that set records, contained dynamite and award winning performances, and have, quite frankly, changed cinema. I chose In Bruges specifically because it is not a film that jumps immediately to mind. Instead, it is a low-budget, low-publicity production that artfully and masterfully balances comedy and drama while being exceptionally self-aware. The film also boasts one of the best, under-the-radar acting performances of the last 25 years... and maybe ever.

The film is incredibly self-aware of its simple plot and that bleeds over into the way its characters are developed. The plot is not complex enough – and the film not long enough - to have overly complicated characters. Rather, each character plays out one specific trait to the extreme. The dichotomy between the pragmatic and patient Ken (Gleeson) and the impatient and impetuous Ray (Farrell) is immediately apparent. Fiennes’ Harry Waters has an unforgiving and insatiable ruthlessness. Each plays upon their respective trait to an apex, until the story reaches a breaking point.

The criminal intrigue and mystique of Fiennes’ crime boss hangs over the entire first half of the film as the two hitmen await his phone call. His lingering presence is quite an achievement considering Fiennes is not shown on screen until near the end of the film, during the buildup to the climax. The audience is keenly aware and apprehensive of Harry Waters, despite only hearing his voice for much of the movie.

The film provides some fantastically funny, albeit superficial, dialogue and situations that entertains the audience. What is truly gripping and emotion provoking, however, is Farrell’s tour de force performance as Ray. It is Ray’s emotional evolution as he attempts to cope and move on with aspects of his life as a hitman that not only revelas his human side – and actually gets viewers to sympathize with a murderer – but also provides the pivot points that change other characters’ perspectives and drive the plot. The challenge presented to an actor by the way the character of Ray is written are daunting. A simple plot only works if the actors are up to the task. Farrell masterfully portrays the simultaneously simple and complex hitman Ray with flying colours. He was slighted not to have been nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.

At the end of the day, this is an art film. From the dialogue, the situations, the humor, drama, performances, to the beautiful and picturesque setting of Bruges, this film is a piece of art. It might not be the grand Mona Lisa or Michelangelo’s David that was films like Avatar. It is instead that smaller piece, the one by a lesser known artist that sits in the corner of the museum and sees less visitors than its companions, that you just happen to enjoy a little more.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer Released. LOUD NOISES!

#OccupyGotham



We here at Game Of Inches love The Dark Knight. The movie just might come up on our list of the 25 Greatest Movies Of The Past 25 Years. *wink wink* It's one of my personal favorite movies of all time. So of course we are all waiting in anticipation for the third movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, to be released. The interweb is buzzing about this trailer and people can not stop analyzing this trailer.

So my thoughts? Can everybody please shut the hell up about this or any Dark Knight Rises trailer!

First, of all there is no reason to massively advertise this movie. This was my same logic for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II. Everyone is going to see this movie and this movie will make a ton of money with or without a massive ad campaign.

Trailers ruin movies. They set up unreasonable expectations for the viewer.

Secondly, I don't want any more parts of this movie shown to me. I want to be surprised and in awe of this film all on my own. I know the movie studio is going to release more and more footage of this movie through trailers and because I watch so much television I will be forced to endure more new trailers as they get released. Stop trying to ruin my life Warner Bros!

One last thing before I wrap up, this is the best play that Hines Ward has made in the past two years so kudos to him.

Part One- Does Tim Tebow Deserve To Be A Pro Bowler? / Who Deserves To Be A Pro Bowler In 2011 Series

Mostly my annual "Who Deserves To Be A Pro Bowler?" series will be dedicated to the league as a whole and not individual players. However, 1) It's Tim Tebow, how can you NOT talk about him and 2) It's an interesting debate.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of Tim Tebow. I believe Von Miller means more to the Denver Broncos than Tim Tebow does. I believe Tebow gets extremely lucky (see: Marion Barber messing up TWICE, Norv Turner's poor play calling, and Miami's terrible defensive decisions during two point conversions), I think you actually need to be a passer to be a successful quarterback in the NFL, and I just personally dislike the hype surrounding him. I will make an argument for Tim Tebow not because I believe that he's a "closer" and he alone "just wins games" but if he does deserve to go it is because there is no one else better.

First, we have to deal with this notion that being selected to the Pro Bowl is not just about the honor of being selected, but that you actually have to play in the game. In recent years up to seven different quarterbacks have been selected to go to play in Hawaii because of injuries and back outs. This really helps out Tebow.

