What we learned: Game of Thrones: 5.9 The Dance of Dragons

1. The Trip to Dorne has been worthless

While it is always cool to see different cities on the map and how they relate to the bigger picture, I feel like the trip to Dorne has been a bit of fluff to fill some time this season. I've had it in the back of my mind all season that it has been foretold that all of Cersei's children will die before her, perhaps sending Jaime to Dorne and her King's Landing mistakes are what fulfills the prophecy.  

2. Fuck Stannis

Most people who talk to me about GoT know that I will be forever team Stark. So this season I have been rooting for Stannis to take Winterfell and save Sansa, and restore order to the North. All I've wanted since Theon took Winterfell is a Stark ruling Wintefell again, not being its prisoner as Bran and Rickon were and Sansa is now. And now we have to choose between the asshole who burnt his daughter alive and the Boltons. Great choice.

3. Jorah Mormont IS crazy - LIKE A FOX  

I knew Jorah would be happy just to see his Queen again. He was the one fighter who said he would be proud to die for his queen and meant it. The heartbreak in BOTH of their eyes was obvious - even Daenerys face showed how much it hurt her to watch this man who has protected her get slashed over and over again. And then WOOSH - with a flick of the wrist, he fired a spear into the crowd and saved Daenerys life. Everyone was asleep at the wheel (probably watching HIM fight), and luckily he, Daario and Tyrion were able to hold off the Sons of the Harpy until Drogon showed up! I never saw a scenario where Jorah would be able to earn his way back into the fold, but here it is. Who would have thought Daario was right when he suggested rounding up all the great houses and having her dragons kill each one.

4. Dragons gonna Dragon

Drogon saves the day! We have been waiting for the Mother of Dragons to get some control of her children, and we finally saw it. I thought this wouldn't be the case until someone (Varys?) brought her a book called "How to train your Dragon". But it turns out she needed to embrace her inner feelings the same way she did when she entered the fire pit with her dragon eggs, and the same way Bran did to warg into his direwolf. Now it is time to let the other two out of their cage and get to Westeros.  

5. Arya will never let go of her past.

I have been a bit bored by Arya's ninja training this season, and tonight was no different - instead of killing her supposed target, she goes off following one of the names on her list - Ser Meryn Trant. We get to follow him around for a few minutes until he takes up at a brothel - and shocker, to make an unlikable character MORE unlikable, he needs little girls delivered to him. Let's hope Arya kills someone in her full season of training with the Faceless Men-hopefully someone on her list.

More Questions than Answers:

1. Did anyone else think when Dany closed her eyes she was about to Warg into her dragon?

2. What exactly will burning his Daughter earn Stannis? Why not just keep banging out shadow monsters from the red priestess?

3. Is Jon Snow safer with the Wildlings?

4. Was this the weakest of the episode 9 surprises(The episode title TOLD us a dragon would be in the mix)? Or are they just keeping us off balance so we don't know what to expect?   

GoT Warrior Power Rankings

1. Jon Snow: Honorable men seem to suffer the worst fates in Westeros, and the feeling at Castle Black couldn't be more ominous. Watch your back, Jon Snow.

2. Brienne of Tarth: No sight this week - she awaits Sansa's signal still. And before you argue with me on this, remember she once fought a bear with a wooden sword in a dress!

3. Tormund Giantsbane: It appears that Wildling "elder" from last week was Tormund's wife - he mentioned his daughters, and he is seen escorting the two girls from last week's episode. This seems high for him, but he has battled the army of the dead, as well as taken down Ser Allister Thorne in the battle at the wall.

4.Jorah Mormont: We got to see Jorah in action - and his best was saved for last. He barely survived his fighting in the pits, but once his queen was in danger, it was like someone gave him a power up!

5. Daario Naharis: He gave us a reminder of his skills protecting Daenerys this week. For his bravery, he moves up a few spots - but still is behind Jorah for failing to protect his queen despite being directly behind her.  

