KanJam

March...the greatest month of the year

March is a beautiful beautiful month.

- The NCAA Tournament brings hours upon hours of glorious basketball (I will be spending the entire first two days at Tully's as per tradition)

- The NHL season ramps up as teams begin to make a desperate playoff push

- Some league called the NBA plays games I believe

- Pitchers and catchers report for spring training

- Oh and this is important enough to be mentioned twice...MARCH IS THE MONTH OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT!!

- Well this year there is something new to add to that list...Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will be released this weekend. I have been waiting for this movie for months, ever since June when I saw the Johnny Depp poster dressed as the Mad Hatter.
There is no way that this movie, which will be in 3-D by the way, won't be outstanding.

Who else will be seeing it opening weekend?

Anyways, besides all of the sports that are on our television and movies that will be on our big screens, March is also the first time on the east coast where you can start to believe that maybe the winter is almost over. There are days like today when I actually don't need a jacket...I'm still wearing a hoodie, but hey...NO JACKET!

March tells us that it's almost time to pull out the golf clubs and its definitely almost time to break out the Kan Jam sets. In fact I will be taking out the Kan Jam goals this weekend, in my quest to throw an instant-winner.

I have been playing the game for almost 4 years now and as amazing as it may sound, I still have never thrown the disc through the instant win slot. It eats at my very soul that I haven't accomplished this feat.

So starting this weekend I will take my camera and Kan Jam goal and document my journey to throwing an instant-win. It will happen this summer. I can feel it, March is in the air. It's a new season. This is my year to throw the instant win.

And if not?...well than I will have a lot of camera footage.

Until next time,

Alex

Do you Kan Jam?

Happy Thursday everybody, only one more day until the weekend.

As I've mentioned in this space before, this weekend is the Powder Keg Festival in downtown Buffalo. There will be a lot of great events this weekend including an outdoor Kan Jam tournament. If you haven't signed up already, than email Chris Catanzaro at chriscatz6@hotmail.com to get involved in the festivities.

Also, today starts a great new challenge that we at Kan Jam are giving to all of the players across the country. Do you Kan Jam? That's the question, and we're looking for the answer.

We want all of the Kan Jam players to take their video cameras or video camera phones and go out to the public with one question in mind, Do You Kan Jam? Ask anyone the question. If they say yes, than ask how they found out about the game. If they say no, well than it's your job to tell them what the game is all about.

All video's should be about thirty seconds in length and the funnier and more creative the better.

Send all videos to alex@kanjam.com and we'll put the best videos up on our Facebook page as well as the blog. Some may even make it up to the official Kan Jam website.

Until next time,

Alex

Kan Jam and the Olympics

Who here has been watching the Olympics so far? Anyone? Anyone? I'm sure it is getting huge ratings, but who is watching the games? I have not found one person I've talked to who has watched more than an hour or two. Personally I only watch the Olympic Hockey games. Seeing the best players in the world on the same teams compete against each other for the honor of their country makes for the best kind of hockey.

I'm seriously counting down the days until I get to see USA vs. Canada or Russia vs anyone who can give them a game, but to be honest I'm not sure if there is a team that can do so.

Anyways, it crossed my mind if there are sports like badminton, handball and Judo in the summer Olympics, why can't there be Kan Jam? I mean come on, Cricket is even be allowing back into the games in 2020.

Obviously there are some issues such as people outside of the US don't play the game as much as we do on the north east, and that's the reason why football will never be an Olympic Sport, but how hard would it be to find 12 teams from different countries that can throw and jam a disc?

I wrote about this in the summer, and I'll bring it up again, you can go here to sign a petition to make Kan Jam an official olympic sport. Right now we only have 13 signatures, and I'm two of them. So let's try to get to 200 and go from there. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. Tell your enemies. Lets make this happen.

Until next time,

Alex

RIP Walter Frederick Morrison

For those who do not know the inventor of the Frisbee, Walter Frederick Morrison, passed away on Friday at the age of 90.

While Morrison did not invent the flying disc, he did invent what became known as the frisbee. You can follow the link to a more in depth article on Morrison.

Also here is a link to the history of the flying disc.

Until next time,

Alex

Buffalo Powder Keg Festival Kan Jam Tournament

Happy Wednesday everybody,

Just a quick announcement that the 2010 Buffalo Powder Keg Festival will feature a 64-team Kan Jam Tournament.

The outdoor tournament will take place Saturday, February 27th on Pearl Street (between Seneca St and Upper Terrace.)

It's a single elimination tournament and the first 64 teams to sign up will be registered.

To sign up for the tournament or for more information email chris at chriscatz6@hotmail.com.

Also because the Superbowl is a few days away, I thought I'd leave you with my favorite superbowl commercial of all time...you're welcome.

Until next time,

Alex

Kanjam Sledding

Happy Monday everybody,

Last week I talked about taking the KanJam goals out sledding, well some friends and I attempted this Sunday. While the goals are not as aerodynamic as I was hoping it was still a fun time, and I'd reccomend trying it out.

All of the photos from the event can be seen on our facebook page. If you're not friends with Kan Jam on Facebook click here.

Until next time,

Alex

Muse, Beatles, Killers and more...

Has anyone been watching the MTV show the Burried Life? Basically it asks what do you want to do before you die? Well I'm going to change that question up a bit...well actually I'm going to change the question up totally, what current band do you want to see in concert?