Here's a list of the eligible quarterbacks (sans Tebow) in the AFC (sorted by division):

- Tom Brady
- Mark Sanchez
- Matt Moore
- Chad Henne
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Ben Roethlisberger
- Joe Flacco
- Colt McCoy
- Andy Dalton
- Philip Rivers
- Matt Cassel
- Kyle Orton
- Jason Campbell
- Carson Palmer
- Dan Orlovsky
- Curtis Painter
- Matt Hasselbeck
- Matt Schaub
- T.J. Yates
- Blaine Gabbert

Henne, Campbell, Schaub, and Cassel are out because they're injured. McCoy, Gabbert, Painter, and Orlovsky are out because they're just terrible. Even though Orton just beat Green Bay and I think he's a good quarterback, he's out for obvious reasons. T.J. Yates has played in too few games so he's out.

Also, Peyton Manning, the perennial AFC Pro Bowler is out.

To me, there are only two obvious names out of that list that deserve to be Pro Bowlers: Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. But ask yourself, do you think Big Ben will actually play in the Pro Bowl? I believe his team will either be in the Superbowl so he won't play or his season long ass-kicking opposing defenses have given him will catch up with him. I just think realistically Roethlisberger will not play in the Pro Bowl one way or another so I think he's out.

I think the Patriots will be one and done in the playoffs and I think Tom Brady will play in Hawaii. That leaves two open slots for either Tebow or any of these quarterbacks:

- Mark Sanchez
- Matt Moore
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Joe Flacco
- Andy Dalton
- Philip Rivers
- Carson Palmer
- Matt Hasselbeck

This list is a list full of pretty bad quarterbacks. Mark Sanchez is not a good quarterback and I personally don't ever want to see him earn a Pro Bowl birth. Joe Flacco and Philip Rivers are having the worst seasons of their career. Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the NFL in interceptions and has been terrible since Week 5. Carson Palmer has helped the Raiders stay in playoff contention but he's been atrocious in about half the games he's played this season.

I know you can make the arguments for Rivers and Palmer because statistically they are having better years than Tebow as well as the rest of those quarterbacks but I can not scream from a mountaintop that they deserve to be Pro Bowlers over Tebow. I understand Philip Rivers' "worst" season might still be better than Tebow but I can not in good conscience advocate Rivers be a Pro Bowler after a terrible year like he's having and with all the turnovers he's had. Palmer may get yards but he also has 9 touchdown to 13 interceptions, the Raiders have lost their past three games (and have allowed Denver to overtake them in the division), has two games with a passer rating under 43 (and one of them was not one of his first weeks playing), and he has another three games with a passer rating under 80. For these reasons I believe Palmer and Rivers are out as well.

I think realistically the vote comes down to Tebow versus Matt Moore, Matt Hasselbeck, and Andy Dalton. Hasselbeck and Dalton are on winning teams who have been competitive and the Dolphins have been winning once Moore became the starter.

Matt Hasselbeck has actually been sneaky good this year. While he ranks 19th in the league in passer rating (behind Tebow), he ranks 7th in QBR and 13th in both DYAR and DVOA (all ahead of Tebow). QBR actually takes into account 4th quarter comebacks and rushing totals and yet still Hasselbeck destroys Tebow in QBR.

Andy Dalton is actually in a very similar situation to Tebow. He's a youngster who is extremely benefited by his great defense. Dalton actually has it tougher though because he's forced to play the Steelers and Ravens twice a year (and by the way, Dalton has looked good in those match ups). However, Dalton has a terrible QBR (ranked 23rd in the league) and a bad passer rating (ranked 18th in the league) but he is ranked 11th in DVOA and DYAR. Dalton also has a pretty bad TD/INT ratio (18/13). I personally would take Dalton over Tebow but I think it's actually a close call.

Matt Moore ranks 11th in QBR, 12th in passer rating, and has won 5 out of his past 7 games (although he did lose to Tebow in Miami. Just saying). But he's also Matt Moore and he plays in Miami and he probably will not get any respect from either fan voters or from his fellow players. He's also 22nd in DYAR and 25th in DVOA.

In terms of "which quarterback would have rather have had on your team in 2011" I think you can make the case for Tebow over Matt Moore, Matt Hasselbeck, and Andy Dalton. I think you can make a legitimate case for Tebow over any of the quarterbacks we mentioned after we made our initial cut.

