Merry Christmas

As I write this it is about 2:30 Christmas Eve afternoon and the snow is really coming down. It is definitely going to be a White Christmas.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Blessed and Merry Christmas and that you may all know the peace of the season in the knowledge of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thoughts on the Rams

Here it is Christmas Eve and the St. Louis Rams, who won only one game last year, are leading the NFC West. Granted they are not a good team, but they are the best in a mediocre division. And like it or not the winner of the division will host a playoff game. The Rams are 6-8 and tied with Seattle. But, the Rams beat the Seahawks earlier this season and hold the tie breaker at this point. Just one game back is San Francisco.

Up next is the 49ers on Sunday afternoon at the Jones Dome. The Rams lost to the Niners earlier this season at Candlestick Park in overtime. But, the Jones Dome has a definite home field advantage. The Rams should prevail on Sunday afternoon. After the Rams game finishes the Seahawks will be playing about 3,000 miles from their home at Tampa Bay. The Rams lost in Tampa earlier this season on the final play of the game.

The Rams will then wrap up the regular season with a road trip to Seattle the first weekend of the new year. That game will have a playoff atmosphere as the winner will most likely win the division and get to host the first round wild card game on the weekend of January 8th & 9th.

I'm Still Here

I am still here...just haven't had a lot of free time lately to post on this blog. With Christmas coming things have been hectic to say the least. But, in the next few days (maybe even hours) if we can leave a party early tonight, I will get you up to speed with my thoughts on the Rams, Mizzou's Bowl Game and a few beers and TV shows I have seen. So thanks for your patience and talk to you soon.

Rams Win on the Road

It had been over a year since the St. Louis Rams had won a road game in the NFL. This post is a little late but that's exactly what happened on Sunday afternoon as the Rams knocked off the Denver Broncos 36-33.

Denver got up early in the game by a 10-0 count and seemed to have things under control. But, rookie quarterback Sam Bradford started hitting passers to his wide outs and the Rams were up at half.

The Rams were up at one point by a 36-20 score, before the Broncos started picking apart a Rams defense that had lost it's aggressiveness. But, on the last series of the game the Rams forced Denver into a 4th and 16 situation that the Broncos could not get out of and the game ended.

I thought the play of rookie WR Danario Alexander and defensive players James Laurinaitis and Chris Long was outstanding. The Rams are now 5-6 and tied with Seattle for 1st place in the NFC West. Sure, it's a lame division, but the Rams already have four more wins than they did all of last year and with a couple of breaks this year could have three more wins. Let's Go Rams!!!

Check Out This Beer

I stopped by the Schlafly Tap Room on my way home from work this evening. Now, I do this frequently when I work on Saturday. But, tonight there was a new beer on tap. The innkeeper asked me if I had tasted the Imperial Stout. When I told him no, he poured me a "taste". I was sold and I have to tell you, I've had some fine beers in my life but this creation may be my new "favorite". The Schlafly Imperial Stout is 10+ percent alcohol by volume and aged over Bourbon barrels that Schlafly buys from a Kentucky distiller. The bottom line is this is one tremendous beer. It is a little pricey, but then you get what you pay for. Great Job Schlafly!

Tigers Win...jayhawks lose...big surprise

Congrats to my Tigers. (Mizzou Tigers). They beat the tar out of Kansas this afternoon 35-7. Mizzou dominated in every phase of the game. Gary Pinkel and his staff had a great game plan in getting the Tigers an easy win over the chickenhawks. More realistically though, Missouri had superior talent over those ugly Jaybirds.

The Tigers are now 10-2 on the season and with a break of two, could end up in the Orange Bowl. But, realistically the Tigers will end up in the Alamo Bowl. That's not exactly what I had hoped for, but it sure beats the heck out of not going to a bowl (see Kansas). I'll bet former KU coach Mark Mangino is having one heck of a laugh this evening.

The Most Hated Man in Hoosier Land and Other Thoughts on this Week's Top 25

What was Bret Bilema thinking this weekend? Bielma is the head coach at Wisconsin and his Badgers stuck it to the Indiana Hoosiers 83-20. Yep, that score is correct. Why would Bielma embarrass Indiana like that. Sure, he has a high powered offense and putting up 83 on a bad Indiana team might please his boosters up in Madison. But, Bielma needs to remember what goes around comes around. At some point in the future Bielma is going to find himself in the position that Mack Brown is this weekend.

Brown is the head coach at Texas and the Longhorns lost yet again yesterday. This time they got soundly thrashed by Oklahoma State. The Cowboys beat the Longhorns 33-16 in a game that really wasn't that close. Brown is going to have a lot of 'splaining to do to his big money oilmen that support the program. The Dead Horns have lost four in a row and six of their last seven. And the rest of the Big XII is taking great delight in Texas's misfortunes.

Oregon is fortunate to still be undefeated. The Ducks won 15-13, but dodged a bullet when California missed a 29 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. To make matters worse for the Golden Bears, a 24 yard field goal that had been good was wiped out by a penalty. The Bears moved back five yards and kicker Giorgio Tavecchio decided it would be a good time to miss. Oregon remains undefeated and will still be ranked #1 when the new polls are released.

