Big Fish Recap 5/27/10 - That's Two In A Row . . .

Swangin D's Got Thrown off the Road..

The last time the Cobra Kai squared off against the Swangin D, the Kai erupted for their most epic victory in club history a 22-0 romp that had Koko summoning his Tower Powers to actually amp down our collective super powers.

Well, the Team knew things would be different this time around and we had to prepare for battle. Capt. Tucci knew the team had what it takes to complete the season sweep of the D’s but knew we had to play together to accomplish it. Papa Tucci once told me “The best Captain is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it”, So I told the Guys, let’s go out and win this damn game and go drink some Cobra Kais”!

Wild Man Wilson was back and his newly re-fused T-385 Arm would be tested early and often and the team’s success depended upon it’s complete fusion with his body. Well, the first play of the game was a scorching shot in the hole at SS and Wilson ran it down and blasted a throw to Koko at first where he used his plastic man legs to complete the stretch and gain the out. After that play, you could sense the Cobra Kai knew it was “Game On.”

With Oil Can Spragues back at after a week hiatus the line-up was at near full strength minus RoundHouse Reger’s power. Well, in the top of the1st the Cobra Kai struck first after the Minister got on and Spragues does what he does best….give everything for the sake of the team. Mad Dog wanted some insurance so he immediately called for the Miyagi swipe upon Spragu’es single that left the team with runners on 1st and 3rd. Spragues immediately took for second giving his body up so the Minister could slide safely into home to start the Kai’s scoring streak.

The Swami was up to usual game mastering tactics commanding the Outfield to a bend but not break defensive mindset and vowing to leave the field with nothing short of a victory. “Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women”. I know my teammates follow a lot of Women, So I know I have to lead them to victory every night” The Swami said after the game. The Swami seemed to be floating on a magic carpet gliding to with ease to deep shots that seemed to be trouble but, then out of nowhere the Swami was there to run them down and clot the bleeding.

Johnny Blaze continued his torrid hitting at the plate as he lead the Kai in batting after his inner beast was awoken last week. Blaze also displayed his Miyagi hands in several clutch plays at the hot corner to kill any Swanging D’s rallies. “They weren’t the best plays I’ve ever made, but they were decent enough” Blaze said after the game.

The DonJuan started a new streak, one that won’t be contested for quite some time as he found a way to generate an RBI with every at-bat on the night driving his RBI streak to 14 straight at-bats. On one particular at-bat it seemed his streak was in trouble when only Capt. Tucci was on the base path stuck at first. However, the DonJuan pelted a shot to right field and the Captain injected his beast gene of the gazelle, greyhound mix and sprinted from first all the way home to keep DonJuans streak alive and give the Cobra Kai a seemingly insurmountable lead at 9-3.
Koko continued his torrid play as well bashing two hits in his kid Icarus Shoes and matching pants. ““I'm not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. I'm living on.” Koko said after the game.

Well, the Cobra Kai continued their win streak with a 12-5 victory setting them up for a showdown with the Undefeated league leaders Swim N Fun this Friday Night. However, the Cobra Kai have a secret weapon being flown in From Boston as we speak preparing for the showdown. To Learn more, be sure to be there under the Friday Night Lights as the Cobra Kai square off against the Swim N Fun at 6:30.

Big Fish Recap 5/21/2010 - Don't Mess with Blaze!

Strike First, Strike Hard, and No Mercy that is the Cobra Kai Mantra. Well, The Kai took the field after being on the receiving end the last couple of weeks and were ready for revenge. Having never faced Performance Radiator and missing key veteran leaders “Oil Can Spragues”, Roundhouse Reger, and Wild Man Wilson whom was still reeling from the effects of his genetically fused T-850 arm as it morphs into him, the Kai were unsure of the fate the night had in store for them.

The team would need a Hero to save the day and help jump start their path to a championship. “I told my troops to be ready, because we have to pick up the slack left by our missing teammates” Capt Tucci said. The Swami had the Outfield in position and vowed not to allow any meltdowns out there. “I told Captain, Let’s go Son, give me the troops and I will lead them to the promised land”. The Kai had to call up one of their affiliate members Mike B. to help complete the Swami’s posse in the outfield while the Minister transitioned into the Infield. Mike B. Had several clutch plays in the OF under the watchful tutelage of the Swami and provided much needed speed on the bases.

