dekestone

I'd imagine ticket sales weren't that good so they cancelled. There's only one or two Toto songs I can think of.

Possibly, but they've played in Bangkok before and sold well. And the last ticket master "seats available" I looked at had a lot of seats sold. But who knows all the behind the scenes details of putting on a concert. Interesting that only Bangkok and Surabaya (May 12) were cancelled. All of the rest of the Asian shows are still scheduled.

I never really took to Toto, more of a Zep Freak. But Lukather is a fretboard genius for sure.

Absolutely! In Singapore I found a Lukather-Larry Carlton CD, "Live in Osaka" recorded around 1998 that is mind-blowing. Believe me, if you heard this you'd never suspect that Luke plays in middle-of-the-road band like Toto. You'd be thinking...do I hear Jimi??

Oh and Mr. Dude, my man. The only way to find out what concerts are on in Bangers is to check Thai ticketmaster often, at least twice a week. By the time these concerts are announced in the local English language press tickets have sometimes been on sale for weeks!! No kidding! And of course all the good seats are gone.

Another good source for concert information is the guitar magazine Overdrive. It's all in Thai, but it's easy enough to figure out the concert ads. (They've been apparently talking about an upcoming Steve Vai concert? But not confirmed.) Anyway, it's only 56 baht and available at any newsstand.

At the Billy Cobham concert last night I asked the Thai ticket master girl why the cancellation. She replied "sick". But it was kind of cool because some of the Toto members, including Lukather and Phillinganes, were there at the concert (Phil larger than expected, Luke smaller!) and wildly cheering on the band.

So, Mr. Dude, they won't be playing tonight but the band -- or at least some of them -- are in town. Youi might check Patpong tonight.

Oh and the Richie Furay band was Poco.

Peace

I know there is next to no coverage of college hoops in Thailand. But what about tournament time? Is there any coverage – even for the final game?

There has been in past years but NOT last year, if I remember correctly. I don't expect any this year, either.

There's ESPN to cover all your needs, basketball, NFL, hockey, you name it.

I forget how much it is to install but I always go to a bar.

NOT in Thailand!! They haven't shown NHL games here for years. Some NFL games are shown on ESPN and some on SuperSport.

Good luck to all you guys who have teams in the big games this weekend.

Had to travel to Hat Yai last Sunday and stayed in a hotel that didn't get Supersport (or for that matter ESPN or Star Sports) so I mercifully missed the Bears loss. The Chicago newspapers were irate, but I figured they just lost to a better team and could not find a way to stop Smith.

For what it's worth ... I think Carolina will beat Seattle and Denver will top Pittsburgh... Unfortunately I won't be able to see the games cause I'm still up country. Hopefully I will get to see the Superbowl...

The Football playoffs always get me worked up. Its good and its bad. I want the game to be on now but I don't want it to end. I don't want my team to lose. Here's to all the fans

And, I hope my team can do this tomorrow.

I hear ya Head. This week and next week are the best games of the year. Always, always better than the Super Bowl.

dekestone – I think we might be getting ahead of ourselves in discussing a Bears / Skins match-up. As both teams need to take care of business this weekend first.

Agreed TT, good luck to both of our teams. Despite Seattle's strong run I really feel the NFC is up for grabs and any of the four remaining teams could pull it off with a little luck, a turnover or two, and the right play at the right time.

Now I'm worried about the weather. They're predicting it will be mild -- 47deg. F on Sunday in Chicago. No Good!! We want it frigid and snowing when those southern teams come to town!

Also something of note the Skins have aready beat Da’ Bears, and the Seahawks in regular season so there is certainly hope for the Skins - granted the regular season is not the playoffs, and both of those games were in DC and the playoff games all on the road for the Skins.

Tokyo, my friend that was the first game of the season and the Bears were forced to start a QB who was just a few months out of college. And if I remember correctly the Bears were driving for a winning TD at the end of the game when he was intercepted. The Bears have come along way since then but of course so have the Skins. And yes I used basically the same argument to say the Bears would beat Carolina. (Although their reg season match up was much later in the season. ) Anyway Gibbs is certainly a coach to be reckoned with.