Thoughts on This Week's Mizzou Game

First of all I was happy to see my Missouri Tigers get back on track with a 38-28 win over Kansas State. K-State is a tough and dangerous football team. Yeah, I know they were down 18 points with 7:00 to go in the game, but had it not been for a few poorly timed turnovers, K-State could have been in position to win the game.

K-State quarterback Carson Coffman fumbled the ball on the Mizzou half yard line just before the half, and you could see it take the momentum away from the team. Then in the second half Missouri's Aldon Smith sacked Coffman for a fumble and the loose ball was picked up by Jacquies Smith and returned 53 yards for a touchdown that put the Tigers up 28-14. Otherwise, the play was relatively even with both squads struggling at times. The Tigers go 8-2 on the season and 4-2 in the conference. K-State is 6-4 and 3-4.

Up next for Mizzou is Iowa State in Ames. The Tigers have always had problems playing up there and they had better be ready this week as again they will face a team that moves the ball on the ground extremely well. I bleed Black and Gold but this one will be tough and it could be a tough night for the Tigers.

Bad Night in Lubbock

I am having a tough time getting past the loss my Missouri Tigers put up last night at the hands of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Missouri went into Lubbock ranked in the top 20 and played a stinker losing to Tech 24-17. I give credit to Tech coach Tommy Tuberville and his staff for a solid game plan and for being able to move the ball on the ground against the Mizzou defense. On the other hand the Tigers didn't execute last night and much of the credit has to go back to Tech's defense. Blaine Gabbert, Mizzou's quarterback, had his worst night of the season completing just 12 of 30 passes. Gabbert's receivers didn't give him a lot of help either. The Tigers are now 7-2 on the season and 3-2 in the Big XII conference. Texas Tech is now 5-4 & 3-4.

What is perplexing to me is that Tech's pass defense was ranked 119 of 120 BCS schools coming into the game and the Missouri coaching staff didn't exploit a known weakness. The middle of the field appeared to be open most of the night, but the Tigers rarely struck there. I am looking forward to Gary Pinkel's news conference Monday morning.

I'm confident Pinkel and his staff will fix the passing game before next week's game against Kansas State and will make the needed adjustments to the team's rush defense. But, K-State will be sky high coming into Columbia after beating a highly regarded Oklahoma team last night in Manhattan. At the risk of using a cliché the game will be a dofight. Fox Sports will show it to the nation beginning at 11:30 Saturday morning.

A Very Fine Beer

If you're a fan of big beers and a hop head to boot then you need to pour yourself a Lagunitas Brewing Hop Stoopid. It has an IBU of 104 and is 8% ABV. It pours about the color of tea. But, this is certainly no tea.

I was lucky enough to have a 22 ounce bottle of it before dinner last night. It starts out with a bit of a sweet taste of grapefruit and pine but then turns bitter and stays bitter until the finish. Technically this is a Double IPA, but for as big as it is the beer is quite drinkable. Be careful or you may end up getting "stoopid" yourself. This is another great job by Lagunitas which is located in Petaluma, California. A+ Lagunitas!

Thoughts on This Past Weekend

First of all congratulations to Nebraska on it's 31-17 win over my beloved Tigers. The Huskers punched Mizzou squarely in the mouth on their first possession of the game and never looked back. Running Back Roy Helu, Jr. ran for 307 yards and scored on three long touchdown runs. I am sure there were some Tiger D'backs who had nightmares for Halloween dreaming about trying to run him down. But, they couldn't he was just too doggone fast. In fact the whole Nebraska team is fast. Combine that with the domination from the Huskers Offensive Line and that was the difference in the game. On a brighter note, while the Tigers got down 24-0, they never gave up and at one point had cut the gap to ten points. But, then Helu took off down the field frustrating the Tigers. Still even in a tough loss on the road to Nebraska, I am very proud of my Missouri Tigers. They are now 7-1 and ranked 12th in the latest BCS poll. Up next this Saturday is a trip to Lubbock, Texas to take on a 4-4 Texas Tech Team. M-I-Z!!!

On a happier note the young St. Louis Rams continue to grow and learn how to win. The Rams beat a bad Carolina Panthers team 20-10 yesterday. Even with injuries at the Wide Receiver position the Rams were able to move the ball when needed. The Rams are now 4-4 headed to their bye week. The schedule is not nearly as favorable for the Rams in the next eight weeks. The team has one one home game between now and December 19th. But, I look forward to the second half of the season as this team continues to grow and improve. Go Rams!

Enough Already

Tuesday night can't come soon enough. I have been subjected to enough political advertising this election season that if I never see another campaign ad it won't be soon enough.

