The Anti-Post

Tigers Come From Behind to Beat Kansas

2012-02-05T15:08:00.000-06:00

My beloved Missouri Tigers basketball team topped off one of the best weeks in Mizzou sports history I can remember. The #4 Tigers were down by eight points with 3:25 to go and came back to win. The Tigers ran off the last 11 points and held #8 Kansas scoreless down the stretch to win 74-71. Mizzou is now 21-2 and 8-2 in the Big XII conference. The Tiger win last night with the signed letter of intent earlier this week from Dorial Green Beckham made for one fine week. M-I-Z!

Spring Can't Be Too Far Away

2012-02-03T11:38:00.000-06:00

The weather here this week has been wonderful. Daytime highs in the 60s and night time lows in the 40's. It's about 20 degrees warmer than normal for the first week of February. So, even though some little rat up in Pennsylvania saw his shadow yesterday, Spring can't be far away.

By the calendar it's about six weeks to the official start of Spring and to St. Patrick's Day. But, you know I found a six pack of Boulevard Brewing's Irish Ale yesterday afternoon. It always comes out a month before St. Patty's Day and the start of Spring. So there it is; yet another sign we are getting closer to warmer weather. And you also know what I will be tasting this afternoon after work. Cheers!

St. Louis TV Station Plagiarises Wikipedia

2012-02-03T11:17:00.001-06:00

Former Southwest Missouri State and St. Louis University basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour passed away earlier this week. By all acounts of those who knew him he was a good man.

So, how did the local Fox TV affiliate write up his obituary? By, plagiarising a Wikipedia article onto it's own website. The "Fox 2 News" article appeared to have been copied and pasted onto the station's website. Apparently no one edits the website either, because the loser who copied it left Wikipedia's footnotes in the Fox "report". ("Son, lazy and stupid is no way to go through life") To make the matter worse KTVI put a "staff writer" byline on the article and then put it's copyright on the whole thing.

Charles Apple of the American Copy Editor's Society does a wonderful job of explaining the theft on the ACES website.

Red Letter Day for Mizzou Football

2012-02-01T11:23:00.014-06:00

The Missouri Tigers have landed the top rated high school recruit in the United States (according to Rivals.com). Dorial Green-Beckham of Springfield, Mo has decided to stay home and become a Missouri University football player. Beckham was sought after by Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama and 16 other schools. But, in the end Beckham chose Missouri because he reportedly was most comfortable around coach Gary Pinkel and his assistants.

Not only did DGB decide to become a Tiger so did Mr. Ohio football, Maty Mauk. Mauk was ranked by Rivals as the 8th best high school QB in the nation this year and in the top 16 of all players. Mauk was recruited by 21 D-1 schools and had offers from the likes of Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Illinois. But Mauk has chosen to become Mizzou's next franchise QB. By my calculation if he redshirts for a year, he will take over the reigns in Columbia in the fall of 2014.

In the coming years I look forward to hearing Tiger Radio's Mike Kelly call the words "Mauk to DGB and he takes it to the house"!

Oh and by the way Happy New Year!

2012-01-13T13:47:00.000-06:00

I am just a tad bit late with this...but Happy New Year! I did in fact observe the start of the New Year by sleeping right through it. New Years' Eve is, well, for amateurs. I no longer want to be out on the streets when a bunch of amateurs start drinking and driving two ton machines let alone texting their every drunken thought to their friends.

Nope I was in bed at 10:30 like a good boy and slept through what I am told was quite a fireworks display by the renters next door. (I did not hear any of it, but my proof is I had to pick up spent bottle rockets from the front yard on January 2nd).

Anyway, if you really care Happy New Years to you! May it be a healthy, happy and prosperous one for you and your family.

Fischer the New Head Coach of Rams?

2012-01-13T13:38:00.002-06:00

As of this moment it appears the St. Louis Rams have moved forward with hiring their next head coach. The St. Louis Riverfront Times reports Sports Illustrated has tweeted Jeff Fischer accepted the position.

(Boy, that's a round about way of posting news).

Better at Christmas Cards than Football

2011-12-22T11:56:00.000-06:00

The Saint Louis Rams are now 2-12 and not a very good football team. Part of the team's reversal of fortunes this season from last year has been the numerous injuries on both offense and defense. The Rams are on their fifth set of corner backs and the offensive line is just as banged up with only one starter from the season opener still playing and he is out of position.

So, will the Rams win anymore this year? I doubt it. But, I didn't think they could ever beat the Saints back in October. But the Rams won that game easily.

Anyway with Christmas fast approaching the Rams have put together a nice video card that is much better in quality than this season. To view the video card just follow this link

Albert signs with the Halos

2011-12-08T10:34:00.002-06:00

Reports this morning indicate Cardinal All-Star First Baseman Albert Pujols has signed a $250 million contract with the Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles. Pujols has played with the Red Birds for the past eleven years and has been the team's, no the Major League's, best and most productive player over that period. He was also a huge part of the 2006 and 2011 World Series Champion St. Louis teams.

