Is it Monday Yet? Football is back, and so is Brady

I love my Patriots. I know, that sounds like an asshole thing to say considering I love Brooklyn as well. I make no excuses or apologies.

ESPN's Monday Night Football commercials (and all their commercials in general) are just simply amazing and very appealing. Here is the first for the season, and it's a good one.



What are your thoughts on the upcoming season, and where will you be getting a pint and wings at on Sundays? I'll be covering more Bar Spotlights, Football Season Edition Vol. 2, in the coming weeks.

Chris Cab-tion Contest 7.14.09 - Guest Appearance by Rip Van Devil

Oh the Tour De France, how I don't care about thee.

For the full story, go here. Winner receives some wonderful swag courtesy of a Spice Girl. No for real, it'll make you work up a hot sweat.

Bringing MMA to New York: I Don't Like Bob Reilly

"Kickboxing...sport of the future"
- Lloyd Dobler

Really, who is to say anything against Lloyd Dobler? The man is DA MAN. Say Anything could be a perfect movie.

The friends at Cage Potato have been covering the Bob Reilly factor when it comes to sanctioning MMA in New York. There has been much debate and talk over this issue but as a excitable MMA fan The KCB doesn't like the logic that Mr. Reilly uses in his arguments. Sure it's not for everyone but to deny a sport that would bring millions of dollars into the local economy (say if there were cards at MSG) and also totally ignore how the sport has developed into a legitimate enterprise really shows how idiotic Reilly is being. I'm all for arguments even for stuff that I enjoy or back, but none of the words coming out of this guy's mouth remotely make sense or show that he did his homework (which often comes from very staunch 'opinions' that don't respect MMA as much and therefore have a skewed view, such as ESPN or Sports Illustrated). Dinosaurs....

What's worse is that he represents Albany, the area from which I'm originally from. That sucks. Next time I'm up there I'll let him know that he has illegitimate reasoning. And then I'll go to the track to mullet-watch.

Anywho, CP is suggesting a bridging of Reilly's political interests with his lack of support for MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) more specifically. Check out the article here.

Such is a tricky situation if this is the chain that leads to Reilly's perspective on MMA in New York. In the end greed sort of wins out on either end, and that's sad, because as a fan you hate to see an intellectual argument (or not) to validate the sanctioning of MMA in this state pared down into political and financial tug-of-war.

Not Doing Anything This Weekend? Check out Gotham Girls Roller Derby Season Opener!

These girls will kick your ass and savor every moment. Held at the Long Island University campus on that Fort Greene-y side of Flatbush by Dekalb, you'll maximize your fun while watching girls bump and grind. And not in a dance-y sort of way. Let's just say I'm in a -y mood...

Go to the official site here to check out all the girls and all the teams as well as cool stuff like photos, video, and apparel. There's even cutesy nicknames, like Surly Temple. The 2009 season is on, general admission is close to 20 clams, and 23 at the door.

The excitement is unbearable, here's a photo from Gothamist from the 2007 season:

Bar Spotlight (Football Season Edition): Calico Jack's Cantina

Calico Jack's Cantina

800 2nd Avenue

(northern Murray Hill, dead area)

This is going to sound harsh, but screw McFadden's for watching the Bills game. I say that because it's packed to the point of fire hazard, you can't fully take advantage of the all you can drink/all you can eat wings deal for 20 bucks, and most of the snobby, aggro-fans go there.

Go to Calico Jacks next door to watch the game. It's the same dudes who run the place, the same beers, the same theme song everytime the Bills score, plenty of TVs, more room, and more room for getting to that beer and oh, those wings. The other thing is that everyone is civil and has room to breathe here. Yeah both are poorly situated in the unforgiving gray areas around Grand Central and it's not real homey, but there is a curious small Jets bar next door.

Let me tell you about these wings. I'm a fan of the tender, smaller wings that reside at places like Croxley's (hmm maybe another Bar Spotlight is afoot). These wings are big and juicy, and they seem to get hotter (or my tongue seems to wear down) as the game goes on. They are really solid wings, and anytime that my roommate the Bills fan wants to watch the game at Calico Jacks, I am more than up for watching the game if they are playing the Pats or if the Pats aren't on that day.

It's all you can drink Bud and Bud Light for 20 bucks and with that comes the all you can eat wings, which are brought out on three party trays and they keep 'em coming throughout whenever the Bills are on. 15 dollars gets you all you can drink soda and wings as well.

There are no other games when the Bills are on folks, so either you're a fan or you're a fan of the opposing team.