6. Wun Wun: I probably should have him first - who could defeat him one on one?  

7. Ser Bronn of the Blackwater: Bronn survives! He might not be eating any solid food for awhile, but at least he will return to King's Landing with a much improved status thanks to Jaime.

8. Jaqen H’ghar: He remains patient with Arya, but I can see it wearing thin if she shirks her duties to follow Meryn again.   

9. Tyrion Lannister: I considered adding him to the list last week based on his leadership at the Blackwater, as well as him beating a man who had him in chains. This week he reminded everyone he is a dangerous man, getting in enough throat rips to make MacGruber jealous.  

10. Grey Worm: A no-show this week, apparently still convalescing. Hopefully the Sons of the Harpy did not visit him in him chambers.   

11. Jaime Lannister: His sword might be dull, but his tongue is sharp as ever.  

12. Loras Tyrell: Still in jail, dreaming of Renly. Perhaps they will be together soon!

Outside looking In: Ser Allister Thorne, Arya Stark, The Mountain (What is under the blanket, Qyburn?!?), Stannis Baratheon, Ramsay Bolton, Beric Dondarrion

What we learned: Game of Thrones: 5.8 HardHome

1. ALOT about the White Walkers - Including they have Swagger!

The White Walkers have been mostly a teach in Game of Thrones - we have had 3 on screen appearances, and all of them brief. This was the first time we really get to see them in action.

First, we learned fire has no affect on them. The first Walker that appeared to fight the Wildling Then and Jon Snow in the barn - as he enters the bar, the flames around him. Next, not only does Dragonglass kill them, but so does Valyrian Steel. We have only seen a handful of Valyrian steel swords (Longclaw [Jon Snow], Oathkeeper [Brienne], the dagger used in the attempt on Bran Stark's life and Widow's Wail [Tommen] are the only Valyrian steel swords that have appeared in the show. Let's hope the Brothers of the Night's watch didn't lose all their dragon glass in the Battle at Hardhome - or that Stannis has some glass being delivered form Dragonstone.

Second - who know the Walkers were show offs?

2. Cersi's latest power grab was her undoing.

I mean honestly - what would someone with as many skeletons in her closet give power to religious fanatics? As the wise philosopher 50 Cent once said, "don't throw stones when you live in a glass house." What did she think Lancel was going to do after he got his head tattoo, continue lying to protect her? Cersi was put in her place by a few too many people in the last two seasons, and in an effort to stay on top, she has people in jail, her son wasting away in his room crying to Ser Pounce, and her entire house about to crumble.

3. Jorah Mormont is on a suicide mission.

Many people have said he has gone crazy. While close, he has been banished from his homeland, then was banished from his true love. He thought he had a way to get back into her good graces, but for all his efforts he was infected with Greyscale and sent packing AGAIN. Considering we've only seen one character in the show who has survived Greyscale, Jorah knows he will be dying soon, so he is going to do whatever he can for the Mother of Dragons - even if that means just killing slaves in the fighting pits, he wants to die fighting for his queen.

4. Slavery is still alive and well in Slaver's Bay

OK, I'm cheating a little bit here using details from "The Gift", but for someone who thinks she has ended slavery, she isn't doing a great job. Jorah and Tyrion were enslaved, bought and sold, and forced to fight in the pits. When Tyrion suggested they fight as free men, the master gave him a quick punch in the jaw, flipped him a coin, and said that those wages would last the rest of his life. The Masters have found a loophole to exploit; When Daenerys allowed slaves to sell them back to their masters for a period of no more than one year, she gave them all they needed to keep slavery alive and well. And not every slave is as well educated as Tyrion.

More Questions than Answers:

1. How many Wildlings did Jon bring back? I have re-watched last week's episode many times, and it appears most of the Wildlings were on the WRONG side of the wall when the army of the dead attacked - meaning the Walkers MIGHT have the largest army in the world.  

2. Will Stannis realize the most important battle lies to the North and not in Winterfell? 

3. Will episode 9 have the surprises we've come to expect from GoT, or did they give us that an episode early this season? 