Does Tim Tebow deserve to be a Pro Bowler? I don't know. He's a terrible passer but he does help the Broncos win games. If we criticize Tony Romo for not being clutch shouldn't we give Tebow SOME respect for not playing terrible once the 4th quarter starts? Should we not give Tebow any credit because opposing teams are too stupid to play a real defense as opposed to the prevent defense in the 4th quarter? I don't have a good answer. But I will say this: Tim Tebow WILL be a Pro Bowler this year. Either the fans will vote him in, his peers will vote him in, or so many other people will back out that inevitably the job will go to him.

#22- For Love Of The Game (1999)

Click here for Commenting Rules and how GOI's final list came together

This post was written by Cubsfan4evr1

Who's List Was This On
- Cubsfan4ever- #1
TOTAL VOTES RECEIVED: 25

Directed By: Sam Raimi
Written By: Dana Stevens
Starring: Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, and John C. Reilly

Based Upon: The book For Love Of The Game by Michael Shaara

The Plot

Detroit Tigers future hall of famer pitcher Billy Chapel (Costner) has always been at the top of his game for his career, with the same team. He has always put the game first, even when his career was in jeopardy after an accident. The game always came first. The Tigers are in last place and trying to play spoilers to the Yankee’s so the coach wants to change his battery mate who hasn’t hit in years. At the age of 40, he learns his friend who has owned the Tigers is selling the team and the new owner will be trading him. This will be his last game as a Tiger and he is contemplating quitting the game of baseball. As he is pitching he is trying to decide whether he should retire on his terms or accept the trade. The morning of this big game his girlfriend of four years (Preston) told him she’s leaving for a job in London because she will always be second in his life. As he pitches he reflects on his relationship with her and his love for the game……………….

Why This Movie Is Great

There are many baseball movies that are considered to be great such as Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, Eight Man Out, and The Natural. For Love of the Game is not considered one of them because it is classified as a romance movie. It is portrayed as a love story, so hardcore baseball fans don’t want to see a love story and women don’t want to see a romantic love story about the game of baseball. The movie is a romantic love story, but it’s also about baseball and everyday life. For Love of the Game is one of my favorite movies because of the meaning this movie portrays. It is not just because it’s a baseball movie and goes through the nine innings of a game.

This movie has so many messages that each time I watch it, it reminds me of so many different challenges that baseball players go through. This includes personal challenges, the possibility of being traded, and how you are viewed in the perception of others. In addition, the movie shows the hardships that a pitcher has to go through over the course of his career. One example includes having an accident with your pitching hand which Billy thought was career ending. He could not pick up a baseball let alone throw it. The doctors kept telling him he wouldn’t come back from it, but it was his determination that did which also jeopardized his personal relationship. Top this with his personal life and trying to figure out what direction he should head. This movie shows all the hard choices you have to make in baseball and life and how to balance them. Only a true baseball fan can appreciate this movie by understanding all of the symbolism that it contains.

Each time I watch this movie I feel inspired about life and feel reenergized about my love for the game!

#23- Back To The Future Part II (1989)

Click here for Commenting Rules and how GOI's final list came together

Who's List Was This On
- The 'Bright' One- #1
TOTAL VOTES RECEIVED: 25

Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Written By: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Thomas Wilson


The Plot

Marty McFly (Fox) and Doc Brown (Lloyd) go back to the future where Biff (Wilson) sneaks along, steals a sports almanac from the future, goes back to meet himself in the 1950's to give his past self the future almanac so that his past self can get rich by betting on sporting events. This creates an alternate timeline in which Biff rules and creates chaos. Marty and Doc Brown must go back to the 1950's to stop past Biff from getting a hold of the almanac.

Why This Movie Is Great

This was TBO's #1 selection and I wanted everybody to write a post on their #1 selection. I asked TBO to do the same and he responded with "I don't do movie reviews". I asked him to just write a few paragraphs on why he likes this movie and he responded with "Because it makes me happy." Therefore, I will write the review for this movie- which also means my own personal opinion will be interjected throughout the analysis.

If I were doing a list of the 100 greatest movies of the past twenty five years I don't think I would include Back to the Future Part II. The first movie was excellent but it was released in 1985- which means it was released 27 years ago and not eligible for this list. There are many sequels that stand up on its own (The Dark Knight, The Godfather Part II, Spiderman 2, The Empire Strikes Back just to name a few). Back to the Future Part II is not one of them. However, if TBO is trying to piggy back the original Back to the Future into this list, then that's at least understandable.

