The bad news is the St. Louis Rams got the stuffing kicked out of them this afternoon by the Arizona (read that formerly St. Louis) Cardinals. The final was 48-19 and it was ugly.
The good news is the Rams will have the second overall draft pick in the 2008 draft. Thanks to the Jets and Falcons winning today and each climbing to four wins, while the Rams lost and stayed at three wins, the Rams will have the pick after Miami which managed one win this year. The Rams ended the season with a whopping three wins. WooHoo!!!
December 30, 2007
Out of the Mouths of Babes
I was playing dinosaurs with my four year old great-nephew G the other day. If you have read this blog for very long you know I lost 78 pounds in 2006. But, over the past two weeks I have put on about ten pounds that I will remove after the first of the year.
But, little G put me in my place real fast. He saw my belly pooching out and asked innocently" what's in there"? I said...'That's my belly". The four year old then replied "Is there a baby in there"? I started to laugh and told him "No G, men don't have babies". He just laughed.
But, little G put me in my place real fast. He saw my belly pooching out and asked innocently" what's in there"? I said...'That's my belly". The four year old then replied "Is there a baby in there"? I started to laugh and told him "No G, men don't have babies". He just laughed.
December 25, 2007
And the Winner Is...
Boulevard Brewing's Nutcracker Ale is the winner of this year's best Christmas Ale.
I sampled the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale while smoking the hens this evening and it is good. But, to me it tasted a whole lot like their Pale Ale. In my opinion Nutcracker had the best all around taste this year. It is hard to rank them because they are all very close, but after Boulevard I would say Sierra Nevada and Schlafly's Christmas Ale are even and then Breckenridge's Christmas Ale is next. Like I say it was hard to compare them because of them all being good beer. But I like the Boulevard product best.
I sampled the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale while smoking the hens this evening and it is good. But, to me it tasted a whole lot like their Pale Ale. In my opinion Nutcracker had the best all around taste this year. It is hard to rank them because they are all very close, but after Boulevard I would say Sierra Nevada and Schlafly's Christmas Ale are even and then Breckenridge's Christmas Ale is next. Like I say it was hard to compare them because of them all being good beer. But I like the Boulevard product best.
Another Great Christmas Day
Christmas Day was just as nice as Christmas Eve. We stopped by my niece S and her husband J's home for an open house this afternoon. There was plenty of food and laughter that filled their home. Add to it the joy of their daughter who was proud to show off her Christmas gifts, particularly the new clothes she received. Four years old and she is already a clothes hound.
Then this evening we had a very nice dinner. I smoked Cornish Hens and potatoes on the Weber Kettle outside and M fixed her awesome spinach and rice casserole. We also had a large amount of fresh veggies from her relish tray that were left over from last night.
We also hooked up the new flat panel monitor she received as a gift last night. It is amazing how clear and how large the picture is.
After dinner it was Pecan pie and we stumbled across a broadcast of "Miracle on 34th Street". It was an excellent Christmas Day and Christmas Evening. All Christmases are good but this was one of the best.
Then this evening we had a very nice dinner. I smoked Cornish Hens and potatoes on the Weber Kettle outside and M fixed her awesome spinach and rice casserole. We also had a large amount of fresh veggies from her relish tray that were left over from last night.
We also hooked up the new flat panel monitor she received as a gift last night. It is amazing how clear and how large the picture is.
After dinner it was Pecan pie and we stumbled across a broadcast of "Miracle on 34th Street". It was an excellent Christmas Day and Christmas Evening. All Christmases are good but this was one of the best.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you and to yours!We celebrate the birth of Christ in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago and as the pastor at our church states so well, because of that we are saved and will have eternal life!
Our family got together last night at my brother-in-law and sister's home and we had a great time. There were 18 of us all together and it was probably our best Christmas ever. At least it was for me. It was heightened by the presence of an 18 month old, two four year olds and a six year old. Just hangout with the little ones and they will get you into the Christmas Spirit in no time at all.
This image is of our youngest family member who seemed enthralled by "Dancing Santa" once he learned how to push the button.
December 24, 2007
More on Christmas Ales
I had a chance to taste the Breckenridge Christmas Ale Saturday night. It is a pleasing strong ale with a distinctive hoppiness and flavored with Carmel. It also tastes a little like there's a hint of raisin.
It has a dark brown color and has an alcohol by volume of 7.4%. It is as good as Boulevard's offering and a little better than Schlafly. But, all three of them are very good. I will sample the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale tonight or with Christmas dinner tomorrow. Stay tuned.
It has a dark brown color and has an alcohol by volume of 7.4%. It is as good as Boulevard's offering and a little better than Schlafly. But, all three of them are very good. I will sample the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale tonight or with Christmas dinner tomorrow. Stay tuned.
MLB Gives Selig a Vote of Confidence
If you missed it this weekend Major League Baseball owners gave commissioner Bud Selig a vote of confidence to continue when his current contract expires.
Selig has no credibility and the good old boys who pay his salary have no credibility either. MLB was criticized by former Senator George Mitchell for it's role in the steroid scandal. But, now Selig says he is going to get to the bottom of the mess. Yeah right. As I wrote last week, that's a lot like letting the inmates run the prison. Selig knows what he will find. He will find owners who don't care because they are making more money than ever and players who have a union that won't let them be tested.
So, you can see why the owners are so glad to endorse Selig's actions. He is protecting them. The problem is you and I, the fans, are watching a bunch of juiced up phonies re-write the record book and then listen to MLB tell you how wonderful it all is. It isn't. The Selig era is a joke. And Selig who is supposed to be looking out for the good of the game is the biggest problem.
It's time for Selig to be a man and resign. If that doesn't happen then congress needs to take a look at baseball's antitrust exemption.
Selig has no credibility and the good old boys who pay his salary have no credibility either. MLB was criticized by former Senator George Mitchell for it's role in the steroid scandal. But, now Selig says he is going to get to the bottom of the mess. Yeah right. As I wrote last week, that's a lot like letting the inmates run the prison. Selig knows what he will find. He will find owners who don't care because they are making more money than ever and players who have a union that won't let them be tested.
So, you can see why the owners are so glad to endorse Selig's actions. He is protecting them. The problem is you and I, the fans, are watching a bunch of juiced up phonies re-write the record book and then listen to MLB tell you how wonderful it all is. It isn't. The Selig era is a joke. And Selig who is supposed to be looking out for the good of the game is the biggest problem.
It's time for Selig to be a man and resign. If that doesn't happen then congress needs to take a look at baseball's antitrust exemption.
December 22, 2007
Christmas Beer
As regular readers know, I like my beer. I also like the beers produced at this time of year. Most micro-breweries make a Pumpkin Ale in the fall. These are fine beers. But the best seasonals of the year in my opinion are Christmas Ales. They are usually higher in alcohol volume than other products and are usually dry hopped with the bittering Chinook hop and then finished with Christmas type seasonings such as Orange peel or carmel or molasses. They all have a fairly high IBU. (A brewing industry measure of bitterness).
I have tasted Schlafly's Christmas Ale and Boulevard's Nutcracker Ale. They are both fine beers. I think the Boulevard offering is a little better and a better value as it is priced less expensively than Schlafly's Christmas Ale.
I have also located and will soon sample the Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale, and have also found a six pack of Breckenridge's Christmas Ale. I will let you know what I think as soon as I sample them. And if you know me that will be very soon!
I have tasted Schlafly's Christmas Ale and Boulevard's Nutcracker Ale. They are both fine beers. I think the Boulevard offering is a little better and a better value as it is priced less expensively than Schlafly's Christmas Ale.
I have also located and will soon sample the Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale, and have also found a six pack of Breckenridge's Christmas Ale. I will let you know what I think as soon as I sample them. And if you know me that will be very soon!
It's OK to Wish Me Merry Christmas
Here's what the old house looks like lit up for Christmas. Notice I said Christmas and not the "The Holiday's".
The Post-Dispatch has Sold It's Soul
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has shown again this week why it is one of the world's worst newspapers.
The St. Louis "newspaper of record", placed a display advertisement on the front page of the paper a couple of days ago. It was an advertisement for a new casino in downtown St. Louis that the Post has written of extensively, presumably in hope of large advertising revenues in return.
Years ago when I was in Journalism School I had an old professor who had been around the newspaper business for years. I specifically remember him saying if you see a paper with an ad on the front page it tells you one of two things. Either the paper is going broke, or it has no integrity.
The last time I checked the parent company of the Post, Lee Enterprises, wasn't going broke.
The St. Louis "newspaper of record", placed a display advertisement on the front page of the paper a couple of days ago. It was an advertisement for a new casino in downtown St. Louis that the Post has written of extensively, presumably in hope of large advertising revenues in return.
Years ago when I was in Journalism School I had an old professor who had been around the newspaper business for years. I specifically remember him saying if you see a paper with an ad on the front page it tells you one of two things. Either the paper is going broke, or it has no integrity.
The last time I checked the parent company of the Post, Lee Enterprises, wasn't going broke.
December 16, 2007
A Major Screwup by a New York TV Station
The NBC O&O in New York City implicated St. Louis Cardinal superstar Albert Pujols as a steroid abuser in the Mitchell report. In an effort to score a major "scoop" the TV station said Pujols was one of those listed in the report as having taken the junk.
The story had absolutely no merit and is pure balderdash. WNBC (which is owned by General Electric) has since apologized and put a correction on it's web site. But, how many people will never see the correction and be left with the impression that the outstanding numbers Pujols has put up in his relatively short career were drug aided?
Pujols appears to be a laid back man and genuinely happy to be playing the game and giving it all for the people who pay his salary, the fans. But, the incompetence of WNBC's producers and reporters produced a written statement from from "El Hombre's" attorney on Thursday night. The statement read as follows:
"It has come to my attention that several national and local news outlets have published false reports that associated my name with the Mitchell Report. I have never disrespected, nor cheated the game of baseball and knew without a doubt that my name would not be mentioned in the official investigation. I would like to express how upset and disappointed I am over the reckless reporting that took place this morning. It has caused me and my family a lot of senseless aggravation due to their inaccurate information.
"What concerns me, is the affect this has had on my family and that my character and values have now been questioned due to the media's lack of accuracy in their reporting. I have never had a problem with the media when they do their job correctly, whether it is positive or negative -- just as long as they report truthfully.
"I would like to thank my fans for their continued support and never doubting my integrity. God has blessed me and allowed me to play a game that I would never take for granted."
Albert I don't blame you. Maybe you can publish a list of TV station with incompetent journalists and head it up with WNBC. But, then you wouldn't be like your attackers. Your list would be the honest to God truth.
The story had absolutely no merit and is pure balderdash. WNBC (which is owned by General Electric) has since apologized and put a correction on it's web site. But, how many people will never see the correction and be left with the impression that the outstanding numbers Pujols has put up in his relatively short career were drug aided?
Pujols appears to be a laid back man and genuinely happy to be playing the game and giving it all for the people who pay his salary, the fans. But, the incompetence of WNBC's producers and reporters produced a written statement from from "El Hombre's" attorney on Thursday night. The statement read as follows:
"It has come to my attention that several national and local news outlets have published false reports that associated my name with the Mitchell Report. I have never disrespected, nor cheated the game of baseball and knew without a doubt that my name would not be mentioned in the official investigation. I would like to express how upset and disappointed I am over the reckless reporting that took place this morning. It has caused me and my family a lot of senseless aggravation due to their inaccurate information.
"What concerns me, is the affect this has had on my family and that my character and values have now been questioned due to the media's lack of accuracy in their reporting. I have never had a problem with the media when they do their job correctly, whether it is positive or negative -- just as long as they report truthfully.
"I would like to thank my fans for their continued support and never doubting my integrity. God has blessed me and allowed me to play a game that I would never take for granted."
Albert I don't blame you. Maybe you can publish a list of TV station with incompetent journalists and head it up with WNBC. But, then you wouldn't be like your attackers. Your list would be the honest to God truth.
The Inmates are Running the Asylum
I have finished reading the Mitchell report and both management and labor have to accept responsibility for the steroid problem.
I find it laughable that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is going to "investigate the problem". Yeah right. Selig is the problem. He never pushed Donald Fehr who heads up the players association to allow serious testing for steroids. Selig needs to resign immediately for the good of the game. It happened on his watch. There is no excuse that a large number of players in the past 20 years were juiced and have put up gaudy numbers that are now questionable at best. Selig has never shown any leadership and if you read through this blog you will see he has made mistakes every time a decision was needed or a leader needed to step in and show the way.
Donald Fehr should also tell the world he screwed up. But, that's fairly obvious in his arrogance and that of the overpaid athletes who pay his salary. Fehr has denied baseball the chance to test as it should have and has been a hindrance to the integrity of the game.
