Verizon Fios Review, Fat Solution, Joe Prez Take on the 'Nova 'Cats, Week 14 Win or Die Picks

You know what Billy King and I have in common? Within the past week, we have both been freed from the evil empire that is Comcast. I guess the difference is he is still getting paid by them! A week ago, Verizon Fios was installed at the Dils household. Here are my takeaways:

• The pricing is better than Comcast's. Our comparable service is approximately $60 cheaper per month than the same service with Comcast.
• The Fios DVR (i.e., TiVo) is really cool. You record shows on the TV with the DVR, but then can pull them down and watch them on any non-HD TV in the house (there is a hardward issue that makes it impossible to pull the DVR shows onto a high-def box). Still, very cool. Last Saturday I recorded the Duke hoops game Saturday and was able to watch it Sunday morning on the treadmill in the basement.
• You get more channels with Fios. For sports fans, you get ESPNU (which has a ton of good college football and hoops games), which is not available at all on Comcast, and NFL Network is included on the Basic package (you pay $1.99 premium per month on Comcast). You can also get a sports and movies package for like $15 per month that includes over 40 movie channels plus abuot 12 additional sports channels. The HBO package on Fios has more HBO channels than its equivalent at Comcast.
• I had a problem with my install in which they had to come out three times to install. When I called about it, they could not have been nicer, and offered me a choice of a free HD 19" flat screen TV or $150 credit. So, I have only had the service a week, but the customer service seems drastically better.
• One disadvantage to Fios versus Comcast is that their remote guide is not able to "page down" like you can with the Comcast remote (you have to go one channel at a time). The solution: hang on to your Comcast digital remote. It works on the Fios guide!!! (I have not yet determined what Comcast will charge for a missing remote, I will advise when I discover)
• To me, the quality of the phone connection, speed of the Ineternet connection, and quality of the TV picture are all a wash. They were perfectly fine on Comcast, and they seem about the same to me on Verizon.

So, as you can see, overall, I am a proponent of making the switch from Comcast to the Verizon Fios bundle! Of course, when you combine Verizon Fios (and additional TV watching) with the holidays (and additional eating) and my increased age and decreased metabolism, you have the risk of adding on a few extra pounds. For those of you in the Philadelphia area, I have a great solution for you. The Aquatic & Fitness Centers is the best gym/club I have ever encountered. Click here for more information; I would summarize the benefits of this club as follows:

• Besides offering all the usual stuff you would find at a gym, these guys offer great diversity of services and equipment. They feature 8 indoor tennis courts, 3 racquetball courts, a basketball court, pools, and a great yoga and pilates studio.
• They have hands down the best customer service I have seen. They are more attentive to members and guests than any competitor. They have almost 200 employees at each location to meet their cusomers' needs, including over 25 personal trainers at each location. When you come in you are greeted by 2 or more smiling faces and handed a towel. They throw members appreciation parties every month with food, music, special events, etc. No one does that....
• One thing that skeeves me out about many gyms is teh cleanliness, and these guys are the best I have encountered. This place always looks and smells clean. You never have to worry about Costanza peeing in the shower or someone not wiping down the equipment!
• For a workout place, they are so family friendly. They invite families to bring their kids, utilize our babysitting services, tennis lessons, kids fitness training, swim lessons, chill at our cafe with wifi and an Internet kiosk for the kids to check e-mail, etc. Most clubs are not so welcoming (other than stanky YMCAs)...
• If you have a problem, the owner is there to solve it himself. He is always around and approachable. Try that at LA Fitness.

So, is that enough of a New Year's Resolution. Maybe some of you will work out so I don't have to. I am heading back to the couch. But in all seriousness, if you are looking for a gym in the Philly area, check out the Aquatic and Fitness Centers. I think you will agree they are the best.

My buddy Joe Prez was down at the Wachovia Center last night to watch the Villanova hoopsters take the court against LSU's Bayou Bengals. Here are Prez' takes:

• LSUs Randolph and Johnson presented huge matchup problems for Villanova (offensively and defensively). Both > 6’11”, quick and able to block shots extremely well. Our usual guard penetration was negated by their shot blocking capability (14 blocks for LSU).
• Although Malcolm Grant sparked the comeback, Casiem Drummond was the unsung hero of the first half and kept Villanova close by scoring all 10 of his points in the first half (if you call 35-24 close).
• Redding and Reynolds had horrendous shooting nights (combined 4 for 21). Both were still active on the boards though and helped us to a +4 advantage.
• Reynolds had a guy playing him tough on the perimeter. And as mentioned, he had plenty of help on Reynolds’ drives to the hoop. Reynolds could not finish anything. Although possibly an off night, it does expose what will probably happen to him in the NBA.
• Corey Fisher sees the floor extremely well. He’s strong and threw a number of great passes that were mishandled. Predict that he has a better chance of making it in the NBA than Scottie Reynolds.
• Pressure – LSU had no problem handling the Villanova half and three quarter trap/pressure. Villanova very looked slow rotating their defense. Perhaps the 9:30PM start was too late for them.
• Having your team down by 21 points in the second half does not seem so bad compared to being home and trying to keep 2 twenty month olds happy.
• The more remarkable comeback was not being down 21 with about 8:30 to play but being down 15 with under 3 mins to play. Lot of people left at the 4 min TV timeout.
• Obvious key turning point was Malcolm Grant’s three and the foul which cut the deficit down to 11 and sparked a Villanova 9-0 run. A not so obvious play was 6’11” LSU center Randolph fouling out with 4 mins to go. That hurt LSU.
• Malcolm Grant, true freshman, was ice from the line. All his free throws looked great. 18 pts in 16 mins of play is not a bad stat line.
• Jay Wright seemed extremely subdued last night. Not sure if he was sick or what but was very quiet for a coach whose #21 team was getting their ass kicked in every way on their home floor by a team picked to finish at the bottom of their conference.
• Jay Wright waited until <>
• Arena was only half full and half of those people left with 8 mins and more left with 4 mins to go (bummer for them). Not sure why I stayed. Oh yeah, I work from home with 2 twenty month olds running me ragged. I considered this good quiet time.
• Lastly, Villanova girls still look nice. All seem to be into wearing some sort of high suede boots over jeans (vs our years where they wore a XXXL sweatshirt over leggings – we picked the wrong 4 years). What can you do.

And, finally, this week's win or die picks for the 22 remaining survivors. Here you go:

Pick Breakdown:

Buffalo 2
Green Bay 4
Jacksonville 12
Minnesota 4

Individual Picks:

Angel Minnesota
Chris Nangle 1 Jacksonville
CP 2 Jacksonville
D Froney 1 Jacksonville
Dan/Steve Gold 6 Jacksonville
David Louis Stitzer Green Bay
Ed Ramirez 2 Buffalo
Eric Meyers 3 Minnesota
Gary Jonas 1 Jacksonville
Gregg 2 Green Bay
How Goldberg…NOW BYRON Green Bay
Joe Pucillo 2 Jacksonville
M Lacerenza…NOW BYRON Minnesota
May Lee 6 Buffalo
Pierre Brown 1 Jacksonville
Ray Attiyah 1 Jacksonville
Ryan Carey 2 Minnesota
Ryan Doheny 7 Jacksonville
Steven Immergut 1 Jacksonville
Stuart Erickson 2 Jacksonville
Todd & Regan 4 Green Bay
WJO 4 Jacksonville