Roger Clemens Returning to the Astros

It was announced today that the Rocket will suit up for the Houston Astros for the remainder of the season. Probably the most dominating right handed pitcher to ever play the game, he isn't too great on timing when he's on your fantasy team. I've had him in the wings for when this would happen. Unfortunately, not having that one dominate starter in fantasy baseball has already dropped me completely out of contention. Great timing, Roger.

"Ironhead" Heyward Passes Away

It was announced yesterday that Craig "Ironhead" Heyward passed away after many battles with brain tumors. Heyward, while with the Saints, was the most automatic short yardage back I've ever seen. He later had great years with the Falcons and Bears, making the Pro Bowl with Atlanta in 1996. I'll always remember Heyward as one of the players who put the Saints on the map in the early 1990's and being a great human being with a great sense of humor. Heyward was also known for his Zest body wash commercials in which he had the classic commercial line in a feminine voice "but Ironhead what's this thingy?". I would like the Saints to think about retiring Heyward's number just due to his influence on the modern NFL running game. Heyward was before his time and paved the way for power fullbacks like Jerome Bettis, Mike Alstott, Mack Strong, and T.J. Duckett. Craig Heyward- a true Saints hall of famer.

The Fray Quickly Jumping Up Pigott's List

You know how a song kinda stays with you and you can't stop listening to it? Well, every song off of The Fray's album How to Save a Life seems to have that affect. With the death of mainstream R & B and Rock and Roll in the 21st century, The Fray seems to have hit a niche in the indie rock/neo soul era of modern music.

The album reminds me alot of Sister Hazel and Ingram Hill in some regards, but the addition of the piano on every song gives it a sort of Doors/Elton John/Five for Fighting/Ben Folds Five feel. The Fray is very widely critically acclaimed and it is very well deserved, and not just for the top 10 hit Over My Head (Cable Car).

Other great songs on the album include the title track How To Save a Life, All At Once, Oceans Away, Little House, Fall Away, and Heaven Forbid. All of these songs have kinda their own feel and while they are all similar, all show different kinda directions that the band could go in.

The best thing about this album is that it's the kinda music you can listen to under any kind of mood. Check it out

Remembering Rebekah Carter

I really still can't believe it. On Tuesday, May 23, 2006, the Lord took one of the truly great people to ever walk this earth up to heaven. Words can't express the sorrow and anguish I genuinely feel for the Carter family as well as the many many people she touched. I remember Rebekah as almost looking like someone special. Eventhough she was one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, she would have never been the kind of person to even think such a conceited thing about herself. Instead of being judgemental, she encouraged, and instead of being selfish, she gave.....and gave......and gave......and gave.

It is extremely even more unfortunate that I only got to be around her on a consistent basis for 3 semesters while I was attending Mississippi College. Now most of you know that my overall experience at MC was not a pleasant one, but if anyone can be considered someone that can change your perspective on something like that, Rebekah would have to be a winner. It always meant alot to me that someone so popular and so great in every aspect would ALWAYS take time to listen to me eventhough 95% of the time she thought was an idiot, and 99% of the time she was right.

I never understood how so much compassion, love, joy, and kindness could come from one single person. It really takes a special person to possess all of those qualities to that degree. I know personally that if I had been in her situation looking at myself that I wouldn't have been as patient and nice to me as she was. I still remember her telling me things like "I appreciate you", "you're special", and "God will use you".

After my time at MC, Rebekah still affected my family a great deal because of her father being minister of music at my grandfather's church in Greenville, MS. I still remember hearing my grandparents talk about how nice the entire family was to them and how Rebekah would always ask about me and then talk about me like I was some great person which I never deserved. Especially from someone like that.

I could obviously write all day about someone so humble, so friendly, and so Godly. I can honestly say that Rebekah was the most Godly and Christian woman I have ever met. Few people have touched my life as much as she has. However, there is one thing about her that happened once that always stood out to me, and it happens to be the very last time we saw each other. Me and the aforementioned John Martin Lassiter had an extremely rowdy 21st birthday celebration at Old Venice in Jackson that night. When we arrived back on campus, we saw Rebekah out front talking to some other people we knew. Being the idiot I am, I made a very rude comment which I would give anything to take back. The next day, I was preparing to sing with MC Singers at the MC Alumni reception and I saw Rebekah again. Obviously, I was very embarassed by the previous night's events and all I could do was apologize. The thing that floored me was that she said to me "I just want you to be careful" and gave me a hug.