So what happens now you ask? Probably nothing. Neither Selig or Fehr is going anywhere anytime soon while their pockets are being lined. Hopefully the players will wake up and realize the public who has put up with this woeful behavior is paying their salaries and wont tolerate it much longer.
It's time for the players to grow up and take responsibility for their actions. But, given their track record don't hold your breath.
I find it laughable that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is going to "investigate the problem". Yeah right. Selig is the problem. He never pushed Donald Fehr who heads up the players association to allow serious testing for steroids. Selig needs to resign immediately for the good of the game. It happened on his watch. There is no excuse that a large number of players in the past 20 years were juiced and have put up gaudy numbers that are now questionable at best. Selig has never shown any leadership and if you read through this blog you will see he has made mistakes every time a decision was needed or a leader needed to step in and show the way.
Donald Fehr should also tell the world he screwed up. But, that's fairly obvious in his arrogance and that of the overpaid athletes who pay his salary. Fehr has denied baseball the chance to test as it should have and has been a hindrance to the integrity of the game.
So what happens now you ask? Probably nothing. Neither Selig or Fehr is going anywhere anytime soon while their pockets are being lined. Hopefully the players will wake up and realize the public who has put up with this woeful behavior is paying their salaries and wont tolerate it much longer.
It's time for the players to grow up and take responsibility for their actions. But, given their track record don't hold your breath.
December 02, 2007
MU gets hosed by the BCS
My beloved Missouri Tigers football team got hosed tonight by the BCS. The Tigers should have been going to one of the first tier bowl games in January but instead were not invited to the party. Even after the loss last night, the Tigers were number six in the final BCS rankings. With a total of ten spots available it would seem a no brainer that the sixth ranked team would be invited to a BCS game. But, Noooooo....
Missouri didn't make it to a BCS game. They are headed to the Cotton Bowl instead. Now, you can spin it anyway you want, but the Cotton Bowl isn't the game it was years ago. It's a second tier bowl because it hasn't kept up with the payouts of the big four and the BCS game. The Tigers will play Arkansas, the 25th ranked team in the land, in the game that kicks off Tuesday morning the first of January.
What pisses me off is that the Tigers beat both Illinois and Kansas and both of those teams are playing in BCS games. Illinois is going to the Rose bowl and the Chickenhawks are going to the Orange bowl. What the hell were those bowl committees thinking? And to add insult to injury Hawaii, USC and West Virginia are also playing in BCS games, even though all three of their BCS averages are below Missouri's. Again, Mizzou's final BCS ranking was six in the nation. So what the hell gives?
As far as I am concerned the BCS and all of it's business partners and sponsors can kiss by my big white ass. The whole things is a joke.
Missouri didn't make it to a BCS game. They are headed to the Cotton Bowl instead. Now, you can spin it anyway you want, but the Cotton Bowl isn't the game it was years ago. It's a second tier bowl because it hasn't kept up with the payouts of the big four and the BCS game. The Tigers will play Arkansas, the 25th ranked team in the land, in the game that kicks off Tuesday morning the first of January.
What pisses me off is that the Tigers beat both Illinois and Kansas and both of those teams are playing in BCS games. Illinois is going to the Rose bowl and the Chickenhawks are going to the Orange bowl. What the hell were those bowl committees thinking? And to add insult to injury Hawaii, USC and West Virginia are also playing in BCS games, even though all three of their BCS averages are below Missouri's. Again, Mizzou's final BCS ranking was six in the nation. So what the hell gives?
As far as I am concerned the BCS and all of it's business partners and sponsors can kiss by my big white ass. The whole things is a joke.
Bad Night to Be A Tiger Fan
My Tigers got their butts handed to them last night by Oklahoma in the Big XII Football Championship game down in San Antonio. The final was 38-17 Oklahoma. The Sooners are arguably one of the best teams in the nation. The Sooners' defense shut Missouri's running game down tight and in the Red Zone and Missouri had to settle for field goals three times. Oklahoma also held Missouri to it's lowest point total of the season.
The Tigers made mistakes on both offense and defense, particularly stupid penalties at inopportune times. But, in the end Oklahoma had more athleticism than Mizzou and won the right to represent the Big 12 in the BCS. It appears as if the loss will shut the Tigers out of the BCS completely and they may end up playing in the lesser Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day.
The basketball Tigers also lost last night in Berkeley against the Bears. I didn't watch it since the football game ended late and I was not too happy with the outcome of the football game. If you care the score was Cal 86 - Mizzou 72.
The Tigers made mistakes on both offense and defense, particularly stupid penalties at inopportune times. But, in the end Oklahoma had more athleticism than Mizzou and won the right to represent the Big 12 in the BCS. It appears as if the loss will shut the Tigers out of the BCS completely and they may end up playing in the lesser Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day.
The basketball Tigers also lost last night in Berkeley against the Bears. I didn't watch it since the football game ended late and I was not too happy with the outcome of the football game. If you care the score was Cal 86 - Mizzou 72.
December 01, 2007
Now ESPN is Trying to Save Face
It's bad enough that ESPN is totally irresponsible, but now it's parent company is trying to help the child save face, and it says something about the way ABC/Disney do business. At halftime of the ACC Championship game, ABC's talking idiots in the studio said, I kid you not, "Well it will be interesting to see what happens with Les Miles and Michigan after the LSU game is over".
What? Miles said in his news conference, which anyone could see, he is staying at LSU. But, ESPN/ABC just won't admit they screwed up big time. At the SEC Championship game Miles told a CBS reporter..."I WILL be at LSU next year". End of story. Period.
But, what do the ESPN talking heads say at halftime? They question where he is going. Can you believe that? The ESPN/ABC producers are idiots.
Bottom line is ESPN screwed up badly. They screwed up about as bad as Dan Rather did on the George Bush story, which ultimatly led to Rather's retirment. But, what makes it worse is ABC/ESPN just won't say hey folks we screwed up. Somewhere, there is an executive telling the talking heads how to spin it. And that is just pathetic.
What? Miles said in his news conference, which anyone could see, he is staying at LSU. But, ESPN/ABC just won't admit they screwed up big time. At the SEC Championship game Miles told a CBS reporter..."I WILL be at LSU next year". End of story. Period.
But, what do the ESPN talking heads say at halftime? They question where he is going. Can you believe that? The ESPN/ABC producers are idiots.
Bottom line is ESPN screwed up badly. They screwed up about as bad as Dan Rather did on the George Bush story, which ultimatly led to Rather's retirment. But, what makes it worse is ABC/ESPN just won't say hey folks we screwed up. Somewhere, there is an executive telling the talking heads how to spin it. And that is just pathetic.
ESPN Has No Credibility
What little credibility ESPN had just went flying out the window.
ESPN football "expert" Kirk Herbstreit told viewers on the cable network late this morning that LSU coach Les Miles had accepted the head football coach's job job at Michigan. Herbstreit also reported that Georgia Tech defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jon Tenuta would go with him.
WRONG!!!
Miles and LSU called a hasty news conference this afternoon and Miles tersely told reporters he isn't going anywhere and plans to stay at LSU. He also said he would not take questions because he is preparing for the SEC championship game. and seemed miffed that he had to explain to his squad he is not leaving on the day they are getting ready for their biggest game of the year.
Herbstreit's reporting is irresponsible at best. And his timing is even worse as he has distracted one of the best football teams in the nation as it prepares for it's biggest game of the year. This isn't the first time ESPN has played fast and loose with the facts. Maybe ESPN should stick to televising basketball and football games and leave real reporting to professionals.
ESPN football "expert" Kirk Herbstreit told viewers on the cable network late this morning that LSU coach Les Miles had accepted the head football coach's job job at Michigan. Herbstreit also reported that Georgia Tech defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jon Tenuta would go with him.
WRONG!!!
Miles and LSU called a hasty news conference this afternoon and Miles tersely told reporters he isn't going anywhere and plans to stay at LSU. He also said he would not take questions because he is preparing for the SEC championship game. and seemed miffed that he had to explain to his squad he is not leaving on the day they are getting ready for their biggest game of the year.
Herbstreit's reporting is irresponsible at best. And his timing is even worse as he has distracted one of the best football teams in the nation as it prepares for it's biggest game of the year. This isn't the first time ESPN has played fast and loose with the facts. Maybe ESPN should stick to televising basketball and football games and leave real reporting to professionals.
November 25, 2007
Tigers Destroy Chickenhawks
The final score is not indicative of how much Missouri really dominated the game. My Missouri Tigers beat up on the Kansas Jayhawks last night at Arrowhead Stadium in KC 36-28. Chase Daniel led the Tiger attack that had KU down at one point 21-0. The Tigers defense also played well and put the point on the exclamation mark at the games end when it sacked KU's quarterback for a safety. The Tigers out gained the ugly little birds in rushing and passing. Chase Daniel was 40-49 and made big plays repeatedly to keep Mizzou drives alive.
I can go on and on but anyone who saw the game knows Missouri dominated the evening's proceedings.
I read all three of the media accounts in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis and the Columbia Tribune had far better coverage of the game then the KC Star or St. Louis Post. If you would like to read the Trib's coverage click here.
As a Tiger fan what makes the victory even sweeter is that not only are the Tigers going to be ranked number one in the nation and play in the Big XII Championship game next Saturday with a possible shot at the national title, but the Yellow beaks are not going to get to experience any of it. Poof...just like a puff of smoke. Their perfect season is gone.
Three years ago I sat in the cold mist at Faurot Field as a bunch of loudmouth chickenhawks chanted "This Is Our House" as their team beat the Tigers. It pissed me off then and I knew one day there would be a payback. Well last night was the payback and revenge is sweet. Live with the disappointment you little Kansas bitches.
I can go on and on but anyone who saw the game knows Missouri dominated the evening's proceedings.
I read all three of the media accounts in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis and the Columbia Tribune had far better coverage of the game then the KC Star or St. Louis Post. If you would like to read the Trib's coverage click here.
As a Tiger fan what makes the victory even sweeter is that not only are the Tigers going to be ranked number one in the nation and play in the Big XII Championship game next Saturday with a possible shot at the national title, but the Yellow beaks are not going to get to experience any of it. Poof...just like a puff of smoke. Their perfect season is gone.
Three years ago I sat in the cold mist at Faurot Field as a bunch of loudmouth chickenhawks chanted "This Is Our House" as their team beat the Tigers. It pissed me off then and I knew one day there would be a payback. Well last night was the payback and revenge is sweet. Live with the disappointment you little Kansas bitches.
November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving to You
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day. I sure did. We got away from the traditional turkey, dressing and all the stuff that goes with it. Instead we had smoked chicken, potato salad and corn on the cob that I also grilled on the Weber kettle. For dessert we did the traditional Pumpkin pie.
All in all it was a good day. I had a great time with family and it was in my opinion better than all of the gigantic Thanksgiving dinners we have done in the past.
On another note, I have a HN update. You say what is a HN? It's Hoosier neighbor.
This afternoon they were assembling kids crap in the front yard even though the temperature was only 38 degrees. Then coming home this evening I notice the HNs had their front storm door and screen door wide open. I thought have they all gotten high and hot? No they were apparently trying to burn down the house. As I put the car in the garage I heard this "beep...beep...beep, beep...beep...beep". What the heck I thought? No worries. The reason the door was open was so heavy smoke could come pouring out the open doors. Dumb jackasses.
As Borat might say..."Nice".
All in all it was a good day. I had a great time with family and it was in my opinion better than all of the gigantic Thanksgiving dinners we have done in the past.
On another note, I have a HN update. You say what is a HN? It's Hoosier neighbor.
This afternoon they were assembling kids crap in the front yard even though the temperature was only 38 degrees. Then coming home this evening I notice the HNs had their front storm door and screen door wide open. I thought have they all gotten high and hot? No they were apparently trying to burn down the house. As I put the car in the garage I heard this "beep...beep...beep, beep...beep...beep". What the heck I thought? No worries. The reason the door was open was so heavy smoke could come pouring out the open doors. Dumb jackasses.
As Borat might say..."Nice".
November 18, 2007
Some Thoughts...
Well, here it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving and I can't believe how quickly the year is going past us. I am proud of my Missouri Tigers and their latest win. Yesterday the Tigers blasted Kansas State 49-32. They were a little flat but they played well enough on offense to score at will against K-State. Bottom line is the Tigers are now ranked number 3 and four in the BCS rankings. Mizzou-Rah!!!
The Rams won again today. Their second straight win after starting 0-8. San Francisco is lame. When you come down to having Trent Dilfer as your quarterback you know you have a problem. Still, for the Rams a win is a win.