But not to shit on his selection so much, let me explain why the Back to the Future movies are awesome. Or at least attempt to do so. There is nothing technically spectacular about the movies. There's no underlying universal themes about human emotions or behavior, there's no acting performance that will blow you away, and there's no great directorial or camera tricks throughout the movies. However, the movies are just fun. I don't think anyone can sit through any Back to the Future movies (at least the first two) and not have the same reaction The 'Bright' One did. They just make you happy. The movies are a sci-fi roller coaster ride that you just want to watch again and again.

And as sports fans, we always wish we knew the outcome of games. We've all been in Biff's shoes wishing we knew how games ended so we can bet on them. Game of Inches has a Yahoo! group where we try and predict the outcome of every single NFL game. The internet is full of analysts trying to determine how games were won and lost. However, that's the way life is supposed to be. It's supposed to be uncertain. Not only would sports become boring but life would be boring. Back to the Future Part II shows the negative consequences of a world where a person knows the outcome of everything. 1985B is a terrible world to live in and Marty and Doc Brown have to go back in time and fix it.

There's something about time travel that everyone seems to enjoy. We all have made mistakes that we wish we could go back and correct and the Back to the Future trilogy shows us what a wild and crazy romp time travel can be.

FUN FACT: When Doc Brown and Marty McFly go to 2015 the newspaper said that the Chicago Cubs defeated the Miami team to win the World series. The Florida Marlins just changed their name to the Miami Marlins. However, both the Cubs and Marlins play in the NL so they can not face each other in the World Series. Also, in the movie, the Miami franchise is the Miami Gators.

#24- The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Click here for Commenting Rules and how GOI's final list came together

Who's List Was This On:
- David "MVP" Eckstein: #3
- Daniel Bennett: #25
TOTAL VOTES RECEIVED: 24

Directed By: Niels Arden Opley
Written By: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg
Starring: Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace
Based Upon: The Book The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

The Plot

The story follows Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) a recently disgraced journalist and Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) as they investigate the murder of a young girl that happened over 40 years ago

Why This Movie Is Great

If you ever wanted a good mystery (not like anything written by Dan Brown) then TGWTDT is your movie. The movie is dark, mainly because the focus of it is Salander and what she must go through in the world. She has to go through some pretty messed up shit but when things go her way you can’t help but yell, “Yeah, Get Some Girl!” The mystery is probably too complex for a five year old to understand but just complex enough to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. As each layer of the onion gets pulled back the movie drags you in deeper and deeper into the mystery.

The movie works because of the great performance by Rapace. Her character is so complex and deep and Rapace gives life to this intriguing character. I know Fincher worked with Rooney Mara before in The Social Network but I don’t know how you can have the Lisbeth Salander role played by anyone besides Rapace.

I love David Fincher and I love his work with dark visual motifs (which lends itself perfectly to Dragon Tattoo) but I don’t know how he can top the perfection that is the Swedish version. I highly recommend you see this version before you see Fincher’s version.

Sexy Rexy's Greatest TV Shows of 2011

While I do watch a lot of shows I just can't watch TV like Bill Simmons on Alan Seppinwall can. I also haven't seen any HBO or Showtime shows besides Entourage (which we'll get to in a second) so I haven't seen Game Of Thrones, Homeland, or Boardwalk Empire and with an extremely weak year in TV- I probably should have. Plus with Mad Men not airing in 2011 and me not being able to get into Breaking Bad this late in the game, I think this is one of my weakest lists since I've been doing this. (A great ringing endorsement for me and this post I know). But here's my list nonetheless.

However, before we begin, here's a list of shows that I watch that I could not bring myself to put on this list.

- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Season 6 of HIMYM (which aired in the beginning of 2011) was pretty weak for the show and Season 7 of HIMYM (which just wrapped up) was horrendous. It was by far and away it's worst season and while I ranked the show during my midseason rankings, Season 7 definitively forced me to take it off.

- Entourage (HBO) Speaking of atrocious, Entourage's last season was the worst season it's ever had and that's a feat considering how terrible Season 6 was. The first three seasons of Entourage is, to me, some of the best television you will ever see but the show tailed off and tailed off quickly. The last half of Season 7 was amazing (despite Sasha Grey's acting) and I was hoping Entourage would build off of that for their last season. Boy was I wrong.