The "campaign ads" have been nothing but half truths, outright lies and political attacks. I really don't recall any race in which both major party candidates have refrained from attacking each other. One of the most annoying things about this garbage is apparently these idiots running for office think we believe their crap. In a five minute span this afternoon, 10 political ads for several candidates were broadcast on a local TV station. Each of the 10 ads was deceptive, misleading and only half true. Come on already politicians, do you really expect us to vote for you after you insult our intelligence? But, the problem is in many of the contested races both the Democratic and Republican candidates are equally arrogant in their treatment of the voters and continue to use their 30 second propaganda pieces to slander their opponent.

I have decided to just not vote for either the Democrat or Republican when they act like idiots while they are courting my vote. Just think how they will treat me after one of them gets elected. So, if there is a Tea Party candidate or third party candidate I will vote for them.

Maybe if the Democrats and Republicans grew up and acted like adults the Tea Party wouldn't be growing so rapidly and this country would be in a lot better shape.

No OU Didn't

That was the headline this morning in the Columbia Tribune after the Missouri Tigers defeated Oklahoma 36-27 last night. The Tigers offensive and defensive lines beat Oklahoma's lines and the Tigers prevailed. I have to say I have been going to Missouri games for a long long time and the stadium was electric as I have ever felt it last night. And when the Tigers ran the opening kickoff back for a TD, it was an unbelievable atmosphere.

The Tigers are now 7-0 which is their best start since 1960. Rather than go into detail about the game read a fine account of it written by the "Columbia Tribune's" football beat reporter Dave Matter.

MIZ-ZOU RAH!!!

How 'Bout Them Tigers!

My beloved Missouri Tigers ran their unbeaten streak to six this afternoon with a surprisingly easy 30-9 win over Texas A&M down in College Station. Missouri played, what I think is, their best game of the season to date. The offense, defense and special teams were outstanding. The Tigers jumped to a 16-zip halftime lead and tacked on two more TDs in the second half.

With the win the 19th ranked Tigers will come home next weekend to host the Oklahoma Sooners who are also undefeated. There are rumors that ESPN's "Game Day" will finally make it to Columbia and that the game will be on in prime time. (Even if it doesn't start at seven, ABC has said the game will begin at 2:30 as part of it's national coverage package).

So, yep, I am pumped about the Tigers. M-I-Z!!!

Nothing Too Exciting Here

I am just curious about how much influence keywords have when directing a Google search to a particular blog. Maybe that's why you ended up here.

There are no nude pictures of hot babes, there are no naked pictures of TV or movie starlets and there are no articles about scandals in the world of entertainment here. Just a run of the mill blog that's trying to see how Google finds this stuff. Now go away you perv.

The Stinky Bird Season Ends

The St. Louis Cardinals as you know missed the playoffs losing out by a half dozen games to the Cincinnati Reds, who also bowed out of Post-Season play in quick fashion. The whole division sucked this year.

But, back to the purpose of this post. I had said the Cardinals would win their division easily back in April. But, I also said injuries could put a damper on that activity. Well, key injuries to the four and five starter positions and the loss of David Freese at third base due to injuries contributed to the team's eventual downfall. In addition the bullpen struggled and the team's management didn't really help out very much when players were needed to fill the gaps.

It's history now, but I keep thinking of what might have been. Oh well, there's always next year.

Hello There

It's been over a month since my last post and there are several reasons for that. First I have been incredibly busy with work and volunteer work.

In addition with sporting events on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there has been little time for much else but taking care of the yard and house. So, I promise to write again soon when I have more time. Thanks for checking in and stay tuned.

Cautiously Optimistic

The St. Louis Rams have no where to go but up this year. They have managed six wins over the past three seasons, including just one win last year.

This year brings some optimism with the start of a new season. The Rams I believe are quite a bit better than the squad that started the 2009 season. Foremost in the personnel changes is Quarterback Sam Bradford, the very first player taken in the 2010 NFL draft. Bradford has looked good in four pre-season games and many so called experts believe he is ready to start in the NFL. The Rams offensive line has also improved to protect the club's investment in it's first round pick. And the team has a few guys who can actually catch the ball when it is thrown to them.

The defense should also show more improvement on what it started last year. In several pre-season games it came up with key stops and forced several key turnovers.

So, with the start of a new season that is why I am cautiously optimistic about the teams' chances. My guess is it will win three to five games this year. And that would be three to five times as many as it won last year. Go Rams!

Tigers Go to 2-0

My beloved Missouri Tigers went to 2-0 on the early season last night with a romp over McNeese State. The final count was 50-6, but the game was over halfway through the first quarter. Freshman running back Henry Josey scored three of the first four times he touched the ball including one run of 62 yards. And Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed the first 15 passes he attempted.

Mizzou looked much more comfortable running it's offense and playing defense than it did a week earlier in a 23-13 win over Illinois. Next up for Missouri is San Diego State from the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs are 2-0 following a 41-21 win over New Mexico State last night.

Redbirds are Stinking it Up

This year's version of the St. Louis Cardinals is an enigma. They win when they have to against relatively good teams, but then when they play the lower division outfits, they stink up the place.