I have never forgotten that as long as I've been alive. That or all the numerous times she prayed for me personally, or all the times I went from feeling like the poor left out to someone important just because of her.

Goodbye, Rebekah, you are in a better place now and words can't express how much you touched my life.
Isaiah 43:18-19

-Note: The two pictures are from 2001 Shawreth Formal. The first is Rebekah with Martha Grace Green and Amy Smith. The second is Rebekah with Jay Avance.

Where the hell have I been for about two years?

Today I was flipping channels and saw the Field Mob video for the song "So What". Now most of you know my rather genuine disinterest in non-intellectual hip-hop. However, this video featured a female vocalist that I thought I had seen before, but I wasn't sure who it was. At first, I thought it was Beyonce', one of my all time favorites, but as I kept staring, I could tell it was a different light skinned bombshell. I was shocked to find out it was Ciara ("Goodies", and "1,2 Step"). Where the hell have I been for two years to not notice such a fine woman? Man I feel old. Anyway, if you still don't know who I'm talking about, take a look at this and tell me if you wouldn't feel the same way!

Reggie Got Lost in Baton Rouge.....

So I showed him the way to New Orleans.

Not so fast, Courtney

I knew it was too good to be true. It was just announced that the Moore/Watson trade has fallen through due to Eddie Moore failing the Saints physical. I would say I'm surprised but, it IS the Saints.

This Just In.......

John Martin Lassiter, (pictured here actually on the phone) will graduate from Law School tomorrow. Congratulations Johnny boy, but he also is now and forever won the award for "hardest person to get a hold of when you really need to talk." Congratulations, Lassiter.

Goodbye, Courtney Watson

The New Orleans Saints today bid farewell to linebacker Courtney "holy shit I never hit the guy with the ball" Watson. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins for linebacker Eddie Moore, who is really talented, but really injury prone. I guess the Saints wanted someone who actually MAKES CONTACT on a tackle. So long, Courtney, have fun being a fairy with the Dolphins.

Hootie and the Blowfish still hanging around

You know I'm listening to the song "Can I See You" by Hootie and the Blowfish at this very moment off the album Looking for Lucky. I know these guys are "so 1995", but this album, and especially this song (quickly becoming my favorite hootie song EVER!) is really worth the listen. Other songs on the album include "Autumn Jones", "Get Out of My Mind", "Hey Sister Pretty", "State Your Peace", and "Free To Everyone". This album is unlike anything they've ever had. I know when Cracked Rear View was followed up by Fairweather Johnson in 1996, and then Musical Chairs in 1998, the knock everyone had on Hootie was "all their songs sound alike." I understood how the novice musician could think this, but I still had all three albums and played the hell out of all of them. Because of this, by the time Hootie and the Blowfish came out in 2002 (a surprisingly good album as well), no one really gave a shit. Looking for Lucky breaks down this stigma that has been sticking with the band ever since "Old Man and Me" was the first single off of Fairweather Johnson. Not only are the songs different, but they're just as emotional as anything Darius Rucker has ever sang. Each song tells a different aspect of the way the band has come back into the spotlight and shows a different side of them in every verse. Give this album a listen, and if nothing else, at least go download some of the songs and discover Hootie and the Blowfish all over again.

Random Movie Review- #8 "Mallrats"

Well after a several month hiatus, Kevin Smith's "Mallrats" made an appearance in my VCR tonight. Besides being a cult classic and featuring such stars as Shannon Doherty, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, and Jay and Silent Bob, this has got to be one of the funniest movies every made just due to it's pure randomness and the fact that two best friends spend the entire movie together (one shouting on virtually every line- which I think is hilarious) and hardly ever talk about the same thing. Brodie keeps going on and on about comic books, while T.S. is complaining about his lost love. However, before I go any further, let me just go through the several lines in this movie that make absolutely no sense and frankly are completely out of place in a normal conversation. However, they still make me laugh.

