OSCAR NIGHT=YAWN

Last night was the much-ballyhooed Oscar Night telecast.  In an effort to shake up the stuffy air that the show comes with, this year's edition (the 83rd) was hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, two of Hollywood's younger stars.  While I guess I could understand the theory in bringing in young hip stars to draw in younger viewers, the results were mixed at best.

Hathaway appeared to be trying too hard while Franco looked aloof and at times, high as a kite, similar to his role in "Pineapple Express".   I don't want to kill either one of them though because quite frankly, hosting the Oscars is one tough gig.  I realized while watching it that aside from being the President of the United States, hosting the Oscars is probably the most thankless job that you could have.  You're never going to please everyone and you are on center stage for everyone to throw stones at you.  Why bring such misery to yourself?

The show overall I found to be mostly boring and predictable.  A couple of moments stood out for me.  Melissa Leo's much-talked about "F-bomb".  Not that surprised as she's always been a feisty personality (in a good way).  Kirk Douglass' presenting the award to Best Supporting Actress (M. Leo).  Nice gesture, cute at times, became painful to watch as it went on for what seemed like forever.  James Franco in drag.  Really?.  Staten Island kids singing at the end of the show.  Kids did well, but could the Academy have put them on earlier in the show?  And could someone at the Academy at least sprung for decent outfits for the kids? C'mon man!

Overall, it was a mundane show.  Different twist, same results.  On another note, congrats go out to TIFANIE BANDER for winning our yearly Oscar Night Prediction Contest, and the $20 bar tab that comes with it!

While that was going on, we had members of the NHL NETWORK in house watching a number of games and talking hockey with some of our hockey playing regulars who just returned from a club game at Chelsea Piers.  

Add to that mix, a group of guys from France, sitting quietly in the Champagne Room taking in the Knicks/Heat game.

Talk about an interesting Sunday night.

TONIGHT: Villanova vs Notre Dame tops the college basketball schedule and there's a NHL double-header on tap (Chicago vs Minnesota, Detroit vs Los Angeles); It's also MUG NIGHT MADNESS, with $1 Bud/Bud Light mugs & $2 mugs, all other domestic drafts (5pm-close)!

Now if you'll excuse me, we're up against the NHL Trade deadline and I'm curious to see if the local teams (NY Rangers, Islanders and NJ Devils) make any moves.


Cheers!

Monday, November 17, 2008

UFC 91: A ROUSING SUCCESS....

We hosted the latest UFC PPV event on Saturday night: UFC 91, featuring the legendary RANDY COUTURE (so that's what they tell me) and former WWF star, BROCK LESNAR.

The last time we hosted a UFC ppv event, we didn't quite get the turnout we were hoping for, due to monsoon-like rains that fell throughout the day of the event. And with rain in the forecast again on Saturday, I couldn't help but to feel a bit nervous. As it turned out, a little rain didn't damper the spirits of UFC fans as the bar filled up pretty quickly, in anticipation of a night of hardcore MMA action.





And while things did get a bit "sticky" during the fight, most folks dealt with the warmth of the room by sucking down ice cold beers at a rapid pace. Most importantly, everyone got along famously which was another concern of mine. A bunch of rabid UFC fans in one hot room could easily mean trouble, but it all worked out in the end and everyone had a pretty good time.

For more UFC: 91 pics, click HERE.

I've been trying to catch up with my TV viewing of late and while it hasn't always been a success, I can say THANK GOD FOR DVR! So at the very least, I can catch up on my shows on my time and not feel crushed for missing first-run episodes.

That being said, here's my current Top Five TV shows to watch:

1) TRUE BLOOD (HBO, Sunday Night). HBO has a hit on its hands with the blood-thirsty, sometimes bizarre, strangely erotic drama, featuring an unforgettable cast of characters. Probably the best series HBO's put out since a certain Italian family from Jersey.

2) SKINS (BBC America, Sunday Night). A Brit-hit teenage coming of age comedy series about a group of friends trying to find their way in the world.

3) BROTHERHOOD (Showtime, Sunday Night). I wrote about this series a while back; based on a true story about a family in New England (Providence, R.I.) whose loyalties straddle between public service and the Mob.

4) GAVIN and STACEY (BBC America, Tuesday Night). A quaint little comedy that follows the trials and tribulations of a guy and a girl who met and fell in love. It follows them from the day they met, up until their wedding day and thereafter. Hilarious.