The team has lost four in a row now and really aren't playing very good defense and at times just lack hustle. This squad should have been 5 - 10 games out in front of the rest of the division by now but instead are 4.5 behind the Cincinnati Reds at the start of play today. Granted the Cards have been beaten up by injuries all year and have lost their 4 & 5 starters. They've also lost games at third base and in the outfield due to injuries.

But, as hurt as the team has been this year, they still have more raw talent than anyone else in the NL Central. My thought is something is missing from this squad. And my guess is there is a divisiveness or dissension on the team. If that's the case it's manager Tony LaRussa's job to figure out how to make everyone play nice together. But, the bottom line is the Birds are not winning like they should be and now are in serious danger of missing the playoffs. I may be wrong, but this club doesn't look like it has any fight in it and it is just going through the motions.

Better Late....

This is about a week old but congratulations to Whitey Herzog on his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Herzog was gracious and humorous in his acceptance speech and gave thanks to his mentor the late Casey Stengel. Stengel managed Herzog with the Yankees and Herzog said he thought he had been treated so well because Stengel thought he was the grandson of Casey's former teammate Buck Herzog.

In addition to Herzog, Andre Dawson of the Expos and Cubs and National League umpire Doug Harvey were also inducted last Sunday afternoon. The writers and broadcast wings also got new members with Bill Madden and Jon Miller of ESPN joining their respective groups.

Herzog managed the St. Louis Cardinals during the 80s when the team won the 1982 World Series and league championships in 1985 and 1987. I spent many enjoyable days and nights at the old Busch Stadium watching the Cardinals play "Whitey Ball". Those teams were always fun to watch and won a lot of games. So, here's to you Whitey Herzog!

Another Night Another Choke in Colorado

As if it wasn't bad enough that the St. Louis Cardinals blew up on Tuesday night, the same thing happened last night. The Cardinals gave away leads to the Colorado Rockies of 5-0 and 7-4 only to lose 8-7. Once again the hitters did there job racking up 16 hits. But, the bullpen did NOT do it's job and blew up again for a second consecutive night. The goat last night was Jason Motte who blew the save. Actually it was only his first blown save of the year, so I am going easy on him. But, in general the bullpen has been feckless the last several games. And while I was critical of Ryan Franklin yesterday, to be fair he has had only blown 2 saves all year.

Baseball is a marathon not a sprint, so hopefully the Birds will right the ship today when they wrap up their visit to that haunted house called Coors Field. They still have the best talent in the NL Central, but I am starting to question their heart and desire to win.

Cards to Appear on Sunday Night Baseball

Apparently last night's blow up in Colorado hasn't deterred the execs at ESPN from showing the Birds in prime-time. The Cardinals and Cubs game at Wrigley on Sunday night July 25th will be featured nationwide on the channel that would like to have you believe it's the "Sports Leader".

Bad Times for the Redbirds in Denver

The St. Louis Cardinals had the dubious distinction of giving up 9 runs in the ninth inning last night and losing to the Colorado Rockies 12-9. The Cardinal bats have been quiet much of the season, but broke out last night in a big way and the team actually led 9-2 in the seventh inning.


But then the arson squad...er, bullpen, came in and played giveaway with the Rockies. Well not the entire bullpen. The 6th and 7th innings went well enough as manager Tony LaRussa burned through three pitchers to get six outs. In the 8th and 9th Dennys Reyes and Ryan Franklin couldn't throw strikes and the Rockies teed off on them when they did. Franklin ended the game by hanging a pitch over the plate that was driven out by Seth Smith for a three run dinger.

In fairness to LaRussa, he was playing in Coors Field where a four run lead doesn't mean much. But, why did he take starter Blake Hawksworth out after only five innings when he had a 6-2 lead? And why didn't LaRussa use Mitchell Boggs who was available and who has been pitching fairly well lately? LaRussa's actions at times are hard to comprehend. Again I'll give him the Coors Field angle of being in a place where a lot of runs can be scored in a hurry (as the Rockies proved last night). But, at this rate his relief staff is going to be worn out by September. Let's hope the Cardinal hitters come to life and pick up the slack.

And to top off the bad news from Colorado, Brad Penny attempted to throw yesterday and reported morepain. That stopped the session short and Penny is back in St. Louis looking at medical options.

Happy 4th of July

I hope as you read this you and your family are having a wonderful 4th of July.

Happy 234th birthday to the greatest nation ever...The United States of America. And more importantly thank you to all of the brave troops stationed around the world defending the American way of life. I realize we are not the most beloved of countries, but why is that when some other nation gets in trouble or needs help, the US is always the first one it asks? And the United States never says no to someone in need. 234 years old and going strong.

Does the United States have problems? Sure we do. But, I am confident we will resolve those issues and move on. I am thankful for the many opportunities the USA has afforded me over the years and the freedom to do what I want when I want. Thank you American and may God Bless the United States of America!

What is MLB Up to Now?

So I flip on the TV and I see that all of the players are wearing white caps. My first thought it what's up with that. Well, then I learn it is to honor America on Independence Day and support injured veterans. I then think that is a noble cause.

But, then while surfing the web this morning I came across this article in the San Jose Mercury. It turns out MLB is more interested in lining it's own pockets than enriching a needy group of veterans. Shame on you Major League Baseaball.

