joepopp.com » Sports

Ferrari California

Joe — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:53:15 +0000

In late June Ferrari announced its newest street model, the California. While it borrows a lot of design from the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder of the 50′s and 60′s, this baby has a lot of up-to-date stuff in it as well. With a 4.3-liter V-8 that produces 460 bhp and claims to go 62 in under 4 seconds! The California also has a retractable roof that can go from open to completely closed in 14 seconds.

It doesn’t appear the California will see the streets until 2010, but the good news, if you want to call it that is that it’ll be priced at about $180,000 — “well below” the $190,000 F430 which is Ferrari’s most popular model right now.

Read on about this amazing vehicle, which I want to drive.

It's not just a car, it's a switchblade.

Farewell Champ Cars – LBGP ’08!

Joe — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:42:38 +0000

view all photos from the weekend!

Last weekend was the annual trip to the Long Beach Grand Prix. It marked the last time the series known as “Champ Car” will be headlining the weekend. The Champ Car World Series is now defunct and some of the teams/drivers are joining the IRL. Next year we’ll see whatever the result of joining the two leagues will be. That will be exciting to have one open-wheel, but it was bittersweet a little bit as Champ Car had forged it’s own niche and was starting to develop a nice fan base. I’ll spare you the whole story about the guy behind the whole mess of splitting the big Indy car league into two leagues long ago, only to proclaim himself the hero this time around by taking credit for the merger. Blah!

For the weekend I just went on Saturday and Sunday this time, both with my Dad and Brother. We always have a great time. I snapped a ton of photos, but only uploaded a select few. Check’em out!

Monique took our baby girl up north to visit the masses for the long weekend. They made the huge journey by car — I’m usre that was one LONG trip! Both of them did great though, and I’m happy to have them home safe.

Football is here.

Joe — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:41:06 +0000

This season my family is doing Fantasy Football again. The theme last year, as you’ll remember with hilarity, was Star Trek. This seasons it’s Lord of the Rings! Here’s a list of names that were thought up, and the ones with asterisks were used as team names. Feel free to add your own!

You Shall Not Pass!*
OneTeamToRuleThemAll*
The Red Zone Rises*
SneakyLil Hobblitzes*
Lord of the Football*
The EntZone*
Helms Goes Deep*
Go Longbottom Leaf*
SaruManning
Throw me the damn Balrog!
Miami Gandalfins
4th and Entses
The Eagles
Aragorn Pull
Ladanian Goblinson
Nazguline Stand

Regardless of how my fantasy football teams do, I’ll be looking forward to plenty of this from Mr. Goblinson this season.

Getting My Morning Coffee…

Joe — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:02:05 +0000

BLAMMO! It’s the Stanley Cup! This morning THE Cup was visiting my office and I had to go down and get my picture taken. There was a random duck player who I cropped out of the photo (Chris Kunitz) — no slight to him, he’s a great player, but I was there for the cup.

Welcome Back Football! (you’ve been missed)

Joe — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:35:40 +0000

I’m in two fantasy football leagues this season again, one with family, and one with friends. Both should be a lot of fun. In the family league we’ve adopted a Star Trek meets Football theme for the team names. Here’s are examples of some that were thought up (I can’t take credit for the ones with asterisks. I’m only so much of a geek, you know) :

Go Long & Prosper
The Ghahgck Straps*
Jean Luc Pic-Off*
Warp Drive*
The Away Team*
Offense 8472
Worf and Long
Riker the Hiker
Training Ocampa
4th and 7 of 9
The Fighting NCC-1701s
Go for Tuvok
Darmak and Jalad in the Endzone
I’m a Dr. not a QB!
The Post Pattern Buffers
He’s Benched, Jim

So I’ll leave you with this note: Here’s what I found today when looking at one of my drafted players’ status updates…

“The Associated Press reports New York Giants DE Michael Strahan (groin) went down on the first series of the team’s preseason game Thursday, Aug. 31, in obvious pain after a tackle. It looked serious for a minute, but the team later said he was kicked in the groin.”

Oh.. good. For a minute there I thought it was SERIOUS! (ouch.)

Edmonton in 6.

Joe — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 01:40:37 +0000

I know it’s already midway into the first game, but I had this prediction before it began. Edmonton is just playing too great of a defensive game throughout this playoff season. Carolina is the most dangerous when on the Power Play, so if Edmonton can stay out of the box, this series is over… in 6 even.

Sharks Lose to Oilers

Joe — Thu, 18 May 2006 08:30:16 +0000

After getting out to a 2-0 series lead, the Sharks lost 4 straight games and were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night. Ugh! Man, this was a tense series. The Sharks could have easily been up 3 games to none if a couple of bounces went their way. But I guess we can play the “what if game” all day. Normally that would be fun, but not in this case.

Looking back on the Sharks season they had perfect pre-season, going undefeated. This was not a sign of what was to come during the regular season though, as the young Sharks were very streaky and their delicate confidence showed. Once they pulled off a huge trade to get Joe Thornton, things improved quite a bit skill-wise, and they won more than they lost down the stretch rocketing into the playoffs. Unfortunately in the 2nd round they met their match and were unable to mount enough comebacks to get to the next round. It’s the confidence that will come with time as these kids are really young and have a lot of hockey ahead of them. Here’s hoping the bulk of the team comes back next year and maybe some veteran leadership can be added (Did someone say Owen Nolan?).

It will be a great series between the Ducks and Oilers in the West, and I think we’ve got 4 really good teams left that either have never won the cup or haven’t in along time. Should be fun to watch!