Have you watched the local TV spots in your market? If you have a Hardees or Carl's Jr. in your area have you seen their lame commercials? The latest is watching some surfer dude eat a big hamburger. The moron that wrote the commercial must have been on drugs. The spot is an insult to anyone with a brain.
Finally, the hoosier renters that have moved in next door to me have pulled yet another hoosier stunt. They have put up Christmas lights six weeks before the Holiday. I came home on Friday night and they had up a lot of lights. Yeech. But, then on Saturday night they stood outside two hours after it was dark and put up more lights. The display is vulgar. I hope these losers move out when their six month rental contract is over. But for now I have to look at it every time I pull into my driveway. It is ugly. I hope they stop now but my guess is they will keep adding to this eyesore.
The Rams won again today. Their second straight win after starting 0-8. San Francisco is lame. When you come down to having Trent Dilfer as your quarterback you know you have a problem. Still, for the Rams a win is a win.
Have you watched the local TV spots in your market? If you have a Hardees or Carl's Jr. in your area have you seen their lame commercials? The latest is watching some surfer dude eat a big hamburger. The moron that wrote the commercial must have been on drugs. The spot is an insult to anyone with a brain.
Finally, the hoosier renters that have moved in next door to me have pulled yet another hoosier stunt. They have put up Christmas lights six weeks before the Holiday. I came home on Friday night and they had up a lot of lights. Yeech. But, then on Saturday night they stood outside two hours after it was dark and put up more lights. The display is vulgar. I hope these losers move out when their six month rental contract is over. But for now I have to look at it every time I pull into my driveway. It is ugly. I hope they stop now but my guess is they will keep adding to this eyesore.
November 14, 2007
Mis-Informed Commentary
This past week the baseball beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch took it on himself to attack the Missouri football program and it's fans. I decided to take the writer, Joe Strauss to task. Here is his original article followed by my email to him a day later.
Football Lite is the reason fans don't flock to MU By Joe Strauss ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 11/07/2007
If a No. 7 national ranking doesn't confirm Missouri's rise as at least a passing football power, Tigers coach Gary Pinkel offered irrefutable validation earlier this week. Pinkel defined his fan base.
"You have the seventh-ranked team in the United States of America. If we don't have 65,000, something is wrong," Pinkel (said) Tuesday night.
No matter if it's the first day of deer hunting season or the arrival of some gawdawful Texas A&M team and its tipsheet-selling coach, the Tigers' head whistle-blower believes fans should measure up to their team and attend Senior Day at Faurot Field on Saturday.
Pinkel could argue that an 8-1 team featuring an entertaining offense and a quarterback who deserves mention among the 10 most deserving Heisman Trophy candidates should enjoy overflow commitment from a long-starved fan base.
"This game is important," said Pinkel, who has yet to identify one as unimportant. "Fans make a difference. Great fans don't care who you play. They don't care if a team hasn't won a game or they've won all the games. They really don't care. It's more about their team and the team they're supporting."
Apparently great fans don't care that they've traditionally been fed a steady diet of non conference mush to complement the weaker division within a mid level power conference.
"Gimme a heapin' helpin' of that Illinois State (burp) to go with some Iowa State, then wash it down with some Western Michigan. The more directional and 'Football Championship Subdivision' schools the better."
Most of all, this is about self-perception. Mizzou makes no pretense about having established itself as a big boy. In many ways it still seeks an identity that mid level Southeastern Conference and Pac-10 schools long ago achieved. (Sorry, Ole Miss long ago landed in the SEC's Relegation League.)
An unscientific August survey of BCS conference schedules performed in the Busch Stadium press box concluded that Missouri and Kansas boasted the two weakest slates. The dividend is a top 10 ranking for each. The drag is that Pinkel must dare his fan base to show for Senior Day against a down-and-out conference foe.
"I think it's important first to build a culture of winning, a culture of being competitive, a culture of success," offers athletics director Mike Alden. "We're not talking about one year. I think you can revisit that at some point down the road."
Credit Alden for honesty. He makes no pretense about puffing up a 2008 home schedule that begins with Southeast Missouri, Nevada and Buffalo or that entices SMU for a home-and-home in 2009-10. El Tigres have three remaining open dates for 2010, four for 2011 and 2012, and five beyond that. Right now, Alden can't see deep enough into the future to predict a change in thinking.
"I think philosophically our intention would be to stay the course," Alden says, rightly noting the value of the Tigers' annual season opener against Illinois without savoring the value of, say, a home-and-home against Tennessee, Michigan or UCLA.
Alden mentions I-AA (the dreaded "FCS"), the WAC, the Sun Belt, Conference USA and the Mountain West as providing non conference filler for the foreseeable future. Tastes great, less filling.
Without huge non conference games, chances for national television exposure diminish. Recruiting remains confined. Give Chase Daniel the same numbers in the SEC and he doesn't have to buy a ticket to the Heisman announcement. Give him a bust-out performance against Penn State in September and maybe he takes the thing home.
"I think you have to consider that when you look at national recruiting," Alden concedes. "But are you winning? Regardless of whom you're playing, are you winning? It doesn't matter if you're playing Arkansas State or Arkansas. It matters that you win."
Alden believes the Internet and the crush of game day broadcasts make network coverage less relevant. "If you're winning, people are going to find you," he says. "I think the key is you're competitive and you're winning. That itself gives you a chance to get out there. It's not as critical to be out in Eugene, Ore., to have a greater presence."
But isn't greater presence exactly what Coach P. asks for this weekend?
-------------------------------
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:13 PM
To: 'JStrauss@post-dispatch.com'
Subject: Your column shows that you are a biased man with no perspective or history
Hello Joe Strauss,
I have just finished reading your post on the stltoday.com web page attacking Missouri football and it’s fans and have to ask, first of all where does a guy who writes baseball get off attacking the football program of the state’s largest university? Do you really believe your lack of knowledge, perspective and history of Missouri athletics won’t be observed by the readers of your publication? Give us a break. We live here and there are more grads of Mizzou in the St. Louis area than any other institution. Your buddy Bernie Miklasz, a “Baltimore-Sun” carpetbagger, called for an easier schedule years ago. Both of you seem to be memory challenged. If you were just trying your hand at humor you failed miserably.
Stop showing your bias against the Missouri athletic department and fans. Miklasz, wrote the same column two weeks ago and was laughed at by Missouri fans the day of the Iowa State game. Don’t you have anything better to do than parrot Miklazs' lame column?
Stick with “covering” the Cardinals, and as long as you feel free to criticize Mizzou, I have a little constructive criticism for you too. Try getting off your butt and going into the visitor’s clubhouse every now and then. Baseball fans would like to see what the other team is thinking and not just read you quotes which are readily available on Fox Sports following every game. Oh, yeah and the visitors quotes are available on the Internet every day by going to the out of town publication covering the game. The Post-Disgrace may have a monopoly on the newspaper business in this town, but you have competition all over the net. Maybe it's why your circulation continues to decline in every metric employed.
If you have a justification for the excuse you call commentary let me know. Otherwise, I will attribute it to the bias of your managers or lack of effort on your part.
--------------------
Strauss responded in a personal email by thanking me for writing and telling me he was sorry he had challenged me "provincially".
Football Lite is the reason fans don't flock to MU By Joe Strauss ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 11/07/2007
If a No. 7 national ranking doesn't confirm Missouri's rise as at least a passing football power, Tigers coach Gary Pinkel offered irrefutable validation earlier this week. Pinkel defined his fan base.
"You have the seventh-ranked team in the United States of America. If we don't have 65,000, something is wrong," Pinkel (said) Tuesday night.
No matter if it's the first day of deer hunting season or the arrival of some gawdawful Texas A&M team and its tipsheet-selling coach, the Tigers' head whistle-blower believes fans should measure up to their team and attend Senior Day at Faurot Field on Saturday.
Pinkel could argue that an 8-1 team featuring an entertaining offense and a quarterback who deserves mention among the 10 most deserving Heisman Trophy candidates should enjoy overflow commitment from a long-starved fan base.
"This game is important," said Pinkel, who has yet to identify one as unimportant. "Fans make a difference. Great fans don't care who you play. They don't care if a team hasn't won a game or they've won all the games. They really don't care. It's more about their team and the team they're supporting."
Apparently great fans don't care that they've traditionally been fed a steady diet of non conference mush to complement the weaker division within a mid level power conference.
"Gimme a heapin' helpin' of that Illinois State (burp) to go with some Iowa State, then wash it down with some Western Michigan. The more directional and 'Football Championship Subdivision' schools the better."
Most of all, this is about self-perception. Mizzou makes no pretense about having established itself as a big boy. In many ways it still seeks an identity that mid level Southeastern Conference and Pac-10 schools long ago achieved. (Sorry, Ole Miss long ago landed in the SEC's Relegation League.)
An unscientific August survey of BCS conference schedules performed in the Busch Stadium press box concluded that Missouri and Kansas boasted the two weakest slates. The dividend is a top 10 ranking for each. The drag is that Pinkel must dare his fan base to show for Senior Day against a down-and-out conference foe.
"I think it's important first to build a culture of winning, a culture of being competitive, a culture of success," offers athletics director Mike Alden. "We're not talking about one year. I think you can revisit that at some point down the road."
Credit Alden for honesty. He makes no pretense about puffing up a 2008 home schedule that begins with Southeast Missouri, Nevada and Buffalo or that entices SMU for a home-and-home in 2009-10. El Tigres have three remaining open dates for 2010, four for 2011 and 2012, and five beyond that. Right now, Alden can't see deep enough into the future to predict a change in thinking.
"I think philosophically our intention would be to stay the course," Alden says, rightly noting the value of the Tigers' annual season opener against Illinois without savoring the value of, say, a home-and-home against Tennessee, Michigan or UCLA.
Alden mentions I-AA (the dreaded "FCS"), the WAC, the Sun Belt, Conference USA and the Mountain West as providing non conference filler for the foreseeable future. Tastes great, less filling.
Without huge non conference games, chances for national television exposure diminish. Recruiting remains confined. Give Chase Daniel the same numbers in the SEC and he doesn't have to buy a ticket to the Heisman announcement. Give him a bust-out performance against Penn State in September and maybe he takes the thing home.
"I think you have to consider that when you look at national recruiting," Alden concedes. "But are you winning? Regardless of whom you're playing, are you winning? It doesn't matter if you're playing Arkansas State or Arkansas. It matters that you win."
Alden believes the Internet and the crush of game day broadcasts make network coverage less relevant. "If you're winning, people are going to find you," he says. "I think the key is you're competitive and you're winning. That itself gives you a chance to get out there. It's not as critical to be out in Eugene, Ore., to have a greater presence."
But isn't greater presence exactly what Coach P. asks for this weekend?
-------------------------------
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:13 PM
To: 'JStrauss@post-dispatch.com'
Subject: Your column shows that you are a biased man with no perspective or history
Hello Joe Strauss,
I have just finished reading your post on the stltoday.com web page attacking Missouri football and it’s fans and have to ask, first of all where does a guy who writes baseball get off attacking the football program of the state’s largest university? Do you really believe your lack of knowledge, perspective and history of Missouri athletics won’t be observed by the readers of your publication? Give us a break. We live here and there are more grads of Mizzou in the St. Louis area than any other institution. Your buddy Bernie Miklasz, a “Baltimore-Sun” carpetbagger, called for an easier schedule years ago. Both of you seem to be memory challenged. If you were just trying your hand at humor you failed miserably.
Stop showing your bias against the Missouri athletic department and fans. Miklasz, wrote the same column two weeks ago and was laughed at by Missouri fans the day of the Iowa State game. Don’t you have anything better to do than parrot Miklazs' lame column?
Stick with “covering” the Cardinals, and as long as you feel free to criticize Mizzou, I have a little constructive criticism for you too. Try getting off your butt and going into the visitor’s clubhouse every now and then. Baseball fans would like to see what the other team is thinking and not just read you quotes which are readily available on Fox Sports following every game. Oh, yeah and the visitors quotes are available on the Internet every day by going to the out of town publication covering the game. The Post-Disgrace may have a monopoly on the newspaper business in this town, but you have competition all over the net. Maybe it's why your circulation continues to decline in every metric employed.
If you have a justification for the excuse you call commentary let me know. Otherwise, I will attribute it to the bias of your managers or lack of effort on your part.
--------------------
Strauss responded in a personal email by thanking me for writing and telling me he was sorry he had challenged me "provincially".
November 05, 2007
And They're Rushing Christmas Too
I noticed the first one a week ago Sunday. I saw a couple over the weekend and they are all over the place this evening.
They are Christmas commercials. The first one was Garmin, then Lowes. Then it was Sears and K-Mart. And now some darn cold remedy medicine. Give us a break. Let's get past Thanksgiving before we start worrying about Christmas. I will boycott these companies this year if possible. People are going to do what they want regardless of what the ad types tell us.