Another Great Brew

I finally had the chance to taste DogFish Head 90 Minute IPA. It's better than I had been led to believe. The beer is as good as any IPA I have tasted. This beer is huge. It's 9 percent by volume and carries a whopping 90 IBU.

The beer is between an Orange and Copper in color and starts out tasting like grapefruit with a little Brown Sugar. It finishes with the traditional pine smell and a taste of Lemon. It has a syrupy taste in your mouth and is well balanced.

I had to drive 30 miles to find it, but the drive was well worth it. This is just one more reason Dogfish Head Brewing in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware is one of the top micro-breweries in the USA.

Responding to this Blog is Fine, But...

A couple of days ago I received two comments from a reader or readers who left one critical posting that could have been okay and another that was not.

If you're going to post due it in a timely fashion. The comment was okay but it was about something that happened close to three years ago and stopped being a problem like two weeks after that post.

The second comment was an attack on this blog and compared it to someone elses. I have no clue who the other person was writing about and doubt anyone else would for that matter. You can post anonymously but your chances of them being allowed are pretty slim. If you include your email address or a name, your still not guaranteed of having the comment allowed but it will certainly improve your chances. Sorry, but those have been the rules all along. If you don't like them get your own blog.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

The Missouri Women's Softball season came to a close this afternoon with a 5-0 loss to the Florida Gators. It was their second loss in the double elimination Women's College World Series. The Tigers had previously lost a heart breaker to Hawaii on Thursday 3-2.

The team ends the year with a record of 51-13. But, as a Mizzou alum I am very proud of these ladies and the way they represented our university. After key injuries earlier this year the squad could have packed it in. But, that never happened. Coach Ehren Earleywine and the team excelled and reached the Mecca of college softball for the second consecutive season. Let's hope next year they can make it back to Oklahoma City again. M-I-Z Z-O-U RAH!!!

Mizzou Headed to Womens College World Series

Congratulations to the Missouri Tigers Women's Softball team. The ladies are headed back to Oklahoma City this weekend for their second straight appearance in the NCAA Women's College World Series. The Tigers beat Oregon 7-2 on Sunday afternoon to advance to the National Championship Tournament.

The Tigers will face Hawaii on Thursday in their first round game. Go get 'em Tigers!

MIZ-ZOU RAH!!!

Congrats to the Mizzou Women's Softball Team

Congratulations to the Missouri University women's softball team which is one game away from a return trip to the NCAA Women's College World Series. The ladies defeated Oregon 1-0 today in a Super-Regional game played on the Mizzou campus in Columbia. If they win either Sunday or Monday, if the game is needed, they will head back to the WCWS. Way to go Lady Tigers!!!

M-I-Z-Z-O-U!!!

Roofing King Strikes Again

So, I'm watching TV last night ("Glee" to be specific) and out of the blue an ad pops up on my TV screen for the roofer referred to below this post. Yep, good old John Beel is doing the same thing with the Fox affiliate in St. Louis. He's sponsoring "severe weather" alerts.

So, while I am trying to enjoy Fox's top rated comedy, I get distracted by the ad for the roofer. But, what is even more infuriating is that the so called severe weather is for a Flash Flood warning out in the sticks 70 miles southwest of the city. AAaargh!

Apparently Roofer Boy doesn't get it. People don't want to see his nasty advertisements during prime time shows covering the lower right quarter of the screen. But, the practice is probably here to stay since the idiots running the Fox station bill the guy every time they run this crap.

Boycott this Business Too

There is a guy in St. Louis who puts roofs on people's houses for a living. And he must make a ton of money doing it because he has started advertising on a local tv station whenever there is the least threat of stormy weather within 100 miles of St. Louis.

John Beal Roofing has it's logo plastered all over my TV set every time a dark cloud comes near the St. Louis region. Actually, the local CBS affiliate (KMOV-TV) is charging this guy a lot of money to be associated with it's severe weather coverage. (And the coverage is terrible to say the least. Large ugly graphics blotting out images of prime time network programming. Yecchh).

So, how do we stop this abuse by the Channel 4 Weather Children? Just boycott John Beal Roofing until he stops advertising and taking up space on my TV screen. Not roofer man's screen, MY screen. KMOV is far from alone in interrupting programming with bogus "storm" coverage, but they are the only ones brazen enough to have a sponsor for it. Do they really think they are doing the public a service. No, they are NOT! I have yet to hear anyone say they appreciate the non-stop barrage of "breaking" weather" when the storms have long since passed and are well out of the area that can even see these TV stations' signal. But, I have heard a lot of people complain about the preemption of prime time shows when you ask them.

Again the simple answer; just boycott the sponsor and probably more importantly the local TV station.

The Cardinals Get a Wake Up Call

The Birdies went to Philadelphia this week and played a good team in the Phillies. The result - the Cards lost three out of four, and they didn't do much hitting or more accuratly much timely hitting.