My friend on facebook today asked me to make a top ten of my favorite concerts, and honestly it would be tough to do: Blink 182 was my first, and you never forget your first, Dave Matthews Band was the best experience, OAR had the best road trip stories, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock was the most suprising, because I went there for Skynyrd but Kid Rock proved that he was the real deal. There are many more concerts which I've gone to and loved, and they would be too difficult to rank. So instead we'll go with the orriginal question, what current bands do you want to see in concert?

There are a couple of stipulations:

1. A majority of the original lineup has to still be intact

2. They need to either be a rock legend or had a hit single in last 10 years

3. You have to have never seen them before live

With these rules in place I submit my top 5: (Sorry Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger I feel like it would be more depressing than enjoyable to see you on stage in your late late 60's.)

1. Muse-  After spending years in Europe, they're finally making their first North American tour and if you think I'm missing them in Toronto, you're crazy. From Nights of Knights of Cydonia to Starlight to Time is Running out, Muse consistently comes up with epic songs.

2. The Killers - My buddy Rick James has seen them a handful of times and everytime I miss out. Now, I will admit Hot Fuss and Sam's Town were significantly better than their last two albums, but watch this live performance of "Bones," my personal favorite Killers song and tell me that they don't rock.

3. Jay-Z -  Now I will openly admit that I am a banwagon fan, in fact I severly dislike most rap, but he has far too many great songs for me to name, and eventually you just have to forget that he's a rapper and admit that he's a great artist.

Since most of his songs would be inappropriate to play here, we'll go with a great spoof from Austin Powers

4. Red Hot Chilli Peppers - I could do without seeing them in just their tube socks, but you can't deny them of their talents, and they're still going strong after nearly 20 years. Here's Dani California, one of my favorite Chilli Peppers songs.

5. I thought about going with the Foo Fighters here, or maybe the Kings of Leon. I seriously even thought about Justin TImberlake, because game respects game and Timberlake definetely has game. But instead I'm going to break my own rules and go with paul McCartney. I know I said it would be more depressing than enjoyable to see him strut around the stage in his 60's, but it's still Paul McCartney and he's still my musical hero. Here he is last year playing "I saw her standing there"

On second thought, I was right the first time. Just watching it on youtube makes me depressed that I never got to see the Beatles perform in the 60's. So I'll leave you with these three classic video from the Beatles rooftop concert in 1969. This is how they should always be remembered.

What are some of your dream concerts?

Until next time,

Alex

What Kan you do with a Kan Jam?

It's the winter months in Buffalo and I have a few sets of Kanjams sitting in my garage, begging for some use. So that brings the question: What can you do with a Kan Jam?

Well this weekend I'm about to find out as my friends and I are planning on taking some kans to a park and seeing how aerodynamic they can be. I mean as a kid we used to slide down on garbage can tops, can Kan Jam goals be any worst?

Besides sledding what other ways are there to use Kan Jam in the winter months? Here's a couple I came up with:

1. You could build a really cool fort if you connect the goals in the back...and the instant win slot will make a great peep-hole to see when people are coming

2. If you're really into dungeons and dragons I bet the goal would make a great shield...

3. What about putting on some warmer clothes and actually playing Kan Jam in the snow?

I'm running short on ideas here...but what about...

4. Nope there's nothing more...Kan Jam isn't as versatile as I thought it would be.

But let me know if you have any other ideas I didn't come up with and photos of the sledding adventure will be posted next week.

Until next time,

Alex

United States of...Pop?

Really great remix from DJ Earworm...If you think you know all of the songs that are used than check out this sporcle quiz.

Quick post I know, but still a great song to wake you up in the morning.

Until next time,

Alex

A forgettable NFL playoff weekend

The NFL regular season moves along at a slow pace. Unlike every other league the games are generally only available to the public two days a week (Unless you're lucky enough to live in an area where the NFL Network graces your television), and the 17 weeks lead up to the collision course that is the NFL playoffs. Generally the wildcard and divisional rounds of the NFL playoffs are two of the greatest sport weekends of the year that don't involve March madness. However this year there have been only two games decided by less than 10 points, and out of those two games only one of them could be considered exciting. I don't want to hear anything about the Jets-Chargers game on Sunday, the Chargers played horrible and gave the J-E-T-S several opportunities to put the game away and the New York was barely good enough to do it. A poorly played game by both teams.

Seriously, except for the great Cardinals-Packers game last week, the NFL playoffs have given me a feeling reminiscent of being a DD. People are having fun around you (the fans of the teams playing) but you just want to be anywhere but there, preferably taking a nap (which I did during three out of the four playoff games for the second straight weekend.)

I love the NFL, is it too much to ask to have two competitive games in the championship round?

Maybe I'm just bitter after reading this disheartening column by Jerry Sullivan about the Bills coaching search. Seriously, when Russ Grimm decides he doesn't want to even take an interview there are some issues in the franchise. But growing up in Buffalo and being a die-hard Bills fan, I can at least take heart in the fact that Bill Cowher has not officially said no. He won't do that until after his obligations with CBS are done for the season.

The Bills will probably end up with Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier as their head coach, and while that's a decent name who has run a great defense for the past few years, the Bills need an offensive minded coach...How about Mike Leach? or my personal favorite scenario, reuniting the winning qb-coach combo from the UFL: Jim Fassel and JP Losman. And no, I'm not kidding.

And if worst comes to worst...GO SABRES.

Until next time,

Alex