GoT Warrior Power Rankings

1. Jon Snow: Once a whiny little "lord" he has gone full bad ass, punishing the mutineers, defeating the wildlings, recruiting them, and then killing a White Walker. Sure, Sam killed one, on accident - Jon stared one in the eye and took it down. I can't think of anyone with a better kill on their resume. I would mark him down for being such a clean, pretty fighter, he has proved himself time and time again.

2. Brienne of Tarth: This might seem a little high, but that is mainly because we have seen some great fighters go down lately, one of which was taken down by Brienne: The Hound. Brienne has also been seen defeating Loras Tyrell in combat, and easily dispatching a chained, malnurished Jaime Lannister. She waits and watches for a signal from Sansa, and I am sure everyone in the Thrones community would liek to see her cut through Roose Bolton's men. 

3. Tormund Giantsbane: We've seen him cut down over a dozen men of the Night's Watch, and do the same to the army of the dead. 

4. Jorah Mormont: While it has been awhile, Jorah has reminded us this season he is a bad ass. He killed a handfull of Stone Men while protecting Tyrion in Old Valyria, he made quick work of slaves in the fighting pits, but we've also been reminded he took down on of Kal Drogo's blood-riders with relative ease while protecting Daenerys. He may be long in the tooth, but he continues to prove to be one of the best fighters in the show. 

5. Wun Wun: He's a fucking Giant. He was crushing the army of the dead like ants. Unfortunately, I think the White Walkers can turn him into shattered ice just like everyone else.

6. Ser Bronn of the Blackwater: Bronn carried Jaime on his back on their trip to Dorne - he took on all four Dornish guards, leaving Jaime one injured one to deal with while he killed the other three single-handed. While he is currently stuck in a cell, his voice is so pretty it makes HBO decide to give us some of that sweet, sweet gratuitous nudity! Rawwr, Sandsnakes!

7. Jaqen H’ghar: Though we don't know if this is the same man who helped Arya and her friends escape the Lannisters, we know one thing: he knows how to kill. So much so, he teaches a class.  

8. Daario Naharis: He is a tougher nut to crack. Most of his fighting has been done in the shadows. He remains a dangerous man, but we haven't seen him battle any great warriors - yet. Although he did take down Mereen's champion with a single blow, and led the secret invasion of Yunkai. 

9. Grey Worm: Currently laying in bed recovering from an ambush, only alive because of the heroic effort of Barriston Selmy, he becomes the best fighters in Daenerys corner.  

10. Jaime Lannister: It's a shame we didn't get to see more of him in his prime. We saw him battle Ned Stark in the streets of King's Landing, but that was basically a draw until one of his men injured Ned and ruined the fight. Since he lost his hand, he has been a shell of his former self - barely able to beat an injured guard from Dorne. He had his HAND full (see what I did there?) with the Sand Snakes, he should probably learn from his younger brother and stick to politics. But he is getting better - perhaps he will learn to use his golden hand as a weapon as opposed to a handicap. 

11. Loras Tyrell: We've heard tales of the Knight of Flowers being a great warrior - but he appears to be more of tournament fighter than one in real life. He was defeated by Brienne in season 2, and barely put up a fight when he was arrested by the Faith. But for now, he sits in a cell, likely waiting his fate to be decided by trial. 

Giants Blueprint - built to win now, later, and some other time I forgot

It has been funny reading the articles during this Giants team semi-Dynasty run. Everyone wants to know how the Giants do it, and what is their blue print that has allowed them to win 3 in 5 years. 

From a local perspective, it is easy to see. Brian Sabean has had a way of building teams, a style he has remained consistent to, and over time its become obvious. 

First: - he never left defense behind. Giants fans have been maddened by the hitters he has passed by because they weren't up to snuff defensively. And it has shown in the playoffs. The Giants have routinely taken advantage of an error, and consistently seen offensive juggernauts slain by the Giants boring plan of not making mistakes. 