My initial reaction is I'm certainly sorry to see Pujols leave St. Louis. Not only is he a giant among all players all time who have played the game, but he is also a giant of a man with a heart for charity as large as his skills are on the field.

But, in reflection I have to say thank you Albert for all of the great times, big hits and memories of the last decade. It has been a wonderful ride, but all good things must come to an end. Albert, may God bless you and continued success and best wishes for you as you begin the next phase of your career with the Angels.

Some Tasty Beers

2011-11-27T18:25:00.001-06:00

This weekend was a good one for sampling new beers in the St. Louis area. Schlafly has just released it's Imperial Stout. The brewery has created a potent beer that checks in at 10.5% ABV. I sampled it last night at the Tap Room. It is one of my favorite styles of the year. In addition to being a filling beverage for a cold night, it has been aged over whiskey barrels. It pours black and has the viscosity of motor oil. Be careful at 10.5 it will kick your butt. I had several water backs when I drank it with dinner.

Charleville Brewing of Southeast Missouri has also come out with it's version of an Imperial beer aged over Whiskey barrels. It's called "Charleville Whiskey Scented Santa Ale". I tried it at the suggestion of my server when I asked for a Bourbon barrel aged beer. I am glad she recommended it. It has a very dark head to it and is in the Christmas style with dark toffee, fruit and vanilla. It too is a big big beer. I sampled it at iHop in Soulard.

On the downside, I learned this week Anchor Brewing is no longer distributing in St. Louis, at least on the Missouri side of the River. This means my favorite Christmas Ale of all, Anchor Christmas Ale will not be available this Holiday season. That is a bummer. But, perhaps, it will give me a chance to expand my horizons.

Tigers Win the All Time Football Series

2011-11-27T17:34:00.000-06:00

Missouri and Kansas have been playing football for 120 years. It is the second oldest rivalry in the US and the oldest west of the Mississippi. That will change for good next year when Missouri moves onto the Southeast Conference (SEC). Kansas' Athletic Department is not taking it well that their old arch-rivals are leaving them behind. Missouri is leaving the Big 12 because of the instability brought about by the University of Texas' greed in creating it's own Longhorn TV Network.

So with Missouri winning the game yesterday 24-10, the Tigers have won the all time series 61 games to 59 games. I find this amusing in that the day Mizzou said it was leaving the Big 12, KU claimed it was the "winner". What? The Chickenhawks 2-10 team is a winner? In what Universe?

The Jayhawks aren't happy so they say they won't schedule the Tigers as a non-conference opponent. They may be unhappy about the loss of Mizzou from the Big 12 conference, but my guess is, they don't want to risk another loss by playing Missouri and then having to play a full conference schedule on top of it. So for now Jayhawkers, Missouri is the "winner" and you've been exposed for what you are: losers.

Thanksgiving 2011...Come and Almost Gone

2011-11-27T16:43:00.000-06:00

This weekend has flown by to say the least. Seems as if I was just walking out of the office on Wednesday afternoon, looking forward to two days off. Thanksgiving with the family involved me smoking the Turkey outside on the Weber. Inside we had all of the trimmings including a fresh baked Cherry Pie. It was a lot of work but it was a lot of fun to spend time with family.

Friday was just the opposite. Very laid back with nothing on the agenda and my butt wasn't anywhere near a shopping center or strip mall. Ugh, I can't imagine why anyone in their right mind would want to get in with all of that pushing and shoving for Christmas gifts. Nope, I spent my time watching football, drinking beer and eating leftover Turkey sandwiches like you're supposed to.

Saturday was another quiet day watching football and relaxing. I was pleased to see my Missouri Tigers beat Kansas 24-10. The Tigers ended the regular season at 7-5 and are now awaiting a bowl game invite.

And today the Saint Louis Rams played as expected and lost to a bad Arizona Cardinals team. The final was 23-20. Some things just don't change, including going back to work in the morning.

What a Weekend

2011-11-02T19:13:00.002-05:00

The Cardinals won the Series on Friday night. Then on Saturday Mizzou came from an eleven point deficit to win on the road, and the St. Louis Rams pulled off a huge upset on Sunday afternoon against the powerful New Orleans Saints.

What do the football wins have in common? Both of their coaches cited the Cards never say die attitude. Coach Gary Pinkel guided his Tigers to a 38-31 OT win over Texas A&M. It was the first time in years Missouri had beaten a ranked opponent on the road. Afterwards he told reporters, the Cards were his team's inspiration.

On Sunday, the Cardinals were on the sidelines at the Jones dome prior to kickoff and players from both St. Louis franchises mingled and traded handshakes. The Rams then went out and won their first game of the year over New Orleans who had been a huge 13 point favorite on the road. When the game ended coach Steve Spagnuolo gave credit to Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa for bringing his team to the game and cited them as the Ram's inspiration.