You know I just read the above post and I sound like a grumpy old man. )-;
They are Christmas commercials. The first one was Garmin, then Lowes. Then it was Sears and K-Mart. And now some darn cold remedy medicine. Give us a break. Let's get past Thanksgiving before we start worrying about Christmas. I will boycott these companies this year if possible. People are going to do what they want regardless of what the ad types tell us.
You know I just read the above post and I sound like a grumpy old man. )-;
November 03, 2007
The Fall is going by way too fast
Autumn is my favorite time of the year, the cooler weather, football and the changing scenery. So how can it be November already? It seems like it was just Labor Day and the fall was just beginning.
And there was another sign on my car yesterday morning that we are moving quickly towards Winter. I had to scrape frost from the windshield for the first time this season. I also found myself without an ice scraper and had to pick a credit card to do the trick. I used a casino card from a property I haven't visited for quite a while. The card did a fine job. But, the bottom line is...Winter is on it's way.
And there was another sign on my car yesterday morning that we are moving quickly towards Winter. I had to scrape frost from the windshield for the first time this season. I also found myself without an ice scraper and had to pick a credit card to do the trick. I used a casino card from a property I haven't visited for quite a while. The card did a fine job. But, the bottom line is...Winter is on it's way.
October 28, 2007
Mark Mangino joke
Did you hear about Kansas Jayhawk coach Mark Mangino getting lost in Kansas City?
Seems as if Mangino stopped and had to ask a kid at a gas station for directions. Mangino said, "Say, can you tell me how to get to 435"?
The kid says "Try eating salads".
Seems as if Mangino stopped and had to ask a kid at a gas station for directions. Mangino said, "Say, can you tell me how to get to 435"?
The kid says "Try eating salads".
Another win for the Tigers
My beloved Missouri Tigers picked up another win yesterday but not without a little struggle. They beat Iowa State 42-28, but a touchdown by the defense turned a close game into a Tiger victory.
Mizzou is now 7-1 with four games to go. Next week they travel up to Colorado to take on the Buffs in Boulder. Then they are at home against a down Texas A&M team. Then on the 17th they walk into that snake pit out in Manhattan, KS to play the Wildcats. And finish the season against those lowlife Kansas Chickenhawks.
Kansas is undefeated but they still have a lot to prove. They beat Texas A&M on the road last night, but A&M as I wrote above is down this year. And they have not played either Texas or Oklahoma and through the draw of their schedule and wont have to either.
It would appear as if the Tigers and ugly little birds are headed for a showdown at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City two days after Thanksgiving. I think both schools will lose at least once between now and then. And Mizzou has a real problem with the loss of Pig Brown to injury. Brown in my opinion is the team's best defensive player. Brown ruptured his Achilles Tendon late in the game and is out for the season. It is a definite blow to the defense which has had more than it's share of problems. Someone, maybe an underclassman, needs to step up for Mizzou.
Mizzou is now 7-1 with four games to go. Next week they travel up to Colorado to take on the Buffs in Boulder. Then they are at home against a down Texas A&M team. Then on the 17th they walk into that snake pit out in Manhattan, KS to play the Wildcats. And finish the season against those lowlife Kansas Chickenhawks.
Kansas is undefeated but they still have a lot to prove. They beat Texas A&M on the road last night, but A&M as I wrote above is down this year. And they have not played either Texas or Oklahoma and through the draw of their schedule and wont have to either.
It would appear as if the Tigers and ugly little birds are headed for a showdown at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City two days after Thanksgiving. I think both schools will lose at least once between now and then. And Mizzou has a real problem with the loss of Pig Brown to injury. Brown in my opinion is the team's best defensive player. Brown ruptured his Achilles Tendon late in the game and is out for the season. It is a definite blow to the defense which has had more than it's share of problems. Someone, maybe an underclassman, needs to step up for Mizzou.
October 21, 2007
More Televison Takes
I have watched a number of hours of television this fall looking at the prime time offerings of the five big television networks. As I wrote about a month ago I was looking forward to seeing the season premiers of "My Name is Earl", "The Office", "ER", and "Saturday Night Live".
All but "The Office" have lived up to my expectations. The Office has been running hour long episodes, that should be only a half hour long. It's as if the writers are stretching things when the story could be told in half the time.
Earl, ER and SNL have all lived up to what they have done previously. In fact, I think that SNL is just as good as it was in the early '90s. It has been laugh out loud funny at times.
And I have found two more programs that you might want to take a look at if you haven't yet seen them. The best new show of the season is "Reaper". It is hilarious. The concept is a 21 year old man has had soul sold to the devil without his knowledge. Each week he is actually doing good by sending escaped evil souls back to hades. The role of the devil is played well by Ray Wise. Each week's episode thus far has been funny and entertaining. If you haven't seen it yet, it is on Tuesday nights at 8 .
The best new comedy I have found is "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS at 7:30 Monday nights. The program is about four nerds living in an apartment next to a hot babe. It is well written and acted and has had some truly funny dialogue. Take a look at it.
Finally, don't waste your time watching this new show: Cavemen. It is boring and the actors look as if they are bored while doing their thing. Earlier this fall I wrote "Back to You" was worth watching a second time. Well, I was wrong it's predictable and boring. It's a waste of time.
All but "The Office" have lived up to my expectations. The Office has been running hour long episodes, that should be only a half hour long. It's as if the writers are stretching things when the story could be told in half the time.
Earl, ER and SNL have all lived up to what they have done previously. In fact, I think that SNL is just as good as it was in the early '90s. It has been laugh out loud funny at times.
And I have found two more programs that you might want to take a look at if you haven't yet seen them. The best new show of the season is "Reaper". It is hilarious. The concept is a 21 year old man has had soul sold to the devil without his knowledge. Each week he is actually doing good by sending escaped evil souls back to hades. The role of the devil is played well by Ray Wise. Each week's episode thus far has been funny and entertaining. If you haven't seen it yet, it is on Tuesday nights at 8 .
The best new comedy I have found is "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS at 7:30 Monday nights. The program is about four nerds living in an apartment next to a hot babe. It is well written and acted and has had some truly funny dialogue. Take a look at it.
Finally, don't waste your time watching this new show: Cavemen. It is boring and the actors look as if they are bored while doing their thing. Earlier this fall I wrote "Back to You" was worth watching a second time. Well, I was wrong it's predictable and boring. It's a waste of time.
Mizzou - Rah!!!
My beloved Missouri Tigers rolled yesterday beating up on the Texas Tech Red Raiders 41-10. It was a warm fall afternoon and a great day to be a Tiger fan.
I was particularly impressed with the defense that is getting better every game. They are young but the improvement they have shown since the start of the season has been impressive. Texas Tech had come into the game leading the nation in offense. But, Mizzou held them to ten points all day and shut out Tech in the second half. The D picked off four Graham Harrell passes and converted one for a touchdown in the first quarter to send the Tigers on their way. Harrell has been included on several lists as a Heisman trophy candidate.
The Missouri offense also played a great game with a balanced running and passing attack. The score was 10-7 at the half but Mizzou scored on it's first four possessions of the second half to put the game away.
The game lasted three and a half hours since Harrell threw the ball 69 times. And ABC showed the game regionally which made the commercial time outs longer than usual. But, still it was a great day to be at a football team and spend time with friends.
I was particularly impressed with the defense that is getting better every game. They are young but the improvement they have shown since the start of the season has been impressive. Texas Tech had come into the game leading the nation in offense. But, Mizzou held them to ten points all day and shut out Tech in the second half. The D picked off four Graham Harrell passes and converted one for a touchdown in the first quarter to send the Tigers on their way. Harrell has been included on several lists as a Heisman trophy candidate.
The Missouri offense also played a great game with a balanced running and passing attack. The score was 10-7 at the half but Mizzou scored on it's first four possessions of the second half to put the game away.
The game lasted three and a half hours since Harrell threw the ball 69 times. And ABC showed the game regionally which made the commercial time outs longer than usual. But, still it was a great day to be at a football team and spend time with friends.
It wasn't as bad as I expected
I just bought a brand new car. It's something that in the past I have detested because of having to deal with some real low life salesmen. But, this car buying experience turned out to be fairly pleasant.
I bought a brand new '08 Chevrolet Impala from a dealer just south of the metropolitan area. I got a pretty good deal on the car and I only visited three dealers, drove four cars and dealt with four sales reps.
The guy who sold me this brand new car, S, was knowledgeable and didn't pressure me for the sale. I wanted a little more from the dealer for my car but S told me he couldn't budge any more and that "he wasn't into playing games". I believed him and bought the car. The other dealer I visited had an '08 Toyota Camry. But, he just couldn't get the price down to what I was willing to pay. The new Chevy is Metallic Silver and it is the first brand new car I have bought in over 20 years. (I decided to buy the new one rather than a factory car or one a year old). I am very happy with it after four days of driving including a trip to Columbia yesterday for the Mizzou football game.
I bought a brand new '08 Chevrolet Impala from a dealer just south of the metropolitan area. I got a pretty good deal on the car and I only visited three dealers, drove four cars and dealt with four sales reps.
The guy who sold me this brand new car, S, was knowledgeable and didn't pressure me for the sale. I wanted a little more from the dealer for my car but S told me he couldn't budge any more and that "he wasn't into playing games". I believed him and bought the car. The other dealer I visited had an '08 Toyota Camry. But, he just couldn't get the price down to what I was willing to pay. The new Chevy is Metallic Silver and it is the first brand new car I have bought in over 20 years. (I decided to buy the new one rather than a factory car or one a year old). I am very happy with it after four days of driving including a trip to Columbia yesterday for the Mizzou football game.
October 18, 2007
Stay Tuned Kids
I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. No, I have just been buying a new car.
Stay tuned this blog will be updated very soon.
Stay tuned this blog will be updated very soon.
October 08, 2007
ESPN Blows Another One
ESPN had two highly rated Midwest football teams playing this past Saturday night. Missouri was playing host to Nebraska and the game started at 8:15 and had been set to start at that time two weeks earlier by none other than the very same ESPN.
So what did the Eastern Sports Network decide? It started an ACC game about an hour later than it should have and as a result it ran way long. That meant that fans of Mizzou and Nebraska and Midwestern football in general had to wait until barely four minutes were left in the first quarter before they could see any of the action.
As I have posted in the past ESPN tries to have it all. But, it is at the expense of games in the Central time zone, when the Eastern games run long. ESPN told it's viewers who wanted to see the game it was available on ESPN 360. ESPN 360 is an Internet Video feed that is limited to only some broadband subscribers. And when I tried to get into when the game started, the site was so flooded it never would connect.
Come on ESPN get your head out of your butt.
So what did the Eastern Sports Network decide? It started an ACC game about an hour later than it should have and as a result it ran way long. That meant that fans of Mizzou and Nebraska and Midwestern football in general had to wait until barely four minutes were left in the first quarter before they could see any of the action.
As I have posted in the past ESPN tries to have it all. But, it is at the expense of games in the Central time zone, when the Eastern games run long. ESPN told it's viewers who wanted to see the game it was available on ESPN 360. ESPN 360 is an Internet Video feed that is limited to only some broadband subscribers. And when I tried to get into when the game started, the site was so flooded it never would connect.
Come on ESPN get your head out of your butt.
How 'Bout Them Tigers
My beloved Missouri Tigers are ranked number eleven in the nation after burying the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday night 41-6. This is the highest ranking in 26 years for the Tigers who are now 5-0 overall and 1-0 in Big XII play.
The Tigers dominated the game from start to finish, and the defense stepped up with some big plays early in the game when they were needed. While I am very proud of my alma mater, I have to wonder about just how good Nebraska is this season. The Tigers are very good but Nebraska made them look a little better than they really are.
Next up a roadtrip to Norman, Oklahoma and the Sooners on Saturday evening. It should be a better test of how good Mizzou is.
The Tigers dominated the game from start to finish, and the defense stepped up with some big plays early in the game when they were needed. While I am very proud of my alma mater, I have to wonder about just how good Nebraska is this season. The Tigers are very good but Nebraska made them look a little better than they really are.
Next up a roadtrip to Norman, Oklahoma and the Sooners on Saturday evening. It should be a better test of how good Mizzou is.
October 02, 2007
Tickets are Still Available
The Major League Baseball playoffs begin tomorrow afternoon at three venues. And believe it or not there are still tickets left at three of the four playoff stadiums.
I have a hard time comprehending this living in the best baseball city in the nation but tickets are still available for the first two games of the Cubs - Diamondbacks games. And the D'Backs aren't alone. There are still tickets left for the weekend games at Edison Field in Anaheim for the Angels - Red Sox series and at Coors Field in Denver for the Rockies - Phillies series.