(I can still remember Darrell Greens TD punt return in the last Bears/Skins playoff game back in ’88).

Unfortunately so do I.

But you don't really want to get into a discussion of Bears-Skins history, do you? You don't want to go there!

Seahawks hasn't won a playoff game since 1984 and I think,alomst every Seahawks fan will say this, the win against Washington is the only thing that matter. Any thing beyond that is extra special

'Skins did not impress me, as I said earlier. Don't think it will be a problem for the 'Hawks at home. Here are the point spreads at the moment:

At Seattle -9 Washington

At Denver -3.5 New England

At Indianapolis -9.5 Pittsburgh

At Chicago -3 Carolina

I would be very tempted to take Pitttsburgh and the 9.5 points!! The Bears of course will beat the spread. The other two games I would stay well away from, if I were betting.

I told you those Panthers would be a load for the Giants, Deke. Their D is much better than the Giants, and the Bears will really have a problem moving the ball against them. John Fox is a good coach. He knows what to expect from the Bears this time, after losing to them earlier.

Should be a very good defensive game. Boring to some. But I like well played defensive games.

I see the Panthers beating the Bears, 20-13.

Pat, Point taken about John Fox but Lovie Smith was Coach of the Year for a reason! When the Bears played them during the reg season they came into Chicago with a seven game winning streak and averaging something like 28 pts. a game. They got three against the Bears. Delhome was sacked eight times and intercepted 2 or 3. Bears offence with Orton as QB did pretty good, over 100 yds rushing and some big passes to Mohammed. They are much better offensively with Grossman. At home the Bears should win.

(OK You guys can go back to arguing about the AFC. )

Too bad about Palmer being injured on the first offensive play. Would have made it a much better game, I think, had he played, though maybe the outcome wouldn't have been any different. Meanwhile, I was wrong about the Giants. They were so bad they got booed off the field from their own fans!!

Well, all I can say as an NFC man and a Bear's fan, after watching Washington beat the Bucs, the Skins really have me shaking in my boots.....NOT!!! The Bears will trounce them. But, they'll probably have to play the Gnats ...er... I mean the Giants first. Tiki might be a problem.

The Rose Bowl was fantastic...a fun game to watch, especially if you were totally neutral (or I suppose a Texas fan!).

Is Vince Young a legitimate NFL QB? Another Michael Vick type? Those running QBs never seem to be as succesful in the NFL as some of the others. Speaking of which, I just read this about Brady:

The Patriots struggled at times, but Tom Brady had one of his best seasons, leading the NFL with a career-high 4,110 passing yards. It's in the playoffs where Brady really shines, though, as he is unbeaten in nine starts. His most remarkable postseason statistic, the Boston Globe notes, is interceptions. During the regular season, Brady averages one pick every 39 passes. In the playoffs, he has thrown only three in 304 attempts. That's one out of every 101 passes

I picked the Colts...but after reading this I'm beginning to have my doubts

Damon is a traitor!!!!

Its no big deal I don't think.  Damon is an improvement as a hitter but he has a weak arm and is getting old already.  You think the Yanks would learn that buying a bunch of over-paid old timer, former all-stars doesnt win anything! 

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And it makes the Yankees payroll about 200 million dollars! (The World Champion White Sox, on the other hand, about 95 mil.)

A new "Murderers Row"? Maybe. And meanwhile starting pitching? All I see is Johnson and Mussina. And they're gettin' a bit long in the tooth as well.

So, all settled then:

(Is anybody else like me sick and tired of that old cliche: "They control their own destiny" ? )

Playoff PictureESPN.com

The 2005 playoff picture and wild-card matchups are all set.

