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Strasburg Coming Soon To A MLB Park Near You

When the Washington Nationals selected pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the No. 1 overall pick last year, the question was not if, but when he would make his Major League debut. Sources have indicated that the much anticipated debut will be against the Pirates at Nationals Park in a series that starts Tuesday, June 8 and ends Thursday, June 10.

Strasburg has dominated the minor leagues this season, making his MLB debut even more exciting. In 45 1/3 innings in eight starts between Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg, he has struck out 54, walked 22 and has given up just 22 hits. He has an overall ERA of 0.99 , and just a 0.39 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse.

The debut against the Pirates is just smart marketing. Strasburg's arrival will more than likely force a sell out of Nationals park. That doesn't happen very often against a Pirates team that has been horrible year in and year out.

Movie Releases For Friday May, 28

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Based on the video game, which follows an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. (Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley)

Sex and the City 2
Same idea as the first one, I'm guessing. (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall)

Survival of the Dead
On an island off the coast of North America, local residents simultaneously fight a zombie epidemic while hoping for a cure to return their un-dead relatives back to their human state. (Alan Van Spang, Kathleen Munroe)

The Hangout Music Festival: The Good

In this two-part review of the Hangout Music and Arts Festival that took place May 14-16 in Gulf Shores, Alabama, I will examine the good and the bad from this first-year festival. So, let's start with the good.

For a first year music festival, the Hangout Music and Arts Festival has a lot to be proud about. Just for the fact that a music festival was created on the beach is enough to get excited about. The layout was great, the lineup was more than satisfying and the organization for the most part was very nice. Here is what was good about thee Hangout Music Festival.

Music on the Beach
How in the world could anybody complain about hanging out on the beach all day and listening to music? That alone made this festival worth it. The beach looked great and the festival organizers did a great job laying the festival out. The stages were in good places so they didn't compete with each other, which is a common problem that I have found in a few festival venues.

Good Clean Fun
The festival organizers did a good job of making sure the festival grounds were taken care of throughout the entire weekend. The sand was white at the beginning of the weekend and it stayed white throughout. There were plenty of garbage and recycling cans available and I was pleased that most people used them. The venue was beautiful and it was nice that it stayed that way.

Munchies and Beverages
The food vendors were on point. There was plenty of variety ranging from the festival favorite Spicy Pie, Funnel Cakes, Corndogs to Mexican and Chinese. The food vendors were very similar to the one's at Bonnaroo and I am willing to bet I will see a few of the same ones when I hit that up in June. The Hangout restaurant was located in the venue, so we grabbed lunch there Saturday and Sunday. Po Boys and Fish Tacos from the Hangout were solid and a very nice option for those looking for a sit-down meal inside the festival.

The Hangout offered Miller Lite, High Life and Coors Light 16 oz. Tall Boys throughout the festival for $6. It's about what you come to expect for a festival so there is no complaining there. The selection of mixed drinks was also nice. Each beer station offered pre-mixed drinks for $8, so it was a nice option to have. I drank my fair share of Kentucky Lemonades over the course of the three days.

The Stages
The stages were honestly a lot better than I expected them to be. The three stages that were brought in and were constructed each had LCD screens, which is always a nice touch to add to any venue.

Traffic Flow
Granted their weren't that many people there, but any time you are dealing with thousands of people the general flow becomes a concern. The Hangout did a good job of keeping lines to a minimum. I barely saw lines at restrooms or at food vendors, which tells me that a lot of thought went into the placement of these amenities. Nothing pisses people off more than waiting forever to use the restroom when a show is going on, so kudos to the Hangout organizers for this one.

The Clean-Up Effort
With the oil spill disaster happening in the Gulf of Mexico, the Hangout Music Festival graciously offered to donate all of its profits to the clean up effort. The beach where the Hangout Festival took place was one of the prettiest beaches I have been to and the though of oil all over it depresses the hell of out me. I know I am not the only one that feels that way since such an effort has been made to prepare for any necessary cleanup that may have to happen. The fact that the festival cares so much about the beach and the effects this could have is a very cool thing.