• "Breakfast, shmeakfast. Look at the score, for Christ's sake. It's only the second period and I'm up 12 to 2. Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, "the Whale," they only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a lifetime. " Jason Lee says this to Shannon Doherty after she asks him to get her breakfast. The thing that is so funny about this is that Jason Lee is playing a hockey game on SEGA. This is one of two movies in my personal top 10 ("Swingers"- #5) that feature a famous scene that involve an NHL SEGA game.
• "You're gonna listen to me? To something I said? Hasn't it become abundantly clear during the tenure of our friendship that I don't know shit?" Another great line, just because it takes place right before the climatic scene of the movie and after Brodie has been playing "expert" the entire time. This is right before the two buddies go see the fortune teller in the flea market.
• "It's impossible, Lois could never have Superman's baby. Do you think her fallopian tubes could handle the sperm? I guarantee you he blows a load like a shotgun right through her back. What about her womb? Do you think it's strong enough to carry her child? He's an alien, for Christ sake. His Kyrptonian biological makeup enhanced by earth's yellow sun. If Lois gets a tan the kid could kick right through her stomach. Only someone like Wonder Woman has a strong enough uterus to carry his kid. The only way he could bang regular chicks is with a kryptonite condom. That would kill him. " This exchange is the first of "randomness" that Lee displays throughout the entire movie. The mental picture created here is hilarious. The funnier thing is that this conversation leads to the two arguging about the cookie stand being in the food court or not being in the food court.
• "One time my cousin Walter got this cat stuck in his ass. True story. He bought it at the local mall, so the whole fiasco wound up on the news. It was embarrassing for my relatives and all. But the next week, he did it again. Different cat, same results, complete with a trip to the emergency room. Then, last week, I saw him in the pet store. He was buying another cat. I said, "Walt, what the hell are you doing, you know you're just gonna get this cat stuck up your ass too, why don't you knock it off?" And he says to me, "Brodie, how the hell else am I supposed to get the gerbil out?" My cousin was a weird guy. " This is the opening quote of the movie. I still have absolutely no idea what this quote actually means in the grand scheme of the movie.
• "That kid is BACK on the ESCALATOR again!" Brodie showing his disdain for a kid sitting down on the escalator while T.S. is exploring his options to woo his girl back.

If you haven't ever seen Mallrats, you should go into it knowing that's it's basically a spoof of the loser kids who just hang out at the mall all day (and carry around the small free sample cups like Lee's character). However, the intentional AND unintentional comedy in this movie is off the charts, and like most Kevin Smith movies, it's REALLY unrealistic. I can watch this movie a million times and catch some new quirk about one of the characters I didn't catch before making it's rewatchability off the charts as well. (I still can't figure out why Brodie abruptly checks his pulse after running from mall security- I also can't figure out the purpose of the character Willam- played by Ethan Suplee who actually currently stars in "My Name is Earl" with Jason Lee- who by the way I can never take seriously in #11- "Remember the Titans). All I can really say is if you are ever in the mood for a really really unrealistic movie that can make you laugh but at the same time scratch your head and say "what the hell?", you should really check out "Mallrats". Watch it and just think about what would REALLY happen if that happened in Northpark Mall- makes you laugh.

Rick Adelman out as Sacramento Kings coach

HUH? I mean seriously, what does this guy have to do to get a break in life? I really believe Rick Adelman is the greatest NBA coach to never win an NBA championship. He takes the Trailblazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and lost to the Pistons' Nasty Boys and their intimidation of all the officials, and then again in 1992, where he fell victim to the Michael Jordan gets every call no matter how hard we play disease. Not saying the Bulls weren't the better team, but the starting lineup of Ainge, Porter, Drexler, Williams, and Kersey is one of the better lineups of the 90's. Adelman did have a brief hiccup as head coach of the Golden State Warriors when he took Joe Smith from Maryland as the #1 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. I guess Adelman did set a trend in that draft (which also produced Kevin Garnett) to pick unproven high school players instead of Naismith Award Winners if you want to build a franchise.