So, while the Birds are the best in the NL Central, they are by no means the best in the National League. That honor must be reserved for the Phillies or Giants. The Cards have three good starters right now and the best everyday player in the game. Outside of that the bullpen is suspect and two of their brightest prospects are not hitting. I know it's a long season but let's hope the hitting comes around as the weather warms up. Otherwise, it will be another year of close but no cigar.

Boycott Friar Tucks

If you happen to come across a liquor store by the name of Friar Tucks, turn around and go somewhere else. Friar Tuck Beverages has a wide selection of beers, wines and liquors. But, it's rude service people, who are clueless about their products have made me never want to go here again. The most obnoxious behavior is being asked in what year you were you born. I understand they don't want to sell to minors and I have absolutely no issue with that. But, what I find particular annoying is being told I have to provide this information or I can't buy their products. I am, let's say, well past the age of majority and a look at my tired old face should tell the idiot check out boy not to bother. But no, the moron makes an issue of it and when I told him he can keep his beer he gets smart with me. At this point Friar Tuck's genius manager comes over to see what is going on and I tell him I am not providing my year of birth. He says at that point it's not necessary. So, tell me Friar Tuck's management why do you subject your customers to this stupid game? I will not do business with this outfit again and have encouraged my friends family and co-workers to boycott them as well.

Another Good (if Not Long) Week for the Birds

The Cardinals are now 8-4 after two weeks and have won all four series they've been in this year. The most recent series win was over the Mets with the Cards winning the rubber game last night. Adam Wainwright helped his team out tremendously by going the distance and pitching a complete game 5-3 win over the worn out Mets. You see, the two clubs played a 20 inning seven hour marathon on Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening that depleted both bullpens. (A friend of mine lives in Columbia, Mo and watched the first 11 innings at Busch Stadium before getting cold and deciding it was time to drive back to Columbia. That's about a two hour drive. Nonetheless, she made the trek back home down I-70 and back in time to see the last three innings at home. Yes that is a very long game).

Up next the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix starting this evening and then the San Francisco Giants this weekend at AT&T Park. The Giants are my pick to win the National League West so it should be a good test for the Cards.

A Pretty Good First Week for the Redbirds

The St. Louis Cardinals opened the 2010 season by going 4-2. But it could have been better. The Cardinals' bullpen gave up two walk off homers in the bottom of the ninth in the course of the week. One was surrendered by Jason Motte on Thursday to the Reds and the other last night by Kyle McClellan to the Brewers.

This St. Louis team should win the National League Central Division easily if the team stays healthy. But, if there is a question mark it is the bullpen. While, the Cards started 4-2, the bullpen was not impressive this past week. Hopefully, it will get better as the weather gets warmer.

Congrats to Duke and Other Random Thoughts

This is a little late but congratulations to the Duke Blue Devils and Coach K on yet another NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. And while we're at it nice job by the Butler Bulldogs on their improbable run to the championship game. I think this is as good a finish to a championship game as I can recall in quite a while. For that matter the whole tournament was outstanding. I have been watching it for years and I don't remember one better than this.

Now, having said that why would the NCAA want to go and spoil what is arguably the best sporting event of the year? The talk of adding 32 more teams will only dilute the field for a week. But, the bottom line is money and the NCAA would sell it's own soul if it had one. So, in reality we are looking at a 96 team tournament next year.

How Does Clark Kellogg Keep His Job?

When I watched the first game of the Final Four (that I wrote about below) , it was in a bar with the sound turned down. Fortunately, I didn't have to hear the analyst Clark Kellogg.

Now that I am home with the sound on, I am listening to the broadcast. Jim Nantz does a terrific job. But why am I having to endure this Clark Kellogg. I am not sure how Kellogg keeps his job. He is biased and sometimes I think he is watching a different game than I am. You would think somewhere in the stable of CBS analysts they could find someone better to do the job.

Hey CBS lose Clark Kellogg.

Go Butler...Go Butler

How 'bout them Bulldogs! Outside of Michigan State fans I think most people were rooting for Butler at the watering hole where I watched the game. Those Butler fans were rewarded. The Bulldogs knocked off the Spartans 52-50 in one of the best Final Four semifinals I can remember in a long time.

Michigan State was good but Butler was better. The Bulldogs were better on the boards and did a better job of shooting free throws than the Spartans.

Up next for Butler is the winner of the Duke / West Virginia game that is being played as I type this. Regardless of who wins that match up I will be cheering for Butler. GO BULLDOGS!!!

I Love This Tournament

This may be the best NCAA tournament ever. The upset of the lowly Kansas Jayhawks and the Dogs that have barked in the past ten days have been amazing. And how is it that Butler has made the Final Four. Go Bulldogs!

As I write this, the West Virginia Mountaineers are beating the Kentucky Wildcats by seven with a minute and a half to go. I am not a fan of John Caliparri or Bob Huggins. Both of these coaches represent all that is wrong with college basketball. But, the lesser of two evils is West Virginia. Go Mountaineers!