Congratulations Cardinals!

2011-11-02T18:54:00.000-05:00

It's been almost four days now and I am still celebrating the St. Louis Cardinals latest World Series Championship. I won't go into a lot of detail but this World Championship is sweeter than the first four I've experienced in my lifetime.

I had written this team off back in August when they were playing like, well...crap. They weren't hitting, the bullpen was terrible and the defense was making stupid mistakes 10 year old kids don't make. But after falling back 10 1/2 games on August 25th, it turned around. Why, I don't really know. Injuries started to heal, the bullpen started getting batters out and the starting pitching came up with solid starts almost every night. Top it off with timely hitting and you can see how the club won 15 of 20 down the stretch. Twice, in the playoffs they got behind teams that were better on paper. The Phillies had more wins than any team in baseball this year and the Brewers were six games better than the Cards during the regular season. But still it was the Redbirds who found themselves in the Series.

The Cardinals again fell behind the Rangers after five games. In fact they were down to their final strike, twice, last Thursday night in Game 6. But, they rallied and went on to win this Series described by many baseball writers as the best World Series in years.

David Freese was named the MVP of the series, but really almost every player stepped up at one time or another down the stretch and during the playoffs. In my book (and yeah I know this will sound corny) they are all MVPs. Congratulations World Champion Saint Louis Cardinals!

Good Luck Redbirds

2011-10-18T19:53:00.000-05:00

Here it is 19 days later and the Cardinals are still playing. I really didn't have much hope for their playoff chances but...they are still playing. In fact the World Series starts tomorrow night at Busch Stadium.

It's the Cardinals against a very good Texas Rangers team that tore through the American League playoffs and destroyed the Rays and Tigers along the way. At the same time the Cardinals edged out a tough Philadelphia squad and then got past a good Milwaukee team that hit the ball hard.

But, bottom line it's the Cards in the Series for the 18th time in their history. This has also been one of the most enjoyable baseball post-seasons for me in a long time. Maybe it's because of the Cardinals underdog role. Maybe, it's because of their never-say-die attittude. But, it's a great group of guys and they seem to be having a lot of fun and seem unfazed by any pressure. Witness the teams catch phrase #HappyFlight and tweets from Allen Craig's pet tortoise @TortyCraig. Whatever it is they are having fun and so am I. I won't make a prediction on the World Series this year but I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see this team win it all. Go CARDS!!!

Congratulations Cardinals and Rays

2011-09-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

Six weeks ago I gave up on the St. Louis Cardinals and declared them to "officially suck". Apparently, I was wrong. The team completed an improbable run to the playoffs with an 8-0 win last night over the hapless Houston Astros and finished the season as the National League Wild Card champion.

This Cardinal team trailed the Atlanta Braves by 10 1/2 games in late August and to be honest I had stopped watching. I just couldn't stand the poor defense, mediocre relief pitching and crappy management by Tony LaRussa. But, with the aid of one of the biggest chokes of all times by the Braves, the Cardinals are now in Major League Baseball's 2011 World Series tournament.

As amazing as the Cards were in overcoming that huge deficit, the Tampa Bay Rays overcome even bigger odds. The Rays clinched the Wild Card spot in the American League with a come from behind win over the evil New York Yankees. The Yanks led at one point 7-0, but the Rays kept battling and came back to tie it with a two out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth. Then in the bottom of the 12th Evan Longoria hit a walkoff homerun to win the game 8-7. At the same time an even bigger choke artist, the Boston Red Sox, blew a lead to a bad Baltimore Orioles team, and the Rays are in the playoffs. Hey Boston, don't let the door hit you in the ass.

Watch out now, because while the Yanks (the best team money could buy) had the best record in the American League this year, I believe the Rays are to them what Kryptonite is to Superman. It should be a fun post season.

Lee Enterprises Sued by yet Another Post-Dispatch Union

2011-09-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

If you've read this blog with any regularity, you'll know I believe Lee Enterprises is in over it's head.

Well, the large media company out of Iowa has been named as a defendant again by one of it's labor unions at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Riverfront Times has done a nice job with the story so I will just refer you to this link.

If You Want to Call Them a Team

2011-09-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

As I write this I am watching Georgia Tech, stomp the living crap out of the Kansas chickenhawks. I am taking great delight in this as it is 52-17 Tech in the third quarter.

This reminds me of a conversation a couple of years ago while watching football with some friends. A buddy's wife says "I didn't know Kansas still had a football team". Almost in unison everyone responded..."they don't". Stupid Jayhawks.

The NFL is Back

2011-09-11T18:16:00.004-05:00

What a great day. I just got back from watching the 10 year old play his first tournament of the fall season...and he played well.

