VIDEO/COVER OF THE WEEK: RAY LAMONTAGNE CRAZY

It's a well known fact that bearded men make the best cover songs. This Ray Lamontagne cover of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy is no exception.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE GRAND MAGNOLIAS AMERICAN DREAMS

American Idol anyone?

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

KNUCKLEPOP.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE YEAR



SI.COM PLAYER OF THE YEAR




MOUNTAIN WEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR




ESPN.COM PLAYER OF THE YEAR




ANNARBOR.COM PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LOCAL HAMBURGER REVIEWS: FIVE GUYS BURGER AND FRIES

How much or how little you like Five Guys Burger and Fries will all depend on how diverse your burger experience currently is. If you are the type that frequently visits a variety of burger joints then you'll leave your first visit to Five Guys not all that impressed. The opposite is also true, if your regular burger routine is limited to Mcdonalds, Wendy's, and little else, then Five Guys may be your new best friend. In all of my many nerdy conversations about burger joints located in the state none is more polarizing than Five Guys. Five Guys Burger and Fries are the Dallas Cowboys of the burger world, either you love them or you hate them... I may be one of the few that is somewhere in the middle.



Like In-N-Out burger, Five Guys has a simplified menu making it extremely easy to order, which also means you send less time standing behind indecisive Dbags asking specifics on every item on the menu because they cant do the simple burger math in their head. Hmmmm lets see, it's called a Bacon Double Cheeseburger, my guess is that it probably consists of some bacon, two burger patties and cheese. For any further help please see the corresponding large detailed photo and description of the burger right next to it. Anyway, they also offer hotdogs and grilled cheese.
As soon as you enter Five Guys you're not sure if you have just entered a fast food restaurant or the Barnum & Bailey circus. Upon entering you will notice huge tubs of peanuts and peanut shells strewn across every inch of the store, basically it looks like an enormous peanut bomb went off moments before your arrival. So again it is one of those things, if you are a peanut lover that loves free peanuts you will be in hog heaven. If you are like me and don't really care for peanuts or have a peanut allergy it's a huge turn off. It has been months since my last visit and I'm still picking small pieces of peanut shrapnel out of my body.



One of the best things about Five Guys is the wide variety of free toppings and sauces they offer. The burger and fries themselves aren't too bad either, the burgers are big and juicy and the portion sizes are huge. Then again you also end up spending a little more than you do at most fast food restaurants as well. Though contrary to common belief it's safe to say I didn't love the burger, but I didn't hate it either. Overall I would say Five Guys is good, not great.
I would also say If nothing else Five Guys is a good change of pace and break from the typical burger experience and it is more than worth checking out to see if you are a Dallas Cowboys fan or not.



FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES
CATEGORY: FAST FOOD
SPECIALITY BURGER: 13 OUT OF 20
CHEESEBURGER: 14 OUT OF 20
TOPPINGS: 5 OUT OF 5
BURGER SMELL: 1 OUT OF 2
GREASE FACTOR: 3 OUT OF 5
Z’S BUN RATING: 2.5 OUT OF 5
PORTION SIZE: 4 OUT OF 5
FRIES: OUT 3 OUT OF 5
PRICE: OUT 2 OUT OF 5
PORTION SIZE VS. PRICE OVERALL SCORE: 6 OUT OF 10
AFTERMATH: 4.5 OUT OF 10
OVERALL ATMOSPHERE: 5.5 OUT OF 10
FINAL OVERALL SCORE: 63.5 OUT OF 100
THE MRS. RATING: C+
KNUCKLE POP RATING: C-

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: COCONUT RECORDS WEST COAST

For years we've sat around office water coolers, campfires, and any other social situation talking about subjects ranging from family, the news, politics, the weather, pop culture, and sports. Let's face it though, whenever the conversation has run dry the topic always turns to one question: What would happen if Gonzo from The Muppet Show and Adrian Balboa were to have a baby? Well the featured artist in this weeks video finally answers that very question.

GONZO THE GREAT


ADRIAN BALBOA


JASON SCHWARTZMAN


Besides being a talented actor featured in Rushmore and many other Wes Anderson films, Jason Schwartzman also happens to be the former drummer/pianist of the band Phantom Planet. It is also true he is the son of actress Talia Shire aka Adrian Balboa. Last, but not least, along with being the proud owner of one of the largest noses getting work in Hollywood today, he may very well be as hairy as Robin Williams.
This video comes from his solo-project Coconut Records. Enjoy!



PS.


Speaking of Jason Schwartzman and Wes Anderson films, has there ever been a better collage of ugly noses in the history of film than 2007's The Darjeeling Limited? With Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrien Brody, that movie is one Jimmy Durante appearance away from kick starting the apocalypse. Can you imagine if Barbra Streisand and Penelope Cruz had been offered supporting roles?! I think I would be writing this blog wearing fingerless gloves, sandwiched in between a corpse and a sleeping bag, eating a can of government issued peaches underneath a collapsed interstate underpass fending off zombies.