Bull Riding Video of the Day

Thanks to http://twitter.com/Kat_Daly for submitting this awesome video.

Ozzy Osbourne Likes To Scare People

Omar Vizquel Is Finally Retiring? Maybe...

For nearly my entire life, Omar Vizquel has been making difficult plays look routine in the MLB. Now, the 43-year-old is finally considering hanging it up. Playing mainly as a reserve this season with the Chicago White Sox, he has only appeared in 14 games. His batting average is .200 with no homeruns and two RBI. Even though he is known for his defense, the 21-year MLB veteran isn't at the level he once was.

Sometimes, it's tough to quit something that has been in your life for so long, but the time has come for Vizquel to call it quite. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't have anything left to prove. He is a sure Hall of Famer in my book and I'm sure that when the time comes - a lot of people will feel that way.

Lee DeWyze Is America's Idol

And there we have it, Lee DeWyze is this year's American Idol. It really didn't matter which one of them won because they are both awesome. I truly believe both can be really successful with their careers and that's pretty cool.

Crystal was the most talented contestant that this show has ever seen. Her ability to stay true to herself throughout the entire season all while knocking out solid performances week in and week out was amazing.She didn't need to win American Idol to boost her career because she will make it work out regardless.

Lee started the season as a shy guy with a good voice and he ended the season being the American Idol. That is exactly what this show is all about.

Who Said Vladimir Guerrero Was Done?

When the Angels basically gave away 35 year-old Vladimir Guerrero, they along with a lot of baseball people thought the former all-star was well past his prime after being injured much of last year and only belting 15 homers. That obviously isn't the case as it looks like the 14 year veteran is finally healthy and has had a rebirth in Texas.

Through 45 games this year, Big Vlad is hitting .347 with 12 homeruns and 42 RBI. The Rangers got a bargain and Vlad is putting his name back as one of the game's most elite sluggers.

photo: Tim Sharp/AP

American Idol: The Final Performances

The time has finally come. It is the season finale of American Idol and I can honestly say that the two best contestants made it. Crystal Bowersox has been as solid as a rock all season. Nobody should be surprised that she made it to the finals. She has music experience and she is very talented. I might even go as far as to say that she is the most talented contestant American Idol has ever had. Lee DeWyze on the other hand really came into his own during the latter half of the season. He was good in the beginning, but he was great towards the end. He started the show as a shy guy with a good voice. He now has a very good shot at winning. Here's how the final performances went down:


Contestants Favorite Song This Season

Lee DeWyze - The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel

It wasn't as good as it was before when he did this song. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not thrilled with that start. He's gonna have to step his game up if he wants to get America's vote tonight.


Crystal Bowersox - Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin
Just like the first time she did this song, she killed it. It was just badass. Round one goes to Crystal with ease.

Simon Fuller's Song Pick

Lee DeWyze - Everybody Hurts by R.E.M
This was a really good song choice for Lee and he did it well. Although, it's still just not doing it for me.


Crystal Bowersox - Black Velvet by Alannah Myles
It was alright. What a dumb song choice for her. She is not a hard rock kind of artist, so to me it was just stupid to put her in that type of situation. She did it fine, but I didn't love it. Despite what I said, it was better than Lee, so Crystal is up 2-0.

Song That Will Be Their First Single If They Win

Lee DeWyze - Beautiful Day by U2
Lee did alright, but I am willing to bet that he can perform this song a lot better than he did tonight. His nerves were too much to overcome tonight and he wasn't on top of his game. In any other season, he might have had enough to win the competition, but against Crystal - I am not convinced.

Crystal Bowersox - Up To The Mountain by Patty Griffin
Crystal wins.

The winner should be: Crystal Bowersox

Dear Brett Favre: Shut The Hell Up

Here we are in another offseason and yet again the Brett Favre questions are starting to stir. Will he retire for good? Will he come back for another year? We have heard it all and probably by now if you all are like me, you are pretty damn sick and tired of it.