Now, I'm watching football at a local watering hole that has the NFL Sunday Ticket. It Rocks. This place has over 500 beers and WiFi. I think this is (outside of sex) as good as it gets!!!

Whew What Happened to Summer

2011-09-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

So, here it is the weekend after Labor Day and the weather for now is cooler and crisper than all of those 100 degree days this summer. But, what happened to those hundred days between Memorial Day and Labor Day? Just like life in general, they come and go much too quickly. I know I have been busy working a full time job, a part time job and many side jobs. Not to mention a lot of volunteer work at Church and the Church's school. Oh and did I mention taking care of my home and two yards?

I'm not complaining because I would much rather have way too much on my plate than not enough. But, I'm just saying summer sure did fly by this year.

Craft Beer Week in Saint Louis

2011-08-06T20:03:00.005-05:00

It's almost over but wow, what a week for sampling craft beers in Saint Louis.

This afternoon I had the chance to stop by iTAP which was featuring 12 beers in the cask. At the risk of sounding redundant..."So many beers, so little time".

I started with a Green Flash Imperial IPA. (Green Flash is from San Diego). If you read this blog at all, you know I am a huge hop-head. And this is a big, beer. What are the metrics on this beer you ask? Well it is 9.4% ABV and a huge 101 IBUs. It has the citrus smell to it and it goes down smooth despite it's huge ABV.

After trying the Green Flash my friendly waitress Emily suggested the New Holland Dragon's Milk Stout. This beer was amazing. It is 10% ABV and I had two of them as well as a water back. It tasted of Chocolate Milk. Now I drank Chocolate Milk as a kid, but if I had known about this beer, I probably wouldn't have anything to do with the milk. It pours like oil, but it tastes like heaven. The bourbon notes are noticable immediatly. I wish this beer was available year round in St. Louis. Cheers to Green Flash and New Holland!

Yankees and Red Sox are on TV again

2011-08-06T16:56:00.003-05:00

Just like last time they played, this is what 90 percent of the baseball world thinks of this matchup:

WHO CARES?

For some reason the thought of watching these two overpaid teams compete unfairly against the rest of baseball just doesnt seem right. They play at a snail's pace which is just downright boring. I'm watching golf on CBS instead and that's not exactly exciting. Hey Fox get your head out of your ass.

Another Awesome Ale

2011-07-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

So, I get off work last night and I ask the bartender at one of my favorite watering holes, what new big IPAs do you have? And without missing a beat he says have you tried the Lenny's RIPA? As fast as I sampled a taste of it I was sold.

It's a big big beer; a Double IPA. As the Shmaltz Brewing Company literature says it is brewed with an obscene amount of hops and malt. Then it is aged in Rye Whiskey barrels. The combination and aging work to perfection. You might think something that big would be undrinkable. But, no it was amazing. I would like to have ordered another but at 10% ABV I decided not to since I was driving. But, the next time I am the bar I will have several more glasses of this wonderful beverage.

ESPN Screws Up...Again

2011-07-15T10:26:00.001-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, ESPN needs to stick to televising sporting events and stop pretending to be journalists. They're NOT. They are biased. A number of their so called experts are NOT and they are a fraud.

For the latest ESPN screw up, check out this Rivals.com piece about how the ABC owned network conspired against former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach. ESPN is a damn joke and no one wants to call a spade a spade. But Rivals.com has gone after ESPN. If you have a few minutes make sure to read the story.

Happy Birthday USA!

2011-07-09T14:54:00.000-05:00

This is about a week late, but Happy 235th anniversary to the United States of America! May God bless her and may he bless the armed forces of this great nation. Here's a big thank you to the men and women of the military who keep this land free and allow me to put my head down at night and sleep soundly. This country has some extremely serious problems with which to deal, but there is no where else on this planet I would ever live. GOD Bless America!

Yankees vs. Red Sox

2011-06-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

Who cares?

Maharajah IPA is awesome

2011-06-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

You know from reading this blog I'm a fan of big big beers. I had the chance to check out Avery's Maharajah IPA a few nights ago at one of my favorite watering holes. Now, I've had it in this Boulder based company's bottles previously and didn't know what I had. But this time it was on tap and it was amazing. If you get the chance to try it straight from the keg do it. Simply amazing!

Congrats to the Mizzou Women's Softball Team

2011-06-09T10:25:00.000-05:00

No, the Tigers didn't win the Women's College World Series but they played extremely well before being eliminated from this year's NCAA Women's College World Series.

The Tigers tried to bounce back from an opening round defeat to Florida by winning their way through the consolation bracket. They defeated fellow Big 12 conference team Oklahoma and eliminated the Sooners. But, then the Tigers ran into outstanding pitching from Big 12 member Baylor and ultimately lost 1-0 in 13 innings. That ended the Tigers season at 49-12.

This was the third consecutive trip to the WCWS for Mizzou. And the team took a step this year they hadn't taken previously by knocking another team out of the tournament. So, with that to build on the future looks bright for the Mizzou women and Head Coach Ehren Earleywine.