I was in Phoenix about six weeks ago and had the chance to attend a game there. At the time the D'Backs were in first place and playing the Milwaukee Brewers who were also a contender in the NL Central. To add to the excitement Brandon Webb of the Diamondbacks had a 42 inning scoreless streak at the time. I thought it would be a sellout and I might have hard time finding a ticket. But, no. That wasn't the case at all. I ended up sitting behind home plate and the D'Backs sold only 35 thousand tickets on a night that should have been a sellout. You would think more people than that would have stumbled into the stadium to beat the 112 degree heat since it is always 75 degrees inside the domed stadium.
I have a hard time comprehending this living in the best baseball city in the nation but tickets are still available for the first two games of the Cubs - Diamondbacks games. And the D'Backs aren't alone. There are still tickets left for the weekend games at Edison Field in Anaheim for the Angels - Red Sox series and at Coors Field in Denver for the Rockies - Phillies series.
I was in Phoenix about six weeks ago and had the chance to attend a game there. At the time the D'Backs were in first place and playing the Milwaukee Brewers who were also a contender in the NL Central. To add to the excitement Brandon Webb of the Diamondbacks had a 42 inning scoreless streak at the time. I thought it would be a sellout and I might have hard time finding a ticket. But, no. That wasn't the case at all. I ended up sitting behind home plate and the D'Backs sold only 35 thousand tickets on a night that should have been a sellout. You would think more people than that would have stumbled into the stadium to beat the 112 degree heat since it is always 75 degrees inside the domed stadium.
What a Game
If you didn't see it, the baseball game last night between the Padres and Rockies will go down as one of the best ever. The Rockies ended up coming from behind in the 13th inning and beating San Diego to advance to the National League playoffs.
It was back and forth and nip and tuck all night long in a game that was pressure packed to say the least. The San Diego crew went up over Colorado in the top of the 13th by a count of eight to six. With it's all star closer Trevor Hoffman coming on in relief it appeared as if the Pads were playoff bound. But, Colorado rallied in the bottom of the inning and pulled it out 9-8 with four extra base hits in a row off the previously untouchable Hoffman. Matt Holiday scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly. Some will say the umpire blew the call but no one from San Diego argued it. From the replay I could not tell if Holiday touched the plate or not but I have to believe the Padres would have been raising cain if they thought Holiday was out.
Wow, what a game!
It was back and forth and nip and tuck all night long in a game that was pressure packed to say the least. The San Diego crew went up over Colorado in the top of the 13th by a count of eight to six. With it's all star closer Trevor Hoffman coming on in relief it appeared as if the Pads were playoff bound. But, Colorado rallied in the bottom of the inning and pulled it out 9-8 with four extra base hits in a row off the previously untouchable Hoffman. Matt Holiday scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly. Some will say the umpire blew the call but no one from San Diego argued it. From the replay I could not tell if Holiday touched the plate or not but I have to believe the Padres would have been raising cain if they thought Holiday was out.
Wow, what a game!
What's That in My Sports Section?
I was reading the Sports Section of the Post-Dispatch from Sunday and I got a big surprise while turning the pages.
Right smack dab in the middle of it was a full page of classified ads. What the heck is up with this move? Has the Post-Dispatch lost what little self respect it has left for itself?
Come on Lee Enterprises. Just how bad is your business that you try to get a response out of the sports section when these ads should be in the classified section? This is a small market move in one of the largest markets in the country.
Maybe if you invested some money in your news and sports coverage and editing , people might want to read your product.
Right smack dab in the middle of it was a full page of classified ads. What the heck is up with this move? Has the Post-Dispatch lost what little self respect it has left for itself?
Come on Lee Enterprises. Just how bad is your business that you try to get a response out of the sports section when these ads should be in the classified section? This is a small market move in one of the largest markets in the country.
Maybe if you invested some money in your news and sports coverage and editing , people might want to read your product.
September 30, 2007
"Business Isn't Very Good"?
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave 50 of it's employees early retirement this past week. The paper, which is owned by Lee Enterprises of Iowa cited "business not being very good" as it's reason for making the move. It will cost the publishing company more than four million dollars, but Lee claims it will save in excess of 10 million dollars over time.
The thing that strikes me is the media business in general is doing very well. Several companies have turned in record profits during the past year. For example, Gannett, ABC, and The New York Times have all posted record earnings. Granted they also own TV stations in large markets that help to fatten up the bottom line. But, their print media are also doing well.
For Lee to claim business is not very good is almost laughable. It's main problem is that it spent millions for the Post and now it has a bad publication. Lee would have been more accurate to say the Post-Dispatch isn't very good and that it's circulation continues to decline which in turn results in the loss of thousands of advertising dollars.
The thing that strikes me is the media business in general is doing very well. Several companies have turned in record profits during the past year. For example, Gannett, ABC, and The New York Times have all posted record earnings. Granted they also own TV stations in large markets that help to fatten up the bottom line. But, their print media are also doing well.
For Lee to claim business is not very good is almost laughable. It's main problem is that it spent millions for the Post and now it has a bad publication. Lee would have been more accurate to say the Post-Dispatch isn't very good and that it's circulation continues to decline which in turn results in the loss of thousands of advertising dollars.
September 26, 2007
New Fall Televison Season
I don't watch very much TV but as I have written in the past I have my favorites. And I've seen a few this fall that look interesting.
The first I saw is named "Back to You". It's a little predictable but the acting is first rate and I watched it a second time this evening.
I haven't watched it yet, because I have been Tivoing it, but I am looking forward to watching the new Ken Burns series called "The War" airing this week on PBS. I will sit down when it is all said and done and try to watch it in several marathon sessions.
I have also watched the season premiers of "The Simpsons", "King of the Hill", "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men".
The Simpsons was hilarious and the new opening was outstanding with it's reference to the Simpson's summer movie. King of the Hill continues along providing a number of laughs while spoofing society. How I Met your Mother was as funny as it's first two seasons, but it gets a little raunchy at times. And finally, Two and a Half Men's season premiere was a little disappointing. Sure, there were some funny scenes but at times it's dependence on double entendres gets old. Still it is one of the best written programs on television.
I will update you on the other programs I follow; "My Name is Earl", "The Office", "ER" and "Saturday Night Live", after I have the chance to view them.
The first I saw is named "Back to You". It's a little predictable but the acting is first rate and I watched it a second time this evening.
I haven't watched it yet, because I have been Tivoing it, but I am looking forward to watching the new Ken Burns series called "The War" airing this week on PBS. I will sit down when it is all said and done and try to watch it in several marathon sessions.
I have also watched the season premiers of "The Simpsons", "King of the Hill", "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men".
The Simpsons was hilarious and the new opening was outstanding with it's reference to the Simpson's summer movie. King of the Hill continues along providing a number of laughs while spoofing society. How I Met your Mother was as funny as it's first two seasons, but it gets a little raunchy at times. And finally, Two and a Half Men's season premiere was a little disappointing. Sure, there were some funny scenes but at times it's dependence on double entendres gets old. Still it is one of the best written programs on television.
I will update you on the other programs I follow; "My Name is Earl", "The Office", "ER" and "Saturday Night Live", after I have the chance to view them.
September 20, 2007
Bye Bye Birdies
Ten days ago I wrote the St. Louis Cardinals were taunting their fans by playing poor baseball but still hanging around in the National League Central pennant race.
The Cardinals are no longer contenders and their season is done except for playing out the final week and a half of the season. Granted the primary reason for the collapse from their world championship last year to also rans this year is very simple; injuries. But in the past two weeks the Cardinals managed to lose eleven of 13 games to prove to the rest of the world just how bad they are. Some of the Redbirds are already just going through the motions.
It will be an interesting off season around the Cardinal front office. In the case of Tony LaRussa his imminent departure may be addition by subtraction. He has won two World Championships and I respect him for that. But, his personality and style leave much to be desired. He has insulted the intelligence of Cardinal fans, whom I believe to be the most knowledgeable in the nation. LaRussa continues to try and prove managers of the past 120 years wrong by hitting his pitcher eighth. And he must also be responsible for the demise of his pitching staff. He had a five man rotation that was struggling but winning. Then out of the blue he goes with a six man rotation and the Cards immediately started to lose. Hey Tony baseball isn't rocket science. You see the ball, you hit the ball. You pitch the ball, and you catch the ball.
If I were in General Manager Walt Jocketty's position I would make everyone available for trading this winter with three exceptions; Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. But, it may be someone else who pulls the trigger on those trades. Jocketty is also said to be leaving with his buddy LaRussa at the end of the season.
The Cardinals are no longer contenders and their season is done except for playing out the final week and a half of the season. Granted the primary reason for the collapse from their world championship last year to also rans this year is very simple; injuries. But in the past two weeks the Cardinals managed to lose eleven of 13 games to prove to the rest of the world just how bad they are. Some of the Redbirds are already just going through the motions.
It will be an interesting off season around the Cardinal front office. In the case of Tony LaRussa his imminent departure may be addition by subtraction. He has won two World Championships and I respect him for that. But, his personality and style leave much to be desired. He has insulted the intelligence of Cardinal fans, whom I believe to be the most knowledgeable in the nation. LaRussa continues to try and prove managers of the past 120 years wrong by hitting his pitcher eighth. And he must also be responsible for the demise of his pitching staff. He had a five man rotation that was struggling but winning. Then out of the blue he goes with a six man rotation and the Cards immediately started to lose. Hey Tony baseball isn't rocket science. You see the ball, you hit the ball. You pitch the ball, and you catch the ball.
If I were in General Manager Walt Jocketty's position I would make everyone available for trading this winter with three exceptions; Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. But, it may be someone else who pulls the trigger on those trades. Jocketty is also said to be leaving with his buddy LaRussa at the end of the season.
Pack Journalism at It's Worst
If you turned on the radio or TV today you were bombarded with a story that has been blown way out of proportion. The protests in Jena, Louisiana were nothing more than a media event orchestrated by the ACLU and various African-American organizations. The folks at the networks felt obligated to cover this so called "protest" because all of their peers were there. So, it became pack journalism at it's worst.
If the new media would grow up and ignore such outbursts it would go along way towards healing what divisiveness still exists in the South. High School fights are a part of daily life across the United States. But, while the ACLU says it is sticking up for the rights of the so called "Jena 6", it is trampling the free speech rights of the high school students who, mis-advisedly, strung up ropes from an old Oak tree.
To NBC, CBS, CNN, ABC and the local wannabe TV stations and the Internet portals I say..."let it go". It's not a national story.
If the new media would grow up and ignore such outbursts it would go along way towards healing what divisiveness still exists in the South. High School fights are a part of daily life across the United States. But, while the ACLU says it is sticking up for the rights of the so called "Jena 6", it is trampling the free speech rights of the high school students who, mis-advisedly, strung up ropes from an old Oak tree.
To NBC, CBS, CNN, ABC and the local wannabe TV stations and the Internet portals I say..."let it go". It's not a national story.
September 10, 2007
Taunting Cardinal Fans
The St. Louis Cardinals are two games under .500 at this moment and still in a three team pennant race in the National League Central Division.
They had been one over before getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. And still getting swept, they lost only two games in the standings. But, the fact is they are still in the race with the Cubs and the Brewers.
I am fortunate the division sucks so bad, and it is good for baseball to have the race. But, the bottom line is none of these teams will go anywhere in post season play. Yeah, I know I said the same thing about the Cardinals last year, but they were healthy at the time and they were getting starters and position players back at the right time. This year's Cardinals club doesn't have the starting pitching, the bullpen or the bench depth to produce a repeat.
So, while the Cards continue to taunt their fans with the possibility of a division championship it just isn't very good baseball.
They had been one over before getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. And still getting swept, they lost only two games in the standings. But, the fact is they are still in the race with the Cubs and the Brewers.
I am fortunate the division sucks so bad, and it is good for baseball to have the race. But, the bottom line is none of these teams will go anywhere in post season play. Yeah, I know I said the same thing about the Cardinals last year, but they were healthy at the time and they were getting starters and position players back at the right time. This year's Cardinals club doesn't have the starting pitching, the bullpen or the bench depth to produce a repeat.
So, while the Cards continue to taunt their fans with the possibility of a division championship it just isn't very good baseball.
Home again from the Desert
I have completed the final phase of my company's project out in Phoenix and it feels good to be home again and to sleep in my own bed and eat in my dining room.
The eight days in the desert went quickly, but whenever you travel there are annoyances. Overall it was an excellent trip. My regional manager made things easy and that made the whole trip easy. I had my fill of Mexican food and most of it was good. I also had new experiences in Indian cuisine and thanks to V for helping us out with the menu and then picking up the tab.