2nd - They keep their money in house. You wouldn't know it based on the complaints about this off-season, but the Giants were 6th in payroll last year. this year, they are 4th, with only the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox behind them. But How? Because they don't let their key players leave, they spend the money to keep them, Pablo Sandoval aside. Look at all the double digit Millionaires they have: Buster Posey makes $16.5 million this year (9/167 extension), Matt Cain is making 20, Tim Lincecum 18, Hunter Pence 18.5, Tim Hudson 12, Angel Pagan 9, Marco Scutaro 7, Jake Peavy 11, and they gave Madison Bumgarner an extension years ago so that he is only making 6.5 this year. Considering they legitimately offered Pablo Sandoval 20 million a year, how many 15+ million dollar a year position players can one team have?

3rd - The Giants find undervalued players. It has been their most consistent trait. Sure, Billy Beane seems to do it better than anyone else, but look at some of the most KEY players in the Giants recent World Series Runs: Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Marco Scutaro, Gregor Blanco, Travis Ishikawa, Ryan Vogelsong, Jake Peavy - none of these players were very highly regarded as players when the Giants acquired them. But each one of them made key contributions in the playoffs that brought home a championship.  

This is no overnight Success. Sabean has been the head of the Giants for 18 years, and in that times has seen a lot of ways to build teams. And he has seen the flaws in his early playoff teams. In this era of pitching, you can never have enough - that's why the Giants go into this season with 7 starters. They took undervalued players to fill holes in Left field and Third Base. And they go into 2015 ready to compete, entertain the Bay Area, and if they are close at the deadline, make a move to try for their first ever back to back championship. And if all else fails, they have nearly 50 million in payroll coming off the books next off-season (Lincecum, Hudson, Vogelsong, Scutaro, Affeldt, Mcgee and Aoiki. With their track record of winning with pitching, I am sure they will be tossing their hats in the ring to the either improve offensive shortcomings (Juston Upton, David Freese, Yoenis Cespedes) or further strengthen the starting rotations (David Price, Jeff Samardzija, Jordan Zimmerman)

Even in an odd year, its still good to be a Giants fan.

NFL - The cruel mistress

When people ask me why I am not a big college sports fan, I usually reply that it is too hard to keep up with the turnover. You watch a player grow for four years (if lucky) and when they get really good - they are gone.

Well I guess pro sports isn't any different. Look at the team that Jim Harbaugh went 13-3 with in 2011

QB - Alex Smith                                   LE - Justin Smith
RB - Frank Gore                                   NT - Isaac Sopoaga
FB - Bruce Miller                                 RE - Ray McDonald
WR - Micheal Crabtree                        OLB - Aldon Smith
WR - Tedd Ginn                                  MLB - Patrick Willis
TE - Vernon Davis                               MLB - Navarro Bowman
LT - Joe Staley                                     OLB - Ahmed Brooks
LG - Mike Iupati                                  CB - Carlos Rogers
C - Jonathon Goodwin                         CB - Tarrell Brown / Chris Culliver
RG - Alex Bone                                    FS - Dashon Goldsen
RT - Anthony Davis                             SS - Donte Whitner

This was a young team! On the cusp of a championship, and really, better than the Giants that year - it seemed like we were about to enter a 5-10 year championship window with play-makers on defense and a great offensive line. Flash Forward to this off season. 4 years later. Reports are the 49ers are anywhere from 4-8 million dollars over the cap. Even after cutting Ahmed Brooks, the Niners are about even on the cap. Assuming most of their high profile Free Agents leave and Justin Smith retires, look at what we may be rooting for next season:

QB - Colin Kapernik                            LE - Tony Jerrod-Eddie
RB - Carlos Hyde                                 NT - Ian Williams/Glenn Dorsey
FB - Bruce Miller                                 RE - Tank Carradine
WR - Anquan Bolden                          OLB - Aldon Smith
WR - Stevie Johnson                            MLB - Patrick Willis
TE - Vernon Davis                               MLB - Navarro Bowman / Chris Borland
LT - Joe Staley                                     OLB - Aaron Lynch
LG - Brandon Thomas                         CB - Tramaine Brock
C    - Marcus Martin                             CB - Dontae Johnson
RG - Alex Bone                                    FS - Eric Reid
RT - Anthony Davis                             SS - Antione Bethea