Six Row Delivers a Unique Beer

2011-06-02T20:01:00.002-05:00

I like beer. I like bacon. But until tonight I had never thought of them as being paired.

Six Row Brewing Company in midtown St. Louis combined the two and came up with a unique brew. It was called several names but the one I like is Piggy Porter. The beer was on cask. The brewers took a cask and used the already good Six Row Porter as a base. Then for the last few days they put in a half pound of very lean smoked bacon into the cask. The result was a drinkable beer.

I wasn't sure what to expect. The smokey smell was immediately noticeable. But, when the beer hit my tongue it was subtle. The beer was the same Porter that is already served year round at Six Row, but it wasn't overwhelming. My expectations had been that the beer might punch me in the mouth with the bacon flavor.

My only criticism of it was that it was slightly salty. (Go figure. Bacon has a lot of salt in it). And the beer was a little too cold to be called Cask beer. In fairness to Six Row and it's brewers, they had to keep it cold until earlier in the afternoon to keep it safe.

Bottom line is this beer went fast and I look forward to the next time the folks at Six Row do this again.

Go Mizzou Women's Softball

2011-06-02T19:36:00.005-05:00

If you've been asleep all week, the Missouri Tigers women's softball team is back in the NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. How did they get there you ask? Good question.

The Tigers qualified for the regional tournament and came back through the elimination round to beat DePaul twice and advance to the NCAA Super-Regional, which just happened to be held in Columbia. The Tigers then demolished the Washington Huskies of the Pac-Ten in two straight.

Up next is Missouri against Florida. The Tigers bring in a slightly better record than the Gators, but the Gators play in the always tough SEC. Still, don't sell Mizzou short. They played a rugged season in the Big 12 and saw some really good teams. How Good? Well, four of the eight teams in the College World Series are from the Big 12. (Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and the Tigers are all there).

The Tigers have been blanked in the previous two tournaments bowing out after two games in each of the tourneys. But, I have a good feeling this year is going to be different. So with that in mind let me say: Go Tigers. M-I-Z Z-O-U!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-28T17:53:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the United States Armed Forces present and past. As we celebrate this weekend, with barbecues and get togethers with family and friends let's not lose sight of what Memorial Day means. Memorial Day is set aside to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation, and to those who are ready to step into harms way to keep us all safe. I give my personal thanks to the hundreds of thousands of US Troops who are currently serving in various posts around the world. Your bravery allows me to sleep better at night knowing that people who want to destroy the United States are being kept held at bay. So, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Osama Bin Laden Joke

2011-05-11T13:23:00.001-05:00

So, this guy walks into a bar and says "Bartender make me an Osama Bin Laden".
The bartender says I've never heard of such a drink. How do you make it"?
The guy answers: "Two shots neat and a splash".

Cardinals in First Place in May

2011-05-11T13:01:00.000-05:00

If you had told me the St. Louis Cardinals would lose Adam Wainwright for the season and that Chris Carpenter would have just one win on May 11th I would have thought the team would be well back of the National League Central leader. But, surprisingly, even with Albert Pujols slumping, the Cardinals are a game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds.

Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday are hitting well and three young pitchers have stepped their game up to the next level. Kyle McClellan has five wins, and Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse both have four wins.

I really don't think the Cardinals have the horses to win the division and the wild card team will not come from the Central. I believe in the end the Reds have more depth than the Birds. But, then again last year I said St. Louis would win the division by ten games. So, what do I know?

Welcome Stone Brewing

2011-05-06T20:04:00.000-05:00

In keeping with the previous point of keeping it short and to the point I want to tell you about a couple of beers I've tasted in the past few weeks. Stone Brewing Co. of San Diego came to Saint Louis. I had the chance to sample several of their products at a local watering hole in the Soulard neighborhood.

If you get the chance try the Bourbon Barrel Porter and their Imperial Stout aged over Bourbon. They both knocked it out of the park. Both are a little on the sweet side, but my are they good. If you get the chance check them out.

May Already

2011-05-06T19:27:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been a month since we last visited. I hope you are doing well and that life is treating you okay. I am fine, just working my butt off. I have been working a full time job, a part time job and picking up more side jobs than I care to admit. Add taking care of the yards at my residence and another house and there just hasn't been too much time for blogging.

My thought is rather than writing long articles I will post with what is on my mind. That way I can express more in less time. So, let me know what you think and stay tuned for more posts. Have a good evening.

St. Louis Cardinals...Ugh

2011-04-08T20:46:00.003-05:00

The St. Louis Cardinals are 2-5 at this point and not off to the start I had hoped. The offense has been sluggish and the defense has been lackadaisical. Albert Pujols has not produced to this point and the team struggles when it's star player struggles. But, we all know it's a long season. To speak in a cliche, this is a marathon not a sprint. I know Pujols will produce as the season progresses. This is just a bump in the road. So Cardinal fans get off of Albert's back and leave him alone.