Otherwise a somewhat fratty, typical Murray Hill establishment, their full menu, while bland, is really decent and the portions are enormous. The place for Sundays is well lit and the bar is easily accessible although the bartenders sometimes are a bit slow on the draw and fail to notice patrons (or don't care). The floor staff is uniformly a lot of fun most times and if you manage to grab a table (reserve on Tuesdays) it's a lot of fun and there's plenty of TVs to choose from.

The split level design keeps the bar traffic and the tables somewhat separate which is nice.

Did I mention the wings?

For more on the bar, go to their slick official site: Calico Jack's Cantina - Nobody Circles the Wagon Like The Buffalo Bills or That Mildly Successful Blonde in the Spaghetti Strap Tank and Jeans Mini

For some reviews on Yelp, please go here.

Mascot Bloopers from College Humor

That rhymes sort of....this is amazingly funny, I'm still wiping the tears from my small, small eyes.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Bar Spotlight (Football Season Edition): Coppersmith's

So I bring myself back into Manhattan for another round of Bar Spotlight. Coppersmith's is located in northern Hell's Kitchen, right on 9th Avenue, which essentially gives it a good location stakeout for a football loving bar. The area isn't exactly riddled with TV heavy establishments, so if you're in the area it's a great pick, even if you are further east, I think this would be a great bet if probably the only bet.

It's a pretty simple bar but doesn't overdo anything, it's certainly tailored toward sports with the big screen projection in the back and the flatscreens lined up behind the bar. The area though gives it a little more character; the doors open up to the street if the weather is nice, and there's a nice mix of tables for groups, high tables for one or two people, and a bar long enough to seat probably 20 people without getting elbowed. The lighting isn't harsh and it would seem to be a nice place to hang out just because, and on the weekdays it's never really that crowded. The tiled ceiling and pale yellow walls give it an easy sense that works well during the day, it's inviting and bright.

So for Sundays, you'll want a pitcher of crap for 12 bucks, which in the long run only saves anyone what, a pint? Bud or Bud light is probably the way to go, but I would definitely suggest getting some food here, the fish and chips are quite good for 11 bucks, you get two nice sized fillets and the bartender although busy is more than happy to serve up a refill on that soda (for some reason, I don't find myself drinking alcohol when eating, it just doesn't happen that much).

The layout really is quite good, they manage to pack a lot of seating into really not a lot of space, there's always a clear path to that bathroom since you're going to need it after throwing a few back.

My only real concern, and I'm not sure if they fixed it for this season, but they have a delay on the big projection screen, a noticeable one that if you have a faster play by play game like football, it's really gives you an annoying sense of "what happened?" when everyone is screaming about 2 seconds before you because you're watching the slow screen. The other problem is that their 3 dollar domestic pint special lasts on a Sunday just like a happy hour during part of the second game (they should probably extend it from like noon to 8). But the all you can drink for 25 bucks doesn't hurt if you really don't care about your Monday's. Pints here are usually north of 5 (a lot of 5.50's) so I would stick with the discounts and the food.

The crowd here really isn't so bad either, suprisingly a lot of women keep the guys tempered and at bay, and it's always good to see a balanced bar (I've seen many a female sports fan sipping on one of their cheesy martini variations, that could be why).

To see their official site, go here.

Bar Spotlight (Football Season Edition #3): Lighthouse Tavern

So keeping in the Park Slope vein I'm doing Lighthouse Tavern because, well, I just feel like it (don't worry Kettle Black, I'll hit you up at some point this season. And don't worry Manhattan, we'll get to some digs at some point).



Going here just to hang out is a good idea, it's on a nice block of the Slope on 5th near Ginger's and The Gate. They have specials every night (including game and trivia nights), and the food isn't too pricey, not the biggest portions but 10 bucks for pretty good fish and chips isn't a bad thing. The great thing about the place is it's cozy, the New England feel really seeps in with the light blue and the tight feel. The couches are snugly fit, and the back has a pool table, with not quite a lot of room to roam but thank god it's ditched on Sundays for football. I love anything that even pretends to be in a New England/northeast coast maritime style, and these guys have just enough small details from framed artwork to the tight pub feel. It's just a great neighborhood bar.

The thing about this place is the good selection of smaller beers that they have in rotation, you're always going to come here and be like, "I should try that". They have scheduled beer tastings as well, so be on the lookout.

So on to the football. They bring on the brunch for football season, as well as ton of fun patrons who all enjoy making fun of that one dude in the corner who's being really obnoxious. For a tight bar, there's plenty of room in the back, so I would suggest pushing toward that section of the place, because the front of the bar is skinny and two large guys or gals later and there's a traffic problem. It's a well lit bar, so you're able to see all the action without having to squint your eyes; I really like having lots of light during the day is so key, even if indirect, to the vibe of a bar. With Sunday ticket you'll have to pick your TV but the bartenders are friendly as are the patrons, so work it out!