What happened? How is this roster taking up the cap?? I am sure some players will be approached to restructure - Kap, Johnson, Davis, Willis all feel like candidates for restructuring their contracts to free up some space - but even if everyone is ready and willing, this likely means just freeing up enough money to perhaps bring back Frank Gore or one of our other free agents.

Jim Tomsula said he wont try and talk Justin Smith out of retirement - well fans should hope he does, because without him that defensive front looks a little light. Despite the draft picks spent in recent years, it seems like another large DE to eventually replace Smith should be a 2nd-3rd round focus. Every team has a blue print, and Trent Baalke's seems to be that pass rush can eliminate the need for a ten million dollar corner-back - so With Chris Culliver set to get paid and Perrish Cox also coming off a strong year, the 49ers will need to revamp the pass rush and their corner depth.

I look at that roster and think it is still a talented team, but it will take one hell of a draft for us to match up with the top teams in the league. The team is  also a year away from discussing getting rid of Bowman or Willis for cap reasons and to let Borland play. Veron Davis is coming off a down yer and is a year away from free agency. The NFL is a cruel Mistress - I miss the days where you saw a great unit of players play together for the majority of their careers. I might as well just get into college - I know I'll get to watch those players for at least 3 years.

Thank god I am not an A's fan!

Breakfast Burger

I remember the first time I saw egg on a cheeseburger I thought someone had gone crazy. One day my little brother ordered it and I finally tried it... Now it is one of my favorite burger toppings. So of course, loving breakfast, I wanted to make my own version of a Breakfast burger.

 The hamburger patty I use is pretty small - its bigger around than the English muffin but is really tihng, probably only 2-3 ounces. 

 So, cook your bacon til crispy and set aside. Oops, I made too much... Toast the English muffin long enough to toast it, but time it so it can cool a smidge before you start plating.

While the bacon is getting healthy under some paper towels, push the muffin down and start cooking your burger to a perfect medium rare, and coer with cheese - the cheese doesn't have to totally melt.

 Take out the muffin, place the burger on top.

Last - crack the egg - I wanted to make a fried egg, but when I cracked it I knicked the yoke and it became a little more scrambled. The end result is delicious mess - that should have been served with tater tots...

Tortilla Pizza

Now I wont lie - I am no master chef - most of my recipe's are stolen, or adapted, from someone else's... But who DOESN'T do that. Any ways, when its a hand me down from your parents, even better.

My parents used to make tortilla pizza when I was a kid, but they always fried them - Well, cooked them in a frying pan, almost like you would a quesadilla. Well, I took that idea and put the thing in an Oven, the way a pizza was MEANT to be cooked.

I cooked these ones with home made pizza sauce, mozzarella(I shredded it myself - don't but that pre-shredded crap, its got some chemical spray on it so the cheese doesn't melt right).

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the tortilla, the spread a thing amounf of cheese - you do't want to over do it with either, this is a very light snack, great for when you are craving pizza but don't want to blow your diet, or to serve as an appetizer for friends.

I decided to make one salami as well, to show these will crisp enough to hold some toppings. Remember, you don't want to pack it, but light toppings like salami, pepperoni, or anything sliced thin shold be fine.
 

 I actually place these directly on the stove racks - I bet you could very easily BBQ them - but the over crisps it pretty good. You could probably do it in a pan, but I don't think the tortilla would crisp fast enough.

 Take them out once the cheese is melted and starts to brown and the tortilla edges get crispy - it doesn't take long, maybe only 10 minutes. But keep an eye on them - they can burn easily if you aren't careful.

 I cooked mine at 400 degrees, but I think hotter is better - max it out to 500 for a crispier tortilla, but you see from the pictures it holds the toppings pretty sturdily. And it isn't greasy at all.