If this team is going to win, he will have to carry it. I just hope management has given Albert enough of a supporting cast to be competitive in the always lame National League Central division.

OK so I'm Not a Hoops Guru

2011-04-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

Well, if you read the post below this one, you"ll see I picked the Butler Bulldogs to win the NCAA tournament. OK, I was wrong, sue me. I sure hope you didn't bet any of your hard earned money on either of those teams. The game was uh, how should I put it....UGLY to say the least. As a friend of mine put it "if that game were a girl, I would have had to have really thick beer goggles to take her home". I thought Butler would shoot better from three point land than what it did. I did not think UConn would play defense as well as it did. So, the bottom line is congratulations to the Connecticut Huskies. I still think the Big East is a bunch of thugs.

NCAA Tournament Goes to the Dogs

2011-04-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

The match up is between Huskies and Bulldogs. The Connecticut Huskies and the Butler Bulldogs. Personally I will be cheering for Butler. I think they will win the game. They have a better defense, and championship game experience that UConn doesn't. And if Butler is able to hit their threes, Connecticut will have a long night. The so called experts have installed Connecticut as a three point favorite. And the CBS talking heads are unanimously picking UConn. I disagree. Butler will win by three. Let the game begin.

Reporting Fact and Reporting Gossip

2011-04-03T14:52:00.001-05:00

In the past month, the Missouri Tigers played poorly and exited both the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments early. It didn't come as a surprise, because for the last three weeks of the season they played selfishly and out of control. I am not sure why or how that happened, but the head coach of the Tigers, Mike Anderson left town and took the head job at Arkansas. So, the Tigers are looking for a new coach. I have no idea who will get the job, but I hope it is filled quickly so the recruiting process can continue. If you use Twitter or other social media, some of the so called experts blew it this week when they told their followers that it was going to be Purdue coach Matt Painter. Obviously that did not happen. The Columbia Tribune has an excellent article on how several outlets proclaimed Painter the new head coach earlier this week. To read the story CLICK HERE to get to the Columbia Daily Tribune's website.

Happy April!

2011-04-03T14:39:00.001-05:00

Beer, baseball and bad media are some of my favorite topics on which to write. Too bad I've been so busy. But, hopefully as it warms up I will have more time to blog. So stay tuned.

Brew Pubs and Breweries in STL

2011-03-10T11:01:00.001-06:00

In the past several weeks I've had the chance to re-visit a few of the micro-breweries around St. Louis and some are doing a great job and others may not be around too much longer. I will write more about the various locations as time permits. (Gee what is free time)?

Urban Chestnut Brewing is the latest member of the St. Louis brewing family. I visited them on a recent Friday night and was not impressed. I know it is early and the brew team is still working out the bugs in their production. From a beer drinker's point of view, the service was outstanding. The bartenders know their stuff and were willing to share their knowledge of the product.

I was able to sample all of their new offerings that evening and settled on a Pilsner. The Pilsner was nice, but it was not by any means the best I have had. Apparently, the philosophy of the brewery is to serve styles that are popular in Germany. There are many fine German brews. But, this is St. Louis and many craft beer drinkers want bigger beers despite what they tell you. I sampled the half IPA Urban offers and found it disappointing. In fairness to the brewer I am a hop head, so I am biased. But, why bother making the half IPA, when there are so many other styles on which he could have focused?

I wish Urban Chestnut well but this brewery may be too sophisticated for the average micro-brewery customer. The night I visited, Urban Chestnut was crowded and I didn't hear too many complaints. So, I really hope I am wrong in my assessment and this venture is around for quite some time.

Missouri is Lucky to Still Be Playing

2011-03-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

My beloved Missouri Tigers are in a funk. It seems they couldn't fall out of a boat and hit water. Lately the shooting has been horrendous and Kim English continues to fire away. Mr. English is a lot like Will Rogers, except that English has never met a shot he didn't like. And the poor shooting hurt the Tigers down the stretch as they lost their last three conference games. I have a feeling that will come back to bite them in the butt when the tournament committee makes it's selections for the "Big Dance".

The Tigers dodged a bullet last night against Texas Tech and held on to win 88-84. At times they look brilliant and at other times they look like mental midgets. I am not sure what the problem is. But, Mike Anderson has better figure it out fast. Up next this evening is Texas A&M in Kansas City. The Aggies won earlier this season down in College Station. Hopefully Mizzou will defend it's home soil, but I'm not holding my breath.

"Little Darling It's Been a Long Cold Lonely Winter"

2011-02-13T17:18:00.002-06:00

Any true Beatles fan knows that line comes from the Abbey Road song "Here Comes the Sun". It has been a long and cold six weeks for the area. But, yesterday the temperature got to 50 degrees and today it made 63. Yes it is very welcome after the ice and snow of the last few weeks. Just to give you an idea of how nasty the ice was, I still have about an inch of ice on portions of my driveway and sidewalk even after the sun shone it today.