5) THE SHIELD (FX, Tuesday Night). This long-running, gritty police drama is wrapping up its final season and it's going out with a bang. Hardcore stuff, this show made envelope-pushing NYPD Blue look like the Boy Scouts. This show will be missed.

If you haven't done so yet, make sure you check them out and give me your thoughts on what you see. I can almost guarantee you that you'll like what you see.

NEWSFLASH: As a result of the resent rash of job layoffs across the different industries that make NYC great, we've decided to re-name "Mug Night Madness" to a more appropriate one. Something befitting the sign of the times. So as of now, Mondays will be known as "RECESSION MONDAYS", featuring $1.00 Bud/Bud Light and Coors/Coors Light mugs AND $2.00 Domestic Draft mugs, ALL NIGHT LONG!

DON'T FORGET: We're still taking donations for Prostate Cancer Research by growing mustaches for the cause! If you want to make a tax-deductible donation, simply click HERE! Any amount appreciated!

Nuff Said

Monday, September 15, 2008

UGLY WEEKEND FOR "AMERICA'S TEAMS".....

If you're wondering about the abrupt change in the color scheme of the blog, it's because I lost a bet to my buddy BIG MONEY GRIP, a huge PITTSBURGH STEELERS fan. And since the STEELERS beat my CLEVELAND BROWNS (again), as a part of our wager, I had to change the colors of the blog to reflect the team colors of Black and Gold. So as much as it pains me to change the color scheme, I am a man of my word. That being said, the next few days the blog will shine in a black and gold (much to my chagrin).

And don't get me started on OHIO STATE. That's another nightmare for another day.

One more thing: Is it just me or did it all of a sudden get like AFRICA-hot here on Sunday??? I can't even sleep it's so hot and humid!!! Ugh.


MUG NIGHT MADNESS rears its ugly head again tonight! With $2.oo Domestic Drafts (Sam Adams, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, Sly Fox Helles Golden Lager, Yuengling Lager, Brooklyn Pennant Ale) and $1.00 Bud/Coors Banquet, Bud Light and Coors Light mugs to choose from, watching MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (Dallas vs Philadelphia, by the way) never seemed so much fun!



More updates to come!



Nuff Said

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

TRANNIE, TRANNIE, IS THAT A TRANNIE?

Mug Night Madness kicked into high gear at around 9pm, after a slow start. I haven't quite figured out why but it always seems as if the Monday nights kick in later than Tuesdays, which tends to get busy right after work. Especially since both nights feature dollar mugs. Weird.

In any case, the bar developed a pretty nice flow and everyone there were having a good time when a strange occurrence took place: Four Asian "women" decked out in ritzy dress outfits marched into the bar, looking like Stepford Wives. At first glance, one would be puzzled as to why they were so dressed up for Mug Night Madness. Then upon closer inspection I realized that something was a bit "off" with these girls. So I go over to my door guy and asked him for the scoop. He begins laughing and tells me that when he proofed them, they all had male photos and names on the licenses. WTF!!! Now our bar had become the sequel of "To Wong Foo, Thanks for the Memories, Julie Newmar"!

So the group sauntered up to the bar, ordered their drinks and then made their way to one of the tables in the back and sat around chatting like ladies in a sewing circle. Every so often, they would play with their hair and make these poses, with the hopes of being noticed by some red-blooded American Boy. The stark reality was that most of the guys that were sitting around them were probably too drunk to realize that these "girls", weren't really girls after all. After about 30 minutes of posing, the girls got up and eventually left the bar. It was truly a bizarre sight.

As they say in the business: "On any given night anything is possible...."

DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS tonight with $1.00 Bud/Bud Light mugs ALL NIGHT LONG!!!


Nuff said

MONDAY, JULY 14, 2008

BRINGING THE DANCE BACK TO BARS???

If New York City Mayor BLOOMBERG had his way, New Yorkers will finally be dancing in the streets again.... or at the very least, in bars and clubs around the city. For years, NYC, looked upon by many around the world as the most progressive city in the world, has been hampered by an illogical problem: Having an archaic law on the books that forbade dancing in bars and clubs.

The way the law is written now, three or more people dancing in a bar or club is illegal, unless the establishment holds a cabaret license. In a city of 8.3 million people, there are only 181 establishments (bars, clubs, restaurants, etc.) that currently holds cabaret licenses. To obtain one is so difficult, that it's probably easier to dance your way to California and back than to obtain one.