"I Can Feel it in the Air Tonight"

St. Louis experienced it's first 70 degree day of the year today. And man am I ready for it. When I left work this afternoon, I carried my coat with me rather than wearing it as I have every day since November.

It's been a long cold winter. But today was wonderful. It may have only lasted a day and rain and cooler weather will move in for the weekend. But, for today at least, finally a taste of Spring!

Vancouver Job Well Done!

Did you watch the just completed Olympics from Vancouver these past two weeks? I ended up watching more than I thought I would. I think what attracted me to the competitions was the ongoing story lines that created drama right up to the closing ceremonies. The US - Canada Gold Medal Hockey game is one of the most exciting sporting events I have ever seen. The NHL could learn a lesson from the Olympics.

I enjoyed the curling competitions too, especially the women. What other sport combines hot women and cold ice! It looks like a fun game to play, but my guess is most of the games are played outside of bars where ice occurs naturally. Kind of like we play softball in the states. (Not outside of icy bars, but with lots of beer).

The games also portrayed courage by athletes who were competing under tremendous adversity. I was particularly pleased to see the Canadian figure skater win the Bronze Medal on the same day her mother passed away. She was the epitome of grace and courage.

So, to you Vancouver, Congratulations on an outstanding Winter Olympic Games.

Is Anyone Happy with this Government?

Does anyone really like the job that the US government is doing for them? I have not talked to anyone who is really happy with the way this nation is headed. Oh sure, we all think OUR congressman is doing a good job, but when you query your friends and families no one else seems to be satisfied with Congress, the Executive branch or the Judicial branch.

President Barack Obama's rating continues to slip as he advocates increased spending to bring the country out of a recession. But, at what cost? Why should our children, grand children and great-grand children be burdened with our lack of self restraint?

Now the Supreme Court rules corporations can not be restrained in contributing to campaigns because to do otherwise would be a violation of free speech rights in the constitution. WTF? Since when did corporations receive the rights of individuals? The last time I read it the phrasing was government OF the people, BY the people, FOR the people. I sure didn't see the word "corporation" in there.

I am proud to be a citizen of the United States and love this country as much if not more than you. But, it is time for change. The people I speak to; friends, families, neighbors and co-workers to a person are fed up with the lack of responsibility from our federally elected officials. We are angry, confused and frustrated. Congress doesn't get it, Obama doesn't get it and the Supreme Court is out of touch with reality.

When people expressed anger last spring in town hall meetings, members of the House and Senate blew it off as just a bunch of over-active crackpots. The media also perceived it that way. And the national media and popular press continue to portray the "Tea Party" as a bunch of kooks. These are people who are outraged with our government. My perception is they are truly trying to change things and get the United States back on the right track. But, the Tea Party is fighting an uphill battle.

I really think what we are seeing is the beginning of a major change in the way this nation is governed. If all three branches of our government aren't going to take their job seriously then the people who go to work, pay their taxes and vote will make changes. And I fear this change may not end up pretty.

To borrow from the Brewer and Shipley song of the '70s: "It says right there in the constitution it's really A-OK to have a revolution when the leaders that you made Just don't make the grade. Oh, mommy, I ain't no commie But I hate to bust your bubble Cause there's gonna be some trouble soon".

I know this post is getting way to long and I appreciate your indulging my rambling. But, go read the US Constitution and pay particular attention to the Preamble. The very reason the United States was established was to get rid of a government that was imposing heavy taxes on the founding fathers and not paying a lick of attention to their needs. Taxes were collected for a few who benefited royally but no services were provided. Sounds all too familiar doesn't it?

Way To Go World Champion Saints!

This is extremely late but definitely needs to be posted. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, Superbowl 44 champions. I was happy for the Saints in their 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts and even more happy for the team's long suffering fans.

And in a local boy makes good note, congratulations to 3rd string Quarterback Chase Daniel. Daniel bounced around the league earlier this year after being cut by several teams. But, he found a home with the Saints. Even though he carried a clip board in the big game he will always be able to say he was a member of a Super Bowl Champion. For the past three seasons prior to this one I had the pleasure to watch Daniel play quarterback at Mizzou and take the Tigers to three consecutive bowl games. Congrats to you too Chase.

Congrats to the Saints

The New Orleans Saints are headed to the Super Bowl! Who would have thought it years ago when Saint fans used to show up at games with bags over their heads and called themselves the "Aints".

The NFC Championship game was sloppy to say the least and the Saints probably benefited from poor officiating in their 31-28 overtime win over the Minnesota Vikings. But, nonetheless they are headed to South Florida to take on the mighty Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl 44. Indy has been installed as a six point favorite by Las Vegas but I will be cheering for the underdog Saints and their thousands of fans in the Crescent City. Geaux Saints!

Dumbest Commercial Ever

I'm watching Mizzou play Kansas this evening and ESPN keeps showing an ad for Direct TV that may be the dumbest I have ever seen.

Direct TV is trying to capitalize off the concept of a bank holdup to sell it's over-priced service. The ad starts violently, then some bozo actor says he is still able to record his TV shows even though he might not get out of the back on time. The commercial is offensive and insensitive. If I were to sum it up in a word I would say: STUPID!