- The Office (NBC) Michael Scott's farewell tour was pretty touching and moving and it was great to see him evolve, but I think the show is now dead. The Office has been around for eight seasons and it's extremely hard to keep a sitcom going past that and even harder when the main character leavers (see: That 70's Show). Even Seinfeld only lasted nine seasons and was only funny for the first seven and half. Robert California is great but Michael Scott was the glue that kept everything together and Andy Bernard's not doing anything for me.

- The League (FX) This show is the quintessential example of enjoyable but not good. I LOVE this show and it's third season is its best season yet, but I can never bring myself to rank it because there's no character development. Great shows write an episode and then build upon that last episode to further enhance it. The League has never done that. In fact they'll write personalty points for characters just for a laugh and then never mention or touch on it again. The show is was it is and I wouldn't want anything more out of it, but it's just not a "good" show.

- Archer (FX) My friends are all obsessed with Archer and Sterling Archer is a great character but the show gets into season long ruts which diminishes the overall quality of the show. The first episode with "Countess von Fingerbang" was one of the shows greatest episodes. But then the show continued for an entire season more. Plus, season two never once mentioned "Danger Zone"! What the hell guys!

And now, onto the shows that actually did make my list.

10) 30 Rock (NBC)

While the show took the fall season off so that Tina Fey could have another child and so we could all see what a disappointment Whitney is, the show was still strong during the early months of 2011. And those episodes were good.

There was a huge stretch there where I was only watching the show because it was just second nature to me and not because it was funny. Not anymore. This past season stumbled a bit when Tracy Morgan had kidney surgery thus forcing Tracy Jordan to take a hiatus from TGS but as a whole, 30 Rock had a great season. The show reverted back to what made it good in the first place- Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) being high and mighty, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) having problems in her social life, developing the relationship between Jack and Liz, and having only bit parts for the writers of TGS and Kenneth (Jack McBrayer). The show took a huge step in the right direction as it moved from #15 in 2010 to cracking the top 10 in 2011. The show is still not as funny as it was in Seasons 1-3 which was somewhat disappointing to me because I have such high expectations for this show based on when it first came out, but overall Season 5 of 30 Rock was funny and a success and earned the number ten spot on this list.

9) Suits (USA)

USA is what it is. The shows seem formulaic and they are, but I'm a sucker and I love them. I'm also a sucker for law shows being that I am a 3L in law school.

Suits follows around "the best closer in the law" Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and his recent intern whom he hired Mike Ross (Patrick Adams). The USA catch? Mike Ross never went to law school. He's whip smart, has a photogenic memory and intellectually knows the law, but because he got caught cheating taking other people's tests (in fact he actually passed the New York Bar for someone) he was never allowed to go to law school.

Now as a law student and someone who has had law interning jobs, some of the things Mike Ross does frustrates me. I understand that he's never been to law school and so the show is trying to paint a picture of naivety, but he needs to learn common sense. Like most USA shows it has that edge about it that makes you enjoy it but unlike other USA shows and other USA shows on previous lists, Suits only is at #9 because the writing can get streaky at times. The show tries to make you sympathize with Mike and make you hate Harvey but if you look at the big picture, Harvey is always right. I'd like to see that writing tighten up as the show progresses but overall a very enjoyable program.

8) White Collar (USA)

I enjoy both Suits and White Collar but to me, Suits is just an inferior version of White Collar.

The show follows along white collar expert in the FBI Special Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) and smooth talking Ocean's-11-George-Clooney-esque con man Neil Caffrey (Matt Bomer) as a tag team duo catching a different white collar criminal week to week.

Like all original USA shows (and unlike FX shows) they are not *that* well written and are very formulaic and always have a happy ending but what I especially enjoyed about Seasons 2 and 3 of White Collar was that it finally wrapped up the series long conflict of what happened to Kate / why everyone was searching for the music box. The show found a way to still keep a season long mystery going in Season 3 (what happened to the art) and in the process took the relationship between Neil and Peter to another level. Deep down Neil Caffrey is a good person, but he's also a thief. He likes and cares for Peter but at the same time he needs to do what he can to save his own ass.

Sometimes you need mindless TV which will always put a smile on your face which is why White Collar earned the eighth best spot on this list.