I think the biggest frustration of the eight days was waiting on US Air to get it's Airbus off the ground on Thursday night at Sky Harbor Airport. A flight it had come in from Las Vegas was late, so they held our flight to get the passengers on our plane. That resulted in us missing our slot and having to wait another 35 minutes to take off. That in turn put us back home 35 minutes later. But, I guess I shouldn't complain about air travel since it is the fastest way to get from point A to point B. If I were driving I would still be on the highway.
Overall the project was good and productive and I am back home in my office working in familiar surroundings and people I know and whom I can trust. Now, I just need to catch up on my sleep.
The eight days in the desert went quickly, but whenever you travel there are annoyances. Overall it was an excellent trip. My regional manager made things easy and that made the whole trip easy. I had my fill of Mexican food and most of it was good. I also had new experiences in Indian cuisine and thanks to V for helping us out with the menu and then picking up the tab.
I think the biggest frustration of the eight days was waiting on US Air to get it's Airbus off the ground on Thursday night at Sky Harbor Airport. A flight it had come in from Las Vegas was late, so they held our flight to get the passengers on our plane. That resulted in us missing our slot and having to wait another 35 minutes to take off. That in turn put us back home 35 minutes later. But, I guess I shouldn't complain about air travel since it is the fastest way to get from point A to point B. If I were driving I would still be on the highway.
Overall the project was good and productive and I am back home in my office working in familiar surroundings and people I know and whom I can trust. Now, I just need to catch up on my sleep.
August 25, 2007
I'm Home...and why AmerenUE Sucks
Well, I have completed round one of life on the road. I was a road warrior this past week and it was productive working out of town 1500 miles away. I will tell you about some of the things I saw and the behavior of humans when I get a little more time. But, for now I need to vent at the electric company we are stuck with in the St. Louis region.
It's name is AmerenUE and they just can't get their act together. I got home from the airport last night and the power was out. Again! And as I write this it's been 20 hours and still no lights. I have just started figuring out what I have to throw away in the freezer and refrigerator. And then go to the store and replace, when the lights do come back on. What do you think would happen if I deducted this cost from their bill? I do. They would charge me a late fee and keep adding it on to future bills. Then they would eventually cut off the service. (Gee, that's where I am now. No electric service)!
What is with the apparent idiots who are managing this company? Why don't they do scheduled maintenance on their power grid? I am blogging wirelessly at this point at a local coffee shop and I am pissed. Ameren keeps asking for rate hikes and to this point the state of Missouri has told them no except for very minor ones. Ameren keeps making promises and excuses for itself. Everyone who uses their power has the same fear. That they will come up and the power is either off or has been off. This is the third time in six weeks I have been without power and Ameren is either unwilling or unable to solve the issue. It's quite frustrating!
It's name is AmerenUE and they just can't get their act together. I got home from the airport last night and the power was out. Again! And as I write this it's been 20 hours and still no lights. I have just started figuring out what I have to throw away in the freezer and refrigerator. And then go to the store and replace, when the lights do come back on. What do you think would happen if I deducted this cost from their bill? I do. They would charge me a late fee and keep adding it on to future bills. Then they would eventually cut off the service. (Gee, that's where I am now. No electric service)!
What is with the apparent idiots who are managing this company? Why don't they do scheduled maintenance on their power grid? I am blogging wirelessly at this point at a local coffee shop and I am pissed. Ameren keeps asking for rate hikes and to this point the state of Missouri has told them no except for very minor ones. Ameren keeps making promises and excuses for itself. Everyone who uses their power has the same fear. That they will come up and the power is either off or has been off. This is the third time in six weeks I have been without power and Ameren is either unwilling or unable to solve the issue. It's quite frustrating!
August 12, 2007
The Joy of Good Beer
As you know if you read this blog regularly I like my beer. I have written of some I have tasted in the past but these are a few I have tasted this summer (in no particular order) that I have really enjoyed.
Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale is a refreshingly good ale. And it has a nice hoppiness to it utilizing Cascade hops. It is brewed by Green Valley Brewing in Fairfield, Ca.
Boulevard Pale Ale is another very good ale. It doesn't have the overly hopped taste of some others I have had but it leaves you with a pleasant taste in your mouth as the last of this Carmel colored liquid goes over the back of the tongue. It is brewed by Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, Mo.
Bully Porter This too is made by the fine folks at Boulevard. It has a malty flavor and what tastes to be a hint of chocolate at the back of the mouth.
Goose Island Honkers Ale and Goose Island IPA It really isn't fair to lump these two fine products together but for brevity I will. Goose Island does an outstanding job with each of them. The Honkers Ale has a nice bitter taste that goes down very smoothly. As far as the IPA it is outstanding. But, then again I have a weakness for IPAs. It has a very strong hoppiness to it but with a hint of fruit flavor. They are brewed by Goose Island in Chicago, Il.
Schlafly APA This is a stronger version of the brewer's Pale Ale and is dry hopped. It starts out with a nice bitter taste and then mixes in a malty flavor in the middle before leaving with a fine bitter aftertaste. It also has a citrus hint to it of either grapefruit or mango. Whatever it is I think this is one fine beer.
As you can see from reading above I like well hopped ales and the stronger the better. I have sampled many of these beverages this summer while visiting with my great neighbors H&G who have provided me with many fine beers. Thank you M family!
Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale is a refreshingly good ale. And it has a nice hoppiness to it utilizing Cascade hops. It is brewed by Green Valley Brewing in Fairfield, Ca.
Boulevard Pale Ale is another very good ale. It doesn't have the overly hopped taste of some others I have had but it leaves you with a pleasant taste in your mouth as the last of this Carmel colored liquid goes over the back of the tongue. It is brewed by Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, Mo.
Bully Porter This too is made by the fine folks at Boulevard. It has a malty flavor and what tastes to be a hint of chocolate at the back of the mouth.
Goose Island Honkers Ale and Goose Island IPA It really isn't fair to lump these two fine products together but for brevity I will. Goose Island does an outstanding job with each of them. The Honkers Ale has a nice bitter taste that goes down very smoothly. As far as the IPA it is outstanding. But, then again I have a weakness for IPAs. It has a very strong hoppiness to it but with a hint of fruit flavor. They are brewed by Goose Island in Chicago, Il.
Schlafly APA This is a stronger version of the brewer's Pale Ale and is dry hopped. It starts out with a nice bitter taste and then mixes in a malty flavor in the middle before leaving with a fine bitter aftertaste. It also has a citrus hint to it of either grapefruit or mango. Whatever it is I think this is one fine beer.
As you can see from reading above I like well hopped ales and the stronger the better. I have sampled many of these beverages this summer while visiting with my great neighbors H&G who have provided me with many fine beers. Thank you M family!
Snooze Channel Five
The local NBC affiliate claims to be the "news leader for Saint Louis".
If you believe that you are a bigger fool than Barry Bonds. Is that why it lead it's Friday night newscast with the closing of a river bridge 70 miles away that impacts only a relatively small portion of it's audience? The biggest story in the area was a severe power outage in the Central West End of the city.
Sure, the bridge closure was relevant and deserved to be covered. But, it obviously was not the lead story. The reason the children running the newsroom at this idiot station made that decision was to jump on the I-35W collapse frenzy and tell their peers what a big story they have in their "backyard".
As I've said before local television news in Saint Louis is an oxymoron, and KSDK is the worst of those stations that have a "news" department.
If you believe that you are a bigger fool than Barry Bonds. Is that why it lead it's Friday night newscast with the closing of a river bridge 70 miles away that impacts only a relatively small portion of it's audience? The biggest story in the area was a severe power outage in the Central West End of the city.
Sure, the bridge closure was relevant and deserved to be covered. But, it obviously was not the lead story. The reason the children running the newsroom at this idiot station made that decision was to jump on the I-35W collapse frenzy and tell their peers what a big story they have in their "backyard".
As I've said before local television news in Saint Louis is an oxymoron, and KSDK is the worst of those stations that have a "news" department.
August 09, 2007
Not Only a Fool But an Idiot
Barry Bonds, with a lot of help from muscle building illegal steroids, finally surpassed Hank Aaron's 755 home runs. Here is how the record book should read.
Barry Bonds 756*
*indicates tainted record from abusing steroids and cheating for many years.
When Bonds was interviewed after hitting number 756* he was asked if the record was tainted. Bonds said "No".
Yeah, right.
Barry Bonds 756*
*indicates tainted record from abusing steroids and cheating for many years.
When Bonds was interviewed after hitting number 756* he was asked if the record was tainted. Bonds said "No".
Yeah, right.
August 06, 2007
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Lauren and Dean on their marriage Saturday afternoon. They will do well together and have the support of two very solid and loving families backing them. Dean and Lauren I wish you well. Thank you for a great day Saturday and for allowing us to be a part of the day!
Congrats to Saint Louis Hall of Famers
This is a little belated but I want to congratulate two fine St. Louisans who have been inducted into their Hall of Fames in the past week.
Last Sunday, Rick Hummel of the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch was inducted into the writer's wing of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. As I have written previously, Hummel is a shining light at an otherwise dismal publication. He covered the Saint Louis Cardinals on a daily basis for about 20 years and worked with the likes of Red Schoendienst, Joe Torre, Whitey Herzog and Tony LaRussa. Hummel is very good at what he does and still provides interesting insight into baseball on weekends. He is very deserving of this honor.
On Saturday, the National Football League Hall of Fame in Canton inducted Roger Wehrli into the halls of it's honored members. Wehrli played cornerback for the old St. Louis Cardinals and was a Pro Bowl player for many many years. I count myself fortunate to have seeen him play in person not only at old Busch Stadum but also at Faurot Field in Columbia when he played for Missouri. Wehrli too is very deserving of this honor. He made a difficult position look easy and took on and negated some of the greatest wide receivers in the history of the NFL.
Congratulations to both of these gentlemen on their achievements.
Last Sunday, Rick Hummel of the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch was inducted into the writer's wing of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. As I have written previously, Hummel is a shining light at an otherwise dismal publication. He covered the Saint Louis Cardinals on a daily basis for about 20 years and worked with the likes of Red Schoendienst, Joe Torre, Whitey Herzog and Tony LaRussa. Hummel is very good at what he does and still provides interesting insight into baseball on weekends. He is very deserving of this honor.
On Saturday, the National Football League Hall of Fame in Canton inducted Roger Wehrli into the halls of it's honored members. Wehrli played cornerback for the old St. Louis Cardinals and was a Pro Bowl player for many many years. I count myself fortunate to have seeen him play in person not only at old Busch Stadum but also at Faurot Field in Columbia when he played for Missouri. Wehrli too is very deserving of this honor. He made a difficult position look easy and took on and negated some of the greatest wide receivers in the history of the NFL.
Congratulations to both of these gentlemen on their achievements.
July 28, 2007
Barry Bonds is a Fool - Part Two
In the midst of the Barry Bonds - Bob Costas battle of words, the self proclaimed radio/TV Critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had an interesting article in which he was able to interview Costas after Bonds called him a little midget.
The writer's name is Dan Caesar. Caeser sometimes seems to rely too heavily on certain sources for his information which isn't always accurate. For a critic he also seems lacking in his understanding of the radio and TV business. That, or he's frustrated he can't get a broadcast job. But, despite his faults Caesar occasionally comes up with a gem. This one is good.
The writer's name is Dan Caesar. Caeser sometimes seems to rely too heavily on certain sources for his information which isn't always accurate. For a critic he also seems lacking in his understanding of the radio and TV business. That, or he's frustrated he can't get a broadcast job. But, despite his faults Caesar occasionally comes up with a gem. This one is good.
Barry Bonds is a Fool - Part One
Barry Bonds is about to break Hank Aaron's record for most home runs in Major League Baseball. That is a shame. Bonds is one of the biggest cheaters who has ever played professional sports.
Those who know him and work with him have repeatedly said he has used steroids to bulk up and give him the strength he needs to hit for power. He was never a power hitter when he came up to the Big Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates about 20 years ago. But his friends at Balco have helped him hide his use of the illegal substances and Bonds continues to deny usage of them. Come on Barry. Do you really think that anyone outside of your family and friends and the fans of the San Francisco Giants think this is legitimate? Of course it's not. As the old saying goes you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but never all of the people all of the time. Barry you are a fool.
And now this mental midget has become an even bigger fool. Bob Costas ran a story on HBO this week and interviewed people who know Bonds readily saying he has been taking the junk for years. Bonds responded like the real ass he is by calling Costas a midget who doesn't know squat about the game and never played the game. Yes Sir Barry, you are a real credit to the game. Then after he realized no one would side with him on calling Costas a midget Bond "apologized", but in the same breath called Costas "irresponsible". That's quite the apology from Bonds. Maybe Barry's handlers need to tell him that no one is going to side with him either in calling Costas irresponsible.
