Jamie Lay

NFL: Defensive Rookies Making an Impact

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:21:51 GMT

NFL: Defensive Rookies Making an Impact

Buffalo Bills’ Leodis McKelvin (Troy) – Former Troy defensive back Leodis McKelvin nabbed the first interceptions of his NFL career on Sunday. He intercepted the Kansas City Chiefs Tyler Thigpen twice in the Buffalo Bills 51-31 win. McKelvin had two interceptions in his senior year at Troy. The Tampa Bay Bucs picked up his former teammate Elbert Mack. He has played sparingly for the Bucs after grabbing a league leading 10 interceptions his seniors year at Troy.

His biggest contribution this season to the greater Buffalo area, however, has definitely been this commercial for Dave and Adams Card World. Wait until the end of the video.

New England Patriots’ Jerod Mayo (Tennessee) – Former Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo has been the most effective defensive rookie from the first round of the 2008 draft. When the Pats lost top linebacker Adalius Thomas to injury Mayo stepped in and has played like a veteran all season. With five weeks left, he already has 89 tackles.

Here Mayo welcomes former Rutgers running back Ray Rice to the NFL.

Arizona Cardinals Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Tennessee State) – Drafted 16th overall by the Arizona Cardinals, former Tennessee State defensive back Dominique Rogers-Cromartie became a starter last week after intercepting the Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselback twice in a 26-20 win. The cousin of San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie said after the game, “It felt like a dream come true and will be something that I remember for a long time.”

The Cardinals probably noticed Rodgers-Cromartie in the Senior Bowl last year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Aqib Talib (Kansas) – Coach Jon Gruden loved former Kansas cornerback Aqub Talib and he was happy to pick him 20th overall in the draft. The Bucs gradually integrated Talib into the defense though he has already contributed three picks and 11 tackles. He may continue to play a significant role as the Bucs push toward a spot in the playoffs.

His first NFL interception was one of Matt Ryan’s first too.

NY Giants Kenny Phillips (Miami) – Despite incumbent strong safety James Bulter being healthy, the Giants promoted the 31st overall pick Kenny Phillips to the starting role. Named first team ALL-ACC in his sophomore and junior seasons at Miami, Phillips has made 49 tackles, intercepted a pass and given the Giants depth in the secondary.

Tom Coughlin must have seen something he liked in this video.

Missing Links: Beer with Thanksgiving?

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:53:06 GMT

Missing Links: Beer with Thanksgiving?

Yes. According to Bob Townsend with Southern Brew News there are three great imports that pair well with Thanksgiving dinner.

1. St-Sylvestre Brewery’s 3 Monts – “A wonderful return to nature, with its flavour of yesteryear, this is a beer that was drawn from the wooden metal-circled barrels to fill so many mugs in our Flanders bars! Its bitterness comes from our hop fields scattered throughout the region. Brewed by infusions, it is an old-fashioned rising beer made with strong and hearty Flemish hops. Fermented using top yeasts, like the barrel brewers of yore and clamped like bonderised barrels.”

2. Duyck Brewery’s Jenlain Noel - “The festive season just wouldn't be the same without this specialty beer whose arrival is always long-awaited. The tradition of Christmas beers is particular to northern Europe. In the years following the Second World War, the breweries used to sell an original, richer and stronger beer at the same price as year-round beers: this was their gift to their customers. The Duycks have perpetuated this custom by creating a special beer sold at the usual price. Produced with more malt than Jenlain Ambrée (3 different types of malt made from French grown barley and 3 varieties of the most aromatic hops from Alsace), this top fermented, unpasteurized beer, best served at between 6 and 8°C, has a rich amber glow, a denser head and stronger alcohol content (6.8% alcohol by volume). Darker than the traditional amber beer, its torrefied undertones are reminiscent of flowers and caramel. And the 2002 Christmas beer had a hint of orange.”

3. Gayant Brewery’s La Divine – “St Landelin’s closest relation La Divine is as golden as its sibling is blond. Soft and generous, La Divine is a “grand cru” of ST Landelin and has a volume of 8.5%. With its swing-top cap and purified label, La Divine is for amateurs sensitive to traditional and authentic values. La Divine by St Landelin, a divine elixir to be discovered.”

