Here we go again…back into the fray.   I truly never leave this area.   Take 7 starts now. 

The Blues open a three game homestand tonight against San Jose.  All year, they have had an inability to win consistently at home.  That’s not the ideal situation for a playoff team.   Jason Arnott wasn’t signed because Alex Steen and Andy McDonald are coming back.  My question is…how long do you keep three goalies in a playoff push?  Brian Elliot can’t afford to hold a therapy session on the ice right now.  His head is gone and won’t be back.   A relief appearance is his only hope. 

(Update: The Blues beat the Sharks 4-2 on home ice and start it off right.  They get a lucky skate bounce from David Perron, a couple goals from Chris Stewart(rebounding nicely from a porous 2011-2012 season) and another solid performance from Jake Allen.   The kid isn’t perfect but is 6-1 and has a save percentage of 95 percent.  Its going to be hard to sit him when he is producing those kind of results.)

If it is true the Rams are letting Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola go along with Quentin Mekkel(3 million), there must be money to at least pursue a free agent wide receiver.  Either use the cash or dangle the draft picks.    The Rams probably can’t afford to fix both areas so seal up one before the season starts.   A backfield of Darryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead won’t spark fear in the hearts of any defense.  Did you see the Rams offense without Amendola in 2011 and 2012?  Few receivers could get space or break away from a defender.    Chris Givens and Brian Quick are talented young players but how will Givens do without a slot genius like Danny and can Quick get more snaps?  If you don’t shore up an area and power up an offense, this team will take a step back.   The defense is strong but will break under the pressure of a 3 and out offense.   Sam Bradford needs weapons.  Proven weapons to throw to.  He can also use a backup.  The Rams are facing a huge test this summer.  The 49ers and Seahawks, the best two teams in the NFC in 2012, went out and acquired premium proven receivers yesterday.   What will the Rams do?   They HAVE to react.  If not, you suffer a recession.   Jeff Fisher and Les Snead want to build the team out from under with drafted talent and young core players.  That’s great.  Every team needs a few threats on the field.   On offense, the Rams may have none in 2013.   Just saying.  Where is the money going on this team?  You can draft safeties and offensive lineman in the middle to late rounds.  The time to put your hands on the free agent table is now. 

With Ty Wiggington on the bench and acting as your primary corner infield backup, I don’t see a lot of starts for young husky slugger Matt Adams.  The kid is white hot down in Jupiter right now, but can you afford to put him on the roster to fill a glorified bench spot at this stage in his career?  My vote, right now, is no.   Wiggington will be backing up Craig and Freese with help from Descalso and Matt Carpenter, who looks to get a ton of reps at 2^nd base.  Adams needs to play every day and build his stamina and stay ready.  If Freese or Craig goes down, he gets the call.   I am also a member of the camp that thinks the Ty Wiggington signing was marginally acceptable and I do not like the 2 year 4 million dollar term.  With Adams, Descalso and Craig in play, Ty wasn’t really needed.  He hasn’t hit well in four years.   Just putting it out there.

Twitter continues to be  valuable tool for me and my website.  Along with being in contact with the entire Banshee cast, I also talk to sports and film fans on there and connect with people I’ve never met.  I can count Bernie Miklasz as a follower as well after bonding over cigars last week.   I am in the Twitter cause deep down.  It’s not for everybody but for me its EXPOSURE for my writing and website as well as a chance to, you got it, connect.  I also find the challenge of 140 character thoughts to be harder than it seems.  Lots of quality opportunity on Twitter if you like the attention and exposure.

I haven’t seen a great film yet in 2013.   I have seen crap(Identity Theft), DVD worthy films(Dead Man Down), and a few quality films(Snitch, Side Effects) along with my preferred blend of 1980s action that can’t be considered more than decent material(Sly, Arnold and Bruce’s latest adventures).   I’m looking for a film to blow me away.  One that makes me laugh out loud works as well.  The Incredible Burt Wonderstone may be funny tonight or it may miss the mark.  With a cast including Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde and James Gandolfini, my hopes are slightly off the floor.  Still, I haven’t been blown away or really thrilled with a movie in theaters.  The Place beyond the Pines, with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, about the intertwining lives of a cop and a thief, comes out in 2 weeks and may be that power packed preferred dose of cinema I have been waiting for.  Until then, happy hunting for this guy at the movies.

Update-Burt Wonderstone was very funny and Steve Carell anchored the whole thing.  A nice little ode to the tough aging process of performers.

I will say Perks of Being a Wallflower, on DVD right now, was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while.   That is worth checking out.   I went all in.   Bought it the next day and now own the wickedly sharp soundtrack.   Must see.

The Following just went to a whole new level with its episode last night.   An effective thriller about a serial killer inspiring people to follow his code and build an army got the much needed jolt of chills in its latest hour with the killer, played by a wickedly sinister and talented James Purefoy, dispatching one of his followers after the man failed twice on a mission.  It was the background music, the slow buildup and the weapon of choice(a big knife) that completed the climax to the episode.   Kevin Bacon and Purefoy are the primary protagonist/antagonist duo of the show, but the rest of the characters are mysterious and the writers complement that well.   The shocking deaths happen every hour and the drama is building.   How many more will die before Bacon’s FBI agent tracks down killer Joe again?  The characters have their quirks and backgrounds colored in shades of grey and the series improves every week but last night the first season was officially set in motion.  I stated that when Purefoy’s Joe got out of prison and fully engaged with Bacon’s cop, Ryan Hardy instead of being locked up in a jail cell, the show would take off.  It did.  Shit got real and quick!

Time to go back to life.  Thanks for reading.