7) New Girl (FOX)

New Girl is the only new show from the fall 2011 line up to make this list and it was the only show that I gave an "A" rating to during my fall preview. (Also, I don't care what you say Cubsfan, I will never watch Revenge). New Girl's pilot was hilarious. Jess (played by Zooey Deschanel) moves in with three male roommates, one of which was played by Damon Wayans Jr. Wayans also filmed a pilot for a show called "Happy Endings" and since that show was picked up, Wayans was contractually obligated to film that show and leave New Girl. Which was a shame because I loved his character Coach.

Then, FOX being FOX, did something stupid. Instead of refilming the pilot, they just wrote Coach out of the show completely and added a new black roommate- Winston. For a few episodes the show could not figure out how to effectively incorporate Winston into the show which dragged the show down. In fact, this season the show as a whole was trying to figure out what it wanted to. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. However, by season's end, New Girl has figured itself out. Let the hilarity ensue!

The show advertises itself that it's starring Deschanel and uses that as a hook to get people into the show, but the real stars of the show are the roommates- mainly Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Nick (Jake Johnson). This show could work without Deschanel (like a Two and a Half Men situation) but it would have an extremely hard time working without Schmidt and Nick. I've heard a lot of people not like New Girl because Jess is too quirky and too much of a caricature. If you think that then you're focusing on the wrong aspects of the show.

In the end, the show has found its groove and its just funny. I'm excited to see where the show takes us going forward.

6) Lights Out (FX)

FX is probably the best network out there in terms of original programming but it's sadly a station that nobody watches. AMC is the big up and coming station with two great and established shows such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad and even still AMC is having trouble attracting viewers. Needless to say FX is in trouble. Whether it is a sports team or a TV station, the best way to attract people to watch you is by putting out quality products. But as the Tampa Bay Rays as well as FX has learned, that philosophy has not always paid off. The best show of 2010 was an FX show called Terriers which got cancelled due to poor ratings and Lights Out unfortunately fell to the same fate.

Lights Out follows boxer and former heavyweight champion Patrick "Lights" Leary (Holt McCallany) from him scrapping the bottom of the barrel (and lower) to try and regain his glory days back at the top. Even with boxing movies such as Rocky, Raging Bull, Cinderella Man, and most recently The Fighter, Lights Out felt original- mainly because nothing could go right for this underdog whereas the underdog always wins in the movies. Even when good things happened to Lights Leary and his family, even worse things would just pile on top and ruin everything again.

I encourage all of you to check out this show so I won't completely ruin the ending for you (which was jaw-dropping and amazing and heart breaking all at the same time) but even though the season ended like it was expecting a second season, it was a perfect series finale and the show was great enough to be the 6th best show of 2011.

5) Parks and Recreation (NBC) Parks and Rec does something special. It creates humor when people are actually doing their job well. Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) is fantastic at her job and in Season 4 she is getting the chance to pursue her dream job of becoming an elected official in the city of Pawnee, Indiana.

Season 4 did a great job of just letting the characters be themselves. Leslie did what she always does- creates amazing programs for the city of Pawnee. Ron Effing Swanson (Nick Offerman) is just Ron Effing Swanson. 'Nuff Said. Season 4 also allowed Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) be his douchebag, hilarious self when he opened up his own entertainment business- Entertainment 720 with the amazingly douchey Jean-Ralphio. And most importantly we got to see the relationship between Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) blossom and evolve. It's difficult not keeping two characters who you know will end up with each other apart. After three seasons The Office had to have Jim and Pam become a couple because if they dragged out that relationship any longer it would just start to upset fans. However, Ben Wyatt was introduced late into the show and I think the show spent the perfect amount of time keeping Leslie and Ben apart.

I loved what Parks and Rec did this season and the show has taken an amazing turnaround since its awful first season.

4) Community (NBC) I actually enjoy shows like Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock more than Community, but there is no other show like Community. It is so daring and bold and beautiful that I had to put it in my top five. The show is truly the comedy version of Mad Men- it's genius, it's great, it's like nothing you've seen on television, it's got amazing character development, yet nobody watches it. And unfortunately for Community (even though every single TV critic loves it) it doesn't get the awards and accolades like Mad Men does. Which unfortunately for Community caused NBC (who is already having ratings problems even though it consistently produces the best quality of television) to force Community on a hiatus when 30 Rock returns in the spring of 2012. I hope NBC comes to their senses and keeps the show on. Plus, if you're going to cancel a Thursday night show, Whitney is right there for the taking.