Playoff scenarios for Week 17

AFC playoff race NFC playoff race

Team W L T Div Conf Team W L T Div Conf

1. Colts(*) 13 2 0 6-0 11-1 1. Seahawks(*) 13 3 0 6-0 10-2

2. Broncos(y) 13 3 0 5-1 10-2 2. Bears(y) 11 5 0 5-1 10-2

3. Bengals(z) 11 5 0 5-1 7-5 3. Bucs(z) 11 5 0 5-1 9-3

4. Patriots(z) 10 6 0 5-1 7-5 4. Giants(z) 11 5 0 4-2 8-4

5. Jaguars(x) 12 4 0 4-2 9-3 5. Panthers(x) 11 5 0 4-2 8-4

6. Steelers(x) 11 5 0 4-2 7-5 6. Redskins(x) 10 6 0 5-1 10-2

What are your predictions?

I'm going with Colts vs. Bears in Super Bowl; Colts as Champs.

Don't know much about the Seahawks -- only saw them once on TV this year. Their offence looked very good and supremely confident...and I know Holmgren from his days with the Packers. But I just read this:

They have dominated the NFC West, the worst division in the league. Six of their victories have come against St. Louis (5-10), Arizona (5-10) and San Francisco (3-12). They also have beaten Tennessee (4-11) and Houston (2-13), meaning eight of their victories have come against teams with double-digit losses.

Does it mean anything?? I dunno...just looking for a glimmer of hope for...

DA BEARS!!!

Deke, I think you need to be cautious about getting too excited over Grossman's chances in the playoffs. He's still a very inexperienced NFL QB. Very few of them do well in the pressure of playoff football. Of course, my QB, Brady, didn't do too badly in 2001!

Agreed Patsfan. Brady is an exception. The Bears will still rely on the running game and defence to get them as far as they can. I don't really feel that this is the Bear's year (of course I said that about the White Sox too!) but we're moving in the right direction with Smith as head coach and Turner as Off coord.

As a Bears fan you got to be happy with the QB switch to Rex grossman. It looks like he likes to air it out, and put some points on the board. I should say some offense of points. This year is killing the cheeseheads. I am surrounded by them.

The were pretty quite when my steelers came in to Lambeau to kick there arse.

i was lucky enough to get field passes to that one. Best time I ever had at a game.

PKG

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The switch to Grossman was a great half-time move by Coach Smith and definitely gives Da Bears a better chance in the playoffs. And yes, it was extremely gratifying to beat the Pack twice this season.

But I gotta admit, your Steelers beat us pretty good too. The Bears vaunted Bears' defence could not stop The Bus. But I still feel we're a better -- or at least more balanced -- team now that we got a passing game.

This year is probably the Sea Hawks best chance. Homgren knows the bears very well and they are the only worry in the NFC.

PKG

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As a Bears fan hope you're right about them, but the Gibbs-led Skins kind of scare me -- they seem to be getting hot at the right time and Gibbs is always tough in the playoffs. Actually I think the NFC teams are pretty evenly balanced (unlike the AFC where it will be the Pats or the Colts) and anybody could pull it off. But i think you have to go with the team that has the home field advantage. That would be No. 1 seed Seattle.

I just checked UBC's live schedule and was very pleasantly surprised to see that ESPN will be broadcasting the following bowl games live:

Jan 3, 04:30am, Fiesta Bowl; Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

Jan 3,08:30am, Sugar Bowl; Georgia vs. West Virginia

Jan 4, 08:00am Orange Bowl:Florida State vs. Penn State

Jan 5, 08:00am, Rose Bowl, Texas vs. USC

Big treat for college football fans indeed!!

UBC live schedule

I've been told the one in the former World Trade Center (now Central something) is closed for two years during the renovation. I've been to the one in a mall on Lad Phrao but not too impressed. There's at least one more in the city I think, maybe in Bang Na? Where do the Flying Farangs practice/play? Are there any others?

I am here in Chicago on a two week leave from Thailand and this city is going nuts. Grew up on the south side and my dad and uncles were all Sox fans so this is really special. Tried to get tickets for games 1 and/or 2 thru the internet but of course pretty hopeless. The "ticket brokers" are asking for thousands, really outrageous.

Anyway, just being in the area, maybe a neighborhood bar, ought to be really special sat and Sun night.

My Alma Mater team ( Rutgers Scalet Knights ) pretty much sucked most of the time I saw them play.

Narachon I hope they still suck cause my Alma Mater U of Illinois opens against them this Sat.