49ers - why I refuse to be bitter

I was there - We all thought the same thing - Ball hits ground, nothing but white jerseys near it, season over.

The NFC championship game was a tough pill to swallow. As I have told people the experience from my POV, when my voice returned a week later, that there wasn't a point in the game I didn't think "We've got this, we are going to the Super Bowl" right up until Kyle Williams second fumble.

                                                      (How I looked on the drive home)

But I am not trying to dwell on fumbles blown dead, or 3rd and long TDs, or poor kick returning. No, that's for Raiders fans to do. I prefer to think about how bright the future is for our beloved 49ers, and how things that looked so bleak one year ago have totally turned around.

The coaching is in place. Its obvious from a 13-3 record, AP Coach of the year, and the fact a lot of the assistants were interviewed for head coaching positions. The front Office is in place - this is the most talented the roster has been in years, the GM was just signed to an extension, and they have 30 million in cap space for 2012. Oh, and Mount Singletary has been torn down to make way for our brand new, state-of-the-art stadium.

BBQ'd Taco's - Delicious

So - I was always a little bit ahead of the curve with guys my age when it came to cooking. Granted, I hung out with a lot of non-cooking mofos, but I am no culinary genius, just a little more handy than most.

So I wanted to start blogging again, I will continue the sports coverage, and I can't wait to write about my beloved 49ers, but I also want to start blogging some Sam specific recipes. Granted, the first one is one I've stolen from my dad, but I believe I've perfected it (of course).

So... BBQ TACOS! I love telling people I am making these without explaining, they usually look confused. Hell, even explaining it usually confuses people, its not til they see how its done do they understand. So first, the Ingredients list.

Ingrediants:

Hamburger
Garlic Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Corn Tortilla (Smaller ones)
Black Beans
Cheese
Salsa
Sour Cream
Lettuce
ETC

Giants - Go Young my friends

This Giants season has been maddening - at times looking like the best team in the league, and finally, after roster crippling injuries, have show their true colors - an offense that cannot sustain having two of its best hitters out of the year, as well as losing -um, everyone not named Aubrey Huff.

They performed admirably despite these losses, and had hoped the Keppinger and Beltran additions would reinvigorate their postseason run, but with them being hurt, and their few remaining position players being run into the ground, it is time to go young

Hector Sanchez is already up. Brandon Crawford, Emmanuel Burris and Brett Pill should be up here, playing. As should Brandon Belt. The vets are tired, beat up, and not hitting. It is time to infuse a little youth, speed, and possibly - POWER! Belt is their most powerful bat outside of Pablo Sandoval, yet Bruce Bochy just wont trust him. Since being sent down, both Crawford and Burris have hit over .300. Pill, probably the best bat in the minors but with no position, can play first and second.

This isn't just about playing young guys to get them ready for roles next year, its about this year too. I can only see so many combinations of .240 hitters disguised as lead off and clean-up hitters. Wouldn't this be a refreshing line up on September first:

1. Torres - CF
2. Keppinger 2b
3. Panda - 3b
4. Beltran - RF
5. Schierholtz - LF
6. Belt - 1b
7. Crawford - SS
8. Sanchez - C

Its gotta be better than what we are trotting out there now... Until then, play some young guys - they actually have a chance to improve

49ers - Big test

I re-watched most of the 49ers first preseason game last night and came away much more positive than most of the fan base did.

Sure - the results were disastrous, but the little details are what caught my eye. I saw a coach who changed up his play calling to match the strengths of the players he had on the field, very un-Singletary like.

Positives

- The schemes. From Nolan to Singletary, the team's play calling has been transparent. Seeing us run out of the shotgun, throw more, and have multiple formations is a big step in the right direction. Now a result of this big fancy playbook coming into town - alot of the pressure you saw was due to missed assignments, not getting overpowered [Well, that and the Saints trying to prove something, blitzing the house all game for preseason game #1].