This year the Academy Awards has twice as many nominees in "The Best Picture" category--making it a total of 10 nominees.

I say, "big mistake."

According to an article on moviefone.com, the reasoning is mostly because it "opens up a chance for a longshot to win." 

And although, I am all for the underdog, this makes no sense to me.  Neither does the math and science behind it. 

The same article explains that the process involves a new voting system.  Instead of picking their favorite, the Academy Award voters have to rank the 10 films in order from best to worst or favorite to least favorite.  Correspondingly, this will guarantee that the one film appearing in the voter's top three or four will win. 

Call me illogical, but doesn't it work the same if they just voted for their favorite film?

Either way, the new process is only part of the problem.  With the amount of nominated movies being doubled, it seems like the Academy was desperate with some of its choices.  "District 9" is a nominee, and although I haven't seen half of the  other nominated movies, I know that it pales in comparison to a movie like "Avatar."

All in all, perhaps one good thing that will come from this new voting system is the suspense and drama of picking a winner.  I personally can't wait for them to figure out how they're going to split-screen all 10 nominees when announcing the award.  And more exciting will be the reaction of the nine non-winners.

Former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, 47, had a successful MMA debut last Saturday in Miami.

Walker was matched up with Greg Nagy, a man 20 years younger.

The former NFL player controlled the entire fight using leg kicks to keep his opponent at bay, and taking him down at will landing punches from all positions.

The fight came to an end when Walker got the mount on Nagy then the back mount and started to punch away at his opponent till the referee stopped the bout.

While fans booed at the arena I was impressed with Walker's performance.

Other athlete's have gone into MMA and not have been so successful.

Former NFL wide receiver Johnnie Morton had an unsuccessful MMA debut getting knocked out in just 38 seconds.

The fact that he fought with a strategy shows that Walker is serious about the game, and if he decides to keep fighting he could have a nice career.

It's refreshing knowing Walker respects the sport and isn't doing it only for a paycheck, which seems to be what MLB bad boy Jose Conseco is doing.

If the stars align in the right way we may get to see the two most popular sports in America go at it in the form of a MMA match.

Conseco vs. Walker. One can only hope.

If blood to vampires is the equivalent of food and water to humans, then the movie "Daybreakers" serves as a warning.

Indeed, the movie poses an interesting concept: what if our world, now inhabited mostly by vampires, was down to its last drops of blood?!

Well, then that means both humans and vampires are screwed.

But there is hope in the form of a man named Dr. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke).  Edward is a hematologist who works for a pharmaceutical company, and he is currently looking for a blood substitute.  But his research is looking glum, and the lack of a substitute is causing the blood-deprived vampires to turn into hideous hellspawns and eventually die--which seems like a natural evolution for vampires.  Fortunately, Edwards happens upon some surviving members of the  human race.  According to one of them, there is a way for vampires to transform back into humans, which would inevitably help matters.  The transformation involves  the sun and some very advanced physics that I dare not go into. 

Another part of the plot involves--what do you know--a politician (Sam Neil) using his power to transform his daughter into a vampire .  This subplot actually has a heart but manages to go nowhere fast as a result of the intercutting of scenes. 

From there, the plot goes on and on and on.

And that's where there is a problem.  The movie is filled with so many unnecessary random and sometimes awkward moments.  It doesnt' know what vampire-movie-type  it wants to be--"Underworld" or "Twilight", action or love-story.

In the end,  "Daybreakers" proves that a good concept can only go so far and that proper execution is vital.  Although the movie is filled with some A-list actors, it falls short with the dialogue and screenplay.  Take for instance a scene where Edward says to his woman sidekick, while caressing her, "You feel so warm."  This is immediately followed by an action scene and then totally dropped from the storyline thereafter.    It is moments like this that make the movie-going experience frustrating.  Perhaps then, the director should rethink his cliffhanger ending which points towards a  posssible sequel.  Either that or let the vampire race and genre die entirely.

NOTE: I am now incorporating a grade system in my ratings.  Hopefully it will give my readers a better idea of what movies to watch or,  more importantly, avoid.

I'd like to keep this entry short and sweet.

The NFL Pro Bowl format was changed this year.

Instead of the game being played after the Super Bowl it will be played the week before.

Instead of the Pro Bowl being played in Hawaii it will be in the same city as this years Super Bowl.

Now while Miami is a nice place with good weather and a live nightlife, would you really choose it over Hawaii?

Even though there are the usual cast of players with injuries that will keep them out of the game this season brings a new rule which will keep players out.

The players who are on the Super Bowl teams won't participate in the Pro Bowl being that the championship is one week after.

That's five starters on the AFC team and three starters from the NFC team.

There's a total of 12 players all together that are out because of the Super Bowl including the quarterbacks Drew Brees, and the man who's probably the face of the NFL today Peyton Manning.

Manning who's said before that he believes it's an honor to be selected to the Pro Bowl played in the game the week after his Indianapolis Colts won the 2006 Super Bowl.

So you'd have to believe he would've played in the game this year had it been in the old format, and barring any injury.

But in the end he's out of the game that's meant for the fans of the NFL.

In 1998 baseball was “revived” by two lovable sluggers, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, who were chasing Roger Maris’ single season record for homeruns.

The two brought a lot of new fans to the sport, and rekindled the flame that had been put out for old fans that had a bitter taste in their mouth from the player strike.

Unfortunately the two sluggers would face harsh criticism about using steroids and would have their success tarnished forever.

With McGwire recently admitting to using steroids during his career the “Steroid Era” is for real.

McGwire will hear questions forever about his use of steroids, and why he needed them, but the pain will fade. His chances of getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame will most likely never happen because an example may be made out of him, but getting this gorilla off his back was the smartest thing he could ever do. Now that he can take the right step in moving forward.

Like Andy Pettite and Alex Rodgriguez us fans will never forget that they cheated, no matter what the reason may be, but we’ll forgive.