Mr. Miyagi taught the Kai to always be fleet of foot and be ready for the challenges set before you, no matter how big or small. Well, fate was the first challenge as the bus from Tacoma was running behind and the Minister was late to the game signing the final contract status for Mike B. and his transfer papers. Never Fear, as Capt. Tucci made some quick changes and stepped into the lead-off spot ready to lead his troops to the promised land. The First inning saw the Kai strike first, as we chipped away at their pitcher and paved the way for 3 runs lead by DonJuan’s 1st of 7 RBI’s on the nights.

The Swami was his usual assassin at the plate dominating pitch counts and finding his way on base all night and even clearing them with a shot to the fences that broke the spirit of Performance Radiator.

The Real story of the night came in the later innings as two usually quiet leaders for the Kai decided enough is enough and they took the reins to be the vocal and field leaders the Kai needed so desperately on this fateful night.

The Usually quiet yet sure handed 3rd Baseman Johnny Blaze started the Kai’s fiery resurgence in the top of the 5th when he used his Miyagi hands to catch a throw from Short and attempted to turn a Double play to end the inning and stop a Rally at home plate. However, his T-850 Cyberdine targeting system does not account for objects larger than 395 lbs and thus he was not able to circumvent the target while still accomplishing the mission. Johnny’s throw bounced off the target and made a 90 degree bounce right into Fig’s glove for his second tag out of the night at home plate. The Ump could not believe his eyes and called the player safe thus enraging our opponents after their vanquished player at third yelled at Johnny claiming he did this to send a message to them. The usual quiet and calm demeanor of Blaze was temporarily shelved as he channeled his inner Chai but was unable to contain his pride as you do not question the Kai’s methods. Cooler heads prevailed as the Swami ran into to explain to Blaze that Irony has a funny way of showing itself.

Well, Irony did not have to wait long as Johnny Blaze stepped to the plate the next inning and drilled a shot to deep Left field directly over the head of his previous attacker and Blaze quickly strode home with an in the park HR staring down the man who dared step up to Blaze’s dojo. “It wasn’t the best HR I ever hit, but it sure did feel good to jam it down their throats” Blaze said.

Our Opponents had one last fight in them in the bottom of the 6th trailing by 8 runs. They chipped away with a few runs and just as a rally was starting for them the Kai’s other hero of the night decided to surface and end the game once and for all. The man wearing his Superman Underoos and his new performance pants and shoes ended their rally and stunned the crowd with his amazing play at First base. After putting two men on, the Radiators drilled one down the first base line where Koko jumped up in air and made a diving stop, then hopped right back up and sprinted, then dove to first to put out the unsuspecting runner and end the game in awestruck fashion. “I haven’t gotten dirty in awhile, and I knew we would be shorthanded tonight, Thus I decided it was time to break out the Superman underoos as I knew we would need em” Koko said after the game. Red Bug lake had thought for sure he was wearing plastic man underoos after he made a few amazing stretch plays at first earlier in the game.

Another, Kai member stepped up to provide big help was Sully. He stepped in at second and made several key plays and drilled two clutch hits in the 3rd and 5th inning to break the will of our opponents and let them know anyone of us can beat you at any time.

“That is the beauty of the Cobra Kai, on any given night anyone of our players can be the hero or the “Dave Roberts’’ The guy that sparks the team to victory.
Well, The Kai look to continue their winning Strike tonight as they square off against the newly rebuilt Swanging D’s in the rubber match after the Kai destroyed them last meeting.

See You Under the Friday Night Lights!

Big Fish Recap 5/13/10 - We Must Concentrate . . .

The Cobra Kai squared off against an unknown foe one of which we had never seen before last Friday Night. Performance Radiator was a new gang to enter the ring at Red Bug Lake park, but the Kai were ready for the challenge!