In a breaking new revelation, Brett Favre has said that if his alma mater Southern Miss makes the College Baseball World Series, he will return to the NFL for one more season. Are you kidding me? Enough with the crap already and just admit that you will be returning for another season so your team and fans can get on with their lives. And if for some reason Favre doesn't return, the Southern Miss baseball team will be hated forever.

Movies For Friday, May 21

Shrek Forever After
The final chapter of this epic toon-movie finds the giant green ogre, Shrek, living in the land of Far, Far Away. (Voices by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas)

MacGruber
Ex-special operative MacGruber is called back into action to take down his archenemy, Dieter Von Cunth, who's in possession of a nuclear warhead and bent on destroying Washington, D.C. Based on the Saturday Night Live skit MacGruber, this movie is sure to be as shitty as the skits usually are. (Will Forte, Kristen Wiig)

Holy Rollers
In Brooklyn, a youth from an Orthodox Jewish community is lured into becoming an Ecstasy dealer by his pal who has ties to an Israel drug cartel. (Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha)


*movie plots from IMDB

American Idol Says Goodbye To Casey James

It wasn't shocking that Casey James went home at all. What was shocking was the fact that the three best contestants made it to the final three this season. Casey, Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox proved week in and week out that they were the best this season and for the first time in my American Idol watching career, I can honestly say that the best three made it to the end. All three will get record deals and with proper guidance, all three can have successful careers. It really didn't matter which one went home at this point because all three are talented.

The Washington Wizards Won The Lottery!

For the first pick in the 2010 NBA Draft next month, the Washington Wizards will likely select Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall. The Wizards won the rights to the No. 1 pick after winning the draft lottery yesterday.

After basically giving away former All-Stars Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler last season to free up salary, this finally gives the Wizards and their fans something to be excited about. Wall will have to mesh with Gilbert Arenas in the back court, but the duo could prove to be deadly as Washington hopes to improve on one of its worst seasons in franchise history. Now let's hope that the Wizards don't screw this up and pick somebody other than Wall.

American Idol Review: The Top 3

Casey James - Okay, It's Alright With Me by Eric Hutchinson
This was an overall very average performance. At this point in the competition you have got to bring your best and Casey failed to do that.

Crystal Bowersox - Come To My Window by Melissa Ethridge
Badass. As soon as they said she was doing this song, I knew it would be awesome.

Lee DeWyze - Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
This proved that Lee is in it to win it and I truly believe he can.

Casey James - Daughters by John Mayer
It was alright, but like his previous performance tonight - it wasn't anything special.


Crystal Bowersox - Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney
It was a pretty good song choice hanged to her by Ellen. It allowed her to show some vocal range and she was able to have fun with it. Vocally, it was one of Crystal's best performances of the season.

Lee DeWyze - Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
This song has been a very crucial song over the seasons on American Idol. Each contestant that sings it does it differently. Lee did his thing and it worked out. He won tonight with two very solid performances.

Knox Animal Performer of the Night: Lee DeWyze
Who Should Go Home: Casey James

Movie Releases For Friday, May 7

Iron Man 2
Billionaire Tony Stark must contend with deadly issues involving the government, his own friends, as well as new enemies due to his superhero alter ego Iron Man. (Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson)

Mother and Child
A drama centered around three women: A 50-year-old woman, the daughter she gave up for adoption 35 years ago, and an African American woman looking to adopt a child of her own.(Alexandria Salling, Connor Kramme, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackon, Naomi Watts)

*movie plots from IMDB

American Idol Says Goodbye To Aaron Kelly

It was time for the little Aaron Kelly to go home. He probably only made it this far because he is 17 and the little teeny bopper girls liked him, but he hung in there. Making the Top 5 is something to be proud of for sure, but it was his time to go.

American Idol Review: The Top 5

Frank Sinatra Songbook. Harry Connick Jr. is the mentor and also will be playing the piano during the performances this week. He brought his band with him to throw into the mix to create the entire big band feel.