So to celebrate, I have four split fryers on the Weber Kettle and a nice Lagunitas Maximus IPA in my right hand. (Well, I have had to set it down to type). With warm weather, barbecue cooking on the grill and sipping a great beer...life is good!

Hail to the Packers

2011-02-13T17:07:00.002-06:00

The dust has settled from last Sunday night's Super Bowl 45 and the fans have all gone back to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. But, the score stands. Packers 31 - Steelers 25. I thought it was a good game and for the most part pretty well played. I think if it got played again 100 times, the Packers would still win the majority of the games. Bottom line is Aaron Rodgers (who won the MVP) did turn out to be a better quarterback than Ben Rothlisberger even if his receivers (ie; Jordy) decided to drop a bunch of passes they should have caught.

My forecast had been the Pack by two. Well, I missed it by four points, but it doesn't matter. The NFC Green Bay Packers are the 2011 Super Bowl Champions. Congratulations Packers!

Two Big Rich Beers I'd Been Wanting to Try

2011-02-01T18:49:00.001-06:00

I was on my feet all day Sunday and was tired when I got home. But, not too tired to open a fine beer. I had a bottle of Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti in the fridge and decided it was a good night to sample it. I was not disappointed. WOW! As I poured it I could smell Oak, the rich malts and a little coffee. And when I tasted it, again WOW! The complex flavors of this Imperial went down really smooth. Sometimes when I get a big beer like this (9.5% ABV) I can taste the alcohol burn. But not so in this case. Oh did I say it's complex? I tasted chocolate and coffee in the beer and when I licked my lips I could also taste notes of Vanilla. Believe me the next one I get won't sit in my refrigerator very long.

So, as I write this I am tasting a Southern Tier Oak Aged Un-Earthly IPA. As I poured it I could pick up notes of Peach and Orange. As I sipped it the Citrus hops were readily noticeable along with the Peach and what I think is Caramel. The Oak is not overwhelming but is evident and I think holds down the flavors of the hops. As my glass and the brew warm I can taste a slight alcohol burn. Bottom line; this is a very big hoppy beer that achieves what it sets out to accomplish. On this cold icy Winter night it fills the bill.

Packers 23 - Steelers 21

2011-02-01T16:54:00.000-06:00

Nine days ago I told you the Green Bay Packers would defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl 45. The Pack will win by two. Why you want to know? I see both teams as very similar. Both have better than average defenses and each has a good offense. But, the difference at this time is Aaron Rodgers is a better quarterback than Ben Roethlisberger. Check out the stats for this season.

It should be a great game. As far as the prediction, this one is as worthless as every so called experts out there. So, here you go. Rodgers marches the Pack down the field in the final minute and they come from behind to win it 23-21.

Great Comedy on the Local TV Stations

2011-02-01T16:31:00.000-06:00

So, I've been watching the talking heads off and on today (mostly off) seeing them make asses of themselves in trying to forecast what they want to call "The Snowpocalypse". For starters these Bozos have been repeating themselves ad nausea since yesterday afternoon. They started forecasting a blizzard warning about this time yesterday. And by golly they are persistent. But, now the frantic weather dude on KMOV (CBS affiliate) says they might have "erred slightly". How much did he err, well now it appears as if St. Louis might get two inches of snow instead of the 20 inches he originally forecast. "Might have erred"?...Seriously.

During this onslaught to the senses the talking heads have among other things, scraped ice from the street, scraped the ice off of a strangers car and told us how really "dangerous this storm is". But, if you're looking for a good laugh turn on KSDK (NBC). They have a no talent hack of a reporter who has been screwing up repeatedly trying to anchor news conference coverage from the City of St. Louis' Emergency Center. I don't know this woman's name but she is hilarious and stood be doing stand up comedy somewhere.

The Stage is Set

2011-01-23T21:11:00.002-06:00

Well after 17 weeks of the regular season and three weeks of playoffs the NFL has the two teams that will play in Super Bowl 45.

The Green Bay Packers jumped on top early and held on to beat a feisty Chicago Bears team 21-14. I have to wonder what would have happened had Bears QB Jay Cutler not been injured just prior to halftime. Also, Aaron Rodgers looked like a deer in the headlights in the second half after the Bears upped the pressure on him. The Pack is fortunate to have held on to win.

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers on going to their 8th Super Bowl. The Steelers jumped on top of the New York Jets early and got up 24-0 before New York scored just before half. The Jets came back in the second half and made it close but no cigar. The final was Steelers 24-19.

If I had to speculate at this point I would predict the Packers by two over the Steelers in the Super Bowl. But, that's two weeks away. Stay tuned for the reasons why I feel Green Bay will win that game.