The Kai jumped out to an early lead as we posted 3 runs to start the night. The Kai’s first 3 batters all got on and scored on the Big E “AKA” the Swami’s crushing hit to deep Left Center to bring the boys home. Mad Dog came out throwing flamers at the Los Raiders and the defense held strong taking them out in the bottom of the first 1-2-3.

Capt. Tucci took control of his bat and was giving No Mercy to the Los Raiders all night. The Captain was in the zone. “ I just wanted my troops to know that” It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up” We got knocked down last game so it was important to set the pace early that we were back Up.
The Defense was very solid in the first few innings as the Swami controlled the Outfield and Wild Man Wilson and his crew contained things in the Infield. I told my Outfielders and the rest of the Kai to don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. If we follow these basic premises we will be successful.


Well, then the tides turned a bit as the Los Raiders kept chipping away and the Kai were getting a bit too aggressive on the base paths and in the field. Mr. Miyagi’s teachings of patience slipped away from the Kai. The Team kept hitting very solid a but the Los Raiders summoned their own superpower of ‘Omnipresence” away from DonJuan and they seemed to be everywhere on the field making plays that looked like surefire hits and turning rally innings into inning ending double plays.
We played a great game, It wasn’t the Best game we ever played but it was very good. They just happened to make the plays when it mattered most” Johnny Blaze said after the game.

Sully, Reappeared in the late innings and had some words of wisdom for the team to remember. My dad once told me that a wise leader once said “The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory.”

Well, the Cobra Kai look to start their winning streak going this Week against the G-Force under the Friday Night Lights!

Iron Man 2

Two of the hottest commodities in Hollywood over the past few years have been comic book based films and actor Robert Downey Jr.. However with the highly anticipated sequel to 2008’s Iron Man, both Downey and the genre take a small step backward.

Iron Man 2 returns us to the world of Tony Stark and his alter, yet publicly known, ego Iron Man. This time around Tony not only continues to battle copy cat villains trying to use his own technology against him, but he must also find a way to stop the life-saving tech inside him from poisoning his body at the same time.

Jon Favreau returns to direct the second installation of the Iron Man saga and does manage to replicate the same mixture of comic book action, ultra realism and authentic characters the audience can get behind. What Favreau was not able to replicate with this film was a coherent story. In 2008’s Iron Man it was rumored, and actually confirmed by Jeff Bridges, that most of the script was written on the fly. The fact that it all came together as well as it did was a miracle in itself. Sadly this time there would be no miracle, and if Iron Man 2’s story and script was not written as the film was produced, it definitely gave off that appearance. This film moves along like a Ferrari in a supermarket parking lot with extra speed bumps. The scenes are rushed and the editing is choppy, almost as if the movie was a big-budget junior high project, thrown together the night before it was due.

The film is not without its merit though. Robert Downey is just as good in his reprise as the eccentric Tony Stark as he was in the first film, however last time he had a superior script backing him up. Downey remains the truest embodiment of a comic book protagonist ever brought to life. And in a surprising step up from her performance in the original, Gwyneth Paltrow actually jumps into the character of Pepper Potts as deeply as some of her more acclaimed roles. In the first film it felt like Paltrow was just phoning it in, but in Iron Man 2 Paltrow really seems to believe in Potts, reaffirming her as an important staple in the overall canon of Iron Man. This also could have something to do with the fact that the character of Pepper Potts is the only one to actually have stronger material to work with in the sequel than in the original film.

The new additions of Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson as Ivan Vanko and Natasha Romanoff, are more flash than they are substance. Neither actor gets to show any real chops and are used more like flavor enhancers than a great side dish. Ditto for Don Cheadle as he replaces Terrance Howard as Lt. Col. James Rhodes. Sam Rockwell did manage to animate the staleness with his portrayal of Stark rival Justin Hammer. Hammer is very much an extension of Rockwell's performance in 2000’s Charlie’s Angles as bad guy Eric Knox. This was a welcome addition as Rockwell does smarmy better than anyone alive and every time he and Downey shared a scene, a master’s class in charisma ensued. Unfortunately this happened far too seldom in the film.