But now, after years and years of cries and complaints from its inhabitants, Mayor Bloomberg may finally get on the ball and seek out changes in the current policy. And that can only be a good thing for a city where freedom of expression is a time-honored tradition.

You can read the full New York Daily News article HERE


MLB ALL-STAR GAME FANS ARRIVE TO THE BIG APPLE

The All-Star Break is finally here and baseball fans from all over the country are arriving for this year's All-Star Game, slated to take place at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. I anticipate an uptick in tourists visiting the neighborhood establishments between now and Wednesday, which is always good for business. Don't be surprised to catch a few players in town for the All-Star Break checking out the fun in the local bars and clubs, as we're centrally located among many hotels. Should be an interesting few days.


MUG NIGHT MADNESS

Mug Night Madness has only been in effect for about a month, but I can say that it's a qualified hit thus far. With $2.00 Domestic Mugs (Coors Light, Yuengling Lager, Brooklyn Pennant Ale, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal, Sierra Nevada and Blue Moon) and $1.00 Bud and Bud Light, there's plenty of choices for the discerning beer fan. Best of all: NEVER A COVER CHARGE! So join us tonight as MUG NIGHT MADNESS runs all night long!!



Nuff Said

It's Monday So You Know What That Means...

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

MUG NIGHT MADNESS

Last night we featured MUG NIGHT MADNESS, a new twist on DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS. With $2.00 mugs of Blue Moon Ale, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal Ale, Coors Light, Yuengling Lager and Sierra Nevada to choose from, along with the usual $1.00 mugs of Bud and Bud Light, it was the proverbial smorgasbord of fun for those who find themselves on a budget financially, but excessively rich in good times.







With the brews flowing, music pumping and Jenga being the arbitrary game of the moment, Monday night turned out to be a pretty busy and fun night. If MUG NIGHT MADNESS turns out as well as it did tonight, then I think we have a pretty good special on our hands. We'll see what happens next week!





EURO '08: THE LEAGUE OF DEATH.....

Today we find some matches with some major ramifications behind them.

THE NETHERLANDS vs ROMANIA

The dominant Dutch squad have already punched a ticket to the quarterfinals, so they pretty much have nothing to play for. The Romanians, however, need a victory to punch their ticket to the knockout stage.

FRANCE vs ITALY

The biggest disappointments of the tournament thus far, face each other with their short season on the line. Loser goes home for sure. In fact, there's no guarantee that the winner of this match will move on either, depending on what happens to Romania. Both matches kick off at the same time (2:45pm), which adds to the drama.

As always, we'll carry both matches live and let the chips fall where they may......


DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS TONIGHT! ($1.00 Bud/Bud Light Mugs)



Nuff Said

Monday, June 16, 2008

WEEKEND RECAP

This past weekend was a pretty good one for the most part. We've been getting some good play with the EURO '08 tournament (even with the annoyingly pesky Turks), which is brilliant. The tournament has helped to fill a void during the early dog-days of summer and for that, I can't complain. There's been more than a few really good matches to boot, which is an added plus.

FRIDAY found yours truly working an unexpected double-shift, slinging drinks during the day and managing the night shift. The afternoon went really well, with a nice segue from the EURO '08 matches leading into the after-work Happy Hour. For some reason, there were more people around on Friday than normal, and as a result, we had a very busy, yet laid back vibe to the early Friday night session.

From there, the night only got busier and busier, to the point where we had probably our best Friday night of the early summer season thus far. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and continued to do so until we kicked out the last person at 4am. We had no problems at all, which is always great and it gave me hope for the rest of the weekend.

Unfortunately things took a turn for the sour on Saturday afternoon when we were greeted with what was probably the closest thing to a monsoon that I had ever seen. We were pounded by torrential rains for most of the late afternoon and well into the night. When all was said and done, the night was shot as most folks elected to stay in for the night.

Sunday was Father's Day and if you read yesterday's post, you'll know how that day went. Damn Turks.....

TODAY:

EURO '08 (2:45PM)

Austria vs Germany

Poland vs Croatia


TONIGHT:

MUG NIGHT MADNESS

$2.00 Domestic Mugs
$1.00 Bud/Bud Light Mugs


More updates later....


COMING SOON: By popular demand- GUITAR HERO!

Nuff Said