Anyway, Adelman eventually landed on my favorite team in the Western Conference, the Sacramento Kings. The Kings starting lineup in 2002 may have been the best starting lineup of the era with Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, and Doug Christie. It was that same year that he took the Kings to the Western Conference Finals, and in one of the best and most controversial series of all time, lost to the eventual champion Lakers in 7 games. It was during this series that he made the famous quote during an interview with Fox Sports: "I mean seriously, I'm sick of watching Shaq run people over, ask the official about it, and then have the official look at me like I'm crazy." It was in this series that Adelman ran into the Shaq is gonna get every call because we want the Lakers to be in the finals disease. The Kings never got to the conference finals again.

Rick Adelman deserves better than what he's gotten. First of all, he gets run out of Portland after, heaven-forbid, two NBA finals appearances. Then, he has to suffer through the Golden State Warriors' woes. Then, he brings the Kings to the brink of a championship, and then gets run out of town. Mind you, that this season, he had to coach Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest. This is AFTER he has to deal with Doug Christie AND his crazy wife.

I really hope the Maloofs don't hire Don Nelson (who is rumoured to be the replacement). While Adelman is probably the most underrated coach of all time, Nelson might be the most overrated (except for maybe George Karl). I never got why everyone sang his praises. His teams play no defense, and he has great teams fall into his lap. While Don Nelson was in Golden State, he had a young Tim Hardaway, Billy Owens, a Chris Mullin in his prime, Mitch Richmond in his prime, Manute Bol, and Latrell Spreewell pre-choking. What did Nelly do in the playoffs? One and done. While in Dallas, he INHERITED Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, and Nick Van Exel. Nelson, however, with such a star-studded cast, could not manage to teach anyone how to play defense and could never get out of the Western Conference. I'm sorry, I don't care how much of an "offensive genius" you are, you can't win in the NBA without stopping someone, and his teams have never shown me that they can.

Anyway, I can't say that I won't still be a Kings fan now even if they do bring in a coach I can't stand. But think about this- Don Nelson would walk into a team with Artest, Wells, Bibby, Miller, and the promising young rookie Garcia and the young future star Kevin Martin. The thing I hate about this is that the Kings are gonna be a good team next season with everyone healthy. And who's gonna be there to take all of Rick Adelman's glory?

This Just In.....

The Cubs suck.....again. How can a team have so many injuries on so many players they depend on EVERY season? Rescue me from this abyss!

A Mississippi NFL Legend Announces his Return to the Packers

This is my first "request blog", hopefully one of hundreds more.

On April 26, 2006, the NFL world finally got it's answer to the question that it had been asking itself for weeks, even months. "Will Brett Favre return for the 2006 season?". Well folks, we have an answer now. I doubt if i have ever seen a more determined, energetic, passionate, and tough quarterback in all the football I have ever watched. I must say, however, I was very surprised. In the Chicago Bears' Christmas Day defeat of the Packers, I remember seeing Brett's eyes and just thinking that they looked different, that something wasn't there. Brett had a very lackluster performance and I have to honestly say that's the only time I've seen him with the ball at the end of the game and I knew he wasn't going to win. It was definitely a strange site for a player that has been a hero to so many youngsters across the great state of Mississippi and the whole country. Brett closed out the 2005 campaign with a career high 29 ints. All looked bleak in the frozen tundra.

Besides being the game's ONLY three time MVP, and being on nine pro bowl teams, and winning Super Bowl 31, Brett has singlehandedly won more games with individual efforts that I believe any player I have ever seen. Brett has been called by ESPN analyst Steve Young "the best quarterback in the game today." and Chris Berman called him "my favorite player to watch." Besides this, Brett Favre has started a whopping 221 straight regular season games, and if you count the playoffs, he's started 241 in a row. He is also second all time in touchdown passes with 396 (only 24 behind Dan Marino's 420- some think this could be a reason he returned). Second in passing yards, second in completions, and unfortunately, second in interceptions.

You can feel however you want about Brett Favre and the Packers, but here are some points I would like to make.