3) It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX) Always Sunny is having one of the best seasons its ever had. I mentioned earlier how it's hard to keep a sitcom going after eight years but Always Sunny is showing no signs of slowing down after its seventh season.

The reason I love this season so much is two fold. The first is that the show has mainly focused off of Frank Reynolds (I love the character as a whole and Danny DeVito does a great job playing the character but...). Frank works perfect as a side character feeding off of the other four and not as a central player (The Alec Baldwin Effect). The second reason is that the show is finally playing off of the insecurities of Dee, (fat) Mac, and especially Dennis. The show is still super dark (the gang tried to convince an IRS agent that Dee's "fictional" kid died by throwing a fake funeral; Frank proposes to a WHore who suddenly dies on him) but it's nice to know that even this messed up gang continues to have normal, human problems.

The show also manages to stay relevant (taking a page out of the South Park playbook) so they don't lose their creative juices. The show went to the Jersey Shore (although there was no semblance of the MTV reality show within the episode) and played off facebook/The Social Network and the underground cult documentary Catfish.

The show was always great from Season One and it continues to keep on getting better and better.

2) Modern Family (ABC)

For the past two years the best comedy has landed in the number two hole. I think it is just hard to rank the best comedy number one ahead of the best drama, as is true here. But make no mistake, the best comedy, here being Modern Family, is just as good in its own right.

Modern Family is just amazing and is far and away the greatest comedy out there.

Modern Family is not On Demand so the fact that I go out of my way to watch this show should give you an indication of just how good and hilarious the show is. Modern Family is one of a few examples on this list to make a great leap from Season One to Season Two. The show has always been funny but now that everybody has a firm grip on their characters (although Modern Family really wasn't one of the many shows to suffer from a lack of voice in its first season) this show is not only more hilarious but has deep heart and you're able to connect with its decently big cast (six adults and four kids spread across three families and generally at least three story lines an episode) along with building relationships between all the characters within the show.

The weird thing about Modern Family is that I can't really quote major lines from the show. Those who personally know me know I love to quote (or at least attempt to quote because I generally get the quote wrong) my favorite things and yet I can't do it with Modern Family. Just trust me though, the show is fucking hilarious and brilliant and is the best comedy of 2011 and the second best show of the year.

1) Justified (FX)

Jumping up four spots from my fifth best show last year to the best show so far this year, Justified's sophomore season has far surpassed its rookie one to rightfully earn the top honor.

Out of my millions of facebook friends (and by millions I mean 172. Don't feel bad, I purposefully delete those who I will never talk to again) only two of them watch Justified- and only one of them I actually continually converse with. So you need to watch Justified for the sole reason so that I have somebody to talk about this show with.

But in all seriousness Justified is amazing and you need to watch it.

The show follows around Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) as a bad-ass U.S. Marshall stuck back in his hometown of Harlan County, Kentucky. The season started off slow (although it had a great premiere giving closure to the end of Season 1 while setting up the characters and story lines for Season 2) it picked up about five episodes into the season stepped on the pedal, hit a few babies and old ladies along the way, and never looked back with its last four episodes of the season being some of the best television in awhile. Three out of the last four episodes could have been the season finale for me (although one actually WAS the season finale) and each episode was just better than the last.

Season 2 mainly centered around Olyphany versus Mags Bennett (Margo Martingale) who is a rotund (to put it lightly) 60-ish year old lady who runs the weed business in Harlan County (NOTE: Martindale won the Primetime Emmy for her role as Mags Bennett and I was glad to see her phenomenal performance get recognized) versus Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), the bad guy from Season 1, and the Crowder clan. Mags and Boyd Crowder play some of the best and charismatic bad guys on television, but my favorite was one in Season 2 was one of Mags' son- Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies). They all just pull you into every scene they're in while being some of the ruthless, ill-hearted people around. You still want them to win yet also want Raylan to kick their ass.

I said in my midseason post that it was going to be incredibly hard to knock Justified out of the #1 spot and considering how weak the fall 2011 season was, I was right.
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Here is a recap of my list:

10) 30 Rock (NBC)
9) Suits (USA)
8) White Collar (USA)
7) New Girl (FOX)
6) Lights Out (FX)
5) Parks and Recreation (NBC)
4) Community (NBC)
3) It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX)
2) Modern Family (ABC)
1) Justified (FX)