All the beers listed here are French but most are available at your local package store.

Biere de garde best pairing with turkey [AJC]

Missing Links: Calipari Meets His Former Pupil

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:30:21 GMT

Missing Links: Calipari Meets His Former Pupil

Okay, Okay. I understand no one watches college basketball until Jan. 1 except for the diehards. Really, I think it’s the most exciting part of the year next to March Madness. You have the opportunity to see upsets like VMI over Kentucky. (VMI has one of the most innovative offenses in the game. If I have time later today, I’ll post my interview with coach Duggar Baucome from last year. He explains his philosophy for building VMI’s program.) Anyway, this is the first college basketball post of the season and it’s about Memphis’ John Calipari facing his former assistant Derek Kellogg.

UMass's Kellogg meets his mentor Calipari tonight [Boston Globe]

Missing Links: Fair Grounds Season Starts Early

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:49:14 GMT

Missing Links: Fair Grounds Season Starts Early

I started reading Ernest Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast” this week for the second or third time. I read it in college for a seminar on the author and in high school. I had forgotten there is a chapter devoted entirely to horse racing in Paris. His enthusiasm makes you want to drive to New Orleans for the opening of the racing season at the Fair Grounds.

Horsemen happy with early Fair Grounds start [Times-Picayune]

Missing Links: Is Beer Recession Proof?

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:02:18 GMT

Missing Links: Is Beer Recession Proof?

Beer distributor Bob Mack says maybe.

Quote of the Day: Vonnegut on Veterans Day

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:06:06 GMT

Quote of the Day: Vonnegut on Veterans Day

Before anything else, I’d like to say happy birthday to my mother. She shares a birthday with the late Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut famously wrote about Veterans' Day in his book “Breakfast of Champions.”

“I will come to a time in my backwards trip when November eleventh, accidentally my birthday, was a sacred day called Armistice Day. When I was a boy, all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.

Armistice Day has become Veterans’ Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans’ day is not.

So I will throw Veterans’ Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don’t want to throw away any sacred things.”

Every year on Nov. 11, I like to celebrate my mother’s birthday, and also remember Vonnegut and our veterans.

Missing Links: The Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:09:40 GMT

Missing Links: The Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge

When I was younger, I couldn’t do a pull up to save my life. It was pretty embarrassing. I haven’t tried in a while, but I bet I’m still not very good.

I thought you all might find this chart disconcerting, but perhaps a little inspiring.

Tennis: The Masters Not in Augusta

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:03:26 GMT

Tennis: The Masters Not in Augusta

The tennis season is finally coming to a close. It is, by far, the longest of any sport. Only the Shell World of Golf series is harder to follow.

Before we say goodbye for a few months, I guess most of you said goodbye after the US Open, the top eight in the world, minus Rafael Nadal, play one last tournament to decide it all: the Masters Cup. The round-robin event divides the top eight into two groups, gold and red, and then each player must play the other three in the group.

The Red Group is Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and Giles Simon. The Gold Group is Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro.

Djokovic is usually pretty good at oddly formatted events like the Masters Cup, so I’ll give him the advantage. I would imagine it is difficult to stay focused when a match is the only thing separating you from few months vacation.

If you’d like to follow along, I don’t blame if you don’t, here are the most updated results.

Missing Links: Terrapin on CNN

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:26:12 GMT

Missing Links: Terrapin on CNN

Terrapin, the best small brewery in the Southeast, was featured on CNN last week as a small business success. Here is a link to the video.

(HT: Dustin)

Missing Links: Yuengling In Georgia

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:17:15 GMT

Missing Links: Yuengling in Georgia

Two days ago I was in Kroger and nearly bumped into a high stack of 12 packs in the middle of the beer aisle. To my astonishment this tower of beer was Yuengling. I have always thought it was odd that you could find Yuengling, the tastiest cheap lager on the market, in all the states surrounding Georgia but not in the Peach State. According to bringyuenglingtogeorgia.com, nearly 2000 people petitioned Yuengling Brewing to distribute their delicious beer in Georgia. The campaign was successful and the first 12 packs hit stores in the Atlanta area last week. Yes!

Petition to Bring the Best Beer in America to Georgia [Bring Yuengling to Georgia]