Bonds should do the honorable thing and confess he has taken the crap. At least that way the record book can have an asterisk and will reflect that he cheated to get to the home run record. But, then that won't be necessary. Baseball fans and historians will know he was the poster boy of his time for steroid usage.
Those who know him and work with him have repeatedly said he has used steroids to bulk up and give him the strength he needs to hit for power. He was never a power hitter when he came up to the Big Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates about 20 years ago. But his friends at Balco have helped him hide his use of the illegal substances and Bonds continues to deny usage of them. Come on Barry. Do you really think that anyone outside of your family and friends and the fans of the San Francisco Giants think this is legitimate? Of course it's not. As the old saying goes you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but never all of the people all of the time. Barry you are a fool.
And now this mental midget has become an even bigger fool. Bob Costas ran a story on HBO this week and interviewed people who know Bonds readily saying he has been taking the junk for years. Bonds responded like the real ass he is by calling Costas a midget who doesn't know squat about the game and never played the game. Yes Sir Barry, you are a real credit to the game. Then after he realized no one would side with him on calling Costas a midget Bond "apologized", but in the same breath called Costas "irresponsible". That's quite the apology from Bonds. Maybe Barry's handlers need to tell him that no one is going to side with him either in calling Costas irresponsible.
Bonds should do the honorable thing and confess he has taken the crap. At least that way the record book can have an asterisk and will reflect that he cheated to get to the home run record. But, then that won't be necessary. Baseball fans and historians will know he was the poster boy of his time for steroid usage.
July 23, 2007
MLB and ESPN: The Dynamic Dummies
Once again Major League Baseball has screwed up big time. Bud and the boys made the Atlanta Braves play a night game last evening because it's all about the money. The Braves played an extra inning game with the St. Louis Cardinals that didn't start until eight o'clock local time. The game then lasted three and a half hours.
What's wrong with this you ask? Well for starters the Braves were scheduled months ago to travel cross country to San Francisco after their game with the Cardinals. The game should have started at the regular one o'clock the Braves always play on Sunday. But, noooooo. MLB and ESPN wanted the ratings bang of the Cards and Braves to jack up miserable ratings. So, the Braves now have to start a west coast road trip in which they didn't get to their hotels until the sun was coming up in San Francisco. Great job of screwing the Braves, MLB. Of course ESPN is also to blame since they push Bud and the boys around like they own them, which come to think of it, they pretty much do.
What's wrong with this you ask? Well for starters the Braves were scheduled months ago to travel cross country to San Francisco after their game with the Cardinals. The game should have started at the regular one o'clock the Braves always play on Sunday. But, noooooo. MLB and ESPN wanted the ratings bang of the Cards and Braves to jack up miserable ratings. So, the Braves now have to start a west coast road trip in which they didn't get to their hotels until the sun was coming up in San Francisco. Great job of screwing the Braves, MLB. Of course ESPN is also to blame since they push Bud and the boys around like they own them, which come to think of it, they pretty much do.
July 16, 2007
St. Louis Weekly Shopper aka The Post-Dispatch
Apparently the owners are having a hard time selling their product, so the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is giving money away in effort to make people read their publication.
I got a piece of junk mail today from the Post outlining the rules to it's "Millionaire Money" game. And all I have to do to get some of this hot cash is buy the paper and then wait for them to let me know if I won.
I don't think so. Maybe if the newspaper focused on better local news and sports coverage it might be able to boost it's readership. But, the paper's management apparently doesn't realize it's readers are smarter than they know. As I've written before if the paper wants to improve it needs to start by cleaning house in it's sports department.
Then it needs to start being independent of it's biggest advertisers and do some journalism where the management is willing to back up it's reporters. Maybe then it can stem the loss of readership that has been occurring for years. Sure, the Internet and national media are competitors, but the loss of readership in this market is at a higher rate than other markets around the country. Wake up Post-Dispatch. If you really are a part of the community, as you would have people believe, then it's time to get back to the basics.
I got a piece of junk mail today from the Post outlining the rules to it's "Millionaire Money" game. And all I have to do to get some of this hot cash is buy the paper and then wait for them to let me know if I won.
I don't think so. Maybe if the newspaper focused on better local news and sports coverage it might be able to boost it's readership. But, the paper's management apparently doesn't realize it's readers are smarter than they know. As I've written before if the paper wants to improve it needs to start by cleaning house in it's sports department.
Then it needs to start being independent of it's biggest advertisers and do some journalism where the management is willing to back up it's reporters. Maybe then it can stem the loss of readership that has been occurring for years. Sure, the Internet and national media are competitors, but the loss of readership in this market is at a higher rate than other markets around the country. Wake up Post-Dispatch. If you really are a part of the community, as you would have people believe, then it's time to get back to the basics.
July 14, 2007
Congressional Spam
Congress talks out of both sides of it's collective mouth. We've know this for years. But, I have just received an email from my congressman that is pure unadulterated spam.
My congressman is Russ Carnahan. I emailed him four months ago about a minor issue that I urged him to look into and take action against if he could. Well, I received a form message back from him and that was the end of it. Or, so I thought. But, apparently Carnahan and his buddies who want him re-elected next year decided it was okay to add me and anyone else who has emailed him since he was elected to a spam list.
The message I received was little more than a plug to re-elect Carnahan next year. The subject was something to the effect of "Declare Your Energy Independence". Yeah, right. The article was little more than political rhetoric for Carnahan Maybe Carnahan could save some energy if he stopped flying back and forth from Washington to his St. Louis county home every weekend.
The hypocrisy is that Congress claims it is trying to stop spammers and make it more difficult for these losers to generate this garbage. But, when one of their "advisers" tells them to send these email messages to their constituents it's OK. Well, it's not okay. Knock it off Russ Carnahan and while your at it ask people if they want to be on your mailing list before you start firing this crap out to their email boxes.
My congressman is Russ Carnahan. I emailed him four months ago about a minor issue that I urged him to look into and take action against if he could. Well, I received a form message back from him and that was the end of it. Or, so I thought. But, apparently Carnahan and his buddies who want him re-elected next year decided it was okay to add me and anyone else who has emailed him since he was elected to a spam list.
The message I received was little more than a plug to re-elect Carnahan next year. The subject was something to the effect of "Declare Your Energy Independence". Yeah, right. The article was little more than political rhetoric for Carnahan Maybe Carnahan could save some energy if he stopped flying back and forth from Washington to his St. Louis county home every weekend.
The hypocrisy is that Congress claims it is trying to stop spammers and make it more difficult for these losers to generate this garbage. But, when one of their "advisers" tells them to send these email messages to their constituents it's OK. Well, it's not okay. Knock it off Russ Carnahan and while your at it ask people if they want to be on your mailing list before you start firing this crap out to their email boxes.
July 11, 2007
The Evil Empire strikes again
The "Evil Empire", aka the St.-Louis Post-Dispatch, decided to attack the University of Missouri athletic department again this morning. A student athletes at Mizzou, Kalen Grimes was arrested by the Florissant, Mo police department on assault charges. He was also charged with possession of a fire-arm. No, this is not good.
But, there are literally hundreds of assaults committed in the metropolitan St. Louis area every week. And those assaults are not splashed all over the front page of the publication's sports section. So why the double standard? Because the boys from Baltimore that work in the sports section aren't receiving the special treatment they desire. So, they take it out on the Mizzou athletic department. As I have written before it's too bad the "paper of record" doesn't have competition in the way of print or electronic media in this town.
But, there are literally hundreds of assaults committed in the metropolitan St. Louis area every week. And those assaults are not splashed all over the front page of the publication's sports section. So why the double standard? Because the boys from Baltimore that work in the sports section aren't receiving the special treatment they desire. So, they take it out on the Mizzou athletic department. As I have written before it's too bad the "paper of record" doesn't have competition in the way of print or electronic media in this town.
July 07, 2007
All is well...
Hey everyone, how are you?
I have been incredibly busy for the past few weeks since I last posted. I have a lot of thoughts on what I have seen, but will post those when I have a little more time. In the meantime, Happy Birthday USA and thank you to our troops in Iraq protecting us from Al Queda. See you soon.
I have been incredibly busy for the past few weeks since I last posted. I have a lot of thoughts on what I have seen, but will post those when I have a little more time. In the meantime, Happy Birthday USA and thank you to our troops in Iraq protecting us from Al Queda. See you soon.
June 22, 2007
I Spoke Too Soon
I spoke too soon and gave Directv too much credit. I have had the product for three months now and each month the bill has been wrong.
Since, I had a satisfactory experience with the company by email I tried that venue again last Friday. I asked the customer service email account to please correct my bill. DTV responded immediately with a promise that they would contact me to resolve the problem within 48 hours. Well, guess what? They never called.
After five days, I sent another email asking them to please resolve the issue or cancel my service. They responded by saying "we will be in touch with you in 24 hours". Guess what? It didn't happen. So, I emailed them again and told them to please contact me immediately at home and get this thing worked out, or they could cancel my service and send their tech to my home to pick up their equipment. And still, no response from Directv.
If you are even remotely thinking of doing business with Directv run the opposite direction as fast as you can. They are grossly inept and unable to deliver what they promise. And to top it off they don't care to solve any problems; even those they generate themselves. As Homer Simpson would say..."D'oh"!
Since, I had a satisfactory experience with the company by email I tried that venue again last Friday. I asked the customer service email account to please correct my bill. DTV responded immediately with a promise that they would contact me to resolve the problem within 48 hours. Well, guess what? They never called.
After five days, I sent another email asking them to please resolve the issue or cancel my service. They responded by saying "we will be in touch with you in 24 hours". Guess what? It didn't happen. So, I emailed them again and told them to please contact me immediately at home and get this thing worked out, or they could cancel my service and send their tech to my home to pick up their equipment. And still, no response from Directv.
If you are even remotely thinking of doing business with Directv run the opposite direction as fast as you can. They are grossly inept and unable to deliver what they promise. And to top it off they don't care to solve any problems; even those they generate themselves. As Homer Simpson would say..."D'oh"!
June 11, 2007
Wonders Never Cease!
I got home from work this afternoon and guess what? DirecTV had fixed my bill and reversed the charges I wrote about in my post of earlier today.
Yeah, I know it's amazing based on how they have handled my problems in the past two months since signing up with them. All I can says is I was amazed it had been repaired by their customer service rep. Stay tuned to see how they do business in the future.
Yeah, I know it's amazing based on how they have handled my problems in the past two months since signing up with them. All I can says is I was amazed it had been repaired by their customer service rep. Stay tuned to see how they do business in the future.
Direct TV Strikes Again
I have had yet another interesting weekend dealing with the morons at DirecTV.
When I got home from vacation a week ago, my DVR/receiver would not work with the remote control. So DirecTV told me they would send out a technician at no charge, to swap out the equipment and put in a new one. I opted for a visit from between eight a.m. and noon.
Well you guessed it. DirecTV's tech did not show up in the four hour time frame. So, I called the idiots and they said he would be out in the next half hour. 90 minutes passed and still no tech to fix the problem. So, I called back, went through all of the queues again, and was told the same thing. "A tech will be there within 30 minutes". Yeah, and my aunt Minnie is the Queen of Spain.
Two more hours pass and finally, about 3:30 a DirecTV rep shows up and swaps out the box. I asked him why he was late. He said he had five calls including two complete installs that he had to complete between eight and noon and that I was in a different area than the rest of his calls, so he decided to schedule me last. He then swapped out the box and was on his way in about ten minutes.
This morning I went out to the DirecTV web site to check and see if a rebate I applied for eight weeks ago has started to process yet. It hasn't and I am still being stuck with a monthly payment of ten dollars more than I agreed to at the time of sale. But, I will deal with this in another posting. The thing I discovered this morning is that DirecTV charged me $70.00 for a service call and another $49.98 for equipment plus three dollars tax for their little 10 minute visit on Saturday. This is after I specifically asked their rep if I would be charged. And her response was "No...your equipment is still under warranty". Gee, DirecTV do you just like screwing with people to make them keep your "customer service" reps busy? I hope they are able to resolve this quickly, but based on their track record to date, I am not expecting much help. I will keep you updated.
When I got home from vacation a week ago, my DVR/receiver would not work with the remote control. So DirecTV told me they would send out a technician at no charge, to swap out the equipment and put in a new one. I opted for a visit from between eight a.m. and noon.
Well you guessed it. DirecTV's tech did not show up in the four hour time frame. So, I called the idiots and they said he would be out in the next half hour. 90 minutes passed and still no tech to fix the problem. So, I called back, went through all of the queues again, and was told the same thing. "A tech will be there within 30 minutes". Yeah, and my aunt Minnie is the Queen of Spain.