Football Part - II

2011-01-13T21:52:00.001-06:00

The St. Louis Rams season didn't end as I had hoped. They ended up losing to the Seahawks in Seattle 16-6. The Rams didn't move the ball all night long and you have to credit the Seahawks defense for coming up with a game plan that shut down Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson. (Although part of the blame has to go the Rams receiver corp which dropped numerous catchable balls). The Rams had too many three and outs and never did get un-tracked. The squad ended the 2010 campaign with a 7-9 record. While it tied Seattle for the NFC West title, Seattle won the tie-breaker by having a better division record than St. Louis.

If you had told me in July the Rams would win seven games in 2010 and be battling for a playoff spot the final game of the season I would have been ecstatic. The seven wins surpassed the team's win total for 2007, 2008 and 2009 combined.

After seeing the team win some tough games, my expectations going into Seattle were a lot higher than where they were a year ago. After all the Rams had beaten up on Seattle on their visit to the Jones Dome. But, alas it wasn't meant to be.

I am looking forward to the 2011 season (if there is one) because of the improved defense and the talent that will be back on offense. With a good draft this spring the Rams could not only make the playoffs but be playing late into January.

Football Part I

2011-01-08T14:03:00.000-06:00

I have to say I was disappointed with the way the Missouri Tiger football season came to an end. If you slept through the past month, Mizzou got beat by Iowa 27-24 in the Insight Bowl. Yep, that's right, the freakin Insight Bowl. I don't think quarterback Blaine Gabbert was at his best that evening, but you also have to give credit to the Hawkeyes who kept pressure on him and did a good job of covering up the Tiger's receivers.

I had to get up early the morning after the game so turned it off with the Tigers up 24-20. The first thing I did when I got up the next day was to get on the 'Net and learn that Mizzou had lost on a pass interception. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who has decided to turn pro, tried to force something that wasn't there. He said so after the game. And there are those in the St. Louis media who took potshots at Gabbert. But, I really can't be critical of him. He is a tremendous athlete with a gift and has made that pass many times in the past two years. (So Bernie Miklaz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch get off of Gabbert's back). I was sad to see Mizzou lose it's bowl game for the second year in a row, but still this team had ten wins this year. Not too shabby.

With ten wins the Tigers should have been playing in the Cotton Bowl ahead of Texas A&M. Missouri had a better record than (A&M) and destroyed the Aggies back in October 30-9 in College Station. But, the bottom line is bowl committee's are nothing more than greedy businessmen looking to line their pockets. Not only wasn't Mizzou invited to the Dallas bowl game, but A&M was invited to play prior to BCS Sunday. Is it fair? Heck no. But as long as Missouri stays in the Big 12 Conference, it will continue to get hosed in the bowl selection process. First of all the conference leadership has done a terrible job of aligning itself with all of the bowl committees. The Big 12 had two teams playing on New Year's Day this year. The Big Ten (which is a weaker conference) had five teams playing on New Year's Day. (And all five lost).

The Cotton Bowl took A&M because it would sell 25 thousand tickets. Missouri sold about 18 thousand tickets four years ago when it was there. And at about $100 a pop that meant 700 thousand dollars in revenue to the Cotton Bowl committee. Enough said.

Happy New Year

2011-01-05T10:47:00.000-06:00

Well I suppose it's better than late never, so Happy New Year to you! You probably wonder where the heck this was five days ago. Well, working my butt off and partying some too. So, with that explained. May 2011 be your best year yet and may it bring you health, peace, happiness and hopefully prosperity!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T14:36:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-24T14:32:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-18T17:17:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-27T21:23:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-27T21:04:00.001-06:00

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

2010-11-14T15:25:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-14T14:56:00.001-06:00

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

2010-11-07T15:15:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-01T13:11:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-29T17:09:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-24T14:58:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-10-16T17:20:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-14T16:37:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-14T16:29:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-14T16:19:00.001-05:00

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

2010-09-12T14:18:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-12T14:07:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-21T14:58:00.000-05:00

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....

2010-08-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-07T22:34:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-07T13:29:00.002-05:00

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

2010-07-04T13:11:00.001-05:00

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?

2010-07-04T12:32:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-30T21:44:00.001-05:00

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...

2010-06-30T21:18:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-05T17:03:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-01T09:04:00.002-05:00

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

2010-05-29T23:46:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-26T22:36:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-07T13:41:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-19T09:04:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-12T08:53:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-04-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-03T20:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-27T20:25:00.001-05:00

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"

2010-03-10T22:19:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-03-02T10:51:00.002-06:00

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?

2010-02-17T11:31:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-02-17T10:41:00.000-06:00

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

2010-01-25T22:14:00.000-06:00

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

2010-01-25T21:41:00.000-06:00

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

2010-01-13T16:06:00.000-06:00

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".

2010-01-13T14:50:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-01-03T15:59:00.001-06:00

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)!