*WARNING: I hate this kind of music, so I may seem grumpy tonight

Aaron Kelly - Fly Me To The Moon
Aaron looked like a little kid that a mother dressed up to take to church. His performance was about as trilling as his appearance. Very underwhelming.

Casey James - Blue Skies
It was obvious he was out of his element, but he tried to make it work. He had the look and the performance was alright, but that isn't saying much.

Crystal Bowersox - Summer Wind
She sounded really good, but I couldn't help but feel like something was off. To me the music was much too overpowering for the song. It would have been much better if the sound levels were adjusted correctly. It was a solid performance for me. Crystal can sing and she is good. It doesn't matter what she is singing - it's going to be good.

Michael Lynche - The Way You Look Tonight
I was expecting big things from Michael tonight. Needless to say, he let me down with this half-assed attempt of a performance. This is something I would expect to hear at a karaoke bar near closing time. There was nothing special about that performance whatsoever.

Lee DeWyze -That's Life
Finally a really good performance tonight. This isn't necessarily Lee's type of music at all, but he made it work. It's all about finding what you are good at and performing it. This was Lee's best performance of the season and he runs away with the tonight - it wasn't even close.

Knox Animal Performance of the Week: Lee DeWyze
Knox Animal Bubble Watch: Aaron Kelly, Casey James

Phillies Fan Gets Tazed!

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

During a Philadelphia Phillies game last night, some 17-year-old fan ran on the field and got tazed. Now, he was a dumbass for running onto the field and disrupting the game, but did he really need to be tazed? Are you telling me that nobody could have got this kid off the field without resorting to a tazer?

Sunday Links To GetUthrough

Floyd "Money" Mayweather remains unbeaten, but is still an annoying asshole.
http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/05/01/floyd-mayweather-remains-unbeaten-against-shane-mosley/

Orioles win first series of the season, start very rare winning streak. Very nice.
http://www.camdenchat.com/2010/5/1/1454316/os-12-red-sox-9-get-your-os-wins

Jeff Gordon is pissed! You better lock up your kids and animals there is a angry manlet on the loose!
http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/04/25/jeff-gordon-is-pissed-at-jimmie-johnson-again/

Are the White Stripes ready for a reunion?
http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/30/jack-white-ready-to-return-to-the-white-stripes/

World Cup: A Possibility in North America?

By: Marc Parker (Knox Animal contributor)

When the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off this June in South Africa it will bring with it a new level of attention and popularity for the game of soccer. Even though the majority of the world is accustomed to the popularity of the sport, it lacks popularity in the United States. Soccer doesn't get the respect the other major sports get in the States, but when it comes down to Team USA versus the world, no matter how Americans feel about soccer, they pay attention.

The 1994 World Cup (the last time the games were held in the United States) was attended by a total of 3.6 million people, which is still a record even though the games have expanded. It was the highest attended single sporting event in U.S. history. The United States Bid Committee understands the significance of hosting such an event and has pulled out all the stops to bring the games to North America over other competing locations like England and Japan.

The U.S. Committee's board of directors is made up of important figures like U.S. Soccer President, Sunil Gulati, Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Counselor to former President Bill Clinton, Doug Band. The latest addition of Doug Band to the U.S. Committee is a smart move on behalf of the committee because Band, an avid fan of the game, is co-creator of the Clinton Global Initiative. He has worked tirelessly to help millions across the globe, adding an internationally recognized face on America’s bid. Band's commitment and global understanding is exactly what the Committee needs to make the 2018/2022 World Cup in North America a reality.

With the world watching, the 2010 World Cup will be on the forefront of most sports fan’s minds this summer – US included. Team USA is poised to begin their quest for their first ever World Cup. They drew a favorable bracket and will open the games against England which has many in the country ready to rename this soccer battle the Revolutionary War Part II. If Team USA makes a strong showing this year, it will do wonders for the idea of making soccer relevant in North America.