Two more hours pass and finally, about 3:30 a DirecTV rep shows up and swaps out the box. I asked him why he was late. He said he had five calls including two complete installs that he had to complete between eight and noon and that I was in a different area than the rest of his calls, so he decided to schedule me last. He then swapped out the box and was on his way in about ten minutes.
This morning I went out to the DirecTV web site to check and see if a rebate I applied for eight weeks ago has started to process yet. It hasn't and I am still being stuck with a monthly payment of ten dollars more than I agreed to at the time of sale. But, I will deal with this in another posting. The thing I discovered this morning is that DirecTV charged me $70.00 for a service call and another $49.98 for equipment plus three dollars tax for their little 10 minute visit on Saturday. This is after I specifically asked their rep if I would be charged. And her response was "No...your equipment is still under warranty". Gee, DirecTV do you just like screwing with people to make them keep your "customer service" reps busy? I hope they are able to resolve this quickly, but based on their track record to date, I am not expecting much help. I will keep you updated.
So Long Sopranos
Cut to black. That's how the final episode of the Sopranos came to a conclusion.
I did not particularly like the ending as I thought there would be some sort of closure for Tony Soprano and his "families". But, in the end scene the show's producers surprised us once again as they have for the past eight years.
I laughed at the way they took Tony's rival Phil Leotardo out of the show. First being shot in the head and then having his SUV roll over it. It doesn't sound humorous now as I re-read this sentence, but if you saw it for the dark humor, it was quite enjoyable.
I have set my Sunday night schedule around the program whenever it has been airing new episodes for the last several years, as it quickly became a favorite.
So Long Sopranos. I will miss you.
I did not particularly like the ending as I thought there would be some sort of closure for Tony Soprano and his "families". But, in the end scene the show's producers surprised us once again as they have for the past eight years.
I laughed at the way they took Tony's rival Phil Leotardo out of the show. First being shot in the head and then having his SUV roll over it. It doesn't sound humorous now as I re-read this sentence, but if you saw it for the dark humor, it was quite enjoyable.
I have set my Sunday night schedule around the program whenever it has been airing new episodes for the last several years, as it quickly became a favorite.
So Long Sopranos. I will miss you.
June 10, 2007
Idiot New York Announcer
This afternoon I also happened to catch the "analyst" on YES network doing the Yankees game against the Pirates while flipping channels. He was attacking the National League owners for not wanting a designated hitter. His belief was: the National League owners are too cheap to pay the money to buy a designated hitter.
Oh really?!? Thanks for that brilliant enlightenment.
Oh really?!? Thanks for that brilliant enlightenment.
Randolphisms
I have written in previous blogs that St. Louis is being subjected to an announcer by the name of Jay Randolph announcing St. Louis Cardinal baseball games on the local NBC affiliate on Sunday afternoons. The bottom line is this guy is terrible and has been for years. I had the birds game on this afternoon against the LA Angels and these were two "Randolphisms" that everyone should have heard.
- Randolph attempting to describe a defensive alignment used by the Angels against Albert Pujols..."There is a huge gap between the left fielder and right fielder". No Shit! It's called center field.
-In the fifth inning Chris Spezio fielded a hard hit ground ball and Randolph said..."what a great play by Spezio"! The only problem is Spezio fired the ball down the right field line and the runner ended up on third base.
I sure am glad this guy only works on Sunday afternoons and we don't have to listen to him the rest of the week!
- Randolph attempting to describe a defensive alignment used by the Angels against Albert Pujols..."There is a huge gap between the left fielder and right fielder". No Shit! It's called center field.
-In the fifth inning Chris Spezio fielded a hard hit ground ball and Randolph said..."what a great play by Spezio"! The only problem is Spezio fired the ball down the right field line and the runner ended up on third base.
I sure am glad this guy only works on Sunday afternoons and we don't have to listen to him the rest of the week!
June 04, 2007
ESPN Blows
How can a TV network that positions itself as a "national" network continue to show the games of one of the crappiest teams in baseball? ESPN persists in forcing it's viewers to watch the New York Yankees even though they are so far out of first, they don't stand a chance in Hades of making the playoffs this year.
But, that's what the Eastern Sports Network did last night. Just because it's the Yankees and Red Sox, these arrogant pricks in Bristol, Connecticut jammed the game down the throats of the rest of America. Never mind that 28 of the 30 professional Major League baseball teams are west of the Hudson River, these losers in the New York area decided it was the best game of the day for America to watch. The best game of the day was Minnesota at Oakland, but ESPN didn't show it. Nope they showed the fourth place "Yank Its" at Fenway Park.
Hey ESPN get a clue. Just because your local "hosts" and producers" are Yankee or Sox fans the rest of the nation could care less. ESPN's arrogance is exceeded only by it's lack of concern for it's viewers.
But, that's what the Eastern Sports Network did last night. Just because it's the Yankees and Red Sox, these arrogant pricks in Bristol, Connecticut jammed the game down the throats of the rest of America. Never mind that 28 of the 30 professional Major League baseball teams are west of the Hudson River, these losers in the New York area decided it was the best game of the day for America to watch. The best game of the day was Minnesota at Oakland, but ESPN didn't show it. Nope they showed the fourth place "Yank Its" at Fenway Park.
Hey ESPN get a clue. Just because your local "hosts" and producers" are Yankee or Sox fans the rest of the nation could care less. ESPN's arrogance is exceeded only by it's lack of concern for it's viewers.
May 20, 2007
Boycott Direct TV
A little over a month ago I decided to change my satellite provider to Direct TV. It was a HUGE mistake.
I switched carriers because Major League Baseball in it's infinite wisdom granted exclusive rights to Direct TV to carry it's Extra Innings package. So, when the season started I dumped Dish Network and called Direct for a basic package. I was told it would be $49.99 a month for the first year. Well, in the two bills I have received to date I am being billed $64.99 a month and the non-helpful customer service reps at Direct TV have been for the most part worthless. I thought this had been resolved a month ago, when my bill was credited properly and I was given the credit to get it to the level where it is supposed to be.
But, guess what? My new bill this week shows $64.99. I called the non customer service rep, who could barely speak English, who told me I misunderstood their offer and I would have to pay it. I asked to speak to a supervisor and then sat on hold for about 12 minutes. She then listened to me and told me that she would credit me back the ten dollars for programming, but that she could not waive the extra receiver charge. I explained I was told the total cost was $49.99 but she did not budge. And when I went on line to check my account activity the $10 credit she promised has still not been credited.
I will stick with them through baseball season, but if they think I am going to put up with this ongoing series of being lied to, and treated dis-respectfully they are in for a big surprise. Direct Tv has mis-represented itself and perpetuated fraud. If you are thinking of doing business with this outfit run away as fast as you can.
I switched carriers because Major League Baseball in it's infinite wisdom granted exclusive rights to Direct TV to carry it's Extra Innings package. So, when the season started I dumped Dish Network and called Direct for a basic package. I was told it would be $49.99 a month for the first year. Well, in the two bills I have received to date I am being billed $64.99 a month and the non-helpful customer service reps at Direct TV have been for the most part worthless. I thought this had been resolved a month ago, when my bill was credited properly and I was given the credit to get it to the level where it is supposed to be.
But, guess what? My new bill this week shows $64.99. I called the non customer service rep, who could barely speak English, who told me I misunderstood their offer and I would have to pay it. I asked to speak to a supervisor and then sat on hold for about 12 minutes. She then listened to me and told me that she would credit me back the ten dollars for programming, but that she could not waive the extra receiver charge. I explained I was told the total cost was $49.99 but she did not budge. And when I went on line to check my account activity the $10 credit she promised has still not been credited.
I will stick with them through baseball season, but if they think I am going to put up with this ongoing series of being lied to, and treated dis-respectfully they are in for a big surprise. Direct Tv has mis-represented itself and perpetuated fraud. If you are thinking of doing business with this outfit run away as fast as you can.
Hey FOX Get a Clue!
What would you say if a national television network spent it's entire pregame show talking about a team that is ten and a half games out of first place and it's opponent that it only plays six times per year. Well, FOX did that yesterday prior to it's game of the week. It spent the entire 15 minutes talking about the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. If this had been seen only in New York City it would have been boring. But, FOX had the nerve to inflict the rest of the country with this crap. If you watched only FOX for your baseball news, you would think New York is the only city in the country with professional baseball.
FOX insulted the entire nation with this bush league pregame show. The producer should be fired for being so parochial. At least where I live I didn't have to watch the Mets/Yankees (the team 10.5 games out of first place). I at least had the option of watching an all Chicago match up between the Cubs and White Sox. Since, I hate the Cubs and they were winning after three innings I turned off the FOX station and turned to golf on another network.
Hey FOX get your head out of your butt! No one west of the Hudson River cares. You should have learned this lesson years ago when there was an all New York series and it had the lowest rating's of any World Series ever played. Wake Up! No one cares!
FOX insulted the entire nation with this bush league pregame show. The producer should be fired for being so parochial. At least where I live I didn't have to watch the Mets/Yankees (the team 10.5 games out of first place). I at least had the option of watching an all Chicago match up between the Cubs and White Sox. Since, I hate the Cubs and they were winning after three innings I turned off the FOX station and turned to golf on another network.
Hey FOX get your head out of your butt! No one west of the Hudson River cares. You should have learned this lesson years ago when there was an all New York series and it had the lowest rating's of any World Series ever played. Wake Up! No one cares!
May 05, 2007
Peyton Manning has a great sense of humor
I got this by email and think it is hilarious. Peyton Manning was on Saturday Night Live in March and did a spoof of the NFL's United Way campaign. You can check it out by going to youtube.com. Enjoy!
April 29, 2007
Farewell to An Athlete
The St. Louis Cardinals lost a member of the family early this morning. Relief pitcher Josh Hancock was killed when his SUV ran into a tow truck on Highway 40 not too far from downtown St. Louis.
The loss of any life in an accident is tragic, but the loss of a young person is even more tragic. Hancock was amongst a very select fraternity of professional athletes who had made it to the top of their profession. Hancock didn't know when he came off the mound yesterday afternoon at the end of the eighth inning it would be one of the last things he would ever get to do.
My condolences to the Hancock family and all of his friends.
The loss of any life in an accident is tragic, but the loss of a young person is even more tragic. Hancock was amongst a very select fraternity of professional athletes who had made it to the top of their profession. Hancock didn't know when he came off the mound yesterday afternoon at the end of the eighth inning it would be one of the last things he would ever get to do.
My condolences to the Hancock family and all of his friends.
April 15, 2007
Enough Already
Today was Jackie Robinson day in Major League Baseball. Robinson showed a lot of guts to be the first player in baseball to take on the white establishment. But, a lot of other blacks in the era had at least as difficult a time in their fields as Robinson in baseball when he was harassed every where he played. Sammie Davis Junior was treated like crap but he put up with it and went on to make a great name for himself. Robinson had a fine career and is now in the baseball Hall of Fame. (Granted his numbers are not as good as today's players and he receive some sympathy votes to get him there, but he had a fine career).
I guess my point to all of this is enough already. Robinson was the trailblazer for blacks. But when are we going to have a Roberto Clemente day for Hispanics? Or when are we going to have a Masanori Murakami day for Asian players?
Robinson played through a living hell, but it also took a lot of guts from the GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Rickey to take a chance on him. And if it had not been Robinson, then Larry Doby who came along a few months later with the Cleveland Indians would have gotten the credit. So, Bill Veeck should also get as much credit for the advancement of race relations in this country as Robinson and Rickey.
Finally, I watched the Sunday night game of the week this evening, and someone needs to tell ESPN to chill out. Peter Gammons needs to do some research before he gets all emotional on air and Joe Morgan made some good points, but he also did not let the facts stand in his way as he told stories of losing black managers deserving another chance.
Hopefully this hyperbole won't be repeated soon.
I guess my point to all of this is enough already. Robinson was the trailblazer for blacks. But when are we going to have a Roberto Clemente day for Hispanics? Or when are we going to have a Masanori Murakami day for Asian players?
Robinson played through a living hell, but it also took a lot of guts from the GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Rickey to take a chance on him. And if it had not been Robinson, then Larry Doby who came along a few months later with the Cleveland Indians would have gotten the credit. So, Bill Veeck should also get as much credit for the advancement of race relations in this country as Robinson and Rickey.
Finally, I watched the Sunday night game of the week this evening, and someone needs to tell ESPN to chill out. Peter Gammons needs to do some research before he gets all emotional on air and Joe Morgan made some good points, but he also did not let the facts stand in his way as he told stories of losing black managers deserving another chance.
Hopefully this hyperbole won't be repeated soon.
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