Among the mess of a script, there is a shining star in the story . . . the technology. Science fiction has engulfed its audiences with so much outrageous tech throughout the years that fans have become very jaded, consequentially making it very difficult to have a real “wow” factor to new ideas. The fictional Stark Industries truly does feel futuristic, but even more importantly it feels realistic. This film displays some fantastic special effects for technology that is both awe inspiring and gives a sense of feasibility during the next decade.

Perhaps Iron Man 2 had too high a wall to climb, but falling a little short of its predecessor would have been forgivable had the story and script not been so far below the standard it help to stabilize in the genre. Some great dialogue does manage to get squeezed into the cut and paste scenes, and there’s nobody better in the business to deliver witty quips and banter than Downey. Also, Favreau included some fantastic comic book easter eggs, which is very important and appreciated by the genre’s hard-core fans. Unfortunately, dedication and respect for the source material was not enough to overshadow the obvious problems with the script and a very anticlimactic ending.

Story: 6.0

Acting: 7.5

Writing: 7.0

Captivation: 7.0

Replay Value: 7.5

Total = 7.0

Big Fish Recap 5/6/10 - Wax On, Wax Off

As a boy growing up on the mean streets of Port Washington there were two constants in my life. Bob Ueker calling great Brewers games every memorable Spring and Summer day and my big Brother beating me up. Not a day went by that I didn’t get beat up or pushed around somehow someway, and there was basically nothing I could do about it. I tried every fashion to get him back, using illegal weapons (trophy’s, boots, butter dishes) anything I could get my hands on that would give me the advantage. In every sporting event it was usually my brother versus me and two or three of my friends……he would still usually beat us.

I hated every minute of it! However, one day unbenounced to me the tide turned. It happened when a friend and I were getting beaten up again for no reason. My buddy turned and looked at me and instead of running away we both went charging toward him and hearing Vince Lombard’s words in our heads we jumped into the air simultaneously and took him down with a double Crane Kick to the back and the knees. From that day forward things changed.

A similar story happened in Major league baseball. On October 17, 2003 Aaron ‘Bleeping” Boone crushed a devastating Home Run for the New York Yankees to lift them over the Red Sox once again in the ALCS and continue their dominance. Since 1918 up until that time the Yankees had won 27 World Championships and 40 AL Pennants compared to the Red Sox measly 0 World Championships and paltry 4 AL Pennants.

Why do I mention this? Because it is a foreshadowing of the Cobra Kai-Sharks feud. Once again the Kai took the field against the Mighty Defending Champion Sharks. And once again, the outcome was much the same. The Sharks and Kai battled back and forth and then the Sharks putting on a hitting display for the ages overcame the Kai. However, this game was different. The Kai didn’t back down at all, we kept battling and didn’t relent or give anything to the Sharks. The Sharks didn’t smell the blood in the water like they usually do against teams. Once they smell blood they go for the kill. However, this game they never achieved that ‘Kill” they simply took too many bites out of the Kai that we didn’t have enough of a base to complete our Crane Kick for the knockout.

The Sharks tried their usual power shots to the Gaps but the Swami was wise to this and adjusted the outfield to render their power hits useless. Roundhouse Reger ran down their blasts to Right Field and even gunned down an unsuspecting Shark at home plate trying to take too much heading home with no respect for the Kai. Reger also came through at the plate for the team punishing the Sharks for their lack of respect by putting one to the fence to spark the Team. However, it proved to be too little too late.

The Sharks are one of the most dominant teams in Red Bug Lake history. However, it should be noted they are also the “OLDEST” Team in our league. This game was different. It is only a matter of time before the tables turn and the Cobra Kai overtake the Sharks for league dominance. The Sharks know it and we know it. However, until that time we should be thankful for their “lessons” much like the same way Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel Son. At first, these lessons seem trite and a waste of time. But, I guarantee you one thing. In a few seasons, we will look back and say “Remember when these old guys use to beat up on us, yeah I can’t believe it…………let’s not let up and let’s go for the Mercy Rule on them just for old time Sakes”!!!!!

Until that time, just remember……Wax on….Wax Off……Wax On…..Wax Off!

See You under the Friday Night Lights! Let's Win this One For Johnny Blaze and Sully whom celebrated Birthdays this Week!!!