Self Righteous Baseball Writers

Since Mark McGwire admitted his use of PEDs (see the post below this one), several nationally prominent members of the Baseball Writers Association of America have taken it upon themselves to criticize McGwire and say they will not vote for him to gain entry to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Peter Gammons, Thomas Boswell and several of the twits on the MLB Network need to quit posturing. McGwire told Bob Costas on Monday he is apologizing to get past the hurt he has been feeling for years and claims he played baseball for the love of the game. He did not say he wants to be in the Hall of Fame. Yet, now Boswell and Gammons say they won't vote for McGwire. Really!

None of these holier than thou types would have voted for McGwire anyway. McGwire's support on the Hall of Fame ballot has continued to decline and his candidacy is dead. So, why now when the man makes a seemingly heartfelt apology do they feel the need to run their mouths about a mute point? Maybe I should write I won't be hitting clean-up for the Cardinals this coming season and the team doesn't need to pay me $15 million dollars per year.

Mark McGwire's "Revelation".

More than eleven years ago I was among those who took great pride in St. Louis Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire surpassing Roger Maris' all time home run record. It was a happy moment and many people believe it brought baseball back from disgrace after the strike of 1994. I still carry the vision of the ball sailing over the left field fence on that early September evening in my memories.

But, flash forward to today and that feeling of pride no longer exists. Like many others I suspected McGwire was doing steroids at the time. But, I secretly hoped he wasn't and that it was all God given talent. Now, that McGwire has formally admitted he used the performance enhancing drugs (PED) it leaves a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth.

I feel bad for the man, and it was obvious in his interview with Bob Costas Monday night on the MLB network that he was hurting badly about what he had done and then his cover-up. I know everyone makes mistakes and I have no problem in forgiving him as a baseball fan. I also hope that it brings him some peace of mind and lets him get on with his life and new role as the Cardinals' hitting coach.

I only wish McGwire had gone a step further and admitted the steroids gave him an unfair advantage over the pitchers he faced. Granted McGwire was a powerful and gifted athlete, but I have to believe the PEDs gave him additional strength and allowed him to play through injuries he might not have otherwise. During the interview Costas asked "Big Mac" several time if steroids had helped him achieve the then single season home run record. On each occaison McGwire responded by saying he had a gift of hand-eye coordination and had always been a power hitter and the only reason for PEDs was to get past injuries.

How 'Bout Them Rams!

The St. Louis Rams wrapped up their season today with a boring 28-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners dominated the game and finish the season at 6-10. The Rams end the year at 1-15.

But, that's good news to Rams fans. The loss secures the Rams hold on the top pick in this year's NFL draft. Can you say Ndamukong Suh? (I had to check that spelling three times)!

Blues Fire Murray

The St. Louis Blues have canned their head coach Bruce Murray after a four year run. The Blues have named 39 year old Davis Payne to take over the team on an interim basis.

Murray had a 118-102-38 record during his tenure and took the team to the playoffs for the first time in four years last spring. They were quickly eliminated by Vancouver in four straight games.

Apparently, the Blues front office decided a change was needed because the team was 6-13-3 at home this season, a league worst. The topper may have been the team blowing a 3-1 lead after two periods on New Year's Eve and losing 4-3.

Journalistic Abuse of Power

ESPN needs to do the right thing and get rid of Craig James as a football analyst. James took it upon himself to make a story out of his son's treatment at Texas Tech this week. James believed his son was treated poorly by head coach Mike Leach after the younger James complained the practice field was too bright. Leach reportedly responded by having the player placed in a dark room with two trainers while the rest of the team worked out.

Leach has since been fired by Texas Tech University for alleged abuse of players. That and the fact he was preparing a lawsuit against that institution of "higher education".

But, the bottom line is Craig James should have kept his mouth shut. Even if he thought his son was being mistreated or even abused, it wasn't his role to make a story of it. He should have passed along his information to a professional reporter who could have interviewed both sides before going to air with it.

This is not the first time ESPN has permitted this to happen. But, then again no one has ever accused the ABC owned outlet of being a journalistic stronghold. ESPN should stick to showing sports highlights and let the journalistic professionals report the news.

Happy New Year!

We are two days into the new decade as I write but here's hoping that you and yours have a healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year!

God knows 2009 was not among the best I have experienced. And I am not sorry to see it go. But, as this year begins I am mildly optimistic that it will be a good one.

Hopefully, the US congress will get it's collective head out of it's rear end and pass a meaningful piece of legislation to reform health care. As I see it now the current piece of garbage being looked at by a House - Senate negotiating committee needs to be taken out with the trash before the lawmakers return to DC.

I have not been able to read it all, but from what I see it is poorly written, laden with pork and fat, and really doesn't solve much of anything. As a friend of mine put it..."the bill was written by special interest lobbyists, and put together by congressional staff members. The members of each chamber have no clue what is in it and they will not have to live with it since they have their own health care plan". But, for the rest of us, let's hope Congress and the President come to their senses.