• Brett has the opportunity to walk away from the game as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Even if winning isn't the #1 thing on his mind, this distinction has got to be. In 1999, Sports Illustrated had a special issue which determined the greatest quarterbacks ever. Brett Favre was 4th on this list, (Johnny Unitas was #1- and if you ask me, rightfully so, and no Michael Vick was not on there) and one would have to think, that he would have had to move up since then, because eventhough Brett had a really really weak 2005, (his only losing season) he has still clmbed up the statistical ladder to the point that would put him a position, for argument's sake, to have a shot at being called the best ever.
• I think Brett Favre was the first quarterback in the new era of the NFL which features quarterbacks from smaller schools. In case you have been living under a rock, Brett Favre and I have the same alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi. If you think about it, the following quarterbacks had very similar situations to Brett Favre in college: Ben Roethlisberger (Miami Ohio), Chad Pennington (Marshall), Byron Leftwich (Marshall), Alex Smith (Utah- #1 pick in 2005 draft), Daunte Culpepper (Central Florida), J.P. Losman (Tulane), Jeff Blake (East Carolina), Jeff Garcia (San Jose State), Jake Delhomme (Louisiana- Lafayette), and David Carr (Fresno State- #1 pick in 2002 draft). You can make the argument that if Brett Favre doesn't make the impact that he does, none of these quarterbacks, which were all drafted in the 90's or 00's are in the position that they are in today.
• Brett Favre set all of these records with no future hall of famers around him. At least Michael Jordan had Pippen. Reggie White doesn't count- he played defense.
• Brett Favre has had so many wide receivers, I've lost count. Some have been nice players like Sterling Sharpe, Andre Rison, Robert Brooks, and Antonio Freeman, but none had the star power of a Rice, Harrison, Moss, or Largent that could have really put him over the top.
• Every Pro Bowl lineman Brett has had with the exception of Frank Winters has left as a free agent.

Boys and girls I strongly suggest you enjoy what could be Brett Favre's final season, you probably won't ever see another one like him. However, I do think I know the real reason Brett Favre returned this season.

In a 2001 interview with ESPN, Brett was asked the question "who is your backup?". Brett Favre being the team leader he is, responded "I ain't got one."

There you have it folks, the only reason you need. Here's to you Brett.

Kobe didn't win the MVP......

So he decided to sniff Raja Bell's arm pit (photo courtesy of Jay Money). I feel your pain Kobe, because you really made a name for yourself the way you quit in the second half of game 7, that's the way to show you're the "next MJ". Your claim right now isn't much better than mine, because you only had one more point than I did in that second half. Have fun watching the Clippers win the series you should have won, and good luck selling more tickets in a bandwagon fairweather fan city like Los Angeles too.

Kobe you have got to be the biggest idiot alive. Only you would cheat on a woman that fine, run off the most dominant center in the game just to feed your own ego, and then quit on your team in crunchtime because you're tired of doing all the work. Thanks Kobe, thanks for being a role model for all.

I can't believe Reggie Bush is a New Orleans Saint

I would like to add that I am still in shock to the fac that Reggie Bush is a New Orleans Saint. I promise a complete breakdown of this move sometime in the near future. I had a whole thing written out, but I am an idiot and can't figure out this whole blogging thing yet. In the meantime, let's see a tribute to the newest player of the New Orleans Saints.

What's in a Name?

I guess the first question I will get from alot of people who see this who aren't in Baton Rouge is- "How the hell did you come up with that name?". Honestly, I have no idea what Gentry Estilette was thinking on that day when he decided to start calling me "General Gregory N. Pigott". I don't know if it was the miller lite or the just the pure coon ass coming out of him, but I never thought such a stupid name would stick. Now, people don't say "I'm with Pigott", they say "I'm with the General". Then I asked Gentry where the hell the "N" came from, because there is obviously no "N" in Charles Gregory Pigott, Jr. So, like only Gentry Jude Estilette could say, his response to this question was "it just sounds funny." I love to see the sense of reason used in Louisiana.

Let's see how this whole blog thing works. I think it would be a good idea for someone like me. Stay tuned for the true Gregory N. Pigott.