The portions here are average but you could really catch yourself eating too much here; a place like 200 Fifth doles out the food as if we were kings, but here is a smaller kitchen operation and things are kept manageable in classic baskets of food. But at least my favorite, the ole' fish 'n chips, is crisp and light. They have an array of burgers and bar snacks under 10 bucks; the prices are also very reasonable, there's always a cheaper option in case the wallet is a little thin (High Lifes are 3 bucks, Bud Light 4) but you'll want to shell out 6 bucks for the micro brews (they might be in transition from summer to fall lineup, I'll have to check to see what they have going on). I would suggest the Old Bay bloody mary, it'll put a hop in your step if you're not doing so hot from the previous night. If you'd like to sip on a bourbon during the week or even during the game, they have a few more bottles than the average bar at smart prices (I do enjoy the Woodford Reserve).

Another great thing about this place (unless it's a bar particular to your team, then you'll feel right at home) is the lack of a dominant crowd; there's displacement from lots of different teams, so the communal football experience is really felt. People are less obnoxious when this happens, and that's why this is a great place to go on a sunny Sunday afternoon to catch up on the religion we know as football.

For Lighthouse's official site, go here. To see what they say about it on Yelp, click here.

Bar Spotlight (Football Season Edition): 200 Fifth

Park Slope really does have a neat little collection of sports bars that are different from each other and present a nice alternative depending on what kind of thing you're going for. You want the great food and drink deal? Cattyshack. You want a cozy New England, homey place with a couple of actual couches? Lighthouse Tavern.

I'm focusing on 200 Fifth for this post, right off the Union Street R stop, and it's a monster of a place. A good place to go to for their beefed up and extensive bar menu as well as their full menu on the restaurant side (the place is divided up into two, with two bars back to back to serve both sides). They have some really good finger food while you're watching a game, I can't come here and watch a game without getting something to eat, to go along with the 40 or so taps that they have. The bar service is kind of grumpy, with some of the bartenders having a permanent scowl on their face, but don't take it personally. On the weekends it's kind of the macho dance party as they clear out the space and it's definitely louder than any of the neighboring places like Patio or my favorite, Union Hall. All the doors can open to the outside, and with the full window front, lots of good natural light can come in and hit most of the bar with the exception of the very back.

However, we are in football season, thus let's focus. They have I think 40 TVs here, and can handle a lot of different games; the bar has tons of packages and plays all sorts of sports, all of them attracting equal passion from the patrons whether it's tennis, soccer, baseball, or football. It's definitely the bar in terms of being able to cater to and hold all the games that one would possibly need to watch. There's plenty of room to see the games from, most are perched pretty high, but I would suggest if you want to be loud, stick to the bar side, you'll be more appreciated. The seats at the bar fill up quickly and take up space, but you'll usually see a row or two of people just standing, as any crowded sports bar would have. There's a good variety of fans here too, as with Lighthouse, really with the exception of a few more New York fans, people probably come here in hopes that they'll have all the other games on as well, so no problem. There is a lot of good natured jabbing here, the worst you'll get is an obnoxious fan of a more random team for this area like I don't know Kansas City or Carolina.

My biggest problem with the bar is that the TVs are of varying sizes and quality; they have everything from a huge projection screen to I think a small 13 or 19 inch, and the one above the bar door where the two bars meet really is poor quality. I think they should upgrade with a couple of them. Also with the height, your neck can get strained pretty quickly if you aren't in a good spot, but that'll happen at most places.

Again, the food can be key here if you're looking to gorge yourself, you've got the variety to do it here. You can go from buffalo chicken tenders to oysters to short ribs and mac 'n cheese and then onto shrimp and back again. And that's just the bar menu. For Sundays, they do have a brunch special as well, so if you get in early you can prep yourself while watching Boomer and the gang.

The bathrooms are kind of hilarious in that the whiteness of the tiles and the privacy of the partial wall separating the urinals is kinda nice and a tad above average.

As I stated before, the seats get taken up (it doesn't have as many as it could really fit, the bar stools are heavy and probably were pretty expensive, and there's a lot of dead space between the bar and the high tables and booths which is good for the dancin' weekends but does leave a lot of people standing. The great thing too in Brooklyn, last time I went there, people were tossing a football on the street during the halftime break. It's a nice picture when you think about it, a good Sunday afternoon spent in a great, busy section of Park Slope (200 5th really owns the block during this time).

All in all, it's a large bar that is able to accommodate fans from all around, although you might find it distracting everytime someone screams irregularly because of the variety of games on.

For more information about their sports packages and their menu, go to there official website: www.200-fifth.com.

Check out 200 Fifth on Yelp here.